Fibromyalgia Syndrome Relief

A quo – from which ( court a quo, court from which appeal has been taken).
Ad quem – to which
qua – as or in the capacity of (allows man to live qua man)

I have had this post boiling inside of me for a long time and I just can’t ignore it anymore. Football fans are a captured market because of the affinity that they develop with their teams. They’ll put up with all kinds of crap because they absorb the team into their life. This fact is being exploited by the football fat cats. The media moguls behind the sensationalist media, the owners of the sports channels that ramp up the game beyond reality and, of course, the football clubs owners, staff and footballers – they are all taking the pee out of the football fan. Big time.

Why should anyone follow football anymore, bearing in mind the following points?

1) Professional football, at the elite end, anyway, is uninterestingly uncompetitive. Everyone knows this but nothing, it seems, can or will be done. The Champions League teams, with their tidy annual pay packet, are drawing further and further away from the rest. They have the best resources in virtually all departments. But for the English game’s recent injection of foreign capital (which is unsustainable) the Premier League would already be a glorified version of the SPL. It basically is. The aristocrats of the Premiership are busy hoovering up any player that shows a bit of promise, leaving any attempts by the underclass to bridge the gap futile. Meanwhile, the bumbling managers of the rest go and repeatedly punch themselves in the face by, for example, signing goalphobic forwards (Heskey and Elmander).There isn’t just one fault line in English football. The gap between the Premier League and the football league seems to be growing too, making promotion to the top an increasingly unappealling tryst with long ball football and scrapping for survival – for a year or two.

2) The professional game, generally, is becoming less skill-focussed and more physical strength focussed. The lesser, non-Champions League sides are resorting to a brawny game of physical strength to cling onto the coat-tails of the leaders. David Moyes and Martin O’Neill are demonstrating that the only way to even try to compete, it seems, is to build your game around brutish forwards and accurate set-plays. Skilful play is, it seems, in serious decline.

Wingers aren’t very popular these days. Alex Ferguson has almost converted one of the world’s most exciting wingers into a prosaic goal-machine – whilst Ronaldo’s dancing feet do still sparkle from time to time – how often? You’re more likely to see him converting a point-blank range header these days.

What has the Premier League come to when Gary Megson and Tony Pulis, members of the anti-skill society, are now celebrated British managers? (Kevin Blackwell may soon join them). We are at an unprecedented low, in terms of skiful play. Whilst there are idealistic sides that still play skilfully, notably Arsenal and the leading Spanish clubs, they are increasingly in the minority as Mourinhoism surges on. Boro and West Brom, two sides that try to play football, are leaving the Premier League, so the skill levels are only going to go down.

3) The modern player is outrageously overhyped – they aren’t actually that good. Carlos Tevez was player of the season in Brazil a couple of times, he comes here to much fanfare and is rumoured to be valued at £25 million. Is he THAT good? Not really. He’s a workaholic with a good all-round game for a forward but I would not call him a genius. But, maybe you think I’m being harsh – in that case, let’s reluctantly turn our eyes to the other, lesser Premier League clubs. Amongst the more eulogised Premier League footballers is Tim Cahill. Effective but what is he but a tough, brave, strong competitor. He’s not what I would call an exciting talent that I would like to watch as a neutral. You look through the Premier League, objectively, and you see scores of average, mediocre or worse players who are primarily playing because of their physical strengths.

It’s not just England or the lesser sides. I had heard great things about Barcelona this season before the Chelsea tie. Even though Barcelona didn’t exactly overly impress – I admired their style and the trio of Messi, Iniesta and Xavi are genuine geniuses. But, I was horribly disappointed by some others, especially Dani Alves. Whenever he plays, all I hear is what a superstar he is and how attacking blah blah blah. I do not follow the Primera Liga but I can say with near certainty that the guy is simply a decent all-round player with excellent fitness and admirable eagnerness to go forward. Anything more is hype.

Most of these footballers are efficient but very rarely are they the geniuses that they are portrayed as. Many of them may be talented but ferociously complacent. The likes of Zlatan Ibrahimovich and Dimitar Berbatov patronise the fans as they bestride football pitches as if they are God’s gift to humanity, rarely deigning to break into a sweat. They do a few flicks and backhills, address their headband and then expect to receive unconditional adulation.

When the world’s best footballers assemble for an international tournament, do we get a sumptuous feast of the brilliance of football? No. Judging by the last however number of tournaments, the players flag under the pressure of the tornado of hype that precedes these tournaments. But for a few teams that do play well (Argies, Spain) the majority wander around like lemons.

The international tournaments are tedious and talentless, generally. Any interest retained is soley on the psychological level of partisan nationalism. If they weren’t representing your country, you’d feel sorry for them and then switch off. I do that now regardless of my nationalist instinct.

4) The modern game is riven with cheats and egomaniacs. Everyone knows this, so I need not expound too much. Diving, feigning injury, petty gamesmanship of walking off with the ball etc, petty squabbling, thuggish aggression, self-obsessed celebration and so on. Why do they carry on like this? Because the fans continue to cheer them. Sadly. What they need is a good slapping. There is very little honour, dignity or respect in the game.

So, Skysports, Kelvin McKenzie, the FA, the Premier League, FIFA, the footballers, the newspapers and the rest, how do you justify taking money from fans when your product is sub-standard? You may build it to be the height of drama, the very epitome of the divine union of bullish strength, balletic skill and erudition but that is a load of old egotistical, manipulative doodah and if you had more shame, you’d stop the pretence. You are exploiting the fans’ blind loyalty. Correct football’s sharp decline. If not, I hope the day comes when you are left without an audience and fans clock onto your complacent, avaricious exploitation

Today Floor mats are mainly use for outdoor and protect your home against dust. In fact, mostly all family unit and commercial establishments use a rug just outside their door.

Floor mats have many alternates, like one made from synthetic turf, such carpets have small blade-like hairs thick rubber that secure dirt, scraping of shoes. And as part of its function and design, dirt clear up to the bottom of the mat to avoid from sticking to the shoe on her next visit.
So you can find these rugs to be truly useful for your home. You can place one in each front door of your home and in your garage. You can resist almost to ninety percent of the dirt outside from the interior space of yourhome. In addition, these mats are strong enough to withstand the colder or warmer seasons.

In addition, most are made outside of polyethylene plastic, and so it can keep for many years of trafficking. You’ll also find these rugs to be easy to maintain, just simply shaking or pouring water into what is already removing dirt accumulated at the base.

You can also use rubber mats, they are ideal if there is always heavy traffic in your doors interior and exterior. These rubber mats are specially designed to resist the heaviest traffic of pedestrians and strong temperatures. And because of these features, the groundsheet rubber is considered the best type of indoor / outdoor mat on the market today. So your floor mats and now has a dirt free home even without exerting much effort.

Rubber mats can be used for a variety of purposes and comes in a number of forms and styles. In terms of its use, flooring rubber is suitable for use in many areas. This includes commercial and industrial flooring, athletic / floor exercise and also for use at home.

A major advantage of these applications is security. rubber mats generally provide a stable, non-slip surface that provides some protection if dropped. In commercial applications, it can be used for floors in factories and commercial buildings, providing a durable surface that should last a number of years. It can also be used for surface area to provide a safe area for children to play and is often used in athletic / exercise areas, including flooring for gyms and martial arts and dance floors. Floor mats rubber can also be used in gyms mats individually.

Rubber mats can be used at home for a variety of purposes. For those with children, mats of rubber is an excellent idea. They provide a degree of security is obviously important for young children who may be insured on their feet. They can be purchased with drawings and photos on them which can be fun and / or educational for the child. It is also possible to use rubber mats for garage floor or basement. The mats provide a solid surface and durable and should withstand the rigors imposed, especially when used in the garage.

Rubber Flooring is also excellent for use in wet areas such as bathrooms. When ceramic tile is in place, use rubber mats can provide a free sliding surface helps prevent falls. This is particularly true in the shower or rubber mats can help prevent accidents. Similarly, these carpets can also be used in public areas to provide a non-slip, durable surface around the pool.

Rubber mats for floors generally come as interlocking tiles that can be easily adjusted. They can also be purchased as a roll of material which can easily be made, and reduces the number of visible seams. Both tiles and rolls can be purchased in a variety of colors and designs that would make it a viable alternative for most situations where the use of flooring or rubber mats is desired.

NATIONAL PANEL SOUNDS ALARM ABOUT LACK OF PHYSICIAN TRAINING TO TREAT CHRONIC PAIN; MAJOR HEALTH GROUPS ENDORSE NEW REPORT WHICH CALLS FOR URGENT MEDICAL SCHOOL AND HEALTH SYSTEM REFORM

“Epidemic” of under-treatment affects more than 70 million Americans suffering from persistent back pain, headaches, joint pain; disproportionately affects minorities and low income

WASHINGTON, DC (November 4, 2009)– Warning that patients shouldn’t assume their doctor has enough knowledge to treat their pain, a national panel of experts today called on medical schools to train doctors and nurses on the basics of pain care, reform the nation’s reimbursement system, and address pain as a public health crisis. The group insists that without health reforms and better training to diagnose and treat pain properly, people with untreated pain may face a lifetime of pain as a chronic illness – which could lead to job loss, depression and in some cases, even suicide.

“Doctors, who don’t lack for compassion or medical skills, often offer only limited treatments to patients disabled by chronic pain,” said Lonnie Zeltzer, M.D., co-chair of the panel, and the director of the Pediatric Pain Program at the University of California, Los Angeles. “With little or no specific training in pain management, and working in systems that make it much easier to treat common conditions like high blood pressure than a complex problem like pain, doctors may intend to help but leave most patients under-assessed and under-treated. Minorities, children and women often faced the highest risk of under-treatment.”

The panel, convened by the New York City-based Mayday Fund, included anesthesiologists, neurologists, primary care doctors, pediatricians, emergency physicians, nurses, psychologists, pharmacists and patient advocates (the full Committee is included below). After a conference in Washington D.C. and deliberations that lasted over several months, the panel’s report, A Call to Revolutionize Chronic Pain Care in America: An Opportunity in Health Care Reform, says pain is a huge public health problem. They developed several recommendations for government agencies, Congress and the medical community to address.

The report and recommendations have been endorsed by more than 30 organizations, including the American Academy of Family Physicians, American Academy of Pediatrics, The Joint Commission, American Nurses Association, American College of Emergency Physicians, and the American Academy of Neurology (the list of current signatories is below).

“As we get closer to the possibility of health care reform, the frontlines of medicine – adult and pediatric primary care – could face enormous strains from millions of new patients seeking care for pain,” says Russell K. Portenoy, M.D., panel co-chair and the chairman of Pain Medicine and Palliative Care at the Beth Israel Medical Center in New York. “Primary care is the first stop for people in pain, and both the training received by clinicians and the system of care should facilitate best practices in pain care, but this is not the way it is.”

The Mayday Fund Special Committee on Pain and the Practice of Medicine writes that chronic pain should be reframed as a chronic illness since “the burden of chronic pain is greater than that of diabetes, heart disease and cancer combined.” People in chronic pain have longer hospital stays, and many duplicative tests and unproven treatments—all of which drive up the nation’s health care spending, the panel said.

Chronic pain costs the nation more than $100 billion a year in lost productivity and direct medical costs, the report says. “This is a wasteful system,” Portenoy adds. “Major reforms in the health care system are needed if we want to improve the quality and cost effectiveness of care for chronic illnesses, and pain is as much a chronic illness as diabetes and heart disease.” Although the impact of pain on patients and on society is among the most serious of public health concerns, chronic pain has been largely left out of the current national debate on health reform, the panel writes.

According to the report, about “one-third of people in pain report that their pain is disabling and has a high impact on their ability to function in daily life. Research suggests that the high cost of under-treated pain includes lost productivity. Pain is the second-leading cause of medically-related work absenteeism, resulting in more than 50 million lost workdays.”

The authors pay particular attention to the numerous studies that suggest low-income populations, minorities, women and children are more likely to be under-treated for pain or not receive pain care at all. If doctors do not recognize chronic pain as a serious illness, or as serious as others, or they perceive that pain complaints cannot, or should not, be treated, persistent pain results. In some cases, such as pain in young children and adults with dementia, patients may not report their pain, and under-assessment drives under-treatment.

“The tragedy of this system is that it leaves many people suffering from unrelenting pain,” says Zeltzer. “Pain that goes untreated may permanently change the body’s nervous system and may lead to pain that can be managed but never goes away.”

Federal policymakers have recognized the impact pain has on individuals and the health care system and have included provisions of the National Pain Care Policy Act 2009 (NPCPA) in health reform proposals. That bill calls for an Institute of Medicine Conference on Pain; increased funding for the National Institutes of Health to collaborate across institutes to find more effective treatments for pain and to better understand the biology of pain; a grant program to improve health professionals’ understanding of and ability to assess and treat pain; and better public education so that consumers understand the danger of letting pain go untreated.

“Remarkably, less than one percent of the NIH budget was devoted to pain in 2008,” Zeltzer said. “This amount is not commensurate with a public health problem of this magnitude.”

In addition to medical school reforms and expanded funding for pain management training programs, the panel cited specific measures that would ease this public health crisis. Among them:

•Health care providers, insurers and government agencies should eliminate disparities in access to pain care related to race, gender, age and socioeconomic status. All Americans in pain, including low-income Americans, should be offered timely and effective treatment for their pain.

•Government, health care payors and providers should develop coordinated health information technology (IT) systems to track pain disorders and treatments. Computerized IT systems can boost physicians’ knowledge about the best treatment for pain by providing them with best practice information quickly.

•The Department of Health and Human Services should reform payment to eliminate the current incentives that drive pain care toward procedures or unproven treatments. Primary care doctors should be reimbursed for the time it takes to provide comprehensive pain care to patients who are disabled by chronic pain—a system that can cost a little more up front, but often reduces the cost of treating pain over the long haul.

•The Surgeon General should mount a public education campaign to inform the public about the risks associated with under-treated pain. Consumers should understand that if they wait too long to treat acute pain they run the risk of developing a chronic syndrome, one that’s costly to treat and potentially disabling.

“Reducing the burden of uncontrolled chronic pain is a societal necessity, a medical challenge and an economic requirement,” the panel says.

The Mayday Fund is a New York City-based private philanthropy dedicated to alleviating the incidence, degree and consequences of human physical pain. The Mayday Fund does not lobby or retain individuals or organizations to lobby. The panel participants are listed below. To obtain a copy of the report please visit www.MaydayPainReport.org. This article is the pain of the mayday Fund.

http://www.maydaypainreport.org/release.php