MEDICAL MATTERS

[Tizer]

Even then the emergency medics often don't have access to your medical records, even though we live in an age of rapid communications. My father-in-law was taken into one of the London teaching hospitals after a fall at home and we got a phone call from the nurses to let us know. They thought he was an alcoholic because of his behaviour and we had to convince them that he hardly drank any alcohol and it was all due to him having Parkinson's and vascular dementia. Perhaps we should all carry medical information cards that could be scanned by paramedics, doctors and nurses.

[Stanley]

A number tattooed on our forehead? Members of the Waffen SS were often identified after the war by the fact they had their blood group tattooed on their arm.
I have a little habit of pulling a couple of fresh mint leaves and two or three chive heads and chewing them while I am waiting for jack to have his late night pee. I have an idea I sleep better afterwards.....

[Stanley]

I've probably mentioned this before but in the old days, when you went to see the doctor, after taking your pulse he would use a wooden spatula to depress your tongue and shine a light down your throat while getting you to say ah. Arthur Morrison inspected the skin between the fingers on your hand as well. Being a nosy bugger I once asked him to explain what he was looking for. He said that if someone had a strong pulse, a clean tongue with no hearth rug on it, a clean red throat and smooth skin between their fingers there wasn't a lot wrong with them. I wonder if they teach young doctors the same thing today?

[PanBiker]

I have inherited lower back pain, it started yesterday morning and got gradually worse throughout the day. I did a stint at invigilating yesterday afternoon (all standing), I managed but had to keep moving to stop myself seizing up. I slept well last night and it's eased somewhat today. I have taken paracetamol and ibuprofen and will repeat later today. It is getting better. I have no idea what caused it, I did no lifting or anything like that it just seemed to set on all at once.

[Tizer]

I can commiserate with you Ian. For a few years in the early 2000s I had bouts of excruciating sacro-iliac pain. It gets you just to one side or the other of the lower spine, just below waist level. I was OK keeping still but as soon as I moved I got nasty spasms of pain. Same if I tried to turn over in bed. Getting in and out of bed or a chair was fraught with painful spasms. The doctor gave me cocodamol tablets (the heavy duty ones on prescription) together with a sedative that prevented the spasms. Each bout would last about a week. It all started with me trying to lift too great a weight in and out of the car boot and I soon learnt that the biggest danger was lifting and rotating at the same time. But then, like your present experience, I had some bouts that had no obvious cause. One morning when we were going to drive away on holiday I had slept OK but woke with the spasms. Mrs Tiz had to do all the driving and I was using a stick to get about. I went to a chiropracter to try to get help but it didn't do any good. Eventually I stopped having the bouts and have been OK since, although I'm still very careful with lifting weights and rotating my spine. Curiously the one thing that did seem to help when I was recovering from bouts was to walk upright carrying a weight in each hand - I discovered it while carrying two full watering cans to water the garden plants. Of course I had to bend my knees to pick them up rather than bending at the waist, and the cans were held with my arms dangling beside my legs. But afterwards I always had less pain for a while and it never seemed to do any harm, only good. It was if the weights pulling downwards on my spine alleviated the trouble. I hope you recover quickly.

[PanBiker]

It's a bit like my shoulder. I can't actually remember doing that either but it did set on while I was doing my kitchen. It is easing, it will need to, I have already committed to extra on my feet invigilating for Monday. Two exams that were scheduled for the same time slot now have to be run one after the other as there are some students doing both which was not realised when the timetable was set. I'll be on my feet from 8.45 through into the afternoon, happy days!

[Stanley]

I am an expert on my back pain, I have been studying it for seventy years...... A good general rule is to make sure you drink plenty of water. If you have to lift something do it slowly. Preserve the lordosis in the lower part of your spine. This is probably the reason why two watering cans cured Peter's pain, an even lift that tends to encourage the inward curve of the lordosis. Never forget the benefit of heat and rubbing. As a general rule, lower back and sciatic pain is always due to disturbance of nerves where they exit the spinal column, usually by partially trapping them. Pain higher in the back (mostly on one side or the other) is often a mechanical strain caused by an unbalanced lift or a sudden/awkward movement. Give a lot of thought to your usual sitting position and question its effect on the curve of your spine, 'chest out and shoulders back' isn't a bad guide. Finally, as far as possible avoid 'pain-killers', they give temporary relief but in the long run interfere with the natural healing processes of the body. They are of most use when taken at the beginning of the day before pain strikes to avoid spasm in the muscles trying to protect the injured part, most back pain is from them and not the actual cause.
You all have my sympathy, it's a miserable burden to have to bear.

[PanBiker]

I'm on the mend, although I cant twist yet or bend far at the waist. Rising from sitting, vertical movement and walking is much easier. I shall go for a walk this morning. I should be OK for Monday's exam sessions and I get a lie down in a rotating orthopedic chair on Tuesday at blood donors. Get thee behind me trapped nerve!

[Tripps]

We live and learn on here don't we?

Lordosis Definition.

Lordosis is an increased inward curving of the lumbar spine (just above the buttocks). The spine has three types of curves: lordotic, kyphotic (the outward curve of the thoracic spine at rib-level), and scoliotic (sideways curving). A small degree of both kyphotic and lordotic curvature is normal.

[Stanley]

Lordosis is a hangover from the days when we were designed to walk on all fours. Look at the curve in a Gorilla's back when it is walking. Walking upright tends to make us lean forwards and this reduces the curve, hence chest out and shoulders back. Lifting heavy weights, particularly when rotating the body, compresses/bursts the gristle pads (discs) which give the spine flexibility. This compression shortens the spine and disturbs the exit of nerves from the spinal column and that's the cause of the nerve pain that can become sciatica. That's why the pain from this sources tracks the nerves down the lower body and legs. Sciatic pain is nothing to do with where you feel the pain, it's a product of disturbance of the nerve sheath where it exits the spine. Top tip, this applies to pain above the knee, if you ever get sciatic pain below the knee, particularly if it's accompanied by pins and needles, go to the Doc immediately!
This penalty of evolution applies to sinuses as well. Our sinuses are designed to drain easily when we are on all fours with our head inclined down. They can't do this when we are erect. That's why accumulation of fluid in them can get infected sometimes and be another miserable experience. In the old days the cure was to insert s spike up the nose and crack a hole through the lowest point of the sinus. They don't do that now...... A good substitute for a man is sex in the missionary position, work out the equivalent for a woman yourselves.... If you can't avail yourself of this cure chewing gum, whistling and singing all stimulate the sinuses and can help.

[Marilyn]

If I had a gold coin for every time a man mentions a complaint cured by sex!

[Stanley]

It works Maz!

[PanBiker]

I concur, I reckon it's the endorphin's that do it Guv, can't beat a few of them! There you go Maz have a couple of Doubloons on us.

[Marilyn]

But it's such a blatant con job!
How are we to trust anything you men declare?!

[Stanley]

Have faith Maz. As if I would lie to you..... I remember once reading a description of what happens in the body during orgasm and it's mind boggling! No wonder it can clear your sinuses. Sneezing is a similarly complicated process....

[PanBiker]

And like orgasm, totally uncontrollable once it starts, burns calories as well win win situation, another gold coin for Maz.

[Marilyn]

You guys are "space cadets"!
Most modern day lasses have moved on from your self-serving rubbish.
I get more warm fuzzy feelings from a man who will do the washing up and take the rubbish out....then make a nice cup of Coffee AND wash the mugs..( cos that doesn't happen much either!)

Stanley...the thought of a man draining his sinuses whilst in the missionary position has sadly put me off any mid-week activities. ( I shall be reading my book with my back to hubby...and I am going to bed in a track suit!)

[PanBiker]

I get more warm fuzzy feelings from a man who will do the washing up and take the rubbish out....then make a nice cup of Coffee AND wash the mugs..( cos that doesn't happen much either!)

Oi, don't tar us all with the same brush, I do all of that and more. It's not self serving either but a medical fact that a healthy sex life is good for you. As for a tracksuit in bed, in your climate, really!

[Marilyn]

I don't actually own a tracksuit...

[Sunray10]

So to change the subject somewhat: is salt really bad for us? And what about Sugar - is that also bad for us? Anyway, sorry to change the subject - maybe its for the best! Yee Gods.

[Stanley]

This is far more interesting Sunny.....
I was watching a programme on President Roosevelt last night (FDR) and they said that at one point his BP reading was 250/150.... I didn't know that was possible!

[Marilyn]

i agree.
More sugar in your tea then Vicar????

[Stanley]

I often think that the majority of these 'health warnings' are put out by people with not enough proper work to do.

[Marilyn]

I particularly loathe the (so called) professional medicos who appear as regulars on TV shows to expunge the "latest" medical advice...nothing ever cutting edge...just pushing "safe" topics, and it all comes down to the same old crap about losing weight/stopping smoking/excercise/eating veg/drinking less alcohol. Apparently there is nothing these health messages can't cure. they all push the same barrow, and all get paid for comment. I despise them.

[Tizer]

Back on the 18th May I mentioned having to see the doctor about what might be a basal cell carcinoma on my face. He put a hydrocolloid dressing on and told me to come back on 26th May, yesterday. He's now peeled it off, cleaned it up and thinks it's unlikely to be a carcinoma because it looks like normal, if rather red, skin underneath. He prescribed an antibiotic cream to make sure there's no infection. Took it to the pharmacy but it's not in stock - now I have to wait and see if they can get it in before the Bank Holiday weekend. Pharmacies are like supermarkets now - too many different versions of the same type of drug, so they don't stock them all but get them in `when needed'.