People’s Pharmacy: Pineapple extract can soothe bursitis. 2D
HealthToday
T H U R S D A Y , J U L Y 3 , 2008
flipflops
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SAFETY
THE FLIP SIDE OF
Five facts about candiru fish
This subject, which was highlighted in a 2007 episode of “Grey’s Anatomy,” is not for the squeamish: 1. Something in the water: The candiru, also known as the vampire fish and toothpick fish, is a member of the catfish family and is prevalent in the Amazon and Orinoco rivers of South America. 2. Attractive smell: The odor of human urine attracts the candiru. It will follow a stream of urine, swim inside an orifice and use its series of spines to lodge itself in the urethra, where it will cause hemorrhaging. 3. Get to a hospital: Any attempts to yank out the tiny, nearly transparent candiru will cause excruciating pain because the fish’s spines point backward. Folk remedies may be fatal. Treatment involves extensive surgery. Without treatment, death can result from sepsis. 4. Sur vivor: In one documented case that aired on “Animal Planet,” victim Silvio Barbossa, who had been swimming in the Amazon, remembered: “The candiru attacked me ... . I was terrified. I grabbed it quickly so it couldn’t go deeper inside. I could only see the end of its tail flapping. I tried to grab it, but it slipped away from me and went in.” See video: www.youtube. com/watch?veSLKZzuLC00 5. Prevention: Chances of being attacked are slim. Still, it’s a good idea to avoid skinny dipping and urinating in the Amazon or Orinoco rivers. — McClatchy-Tribune News Service
Research shows flimsy shoes may affect gait, causing pain By Dana Beyerle
Montgomer y Bureau Chief
MONTGOMERY lowing out your flip-flops like Jimmy Buffett is definitely a problem, but just wearing them may be, too. Auburn University graduate student Justin Shroyer studied 39 flop-flop-wearing male and female students at Auburn last year. He concluded that the popular summer
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footwear alters the way you walk — and not for the better. The Auburn study showed that flip-flops, thong sandals and shower togs alter the way you walk and that gait change may affect the legs, hips and back. “We’re not saying flip-flops are bad,” Shroyer said last week, adding that more research is needed. “But ... all this anecdotal study says flip-flops are bad for your feet.” Shroyer, 27, of Orlando is an undergraduate of the University of Central Florida. Like millions of others in the Sunshine State, he says he grew up with flip-flops and thought nothing of it. But his team in the Auburn College of Education decided to study flip-flops. Shroyer is working on his doctorate in the department of kinesiology. His team is led by Wendi Weimar, associate professor of biomechanics and director of the
department’s biomechanics laboratory. “Some of the classes we teach deal with the human body and injury and lower leg pain, and we thought maybe it’s because of people wearing flip-flops all summer … that’s why they have problems,” Shroyer said. “We thought it’d be a real neat study and fun, and people are interested in it because it’s practical, so to speak, and applicable for a lot of people.” The study included 20 female and 19 male students who walked on a raised platform in their own flipflops with markers on their legs, knees and ankles. Then they were filmed walking in tennis shoes. “We videoed them and used a software program to digitize it, and we got digitizing motion and angles at the knee and ankle and velocities and acceleration and how big a step SEE FLIP | 6D
LIFESTYLES
Pros and cons of tanning options
“Some of the classes we teach deal with the human body and injury and lower leg pain, and we thought maybe it’s because of people wearing flip-flops all summer … that’s why they have problems.”
SEE FULL SUN STORY ON Cost: $0 Upside: You get a tan PAGE 2D. Downside: Premature aging, increased chance of skin cancer, dehydration, possible sunburn, tan lines
Justin Shroyer, Auburn University graduate student
Scrunched toes
UV TANNING BED Cost: $10 to $30 per session Upside: All-over tan, relaxing, can clear up some types of acne and improve psoriasis Downside: Goggle lines, premature aging, some high-pressure sales tactics
AIRBRUSH Cost: $28 to $100 per session Upside: All-over tan, professional application, evens out farmer’s tan Downside: Generally more expensive than other methods
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SPRAY BOOTH Cost: About $20 per session Upside: Cheaper than airbrush with similar results Downside: Sometimes results in uneven tan
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More impact
HIGH-END SELF-TANNER Cost: $25 to $75 per product Upside: Do-it-yourself airbrush kits have come a long way Downside: Applying the stuff is work and if it doesn’t look good, you have only yourself to blame
STORE-BRAND SELF-TANNER Cost: Less than $10 and up Upside: Cheap and easy to find Downside: It might leave your skin orange and funny-smelling
BRONZER Cost: Less than $10 and up Upside: Temporary tanned look, washes off Downside: Your face is in Miami and your legs are in Des Moines
Flimsy
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— San Antonio Express-News
Every time the heel of the foot hits the ground, the impact can travel up the weight-bearing column, which is everything but the arms. While tennis shoes absorb most of this impact, flip-flops do not. Lower legs, knees, hip and back can be affected.
Panel approves combo vaccines A federal advisory panel last week endorsed two new combination vaccines designed to reduce the number of needle sticks that young children must endure to get the recommended
Flip-flops generally offer little cushion or arch support to their wearers. In the study performed by Auburn graduate student Justin Shroyer, researchers compared walking tendencies of those wearing tennis shoes to those wearing thong-style (y-post) flip-flops.
Shorter strides
The study shows that most donning flip-flops tend to scrunch their toes in order to get a grip on the flimsy foot apparel. This causes the foot to tilt less on the upswing of the leg, which in turn causes shorter strides and a tendency to land their heels less vertically. Some researchers believe that this could be a primary cause for lower leg pains in those who wear flip-flops.
STAFF ILLUSTRATION | ANTHONY BRATINA
CHILDREN immunizations. The panel OK’d a four-in-one shot made by GlaxoSmithKline. It offers protection against diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis and polio and costs $45. It’s given once to preschool-aged children. Also getting approval was Sanofi Pasteur’s five-in-one shot for diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio and illness
due to Haemophilus influenzae type b, or HiB. It costs about $69. Youngsters get four doses by age 2. Both combination shots were recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration. The combo shots don’t change the recommended vaccine schedule, just the number of needle jabs needed. The vaccine advisory panel approved the shots for the federal Vaccines for
CHRONIC AILMENTS
Diabetes by the numbers
Every 21 seconds, someone is diagnosed with diabetes, according to researchers at the American Diabetes Association last week at its 68th Scientific Sessions in San Francisco. This meeting of researchers, clinicians and educators had two things in mind — how to prevent and treat the worldwide epidemic of diabetes. Here’s some advice from the conference: ■ Eat between 25 and 38 grams of dietary fiber a day. Various natural fibers in legumes, lentils, whole grains, vegetables and fruits have been found to reduce the risk for developing Type 2 diabetes by as much as 24 percent to 45 percent. ■ If you are overweight, do what you can to lose at least 10 percent of your weight. Even a modest amount of weight loss can help lower blood glucose, blood pressure and blood cholesterol levels. ■ Get a pedometer and walk 10,000 steps a day, or about 5 miles. ■ Limit television/computer game time to less than 10 hours a week. ■ Cut the sugar. The average American consumes 30 teaspoons of sugar a day, said registered dietitian Hope Warshaw. And much of that comes from sodas and other sweetened beverages. ■ Manage stress in your life. Rats that are stressed seek out high fat and high sugar “comfort foods” that ultimately cause weight gain, according to researcher Mary Dallman, Ph.D. ■ Calculate your bone health. (Diabetes increases your risk for osteoporosis and bone fractures.) Visit www. shef.ac.uk/FRAX. ■ Log on to sites that help you prevent and manage diabetes, like www. diabetes.org (American Diabetes Association) and diabetescontrolforlife. com, a free Web site that helps you plan menus and find other helpful tools to manage diabetes. — McClatchy-Tribune News Service
PETS
Antibiotic for cats, dogs OK’d
The FDA has approved a single-dose antibiotic from Pfizer Inc. for cats and dogs, shortening treatment from two weeks to one day. Convenia, an antibiotic injection administered at a veterinarian’s office, treats common skin infections in companion animals. The drug was developed in Kalamazoo, Mich., and will be produced in a new $35-million facility in Portage, Mich. Clinical trials showed that Convenia was as effective as a 14-day course of its oral equivalent. The cost and dosage of the injection varies depending on the weight of the pet and the extent of the infection. Although approved only last month for use in the United States, more than 4 million doses of Convenia have been administered in Europe. Pharmaceuticals geared toward pets have been profitable for Pfizer. Last year, the company’s total revenue for animal health was $2.6 billion, a 13 percent increase from 2006. — Detroit Free Press
Children program, which pays for vaccinations for about 36 million children who are covered by Medicaid, are uninsured or meet other eligibility guidelines. The panel’s recommendations are also considered influential with private health insurers. The approval brings to six the number of multi-disease combination vaccines available to children. — The Associated Press
DR. CHET BOSTON Answers Questions About Back Problems Q: I’ve recently been experiencing some pain in my back. Should I consider visiting an orthopaedic surgeon for an examination?
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A: Be patient if the pain is tolerable. Fortunately, most back problems are better in a few weeks without treatment. If the pain is not bearable and persists, first seek help from your family doctor. A spinal surgeon usually becomes involved in the treatment of advanced or serious problems.
University Orthopaedic Clinic & Spine Center
H. Chester Boston, Jr., M.D., is one of the founders of University Orthopaedic Clinic, and has additional specialty training in Spinal Disorders and Surgery of the Spine.
For more information visit www.univorthoclinic.com or call 345-0192