The study, published in the January 13 Journal of the American Medical Association, was conducted in Germany, where people who use home monitors usually take classes to learn how to test their blood’s clotting ability. Researchers randomly assigned about half of 165 people using an anticoagulant to take these classes and test at home once or twice weekly. The researchers assigned the others to standard lab testing twice a month.

They then compared the ability of the two groups to successfully manage their blood clotting levels. Over six months, those assigned to home testing kept their blood clotting levels under control more consistently than those assigned to lab testing.

Home testing may make sense for people who are on anticoagulants for the long term, especially if they live far from a blood lab or travel frequently. This study suggests that home testing may also allow warfarin users to achieve better control.

Although the authors aren’t sure why those assigned to home testing had improved control over their blood clotting levels, it was probably because they tested themselves at least twice as often as those who went to labs.

They also may have been more motivated to stick to their treatment because they were more involved in it. These may be good reasons for people in the US to use a home monitor, though the monitors cost about $1,200 and are covered by few insurers. But the study participants may also have benefited from the extensive education they received, an option that is not widely available in the US.

1) Get The Total Picture: A thorough history and appraisal of the total health condition is essential to correct the roots of overall health problems. Our patient Health Appraisal Questionnaire (PHAQ) provides a Thorough picture of all that is occurring. The intensity of each symptom is noted by The patient scoring, listed on a 1-5 scale. Consider the high intensity factors first. This is usually the outer layer of dis-ease manifestation that the body is prioritizing as the primary need for correction.

2) Organized Case Management: Homeopathy offers an effective treatment for conditions, ranging from anorexia and bulimia to warts and weight control. Our Personal Health History Worksheet (PHHW) provides time management efficiency to maintain high volume and low stress in the broad scoped practice.

3) Biofeedback Response Tests To Confirm The Correct Homeopathic Formula: These tests are extremely valuable in determining the formulas needed. Such tests may include The Sublingual Reflex Response. Leg Length Chock, or more complex Electro Acupuncture.

Retesting procedures are essential to determine when to change dosages and when to change formula(s) for optimal results.

4) Retesting Procedures: Retesting with the biofeedback system of your choice will determine when to change Homeopathic dosages. Proper Homeopathic dosage frequency is essential for optimal results. Basically, if a Homeopathic formula continues to test positive, increase the dosage frequenc. If a Homeopathic formula is retesting negative or neutral. decrease dosage frequency.

Taking a Homeopathic Formula too frequently, especially over a period of time, may cause a temporary aggravation of symptoms. Taking a Homeopathic Formula too infrequently may not provide the results necessary to correct the condition. Retesting also indicates when to stop a formula, search for another formula, or reintroduce a past formula during the healing process. These procedures are essential for optimal results.

The most common muscle used for testing is the pectoralis major clavicular or deltoid This is done with the patient supine and the arm straight up towards the ceiling and the elbow locked straight. Test the muscle for its strength or weakness, Place a few drops to 1/8 capful of the KBP Homeopathic Formula of first choice in the patient’s mouth under the tongue. Wait five to seven seconds and retest the muscle. A dramatic change in the muscle test described above would indicate a positive test for that Homeopathic formula.

It is recommended that only one KBP Homeopathic Formula be used at a time, unless symptoms demand the use of more than one. It is common practice to use a Detox & Drainage Formula with a primary formula, especially in chronic conditions. When applying multiple Homeopathic formulas. each formula should he taken as far apart from The other as possible This allows each Homeopathic formula its full effect upon the body. If other KBP Homeopathic Formulas need to be tested, have the patient do repeated swallowing three to five times.

If within thirty seconds the muscle returns to its original state, the test can be repeated as described above. If the muscle is questionable or spongy and not firm in its response, consider the muscle weak. The correct KBP Homeopathic Formula will sharpen the muscle’s response when tested.

NOTE: If you are unfamiliar with muscle testing techniques. it is recommended you take a course in muscle testing or consult a doctor who is familiar with AK (Applied Kinesiology).

LEG CHECK PROCEDURE — You may use a Leg Check Procedure as either an alternative to or in conjunction with the muscle test. This is done also laying supine or face up. Check the leg length. noting which leg is short and approximating how short it is, Place a few drops or more under the tongue arid recheck the leg length, If the leg length changes either way (better or worse) is an indication through the body’s feedback system that the body is responding favorably to the formula tested.

NOTE: Using The sublingual neuropath way under the tongue is well documented in scientific literature. More Thorough explanations of these procedures are noted in educational materials.

ELECTRO ACUPUNCTURE TECHNIQUE (EAV) — These techniques have grown in popularity over the past ten years. There are now many varieties of machines and techniques available to you.

COMPATIBILITY— KBP HOMEOPATHIC FORMULAS are a valuable adjunct to Chiropractic, nutritional supplements, herbals, and diets. There are NO ADVERSE Reactions with other natural therapies or medicines which may be necessary.

SAFETY — KBP HOMEOPATHIC FORMULAS ARE ALCOHOL FREE. SUGAR FREE. NON HABIT FORMING. AND FREE OF SIDE EFFECTS. Because of our specific dilution and potentization process, only minute quantities of our all-natural ingredients are needed to ACTIVATE THE BODY’S DEFENSES to help naturally heal, repair. strengthen. and prevent illness. KBP HOMEOPATHIC FORMULAS CANNOT inflict injury or harm in any form of side effects. In The last 190 years of use, no Homeopathic remedy has ever been recalled for harmful side effects. They are among The SAFEST PREPARATIONS KNOWN to medical science.

Also, with today’s complex health problems, many single Homeopathic remedies are commonly necessary to cut through the many complicated layers of dis-ease and reach the ultimate state of desired health. The comprehensiveness of KBP Homeopathic Formulas will provide you with the armamentarium you need to effectively manage today’s more complex health problems.

USER FRIENDLY— Our Homeopathic Formulas are designed to correct complex problems With simple answers. Read our list of formulas and you will see they are NAMED FOR EXACTLY WHAT THEY TREAT. The indications for use are listed on the front of each KBP bottle for the convenience of both the patient and the doctor. CLINICAL EFFECTIVENESS AND SIMPLICITY equals ultimate SUCCESS FOR BOTH THE PHYSICIAN AND THE PATIENT. Filling out the Patient Health Appraisal Questionnaire (PHAQ) is very helpful in determining and prioritizing which KBP Homeopathic formula or formulas to consider. Matching the name of the Homeopathic formula and the indications for use (listed on the label) to the patient’s overall condition, simplifies the doctor’s choice of formulas.

CLASSICAL PRESCRIBING — Although KBP Homeopathic Formulas are practical. effective. and easy to use, There will always be a place for CLASSICAL PRESCRIBING from the Homeopathic Repertory. If you achieve only partial results from one of our formulas and some symptoms persist, check other related formulas listed in the Homeopathic Formula Repertory.

Also check the complementary Homeopathic formulas listed in the back under the description of each formula If optimal results are not obtained, then it is possible for you to cross reference the individual ingredients of the Homeopathic formula most helpful with the classical literature and go into higher potencies with the appropriate Homeopathic remedy(s). Until you are comfortable with this, it is recommended you consult with someone who is experienced with Classical Homeopathic Procedures.

METHODS OF UTILIZATION:

COOKBOOK APPROACH — KBP HOMEOPATHIC FORMULAS are designed and labeled to be USER FRIENDLY, The doctor can safely provide the appropriate KBP Homeopathic Formulas by their names and indications on the labels that most accurately describe the patient’s symptomatic patterns or condition.

THE SUBLINGUAL NERVE REFLEX RESPONSE (Muscle Test Procedure) —Although this is the simplest procedure, the Homeopathic Cookbook Approach is not the most effective. Finding the correct KBP Formula(s) to match The underlying cause(s) of a patients overall condition is the key to the successful use of Homeopathy.

DCM is a disease in which the heart walls weaken and stretch, enlarging the heart and usually leading to congestive heart failure. Because DCM often has no symptoms, researchers recruited 225 outwardly healthy relatives of DCM patients to see if these family members harbored early signs of the disease without knowing it and whether the researchers could detect these signs. Each person received a full physical examination, an exercise test, and heart ultrasound.

The results showed that many had DCM-related heart problems: 29 percent showed abnormalities on the ultrasound, including 20 percent with enlarged left ventricles and 3 percent with outright DCM. And over the next three to four years, more than a quarter of the family members with enlarged left ventricles developed DCM.

If these findings are confirmed in future studies, they would suggest that close relatives of people with DCM should have a complete heart checkup. Until then, if you have a close relative with DCM, you may want to discuss whether you need a cardiac evaluation with your physician. Although we don’t know yet how to prevent DCM and heart failure, drug treatment may help people with early signs of these problems.

Research Implications
In addition to providing useful clinical information, neuropsychological testing has provided a vehicle for research regarding concussion recovery and determining specific groups of athletes who may be at risk for poor outcomes. A recent, multicenter study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, which utilized neuropsychological measures in college football players, highlighted the following:
Neuropsychological tests are sensitive to measuring concussion effects.

Athletes suffering two or more concussions in their past performed more poorly on attention and problem solving tests compared to athletes who had no prior concussions.

A history of learning disability was linked with a poor outcome following concussion, especially in an athlete who has suffered two or more prior concussions.

The recovery of cognitive function following a concussion was not immediate and deficits were present in some athletes up to seven days following injury.
Future Directions in Sports Neuropsychological Assessment
The use of neuropsychological assessment as a supplement in managing the concussed athlete continues to expand. The implementation of the following programs should, in the future, lead to research-based directives for return-to-play:
The National Hockey League mandates baseline neuropsychological testing for all athletes and the majority of National Football League programs implement the outlined protocol.

Many college football, hockey and soccer programs recommend the use of neuropsychological testing for help with clinical decision-making.

A concussion safety program, using neuropsychological measures, is currently being implemented with a number of high schools in the mid-West.
Until these directives are accomplished, the following should be emphasized when managing sports-related concussion:
Physicians should carefully assess every athlete with a concussion.

No athlete should be allowed to return to play while still exhibiting concussion signs or symptoms.

Regular, ongoing and repeated examination of the athlete should be conducted following injury. This evaluation should involve a thorough assessment of the athlete’s symptoms and mental status changes.

To date, the widespread use of neuropsychological testing has been somewhat limited because the technology is not available to the general public. For this reason, a computerized version of neuropsychological tests has recently been developed, which will allow for more cost-effective evaluation of at-risk athletes.

What Is Clinical Neuropsychology
Clinical neuropsychology is an applied science focused on the study of the human brain and its relationship to behavior. A standard neuropsychological evaluation involves a detailed clinical interview and the administration of “paper and pencil” tests that measure specific aspects of brain function. The areas studied may include attention, memory for verbal or visual information, problem solving, language and speed of information processing.

Clinical Neuropsychology and Sports-Related Concussions
The clinical application of neuropsychological evaluation to athletics was first used with the Pittsburgh Steelers in the early 1990s. Since that time, protocols for evaluating concussions in high-risk athletes have been implemented at the professional, college and high school levels of football, soccer, wrestling and hockey.

Unlike more traditional neurodiagnostic procedures, such as computed tomography (CT scan) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), neuropsychological testing provides information on subtle aspects of brain function. Ideally, neuropsychological testing procedures and results should be used as a supplement to routine examination and management of the concussed athlete.

Standard Testing Protocol for Athletes
The approach systematically evaluates the athlete before and after a suspected concussion. This emphasizes preseason/precontact evaluation, which becomes the standard for comparison if an athlete is injured during the season. The “baseline evaluation” takes approximately half an hour and involves a clinical interview (for example, a concussion history), administration of six to eight neuropsychological measures and the athlete’s completion of a symptom inventory. A neuropsychologist or other professional typically conducts these evaluations during preseason physicals.
This baseline evaluation is emphasized for two reasons:
First, individual players vary tremendously in their performance levels on cognitive tests and a comparison of the injured athlete to himself or herself is the only accurate way of evaluating a change.

Second, at-risk athletes — for example, those with learning disabilities, or a history of multiple concussions — can be identified and followed carefully over the season.

You notice that his communication skills are not good.

If your doctor doesn’t seem to want to communicate with you, this should act as a real warning signal. If you want to be sure of getting the best in medical care, it is imperative that you have excellent communication with your doctor.  This means both give and take. Communication is a two-way street. When you choose your doctor, you should be able to feel confident that he will want to know about your symptoms and that he will want to talk with you about your concerns. Your doctor should listen to you thoroughly. He should not interrupt you while you are explaining your symptoms and concerns. That’s the way misdiagnoses occur or completely missed medical problems happen. Any good doctor will have enough time to listen to you and ask you questions about your symptoms, no matter how busy his schedule may be.

He just gives you a prescription without really knowing what the problem is.

If your doctor just writes you a prescription and doesn’t even think about exploring natural and alternative solutions, he is probably a bad doctor. A good doctor always weighs all the options and chooses the safest alternative. Of course, sometimes a prescription is the answer to your problem. However, prescription medications should not be the only solutions your doctor ever proposes. There are quite a few medical conditions that can be effectively treated with lifestyle change. Slightly elevated blood pressure is an example of this. Double check to be sure your doctor is telling you about all possible options before you agree to take a prescription.

Your doctor tells you to do one thing but does another himself.

A credibility gap is when your doctor tells you that you need to get more exercise and watch your diet, while he is quite clearly a junk-food-loving couch potato. Of course your doctor probably doesn’t have a lot of time to work out. Nonetheless, he doesn’t need to have a bunch of junk food wrappers and overflowing ash trays sitting around his office. Of course, a good doctor will lead by example. It is his obligation to model proper health behavior for you.

He leaves you confused.

When a bad doctor is finished with you, you still have questions. You know you have a bad doctor if he is in such a hurry to hand you your prescription and rush off to the next patient that he doesn’t even tell you what will happen next. A good doctor will explain your diagnosis, give you a list of tests that will be needed, tell you how to treat your condition, and explain any side effects you may experience with your medication. It is understandable that your doctor may not have time to do a complete presentation with slides and bar graphs; however, he should be able to tell you what you diagnosis is, give you a list of tests you will need to have, explain how you will need to treat your condition, and forewarn you about any side effects your medications may have. When you leave, you shouldn’t be more confused than you were when you arrived.

When you try to call a “bad” doctor, you will often be unable to reach him.

You can reach a good doctor when you need to. If you get an answering machine when you call his office and it just gives you the number of the emergency room, you will probably want to think about looking for another doctor. Good doctors take calls themselves or make arrangements with their colleagues to share the responsibility of taking calls. A good doctor makes sure his patients can always reach a doctor for proper care as needed.

Naturally, you will want your doctor to be up on the latest things. This includes not only conventional medicine, but also alternatives. Don’t let yourself be hurt by the unprofessional actions of a bad doctor.

Calcium is a major player regarding bone density. Ninety-nine percent of it is found in our bones where calcium helps to give bone its structure. The remaining one percent is found in the blood and other body fluids where calcium helps in muscle contraction, blood clotting and nerve transmission. If we don’t get enough calcium, several health problems can result, the primary one being osteoporosis.

What is Osteoporosis?
Osteoporosis is a condition of weak bones caused by a gradual loss of the structural minerals such as calcium. It is often termed the “silent disease” because it develops slowly over a period of years before the obvious signs such as loss of height, curvature of the spine or fractured bones occur. There is no cure, but it can be prevented if you know what it is, how it develops and what you can do to avoid it. The following questions will help you find out.

How Old Are You?
If you’re over 40, your bones are starting to become thinner. This is just a normal part of aging. The bones become thinner because they are losing calcium faster than they gain it. But you can slow down the rate at which your bones lose calcium by eating calcium-rich foods (see table).

Do Any of Your Relatives Have Osteoporosis?
If you inherited a small, thin skeleton, then you have a greater chance of developing osteoporosis. Caucasian and Oriental women are at higher risk as they tend to have small frames and thinner bones than men and African-American women.

Are You Female?
Osteoporosis is eight times more common in women than in men. Women generally have thinner and less dense bones than men. Pregnant and breast-feeding women who don’t consume enough calcium-rich foods lose calcium from their bones to supply the needs of their developing babies. Women and teens who are constantly dieting are less likely than men to eat enough of the calcium-rich foods they need to keep their bones strong.

Have You Gone Through Menopause?
After menopause, women lose calcium from their bones at a more rapid rate because their estrogen levels are lower. Lower estrogen seems to increase the breakdown of bone tissue. Get your physician’s advice if you are going through menopause.

Do You Exercise Regularly?
Movement that involves moving muscles against the force of gravity, such as walking, cycling or other weight-bearing exercises, leads to denser, stronger and well-mineralized bones. Exercise can also increase your flexibility and tone.

Are You Eating Enough Calcium?
The recommended dose is approximately 1,200 mg. depending on your age. The dairy group is a great supplier of calcium. Two glasses of milk roughly supply about 600 mg. of calcium. See the table below for calcium-rich foods.

In short, follow that long-time advice of your mother: “Don’t smoke, get your rest, eat your vegetables and don’t forget to drink your milk.”

Calcium Sources
Food         Mg. of Calcium
Yogurt, fruit-flavored (1 cup)         314
Milk (1 cup)         300
Cheese (1 oz)         250
Ice Cream (1/2 cup)         118
Salmon (3 oz)         167
Spinach (1/2 c. cooked)         122
Almonds (1/4 cup)         94
Sardines (3 oz)         372

Wish you a good health!

The numbers of people that have the disease Diabetes is increasing dramatically in this country. Just about every body organ is affected by this condition. To stop the many problems associated with diabetes, blood sugar needs to be managed appropriately with routine health care and exams to decrease the chance of diabetic problems. For proper health there are some tests and examinations which diabetics need to have performed. You should not ignore these five important exams for diabetic care.

Eye Exam

An eye exam should be done because most diabetics previously have a certain amount of retinopathy before being diagnosed as being a diabetic. The eyes should be looked at regularly to watch for the development of a typical type of eye ailment that might cause blindness one day. Once a year, a dilated exam of the eyes needs to be done by an ophthalmologist after the first eye exam is done. You do not want to ignore this single test. Your vision might be dependant upon it.

Hemoglobin A1C

The blood is drawn to see how someone has managed their blood glucose levels during the past three to four months. A higher hemoglobin A1C level can contribute to the risk of getting diabetic complications. To ensure that blood sugar levels are being properly controlled, the blood test needs to be checked every four months.

Lipid profile

It is necessary for all people to have a lipid profile, but it means a lot more for diabetics to be examined because of they have a greater chance of getting cardiovascular disease. Prevention is crucial as heart disease can cause over 60% of diabetic deaths. Careful monitoring of the levels of cholesterol and triglycerides, as well as keeping them at a healthy number, is very important to decrease the risk for heart problems. If the results are abnormal, the test needs to be done more often, but at least every year.

Urinalysis

In order to see if the urine contains protein, every six months, a urinalysis needs to be done. A person with diabetes commonly has kidney issues, and a condition of diabetic nephropathy can develop. By finding urine protein or albumin, they can find it in its early stages. A urinalysis is a screening tool that is important because you can have silent diabetic nephropathy with no symptoms.

Foot Exam

Diabetic neuropathy, a condition which causes damage to the feet’s nerves can affect diabetics. They have a greater possibility for peripheral vascular disease, an ailment that results in diminished blood circulation through the legs and feet. A reduced blood flow causes minor wounds to heal more slowly, and increases the risk of infection. When infections happen, it can be hard for them to heal because there isn’t an adequate blood flow, causing gangrene which could result in cutting off a foot. Diabetic neuropathy, also known as nerve inflammation, causes someone to have less feeling in their feet so they may not be aware if they have an infection until it’s too late. Diabetics tend to also have more fungal foot infections including different problems with their feet. Because of this, you should get your feet thoroughly examined every year.

The risk of serious complications may be reduced by simply taking the time to get the diabetic exams done regularly. Do not overlook these essential health screenings.

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