Sunday, March 7, 2010

Training Log

3/6/2010 Morning Meditation Tai Chi Chuan basic 6, 16miles White Tanks with Mike Mahoney, Tai Chi Chuan (TCC) basic 6, Chaperoned High School Dance with Becky.

Thursday, March 4, 2010

Training Log

3/3, Tai Chi X 2
3/4, Tai Chi X 3

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

3/2 AM/PM

AM Morning Meditation Complete with Tai Chi Chuan Basic 6. PM 3 mile bike ride Tai Chi Chuan basic 6

3/1

PM 8 mile bike ride

Monday, March 1, 2010

Training Log AM 3/1/2010

Morning meditation, Hado, TT centering, Four long breaths: > min inhale, <> min exhale X four, Tai Chi Chuan basic 6 slow and easy.

Sunday, February 28, 2010

Getting Ready for March

Training Plan, Minimum two times a day Tai Chi Chuan.
Complete at least one official 50K. Have fun.

Training Log

AM daily meditation, Hado Prayer, Four Breath Down Regulate URS, TT Tobacco Prayer Centering, East Tunnel Healing Visualization. Tai Chi Chuan basic Six.
PM Tai Chi Chuan basic Six.

Saturday, February 27, 2010




Blood Pressure Demystified 2/2010

By Christopher Neil O’Loughlin RN BSN PHN COHN-S

Blood pressure is a vital sign. Blood pressure is the measurement of pressure inside an artery. Hold your hand up in front of your face and open your palm. Now make a fist. Keep opening and closing your hand and look at your forearm between your wrist and elbow. Do you see a bulge when you make a fist? That bulge is called a concentric muscle contraction. What is the opposite of a concentric muscle contraction? In 1881 “Relaxation” was thought to be the opposite of a concentric muscle contraction.

Blood pressure measurement using the sphygmomanometer began in 1881. Sphygmos is Greek for pulse and manometer is the scientific term for measurement; pulse-measurement. Blood moves through arteries in rhythmic waves called pulses. It takes pressure to sustain a pulse wave of blood through an artery. Blood pressure measurement records two numbers. The top number is the systolic number or the pressure inside the pipe as the wall contracts towards the center. The bottom number is the diastolic number or the pressure inside the pipe as the wall moves away from the center. In 1881 Systolic was understood to mean contraction and Diastolic was understood to mean relaxation.

In 1881 two actions contraction and relaxation were very important. So the invention of blood pressure measurement had to utilize both the concept contraction and relaxation to be accepted. Trial and error found the best arm position for recording blood pressure measurement with the best “Relaxation” numerical value. Today in 2010. (See Picture ) The 4th edition of ABC’s of Blood Pressure shows the internationally accepted arm position for measuring blood pressure

What position should the arm be in to take a blood pressure reading? The Lippincott Manual of Nursing Practice fifth edition recommends support the bare arm. European Society of Hypertension recommendations for conventional, ambulatory and home blood pressure recommends support the bare arm at heart level. United States National Institute of Health Dept. of National Heart Lung and Blood Institute’s Seventh Report Joint National Committee on the Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood pressure recommends bare arm supported at heart level. All of the above professional associations experts agree. Position the patient while seated with feet flat on floor and arm extended and supported to heart/mid sternum level is the correct position to obtain a seated patient’s blood pressure. (See Picture )

Experiment:

Experiment equipment required: Blood pressure cuff and stethoscope, or automatic arm type blood pressure cuff, pillows and volunteers.

Experiment One: obtain a blood pressure on a bare arm relaxed hanging down with elbow touching ribs while seated with the feet flat on the floor.

Record the top systolic and bottom diastolic numbers.

Experiment Two: obtain a blood pressure again on the same arm but this time support and extend the arm to heart level. Place the extended arm on a pillow on a table. (See Picture )

Record the top systolic number and the bottom diastolic number.

The diastolic number from the second reading will be lower. Does the lower number mean greater blood pressure relaxation? In 1881 a lower diastolic number meant greater blood pressure relaxation. In 1881 after a contraction you had to observe relaxation. If you extend and support the arm the diastolic number will always be lower than if you take the blood pressure with the elbow touching the ribs. What makes the diastolic reading lower with the arm extended and supported?

Imagine a four inch diameter canvas fire hose with a cap on one end and the other end attached to a fire hydrant. Open the fire hydrant to fill the hose. The hose fills up to capacity and looks like a pipe. Close the fire hydrant. Remove the cap on the hose. The hose drains and lays flat. When a patient is seated and the arm is relaxed and hanging down at their side with the elbow touching the ribs the Brachial artery is full to capacity like the round fire hose above. The Brachial artery is full with the arm in the neutral position. Now extend and support the arm and the brachial artery flattens out like the flat hose above. Movement of the arm from the neutral position acts like closing a fire hydrant and the Brachial artery flattens with less volume..

Hypothesis: The lower the volume of fluid in an artery the lower the diastolic pressure.

In 1881 the inventors of the Sphygmomanometer extended and supported the arm and taught every one how to take a blood pressure. We are now on the 4th Edition of the blood pressure bible “ABC’s of Blood Pressure”. That’s the way we have always done it” For over 125 years blood pressure has been measured the same way.

My point of the experiment above is to wave a flag and try and get someone’s attention. Please lets not waste another 125 years measuring the wrong numbers and trying to fix a problem that has been way underestimated for to long.

Please run the experiment above. Tell your friends your results and help get the word out.

Please reply with questions.