The "Love Hormone"

 







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The Importance of Posture

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This is my classmate and friend Pinal. Ironically, she exemplified poor posture while studying for our Biomechanics class.  Yogis in training!  My cousin, Aniston, preparing to hit a home-run!        Since I love softball and played for many years, I thought it would be fitting to analyze my cousin's batting stance. In this photo, her pelvis is slightly tilted posteriorly. This tilt along with flexion at the hip joint causes excessive lengthening of the lower back muscles and shortening of the anterior abdominal muscles. In regards to spinal curvature, there is decreased lumbar lordosis and increased thoracic kyphosis. The scapulae are on line with the spine, and the head is rotated and anteriorly shifted in relation to the spine. The left femur is slightly internally rotated, and the right femur is slightly externally rotated.      Aniston's feet are wider than her shoulders, increasing her base of support. An increased base of support incre...
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SLUMS Cognition Assessment

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         As part of the Neuro Aspects course I'm currently taking for OT school, I participated in a clinical simulation with a stroke patient. I administered a cognitive screening tool know as the Saint Louis University Mental Status (SLUMS) examination. This assessment is one of many tools used to address levels of cognition. Cognition is the ability to perceive and organize information. Our memory, personality, awareness, and more are all a part of our cognition. Since cognition plays an important role in our daily lives, OT's assess and work to improve cognitive skills.     The client I worked with scored a 20 on the SLUMS examination. This score indicates the client has a mild cognitive impairment. Someone with this score would likely have issues with their short-term memory. They may not remember all of the steps to a recipe or they may forget to pay their bills. They may also have trouble remembering new names or directions for driving somewhere...
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The Importance of "Test Positioning"

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     When conducting any form of test or measurement, it is important to establish standards and protocols. These guidelines help increase the validity and reliability of the tests. Validity determines the accuracy of your data, while reliability determines the consistency. In order to ensure accurate and consistent measurements, it is important to use the same test positioning every time tests are performed.       Test positioning applies to the position of the client and the therapist during range of motion and manual muscle testing. For example, it matters whether the client is sitting or lying down, whether their elbows are bent or flexed, whether their palms are facing up or down, etc. These considerations along with many others all influence the data collected. During testing, therapists also use bony landmarks to ensure proper positioning. Bony landmarks are used because they are normally found in the same spot from person to person. For example...
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