Sport for Our Health

What Is Leukemia?

2008-08-25T13:45:00.000+07:00

“Leukemia” is the general term for four different types of blood cancer called:
Acute lymphocytic (lymphoblastic) leukemia (ALL)
Acute myelogenous (myeloid) leukemia (AML)
Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL)
Chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML)

It is important to know that how patients are affected and
treated are not the same for each type of leukemia. These four
types of leukemia do have one thing in common – they begin in
a cell in the bone marrow. The cell undergoes a change and
becomes a type of leukemia cell.

The marrow is really two organs in one. The first is the blood
cell-forming organ. This is the site where myelogenous leukemia
begins. The second is the lymphocyte-forming organ and is a
part of the immune system. It is the site where lymphocytic
leukemia begins.

The leukemia is called “lymphocytic” or “lymphoblastic” if the
cancerous change takes place in a type of marrow cell that forms
“lymphocytes.” The leukemia is called “myelogenous” or
“myeloid” if the cell change takes place in a type of marrow cell
that normally goes on to form red cells, some kinds of white cells
and platelets.

The ways in which patients are affected and how they are treated
are different for each type of leukemia.

“Acute lymphocytic leukemia” and “acute myelogenous
leukemia” are each composed of young cells, known as
“lymphoblasts” or “myeloblasts.” These cells are sometimes
called “blasts.” Acute leukemias progress rapidly without
treatment.

“Chronic” leukemias have few or no blast cells. “Chronic
lymphocytic leukemia” and “chronic myelogenous leukemia”
usually progress slowly compared to acute leukemias.

Doctors do not know the causes of most cases of leukemia. They
do know that once the marrow cell undergoes a “leukemic”
change, it multiplies into many cells. These leukemia cells grow
and survive better than normal cells and, over time, they crowd
out normal cells.

The rate at which leukemia progresses and how the cells replace
the normal blood and marrow cells are different with each type
of leukemia.

In acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) and acute lymphocytic
leukemia (ALL), the original acute leukemia cell goes on to
form about a trillion more leukemia cells. These cells are
described as “nonfunctional” because they do not work like
normal cells. They also crowd out the normal cells in the
marrow; in turn, this causes a decrease in the number of new
normal cells made in the marrow. This further results in low red
cell counts (anemia).

In chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML), the leukemia cell
that starts the disease makes blood cells (red cells, white cells
and platelets) that function almost like normal cells. The number
of red cells is usually less than normal, resulting in anemia. But
many white cells and sometimes many platelets are still made.
Even though the white cells are nearly normal in how they work,
their counts are high and continue to rise. This can cause serious
problems if the patient does not get treatment. If untreated, the
white cell count can rise so high that blood flow slows down
and anemia becomes severe.

In chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), the leukemia cell that
starts the disease makes too many lymphocytes that do not
function. These cells replace normal cells in the marrow and
lymph nodes. They interfere with the work of normal
lymphocytes, which weakens the patient’s immune response. The
high number of leukemia cells in the marrow may crowd out
normal blood-forming cells and lead to a low red cell count
(anemia). A very high number of leukemia cells building up in
the marrow also can lead to low white cell (neutrophil) and
platelet counts.

Unlike the other three types of leukemia, some patients with
CLL may have disease that does not progress for a long time.
Some people with CLL have such slight changes that they
remain in good health and do not need treatment for long
periods of time. Most patients require treatment at the time of
diagnosis or soon after.

Types of diabetes

2008-08-25T13:31:00.002+07:00

Type 1 diabetes was previously called insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) or juvenile-onset diabetes.
Type 1 diabetes develops when the body's immune system destroys pancreatic beta cells, the only cells in the body that make the hormone insulin that regulates blood glucose.
To survive, people with type 1 diabetes must have insulin delivered by injection or a pump.
This form of diabetes usually strikes children and young adults, although disease
onset can occur at any age.
Type 1 diabetes accounts for 5% to 10% of all diagnosed cases of diabetes.
Risk factors for type 1 diabetes may be autoimmune, genetic, or environmental.
There is no known way to prevent type 1 diabetes.
Several clinical trials of methods of the prevention of type 1 diabetes are currently in progress or are being planned.

Type 2 diabetes was previously called non insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) or adult-onset diabetes.
Type 2 diabetes accounts for about 90% to 95% of all diagnosed cases of diabetes.
It usually begins as insulin resistance, a disorder in which the cells do not use insulin properly. As the need for insulin rises, the pancreas gradually loses its ability to produce it.
Type 2 diabetes is associated with older age, obesity, family history of diabetes, history of gestational diabetes, impaired glucose metabolism, physical inactivity, and race/ethnicity. African Americans, Hispanic/Latino Americans, American Indians, and some Asian Americans and Native Hawaiians or Other Pacific Islanders are at particularly high risk for type 2 diabetes and its complications.
Clinically-based reports and regional studies suggest that type 2 diabetes in children and adolescents, although still rare, is being diagnosed more frequently, particularly in American Indians, African Americans, and Hispanic/Latino Americans.

Gestational diabetes is a form of glucose intolerance diagnosed in some women during pregnancy.
Gestational diabetes occurs more frequently among African Americans, Hispanic/Latino Americans, and American Indians.
It is also more common among obese women and women with a family history of diabetes. During pregnancy,gestational diabetes requires treatment to normalize maternal blood glucose levels to avoid complications in the infant.
After pregnancy, 5% to 10% of women with gestational diabetes are found to have type 2 diabetes.
Women who have had gestational diabetes have a 20% to 50% chance of developing diabetes in the next 5 10 years.

Other types of diabetes result from specific genetic conditions (such as maturity-onset diabetes of youth), surgery,drugs, malnutrition, infections, and other illnesses.
Such types of diabetes account for 1% to 5% of all diagnosed cases.

What is diabetes?

2008-08-25T13:29:00.001+07:00

Diabetes is a condition in which the body either does not produce enough insulin or cannot use insulin properly. Insulin is a naturally occurring hormone in the blood that is necessary for providing our cells with energy to function. Insulin helps sugar (glucose) move from the bloodstream into the cells. When glucose cannot enter our cells, it builds up in the blood (hyperglycemia). This can lead to damage of organs including the eyes and kidneys, or damage of blood vessels and nerves.

Most people with diabetes have “Type 2 diabetes,” which means that the body does not produce enough insulin or the insulin is not able to transfer glucose into cells. Type 2 diabetes used to be known as adult-onset diabetes. In contrast, people with “Type 1 diabetes” (previously called
juvenile-onset diabetes) have a condition where the body does not produce any insulin at all. People with Type 1 diabetes need insulin injections and close monitoring to control their blood sugar levels.

Sports Massage Certification

2008-07-10T11:17:00.001+07:00

A variety of educational venues offer sports massage "certification." Some certifications can be obtained upon the completion of two weekend seminars. Such programs acquaint you with the basic upper body and lower body sports injuries commonly found in athletes. Others programs require 80 hours of instruction, while some require serious long-term, in-depth study. As with other forms of education, your payoff will equal your investment.

National certification in massage is something very different than academic or educational certification. Thirty states and the District of Columbia now license professional massage therapists, and the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork offers a certification exam to massage therapists who have completed at least 600 hours of classroom instruction in massage. Wholehealthmd.com suggests that a sports massage therapist should aim for NCTBMB certification and have at least 50 additional hours of training in sports massage.

An Hour of Prevention Worth Months of Cure

2008-07-10T11:16:00.001+07:00

Once you've recovered your vigor, you'll see sports massage as essential to your optimum performance and overall health. Maintenance sports massage prevents injuries by keeping you mobile while making sure that the small kinks and compensations don't set in. Maintenance massage enhances training, reduces pre-event jitters, and aids post-event recovery. While my personal preference runs to deep tissue work, you can get sports massage therapy from many branches of massage. Swedish massage emphasizes muscle-work. Trigger point massage uses accupressure-style therapy to reduce spasm and release stiffness in connective tissue. Lymphatic massage encourages the body's removal of edema and reduces swelling. If you routinely include massage in your athletic regimen, regardless of the form of sports massage you choose, you'll see a boost in your performance, and perhaps extend the overall life of your athletic career.

Though I don't play tennis, I do get a tennis-elbow-like injury from too many hours at the laptop. My Rolfer can rid me of that excruciating elbow pain and inability to twist my forearm with a few deft moves. I've been through the sequences of both Rolfing and Hellerwork and remain amazed at the power of structural reintegration to make striking changes in a single session. However, you don't need the power of Rolfing to nip injuries in the bud. Ongoing sports massage can keep you on the field and off the sidelines.

Rewriting Your Body's History

2008-07-10T11:15:00.000+07:00

If you've had an injury in the past and you didn't have massage therapy at the time, your body changed structurally to accommodate and protect the injured area. Consequently, you still carry that injury with you as scar tissue or as patterns of inflexibility where the connective tissue or fascia have shortened and literally stuck together. Structural reintegration or deep tissue work--Rolfing, Hellerwork--can correct these longstanding body imbalances by lengthening the connective tissue holding onto these ancient rigidities.

Deep tissue work breaks down scar tissues and returns mobility to the fascia (myofascia, hence myotherapy), releasing old injuries and releasing long-carried physical trauma. Thus, structural reintegration is a powerful physical and emotional experience for practitioner and client alike. And psychically as well, if you're sensitive to such things. In my case, though I was a marathon runner and had run marathon distance a dozen times, my injuries finally happened at the site of my decades-old tailbone injury. Rolfing helped me heal.

Benefits of Sports Massage

2008-07-10T11:14:00.002+07:00

According to sportsinjuryclinic.net, sports massage can heal both your body and your mind. Massage "helps remove waste products such as lactic acid and encourage the muscles to take up oxygen and nutrients which help them recover quicker." If you've achieved the "hard body" so esteemed in athletic culture, you haven't done yourself any favor, since your inelastic tissues may actually block your athletic growth. Again, sports massage can stretch the tissue and restore circulation, reinvigorating your training.

Those of you who've been injured training for an important event know how injury can impact your mental toughness. The "What ifs" cloud your training once you've had a sports injury before a critical event. Sports massage interrupts the cycle of anxiety that dogs post-recovery training. Massage restores confidence, as it aids physical recovery.

Training Means Stretching Your Limits

2008-07-10T11:14:00.001+07:00

Body awareness guru Thérèse Bertherat insists that your body is the house that you and you alone occupy, yet it's a house to which you've lost the key. The metaphor is striking, especially when you're an athlete who prides yourself on knowing your body. If you've done any serious training, though, you'll have to admit that you sometimes learned your body's boundaries by crossing them. You got injured, you recovered from your injuries, and then, hopefully, you trained more consciously.

Like television's six million dollar man, injured athletes hope for the best: to rebuild themselves better than they were before. To come back "better . . . stronger . . . faster," as the voice from that program so famously intoned. In fact, with the help of sports massage, the recovering body experiences optimum healing, and the recovered body can be stronger than before the injury.

Sports Massage Training

2008-07-10T11:13:00.001+07:00

Unlike spa-style massage more generally, therapeutic massage--and the sub-field of sports massage--include those forms of massage geared for health management and rehabilitation. Massage therapists must be able to diagnose and treat muscle, soft tissue, and joint disorders. Many, many programs offer training in professional therapeutic massage, leading to diplomas, A.S. degrees or, more rarely, a bachelor's degree. Specialized forms of massage, like Rolfing, have their own training institutes.

Many massage schools include sports massage classes within their more generic massage degree programs. In fact, it's hard to find a massage therapy program that doesn't have at least one unit on sports massage. Today, however, it's possible to get a degree or 200-hour advanced certificate in Orthopedic and Sports Massage. The latter covers topics like inflammation and soft tissue trauma, neurovascular compression syndromes, and upper and lower extremity injuries-- topics essential to athletics and sports massage.

Sport activity in adolescence: associations with health perceptions and experimental behaviours

2008-07-10T10:56:00.000+07:00

Despite the relevance of this research topic from a public health perspective, there is currently a lack of objective data on European adolescents' sport activity, notably the associations between their sport habits and their health attitudes and behaviours, which may have important consequences both in terms of somatic (cardiovascular) health and mental health. The objective of the present study was to determine the direction and strength of the associations between the frequency of sport and health variables; in particular, perceptions of health, self image, substance use and experimental behaviours. Data were collected as part of the 1993 Swiss Multicentric Adolescent Survey on Health. In this survey, anonymous self-administered questionnaires were distributed to a national representative sample of 10 000 in-school adolescents (15–20 years of age). Univariate analyses explored the relationships between the level of sport activity and health variables; then logistic regression analyses examined the strength of these relationships. According to the results, half of the sample do sports more than twice a week, boys more often as part of a sports club. Differences between non-athletic and athletic adolescents describe the latter as having less somatic complaints, more confidence in their future health, a better body image, a lesser tendency to attempt suicide, a higher frequency of use of the car seat belt, and a lower use of tobacco, wine and marijuana. Links between the frequency of sport activity and the locus of control related to health, general satisfaction with life or sexual behaviours are less strong. It must be noticed that the cross-sectional data collection precludes the establishment of a causal relationship between exercise and health behaviours. However, the existing links underline the coexistence of positive health characteristics and sport activity, suggesting that an incitement to get involved in physical activity may be a necessary component of a comprehensive prevention approach among adolescents.

The Power of Sport

2008-07-10T10:50:00.001+07:00

Sport and physical education play an important role at the individual, community, national and global levels. For the individual, sport enhances one’s personal abilities, general health and self-knowledge. On the national level sport and physical education contribute to economic and social growth, improve public health, and bring different communities together. On the global level, if used consistently, sport and physical education can have a long-lasting positive impact on development, public health, peace and the environment.

Access to and participation in sport and physical education provide an opportunity to experience social and moral inclusion for populations otherwise marginalized by social, cultural or religious barriers caused by gender, disability, or other forms of discrimination. Sport and physical education can represent an area to experience equality, freedom and a dignifying means for empowerment. The freedom and control over one’s body experienced in the practice of sport is particularly valuable for girls and women, for people with a disability, for people living in conflict areas, for people recovering from trauma.

Sport and Development

2008-07-10T10:49:00.000+07:00

Sport is a catalyst for economic development. Individually, each of the various sectors of the sports economy can create activity, jobs and wealth. When several are combined together into a single strategy, it is possible to achieve additional economic gains because of the synergies that result. The local economic potential of sport is further enhanced when supported by national ‘sport for all’ strategies.

Securing Government leadership is essential to ensure that sport and physical education are incorporated into country development and international cooperation policies and agendas. Governmental commitment is also crucial to ensuring that the root causes of the issues that challenge human development are addressed, and sport is used as one of the tools for that.

The engagement of the UN specialized agencies, programmes and funds demonstrated the potential breadth and depth of sport to support the UN system in achieving development goals. The IYSPE 2005 will seek to engage Governments and the world of sport more deeply in sport-based development activities in order to ensure that this powerful and diverse element of civil society becomes an active and committed force in the global partnership for development.

Local development through sport particularly benefits from an integrated partnership approach to sport-for-development involving the full spectrum of actors in field-based community development including all levels and various sectors of government, sports organisations, Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and the private sector. Strategic sport-based partnerships can be created within a common framework providing a structured environment allowing for coordination, knowledge and expertise sharing and cost-effectiveness.

Sport and Health

2008-07-10T10:39:00.000+07:00

In 2002 the World Health Organization (WHO) World Health Report indicated that mortality, morbidity and disability attributed to the major non-communicable diseases accounted for over 60% of all deaths, and unhealthy diets and physical inactivity were among the leading causes of these diseases.

Sport and physical activity are crucial for life-long healthy living. Sport and play improve health and well-being, extend life expectancy and reduce the likelihood of several non-communicable diseases including heart disease.

Regular physical activity and play are essential for physical, mental, psychological and social development. Good habits start early: The important role of physical education is demonstrated by the fact that children who exercise are more likely to stay physically active as adults. Sport also plays a major positive role in one’s emotional health, and allows to build valuable social connections, often offering opportunities for play and self-expression.

Recognizing the important links between sport, physical activity and health, in 2004 the WHO adopted the Global Strategy on Diet, Physical Activity and Health and a Resolution Health Promotion and Healthy lifestyles. Both documents emphasize the importance to start the practice of adapted physical activity early in childhood.

In 2004, the United Nations Joint Program on HIV/Aids (UNAIDS) was the latest United Nations system organisation to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to involve the world of sport more actively in fighting the epidemic.