Posts Tagged ‘surgery’

What Causes A Blood Red Eye?

Sunday, February 27th, 2011

A blood red eye can be quite alarming when it suddenly greets you in the mirror one morning. Fortunately, most of the time it will turn out to be much less serious than it appears. The white tissue on the front of the eye is known as the sclera. Overlying this is a clear transparent thin layer that is loosely attached to the sclera, the conjunctiva. Because the connection is so loose between the layers, an empty potential space exists. There are tiny blood vessels that transverse through this tissue and they can be somewhat fragile. If a blood vessel ruptures, the blood will spread out and fill the empty space. It will often cover a large part of the white of the eye with a blood red appearance. These are referred to as sub-conjunctiva hemorrhages.

A number of issues can lead to these hemorrhages on the eye.

* Mechanical trauma to the blood vessels can cause them to rupture. Simply rubbing the eyes can be enough force to break the tiny blood vessels on the eye. A foreign object or blow to the eye is a frequent antecedent. Sports like basketball where fingers frequently end up in an eye can certainly give you a broken conjunctiva blood vessel. Protective sports eye wear can prevent these incidents and many much more serious eye injuries. * Centripetal force or the feeling of weightlessness occurs on roller coasters, merry go rounds, bungee jumping, flying maneuvers, and extreme sports of all flavors (intentional or accidental!). The blood flow is increased towards the head and the increased blood volume can result in an blood red eye. * Anything that increases the resistance to blood drainage in the blood veins frequently is found in the history of sub conjunctiva hemorrhages. Coughing, vomiting, even straining with constipation can temporarily raise the resistance to blood drainage in the fragile capillaries of the eye tissues. Lifting weights while holding your breath and even childbirth can alter the blood flow in the veins.

If you develop an eye with the appearance of blood you should immediately seek care from your optometrist. Rarely there can be other problems that require intervention. Problems and diseases of the blood can cause recurrent hemorrhages. People on blood thinners, regular use of aspirin, and some other medications are at an increased risk for blood vessels bleeding. Some forms of eye infections will cause numerous hemorrhages, and often in both eyes. Conditions like diabetes and high blood pressure can make the eye more susceptible to breaks in the blood vessels.

Usually the cure is time. These conjunctiva hemorrhages will follow a course similar to a bruise on your skin, often taking three to six weeks to resolve. They also will undergo color changes from bright red to purple before fading away. This is one eye condition where the appearance is fortunately much worse than the outcome!

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Introduction on Ayurvedic Eye Diseases

Sunday, February 27th, 2011

Considered as the most important organ of our body, eyes should be take good care of for everyone of us. According to ayurvedic studies, all five elements have some effects in people’s eye health. Their functions are as following: Earth (prithivi) rules the muscular part of the eye, fire (tejas) is in charge of the blood vessels, air (vayu) manages the color, water (apu) governs the white area, and space (akasha) is responsible for tear ducts and channels.

And if there is imbalance of three doshas among vata, pitta or kapha soshas, people will develop eye problems. The following will give some introduction on ayurvedic eye disease in order to help people to know more about it.

As we know, the proper eye care is of great importance for our eye health. If our eyes are not taken good care of, we are more likely to have the following eye problems: First, we will have a poor vision and need to wear glasses or contact lenses in order to see clearly. Second, we are likely to develop cataracts. Third, due to improper care of our eyes, our retina may get damaged, which will have a big influence on our vision. And the worst one is improper care of eyes can lead to blindness. How terrible it is. Therefore, everyone of us should pay close attention to our eye care. Once there are eye problems, we have to pay a lot but still can not get our eye to its original state.

So what are the causes for eye problem? The eye problems of dryness, eye strain and poor vision are caused by vata disorders. And if people are suffering from eye burning, inflammation, yellow pus, and redness, pitta imbalance are contributed to all the above eye problems.

You may wonder to know how to treat ayurvedic eye. Read ahead and the following will give you some tips. First, we can use the following treatments: using triphala eyewash or eye bright infusion and netra vasti to strengthen or purify our eyes; we can also use some cooling herbs such as roses, sandalwood, coriander leaves, and Indian eyeliner (kajal) to alleviate the eye problem and improve our vision; for vata and pitta eye diseases, we can use a drop of pure castor oil for help; shatavari rich in Vitamin A and gooseberry rich in Vitamin C will be helpful for increasing the connective tissue integrity of the eyes. Second, it is important for us to keep ourselves away from chemicals, overstrain, sunlight and internal toxins. Besides, too much heat can make our eyes easy to degenerate, so we should restrain to use hot hair dryers, hot water on the face, alcohol-based cosmetics around our eyes. Third, we can also take some Yogic eye exercises to keep a good vision. Last but not least, a healthy diet plays an important role in our eye health, so we should have diet rich in antioxidants, such as fresh fruit and vegetables.

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Do’s and Don’ts of Acupuncture Treatment

Sunday, February 27th, 2011

Success with acupuncture therapy is not a forgone conclusion. Below are the things that I advise my acupuncture patients to DO or to NOT DO in order to maximize the benefits of acupuncture treatment.

DO… *Have a little something in your stomach during the treatment *Let the acupuncturist know if you’ve had alcohol, tobacco or caffeine (as these substances change your diagnostic signs) *Wear loose-fitting clothing whenever possible *Arrive 15 minutes early for your appointment and avoid rushing *Urinate before your appointment and before you get into the treatment room *Be prepared to fill out paperwork *Be prepared to be in the clinic for at least 1 hour, with you on the table for a minimum of 30 minutes of needle retention time *Try to relax as much as possible during the treatment *Turn off your cell phone during the treatment *Quit smoking cigarettes as they are working against your ability to heal *Call with 24-hours notice of cancellation or schedule change *Think of realistic goals to set for the course of acupuncture (I would consider 50% improvement in pain/symptom level and/or 50% improvement in function level to be “realistic” for a course of 6-10 treatments) *Pay close attention to: -If and/or how your pain/symptom has changed (decreased or increased) -How long your pain/symptom changed -Whether the pain has moved, changed in quality or frequency -Whether you got no change, slight, medium, good or great relief or increased pain

DO NOT… *Expect to multitask during your treatment *Move body parts with needles in them *Come in with an empty stomach or immediately after a large meal *Over-exert yourself (physically, mentally or emotionally) after the treatment *Consume alcohol (or other toxic substances) on the day of your treatment *Make movements, take actions or engage in activities that will exacerbate your pain during the entire course of treatment *Swim or bathe for 1 hour following the acupuncture treatment

Many of these suggestions are designed to preserve your safety during and after an acupuncture treatment. An example would be swimming or bathing after acupuncture. Why not take a dip in a public pool within one hour of your treatment? We just put a bunch of microscopic holes in your skin! We are trying to prevent an infection from occurring.

Some suggestions allow the practitioner to come to an accurate diagnosis. If you drink a cup of coffee just before an acupuncture treatment, it will likely stain your tongue and tongue coat a different color than it would be otherwise. This could potentially throw off the acupuncturist’s diagnosis. It most certainly will increase your heart rate. Because we rely on tongue and pulse diagnosis techniques it should be clear why we would want you to avoid it just before your treatment. Additionally, caffeine increases cortisol firing and could increase the pain you feel from needle insertion.

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Which Contact Solution To Buy For Soft And Hard Contact Lenses

Sunday, February 27th, 2011

Most supermarkets and convenience stores hold contact lens solution in the section for over the counter medications. There might be several brands of contact lens solution to choose from. Opti Free or store brand? No rub or regular? Taking care of your contact lenses is crucial. If bacteria is allowed to manifest on them, you risk eye infections and possibly even blindness. For your health and comfort, know the differences between the different types of contact lens solution to keep your eyes in perfect health.

For most everyday contact lens users, a single multipurpose contact solution and a case is all that will be necessary to keep contact lenses clean. A multipurpose solution is a combination of a disinfecting and cleaning solution. You will have to use a multipurpose cleaning solution by taking your contacts out, one at a time. and squirting it with your multipurpose solution. Gently rub the contact in the palm of your hand with the tip of your finger. Swipe it gently in straight lines, not in a circle, to avoid tears to delicate soft lenses. If your multipurpose solution says that it is “no rub,” you can skip this step, but it would not hurt if extra debris is visible. Rinse the contact in the solution and store it in the appropriate side of the case. Be sure not to get your contacts mixed up.

Most of the time, a multipurpose contact solution is just fine for storing your now clean contact lenses. Place your clean contact lens in the right side of your contact case if it is from your right eye, and your left if it is from your left eye. Contacts should always be kept in the appropriate side to avoid mix ups. Your prescription is most likely to be slightly different in each eye, and the eyes can be harmed if the wrong contact is used. Fill up the case so that the solution covers the contact and it floats. Screw on the cap.

If you have sensitive eyes or certain kinds of prescriptions, you might have to use a disinfecting enzyme cleaner or protein remover. These might be used every day or once a week, and make the contacts more comfortable by removing build up of protein that forms in the eye during usage. You will not have to worry about this step unless your doctor says it is a necessary step in your contact solution routine. You might also want to keep a re-wetting solution on hand to keep your eyes moist.

Contact solution is available at most pharmacies and supermarkets in large bottles. However, your favorite brands are also available to be delivered to your online. You do not need a prescription to buy contact solution, so it is easy to order straight to your house. Always have an extra bottle or two of contact lens solution on hand so you will never have to worry about running out to get more at an inconvenient time.

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Is “De Qi” Essential To A Therapeutic Effect From Acupuncture?

Sunday, February 27th, 2011

There are many studies to show that acupuncture can be used effectively in orthopedics cases and for pain management. As students of acupuncture and Oriental medicine, we are eventually faced with a dilemma in our training. Some schools of thought state that “De Qi,” or the arrival of qi at the acupuncture point must be obtained in order to have a therapeutic effect. Systems such as Traditional Chinese Medicine-style of acupuncture posit that it is essential and others such as Kiiko Matsumoto’s style of Japanese acupuncture claim that it is not necessary. How can there be so much difference in opinion and whose school of thought can be believed?

The concept of “De Qi” is taught in acupuncture schools throughout California. In his book The Art of Acupuncture Techniques (a book on the list of required texts for the California Acupuncture Licensing Exam), Robert Johns discusses “De Qi” as follows, “Needling response (de qi) is typified by increased feeling of tightness or heaviness around the needle. It is described as a fish hooked on a line, jumping up and down, floating and deep. The patient’s response to the arrival of qi may be light or very slow in coming. When the qi comes late or takes a long time to arrive, it indicates that the patient is weak and that overall response to treatment will be slow.

The strong patient experiences a quick arrival of qi. When the qi comes quickly the therapeutic results also are quick. Slow arrival of qi or a weak response can also indicate incorrect depth of needling or wrong placement of the needle. The importance of the arrival of qi cannot be overstated: in order to apply the desired technique there must first be arrival of qi, or needling response.”1 It is generally accepted that the action of a given acupuncture point is assured only when needling is accompanied by “De Qi.”

I recently came across a study that caused my eyebrows to rise a bit. It is regarding whether or not “De Qi” is necessary in treatment response to acupuncture in pain treatments.2 I am specializing in the treatment of chronic pain conditions and am concerned for the comfort of my patients so I became very interested to read this study. The aforementioned study comes out of the University of Southampton School of Health Sciences, Southampton, UK. The object of this study was to assess the importance of the strength of “De Qi” on the outcome of acupuncture treatments for patients with osteoarthritis of the knee and hip. The interventions used in this study included real acupuncture, Streitberger needle and mock electrical stimulation on 140 patients.

The relevant outcomes were pain reduction (they used a visual analog scale to assess) and the Park needling sensation questionnaire. The results showed that a) there was no significant correlation between the strength of “De Qi” and improvement of pain and b) that there was no significant difference in pain relief from those who felt “De Qi” and those who did not. The study concludes, “These data suggest that the presence and intensity of de qi has no effect on the pain relief obtained for patients with OA [osteoarthritis]. This result may have implications for both acupuncture treatment and for future trial methodology.”

This eye-opening experience has caused me to focus more on my patient’s comfort level than that of obtaining “De Qi” to ensure therapeutic effect with acupuncture treatment.

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Acupuncture for Stress Is A Great Alternative

Sunday, February 27th, 2011

Stress is something that could be hard to battle. It’s an extremely powerful feeling that anytime it takes place it becomes like a blockage that disturbs the smooth flow of energy in our system. Our body’s normal energy reserves get exhausted and stops the movement of energy inside our body where ultimately inevitable outcomes develop. It’s then that individuals encounter discomfort along with other health problems. The physical signs of tension overload abound - headaches, backache, insomnia, skin complaints and gastric issues are a few of the far more apparent types

The not so obvious signs tend to be more mental, varying between depression and anxiety to very poor attentiveness and lack of self-assurance. If the pressure carries on and grows more chronic it could result in long-term health conditions like strokes, hypertension and elevated risks of cardiovascular diseases.

Lowering or getting rid of strain is among the initial ways to living an enjoyable life within a better condition of overall well-being. Definitely, the price of minimizing worry at any level can’t be emphasized enough.

Chinese medicine comes with an undeniable record (more than 4500 years) of lowering or reducing the harmful negative effects of stress. It helps manage muscle strain, lessens heart rates and minimizes blood pressure level, all of these aids to produce a tranquilizing impact for people struggling with stress.

Acupuncture can help alleviate feelings of hysteria and melancholy by rousing muscle groups in your body which are accountable for stimulating the release of substances that actually work in opposition to the stress-related toxins, shutting down the stress reaction of your overall body.

These alternative stress reducing therapies are non-invasive and extremely harmless. The procedure method consists of utilizing incredibly small needles which are put in the meridians to open the path ways of the power flow. Ordinarily the tiny needles are about the size of an individual hair.The installation is virtually unknown by the man or woman. In certain situations, a cool ray of light can be used together with the small needles, this boosts the power of the needle treatment. A mild electrical charge is a second alternative in many instances. This increases the healing time and decrease the amount of visits.

Acupuncture may perhaps be just about the most effective treatment methods and may provide an actual experience of rest that may have a substantial effect on people that are afflicted by stress. Nonetheless, it is really worth mentioning that acupuncture won’t do the trick for everyone plus its ideal to complete an entire assessment of the treatment just prior to starting treatment.

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Does Acupuncture Hurt? - The Whole, Honest Truth

Saturday, February 26th, 2011

I have heard other acupuncturists say that acupuncture doesn’t hurt. I feel like that’s not the complete and honest truth. In this article, as a licensed acupuncturist, I state my position about whether or not acupuncture hurts.

A Different Kind of Needle The first thing to realize is the distinction between acupuncture needles and a hypodermic (injection) needles. Acupuncture needles are very different from the kind of needle used to give an injection. Those needles must be thick enough to contain a hollow core sufficiently large to push medicine, vaccines or other substances through. The edges of the hollow tube of an injection needle are essentially sharpened razors that slice through the skin, so it should be no surprise that those types of needles can really hurt.

In contrast, acupuncture needles are much thinner, solid, and end in a sharp point. Because of these differences acupuncture needles enter the skin very easily and with very minimal discomfort. As an acupuncturist the most common remark I hear from someone receiving their first acupuncture needle is “Is it in?” In contrast, it is quite rare that I hear “ouch” or “that hurts” or anything like it.

The Guide Tube In order to further reduce the amount of pain associated with acupuncture many acupuncturists choose to use needle guide tubes. Most of the nerve endings in your skin are located at a very shallow depth. A guide tube is a tube that is slightly shorter than the acupuncture needle it is paired with. The tube goes around the acupuncture needle with the top most portion of the needle handle sticking out the top. The acupuncturist taps on the end of the needle handle to quickly (and hopefully painlessly) insert the needle past this most sensitive layer of skin. A guide tube can greatly reduce, or even eliminate the pain associated with inserting the acupuncture needle.

Everyone Is Different Every person is different, every acupuncture treatment is different, and every point is different. Frankly certain points do tend to briefly hurt. However, any pain or discomfort you feel should be fleeting. If it is not, your acupuncturist will want to know and will make any adjustments needed. Many people are surprised at how relaxing it is to rest with the needles inserted. I personally find that some of the best rest I have ever experienced has while briefly dozing while I have received acupuncture treatments.

Acupuncturists Care If you are concerned about needles it also may help to realize is that acupuncturists are people too. In fact, they are people who care enough about others to dedicate their lives to helping improve peoples’ health, one person at a time. And acupuncturists see people who are afraid of, or hate needles all the time.

Your acupuncturist wants you to be comfortable and have a good experience so that you will return for follow-up treatment. And they know that if you don’t have a good experience you won’t refer your friends and family, even if your condition gets better!

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Your Quality Guide To Your New Cheap Glasses

Saturday, February 26th, 2011

Spectacle lenses are really something. The spectacle lenses you have sitting atop your nose has gone through many kinds of scientific developments all throughout history to be what it is now.

From Simple to Complex

Back in the time of the ancient Rome, the notion of spectacle lenses was very simple: the ancient Romans used globes and goblets filled with water, put these near their eyes and read with it. This was the very first recorded evidence of people using very crude lenses. With regards to the invention of the modern day spectacle lenses there is a big debate but the most likely one was that it traces its origins back to Italy and from there underwent more developments.

Curing Various Eye Ailments

If in the ancient times these lenses helped magnify books and maps, the more modern versions were actually seen as a way to cure certain eye ailments. From seeing things more clearly, it became a very popular way of restoring one’s vision so that eyesight will not get worse. The first evidence of this in history was that spectacle lenses were able to cure two eye ailments: farsightedness and Presbyopia. These were done using convex-shaped lenses.

Turning the Lenses Inside Out

Now, when people tried using spectacle lenses the other way around (using the concave side) they realized this nifty invention is also great for curing yet another eye ailment: myopia. Because of this, more and more people all over the world began donning lenses. However, there was still a demographic of users that had both the problems of Presbyopia and myopia and found it difficult to keep switching (as well as owning) two pairs. Thanks to Benjamin Franklin (who apparently had had enough of this tiresome thing), the bifocals were invented back in 1874. These bifocals were spectacle lenses that can cure both Presbyopia and myopia and instantly took a huge load off people.

For the longest time, people used this kind of eyeglasses and had minor alterations and small technologies to it. The simplest of all would be the material. In the past it was made of wood and metal but now there are other tougher and lighter materials used such as titanium. Additionally, some alterations were made so you can pop in a pair of dark lenses over your eyeglasses to allow you to see clearly while still being able to block out the sun’s blinding rays. In terms of comfort, the ability to stretch the handles of the frames was also invented so the pair of lenses will custom-fit to any wearer’s head. There are even rimless glasses and some people have even resorted to a much more efficient way of being able to see: by putting the magnifying lens right onto their eyeballs and do without the feeling of wearing eyeglasses, thanks to contact lenses. But no matter how advanced contact lenses may seem, people still relied on having a trusty pair of spectacle lenses in the event that they end up losing a contact lens and need to see, pronto.

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Acupressure Weight Loss: Option Route of Managing Health

Saturday, February 26th, 2011

People who obtain themselves struggling to forfeit their weight is going to be surprised to find out all about the effectiveness of acupressure fat loss. Individuals that finally quit their hopes on fat loss diet and strenuous gym exercises may have a extra sensible choice with out turning to dangerous surgical procedure and weight loss pills.

Are you currently sick and tired with starving you to ultimately death through weight loss diet? Are you also sick and tired with killing yourself at the health club via exercises that not only require your time and efforts but much of your efforts at the same time? Consumers with rock-bottom costs liposuction along with types of cosmetic surgeries but what numerous will surely afford them? Too the idea that most are recognized for complications and health hazards, numerous of them are not advised to those who do not really require them. Nowadays you’ll find an additional option through acupressure fat loss.

Managing weight is a primary concern to several men and women since weight related concerns are merely to be 1 of the main factors that give rise to deadly diseases. Plenty of techniques and advice are obtainable from various resources. With out the right awareness, you could wind up pursuing the wrong advice. There are many of selections for healthier lifestyle which is factual that the natural techniques are still the finest. But there are also lots of explanations why some folks just can’t spare the time and energy to stay to natural methods. That is when they turn to cosmetic surgeries along with other risky medications. Some feel it is quite surprising but there are times when conventional ways are a lot more efficient than better technology. For instance, acupressure fat loss could also be the best long-term option compared to diet and advanced medical pills and procedures.

Precisely what is acupressure weight reduction? If you have heard about acupuncture, you would hesitate to think about this technique immediately. With acupuncture, scary needles are employed to puncture diverse points by the body processes. It is really a sort of complementary medicine where modest needles are inserted within the skin at certain points along supposed lines of energy for making people today relax and cure some diseases. With acupressure, the principle is the similar with acupuncture but now, it will not involve scary needles but pressure. Pressure is applied on numerous parts of one’s body. The many components which might be targeted normally are those that are matched to excess like stomach, intestines, and parts that function for water retention.

Digging in this system would make your routines of dieting and exercise normally lighter mainly because it doesn’t work without self control from the start. Consequently you don’t need to kill yourself doing tough workouts and self starvation. You might must just balance them with this new means for managing weight. Accomplished among your usual routines for better results. But make specific you do it correct and pay attention to significantly a lot more about acupressure weight loss from the dependable source.

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Optimal Frequency For Acupuncture Treatment

Saturday, February 26th, 2011

How often does one schedule acupuncture appointments? This is a question that comes up very often in my clinic. In fact, the answer is critical to an acupuncture patient’s ability to maximize benefit from any given course of treatment. Bob Flaws in Acupuncture Today writes, “Acupuncturists often say, ‘Acupuncture works!’ I would add, ‘Yes, especially if you do it often enough.’” (”Acupuncture and the 50-Minute Hour,” Acupuncture Today, October, 2007, Vol. 08, Issue 10)

Every week, I teach a 1 hour class for new patients entering our acupuncture program at the HMO I work for. I use a PowerPoint Presentation to share quite a bit of information. I spend a good amount of time during the lecture on this very point: frequency of treatment matters to the outcome. Often Western patients of acupuncture mistakenly believe they can get treatment in a haphazard fashion or infrequently and still reap a great benefit from the therapy. The schedule that is convenient is not always the one that is medically efficacious.

I strongly urge acupuncture patients to get their treatments done as frequently as possible at first, with the possibility of slowing down after a while. What is frequent enough? The standard of care in Chinese hospitals for the treatment of chronic pain conditions (the bulk of what I treat at Kaiser) is daily acupuncture for a course of 10 treatments. On the outside, it’s delivered every other day and in acute cases, up to 3x per day.

The first core idea around doing frequent acupuncture treatments is that the effect of acupuncture can accumulate if it is done frequently enough. We want to engage this accumulative effect in order to render long-lasting results in our acupuncture patients. Many times I have had patients return to my clinic and report that they received 1-2 years of great relief from their chronic pain condition after just 6 acupuncture sessions!

The second core idea is that in order to engage the accumulative effect one must prevent backsliding into pain (or other symptoms). A typical pain-relief result after just one acupuncture treatment is 1-3 days. Who is typical? Nobody! Everyone is a unique individual. Therefore I ask my patients to pay attention to their result so we can figure out their optimal frequency of treatment.

I’ll give an example. “Betty” comes in for a treatment of her chronic lumbar pain due to spinal stenosis. She gets 3 days of relief following her first acupuncture treatment. This means that her optimal frequency of treatment is 2 sessions per week with 3 days in-between treatments. If she adheres to “the standard” weekly treatment schedule, she will get relief for 3 days but for 4 days her pain (or other symptoms) will have a chance to get back up to their original level - or get worse. Then, we must start over again at square one.

Allowing one’s pain to backslide during a course of acupuncture treatment does not allow a patient the opportunity to build up momentum for healing and the optimal result from treatment. It is my belief that failure to achieve results with acupuncture has less to do with the practitioner’s protocols or time spent with each patient and more to do with failure to achieve a proper treatment frequency.

I had an opportunity to study with Dr. Richard Tan while attending the Five Branches University DAOM program. His opinion on this matter is that treatment frequencies are spaced differently depending on how long the patient is undergoing treatment. The first few weeks or the first month of the course may be every-other-day to 2x/week. Then, for weekly treatments for 4 weeks. Then every-other week for 8 weeks, or something along these lines. This makes sense to me because theoretically, we are achieving results for the patient and their interval of relief is getting longer as they move through the course of treatment.

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