Want to Prevent ACL Injuries?

A new program has been developed that involves strength training to reduce ACL injuries in women. ACL injuries affect many women especially those who play sports. There have been other programs developed to prevent this injury but many require the use of special equipment. The researchers doing this study wanted to find something that was easy enough to fit into any team practice. This study found a 41% decrease in the reported number of ACL injuries. If you participate in sports and want to prevent an injury that could take months to recover from this seems to be a beneficial program. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/14/health/nutrition/14exer.html?_r=2&ref=health&oref=slogin&oref=slogin

The study was published in The American Journal of Sports Medicine. The PEP program or The Prevention Injury and Enhance Performance Program are explained in detail and a chart is also given to show the different activities. This program involves a warm-up, stretching, strengthening, plyometrics, and agility.
http://ajs.sagepub.com/cgi/content/full/36/8/1476

To learn more about the anatomy of the knee and how complex it is watch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RTV5Yo3E7VQ&feature=related

Injuries of the knee: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lb-3ufvG7pQ&feature=related

New ways to protect your newborn

Mothers will do anything to protect your children. Well, what if there was a way to prevent your infant from getting the flu? A new study shows influenza can be prevented before your child is even born. Since the flu shot cannot be given to a baby younger than six months if the mother is given the shot before the baby is born it protects the baby too. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has been trying to recommend flu shots for pregnant women but they are usually overlooked. Since more studies are being done on this vaccine, mothers might start doing more research on these shots. “In the test of 340 pregnant women in Bangladesh, the shots cut the risk of flu by 63 percent and the risk of respiratory illness overall by 29 percent.” (Emery) The New England Journal of Medicine has also published a study that has been done. The more studies that are done, the more mothers will become aware of how helpful getting this shot can be.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26759200/

Is Tanning Safe?

Everyone has heard that tanning booths are bad for you. Since tanning booths are advertised so much for being dangerous to your skin, the sun is put on the back burner. However, the sun and tanning booths are equally unsafe. The ultraviolet rays from both could lead to cancer because the signals in cells that cause you to tan seem to be DNA damage. Mutations in any of your cells may lead to cancer. Therefore, the DNA damage that is caused by ultraviolet rays could develop into cancer. The body produces vitamin D with the help of ultraviolet rays; however only a little is needed.

We have grown up in a society that tells us what we should look like or what “pretty” is. Unfortunately, tan complexion is one of the things Americans see as what we should like. But is it really worth the risk of cancer just to be tan? I think that if more people were educated on how many people are really affected by skin cancer it would change their minds about hitting the tanning booth.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dcSo-wb3okI&feature=related

If you want to protect your skin and keep it looking young read the article in the link below.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26080060/