Back to Sex! ( or Sex to Back! )

         Reading the science and technology section  in a several weeks old copy of  'The Economist' lately, I came across an interesting  study completed at the University of Waterloo,  just down  the  road from me.  Waterloo University has been researching positions for sexual intercourse that work best for different kinds of back pain.  They are offering doctors hard evidence (sic) to base their recommendations to patients upon.  The research documents the way the spine moves during sex and postulates that certain positions are better than others.  They tracked how ten couples' spines moved in five different sex positions.  They created a set of guidelines based on which movements cause pain.  There appears to be two components of the study, one studying males and the other studying female positional distress.   Younger folk are usually bothered most by flexion movements, while older people tend to be more stressed by extension.  They used infra-red motion cameras to track the movements for twenty seconds of sex in each position.  They describe the positions studied.  Subsequently., the full range of their back movements were calculated to establish their maximum range of movement.
        The research, published in 'Spine' will be developed into a fuller guide to sexual positions. The team plans to study other positions.
         What a shame that in my years in Academe if I had made a proposal like this it would have been greeted by hoots of laughter.  Either that or I would have been fired  - though that may have been impossible, since I was tenured!!
          Let me know if you want to hear more about how this develops.

The Benevolent Lawyer.

              A friend of mine related an interesting observation she  made recently while taking a family member for  some therapy  to a rehabilitation  hospital.  As she stood at the desk she noted a large notice that read as follows.  (Name of Law Firm).  She couldn't help  wondering if it ws appropriate  to have an advertisement for a legal  firm in a rehabilitation hospital - of all places.

The Family Doctor and the neighbourhood Pharmacy.

               The Health Care system costs us a package.  It shows every sign of becoming more expensive with developing technology, increasing longevity with more and more resources being allocated to those in the  last years of life and more heroic procedures being developed at an impressive rate.  Where are all the resources going to come from?  What is going to be rationed and how is it going to be done?
                 Recently  we have seen the 'Choose Wisely' program initiated as an attempt to rationalize tests and various investigations to avoid harm and waste and that is admirable.  However, let there be no doubt that this will have many other consequences as it is manipulated by health care administrators and their political masters.   Expect to see further initiatives in  the  future and while every effort has to be made to conserve our resources, a healthy wariness as to where these changes may lead is warranted.
                 A recent supplement with my newspaper last week was entitled "Healthcare closer to  home" and labelled 'An  independent supplement by MediaPlanet'.      The supplement deals with evolving your local pharmacy into a sort of  mini health care centre for dealing with minor ailments, and expanding the role that pharmacists play in patient care.  The supplement has several articles on the manner in which this can  be effected.  Some of the suggestions are already in  effect, such as flu vaccination, medication education including instruction regarding diabetes management and diet.  These roles are effective and probably financially sound.   Other expansions, sometimes possibly of questionable safety, have already been enabled, and vary from  province to  province.  These include changing drug dosage/formulation, making therapeutic substitution, initiating prescription drug therapy, prescribing for minor ailments and conditions, ordering and interpreting lab tests.   There is no doubt more changes are coming. 
                    One article in the MediaPlanet supplement reads as follows:  " If you or a family member are suffering from  a bad head cold, a sore throat, a rash, an ear infection or other minor but troubling ailment, the benefits of quick and convenient access to  professional health care are simple and convenient."
                    The problem is that most of the  above can be the prodrome  of a more serious illness.
                                        
                                       Follow this space for more on this.  Feel free to comment.                
                    
                  

Graves - a hyperthyroid antic!

               Dr Graves of international fame as the discoverer of thyrotoxicosis, also known as Grave's Disease was a great hero to all of the students, faculty and staff of the Mead Hospital, Dublin.  (Estab 1753) where I was a student.   A bust of the Great Man decorated the main atrium of the Hospital where he had trained, atop a broad flight of concrete steps.  

              Dean Eleftry, was an older medical student from Vancouver, BC, who had come to Dublin to study medicine.  He was a nice guy, who everyone liked to poke a little fun at, because he was considerably older than the rest of students and also because he spent a lot of time polishing his little old Ford convertible.

             That night, a motley crew of students were heading back to the hospital after a good night at the local pub.  All three sheets to the wind, the older ones handling their booze a little better than the younger.

            "Let's do something with old Eleftry's car," Tom Snowdon said, in a loud self-assured English accent. (he was actually South African!)  "I'm so fed up watching him polishing and nursing it, I think it's time we taught him a lesson."

            "Yes, lets let the air out of his tires," Pete Sangster responded.

            "For God's sake, Sangster, can't you think of anything more original than that," Snowdon responded scornfully."

            The rest of the noisy group suddenly quietened down, wondering where this was going next.

            "Why don't we carry his stupid little car up the steps and deposit it in the main lobby of the hospital.  That would certainly create a little pandemonium in the morning." Snowdon said.

            Hoots of drunken approval emanated from the group.

            "We'll get into terrible trouble if we're caught,"I said.

            "Don’t be such a funk," Sangster said contemptuously.

            The herd mentality was kindled and there was no stopping now.                                          
            " Do You think we can lift it?" Sangster asked.

            "Let's give it a try," an anonymous voice suggested.

            Many pairs of hands squeezed around the little car tried to get a good grip on some lifting point and heaved.

            "It's as light as a feather," another responded.

            Twenty or so, able -bodied students lifted the car and slowly carried it up the twenty - eight concrete steps that opened onto the main lobby of the hospital.   Others held the hospital's large twin doors open, while the car was quietly placed in the centre of the lobby.

            "It looks wonderful there, but it would look much better if we put that bust of Robert Graves behind the steering wheel," drawled Tom Snowdon, pointing to a bust of the greatly revered physician.

            "Christ,"said I, "all hell will break loose."

            A contemptuous glance from Snowdon, while  a couple of his followers struggled to get the bust propped up in the front seat behind the steering wheel.

            "Let's put a scarf around his neck and a cap on his head, just to complete the picture," Snowdon added.

            One of the more fashionable members of the group volunteered his scarf and rather racy cap which he carefully arranged to give the long deceased Graves a decidedly sporty appearance.   Even I had to admit that the effect was dramatic.  We stealthily withdrew to the students residence before releasing whoops of apprehensive delight at the daring act.

           I awoke in the morning slightly hung-over and reflected on the previous night's action.  I got up as quickly as I could, anxious to see the damage.  I walked out into the courtyard.  About twenty maintenance workers were laying wooden planks in parallel tracks down the concrete steps.  The car, with Dean Eleftry sitting behind the wheel was purring gently, having just been driven through the twin doors and was now being secured by ropes attached to the axle so that it could be lowered slowly down the parallel planks to street level.  A large crowd stood in small groups at various vantage points around the courtyard.  Some laughing, some talking in hushed tones.  Dean was now anxiously supervising the manoeuvrings to make sure his beloved car wasn't damaged.

            The next morning  there was a line-up that the students and interns were ordered to attend, and the perpetrators were exhorted to turn themselves in so that the entire class wouldn't suffer the consequences for the desecration of the venerable and internationally respected [except by us!] Robert Graves.  Of course knowing that there's safety in numbers, no-one claimed responsibility and no-one remembered there being any consequences.

The Wind - more dangerous than you think?

         Those of us who are scientists with open minds have grown tired of listening to the LWL crying that the science of climate change/global warming is established beyond doubt, that the issue is closed.  They thereby demolish any claim they may have had to understand the fundamental foundation block of science, that a theory  is only a theory until  it is proven.  I believe that the science is far from  proven and that we must continue our investigation without hysteria.  We also have to be vigilant of ill-effects from alternate power sources.
         There are concerns from many living in the vicinity of wind turbines, that they pose a risk to their heath.  There are reports of adverse health effects from around the world.  Wind turbines produce a noise that can lead to the 'wind turbine syndrome'.  A Statistics Canada survey revealed a number of self -reported effects including tinnitus, migraines, dizziness, blood pressure, stress and sleep disturbances.  There are also sound waves below the audible level (20Hz) known as infrasound that we know little about.  For the human ear to perceive infrasound  the sound pressure must be sufficiently high. 
         There is considerable debate over whether the symptoms described in the wind turbine syndrome represents an actual disease or a hypochondriacal state.  
          In an experiment performed in the UK in 2003, an experimental music concert entitled Infrasonic,  contained musical pieces  laced with 17 Hz undertones, were played for a blinded audience.  The participants were not informed of the pieces which contained the inaudible tones.  The presence of the tones resulted in 22% of respondents reporting anxiety, uneasiness, extreme sorrow, nervous feelings of revulsion or fear, chills down the spine and feelings of pressure in the chest.  Prof. Richard Wiseman said, "These results suggest that low frequency sound can cause people to have unusual experiences even though they cannot consciously detect infrasound."
           What do you think ?   Real health risk or hypochondriasis?   What should we be doing  about this now?

Hi tech to the rescue- maybe!

 Worth watching.

<https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=y-rEI4bezWc> 

How effective will it be in real life?
We'll just have to  wait and see.

House call part 2.

This is the final part of a two part post.  Read part 1 first.

      All three occupants of the room froze. I clutched my medical bag, with its considerable variety of drugs, tightly in my hands.  No one attempted to open the door. Again a loud knocking, this time more insistent, demanding an answer. I was just on the point of quickly opening the door, walking down the corridor and getting into the still running car,(we used to do that at 40 degrees below zero!) when with a loud crack, the front door flew open.  Two men stood in the doorway.  I sized them up quickly. One tall, fairly well dressed, tough looking, the other fat and rather shabby. I noticed that as the short, fat one burst into the room, his jacket swung open revealing a holstered gun.  Tomorrow's Leader Post headlines flashed in front of my eyes. "Young Physician shot in Drug Shootout"  I clutched my house call bag firmly in my hands. (If they got that, it was going to be over my dead body!) I decided that it was now or never. I pushed past the two men hoping they would be so busy with the occupants of the rooms they wouldn't bother with me.  I walked briskly down the corridor, head down, making for the car, with its engine running, warm.  I knew once I got there I would have no problem. I glanced over my shoulder - my god,they were after me!  I broke into a trot,and so did they! I felt a heavy hand laid upon my arm as I was spun around. The small shabby man's hand went to his holster. I wondered whether to run for it.
      "Sgt. Sam O'Hanlon, Regina City Police Dept.,"he said. "Afraid you got caught up in a drug bust,doc." He shoved his police department badge under my nose. "I just have to establish for the record that you didn't leave any narcotics at this address, so that when we lay charges they can't say that it was just stuff the doc left." 
         "No, I didn't leave anything," I said.
         "We may have to call you for evidence, doc." 
         I nodded "Okay ,will that be all."
        "Yeah,that's all, doc".

           I walked out to the car. It was warm and cozy, as I drove home.  I parked my car in the carport,and plugged in the block heater. I crept up the stairs so as not to waken the baby. On the landing I removed my clothes,slipped into the bedroom and felt the cozy warmth emanating from my wife. As I snuggled up beside her she stirred.
       "Have you got to go out,darling?" she asked.
       "No" I said.