Spinal Cord Injuries Are Not Just Caused by Trauma

When you think of spinal cord injury (SCI), traumatic events like a serious car accident may come to mind. While it’s true that car accidents are the leading cause of traumatic SCI, you may be surprised that non-traumatic diseases—such as a spinal tumor—can also cause SCI.

SCI involves damage to the spinal cord that temporarily or permanently changes how it functions. SCI is divided into 2 categories: traumatic or non-traumatic. Even if the cause of SCI is non-traumatic, that doesn’t lessen its impact or severity—the aftermath of SCI can have devastating effects on a person’s life.

Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury

1. Vehicle crashes: Car accidents are the leading cause of traumatic SCIs in North America, and they accounted for 38% of all traumatic SCIs between 2010 and 2014.

2. Falls: Falls are the second-most common cause of traumatic SCIs, and they accounted for 31% of injuries between 2010 and 2014.

3. Sports-related injuries: Sports and activity injuries cause anywhere from 10% to 17% of traumatic SCIs.

4. Violent acts: Violent acts, such as a gunshot wound or stabbing, are another common cause of traumatic SCI.

Traumatic SCI occurs more often in men than women—nearly 80% of cases affect men. People of all ages may experience SCI, but certain activities tend to affect different age groups more. For example, high-impact events like car accidents and sports injuries tend to occur more often in younger people. On the other hand, traumatic SCI caused by a fall is more common in adults over age 60.

Regardless of the cause, traumatic SCI occurs most frequently in the cervical spine (about 60% of cases involve the neck), followed by thoracic spine (32% involve the mid-back). Only 9% of cases occur in the lumbosacral spine, or low back and tailbone.

Understanding the Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury Cascade
A traumatic SCI doesn’t simply damage your spinal cord at the point of initial impact. In traumatic SCI, the primary injury (that is, the initial traumatic event that caused the SCI) may damage cells and dislocate your spinal vertebrae, which causes spinal cord compression. The primary injury also triggers a complex secondary injury cascade, which causes a series of biological changes that may occur weeks and months after the initial injury.

During the secondary injury cascade, the following processes occur:

• Glial cells and nerve cells in your spinal cord begin to die. Glial cells provide nutrients and other support to the nerve cells in your central nervous system, which consists of your brain and spinal cord.
• The blood vessels in your spinal cord lose function, which reduces blood supply to the spinal cord. Inadequate blood supply is called ischemia.
• Blood vessel injury exposes the spinal cord to inflammatory cells, leading to spinal cord swelling.
• Inflammation of the spinal cord causes further spinal cord compression and progressively worsens the initial injury.

This cascade changes the spinal cord’s structure and how it normally operates. Ultimately, this secondary injury cascade may interfere with the spinal cord’s ability to recover itself. This means a person with traumatic SCI may experience permanent nerve pain and dysfunction because of their injury.

Non-Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury
Traumatic events aren’t the only causes of spinal cord damage—SCI can also be caused by non-traumatic diseases in the spine. Spinal tumors are the leading cause of non-traumatic SCI, but infections and degenerative disc disease can also damage your spinal cord.

Though most people connect traumatic events to SCI, non-traumatic causes of SCI are a much more likely cause. To highlight just how common non-traumatic cases are versus their traumatic counterparts, consider the incidence of traumatic SCI in North America: 39 cases per million people. On the other hand, the incidence of non-traumatic SCI is 1,227 cases per million people for Canada alone (data for the rest of North America is not available).

A Healthy Research Outlook to Improve Spinal Cord Injury Outcomes
Over the past 30 years, spine researchers have made great strides in developing successful protective and regenerative therapies to improve the health of the spinal cord and the survival rate of people with SCI—but the work is far from over. Current studies and clinical trials are examining innovative medical, surgical and cell-based treatments to further the medical community’s understanding of SCI, which will improve the quality of life and preserve a brighter future for people who experience these injuries.

Sources:
Ahuja CS, Wilson JR, Nori S, et al. Traumatic spinal cord injury. Nature Reviews Disease Primers. 3, 17018. https://www.nature.com/articles/nrdp201718. Accessed January 10, 2018.
Spinal Cord Injury. Facts and figures at a glance. National SCI Statistical Center (NSCI SC). 2017. https://www.nscisc.uab.edu/. Accessed January 10, 2018

https://www.spineuniverse.com/conditions/spinal-cord-injury

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Medical Rehabilitation Therapists Board of Nigeria

The Medical Rehabilitation Therapists Board of Nigeria proudly presents International Conference of Medical Rehabilitation Professionals (ICMRP), Abuja 2017.
The MRTB Nigeria also wishes to celebrate its (Silver Jubilee) 25th anniversary alongside the event
Bon Anniversarie! !! !!! !!!!

The MRTB in this major event invites all Medical Rehabilitation Professionals (Physiotherapy, Speech Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Audiology, Prosthetics & Orthotics, Chiropractic and Osteopathic Medicine), Medical Doctors, Nurses, Radiographers, general public- NGOs, Development partners, Clients/Patients, Investors, philanthropies, Private practitioner, Federal Medical Centres from all around the globe to this year`s International Conference of Medical Rehabilitation professionals Abuja, 2017.

Come; experience grand breaking event.

Theme: "Medical Rehabilitation services in Universal Health coverage for better Health Delivery.
Date: 16th - 18st August, 2017
Venue: The Nigerian National Merit Award Hall, Abuja.
Benefits:
 CPD points assigned.
 Certificates of attendance/participation.
Professional networking/interactive session.
Abstract and research presentations in various fields of Medical Rehabilitation.
Corporate Partnership.

Registration opens on the 1st of April, 2017

Registration fees:
Early bird N20, 000.00
Regular: N30, 000.00
NYSC/Interns N15, 000.00
Students N10, 000.00

Watch this space for more updates

AJIBOYE Tolulope, MRTB IT Dept.

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How exercise can be used to prevent Coronary Heart Disease

How exercise can be used to prevent Coronary Heart Disease

Coronary Heart Disease, chronic illness in which the coronary arteries, the vessels that supply oxygen-carrying blood to the heart, become narrowed and unable to carry a normal amount of blood. Most often, the coronary arteries become narrowed because of atherosclerosis(Arteriosclerosis, a group of disorders of the arteries, the tubular vessels that carry oxygen-carrying blood from the heart to the body’s organs and tissues), a process in which fatty deposits called plaque build up on the inside wall of an artery Plaque is made of oily molecules known as cholesterol, fibrous proteins, calcium deposits, tiny blood cells known as platelets, and debris from dead cells. Plaque formation often begins in adolescence and progresses very slowly over the course of decades. Gradually, the growing plaque thickens the wall of the artery, reducing the space for blood to flow through. When its blood supply is reduced, the heart does not receive sufficient oxygen. This oxygen deficit leads to two main consequences: chest pain known as angina pectoris, and heart attack, in which part of the heart dies because of oxygen deprivation.

     DIAGNOSIS

Patients with coronary heart disease are encouraged to quit smoking, exercise regularly, and eat a low-fat diet.

A variety of simple diagnostic methods may identify coronary heart disease before it becomes life threatening. Regular physical examinations, coupled with a person’s family medical history, may alert a physician that a patient has a high risk for heart disease. Cholesterol screening, a blood test that measures cholesterol levels, can identify people at risk for atherosclerosis.

An electrocardiogram: (ECG also known as EKG) provides a graphical picture of the different phases of the heartbeat. An EKG recorded when a patient is at rest and indicate that blood supply of the heart is not normal, and the ECG can detect damages from a previous heart attack. In an exercise stress test, an ECG is recorded while patients is performing physical activity such as walking on a treadmill or riding a stationary bicycle. As the intensity of exercise increases, the Doctor looks for specific changes in the ECG that indicate the heart is not getting enough oxygen

An electrocardiograph (ECG or EKG) records the electrical activity of the heart. Preceding each contraction of the heart muscle is an electrical impulse generated in the sinoatrial node; the waves displayed in an EkG trace the path of that impulse as it spreads through the heart. Irregularities in an ECG reflect disorders in the muscle, blood supply, or neural control of the heart. The study of electrocardiograph EKG is called electrocardiography

warning signs or symptoms

 Chest discomfort (pain or pressure in the chest, jaw, or neck, possibly radiating into the shoulder, arm, or back), unusual shortness of breath, dizziness or light-headedness, and heart rhythm abnormalities (sensations of heart beat skipping, palpitations, or thumping).

Risk factors

Some of the risk factors for coronary heart disease are beyond a person’s control. For example, a person’s risk of developing coronary heart disease increases with age.

Hereditary factors may also increase the risk for the disease. Males were once thought to be at greater risk of coronary heart disease, but more recent studies show this is not true. About equal numbers of women and men develop coronary heart disease. Heart attacks in women are more likely to be fatal than in men. Women tend to develop the disease later in life than men do. This is because the sex hormone estrogen that circulates in women’s bodies helps protect them against atherosclerosis. Therefore, most women do not develop coronary heart disease until after menopause, when levels of protective estrogen markedly decrease.

Other risk factors for coronary heart disease can be changed depending on a person’s lifestyle. These modifiable risk factors include cigarette smoking, a sedentary lifestyle, obesity, diabetes mellitus, and hypertension (high blood pressure). Perhaps the most important modifiable risk factor, however, is high blood cholesterol. When excess cholesterol circulates in the blood, it deposits in the wall of the arteries, hastening the progression of atherosclerosis.

Exercise  :

The heart is a muscle and needs exercise to stay in good shape. When it's exercised, the heart can pump more blood through the body and continue working at optimal efficiency with little strain. This will likely help it to stay healthy longer.

Regular exercise also helps to keep arteries and other blood vessels flexible, ensuring good blood flow and normal blood pressure and cholesterol. A sedentary lifestyle is one of the major risk factors (along with high blood pressure, abnormal values for blood lipids, smoking, and obesity) for coronary heart  disease.

Evidence from many scientific studies shows that reducing these risk factors decreases the chance of having a heart attack or experiencing another cardiac event, such as a stroke, and reduces the possibility of needing a coronary revascularization procedure (bypass surgery or coronary angioplasty). Regular exercise has a favorable effect on many of the established risk factors for cardiovascular disease.

For example, exercise promotes weight reduction and can help reduce blood pressure.

Exercise can reduce “bad” cholesterol levels in the blood (the low-density lipoprotein [LDL] level), as well as total cholesterol, and can raise the “good” cholesterol (the high-density lipoprotein level [HDL]).

importance of Regular Exercise on coronary disease  Risk Factors

• Increase in exercise tolerance
• Reduction in body weight and obessity
• Reduction in blood pressure(HBP)
• Reduction in bad (LDL and total) cholesterol
• Increase in good (HDL) cholesterol
• Increase in insulin sensitivity

Importance of exercise on a person recovering from coronary heart disease

1.      improvements in muscular function and strength and improvement in the body’s ability to take in and use oxygen (maximal oxygen consumption or aerobic capacity). As one’s ability to transport and use oxygen improves, regular daily activities can be performed with less fatigue. This is particularly important for patients with coronary heart disease, whose exercise capacity is typically lower than that of healthy individuals.

2.      There is also evidence that exercise training improves the capacity of the blood vessels to dilate in response to exercise or hormones, consistent with better vascular wall function and an improved ability to provide oxygen to the muscles during exercise.

3.       Studies measuring muscular strength and flexibility before and after exercise programs suggest that there are improvements in bone health and ability to perform daily activities, as well as a lower likelihood of developing back pain and of disability, particularly in older age groups.

First, if you currently have coronary heart disease or are over 45 years of age and have 2 or more risk factors (immediate family member with heart disease before age 55, cigarette smoking, high blood pressure, abnormal cholesterol levels, diabetes, sedentary lifestyle, or obesity), you should consult your physician before starting any type of exercise.² Clearly, most people can derive significant benefits from integrating a half hour of moderate activity into their day. If you know you simply cannot or will not set aside a half hour of activity on a given day, then try to work more activities into the day by taking the stairs rather than the elevator, or try walking rather than driving a short distance to the store or you can park your car at a far distance and take a walk to where you want to go. Try to work several shorter periods of activity, such as 10 minutes, into your schedule. The most important thing is to get started is by starting small. There is mounting evidence in the scientific literature that physical activity and physical fitness have a powerful influence on a host of chronic diseases, a fact underscored by the recent Surgeon General’s report on Physical Activity and Health.⁴ Reducing the risk of heart disease through greater physical activity could have an enormous impact on health

Cardio (aerobic exercise). This makes your heart beat faster. It also lowers your blood pressure. Depending on what exercise that has been prescribed for you. Such as

v  Take a Walk

v  Jog round the field or up and down the street

v  Jump rope

v  Ride on a Bicycle

v  Skip

v  Skate

v  Row

v  Dance

Strength training: Tones and builds up your muscles. Heavy weights may raise your blood pressure short term. So stick with lighter weights and just lift them more times. Try hand weights, weight machines at a gym, resistance bands, or your own body weight. 

A good approach is to do several sets of each exercise, and then let those muscles rest a day or two between sessions.

How to get use to exercise as a beginner

If you are new to exercise, you will get the most from your workout if you follow these simple rules:

Start slow and continousely. The American Heart Association recommends you work up to exercising on most days of the week. The more exercise you can do, the healthier you -- and your heart -- will be. But any amount helps your health.

Build up gradually. Little by little, make your workouts longer or tougher over time. You should be able to talk during your workout. If you can't, it's probably too intense for you.

  Please kindly comment using the comment box if you find this article helpful or ask                             question if you are confuse in any way.

                             Your question will be answered in few seconds.

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Eliminate body odor

HOW TO ELIMINATE BODY ODOR.(BROMIDROSIS)

Body odor which is also called bromidrosis.it is an unpleasant smell from ones body as a result of action of bacteria on a particular area of the body which can be armpit,foot, breast,hair regions,groin or pubic areas. It can be caused as result of some drug reactions,alcoholism, dirty environment, lack of personal hygiene and food intake. Body odor is so irritating that it can lead to low self esteem,dissociation from friends,general low performance and depression as the person might be labeled”smelly”. A person with body odor might not notice that he still has it after some period of time because his/her nose is used to the smell.
 SOME MEASURES USED TO ELIMINATE OR CONTROL BODY ODOR.
 1. Apply diluted lemon juice: lemon juice is a natural antibacterial and antifungal agent. It can be used as a fast release from body odor when applied to the affected area such as the foot, armpit, groin or pubic area.
 USAGE: pour a diluted lemon juice into a clean wash cloth or hanky and rob in the affected area. Dilute the lemon juice with water and apply at least 3times in a day for some weeks. Wash off before applying another one. The essence of doing this is to remove a dead skin and old sweat in the armpit that might be causing the odor.
 CAUTION: lemon juice is very acidic and it can cause skin to be very irritated, so make use of diluted little amount and make sure you wash out after some time.

2. Rub alum stone on the area that emits the odor: alum contains material that fights against bacteria which creates body odor. if you sweat profusely consider washing the alum stone after rubbing. It can be used together with deodorant.

 3. Make use of deodorant: Deodorant covers the smell or eliminate it entirely.

 4. Practice good personal hygiene such as:
  Bath regularly: if you discover that your body is a little bit smelly just go and take a shower. It is important to make use of antibacterial soap or detergent to bath. When taking bath focus more on the area where the odor is coming from. Rinse your body very well and dry off completely with a clean dry towel.
      Shave regularly: since hair absorb odor regularly, it is necessary to shave regularly.
      Wash you cloth regularly: try to wash your cloth at least every time you sweat using soap or detergent that has a good fragrance and iron them.
 Always put on a good dress to look good and charming.
                           Please kindly comment using the comment box if you find this article helpful or ask                             question if you are confuse in any way.
                             Your question will be answered in few seconds.

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AUTISM: A neurodevelopmental disorder.

  AUTISM: A neurodevelopmental disorder.

Autism, disorder that affects the social, emotional, and behavioral development of children. Autism is marked by serious difficulties in interacting and communicating with other people. Other symptoms may include constantly repeating certain actions or behaviors, or having intense interests restricted to only particular things or topics. Symptoms of autism usually appear before the age of three and can last the rest of a person’s lifetime. Autism is at least four times more common in boys than in girls

SYMPTOMS;

A.

Social Difficulties

Symptoms of social difficulty are usually the first signs of autism. Normally an infant should respond to others with a social smile within the second or third month of life. Lack of such a smile during this period is often the earliest indication of autism. Infants who are later diagnosed with autism also make poor eye contact and do not imitate caregiver sounds or gestures.

Children with autism typically do not share their enjoyment with others. For example, toddlers with autism may smile or laugh in response to a noisy toy, but they will not bring this toy to the caregiver. Another early sign of problems in social communication is a lack of gestures, including pointing. As they get older, children with autism often fail to develop typical friendships or even typical relationships with siblings or parents. They may also seem unaware of the feelings of other people or fail to comfort a person who is upset

                 COMMUNICATION PROBLEM

Children with autism have difficulties with communication, including both gestures and speech. Often children with autism have a delay in speech and in severe cases sometimes do not speak at all. They also fail to use gestures to replace words. How well children with autism will be able to function as they grow older can often be predicted based on their early language skills.
When children with autism are able to speak, they may repeat back exactly what is said to them, a behavior that is called echolalia. Sometimes they will quote whole conversations or a dialog from a movie. Frequently, children with autism misuse pronouns. For example, they may say, “You want a cookie?” to indicate that they want a cookie. As they get older, children with autism will be unable to have conversations with others. They will also not play make-believe but instead will often simply line up objects or replay a TV show or movie using their toys.

             Sensory

 sensitivity is quite common, especially to some textures, sounds, or smells. For example, many children with autism cannot tolerate the feeling of tags or labels attached to their clothing. Some children may be alarmed by common sounds such as a flushing toilet or falling rain. They may react to ordinary smells such as perfume or discarded food as disgusting or overwhelming.

Savant character:

Some people with autism show preserved ability in one area or demonstrate a particular skill, such as memorizing phone numbers, computing calendar dates, or drawing landscapes. These preserved or enhanced abilities are described as savant skills and are responsible for the conception of the “autistic savant”

Causes

1:genetic causes

Studies of identical and fraternal twins have demonstrated that genetic factors are the largest cause of autism. Beginning with a pioneering study by Susan Folstein and Michael Rutter in 1977, these studies found that identical twins share an autism diagnosis much more frequently than fraternal twins—identical twins have exactly the same DNA while fraternal twins have only half the same DNA.
If one identical twin is diagnosed with autism, the other identical twin will also be diagnosed with autism 60 percent of the time, and with symptoms of an autism spectrum disorder more than 90 percent of the time. In comparison, if a fraternal twin is diagnosed with autism, the other twin will have symptoms of an autism spectrum disorder only 10 percent of the time.

Infections and drugs

In rare cases, children born to mothers who were infected with certain illnesses or took particular drugs during pregnancy may have autism as part of a larger set of difficulties. For example, infection with German measles (rubella) during pregnancy affects the heart, liver, spleen, eyes, and brain, and includes features of autism more commonly than other causes of mental retardation. In developed countries, however, the widespread use of vaccines has almost eliminated rubella infection during pregnancy.

Treatment

There are no known cures for autism or autism spectrum disorders. Until the 1960s and even into the early 1970s, children and adults with autism were routinely kept in institutions. Now children with autism are often raised at home by their parents. Many adults with forms of autism can live in the outside world with some type of assistance. Currently, treatment includes the use of individualized education, communication tools, behavioral management, and medication. The devastating impact the disorder can have on children and families has led some parents to try many unproven treatments in the hope of a breakthrough or major improvement.

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How to do away with fat Belly

ONE often wonders why so many people in this day and age tend to have excess abdominal fat. The

first thing that most people think of is that their extra abdominal fat is simply ugly, is covering up their abs from being visible, and makes them self conscious about showing off their body.However, what most people don’t realize is that excess abdominal fat in particular, is not only ugly, but is also a dangerous health risk factor. Research has clearly demonstrated that although it is unhealthy in general to have excess body fat throughout the body, it is also particularly dangerous to have excess abdominal fat.If you care to know, there are two types of fat a man or woman could have in the abdominal area. The first type that covers up the abs from being visible is called subcutaneous fat and lies directly beneath the skin and on top of the abdominal muscles. The second type of fat is the visceral fat. This lies deeper in the abdomen beneath muscle and surrounding organs. Visceral fat also plays a role in giving certain men that “beer belly” appearance where their abdomen protrudes excessively but at the same time, also feels sort of hard if you push on it. Dangerous fat Subcutaneous fat and visceral fat in the abdominal area are serious health risk factors, but science has shown that having excessive visceral fat is even more dangerous than subcutaneous fat. Both of them greatly increase the risk of developing heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke, sleep apnea, various forms of cancer, and other degenerative diseases. Part of the reason visceral fat is particularly dangerous is that it apparently releases more inflammatory molecules into the body on a consistent basis. No quick fix The first thing you must understand is that there is absolutely no quick fix solution. There are no pills or supplements of any sort that will help you lose your abdominal fat faster. Also, none of the gimmicks will help get rid of abdominal fat either. You can’t spot reduce your stomach fat by using any contraption. It simply doesn’t work that way. The only solution to consistently lose abdominal fat and keep it off for good is to combine a sound nutritious diet with a properly designed strategic exercise programme.Excess abdominal fat is not only ugly, but also dangerous. Don’t waste another day allowing nasty abdominal fat to kill your confidence as well as contribute to your risk for major diseases. Get the solution to rid yourself for life of this problem. But even if you’re thin, you can still have too much visceral fat. It’s partly about your genes. Get active Some people have a genetic tendency to store visceral fat. It’s also about physical activity. Visceral fat likes inactivity. Thin people who maintain their weight through diet alone, skipping exercise, are more likely to have unhealthy levels of visceral fat. So the message is get active, no matter what size you are.Thy these tips for beating belly fat for good Exercise Vigorous exercise trims fat, including visceral fat. It can also slow down the build-up of visceral fat that tends to happen over the years. But forget spot-reducing. There aren’t any moves you can do that specifically target visceral fat. Half an hour of vigorous aerobic exercise, done four times a week is ideal.  Moderate activity — raising your heart rate for 30 minutes at least three times per week —also helps. It slows down how much visceral fat you gain. But to burn visceral fat, your workouts may need to be stepped up. Diet There is no magic diet for belly fat. But when you lose weight on any diet, belly fat usually goes first. A fibre-rich diet may help. At least 10 grams of soluble fibre per day — without any other diet changes —helps build up less visceral fat over time than others. Sleep Getting the right amount of sleep helps.People who get six to seven hours of sleep per night gain less visceral fat over five years compared to those who sleep five or fewer hours per night or eight or more hours per night. Sleep may not be the only thing that matters — but it is part of the picture.

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Hypertension

The latest hypertension research from prestigious universities and journals throughout the world. You are at an increased risk of high blood pressure or hypertension if you are overweight, have a relative with high blood pressure, smoke, eat too much salt, do not eat enough fruits and vegetables, do not exercise, drink too much coffee and alcohol, or are over the age of 65. High blood pressure can be prevented by making changes to your lifestyle, eating healthily, exercising and avoiding excessive salt intake, smoking and too much alcohol.

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How to eliminate pain tied to tooth decay

Moradian-Oldak will couple the MMP-20 discovery with another study published Nov. 2 in the Journal of Biomedical Engineering and Informatics, which concluded an amelogenin-chitosan hydrogel could repair early tooth decay by growing an enamel-like layer that reduces lesions by up to 70 percent.

"Recognizing MMP-20's function in biomineralization is one of the first steps to learning how dental enamel forms in nature," said Qichao Ruan, lead author of the hydrogel study and a postdoctoral research associate in the Center for Craniofacial Molecular Biology at USC. "The findings regarding MMP-20 not only help us to further understand the mechanisms of enamel formation but [they] also can be applied in the design of novel biomaterials for future clinical applications in dental restoration or repair."

The Food and Drug Administration has not yet approved any type of enamel regrowing gel. USC is in pre-clinical trials. Moradian-Oldak said one day people may be able to use an overnight mouth guard or teeth strips saturated with hydrogel to regrow enamel-like substances and reduce teeth sensitivity.

Finding the right fix

Products such as toothpaste and mouthwash containing fluoride and casein phosphopeptide-amorphous calcium phosphate promote remineralization of initial enamel lesions; however, they need to be used regularly and are more of a tire patch than a real solution, Moradian-Oldak said. It plugs up the problem so people don't feel pain. The gel, however, fills the cracks and holes with an enamel-like substance.

In the United States, 92 percent of adults aged 20 to 64 have had dental decay in their permanent teeth, Moradian-Oldak said. Grinding teeth at night, gum recession and the disappearance of enamel over a lifetime due to demineralizing acidic food and drink are all common problems people everywhere face.

When tested in an environment that mimics an oral cavity's biochemical processes, the gel created a robust attachment, eliminating the threat of secondary cavities in the same spot, Ruan said. The gel could be more effective than traditional crowns, whose adhesion weakens over time, he added.

"Besides biocompatibility and biodegradability, the gel has unique antimicrobial and adhesion properties that are important for dental applications," Ruan said.

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EXCERSISE

What Happens When You Stop Exercises?

Without some simple exercises, we know that certain muscles can become weak. When these supporting muscles are weak, your injured structures are inadequately supported and predispose you to lingering symptoms or further injury. You can also over-activate adjacent muscles that may lead to further injury.

It is also important to understand that even if you are "in good shape," you may have important but weak localised or stability muscles. When you have an injury, you should perform specific exercises that specifically strengthen the muscles around your injury and the adjacent joints. Your physiotherapist will assess your muscle function and prescribe the right exercises specific for your needs.

The exercises prescribed will usually be relatively simple, and do not require any special weights equipment, and can be performed safely at home.

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