More on Medical Video Games
October 1, 2007 9:17 am
Are you interested to know more about medical video games that are already in use? Want to find out have video games distract from pain, or help you lose weight, or even games that improve your doctor's performance?
Guest author Lisa Copen writes about some of the recent research into these kinds of computer and video games, and even some of the games you might have already seen...
Read it now - Medical Video Games?
Excerpt: Video games have always been given a modest nod of tolerance by parents who struggle to see the benefits of learning how to crash a car into a tree at 120 miles per hour. But new evidence is proving that video games have a new respect in the medical field. And if you suffer from chronic pain, you soon may be... [read more]
» To reference this entry use this permalink
HeadOn?
October 10, 2007 10:20 am
Believe it or not, I had never heard of HeadOn until recently. If you've seen their ads on TV, you may count me lucky. NBC's Brian Williams called it "the most annoying ad on television". Apparently, the repetitive "Apply directly to the forehead" line was designed to first create a need for the product and then offer a solution! :)
Seriously, though, between 2005 and 2006, sales rose by 234%. After all, when you have a headache, you may be ready to try something new, and the HeadOn people are trying to ensure you see the ad when you need to.
But HeadOn has come under criticism. The so-called active ingredients are diluted. That's normal, of course. But they're very diluted. On their website, they explain how there's very little of the active ingredients in the product, and then they add: The active ingredients in HeadOn are diluted much more than the minimum required dilution dictated by the monograph of the Homeopathic Pharmacopeia of the United States and therefore represent no health risk whatsoever.
Ok, so they've put even less of the active ingredients than required - "much" less! So that means it's very safe. Because it's almost 100% wax. But is there any benefit?
Dr. Seymour Diamond, founder of the Diamond Headache Clinic in Chicago, said simply: "I see nothing in this product that has any validity whatsoever." The Council of Better Business Bureaus tended to agree, asking the company to remove any claims that HeadOn cured headaches. There just isn't any evidence. And they were caught without it.
The wax stick does apparently contain menthol, an ingredient is also in Tiger Balm (we've talked about Tiger Balm as a possible headache relief). But you can get a lot more menthol a lot cheaper, if that's all that it's got going for it.
Sorry, I don't think I want to encourage these buys by giving them my money (they now also sell ActivOn for pain relief, FirstOn anti-itch, PreferOn for scars, and FREEdHem for hemorrhoids). Like you, I may be willing to try strange things when a migraine comes on. But maybe I should plan ahead a little more, instead of listening to too many commercials.
» To reference this entry use this permalink
Excedrin Tension Headache
October 18, 2007 12:13 pm
Novartis is the company, and Excedrin Tension Headache is the brand. More and more often, companies are trying to market to specific kinds of headaches and pain. Novartis has also recently come out with Excedrin Back & Body, for example. Older products such as Quick Tabs Peppermint, marketed more as a general headache treatment, have been discontinued (this is no doubt in part because the Excedrin brand changed hands in 2005; it was formerly owned by Bristol-Myers Squibb).
In light of these changes, and in light of the tremendous popularity of Excedrin products, it's worth taking a closer look every once in a while. Although Excedrin Tension Headache and similar products (acetaminophen (paracetamol) and caffeine) are generally considered safe for temporary use with the proper dosage, you do need to be cautious about taking other things at the same time, or if you have certain medical conditions. The topic of caffeine and painkiller has again been brought up (thanks to Somebody Heal Me and The Daily Headache) for example.
Find out more about Excedrin Tension Headache here.
» To reference this entry use this permalink
Transcripts from Invisible Chronic Illness Awareness Week
October 24, 2007 4:48 pm
There are now some transcripts available from the online conference during National Invisible Chronic Illness Awareness Week. For some reason, I'm not yet seeing transcripts for the last two days - either they're not all up yet or it's just me.
Anyway, be sure to check them out, especially if you weren't able to make it to the actual sessions. I made it to a few, but - appropriatelyy enough - migraine attacks kept me away from most of them. Some topics that were covered:- Don't BE Invisible: Workplace Success with INVISIBLE Chronic Illness
- Taking a Stand: How to Avoid Medical Mistakes
- Parenting When You Have a Chronic illness
- Invisible Disabilities: But You LOOK Good! / Statistics / What to Say / What Not to Say / How to Help?
Check out the transcripts here! And remember, many of the speakers have websites and books and blogs that you can check out. Once you click on the transcript, you can also read background on the speaker and find lots of helpful links.
» To reference this entry use this permalink
|
