health department

Piriformis syndrome is a controversial entrapment neuropathy What is  piriformis muscle? The piriformis muscle is a small but important external rotator of the hip that crosses the sciatic nerve and is believed by some to cause sciatica-type pain when it compresses the nerve. However, the existence of this so-called "piriformis syndrome" remains controversial and diagnosis is difficult. Controversy is due to the limited research about the condition and the difficulty of making the diagnosis, particularly as symptoms mimic many other more common diagnoses. How common is it? Piriformis syndrome may account for 0.3-6% of sciatic-like syndromes. What causes it? The sciatic nerve normally passes inferior to the piriformis muscle. Entrapment of the sciatic nerve may develop following trauma to the buttocks or piriformis muscle strain causing scarring and fibrosis around the nerve, or due to the structure of the piriformis, such as when branches of the nerve pass through a bifid pir...

From WSJ: As an alternative to meetings, buff bosses are inviting their employees to exercise and work out (video): Some prospective employers ask baffled applicants to take jogs, lift weights or do sit-ups; ‘I thought I was going to pass out’, says one job applicant. Read more in WSJ here: Thanks for Your Job Application—Shall We Begin at the Squat Rack? http://buff.ly/2qNEG24

An engaging story from the NYTimes about runners older than 90, and more. Among the quotes: “99 percent of all claims of being 115 or older are false.” “Old age always wins. It’s shocking. No matter how hard you try, it beats you.” Apart from that, nothing would stop him, not even a colostomy bag: "The oldest competitor would be an Australian legend, John Gilmour, 97, a World War II veteran who was captured by the Japanese and put into forced labor. Malnutrition and the harsh conditions permanently shrouded his vision. Still, he resumed his running career after the war. He knew what a body could withstand. The pain of sport was nothing compared with the pain of capture. In his mid-60s, he could still run a marathon under three hours." Read the full story here: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/20/sports/119-year-old-runner-world-masters-championships.html Image source: OpenClipart.org, public domain.

From WSJ: Doctors often prescribe tamoxifen to breast cancer patients to keep their tumors from growing. But the drug is also used by doping athletes looking to get ahead of the competition. How does it give them an edge, biologically? Watch the video below: Earlier this year, British cyclist Simon Yates was caught up in a doping controversy related to terbutaline, a common asthma medication. Athletes can take the inhaled version if they get a doctor's note. But current testing methods can't differentiate between this and other banned versions. Watch the video below: Related: The Science of Doping: How Testosterone-Boosting Drugs Work http://buff.ly/2bYWulU

Has Ryan Lochte discovered the next big thing in swimming? Read the story here: http://nyti.ms/2bcQRmR