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News Blog Archives
News Blog posts insightful comments on the latest international news that render us taken-aback in the domain of quality in life. News Blog: Quality-of-Life News 1 Silent strokes reduce quality of life: August 5, 2007
New York (eCanadaNow) - People who have stroke-like symptoms but no stroke diagnosis incur physical and mental damage that significantly lowers their life quality, according to a report in Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association. In a study reviewing data from more than 21,000 people, those reporting stroke-like symptoms had functional impairment similar to that of people who had a history of transient ischemic attack (TIA), which is sometimes called “mini-stroke.” Because almost 20 percent of people older than age 45 may have vague or “whispering stroke” symptoms, the condition poses a major public health problem, said study author George Howard, Dr.P.H. News Blog: Quality of Life News 1 (Continued) “Silent” strokes are diagnosed with brain imaging that detects damage in people who did not have any apparent stroke symptoms. However, some silent strokes may be better described as “whispering” because there are symptoms, but they are so minor that they don’t alarm the patient or raise concern to physicians. “Many clinicians argue that there is no need to do an extensive workup for vague symptoms, but these vague symptoms substantially lower a person’s quality of life and cause cognitive impairment and possibly other harmful effects that potentially indicate a silent stroke,” said Howard, chair of biostatistics at the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Public Health. News Blog: Quality of Life News 1 (Continued) The warning signs of stroke are: * Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body; * Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding; * Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes; * Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination; * Sudden, severe headache with no known cause. “People need to take these symptoms more seriously and see a doctor about them,” Howard said. “Physicians also should take the symptoms more seriously when patients have them.” News Blog: Quality of Life News 1 (Continued) The findings came from the ongoing study called REGARDS (REasons for Geographic And Racial Differences in Stroke), which is investigating why stroke risk varies by geography and race. Half the study population comes from the so-called Stroke Belt comprising North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Tennessee and Arkansas. About 40 percent of the study participants are black and about half are women. News Blog: Quality of Life News 1 (Continued) Previous reports showed that 18 percent of this population had a history of stroke-like symptoms but no stroke diagnosis and that these “silent strokes” caused a decline in mental functioning. In this study, researchers reported data on 21,803 participants who answered standardized questionnaires on their mental and physical status. A separate questionnaire assessed stroke symptoms. Overall, 3,404 REGARDS participants said they had experienced stroke-like symptoms but had no stroke or TIA diagnosis; 818 had a history of TIA; and 1,491 had a history of stroke. Compared to people with no symptoms or history of stroke or TIA, people with stroke-like symptoms had a 5.5-point decrease on a scale of physical functioning. Participants who reported a history of weakness or numbness had larger current deficits in physical functioning. News Blog: Quality of Life News 1 (Continued) People with symptoms had a 2.7-point lower score in mental functioning compared to those with no symptoms. That difference was greater than the decline observed in the TIA group (0.5) or the stroke group (1.6). People who reported a history of inability to express themselves or understand language had larger current deficits in mental functioning. Analysis of individual symptoms showed that a sudden loss of ability to understand or to express verbally or in writing had the greatest impact on function. Those symptoms were associated with a four- to five-point reduction in scores on the measures of physical and mental functioning. News Blog: Quality of Life News 1 (Continued) REGARDS participants did not have brain scans that could detect evidence of silent strokes, which affect mental functioning and increase the risk of a clinical stroke. Even so, the researchers said “it would be reasonable to assume that there is considerable overlap” in the effects of whispering stroke symptoms and silent stroke. Howard said the report strengthens the evidence that subtle deficits that could represent whispering strokes are associated with a large public health burden. “These results show a need for a greater awareness of stroke symptoms and a need to take these symptoms seriously,” he said. “These symptoms could indicate that a person already has had a small stroke, which greatly increases the risk of major stroke.” News Blog: Quality-of-Life News 2 What Is Quality of Life?: August 3, 2007 by Erin Hoffman The first and longest-living topic on the forums at Gamewatch.org, one with over 9,000 pageviews, is that frustratingly zen-like question: What is quality of life, anyway? We all know we want it, most of us want more of it, but that doesn't bring us much closer to knowing what it is. This column, which The Escapist has so graciously offered to sponsor, will be an exploration of that question, how it reaches through every aspect of game development (as through any profession) and how its successful implementation can be used as a barometer for the health of an industry. And an industry's health always benefits the products it produces, and therefore its consumers. News Blog: Quality of Life News 2 (Continued) It took a long time and a lot of suffering for the discussion of quality of life to become kosher in the game industry. I won't even go so far as to say it's cool (though it should be), because ultimately we are artists as well as craftspeople, and artists always like to suffer for their work. Talking about quality of life in certain areas of the industry is considered manifestly uncool, a chore at best, and anti-quality-of-game at worst; set rationality aside, because rationality is boring. The problems with this are legion. First, feeling guilty about talking about quality of life perpetuates suffering, point blank. Not wanting to use the words "quality of life" for fear of being uncool causes us to do our jobs less effectively, suck less of the marrow out of life and overall be weaker human beings. News Blog: Quality of Life News 2 (Continued) The thing with game developers and uncool is a lot of us spent our youths carrying around that label. Only within the last decade has anything having to do with computers become chic or trendy. And boy do we ever not want to be in the nerd camp again. So heaven forbid we talk about something so uncool as "quality of life," and don't even get me started on scheduling, child care or education. But quality of life is bigger than all of that. As an industry, we are poised to launch from the leading edge, not just of graphics technology or multithreading but of process design. The game development process is inherited from other paradigms of software development, but in its perpetual change and persistent use of the most cutting-edge technology, it is by nature more flexible, more responsive and more innovative than its big-corp brothers. What's phenomenal about the videogame as an expressive medium is its precious newness and its close integration with the basic way the human mind works. Its culture of exploration gives rise to one of the most kinetic and insightful professional communities in the world today. And there is no greater cause for this tremendous engine than to improve the lives of those that dwell within it, so that that energy can spread. News Blog: Quality of Life News 2 (Continued) When we talk about quality of life, the things that come up first generally go like this: 1) Compensation; 2) Production efficiency (management); 3) Benefits (health, retirement); 4) Morale (company culture). Within those lives a lot of discussion all on its own, and we'll get to that, but first I would suggest that to approach quality of life purely in terms of symptom management - that is, to engage in quality of life improvement solely in terms of making the development process less painful - is laudable but short-sighted. There are other dimensions not generally considered part of the quality of life spectrum that impact it comprehensively and profoundly: 1) The education of future developers (academia and our vast army of aspiring game makers); 2) The public image of games as media (censorship and public relations); 3) Outreach and disinformation combat (the parent-child-game relationship); 4) Personal investment and professional longevity (credit, portfolio and trade organization). There are a number of reasons why each of these is critical to quality of life, but it basically boils down to this: I need to be able to sit on an airplane and tell a stranger what I do for a living without trepidation, without hesitation, without pauses for explanations that, no, not all games make you want to kill people, not all games are Grand Theft Auto (leaving out that I sort of, you know, liked Grand Theft Auto) and not all - not even many - game developers are immoral human beings. If I can't be proud of what I do, then how can I consider that I have positive quality of life? News Blog: Quality of Life News 2 (Continued) We're going to talk about all of these things, and about why it is useless to consider quality of life without this full spectrum of the overall health of the industry. Hopefully you'll hear some new ideas, and hopefully you'll come up with some of your own, and implement them. This column will appear on the first and third Fridays of every month. On the first Friday, the column will focus on information and ideas; the third Friday will follow the theme of the first but focus on perspectives and interviews with individual developers. In between those two, I hope you'll send me your ideas. If there's one thing I've learned, it's that things get better when people start talking to each other. There is a universe waiting when we use the enormous creativity present in this business to benefit the people who make, play and observe games - which, these days, amounts to a good portion of the world. That potential, I think, is pretty damn cool. And that is how we are going to talk about quality of life. *** Erin Hoffman is a professional game designer, freelance writer, and hobbyist troublemaker. She moderates Gamewatch.org and fights crime on the streets by night. News Blog: Quality-of-Life News 3 Spinal health improves patient's quality of life: July 31, 2007 by RACHEL TUELLER
ST. GEORGE - When Melani Haven's Ford Excursion was struck by another vehicle, the force was so great it crumpled the solid metal trailer hitch mounted to the rear of her vehicle. Two years later, Haven continues the routine chiropractic treatments that have helped her regain the health and independence she knew before the accident. Haven, once a routine runner and active community member, became disabled after numbness set in from the waist down. Unable to walk or to complete basic daily tasks, Haven became disheartened. News Blog: Quality of Life News 3 (Continued) "I was really frustrated. I'm a really active person - I thought, 'Oh, will I ever get over this?'" Haven said.Monday morning, the 46-year-old was on the exam table at the Family Health and Rehab center where Dr. Spencer Andersen placed a stylus, part of an atlas orthogonal percussion instrument, on Haven's neck. "I went for a lot of years to a chiropractor that did the cracks and pops," said Haven as the instrument Andersen inched along her neck delivered a gentle percussive wave through her spine. At a total of six pounds of force, compared with the 90-120 pounds of pressure delivered through hand adjustments, the instrument and technique differ significantly from other treatments. News Blog: Quality of Life News 3 (Continued) It's a technique that has eased Haven's concerns and one she's found effective for a full recovery. "It's so painless. He's able to adjust my back, spine and neck - so this is great," she said as Andersen worked silently. Andersen recognizes that some patients may hold fears, concerns and preconceived notions surrounding some chiropractic techniques. But the percussive technique, which focuses on proper alignment of the atlas bone or C1 bone, "eliminates the fear of chiropractic care" he said. News Blog: Quality of Life News 3 (Continued) Through X-rays, doctors are able to identify the very specific degrees the atlas has deviated from the body's natural alignment. The instrument is then set to address those listings or angles very specifically. "It's very customized instead of the assembly line approach," Andersen said. When the atlas is misaligned, it creates a deviation of the skull, setting a chain reaction as further deviations or alignment problems throughout the rest of the body arise. News Blog: Quality of Life News 3 (Continued) The C1 or atlas bone in the spine, Andersen said, is the foundational bone and key in managing spinal health. "Just like the house has to have a foundation that's solid and level our spine has to have a solid foundation," said Andersen. Haven's injury initially didn't seem severe; she told the other driver "I'm fine," but the reality soon settled in. "You don't think anything's wrong. But as time goes by you can see what's happened to you," she said. Haven's attempts to address the problem with a family doctor were unsuccessful she said. "A regular doctor, all he could do for me is give me shots," she said, noting painkillers were prescribed, but didn't remedy the issue. News Blog: Quality of Life News 3 (Continued) But Haven later reviewed X-rays with Andersen and through the process now understands the physical process that was impeding her body's ability to heal - the first vertebrae was completely misaligned, "so the spinal fluid could not flow up to my brain to tell my body what to do," said Haven, who plays an active role in her own healing and health. Andersen sees his own role with patients primarily as a facilitator. "Because once they leave here, I have no control," he said. But with as much as 80 percent compliance among his patients, Andersen says "a lot of it has to do with initial education - my job description is an educator," he said. News Blog: Quality of Life News 3 (Continued) For Haven, Andersen's techniques have brought healing and recovery. Today Haven holds to a monthly maintenance schedule. Handwritten scrawl on the wall above patient exam tables denotes Andersen's premise on the body's capacity for healing. "Remove physiological stress from the body and the body can then do what it is designed to do, heal itself," it reads. It's a premise that's held true for Pierco Alldred, 48, and John P. Thomas, 59. "I think spinal health is critical to the body because all the nerves throughout the body come through the spine," said Allred, who sought relief from neck pain and migraine headaches. News Blog: Quality of Life News 3 (Continued) As Andersen treated Allred's problems from the top of the spine down, "it seemed like things just opened up," said Allred, who states the numbness in her fingers has been reduced as well as the headaches and she's regained range of motion in her neck through Andersen's sessions. After Thomas returned from Vietnam, he spent years overlooking the severe back pain he experienced daily. And while his father remained skeptical of chiropractic therapy, his daughters encouraged him. "I'm kind of old-fashioned," said Thomas. Regardless, Thomas began pursuing treatments and in four months he's seen remarkable progress. News Blog: Quality of Life News 3 (Continued) "You would not believe the energy. I can walk straight up. I feel almost like I've been born again," he said, noting the chronic pain he'd experienced resulted in depression and left him bedridden. For 32 years he lived in denial about his condition. But today, the pain is "dissipating," he said. In addition, he's lost weight, moving from 230 to 191 pounds and gained freedom and movement, all of which have motivated him in his work and family life as well. It's a method for healing Thomas plans to stick with. "I'm staying with (Andersen) until things are right," Thomas said. News Blog Comment: It's certainly health first and foremost that constitutes the quality of life. And next comes the spirit of playing with everything it endows us with. Turning life into a game to play living through every single moment of it! In fact that is what turns us mentally healthy too. Spine does have a real role to play not only as far as physical health is concerned but more so when it comes to being mentally healthy as well adding quality to one's life. With the spine postured rightly comes the gift of chakras in the body getting opened. All the seven in one single go! The mind-body goes extremely energetic and the quality of life takes a quantum leap into the domain of pure energy! Wanna have some bidding fun with 'Quality of Life' on ebay auction? You might grab a bargain or two! Just say your bid and you're done: I invite you to subscribe to my E-zine titled Life Coach, free of charge. This E-zine publishes insightful comments on the latest international news that render us taken-aback in the domains of various facets of life. A not-to-be-missed opportunity! Subscribe to it here: I also invite you to subscribe to my Life Blog - no need to provide your e-mail address here. This RSS feed keeps you informed about new developments taking place on this site. It also harbors 25 journal bloglets posting insightful comments on the latest international news that render us taken-aback in the domains of various facets of life. In order to subscribe to the blog, right-click on the orange RSS button (see buttons up to the left) and then paste the URL into your RSS reader. Or click on add to My Yahoo! button or My MSN or Add To Google button if you keep a personalized home page there. If you are not sure what RSS or blogging is all about, click on What's an RSS Feed? here:
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