PHYSIOTHERAPY

The Respiratory System

2008-09-04T23:09:00.000-07:00

THE RESPIRATORY SYSTEM

WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF BREATHING?
You have to breathe because all of the cells in your body require oxygen. Without oxygen, your body wouldn't move. It would be like a parked car without no battery. The car might have gas, but without a battery, forget it! So you might have blood in your body, but without oxygen, forget it! You receive oxygen from breathing in air and then the oxygen goes to your blood which is then circulated throughout your entire body.
WHAT IS THE PROCESS OF BREATHING?
You breathe with the help of your diaphragm (which is a dome-shaped muscle under your rib cage) and other muscles in your chest and abdomen. These muscles will literally change the space and pressure inside your body cavity to accomodate your breathing. When your diaphragm pulls down, it is making room for the lungs to expand. The lungs get bigger with air and pushes the diaphragm down. The diaphragm also lowers the internal air pressure.

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Outside of your body, the air pressure is greater and you suck in air when you inhale. The air then expands your lungs like two balloons being blown up. When your diaphragm relaxes, it moves up and the cavity inside your body gets smaller. Your muscles will then squeeze your rib cage and your lungs begin to collapse as the air is pushed up and out your body when you exhale. Cool huh?

BREATHING BEGINS IN THE NOSE
About 18 - 20 times a minute, you breathe in. When a doctor puts hisor her hand on your shoulder or back and looks at the clock, they are keeping track of how many times you breathe within one minute. This is how one of your vital signs is measured, called "respiration."
When you breathe, you inhale air and pass it through your nasal passages where the air is filtered, heated, moistened and enters the back of the throat. The esophagus (food tube) is located at the back of the throat and the trachea (windpipe) for air is located at the front of the throat. When you eat, a tiny flap called the "epiglottis" closes down to cover the windpipe so food won't go down the wrong pipe.

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WHAT ARE THOSE TINY AIR SACS FOR?
Air flows down through the windpipe, past the vocal cords (voice box), to where the lowest ribs meet the center of your chest. This is where your windpipe divides into two tubes which lead to each of the two lungs that fill most of your ribcage. Each lung feels just like a sponge. Inside each of your sponge-like lungs, there are tubes called bronchi which branch into even smaller tubes just like the branches of a tree. At the end of these tubes are millions of itty bitty bubbles or sacs called alveoli. If you were to spread out flat all of the air sacs in the lungs of an adult, the tissue would cover an area about the third of the size of a tennis court.

WHAT DO THE SACS DO?
The alveoli sacs bring new oxygen from air you just breathed to your bloodstream. It is here that a phenomenal exchange takes place. The oxygen is exchanged for waste products, like carbon dioxide, which the cells in your body have made and can't use.
HOW DOES THE OXYGEN/WASTE EXCHANGE WORK?
This phenomenal exchange works with the assistance of the red blood cells in your bloodstream. Your red blood cells are like box cars on a railroad track. They will show up at the sacs at just the right time, ready to trade in old carbon dioxide that your body's cells have made for some new oxygen you just breathed in. During this process, the red blood cells turn from purple to a sparkling red color as they start carrying the oxygen to ALL the cells in your body.
WHAT HAPPENS TO THE CARBON DIOXIDE?
The carbon dioxide (waste) that your body made and now can't use will go through the lungs, back up your windpipe and out with every single exhale. This is a chemical exchange of breathing in and out (inhalation/exhalation). This is an automatic process that you don't even have to think about. Unless of course you smoke, then you'd be depriving ALL of your cells of oxygen.

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JUST THE FACTS:
Your lungs contain almost 1500 miles of airways and over 300 million alveoli.
Every minute you breathe in 13 pints of air.
Plants take in carbon dioxide and release oxygen. Plants are our partners in breathing. We breathe in air, use the oxygen in it, and release carbon dioxide.

Systems Of Human Body

2008-09-04T21:46:00.000-07:00

SYSTEMS OF THE HUMAN BODY(Drawing is Vitruvian Man by Leonardo Di Vinci)
When my daughter, Karmen, had her first dose of biology, I explained an organism to her this way. Cells make up Tissues - Tissues make up Organs - Organs make up Systems and Systems make a Karmenism (organism).
We are greater than the sum of our parts. i.e. - Wholistic or Holistic healthcare. Spread your arms like Vitruvian Man and this is your aura, your energy, your space, your electro-magnetic field that encompasses your mind, your physical body and the spirit within you. Go ahead spread your arms and think about who you allow to come into that space and how close you allow it to get to others.
Cardiovascular System
Central Nervous System
Digestive System
Endocrine System
Human Hair
Immune System
Integumentary (Skin) System
Lymphatic System
· Muscular System
· Peripheral Nervous System
· Reproductive System (Female)
· Reproductive System (Male)
· Respiratory System
· Skeletal System
· Special Senses
· Urinary System

This section of the site is designed to help you better understand your body in the most simplistic form. After you read about the system that interests you, go to the Chakra section of this site to learn the emotional aspects associated with the system. Or you can go to Bathing Recipes and learn ways to relax and meditate on the system involved. You can even check out the Health Topics associated with it or check your own Daily Horoscope to see what area is ruled by your particular sun sign.
Systems make up a composite whole. A system is an organized grouping of related structures or parts of the body. These structures or groups are in fact related to each other and perform certain functions together.
A system is also a group of cells or aggregations of cells that perform a particular function such as the respiratory system, the cardiovascular system, the central nervous system and the mononuclear phagocyte system. (Phagocytes are cells that eat trash or other cells. They are like pac-man.)
DISCLAIMER
**This web site's goal is to provide you with information that may be useful in attaining optimal health. Nothing in it is meant as a prescription or as medical advice. You should check with your physician before implementing any changes in your exercise or lifestyle habits, especially if you have physical problems or are taking medications of any kind.

The Cardiovascular System

2008-09-04T21:32:00.000-07:00

THE CARDIOVASCULAR & CIRCULATORY SYSTEM
Red tubes are arteries (aorta), Blue tubes are veins (superior vena cava),Purple tube is pulmonary artery

The Cardiovascular System is one of the most important systems in your body. It is your body's delivery system for the circulation of blood. It is made up of blood, blood vessels and the heart.
Blood moving away from the heart delivers oxygen and nutrients to every part of your body through arteries. You can remember the function of arteries by recalling that "A" stands for "away from the heart." And your heart has to have enough pressure to get that blood down to your fingertips and to the tip of your toes.
The arteries will carry blood away from your heart to smaller and smaller blood vessels called capillaries. So when you go to the doctor and they squeeze your fingertips, they are looking at the rate of your capillary refill. Or when you have surgery, you may be asked to remove your fingernail polish or false fingernails. Before, during or after surgery they may check the rate of your capillary refill. It's a form of checking your blood pressure. Capillaries connect the ends of the smallest arteries (arterioles) with the beginnings of the smallest veins (venules) to send the blood back to your heart through the veins.

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Blood moving back to the heart picks up waste products like a trash truck so that your body can get rid of them. Veins carry the blood back to the heart and it does this against gravity. That's quite a feat when you think about it. So again, there has to be enough pressure generated from the heart in order to get the blood to your fingers and toes, and then back up to the heart again. That's a lot of pressure. Too much or too little pressure can be detrimental to your health.
Your Heart is about the size of your clenched fist. And your heart is indeed a muscle. The muscle fibers in the heart are different than the muscle fibers on your legs or that line your organs and blood vessels. This type of muscle fiber is called "cardiac muscle." These muscle fibers branch out and (anastomose) form a continuous network. At intervals, there are prominent bands or intercalated disks that cross the fibers. The special fibers in the heart are called Purkinje fibers. The Purkinje Fibers form the impulse-conducting system of the heart.

Your heart contracts and relaxes approximately 70 or so times a minute at rest. And of course it will contract more when you are exercising. Muscles contract and relax, that's what they do. The heart muscle squeezes and pumps blood through its four chambers to all parts of your body. And it pumps blood through an phenomenal collection of blood vessels. Your blood stream will travel through a pipeline that is very rubbery in nature. This pipeline has tons of branches that are both small and large.
When you inhale, you breathe in air and then send it straight down to your lungs. Blood is pumped from the heart to your lungs. This is where oxygen from the air that you've breathed in gets mixed with the blood. The oxygen-rich blood travels back to the heart where it is pumped through your arteries, to the capillaries and to the rest of the whole body. This system delivers oxygen to all the cells in your body. This includes your skin, bones and other organs. Yep! Even your bones need blood. Your veins will then carry the oxygen-depleted blood back to the heart for another ride in this huge circulatory system.
The majority of your blood is a colorless liquid called plasma.

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Red blood cells [RBC's] make the blood look red and it's the RBC's that deliver oxygen to the cells in the body and carry back waste gases in exchange. The RBC's look like tiny little inner tubes or donuts under a microscope. In the middle is where the oxygen sits.
White blood cells [WBC's] are part of your body's defense against disease. Some WBC's will attack and kill germs by devouring them and others will attack and kill by manufacturing and waging chemical warfare agents against disease.
Platelets are other cells that help your body repair itself after injury. Platelets play an important role in blood coagulation, hemostasis and blood thrombus formation. When a small vessel is injured, platelets adhere to each other and the edges of the injury and form a plug that covers the area. The plug or blood clot formed soon retracts and stops the loss of blood.
JUST THE FACTS:
If you strung together your blood vessels, they could circle the globe 2 1/2 times!
The average 3-year-old has two pints of blood in their body!
The average adult at least five times more blood in their body than a 3-year-old!
The adult heart pumps nearly 4000 gallons of blood each day!
Your heart beats approximately 30 million times a year!
The adult body contains over 60,000 miles of blood vessels!
A "heartbeat" is the sound of the valves in the heart closing when they push blood through its 4 chambers.

Reproductive System For Female

2008-09-04T21:22:00.000-07:00

THE FEMALE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM

WHAT IS A "TRUE EGG"?
“Eggs” are produced in the ovaries, BUT these are not "true eggs" yet, and will never complete meiosis (a special type of cell division) and become "true eggs" unless OR until they are first fertilized by a sperm. Within the ovary, a follicle consists of one potential egg cell surrounded by special cells to nourish and protect it.
HOW MANY EGGS DOES A WOMAN ACTUALLY HAVE?
A human female typically has about 400,000 follicles/potential eggs, all formed before birth. Only several hundred (about 480) of these “eggs” will actually ever be released during her reproductive years. Normally, in humans, after the onset of puberty, due to the stimulation of follicular-stimulating-hormone (FSH) one “egg” per cycle matures and is released from its ovary. One month the left ovary will release a potential egg and the next month the right ovary will release a potential egg.
WHAT IS OVULATION?
Ovulation is the release of a mature “egg” due to the stimulation of leutenizing hormone (LH), which then stimulates the remaining follicle cells to turn into a corpus luteum (temporary secretory structure which forms from remains of ovarian follicle), which then secretes progesterone to prepare the uterus for possible implantation. If an egg is not fertilized by a sperm and does not implant, the corpus luteum disintegrates and when it stops producing progesterone, the lining of the uterus breaks down and is shed.

WHERE DOES THE FERTILIZED EGG GO?
Each “egg” is released into the abdominal cavity near the opening of one of the oviducts or Fallopian tubes. Cilia (tiny hairs) in the oviduct set up currents that draw the egg in. If sperm are present in the oviduct (if the couple has recently had intercourse), the egg will be fertilized near the far end of the Fallopian tube, will quickly finish meiosis (a special type of cell division), and the embryo will start to divide and grow as it travels to the uterus. The trip down the Fallopian tube takes about a week as the cilia (tiny hairs) in the tube propel the unfertilized “egg” or the embryo down to the uterus. Once the egg is fertilized it is now an "embyro."
At this point, if she had intercourse near the time of ovulation, the woman has no idea whether an unfertilized “egg” or a new baby is travelling down that tube. During this time, progesterone secreted by the corpus luteum (secretory structure) has been stimulating the endometrium (the lining of the uterus) to thicken in preparation for possible implantation, and when a growing embryo finally reaches the uterus, it will implant in this nutritious environment and begin to secrete its own hormones to maintain the endometrium (the lining of the uterus). If the “egg” was not fertilized, it dies and disintegrates, and as the corpus luteum (secretory structure) also disintegrates, its progesterone production falls, and the unneeded, built-up endometrium (the lining of the uterus) is shed.
WHAT IS THE SIZE OF A NORMAL UTERUS?
The uterus has thick, muscular walls and is very small. In a nulliparous woman (a woman who has never been pregnant), the uterus is only about 7 cm long by 4 to 5 cm wide, but it can expand to hold a 4 kg baby. The lining of the uterus is called the endometrium, and has a rich capillary supply to bring food to any embryo that might implant there.
WHAT'S UP WITH CERVICAL MUCUS?
The bottom end of the uterus is called the cervix. The cervix secretes mucus, the consistency of which varies with the stages in a woman's menstrual cycle. At ovulation, this cervical mucus is clear, runny, and conducive to sperm. At post-ovulation, the mucus gets thick and pasty to block sperm. Enough of this mucus is produced that it is possible for a woman to touch a finger to the opening of her vagina and obtain some of it. If she does this on a daily basis, she can use the information, along with daily temperature records, to tell where in her cycle she is.
In the absence of pregnancy, production of estradiol and progesterone begins to decline approximately 7 days after ovulation and this results in shedding of the endometrium (as menstrual bleeding) 11-16 days after ovulation. The Billings Ovulation Method utilizes the changes in cervical mucus production as observed by the woman herself for identifying the underlying events of the ovulatory cycle.
WHAT HAPPENS TO THE CERVIX DURING PREGNANCY?
If a woman becomes pregnant, the cervical mucus forms a plug to seal off the uterus and protect the developing baby, and any medical procedure which involves removal of that plug carries the risk of introducing pathogens into the nearly-sterile uterine environment.
WHAT ABOUT THE VAGINA?
The vagina is a relatively-thin-walled chamber. It serves as a repository for sperm (it is where the penis is inserted), and also serves as the birth canal. Unlike the male, the female has a separate opening for the urinary tract and reproductive system.
These openings are covered externally by two sets of skin folds. The thinner, inner folds are the labia minora and the thicker, outer ones are the labia majora. The labia minora contain erectile tissue like that in the penis, thus change shape when the woman is sexually aroused.
WHAT IS THE HYMEN AND WHERE IS IT?
The opening around the genital area is called the vestibule. There is a membrane called the hymen that partially covers the opening of the vagina. This is torn by the woman’s first sexual intercourse (or sometimes other causes like injury or some kinds of vigorous physical activity).
CLEANING THE VAGINAL AREA
In women, the openings of the vagina and urethra are susceptible to bacterial infections if fecal bacteria are wiped towards them. Sometimes parents who are toilet-training a toddler usually wipe her from back to front, thus “imprinting” that sensation as feeling “right” to her, it is important, rather, that that little girls be taught to wipe themselves from the front to the back to help prevent vaginal and bladder infections. Older girls and women who were taught the wrong way need to make a conscious effort to change their habits.
WHERE IS THE CLITORIS?
At the anterior end (front) of the labia, under the pubic bone, is the clitoris, which is the female equivalent of the penis. This small structure contains erectile tissue and many nerve endings in a sensitive glans within a prepuce (fold of skin), which totally encloses the glans. This is the most sensitive point for female sexual stimulation, so sensitive that "vigorous and direct" stimulation may not feel good. It is better for the man to gently stimulate near the clitoris rather than right on it.
IS THERE SUCH THING AS FEMALE CIRCUMCISION?
Some cultures do a procedure, similar to circumcision, as a puberty rite in teenage girls in which the prepuce is cut, exposing the extremely-sensitive clitoris. There are some interesting speculations on the cultural significance of this because the sensitivity of the exposed clitoris would probably make having sexual intercourse a much less pleasant experience for these women.
DISCLAIMER
**This web site's goal is to provide you with information that may be useful in attaining optimal health. Nothing in it is meant as a prescription or as medical advice. You should check with your physician before implementing any changes in your exercise or lifestyle habits, especially if you have physical problems or are taking medications of any kind.

Reproductive System For Male

2008-09-04T21:12:00.000-07:00

THE MALE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM

WHY IS THE SCROTUM ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE MALE BODY?
Sperm are produced in the testes located in the scrotum. Normal body temperature (98.6 degrees F or 37.0 degrees C) is too hot and is lethal to sperm, so the testes are located outside of the abdominal cavity where the temperature is about 2° C (3.6° F) lower. The testes are located in a sac called the scrotum. NOTE - A woman’s body temperature is lowest around the time of ovulation to help insure sperm live longer to reach the egg.
WHAT CAN CAUSE INFERTILITY IN MEN?
If a man takes too many long, very hot baths, this can reduce his sperm count. Undescended testes (testes are supposed to descend before birth) will cause sterility because their environment is too warm for sperm viability unless the problem can be surgically corrected.
WHAT IS THE EPIDIDYMIS?
From the testes, the sperm are transferred to the epididymis, which are coiled tubules also found within the scrotum that store sperm and are the site of their final maturation process.
WHAT IS A VASECTOMY?
In ejaculation, sperm are forced up into the vas deferens (plural = vasa deferentia). From the epididymis, the vas deferens goes up, around the front of, over the top of, and behind the bladder. A vasectomy (cutting the vas deferens) is a fairly simple, outpatient operation that involves making a small slit in each scrotum, cutting the vasa deferentia near where they begin, and tying off the cut ends to prevent sperm from leaving the scrotum. Because this is a relatively non-invasive procedure (as compared to doing the same to a woman’s oviducts), this is a popular method of permanent birth control once a couple has had all the children they desire. Couples should carefully weigh their options, because this (and the corresponding female procedure) is not designed to be a reversible operation.
WHAT IS SEMEN MADE OF?
The ends of the vasa deferentia, behind and slightly under the bladder, are called the ejaculatory ducts. The seminal vesicles are also located behind the bladder. Their secretions are about 60% of the total volume of the semen (sperm and associated fluid) and contain mucus, amino acids, fructose as the main energy source for the sperm, and prostaglandins to stimulate female uterine contractions to move the semen up into the uterus. The seminal vesicles empty into the ejaculatory ducts. The ejaculatory ducts then empty into the urethra (which also empties the urinary bladder).
WHERE AND WHAT IS THE PROSTATE GLAND?
The initial segment of the urethra is surrounded by the prostate gland. The prostate is the largest of the accessory glands and puts its secretions directly into the urethra. These secretions are alkaline to buffer any residual urine, which tends to be acidic, and the acidity of the woman’s vagina. The prostate needs a lot of zinc to function properly, and insufficient dietary zinc (as well as other causes) can lead to prostate enlargement, which potentially can constrict the urethra to the point of interferring with urination. Mild cases of prostate hypertrophy (enlargement) can often be treated by adding supplemental zinc to the man’s diet, but severe cases require surgical removal of portions of the prostate. This surgery, if not done very carefully can lead to problems with urination or sexual performance.
WHERE AND WHAT IS THE COWPER'S GLAND?
The bulbourethral glands or Cowper’s glands is the third of the accessory structures. These are a small pair of glands along the urethra below the prostate. Their fluid is secreted just before emission of the semen; therefore, it is thought that this fluid may serve as a lubricant for inserting the penis into the vagina, but because the volume of these secretions is very small, researchers are not completely sure of this function.
WHAT CAUSES AN ERECTION?
The urethra goes through the penis. In humans, the penis contains three cylinders of spongy, erectile tissue. During arousal, these become filled with blood from the arteries that supply them and the pressure seals off the veins that drain these areas causing an erection, which is necessary for insertion of the penis into the woman’s vagina. In a number of other animals, the penis also has a bone, the baculum, which helps to stiffen it. The head of the penis, the glans penis, is very sensitive to stimulation. In humans, as in other mammals, the glans is covered by the foreskin or prepuce, which may have been removed by circumcision. Medically, circumcision is not a necessity, but rather a cultural “tradition.” Males who have not been circumcised need to keep the area between the glans and the prepuce clean so bacteria and/or yeasts don’t start to grow on accumulated secretions, etc. There is some evidence that uncircumcised males who do not keep the glans/prepuce area clean are slightly more prone to penile cancer.

DISCLAIMER
**This web site's goal is to provide you with information that may be useful in attaining optimal health. Nothing in it is meant as a prescription or as medical advice. You should check with your physician before implementing any changes in your exercise or lifestyle habits, especially if you have physical problems or are taking medications of any kind.

Part of Body

2008-09-04T02:14:00.000-07:00