Ice or Heat for Pain?

When to use ICE:
Ice should ALWAYS be used after an acute injury or trauma to any other area of the body.
Ice is a potent vasoconstrictor: cold causes the muscles of the body those lining the walls of our blood vessels, to constrict decreasing the swelling and pain associated with the body’s inflammatory response. As the vessels constrict, fewer inflammatory mediators seep into the area. In the case of musculoskeletal injuries, decreasing the inflammatory response decreases pain and prevents hyperimmune Une response in the area.
Ice should be applied at 15-20 minute intervals only, with at least an hour and a half in between icings.
Ice should be used for the first 48-72 hours following injury. Never use heat during this time.
Ice can also be used to alleviate pain associated with chronic back pain. Ice should be used after exercise, especially strenuous exercise, but NEVER before stretching or exercising. As ice causes increased muscle constriction and tension, its use before physical activity can lead to injury.

When to use HEAT:
Heat is used to relax and relieve tension associated with muscle stiffness and tension. Heat is best used to treat chronic, consistent back, neck and/or other musculoskeletal pain.
Heat can be applied before stretching and exercising to eliminate muscular stiffness and spasms. Warm towels or compresses work best.
These are just basic rules of thumb for treating back pain with heat or ice. If you have been diagnosed with an auto-immune disease, always discuss heat and ice therapies with your specialist. If you find that ice and/or heat seem to intensify your pain, avoid its use and consult with treating practitioner.

Normal Blood Pressure Range by Age

Normal Blood Pressure in Babies and Children

A "normal" blood pressure changes throughout childhood -- it's lowest in infants and gradually increases throughout childhood. Unless your child is at risk for a blood pressure problem, however -- for example, from kidney disease or diabetes -- her doctor is unlikely to take blood pressure readings at all. Determining normal blood pressure in children is a bit complicated, and it depends on the child's size and age. One rule of thumb doctors use, though, is this: a child is considered to have "prehypertension" if she has a blood pressure greater than 90 percent of children of similar age and size, and to have "hypertension" if she has a blood pressure greater than 95 percent

Normal Blood Pressure in Adolescents, Adults and Older Adults

It may seem surprising, given that blood pressure naturally increases with age, but a normal blood pressure is considered the same for all adolescents, adults and older adults: below 120/80. The first of those two numbers, the systolic blood pressure, reflects the pressure in the blood vessels when the heart is contracting and exerting maximum pressure. The second number, the diastolic blood pressure, reflects the pressure in the blood vessels when the heart is at rest, between contractions. If either one of those two numbers is too high, the blood pressure is not considered normal.

Higher Than Normal: Prehypertension and Hypertension

Adults are considered to have prehypertension if their systolic blood pressure reading is consistently above 120 but below 140, or if their diastolic blood pressure is above 80 or below 90. People with prehypertension are likely to progress to having hypertension unless they take some measures to lower their blood pressure. If you have a blood pressure greater than 140/90, you are considered to have hypertension. Your doctor might recommend certain lifestyle habits that can help lower your blood pressure, such as maintaining a healthy weight, exercising regularly, quitting smoking, and limiting your intake of alcohol and salt. Depending on how high your blood pressure is and what other health problems you have, your doctor might also recommend blood pressure medication.

Low Blood Pressure

Although it's a less common problem than high blood pressure, your blood pressure might become lower than normal at any age. Some people have naturally low blood pressure without experiencing any symptoms, but for others, a low systolic blood pressure -- typically lower than 90 -- can result in symptoms such as dizziness, lightheadedness or fainting. Low blood pressure is typically caused by another problem, such as dehydration, a sudden blood loss, or a side effect of drugs, and your doctor will recommend treatment depending on the cause.

What Can Make a Normal Blood Pressure Abnormal?

At any age, certain factors can lead to a deceptively high blood pressure reading, even in people with a normally healthy blood pressure. For example, caffeine and tobacco can lead to higher readings; so can being woken up suddenly before a reading, or exercising right before a reading. Stress can also elevate a normal reading. Some people experience stress whenever they're in a doctor's office, leading to higher-than-normal readings -- so-called white-coat hypertension. These people often find it helpful to monitor their blood pressure at home for more accurate results.

Home Remedy for Back Spasms

Back spasms are painful contractions or cramps in the muscles of the back. The pain can be the result of overdoing it during an athletic workout or as simple as just moving wrong while getting out of bed or performing a household chore. According to the Sports Injury Bulletin, most back spasms affect the lower area of the back. You can alleviate the pain of a muscle cramp in the back through home remedies.

Step 1

Ice the area that hurts to relieve the pain of a back spasm. Apply an ice pack in a massaging motion to your back—you may need the help of a family member to reach the right spot—for a period of 12 minutes, according to Sports Injury Bulletin. The cold not only eases the pain but can reduce inflammation within the muscle and surrounding tissues. You can ice the painful area throughout the day, taking a 20-minute break between icing sessions.

Step 2

Take an over-the-counter pain reliever such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen to treat a back spasm at home. Most spasms that occur without ligament tearing can be helped by medications you probably already have in your medicine cabinet

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Step 3

Do some gentle stretching to strengthen your lower back, which can both relieve and prevent muscle cramps, according to MedlinePlus. Pelvic tilts, also called pelvic presses, strengthen the lower part of your back and increases your flexibility.

Lie down on the floor or a bed with your arms straight down beside you. Tighten your stomach muscles, gently pushing the small of your back down against the floor. Hold the position for several seconds—up to 12 seconds is ideal if you can—before relaxing.

Step 4

Perform leg lifts to strengthen your back and core and to help loosen up tight muscles that spasm often. Lie on the floor or a bed. Lift your right arm and left leg up as high as you can, keeping both limbs straight. Hold the position as long as you can before returning to your original position. Repeat the exercise with your left arm and right leg. Two sets of 10 repetitions of this exercise is adequate, according to the Sports Injury Bulletin.

Things You'll Need

• Ice packs
• Pain relievers

Tips

• Though stretching can help back spasms, wait until your pain has subsided from its worst before starting the stretches.

10 Common Workout Injuries and How to Avoid Them

1 ANKLE SPRAIN

Twisting an ankle doesn’t just happen running outdoors. Jogging on a treadmill can also result in an ankle sprain, says Cindy Trowbridge, Ph.D., associate professor of kinesiology at the University of Texas at Arlington. “The biggest problem running indoors on a treadmill is losing your focus and accidentally stepping half on and half off the treadmill while the belt’s still moving.” If you jump off the treadmill quickly, your ankle may roll in an unnatural direction. Running outside on uneven terrain or up and off curbs also increases the risk of an ankle sprain. HOW TO STAY SAFE: Most treadmills have a clip you attach to your clothes that stops the machine if you fall. Says Trowbridge, “If you run outdoors, stay on level sidewalks or at a park, versus running where you have to go up and down off a curb.” Look for paved, even walkways because uneven terrain and potholes can be problems.

2 SHIN SPLINTS

Pain along the inner edge of your shinbone (tibia) may be a sign of medial tibial stress syndrome, more commonly known as shin splints. Common in runners, shin splints can also develop in exercisers who participate in running sports or jumping. “It’s muscle inflammation and can occur even after just a couple of workouts,” says associate professor of kinesiology Cindy Trowbridge, Ph.D. You’re at greatest risk of shin splints if you’ve recently increased the intensity or frequency of your workouts. Uneven ground, running uphill or downhill or on hard asphalt also increases the risk of shin splints, as does wearing worn-out shoes. HOW TO STAY SAFE: Wearing proper shoes and gradually increasing your workout intensity (no more than 10 percent a week) goes a long way toward preventing shin splints, says Trowbridge. Also avoid running or jogging right away. Slowly warm up first by doing jumping jacks to get your blood moving and your muscles warm, she says.

3 LOW-BACK STRAINS

A sudden, sharp twinge in your lower back during your workout could be a sign you’ve overdone it. “Squats or deadlifts with improper form wreaks havoc on the lower back,” says associate professor of kinesiology Cindy Trowbridge, Ph.D. “You can suffer strains or, even worse, nerve compression and disk herniation.” Twisting motions or sideways bends can also strain your lower back. HOW TO STAY SAFE: Beginners should first learn how to maintain a neutral back, says Trowbridge. To find your neutral spine, lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Your spine should touch the floor under your neck and lower back, which allows the natural curves of your back to absorb shock during exercise. “Get your form correct first before adding weight. Beginner weightlifters should do the leg press or hip sled first before trying squats.” If you’re unsure of proper form, ask a qualified personal trainer for advice.

4 ROTATOR CUFF INJURY

Four main muscles (supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor and subscapularis) comprise the rotator cuff, which surrounds and stabilizes the shoulder joint. Shoulder pain when you reach behind you, overhead or out to the side may be a sign of a rotator cuff strain. “It typically results from repetitive overhead activity,” says Luga Podesta, M.D., sports medicine specialist at Podesta Orthopedic and Sports Medicine Institute. Activities such as swimming or throwing a ball and overhead shoulder movements like military presses can lead to rotator cuff strains when done repeatedly over time. HOW TO STAY SAFE: Strengthen your rotator cuff muscles as part of your upper-body program. Use good posture (a slouched posture makes you more prone to compression of the shoulder joint) and avoid repetitive overhead exercises with weight that’s too heavy and lat pulldowns behind the neck -- do pulldowns in the front instead

5 STRESS FRACTURES

These tiny, hairline fractures are usually the result of too much too soon or repetitive jumping in one place, says Luga Podesta, M.D. The majority of stress fractures occur in the bones of the foot, heel or shin. Pain around the site of the fracture that worsens with exercising, standing or walking is a symptom of a stress fracture. The area may also swell. Sports like basketball and tennis also increase the risk of stress fractures -- as does osteoporosis. If left untreated, a stress fracture may not heal properly and can lead to chronic pain. HOW TO STAY SAFE: Start gradually. Try to progress by no more than five to 10 percent in exercise volume each week, says John P. Higgins, M.D., director of exercise physiology at Memorial Hermann at the Texas Medical Center. “For example, if you are jogging 10 miles a week, don’t do more than 11 miles the next week. If you are doing 10 reps of 50-pound biceps curls this week, next week do 11 reps of 50 or 10 reps of 55 pounds.” Cross-training can also help.

6 IT BAND SYNDROME

An overuse injury common in runners and cyclists, iliotibial band syndrome (ITBS) occurs when the IT band, a ligament that runs along the outside of the thigh from the hip to the shin, becomes tight and inflamed. “Cycling can trigger this flare-up, which causes pain on the outside of the knee,” says associate professor of kinesiology Cindy Trowbridge. This can also occur in runners who wear worn-out shoes, run on uneven or banked surfaces, run downhill, do the same run in the same direction too many times or simply from overuse as a result of running too many miles. HOW TO STAY SAFE: If you’re a cyclist, make sure the seat height is appropriate -- not too high or low -- says Trowbridge. In a cycling class, ask the instructor to help you adjust the height of the seat as well as find the right location that places your torso in an ideal position. “You want to be able to just reach the bar without feeling all bunched up,” she says. Runners should do a short walking warm-up before starting to run and make sure they replace worn-out shoes. Also, avoid running on concrete and, if you run on a track, change directions regularly.

7 PATELLOFEMORAL SYNDROME

Pain under the kneecap that worsens from running, walking down stairs or sitting with bent knees for long periods of time could be a sign of patellofemoral syndrome, also known as “runner’s knee.” You may also hear a crunching, creaking or grating sound. “You can get this from running, jumping or squatting,” says Luga Podesta, M.D. A change like an increase in running mileage, can contribute to pain. Patellofemoral syndrome occurs when the bones in the lower leg are not lined up perfectly, which causes an abnormal gliding between the patella (kneecap) and femur (thigh bone). This misalignment can lead to wear and tear between the cartilage and surfaces of the bones, causing pain. HOW TO STAY SAFE: Keep knees healthy with exercises that strengthen quadriceps and hip flexors. Seated and lying leg raises are often prescribed for strengthening the quadriceps. Also avoid kneeling or squatting repeatedly.

8 BICEPS TENDINITIS

Pain in front of the shoulder and upper-arm weakness may be a sign of tendinitis, an overuse injury that typically occurs from repetitive motions. Weightlifting, swimming, tennis and golf can all cause biceps tendinitis. Biceps tendinitis refers to the inflammation of a tendon that attaches your upper biceps muscle to the bones of the shoulder. “Impingement and rotator cuff damage often accompanies biceps tendinitis,” says David Geier, M.D., orthopedic surgeon in Charleston, South Carolina. You’ll feel pain and tenderness in the front of the shoulder that worsens with overhead lifting. Pain may also move down the upper arm bone and you may feel an occasional snapping in the shoulder. HOW TO STAY SAFE: Cross-train by varying your activities to avoid repetitive overhead movements, and make sure to take enough rest time between workouts. Check your posture which can increase the risk of biceps tendinitis, says Geier.

9 PECTORAL INJURY

Losing control of a dumbbell or barbell during a heavy bench press or performing dumbbell flies with too much weight can lead to a tear in the pectoralis muscle -- a serious injury. “You’ll feel a tearing sensation, and the chest and upper arm often turn black and blue,” says orthopedic surgeon David Geier. “Sometimes a defect in the muscle is visible or palpable. You should see an orthopedic surgeon within a few days to determine if the injury needs surgery.” HOW TO STAY SAFE: Make sure you can control the amount of weight you’re lifting, says Geier. “If you’re trying to lift a very heavy weight, have a spotter present to help control it so that you don’t drop it or lose control.”

10 GLENOID LABRUM TEAR

Clicking sounds and uncomfortable catching sensations deep in the shoulder during bench presses or military (overhead shoulder) presses may be symptoms of a glenoid labrum tear, says Geier. “This refers to a tear in the cartilage bumper that surrounds the glenoid, the socket of the ball-and-socket joint.” Labral tears can result from overuse or a direct injury to the shoulder, like falling and landing on an outstretched hand. HOW TO STAY SAFE: It may not always be possible to prevent a labral tear, says Geier, but any uncomfortable popping or pain deep in the shoulder is worth checking out. If the pain does not improve, seek a diagnosis from an orthopedic surgeon to determine the cause and treatment options. “Modify exercises to avoid pain as well,” says Geier. “Often you can still get a good shoulder or chest workout even if you have to avoid specific shoulder or chest exercises.”

Sharp Knee Pain on an Up Incline Followed by an Ache in the Thigh & Lower Leg

The knee is a complex joint consisting of the intersection of several bones bound together by tendons, ligaments and menisci and surrounded by soft tissue and muscles. Injury to the knee can result in sudden, sharp pain, swelling and difficulty walking. Pain may radiate to surrounding areas such as the thighs, calves and hips. Treatment varies depending on the cause of the pain.

Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome

If pain begins gradually with some soreness and aching when walking up or downhill, you may be suffering from an overuse injury called patellofemoral pain syndrome, or chondromalacia patella. Pain is usually localized under the kneecap and worsens when walking an incline or when you wear high heels. Pain often occurs when the kneecap, called the patella, rubs against the femoral bone. Pain usually subsides when you stop the activity but may flare up again unless treated. Strengthening the quadriceps and hamstrings can help stabilize the patella and prevent it from rubbing during activity.

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Iliotibial Band Syndrome

The iliotibial band, a thick strand of fascia, stretches from the outside of your knee across your hip joint. Repetitive flexing and extending the knee, as when you are walking or running, can cause the band to rub against the bony portion of your femur. This friction can cause irritation and inflammation, causing excruciating pain in the outside of your knees. This pain may radiate from the knees up to the thigh or down to the shins. ITBS can be challenging to treat and may require physical therapy.

Dislocation

Attempting to move your leg while your foot is planted may cause the patella to slip out of place, usually toward the outside of the leg. A dislocated knee often causes sharp pain, swelling, deformity and, often, an inability to bear weight. While not always debilitating, a dislocation often requires physical therapy and in some cases, surgery.

Torn Ligaments

The three main ligaments of the knee -- the ACL, MCL and PCL -- connect bones to bones and help control motion. While simply walking uphill does not usually damage ligaments, any sudden, jarring movements can tear the ligaments in the knee joint. If you experience sharp pain in the knee that radiates to the shin or thigh, you may have damaged one or more of your ligaments. Treatment usually involves resting, icing and elevating the joint along with taking anti-inflammatory medication to reduce pain and swelling.

Fractures

In extreme cases, knee pain may be caused by a fracture of the kneecap. A fracture can result from an overt injury or repeated stress. In most cases, pain is acute and debilitating and must be treated by a health care professional.

Other Causes

Pain in the knees that occurs when ascending an incline with radiating pain to the thigh and lower leg can be caused by a number of injuries or conditions. Check with your doctor for a conclusive diagnosis before attempting to treat recurring or sever

HOW TO GET SAUDI DRIVING LICENSE

Procedure

 

How to get a driving license in Riyadh,Saudi Arabia? You need to go to Dallah driving school which is near Dallah Hospital on King Fahad Highway. Take any taxi and ask him to take you there.

Before going to the License Office you need following things: 1. Original Iqamah. 2. Photocopy of Iqama. 3. Photocopy of Passport. 4. Driving License of your country 5. If expatriate, translation of foreign driving license in Arabic from an approved translation institute. 6. Passport size photographs 7. Medical report (Blood Group Test) 8. License Fee (400 SR pay it Riyadh bank/ATM for your iqama id and keep the voucher). Once you have above mentioned things, just take a taxi and ask him to take you to Old Dallah Driving School. Taxi will take 15-20 Saudi Riyals. You are suggested to go there earlier in the morning (reach by 7 am). Now go to shop next to the entrance gate. (You will be approached by persons for license payment in bank. They will asking 430 SR or 450 SR as fees for bank payment. Dont turn to them as you had already completed that in Item #8) From shop, you will get application form which will be filled for you in Arabic then and enclosed in file cover . Total cost for you is 15 riyals.  Now go to Room number 2 in the license office. The person on extreme left will do Eye-sight test. The person on extreme right counter will check your forms, stamp and send you to "License Check" counter. Here one more person will put a stamp on your application and send you for "first try". This trial place is behind the building where you are standing There will be a car or more and person will be sitting inside. He will ask you to drive the car a little ahead and then reverse a little. Don't worry it is just to see whether you have ever touched the car or not. The person inside will make his comments on your application.   Now come back to room # 2 and deposit SR 100. He will take your file and ask you to attend a 3 hour class. There will be a three hour class in which you will be taught the basics and after that there will be a computer test. Attend the class very carefully and also read all the things written on front and backside of the chart they give you during the class. The questions will be mainly Identification of different signals and general driving rules. Signals & Traffic Rules can be viewed from Riyadh Traffic Site   The questions that are going to be asked for the touch screen computer test, will be mentioned during the class by the training instructor. After class they will take you to a room where you will wait for the test to start. There would be 20 questions and you have to answer them in 30 minutes. If you make any mistake in the first ten questions, then you are failed. In next 10 questions you have to give only five correct answers. If you clear the computer test then they will test your driving. Congratulations, if you clear the test. By the way, it is very easy test. You just have to drive the car for some meters or you might have to do some simple reverse etc. Cars are of model "Cadillac Custom/Camry 2006". Cars are with gears; not automatic. Go to room number 1 (main room) and just on your left there is a place where "License Delivery" is written. Get your counter number from here and the go to the counter. Now wait until they deliver you the New Driving License. Congratulations!!! You can drive the car in Kingdom for the next 10 years from Now.     Total Expenses Taxi fare (1 day) = 30 SR Photo Pictures = 15 SR Blood Group Test = 15 SR File Cover, Application form filling = 8 SR Photocopies = 2 SR Training Fee = 100 SR License Fee = 400 SR Foreign License Translation = 20 SR ------------------------------------------- Total License Expenses = 590 SR =========================================== Your license is valid for 10 years