Knee Arthritis|Knock Knees|Virtual Knee Surgery

Accident health insurance supplements are being used to cover upfront injury related expenses for the ER. Plans can be used to compliment an existing health insurance policy or just as a personal injury plan to pay for any unexpected ER visits or surgeries.

Many Americans are concerned with insuring the everyday mishaps like bodily injuries and emergency room coverage. Of course, insuring things like Cancer and Heart Attacks are important, but for younger adults and especially kids, emergency room visits are far more prevalent. Unfortunately, a trip to the emergency room isn't cheap and the healing process from a serious bodily injury can be exhausting. Damaged body parts often need to be surgically corrected and the post operation Physical Therapy sessions feel like a Sylvester Stallone Rocky Movie. I'm not going to lie, the Rocky Four soundtrack got me through my Physical Therapy workouts post ACL Knee surgery.

Health insurance for the self-employed is especially complicated when it comes to emergency room visits. To qualify for a Major Medical PPO plan one must go through underwriting and medically qualify. Assuming you get approved, you'll need to select a deductible and plan style. The most cost effective PPO policies in the individual health insurance market are the HDHP (High Deductible Health Plan) plans. Deductible is the out of pocket expense the insured has before the health insurance policy picks up the bill. PPO stands for Preferred Provider Organization and is the type of health insurance that lets you choose any doctor. Choosing any doctor isn't necessarily true, theirs a lot of gray area with "being in network or out of network" with PPO's.

Deductible options for individuals in the PPO market are $1,500, $2,500, $3,500, and $5,000. Typical family deductible options are $3,000, $5,000, $7,000, and $10,000. You'll want to choose a co-insurance of 100%. Co-insurance is the shared expense between you and the insurance company after the deductible. Most people are familiar with 80/20 % co-insurance. 100% co-insurance is popular because you won't need to understand Calculus to figure out any future hospital bills. Insurance plan picks up 100% of the bills after deductible with this option. On a side note, it's a good idea to set up a Health Savings Account. HSA's have some decent tax advantages and you can set up an account equivalent to the deductible amount. So a $10,000 HDHP can have a $10,000 health savings account attached to it. The yearly max contribution to the health savings account is determined by your HDHP deductible. Ask your CPA about health savings accounts if your self-employed.

Higher deductible health insurance plans have lower monthly premiums. However, with that high deductible comes risk of having to owe that deductible amount if you use the health insurance. A $5,000 dollar deductible hospital bill is one broken bone away. Guess how a lot of Americans end up paying that HDHP $5,000 deductible? You guessed it, in the emergency room from a accidental bodily injury.

Accident health insurance supplements have been doing a good job filling this ER gap for years. Other names used for this plan include personal accident insurance, emergency room insurance supplement, accident medical coverage, personal injury insurance plan, 24 hour accident coverage, and accident supplemental benefit plan. These plans are under marketed in my opinion, and most licensed health insurance agents are doing a disservice to their clients if they don't bring it up. I say this because so many people are shelling out a lot of money each month to insurance companies, and if they actually use the insurance could be stuck with a huge deductible bill.

Opposite the PPO health insurance industry is Guarantee Issue insurance products. Emergency room insurance supplements fall into this category and are automatic approval. Online applications have zero health questions but do need social security numbers and birth dates. This type of guarantee issue accident medical expense coverage is an indemnity. Indemnity's compensate members with a predetermined benefit amount.

Personal injury insurance plans in this category are membership based associations. The membership organization helps individuals and families in the United States gain access to discount programs and in this case, the pound for pound most practical emergency room insurance supplement I've seen so far.

Each association member can choose a benefit level of accident coverage to fit their monthly budget or to match the HDHP deductible. Plans cover the HDHP deductible giving high deductible health plans a virtual zero deductible effect. Remember, a lot of HDHP's max out deductibles from ER visits due to injuries. ER plan pays injury related expenses to pay off the PPO deductible. Again, plans only cover ER related expenses due to injury and not sickness.

Members can choose a emergency room coverage level of $2,500, $5,000, $7,500, or $10,000. Accident compensation benefits pay out per injury and have no limits on use. Typically a person will have a $100 dollar deductible per covered accident. ER policy pays up to the $2,500, $5,000, $7,500, or $10,000 per accident excluding the $100 deductible. In simple terms, you'll owe $100 dollars for any covered injury assuming the bill doesn't exceed the policy benefit max of $2,500, $5,000, $7,500, or $10,000.

Here's some figures on what the leading personal accident insurance dues are. Indemnity plan rate increases are seldom because it's an association based health insurance product.

-$24 dollars a month: $5,000 benefit individual plan.

-$29 dollars a month: $7,500 benefit individual plan.

-$36 dollars a month: $10,000 benefit individual plan.

-$35 dollars a month: $5,000 benefit family plan.

-$41 dollars a month: $7,500 benefit family plan.

-$47 dollars a month: $10,000 benefit family plan.

(family policy prices include everyone, it's the same price for a 3 person family or 12 person family)

It doesn't matter what accident health insurance plan brochure you pick up, all plan brochures EOB (Explanation Of Benefits) page say the same important benefit: Members may choose any Doctor, Hospital, or Emergency Room. Since this is accident indemnity, benefits have no restriction on health care providers to choose from. Accidents are unpredictable and so is knowing what emergency room you'll be showing up at. I can't imagine accident plans would sell if they came with some lame network provider booklet of acceptable doctors. This brand of accident coverage is 100% portable and can be used up to two months outside the United States while traveling abroad.

Accident Plan benefits at a glance:

-Hospital Emergency Care

-Doctor's fee for surgery (in and outpatient)

-Laboratory Tests.

-X-Rays and MRI's.

-Ambulance Expense.

-Registered Nurse.

-Hospital room and board.

-Operating Room Costs.

-Anesthesia.

-Prescription Drugs.

-Physical Therapy (super important post operation)

-Doctors visits (inpatient and outpatient).

-Dental treatment for injury to sound natural teeth.

-Splints, Crutches, and Casts.

There are a huge number of educational computer games for kids. Some are online, some are designed for PC or consoles. This page focuses on some of the games with a science or medical element.

Kids love doctor, nurse and hospital games. As they get older, some will become interested in the science of health care and medicine. Treating sick animals in veterinary simulation games will engage children from a very young age and is another way to encourage an interest in science based learning.

Veterinary Games

Vet games are one of the most popular genres of simulation games on the net with an ever growing number of titles. Some vet games are highly realistic and follow the kinds of procedures a real vet adopts. Other games are aimed at younger children and foster a concern for the welfare of animals.

Legacy Games

Legacy have produced some of the most successful vet games and achieved wide popularity with Zoo Vet and Farm Vet. These games appeal most to young teens. In each game there are a wide range of animals to treat. Emphasis is on patient diagnosis followed by the correct selection and application of treatments.

In Zoo Vet, for example, there are several ways to examine each animal ranging from an ophthalmoscope to an x-ray machine. The animal can be monitored with a blood oxygen meter, a stethoscope and a thermometer. There are blood, urine and bacterial tests to administer. Diagnosis is made in a question and answer format with children entering the results of tests and eventually being led to a diagnosis. After this, treatment can begin. This might be the administration of medication or even surgery. For each successful treatment the player receives rewards like an office upgrade or an accolade.

Farm Vet follows a similar pattern of game play but also includes a large 3D world for the player to explore. There is also more emphasis on playing with the animal between treatments.

Paws and Claws

There are several titles available in the Paws and Claws series from Valusoft (for PC). They involve running a veterinary clinic in a variety of setting. Some settings are town based, some countryside based. Each has a large virtual world. There is less emphasis on strictly scientific investigation of animal illnesses and more on creating and running a clinic. Even so, there are many animals in need of simple treatments. Paws and Claws is suitable for younger children than the Legacy Games but has hooked many parents as well!

Petz Vet

This game is part of the popular Petz series and offers the chance to care for sick animals with problems like a broken leg, sunburn or asthma

Online Vet Games

There is range of games for online players. These are suitable for all ages with the emphasis much more on care, grooming and organizational skills (in a busy clinic, for example). There is a link below for online vet games.

Operation Games

Moving to the world of human medicine, there are many excellent online games available. Some of the best come from the Edheads team and have titles like' Virtual Knee Surgery' and 'Deep brain Stimulation'. These offer realistic operations in a cartoon-like format which are fact packed and engaging. The games come with teacher's notes and supporting material for use in an academic environment but teenagers find the games engrossing and will play them without any encouragement from educators!

There are also a number of heart surgery games from various charities and educational organizations.

A link for operation games can be found at the foot of this article.

PC Games with a Medical Theme

Medical simulation games have titles like 911 Paramedic. Hospital Tycoon, Sarahs's Emergency Room and Theme Hospital. Each has a particular focus. The Paramedic game is from Legacy games and has a diagnose, monitor and treat format. Hospital Tycoon and Theme Hospital are more comic than serious as you try to manage a large hospital and deal with (often difficult) patients and staff. Sarah's Emergency Room follows a nurse as she progresses through her first year in her job.

'The Sims' also offer a hospital game- but only in Sims 2. In 'The Sims 3 Lifetime Wishes' game, you can pursue the life and career (amongst many options) of World Renowned Surgeon!

Will these games encourage Children to be Vets, Doctors or Scientists?

They can certainly help you identify kids who have scientific interests. There is also plenty for kids to learn about important areas of life.

Physical therapy continuing education is distinctive from state to state, based on their requirements and conditions imposed to physical therapists and assistants. Should you be prepared to begin a career in this domain, this provides major chances, starting with public and private colleges and universities offering health courses. They give a range of opportunities for the physical therapy continuing education idea through their applications, offering both traditional classroom and distance learning settings. These types of continuing education degrees can be obtained through four primary programs:

- if you have obtained a bachelor' s degree in other domain and you are motivated to become a physical therapist, you can apply for a two years Direct Entry Master' s degree. Physical therapy concepts classic learning is the objective of the first year of this course, and the second year focuses on internship clinical experiencing settings.

- the Transitional Master' s degree targets those who previously obtained a bachelor' s degree in physical therapy preceding the modifications in continuing education requirements, permitting bachelor degree holders to go on with their education experience in an effort to meet the current conditions.

- a Direct Entry Doctorate degree is one year longer than the direct master' s, but by getting this degree you can earn a Doctorate in Physical Therapy. It will earn you a better revenue and the entitlement of doctor.

- if you have a bachelor' s or a master' s degree in physical therapy, you are accepted to attend a doctorate program - the Transitional Doctorate degree

The five most popular specialty segments in physical therapy continuing education are:

- Orthopedic, in which physical therapists have to diagnose, manage and treat patients with musculature injuries and offer remedy assistance for patients who have suffered orthopedic surgical procedure. Some of the few areas physical therapist specialize in are configured by amputations, arthritis, joint, acute sport injuries.

- Geriatric is the field that typically aims the elders and if you decide on geriatric physical therapy continuing education, you can choose between various areas such as hip and joint replacement, arthritis, osteoporosis, cancer pulmonary fibrosis, Alzheimer' s disease.

- the Neurological field gets physical therapists specialized in dealing with Alzheimer' s disease, brain injuries, multiple sclerosis, stroke, cerebral palsy and many other.

- Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation addresses those showing their interest in focusing on patients with heart diseases, coronary bypass surgery, pulmonary diseases, pulmonary fibrosis and other.

Pediatric is the area that specializes in treating children, adolescents and infants being exposed to congenital, muscular, skeletal, developmental problems and also treating children with cerebral palsy, spinal and other.

A physical therapy continuing education can be attained by completing the programs either traditionally, on campus, or via Internet, through online programs. Internet programs grant continuing education for physical therapists, occupational therapists and physical occupational therapy assistants. This way, they assure the quality of the physical continuing therapy education and the means to assist students encounter their professional targets. If you are overly busy for traditional education, the virtual implementation for physical therapy continuing education is much easier and convenient. They can be finalized in your own time, at whatever time it is most suitable to you, and are done so far by rehabilitation professionals for rehabilitation professionals.

A few years ago there was an article written in Men's Health Magazine titled "Everything You Know About Muscle Is Wrong." by Christopher McDougall

The article talks in detail about what scientists have discovered as being the secret to healing long time sports injuries, improving posture, and building a stronger, faster more athletic body is actually hidden within you.

What essentially they are talking about is the patterns that develop in the connective tissue of the body. Just think of the ruts in an old dirt road that no matter how you try to drive your tires still end up in the ruts...

Connective tissue also know as fascia surrounds our muscles, organs and bones. This connective tissue or fascia is what needs to begin to change in order for knee therapy to be permanent and long lasting. So back to the comparison of the ruts in the dirt road, if the ruts are not smoothed out you are always going to fall back into the old patterns in your body.

So what does this article have to do with your knee pain and how does it tie into your knee therapy?

Well I'm glad you asked!

The patterns your body takes on as a result of a long time period of stress, trauma or injury are functional patterns for the stress, trauma, or injury however these same patterns become dysfunctional when they continue to present problems for your body resulting in chronic knee pain.

The key is to begin doing your knee therapy exercises slowly and with conscious awareness. The more awareness you bring to the table the more your mind is able to connect with that part of your body, namely your knees and begins to re-pattern the dysfunctional tension patterns in your body reducing the pressure going to your knees.

One drawback on the article is it only covers how to actively re-pattern these dysfunctional tension patterns through modalities of body work like Rolfing and Feldenkrais. At the end of the article they also talk about how doing this yourself can take a very long time...

This is partially true however there is a much easier and much quicker form of knee therapy I refer to as "passive stretching" that I cover in my Virtual Knee Pain Clinic. This approach works with the tension in the nervous system that builds up as a result of the body tensing up to protect itself. By teaching our body to understand what comfort is you avoid the entire tension mechanism and allow your body to "reset" itself.

When your nervous system is reset...It is much easier to go in and do the slow controlled knee therapy exercises that hold longer with better faster results...

Senior citizens often require specialized health services. When they undergo surgery, suffered an injury, or show signs of losing their memories, seniors may need the specialized services offered at a nursing home rehabilitation center. At this facility, seniors can regain their mobility, improve their memories, and overcome challenges to their health.

The staff at a nursing home rehabilitation center caters a patient's care according to the needs of that specific individual. A person who has had surgery on a knee or hip may need physical therapy to improve his or her balance and strength in that part of the body. Physical therapy often includes working out with weights, walking around an indoor track, or bending the affected part of the body in rhythmic exercise routines. Most patients work directly with a therapist as they build up their strength and resistance to the exercises.

On the other hand, a patient who is suffering from memory loss may benefit from occupational therapy. A therapist uses flash cards, puzzles, and games to assist that person in remembering basic skills, such as placing puzzle pieces together or pronouncing words. This therapy is most often used for patients who have suffered strokes or who have been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease or dementia.

Staff at a nursing home rehabilitation center also assists people who suffer from physical conditions that interfere with basic daily activities. For example, dysphagia tends to be a common condition among the elderly; this condition makes it difficult for seniors to swallow food, water, and medication. People with this affliction feel that they are choking or unable to swallow these substances. In worst case scenarios, sufferers lose weight, choke on their food or medication, or develop pneumonia by aspirating substances into their lungs. Therapists assist these individuals by teaching techniques that make swallowing easier. They may also position patients differently in their beds or at their tables to facilitate eating and drinking. If all else fails, therapists can discuss remedies that include feeding tubes or intravenous hydration.

Patients at this facility may be surprised that their therapies are not dull and lack entertainment. In fact, a nursing home rehabilitation center may use a Wii game system as part of people's daily therapies. Playing a virtual game of bowling, tennis, baseball, basketball, and more lets people work out while having fun. Even more, playing video games has proven to be beneficial for those who suffer from anxiety and depression. Patients often look forward to playing the Wii as part of their rehabilitation processes. This approach and others like it allow senior citizens to regain their mobility, improve their health, and overcome challenges to their wellbeing. They can benefit from staying at this facility.

If you have ever wondered what it would be like to operate on a person's heart or how a doctor may operate on a person's knee, you may not have to wonder for long. One of the many kinds of games you can now find online and play for free is a surgery game. This kind of a game comes in many variants and can be played either as a serious game that educates you on the intricacies and complexities of surgery or as a wacky game that makes you do crazy things with a person's body or organs.

There are a number of free games that focus on surgery online and finding them is pretty easy. You will find that there is a surgery game for the body part you are most interested in learning about or in experimenting on. There are games that make you operate on a person's heart, a person's brain, a knee, a hip and many more. Of course, those who aspire to become surgeons in the future can get their basic operation lessons at a early age and in a fun way with these games that both children and adults can play.

If you are into morbid games that show people operating on others with the use of tools that are not used in regular surgery, then you will be glad to know that there are a lot of those online too. There is a surgery game that gets you to use unconventional surgical tools to operate on your patients and these can include such weird items like a pizza cutter, a stapler, salad tongs, a kitchen knife and even a cigarette lighter. This weird yet fun game can prove to be very addictive and very funny at the same time as you try to work your way into the surgical business with the help of these tools.

A few years ago there was an article written in Men's Health Magazine titled "Everything You Know About Muscle Is Wrong." by Christopher McDougall

The article talks in detail about what scientists have discovered as being the secret to healing long time sports injuries, improving posture, and building a stronger, faster more athletic body is actually hidden within you.

What essentially they are talking about is the patterns that develop in the connective tissue of the body. Just think of the ruts in an old dirt road that no matter how you try to drive your tires still end up in the ruts...

Connective tissue also know as fascia surrounds our muscles, organs and bones. This connective tissue or fascia is what needs to begin to change in order for knee therapy to be permanent and long lasting. So back to the comparison of the ruts in the dirt road, if the ruts are not smoothed out you are always going to fall back into the old patterns in your body.

So what does this article have to do with your knee pain and how does it tie into your knee therapy?

Well I'm glad you asked!

The patterns your body takes on as a result of a long time period of stress, trauma or injury are functional patterns for the stress, trauma, or injury however these same patterns become dysfunctional when they continue to present problems for your body resulting in chronic knee pain.

The key is to begin doing your knee therapy exercises slowly and with conscious awareness. The more awareness you bring to the table the more your mind is able to connect with that part of your body, namely your knees and begins to re-pattern the dysfunctional tension patterns in your body reducing the pressure going to your knees.

One drawback on the article is it only covers how to actively re-pattern these dysfunctional tension patterns through modalities of body work like Rolfing and Feldenkrais. At the end of the article they also talk about how doing this yourself can take a very long time...

This is partially true however there is a much easier and much quicker form of knee therapy I refer to as "passive stretching" that I cover in my Virtual Knee Pain Clinic. This approach works with the tension in the nervous system that builds up as a result of the body tensing up to protect itself. By teaching our body to understand what comfort is you avoid the entire tension mechanism and allow your body to "reset" itself.

When your nervous system is reset...It is much easier to go in and do the slow controlled knee therapy exercises that hold longer with better faster results...

Physical therapy continuing education is distinctive from state to state, based on their requirements and conditions imposed to physical therapists and assistants. Should you be prepared to begin a career in this domain, this provides major chances, starting with public and private colleges and universities offering health courses. They give a range of opportunities for the physical therapy continuing education idea through their applications, offering both traditional classroom and distance learning settings. These types of continuing education degrees can be obtained through four primary programs:

- if you have obtained a bachelor' s degree in other domain and you are motivated to become a physical therapist, you can apply for a two years Direct Entry Master' s degree. Physical therapy concepts classic learning is the objective of the first year of this course, and the second year focuses on internship clinical experiencing settings.

- the Transitional Master' s degree targets those who previously obtained a bachelor' s degree in physical therapy preceding the modifications in continuing education requirements, permitting bachelor degree holders to go on with their education experience in an effort to meet the current conditions.

- a Direct Entry Doctorate degree is one year longer than the direct master' s, but by getting this degree you can earn a Doctorate in Physical Therapy. It will earn you a better revenue and the entitlement of doctor.

- if you have a bachelor' s or a master' s degree in physical therapy, you are accepted to attend a doctorate program - the Transitional Doctorate degree

The five most popular specialty segments in physical therapy continuing education are:

- Orthopedic, in which physical therapists have to diagnose, manage and treat patients with musculature injuries and offer remedy assistance for patients who have suffered orthopedic surgical procedure. Some of the few areas physical therapist specialize in are configured by amputations, arthritis, joint, acute sport injuries.

- Geriatric is the field that typically aims the elders and if you decide on geriatric physical therapy continuing education, you can choose between various areas such as hip and joint replacement, arthritis, osteoporosis, cancer pulmonary fibrosis, Alzheimer' s disease.

- the Neurological field gets physical therapists specialized in dealing with Alzheimer' s disease, brain injuries, multiple sclerosis, stroke, cerebral palsy and many other.

- Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation addresses those showing their interest in focusing on patients with heart diseases, coronary bypass surgery, pulmonary diseases, pulmonary fibrosis and other.

Pediatric is the area that specializes in treating children, adolescents and infants being exposed to congenital, muscular, skeletal, developmental problems and also treating children with cerebral palsy, spinal and other.

A physical therapy continuing education can be attained by completing the programs either traditionally, on campus, or via Internet, through online programs. Internet programs grant continuing education for physical therapists, occupational therapists and physical occupational therapy assistants. This way, they assure the quality of the physical continuing therapy education and the means to assist students encounter their professional targets. If you are overly busy for traditional education, the virtual implementation for physical therapy continuing education is much easier and convenient. They can be finalized in your own time, at whatever time it is most suitable to you, and are done so far by rehabilitation professionals for rehabilitation professionals.

When you meet new people at a networking event, the question, 'What do you do?' inevitably arises. How do you handle it? Stumble out a few well-worn phrases that you've heard others using? Ferret around in your handbag or briefcase for a set of dog-eared cue cards?

This moment is a golden opportunity - a defining moment in your new networking relationship. Depending on how you project yourself, you will either build interest in your audience or switch them off.

Don't be fooled: first impressions really do count. And if you are new to networking, it can seem quite daunting to speak about your business in a room full of seasoned entrepreneurs. Where do you start? Just how do you set yourself apart from others?

Networking Secrets

The key lies in being prepared, being positive and being yourself:

Be Prepared. If you cannot explain in a few seconds what you do, then you are in the wrong job. You need to draw on facts straight away and be prepared for a variety of questions thrown at you. Ensure you tailor your pitch to the specific audience. Should someone ask, 'What sets you apart from other businesses in your industry?' make sure you have a great answer.

Be Positive. Throw away labels. Remember, you are more than a designer or copywriter, for example. You put businesses on the map. You inject new life into flagging marketing materials. You open doors for small businesses. Just think of the difference you make... and the value you add.

Focus on the results - benefits - rather than the features of what you offer. This way, you succinctly quantify what you do. If you waffle, you'll bore your listener. Keep it clear, concise and compelling.

Be Yourself. Nothing will earn you more business brownie points than being natural, friendly and professional. If your usual behaviour is to tell sexist jokes, swear and thrust your business cards at people before you even know who they are, perhaps it's wise to re-think your networking strategy.

A relaxed, approachable person who takes an interest in their listener, is more likely to get referrals. A warm smile and enthusiastic response initially allows you to build rapport. Behaviour that includes looking over the person's shoulder at who to pounce on next or crossing your arms and texting, isn't likely to make a good impression!

How to craft an elevator pitch that communicates

Have you heard of an elevator pitch? It's a short description, given in less than a minute, about your company and what you do.

Rather than it being a rehearsed, staged sales sermon, it's important to keep your conversation natural. You could start off for example by saying, 'Hello. Good to meet you. I'm Nikki Cooke, Owner of The Word Well. And you are?' Or perhaps use a conversation starter to break the silence such as,' Is this the first time you've been to this meeting?'

I often say something humourous when I first meet someone, as I think being informal is friendlier than a starchy approach. I might say, 'I spend my days giving clients' words a face lift. It's a lot cheaper than plastic surgery!'

If you launch into an all guns blazing sales pitch, without acknowledging the person you are speaking to, you'll fail. Instead of thinking of your listener as a prospect, think about how you can connect with them in a meaningful way. People don't like a hard sell to their face. But, they do like to know what's in it for them.

In general, a good elevator pitch should never make the question 'So what?' possible.

Why not follow this useful formula:

• Initially introduce who you are, your business name and what you do in a nutshell. Or think of a distinctive way to command attention. Aim to be different, enthused, original. Use humour perhaps. Make an intriguing statement to make your listener want to hear more...


• A useful tip is to ask a question to hook your listener. (Do you know how... Well, I help business owners become...) Establish who your clients are and what you do for your them. What do you save them in terms of time/money/stress etc? Establish a problem the person can identify with. Focus on benefits - not features - when describing what you do. (Our clients benefit from...) Show how your service or product solves a problem. (We help SMEs to...)


• Next consider why people choose to work with you. What do you have that your competitors don't? How are you different? (Unlike other Virtual Assistants, we specialise in...) Stay away from platitudes. Be unique. Be real. Establish your best selling points.


• End with a call to action to develop the conversation and consolidate the relationship. (Who do you know who would benefit from that sort of help?/Tell me more about you. / Here's my business card so we can keep in touch. / May I have one of your business cards? Perhaps I can put you in touch with someone in my network. / Here's my business card. Can I call you next week to discuss...)

If you rehearse a speech and your audience interrupts you with an unexpected question, then you need to think on your feet. Have a case study ready to show how your business made a difference. A successful elevator pitch should grow with you and not remain as a static script gathering dust.

Final thought

Always open your ears, before you open your mouth.

If you're preparing for surgery of any kind, or if a loved one will be operated on, chances are good you're nervous - maybe even terrified. And the anxiety keeps building from the time you schedule the surgery until the moment the anesthetic starts to take effect. The anxiety stems from uncertainty. Things could go wrong, you may not have a clue as to how the procedure is performed, and you have no idea what is going on inside your body before, during and after surgery.

The Importance Of Being Positive and Calm

The patient's mental and emotional state of being needs to be as calm and positive as possible before and after the surgery. Many people prefer not to know what happens in their body because they are squeamish about it, but ultimately, knowledge of what to expect can have a powerful calming effect - especially if the patient feels a sense of control.

Technology has come to the rescue! If you want to know what the surgery is going to be like, try virtual surgery!

What Is It?

Virtual surgery is a virtual reality simulation of any number of surgical procedures including laser hair removal, open heart surgery, root canals, gastric bypass, tonsillectomies, knee surgery, c-sections and more - even tattoo removal! You can find a number of sites that have great interactive virtual surgery "games" where you take the part of the surgeon and perform the procedure. Of course you're guided through it the entire way!

Become Your Own Surgeon Temporarily

The beauty of virtual surgery is that the patient becomes the surgeon and assumes control of the situation. In some games, the procedure begins with an explanation of the procedure, important safety guidelines and familiarization with the people involved and their duties. This empowering feeling can carry over to the actual physical procedure. The patient will be informed, and much more relaxed about the whole thing.

With all the virtual surgery sites available to choose from, which ones are the best?

Well, it depends in part:

• on your knowledge of anatomy


• whether you're squeamish, and


• whether you prefer to experience the surgery as cartoon representations, or


• more realistic virtual body parts

Most sites are geared to the public; a few to the medical profession.

On the interactive "virtual surgery games" sites, procedures are simplified for the general public and generally don't show blood.

My only complaint is the oversimplification of some procedures, which may make the user believe that surgery is a piece of cake.

Wrong!

There are many intricate systems at work in the body, and virtual surgery can't possibly replicate them all (at least not with today's technology). That said, these games are very entertaining and educational at the same time.

Be Prepared

Being educated about what's going on in your surgery or the surgery that a loved one will undergo, will put your mind at ease. It will give you enough information to talk to the surgeon and understand the terminology during pre-op consultations, and educated post-op conversations.

Understanding the magnitude of the trauma that any surgery imposes on the body is important for healing, too.

Many people try to do too much, too soon (that's easy to do, when the pain mediation has kicked in!). Some surgeons suggest that their surgery patients should be encouraged to play virtual surgery games so that they understand how much trauma occurs and how much healing the body has to undergo after surgery, in hopes of preventing post-operative problems and speed healing.

The Value of Virtual Surgery

Perhaps the biggest benefit to virtual surgery is the ability to put the patient's mind at ease about the procedure.

A stressed mind impairs healing. If a patient can release stress by knowing what to expect, their mind will be more primed for healing and less worried about the "what ifs" that keep the brain on high alert. This is important both pre-op and post-op; a relaxed brain quickly goes into healing mode and becomes very effective at secreting healing substances - unless it's stressed, in which case healing is put on hold.

Try a virtual surgery game today! They're fun, educational and will put your anxiety about surgery to rest!

Teen obesity is increasing dramatically. The number of dangerously overweight teens is increasing drastically, so do the popularity of weight loss surgery among young population.

Despite the fact that the cost of weight loss surgery is extremely expensive, and insurance companies do not often cover this procedure, more and more men women and teens who have not been able to maintain weight loss through dieting alone are now looking to get rid of their excessive body weight through surgery.

Today, a variety of surgical options to lose weight are available, with many of them offering best possible results. These procedures include lap band, gastric bypass, gastric sleeve and mini gastric bypass.

The Facts for Families data sheet by American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) shows that the number of obese teens in the United States has grown to epidemic proportions in recent years, with 17 percent (or 12.5 million) of all children and adolescents considered obese.

The severely obese teens are at risk for serious medical conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, sleep apnea, and joint problems. The surging teenage obesity rate has contributed to the weight loss surgery trend around the world.

Does It Works for Teens?
Is weight loss surgery right option for teens? Many studies have billed the surgical ways to lose fat in teens as both safe and effective but many doctors still hesitate to recommend surgical intervention for teens.

While some experts caution that surgery isn't an option for most teenagers, suggesting that teens can achieve ideal weight with the help of changes in lifestyle and diet as well as physical activity and medical treatments, some others believe these non-surgical techniques do not work effectively in aiding weight reduction in the morbidly obese teenagers.

Since several studies have shown some of the benefits of bariatric surgery for morbidly obese adolescents, the weight loss surgery has found acceptance as an effective weight reduction strategy for teen population. However, the surgery is still very rare in this group.

A small percentage of teenagers are considering undergoing the surgery to aid them in their battle to lose a significant amount of their extra body fat.

Surgical Options for Obese Teens
For those abnormally overweight teenagers who have just not been able to lose weight with doctor-approved diet and exercise plan alone, there is weight loss surgery to help them in their fight against the dreaded stomach bulge and enhance their lifestyle. However, the teenagers need to be both physically and emotionally mature before undergoing the operation.

Like adult obese patients, teens can opt any of the two types of weight loss surgery- Restrictive or combined Restrictive and Malabsorptive procedures.

Restrictive form of weight loss surgery is less invasive, limiting the intake of food by shrinking the size of the stomach. This type of surgery makes a patient feel full even after consuming very small amount of food. The restrictive weight loss surgery procedures include the gastric band, the gastric balloon, and the gastric sleeve.

The combined restrictive/malabsorptive procedures could be much more complicated weight loss surgery options for teenagers. The operations in this category, including the Roux-en-Y bypass (long limb or distal gastric bypass), reduce a person's food consumption capacity by reducing absorption of nutrients and calories by the digestive system.

Although in several studies weight loss surgery procedures proved safe and effective in treating obese teens, still it is vital that the prospective patients are closely evaluated to ensure suitability for the surgical intervention.

Family support and a strict dietary regimen for the rest of their lives after the surgery are very important to evade their risk of regaining the weight they lost.

While any weight loss operation will help you lose great amounts of weight, it is still important for one to take care of their health and make sure they still have proper nutritional intake. While many patients may have the proper knowledge to care for their bodies and eat the proper foods so healthy weight loss is properly maintained, there are many who are not sure what should be done. There are many specialists and groups ready to help in these situations who can properly guide the patient in making healthy choices. These groups will also provide support to help people get on the path to a better, healthier lifestyle.

Many bariatric groups have nutritional specialists dedicated to meeting patients after the operation. They will meet with the patient in order to go over their new diet and customize it according to the individual needs of a patient. This way, the patient will be able to continue losing weight in a healthy manner and won't have to be concerned with any malnutrition. This is not always a simple task however and there are many groups dedicated to helping give support to these individuals so they can to a healthier website faster. It is always good to be reminded that there are others in the same situation that can help in times of need.

So while Band over bypass procedures will help lose vast amounts of weight, it is only the beginning. With proper diet and fitness, any patient after the procedure will be able to enjoy their lives in a happier and healthier manner.

While any weight loss operation will help you lose great amounts of weight, it is still important for one to take care of their health and make sure they still have proper nutritional intake. While many patients may have the proper knowledge to care for their bodies and eat the proper foods so healthy weight loss is properly maintained, there are many who are not sure what should be done. There are many specialists and groups ready to help in these situations who can properly guide the patient in making healthy choices. These groups will also provide support to help people get on the path to a better, healthier lifestyle.

Many bariatric groups have nutritional specialists dedicated to meeting patients after the operation. They will meet with the patient in order to go over their new diet and customize it according to the individual needs of a patient. This way, the patient will be able to continue losing weight in a healthy manner and won't have to be concerned with any malnutrition. This is not always a simple task however and there are many groups dedicated to helping give support to these individuals so they can to a healthier website faster. It is always good to be reminded that there are others in the same situation that can help in times of need.

So while Band over bypass procedures will help lose vast amounts of weight, it is only the beginning. With proper diet and fitness, any patient after the procedure will be able to enjoy their lives in a happier and healthier manner.

To show the effect of technology on education, Don Kenzek, CEO of the International Society for Technology in Education uses an analogy of technology in the medical field.

"If in 1970 you had knee surgery, you got a huge scar," he said. "Now, if you have knee surgery you have two little dots."

Advances in technology have allowed teachers to move beyond traditional methods of education, which primarily rely on the use of text-books and verbal instruction. At one time, a student's only exposure to technology was found in a basic computer class. Now, technology has enabled the creation of various teaching and learning tools that can "demonstrate concepts, assign projects, and assess progress."

The drawback with incorporating technology into education, though, is hesitation by U.S. schools to utilize new educational tools and methods. Other nations around the world are looking for ways to integrate technology and education, while we are still questioning whether this merge should take place at all.

Kenzek points out the following 8 ways in which technology has proved effective in instruction and student progress.

1. Improved simulation and models can assist teachers in demonstrating difficult concepts and specifically help students that are visual learners.

2. Global learning exposes students to other cultures and puts them in touch with other people around the world.

3. Virtual manipulatives allow students to experiment with unfamiliar concepts and ideas.

4. Probes and sensors allow students to collect data, compute statistics, and analyze results quickly and efficiently.

5. A more efficient assessment of student progress can be made and monitored with new forms of technology.

6. Storytelling and multimedia encourage teamwork and excites students.

7. E-Books create a level of ease, convenience and visualization that isn't available with standard print textbooks.

8. Epistemic games put students in real-world situations and train them to use innovative thinking.

New technology has helped to make positive changes in education by rapidly advancing instruction methods, which allow for greater student retention and progress.

If you are interested in finding games with a medical theme you can look into some exciting online games and some hilarious board games. There are also games for PC and console games to consider.

All of the games discussed on this page revolve around operations and surgery. Many are genuinely educational. Some are just for fun. Anyone of them could start a child on the route to being a fully fledged health professional.

Operation Board Games

Operation Game (with Cavity Sam)

The board game 'Operation' with Cavity Sam is a game that has been around since the mid-sixties.

It has delighted generations of kids (and many adults too) with its recreation of a trip to the operating theater that rarely goes according to plan.

The principle of the game is very simple. The player needs to use tweezers to remove various objects from the patient's body without triggering a negative response. The kinds of thing the player needs to remove range from water on the knee to a frog in the throat. Responses usually involve shrieks of pain, grumbles and pleas for mercy that are hilarious for kids, along with flashing lights.

It is essentially a dexterity game that is very similar to those electrical loop games that were once so popular. You might not remember electrical loop games but they involved the player working their way along a wire with a metal hoop. If the hoop touched the wire an alarm sounded and the player lost the game.

Since the objects that need to be removed from the patients body in 'Operation' are small and the cavities they are housed in are only a little larger, it takes a very skillful person to win the game.

Nowadays, versions of the game with Homer Simpson as the hapless victim of fumbled surgery can also be found. There is even a Spongebob version where you can operate on Spongebob's Barnacle Brain, Clammy Hands or Patty Pleasure Center. These games are recommended for children of 8 and older.

Operation Brain Surgery

In this game, it is the ability to recognize objects by touch alone that is developed. Instead of a flat board with the figure of a patient, the player is confronted by a large electronic, talking head. Inside the head are various shapes. The players are dealt cards with a shape on each. They need to reach into the head and fish out the shapes that match their cards.If the player is too slow or too rough the head's nose lights up, a buzzer sounds and the operation is declared a failure.

A lot of work has gone into making this simple game fun. The shapes have names like 'block head' and 'train of thought'.

A recent variation on the game is a Shrek version with a grinning, green head. Children as young as five will enjoy this game.

Operation Games for PC

Many PC games offer simulations of aspects of the medical world. '911 Paramedic' deals with the kind of emergency situations that an everyday event in a busy hospital. ER The Game takes you into the world of ER, the TV show, 'Sarah's Emergency Room' is about first responses to patients entering a hospital.

Console Games

The most successful operation games for Wii and Nintendo are from the 'Trauma Center' series and include titles like 'New Blood', 'Second Opinion' and 'Under the Knife'. The player must perform many different operations to proceed through the games.

An older game-but one that can still be found- is 'Lifesigns Surgical Unit' for Wii.

Operation Games Online

There are many games online that feature the kinds of skills required during an operation. Some are for younger children and are designed to develop manual skills, others are sophisticated introductions to real surgical techniques.

'Operation Mania', for example, is actually an online version of the classic 'Operation' board game featuring Cavity Sam. Children can remove things like butterflies in the stomach of their patient with a large net. If they catch the butterflies without touching the stomach walls they win that part of the game.

'Let's Operate' is a simple game where a player tries to follow a wandering line with a scalpel. Just as Cavity Sam screeches in anguish if you are clumsy, the patient in this game cries out if you stray from the line. There is a also a time element to add to the pressure. In this case, the passing of time is represented by the draining of a blood bag which adds a nice ghoulish touch.

Much more sophisticated games that give older children (13+) the chance to learn about operations involve such things as knee replacement surgery or heart transplants. These games often come with a strong educational element. Some are made especially for teachers to use in the classroom and have supporting notes and suggested activities. The educational tag hasn't stopped these games being popular with teenagers who seek them out to play with or without the classroom experience.

For children showing an interest in a career in medicine, any of the games mentioned here could help cement their ambition. For those children who just want to have fun, they can still offer a rich experience.

Accident health insurance supplements are being used to cover upfront injury related expenses for the ER. Plans can be used to compliment an existing health insurance policy or just as a personal injury plan to pay for any unexpected ER visits or surgeries.

Many Americans are concerned with insuring the everyday mishaps like bodily injuries and emergency room coverage. Of course, insuring things like Cancer and Heart Attacks are important, but for younger adults and especially kids, emergency room visits are far more prevalent. Unfortunately, a trip to the emergency room isn't cheap and the healing process from a serious bodily injury can be exhausting. Damaged body parts often need to be surgically corrected and the post operation Physical Therapy sessions feel like a Sylvester Stallone Rocky Movie. I'm not going to lie, the Rocky Four soundtrack got me through my Physical Therapy workouts post ACL Knee surgery.

Health insurance for the self-employed is especially complicated when it comes to emergency room visits. To qualify for a Major Medical PPO plan one must go through underwriting and medically qualify. Assuming you get approved, you'll need to select a deductible and plan style. The most cost effective PPO policies in the individual health insurance market are the HDHP (High Deductible Health Plan) plans. Deductible is the out of pocket expense the insured has before the health insurance policy picks up the bill. PPO stands for Preferred Provider Organization and is the type of health insurance that lets you choose any doctor. Choosing any doctor isn't necessarily true, theirs a lot of gray area with "being in network or out of network" with PPO's.

Deductible options for individuals in the PPO market are $1,500, $2,500, $3,500, and $5,000. Typical family deductible options are $3,000, $5,000, $7,000, and $10,000. You'll want to choose a co-insurance of 100%. Co-insurance is the shared expense between you and the insurance company after the deductible. Most people are familiar with 80/20 % co-insurance. 100% co-insurance is popular because you won't need to understand Calculus to figure out any future hospital bills. Insurance plan picks up 100% of the bills after deductible with this option. On a side note, it's a good idea to set up a Health Savings Account. HSA's have some decent tax advantages and you can set up an account equivalent to the deductible amount. So a $10,000 HDHP can have a $10,000 health savings account attached to it. The yearly max contribution to the health savings account is determined by your HDHP deductible. Ask your CPA about health savings accounts if your self-employed.

Higher deductible health insurance plans have lower monthly premiums. However, with that high deductible comes risk of having to owe that deductible amount if you use the health insurance. A $5,000 dollar deductible hospital bill is one broken bone away. Guess how a lot of Americans end up paying that HDHP $5,000 deductible? You guessed it, in the emergency room from a accidental bodily injury.

Accident health insurance supplements have been doing a good job filling this ER gap for years. Other names used for this plan include personal accident insurance, emergency room insurance supplement, accident medical coverage, personal injury insurance plan, 24 hour accident coverage, and accident supplemental benefit plan. These plans are under marketed in my opinion, and most licensed health insurance agents are doing a disservice to their clients if they don't bring it up. I say this because so many people are shelling out a lot of money each month to insurance companies, and if they actually use the insurance could be stuck with a huge deductible bill.

Opposite the PPO health insurance industry is Guarantee Issue insurance products. Emergency room insurance supplements fall into this category and are automatic approval. Online applications have zero health questions but do need social security numbers and birth dates. This type of guarantee issue accident medical expense coverage is an indemnity. Indemnity's compensate members with a predetermined benefit amount.

Personal injury insurance plans in this category are membership based associations. The membership organization helps individuals and families in the United States gain access to discount programs and in this case, the pound for pound most practical emergency room insurance supplement I've seen so far.

Each association member can choose a benefit level of accident coverage to fit their monthly budget or to match the HDHP deductible. Plans cover the HDHP deductible giving high deductible health plans a virtual zero deductible effect. Remember, a lot of HDHP's max out deductibles from ER visits due to injuries. ER plan pays injury related expenses to pay off the PPO deductible. Again, plans only cover ER related expenses due to injury and not sickness.

Members can choose a emergency room coverage level of $2,500, $5,000, $7,500, or $10,000. Accident compensation benefits pay out per injury and have no limits on use. Typically a person will have a $100 dollar deductible per covered accident. ER policy pays up to the $2,500, $5,000, $7,500, or $10,000 per accident excluding the $100 deductible. In simple terms, you'll owe $100 dollars for any covered injury assuming the bill doesn't exceed the policy benefit max of $2,500, $5,000, $7,500, or $10,000.

Here's some figures on what the leading personal accident insurance dues are. Indemnity plan rate increases are seldom because it's an association based health insurance product.

-$24 dollars a month: $5,000 benefit individual plan.

-$29 dollars a month: $7,500 benefit individual plan.

-$36 dollars a month: $10,000 benefit individual plan.

-$35 dollars a month: $5,000 benefit family plan.

-$41 dollars a month: $7,500 benefit family plan.

-$47 dollars a month: $10,000 benefit family plan.

(family policy prices include everyone, it's the same price for a 3 person family or 12 person family)

It doesn't matter what accident health insurance plan brochure you pick up, all plan brochures EOB (Explanation Of Benefits) page say the same important benefit: Members may choose any Doctor, Hospital, or Emergency Room. Since this is accident indemnity, benefits have no restriction on health care providers to choose from. Accidents are unpredictable and so is knowing what emergency room you'll be showing up at. I can't imagine accident plans would sell if they came with some lame network provider booklet of acceptable doctors. This brand of accident coverage is 100% portable and can be used up to two months outside the United States while traveling abroad.

Accident Plan benefits at a glance:

-Hospital Emergency Care

-Doctor's fee for surgery (in and outpatient)

-Laboratory Tests.

-X-Rays and MRI's.

-Ambulance Expense.

-Registered Nurse.

-Hospital room and board.

-Operating Room Costs.

-Anesthesia.

-Prescription Drugs.

-Physical Therapy (super important post operation)

-Doctors visits (inpatient and outpatient).

-Dental treatment for injury to sound natural teeth.

-Splints, Crutches, and Casts.

Senior citizens often require specialized health services. When they undergo surgery, suffered an injury, or show signs of losing their memories, seniors may need the specialized services offered at a nursing home rehabilitation center. At this facility, seniors can regain their mobility, improve their memories, and overcome challenges to their health.

The staff at a nursing home rehabilitation center caters a patient's care according to the needs of that specific individual. A person who has had surgery on a knee or hip may need physical therapy to improve his or her balance and strength in that part of the body. Physical therapy often includes working out with weights, walking around an indoor track, or bending the affected part of the body in rhythmic exercise routines. Most patients work directly with a therapist as they build up their strength and resistance to the exercises.

On the other hand, a patient who is suffering from memory loss may benefit from occupational therapy. A therapist uses flash cards, puzzles, and games to assist that person in remembering basic skills, such as placing puzzle pieces together or pronouncing words. This therapy is most often used for patients who have suffered strokes or who have been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease or dementia.

Staff at a nursing home rehabilitation center also assists people who suffer from physical conditions that interfere with basic daily activities. For example, dysphagia tends to be a common condition among the elderly; this condition makes it difficult for seniors to swallow food, water, and medication. People with this affliction feel that they are choking or unable to swallow these substances. In worst case scenarios, sufferers lose weight, choke on their food or medication, or develop pneumonia by aspirating substances into their lungs. Therapists assist these individuals by teaching techniques that make swallowing easier. They may also position patients differently in their beds or at their tables to facilitate eating and drinking. If all else fails, therapists can discuss remedies that include feeding tubes or intravenous hydration.

Patients at this facility may be surprised that their therapies are not dull and lack entertainment. In fact, a nursing home rehabilitation center may use a Wii game system as part of people's daily therapies. Playing a virtual game of bowling, tennis, baseball, basketball, and more lets people work out while having fun. Even more, playing video games has proven to be beneficial for those who suffer from anxiety and depression. Patients often look forward to playing the Wii as part of their rehabilitation processes. This approach and others like it allow senior citizens to regain their mobility, improve their health, and overcome challenges to their wellbeing. They can benefit from staying at this facility.

Do you have a budding, young doctor at home? Or maybe you are a teacher with a classroom full of potential scientists? Instead of turning to a normal video game after school, there are many websites that offer free online surgery games for kids.

Edheads.org - Edheads is a website that has won numerous awards for their educational content. Their games and activities meet state and national standards, and they partner with school systems on the design and content of their games. Students can perform virtual hip replacement, virtual knee replacement, and even create a line of stem cells. They have other non-medical related games as well, such as design a cell phone and simple machines.

Oyuncex.com - Known for their entertainment games, Oyncex offers many online educational games. Kids can perform many types of surgery, such as dental, stomach, leg, hip, knee, brain, and heart surgeries. Flashplayer runs all games, and there is no software to download.

Virtualsurgerygames.net - This site hosts many games and offers links to other sites with surgery games. You can choose from plastic surgery, knee replacement, and general dentistry games, just to name a few. The site also offers many other educational and entertainment based games.

Be certain to check the website and game prior to letting your child play. There are a few sites that offer rather gruesome images instead of more clean, cartoon images. These games are also for children who are slightly older. Many have a suggested age listed on the website.