Illinois State Police Fitness Test — “Physical Fitness Requirement”
Four-Item Physical Fitness Requirement For Officer Applicants
Practical exercise performance requirements are physical activities related to law enforcement tasks. The following practical exercise performance requirements have been identified and must be satisfactorily performed for successful completion of the Merit Board’s Physical Fitness requirement.
As with any new physical regimen, please consult your physician before beginning.
1. Sit and reach Test*
This is a measure of the flexibility of the lower back and upper leg area. It is an important area for performing police tasks that may involve range of motion and is important in minimizing lower back problems.The score is the distance, in inches, reached ona yard stick.
2. One Minute Sit-up Test
This is a measure of the muscular endurance of the abdominal muscles. It is an important area for performing police tasks that may involve the use of force. It is also important for maintaining good posture and minimizing lower back problems. The score is the number of correct sit-ups completed in one minute.
3. One Repetition Maximum Bench Press
This is the maximum weight pushed from the bench press position, measuring the amount of upper body force that can be generated. It is an important area for performing police tasks requiring upper body strength. The test will be conducted on a Universal DVR-Chest Press. The score is a ratio of weight pushed divided by body weight.
4. 1.5 Mile Run
This is a timed run to measure the heart and vascular systems’ capability to transport oxygen. It is an important area for performing police tasks involving stamina and endurance and to minimize the risk of cardiovascular problems. The score is in minutes and seconds.

How to Prepare for the Physical Fitness Test

1.  Preparing for the sit and reach test
Performing sitting type of stretching exercises daily will increase this area. Sit And Reach. Sit on the floor with legs straight. Slowly bend forward at the waist and extend fingertips toward the toes (keep legs straight). Hold for 10 second. Repeat 5 times. Towel Stretch. Sit on the floor with legs straight. Wrap a towel around feet, holding each end of the towel with one hand. Lean forward and pull gently on the towel, extending the torso toward toes. Hold for 10 seconds. Repeat 5 times.

2.  Preparing for the sit-up test
Do as many bent leg sit-ups (hands behind the head) as possible in one minute. This is the set number. Do 3 sets at a time, at least 3 times a week.

3.  Preparing for the 1 repetition maximum bench press
If weights are available, determine the maximum weight that can be bench pressed at one time. Calculate 60% of that weight to determine training weight. A set is 8 – 10 repetitions of that weight.Do 3 sets weekly, adding 2 ½ to 5 pounds every week. If weights are not available, push-up exercises can be utilized. Determine how many push-ups can be done in one minute. This is the set number.Do 3 sets at a time, at least 3 times a week.

4.  Preparing for the 1.5 mile run
Below is a gradual schedule that will enable a maximum effort for the 1.5 mile run. If possible, advance the schedule on a weekly basis, proceeding to the next level. If the distance can be covered in less time, that should be encouraged.

Illinois State Police Merit Board Physical Fitness Standards

Source: Illinois State Police — isp.state.il.us

A Strength and Conditioning Coach is a coach that is in charge of the physical development, fitness, and conditioning plan for sports teams. Strength coaches are most well-known as strength and conditioning coordinators for the players of NFL and college football teams. The lead coach is given the title of Head Strength and Conditioning Coach. There are also other individuals that assist the program and are given the title of Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach, Strength and Conditioning Assistant or Physical Development Coordinator.

In practice, Strength and Conditioning Coaches have responsibilities that are closer to a Personal Trainer than a Coach. However, Strength Coaches work very closely with the coaching department of teams and are categorized as coaches. Strength and Conditioning Coaches also work closely with Athletic Trainers and Team Physicians to keep players and teams in top shape.

The main responsibilities of Strength and Conditioning Coaches includes the following:

Strength and Conditioning Coaches also often work with the wives and families of players and coaches to promote a wellness lifestyle for the families of coaches and players.

A Chiropractor (from Greek chiros and praktikos meaning “done by hand”) is a health care professional who diagnoses and treats mechanical disorders of the spine and musculoskeletal system with the intention of affecting the nervous system and improving health. Chiropractic is based on the premise that a spinal joint dysfunction can interfere with the nervous system and result in many different conditions of diminished health. While some chiropractors use the term vertebral subluxation to describe what they treat, others have dropped this concept and concentrate mostly on the musculoskeletal components of spinal injury and rehabilitation of the spine. In contrast, the term subluxation as used in conventional medicine is usually associated with specific conditions which are a direct consequence of injury to joints or associated nerves.

UNDER CONSTRUCTION

Chiropractic was founded in 1895 by D. D. Palmer, and it is now practiced in more than 100 countries. Chiropractic treatments vary depending on the patient’s condition and the type of approach taken by the particular chiropractor. They commonly include spinal adjustments, although other interventions may be used as well.

There are four main groups of chiropractors: “traditional straights”, “objective straights”, “mixers”, and “reform”. All groups, except reform, treat patients using a subluxation-based system. Differences are based on the philosophy for adjusting, claims made about the effects of those adjustments, and various additional treatments provided along with the adjustment.

Traditional Straight Chiropractors are the original practice. Traditional straight chiropractors follow the philosophical principles set forth by founder DD Palmer and son BJ Palmer; that vertebral subluxation leads to interference of the human nervous system and is a primary underlying risk factor for almost any disease. Straights adhere to the chiropractic diagnosis of subluxations, and view the medical diagnosis of patient complaints (which they consider to be the “secondary effects” of subluxations) to be unnecessary for treatment. Instead, patients are typically screened for “red flags” of serious disease, and treated based on a practitioner’s preferred chiropractic technique. This stance against medical diagnosing has been a source of contention between mixers and straights, because accreditation standards mandate that differential diagnosis be taught in all chiropractic programs so that patient care is safe and relevant to their complaints. Additionally, several state chiropractic licensing boards mandate that patient complaints be diagnosed before receiving care. The most popular national association for traditional straights is the International Chiropractors Association (ICA), as well as the Federation of Straight Chiropractors and Organizations (FSCO) and the World Chiropractic Alliance (WCA).

Objective Straight Chiropractors have one purpose in practice — to correct vertebral subluxations because they interfere with the full expression of life by reducing the ability of the innate intelligence of the body (a controversial concept referring to an inborn organizing and healing force in the human body) to coordinate function through the nervous system. Objective Straight chiropractors are a minority group and a recent off-shoot of the traditional straights. This group is differentiated from traditional straights mainly by the claims made. While traditional straights claimed that chiropractic adjustments are a plausible treatment for a wide range of diseases, objective straights only focus on the correction of chiropractic vertebral subluxations. Like traditional straights, objective straights typically do not diagnose patient complaints. Their guiding principles are summed up as: “We do not want to diagnose and treat diseases, even diseases of the spine.” and “We do not want chiropractic to be practiced as an alternative to medicine.” They also don’t refer to other professionals, but do encourage their patients “to see a medical physician if they indicate that they want to be treated for the symptoms they are experiencing or if they would like a medical diagnosis to determine the cause of their symptoms.”Most objective straights limit treatment to spinal adjustments. Objective straights tend to share the viewpoints found in the Foundation for the Advancement of Chiropractic Education (F.A.C.E.).

Mixer Chiropractors are an early offshoot of the straight movement. The mixer branch originated from naturopathic, osteopathic, medical, and even chiropractic doctors who attended the Palmer College of Chiropractic and then re-organized the treatment system to include more diagnostic and treatment approaches. They eventually split from the traditional straight group and formed various other chiropractic schools including the National College of Chiropractic. Their treatments may include naturopathic remedies, physical therapy devices, or other Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) methods. While still subluxation based, mixers also treat problems associated with both the spine and extremities, including musculoskeletal issues such as pain and decreased range of motion. Mixers describe vertebral subluxations as a form of joint dysfunction or osteoarthritis. Diagnosis is made after ruling out other known disorders and noting general signs of mechanical dysfunction in the spine. They tend to be members of the American Academy of Chiropractic Physicians, The American Academy of Spine Physicians, and/or the American Chiropractic Association (ACA), and all the major groups in Europe are also in membership of the European Chiropractors Union. Most chiropractors are of the mixer category.

Reform Chiropractors are a minority group who advocate the use of palpation and manipulation to identify and treat osteoarthritis, painful joints, and other musculoskeletal problems. They do not subscribe to the Palmer philosophy of Innate Intelligence and vertebral subluxations, do not believe that spinal joint dysfunction causes organic or systemic disease, and tend not to use alternative medicine methods. They prefer to align themselves more with medical and osteopathic physicians in their views of disease causes, processes and responses to manipulative therapy. Reformers tend to share the viewpoints found in the National Association for Chiropractic Medicine.

Since its inception, Chiropractic has been the subject of controversy, criticism, and outright attacks. It has come from critics within the profession, critics outside the profession, and from researchers in the scientific community. Historically, these have indirectly led to the scientific investigation of chiropractic and an antitrust suit against the American Medical Association. In May 2006, a nationwide phone survey study published in the Journal of Manipulative Physiological Therapeutics reported that 83% of individuals are satisfied or very satisfied with chiropractic care.

Chiropractic’s Approach to Healthcare
According to Robert Mootz D.C. and Reed Phillips D.C., Ph.D., although chiropractic has much in common with other health professions, its philosophical approach distinguishes it from modern medicine. Chiropractic philosophy involves what has been described as a “contextual, naturopathic approach” to health care. The traditional, “allopathic” or “medical” model considers disease as generally the result of some external influence, such as a toxin, a parasite, an allergen, or an infectious agent: the solution is to counter the perceived environmental factor (e.g., using an antibiotic for a bacterial infection). By contrast, the naturopathic approach considers that lowered “host resistance” is necessary for disease to occur, so the appropriate solution is to direct treatment to strength
en the host, regardless of the environment. In contemporary clinical practice, one can find elements of both naturopathic and allopathic philosophy among all types of providers. The degree to which a practitioner emphasizes different tenets of these philosophies is one factor that determines the manner in which they practice.

Chiropractic Perspectives That Reflect a Holistic Approach to Patient Care

While the Chiropractic approach to healthcare stresses the importance of prevention, most patients initially visit a chiropractor complaining of a musculoskeletal problem (especially low back and neck pain).

Most chiropractors concern themselves with the overall health of the patient. Therefore, chiropractors emphasize the importance of healthy lifestyles and do not prescribe drugs or perform surgery. Chiropractic care is appealing to many health-conscious Americans. Chiropractic treatment of the back, neck, extremities, and joints has become more accepted as a result of research and changing attitudes about alternative, noninvasive health care practices.[26]
Most chiropractors work in private practice or work in small groups, employing chiropractic assistants as office staff and to perform therapeutic activities. They may also employ massage and physiotherapists as adjuncts to chiropractic care.

SOURCES:
Gaumer G. Factors associated with patient satisfaction with chiropractic care: survey and review of the literature. J Manipulative Physiol Ther. 2006 Jul-Aug;29(6):455-62.

AHCPR Publication No. 98-N002 Agency for Health Care Policy and Research – AHCPR Chapter 2 (Table 1) Chiropractic Belief Systems, Robert D. Mootz DC; Reed B. Phillips DC, PhD.

More information …

American Chiropractic Association — amerchiro.org

Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics (JMPT) is dedicated to the advancement of chiropractic health care. It provides the latest information on current developments in therapeutics, as well as reviews of clinically oriented research and practical information for use in clinical settings. The Journal’s editorial board includes some of the world’s leading clinical low-back and spine researchers from medicine, osteopathy, chiropractic, and post-secondary education. JMPT, the premier biomedical publication in the chiropractic profession, publishes peer-reviewed original articles, case reports, journal abstracts, commentary, and new media reviews. Readers include chiropractors, osteopaths, physical therapists, physiatrists, radiologists, and sports medicine specialists. The Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics is the official journal of the American Chiropractic Association

Blutengel
Cry Little Sister

Listen on iTunes

I will not lie little sister (thou shall not fall)
Come come to your brother (thou shall not fall)
Unchain me sister (thou shall not fear)
Love is with your brother (thou shall not kill)

Troublesome tribal beat, very gothic rock, enchanting and mysterious song with a great little organ interlude

Thanks to AGNIESZKA (myspace.com/agusia21)

Blutengel (German: Blood Angel) is a German futurepop and eurodance musical group with a gothic-like attitude. Blutengel was formed by singer Chris Pohl (also of the groups Terminal Choice, Tumor, and Pain of Progress and the owner of the Fear Section label) after he had to leave Seelenkrank due to contractual and legal problems. The lyrics are written primarily in German and English and consist of male and female vocals.

The Oxidising Angel Album

Carfax Abbey, a Philadelphia-based Gothic industrial metal band also recorded Cry Little Sister. The song Cry Little Sister was in the soundtrack of the movie The Lost Boys.

See also …
Bluetengel: blutengel.de
Carfax Abbey: carfaxabbey.com | myspace.com/carfaxabbey

A nutritionist is a health specialist who devotes their professional life to food and nutritional science, preventive nutrition, diseases related to nutrient deficiencies, and the use of nutrient manipulation to enhance the clinical response to human diseases. A dietitian is a legally protected term regulated by the American Dietetic Association (ADA). All dietitians are nutritionists, but not all nutritionists are dietitians.

There are three informal categories of nutritionists ‘on the street,’ so to speak:

Keep in mind, dietitians and nutritionists (with lesser qualifications) advise people on dietary matters relating to health, well-being and optimal nutrition every day — one-on-one, in classes and through the news media. Nutritionists have varying levels of education from someone with little or no education to an individual who has obtained a bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree. This is because the term “nutritionist” is not a legally protected term in most parts of the world. As a result, the term “nutritionist” is subject to several interpretations. Many nutritionists appear on television, in newspapers and magazines, and write nutritional books, which may or may not have any real information of proven value regarding diet, disease support, disease prevention, health and wellness, body composition enhancement or performance enhancement.

Dietitians have an extremely broad-based knowledge of diet, disease and human health, but may sometimes not be as helpful to athletes, compared to health or fitness professionals who are closely studying the effects of certain food and supplement practices with physical training. However, if you ask a dietitian to help you with a particular subject and focus on your goals, the dietitian would be able to pick up on the topic and excel any other nutritionist’s capabilities.

A dietitian (sometimes spelled dietician) is the expert in food and nutrition. Dietitians help promote good health through proper eating. They also supervise the preparation and service of food, develop modified diets, participate in research, and educate individuals and groups on good nutritional habits. The goals of the dietitian are to obtain, prepare, and serve flavorsome, attractive, and nutritious food to individuals, medical patients, family members, employees (in workplace cafeterias) and students (in school cafeterias).

In the United States, legally recognized nutrition professionals include the registered dietitian (RD) and the dietetic technician, registered (DTR). These terms, as well as simply dietitian, are legally protected terms regulated by the American Dietetic Association (ADA). Some RDs or DTRs call themselves nutritionists. However, the term nutritionist is not regulated, as dietitian is. People, such as chiropractors, personal trainers and nutritional product sales people may call themselves nutritionists without the educational and professional requirements of registered dietitians. Dietetic technicians are not the same as dietitians in terms of responsibilities and qualifications. Different professional terms are used in other countries.

In the U.S., dietitians are registered with the Commission on Dietetic Registration (the certifying agency of the ADA) and are only able to use the label “Registered Dietitian” when they have met strict, specific educational and professional prerequisites and passed a national registration examination.

A dietitian’s education in health science involves significant scientific based knowledge in anatomy, chemistry, biochemistry, biology, physiology, nutrition, medical science. Strong foundations in advanced scientific knowledge and an internship, counseling skills and an understanding of aspects of psychology enable a Registered Dietitian to assess, analyze, intervene, and educate a individuals in relation to diet and disease.

There following are common academic plans to becoming a fully qualified registrable dietitian:

Besides academic education, registered dietitians must complete up to a year long dietetic internship of at least 900 hours through an accredited program before they can sit for the registration examination. The dietetic internship requires the intern to complete several areas of competency including rotations in clinical, community, long-term care nutrition as well as food service, public health and a variety of other worksites.

Once the degree is earned, the internship completed, and registration examination passed, the individual can now use the nationally recognized legal term, Registered Dietitian, and is able to work in a variety of professional settings. Most states require additional licensure to work in most settings. To maintain, the RD credential, professionals must participate in and earn continuing education units 75 hours every 5 years.

Types of dietitians
The majority of dietitians are clinical, or therapeutic, dietitians. Clinical Dietitians or Consultant Dietitians often help with sports teams, especially professional sports teams. Dietitians hired by sports teams help setup pre-game meal policies for optimal energy and performances during games. Dietitians also help educate and motivate players and their families toward the best meals and supplements for optimal health and player performances and the wellness of the player’s family. The following is a list of types of dietitian careers:

Business & Media Dietitians
Business & Media dietitians serve as resource people for the media. Dietitians’ expertise in nutrition is often taped for TV, radio, and newspapers — either as an expert guest opinion, regular columnist or guest, or for resource, restaurant, or recipe development and critique. Dietitians have served as show hosts on major television stations and as drive-time radio news anchors. Dietitians write books, appear on television cooking channels, and author corporate newsletters on nutrition and wellness. They also work as sales representatives for food manufacturing companies that provide nutritional supplements and tube feeding supplies.

Clinical Dietitians
Clinical dietitians work in hospitals and other health care facilities to provide medical nutrition therapy to patients according to the disease processes, provide individual dietary consultations to patients and their family members and also conduct group educations for other health workers, patients and the public. They coordinate both medical records and nutritional needs to asess the patients and make a plan based on their findings. Some clinical dietitians have dual responsibilities with medical nutrition therapy and in foodservice, described below. In addition, clinical dietitians in smaller facilities also provide or create outpatient education programs. They work as a team with the physicians, physical therapists, occupational therapists, pharmacists, speech therapists, social workers and nurses to provide care to the patients.

Clinical dietitians review medical charts and meet with patients patients’ families. They w
ork with other health care professionals and community groups to provide nourishment, nutritional programs and instructional presentations to benefit people of all ages, and with a variety of health conditions. This is accomplished by developing individual plans to meet nutritional needs. These plans include nourishment plans or diet plans, patient and family education with normal eating, tube feedings (called enteral nutrition, which helps normalize body protein levels, restore immune function and promote weight gain), intravenous feedings (called parenteral nutrition) such as total parenteral nutrition (TPN, which provides the entire nutrient needs of the patient via intravenous infusion) or peripheral parenteral nutrition (PPN, which provides nutrients via I.V., but in a lower concentration). Clinical dietitians provide individual and group educational programs for patients and family members about their nutrition and health.

Consultant dietitians
Consultant dietitians work under private practice. They contract independently to provide nutrition services and educational programs to individuals, sports teams, nursing homes, and in health care facilities. As recent studies have shown the importance of diet in both preventing and managing disease, many US states have moved towards covering medical nutrition therapy under the Medicaid/Medicare making consulting a much more lucrative option for dietitians due to insurance reimbursement.

Community dietitians
Community dietitians work with wellness programs and international health organizations. These dietitians apply and distribute knowledge about food and nutrition to specific life-styles and geographic areas. They coordinate nutritional programs in public health agencies, daycare centers, health clubs, and recreational camps and resorts. Some community dietitians carry out clinical based patient care in the form of home visits for patients who are too physically ill to attend consultation in health facilities.

Foodservice dietitians
Foodservice dietitians or managers are responsible for large-scale food planning and service. They coordinate, assess and plan foodservice processes in health care facilities, school food service programs, prisons, cafeterias and restaurants. These dietitians will also perform audits of their departments, train other food service workers and use marketing skills to launch new menus and various programs within their institution. They direct and manage the operational and nutrition services staffs such as kitchen staffs, delivery staffs and dietary assistants or diet aides.

Gerontological dietitians
Gerontological dietitians are specialist in nutrition and aging. They are Board certified in Gerontological Nutrition with the American Dietetic Association. They work in government agencies in aging policy, and in a regulatory capacity in the oversight of nursing homes and community-based care facilities. They work as Consultants in Nursing Homes, and in higher education in the field of Gerontology (the study of Aging.)

Research dietitians
Research dietitians are mostly involved with dietary related research in the clinical aspect of nutrition in disease states, public aspect on primary, secondary and sometimes tertiary health prevention and foodservice aspect in issues involving the food prepared for patients. Many registered dietitians also work with the biochemical aspects of nutrient interaction within the body. Research Dietitians normally work in a hospital or university research facilities. It should be noted that some Clinical dietitian’s roles also involve research other than the normal clinical workload. Quality improvement in dietetics services is also one area of research.

More information …
American Dietetic Association (eatright.org)
British Dietetic Association (bda.uk.com)
Dietitians Association of Australia (daa.asn.au)

General practice, internal medicine, family medicine and pediatrics are concerned with wide variety of human medical issues and circumstances which blurs the public’s understanding and differentiation of each specialty.

General Practioner, Family Physician, Family Practitioner
A general practitioner (GP), family physician or family practitioner (FP) is a medical doctor who provides primary care. A GP or FP treats acute and chronic illnesses, provides preventive care and health education for all ages and both sexes. The synomyms family practitioner or family physician have become widespread in Canada and the USA. The term general practitioner is common in the United Kingdom and some other Commonwealth countries, where the word physician is largely reserved for certain other types of medical specialists, notably in internal medicine.

In the United States, a general practitioner has completed the one-year internship required to obtain a medical license, after having received at least an undergraduate Baccalaureate degree and a four-year M.D. Doctor of Medicine or a D.O. Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree. A physician who specializes in family medicine (also known as a family physician), however, has completed a three-year family medicine residency in addition to the undergraduate and doctoral studies, and is eligible for the board certification now required by most hospitals and health plans.

Most family physicians practice in solo or small-group private practices or as hospital employees in practices of similar sizes owned by hospitals. Still, many choose to teach medicine at medical schools or family medicine residency programs, though usually for much less pay. Others choose to practice as consultants to various medical institutions, including insurance companies.

Starting in the 1970s and 1980s, many board-certified family physicians in the United States began to consider the terms “General Practitioner” and “GP” as somewhat demeaning and derogatory, discounting their additional years of training. It was not until 1969 that Family Medicine (formerly known as Family Practice) was recognized as a distinct specialty in the U.S.

A family physician is board-certified in family medicine. Training is focused on treating an individual throughout all of his or her life stages. Family physicians will see anyone with any problem, but are experts in common problems. Many family physicians deliver babies as well as taking care of patients of all ages. Family physicians complete undergraduate school, medical school, and three more years of specialized medical residency training in Family Medicine. Board-certified family physicians take a written examination every six, seven, nine, or ten years to remain board certified, depending on what track they choose regarding the maintenance of their certification. Three hundred hours of continuing medical education within the prior six years is also required to be eligible to sit for the exam.

Between 2003 and 2009 the board certification process is being changed in family medicine and all other American Specialty Boards to a continuous series of yearly competency tests on differing areas within the given specialty. The American Board of Family Medicine, as well as other specialty boards, are requiring additional participation in continuous learning and self-assessment to enhance clinical knowledge, expertise, and skills. The Board has created a program called the “Maintenance of Certification Program for Family Physicians” (MC-FP) which will require family physicians to continuously demonstrate proficiency in four areas of clinical practice: professionalism, self assessment/lifelong learning, cognitive expertise, and performance in practice.

Certificates of Added Qualifications (CAQs) in adolescent medicine, geriatric medicine, or sports medicine are available for those board certified family physicians who meet additional training and testing requirements. Additionally, fellowships are available for family physicians in adolescent medicine, geriatrics, sports medicine, rural medicine, faculty development, obstetrics, research, and preventative medicine.
The family medicine (FM) paradigm is bolstered by primary care physicians trained in internal medicine (IM); although these physicians are trained in internal medicine only, adult patients provide the majority of the patient base of many family medicine practices. In the United States, there is a rising contingent of physicians dually trained in internal medicine and pediatrics (“peds”, pronounced “peeds”), which can be completed in four years, instead of the three years each for IM and pediatrics. A significant number of family medicine practices (especially in suburban and urban areas) do not provide obstetric services anymore (due to litigation issues and provider preference), and as such, this blurs the line between the FM and IM/Peds difference. One suggested difference is that the IM/Peds-trained physicians are more geared towards subspecialty training or hospital-based practice. Even so, there are many groups with FM-trained and IM/Peds-trained physicians working in seamless harmony.

There is currently a shortage of family physicians (and also other primary care providers) due to several factors, notably the lesser prestige associated with the young specialty, the lesser pay, and the increasingly frustrating practice environment in the United States. Physicians are increasingly forced to do more administrative work, shoulder higher malpractice premiums due to highly profitable insurance monopolies that charge excessive premiums, thus forcing doctors to spend less and less time with patient care due to the current payor model stressing patient volume vs. quality of care. Things are starting to change as more insurance carriers consolidate. They are not stressing performance but more and more volume, thus increasing insurance company profit margins. Physicians are starting to shun insurance carriers to lessen the paperwork and focus more on patient care as they are originally trained to do. The average starting salary in the United States for family physicians is $100,000 to 120,000 a year.

Traditionally, GPs may care for hospitalized patients; where they have hospital privileges, they may perform minor surgery and/or obstetrics. Many GPs do some minor procedures, such as removal of skin lesions, in their offices (their rooms in UK and Commonwealth usage).

The American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) was founded in 1947 to promote the science and art of family medicine. It is one of the largest medical organizations in the world with more than 94,000 members. The Academy was instrumental in establishing family medicine as a recognized medical specialty; a certifying board was approved by the American Board of Medical Specialties in 1969.

American Board of Family Medicine (originally called the American Board of Family Practice was recognized as the 20th medical specialty in February, 1969. The board was formed out of a need to encourage medical school graduates to enter “general practice.” In 2005, the board’s name was changed to the American Board of Family Medicine.

Pediatrician
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is an organization of pediatricians, physicians trained to deal with the medical care of infants, children, and adolescents. Its motto is: “Dedicated to the Health of All Children.” Most American pediatricians are members of this physician-focused organization.

In 1930, 60 physicians who specialized in child health founded the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). The name of the non-profit organization reflected the physician’s commitment to children and the specialty of pediatrics. It also formally acknowledged the difference between adult and child health care. In 1948, the first issue of their journal Pediatrics was published.

In the la
st 75 years, the AAP has grown to a membership of 60,000 board-certified primary care pediatricians, pediatric medical subspecialists, and pediatric surgical specialists. Through advocacy efforts, physician education, research, and the continual creation of pediatric care and practice policies, AAP members and staff work tirelessly to affect broad social and medical changes benefiting all children and the future of pediatrics.

Internist/Internal Medicine
Internal medicine is the branch and specialty of medicine concerning the diagnosis and nonsurgical treatment of diseases in adults, especially of internal organs. Doctors of internal medicine, also called “internists”, are required to have included in their medical schooling and postgraduate training at least three years dedicated to learning how to prevent, diagnose, and treat diseases that affect adults. Internists are sometimes referred to as the “doctor’s doctor,” because they are often called upon to act as consultants to other physicians to help solve puzzling diagnostic problems. While the name “internal medicine” may lead one to believe that internists only treat “internal” problems, this is not the case. Doctors of internal medicine treat the whole person, not just internal organs.

Internists hold either an allopathic (MD, MBBS, MBChB, etc) or osteopathic (DO) degree. Internists should not be confused with “Medical Interns,” who are either physicians in their first year of residency training (in countries like the USA), or last-year medical students (in countries like Colombia). Although Internists may act as primary care physicians, they are not “family physicians,” “family practitioners,” or “general practitioners” (whose training in certain countries includes the medical care of children, and may include surgery, obstetrics and pediatrics). General Internists practice medicine from a primary care perspective but they can treat and manage many ailments and are usually the most adept at treating a broad range of diseases affecting adults.
Internal Medicine sub-specialists may also practice general internal medicine, but can focus their practice on their particular subspecialty like cardiology or pulmonology after completing a fellowship. (Additional training of 2-3 years).

In the USA, adult primary care is usually provided by either family practice or general internal medicine physicians (Internists). The primary care of adolescents is provided by family practice, internists and pediatricians. The primary care of children and infants is provided by Family Practice or Pediatricians.

Internists are trained to solve puzzling diagnostic problems and handle severe chronic illnesses and situations where several different illnesses may strike at the same time. They also bring to patients an understanding of preventative medicine, men’s and women’s health, substance abuse, mental health, as well as effective treatment of common problems of the eyes, ears, skin, nervous system and reproductive organs. Most older adults in the United States see an internist as their primary physician.

Subspecialties of internal medicine
Internists can choose to focus their practice on general internal medicine, or may take additional training to “subspecialize” in one of 13 areas of internal medicine, generally organized by organ system. Cardiologists, for example, are doctors of internal medicine who subspecialize in diseases of the heart. The training an internist receives to subspecialize in a particular medical area is both broad and deep. Subspecialty training (often called a “fellowship”) usually requires an additional one to three years beyond the standard three year general internal medicine residency. (Residencies come after a student has graduated from medical school.)
In the United States, there are two organizations responsible for certification of subspecialists within the field, the American Board of Internal Medicine, and the American Osteopathic Board of Internal Medicine.

The American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) recognizes the following subspecialties of Internal Medicine:
Cardiology, medical management of disorders of the heart and blood vessels
Endocrinology, medical management of disorders of the endocrine system and its specific secretions called hormones
Gastroenterology, medical management of of digestive system diseases
Hematology, concerned with blood, the blood-forming organs and its disorders
Infectious disease, medical management of diseases caused by a biological agent such as by a virus, bacterium or parasite
Medical oncology, medical management of diagnosis and treatment of cancer
Nephrology, medical management of of the function and diseases of the kidney
Pulmonology, medical management of diseases of the lungs and the respiratory tract
Rheumatology, medical management of diagnosis and therapy of rheumatic diseases.

The ABIM also recognizes additional qualifications in the following areas of Internal Medicine:
Adolescent medicine
Clinical cardiac electrophysiology
Critical care medicine
Geriatric medicine
Interventional cardiology
Sports medicine
Transplant hepatology
Internists may also specialize in allergy and immunology. The American Board of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology is a conjoint board between internal medicine and pediatrics.

The American College of Osteopathic Internists recognizes the following subspecialties.
Allergy/Immunology
Cardiology
Critical care medicine
Endocrinology
Gastroenterology
Geriatric medicine
Hematology/Oncology
Infectious diseases
Nuclear medicine
Nephrology
Pulmonology
Rheumatology

Your support team is a group of people that help you actualize your goals. They may be paid providers (medical providers, coaches, instructors and trainers) or non-paid people in your life (friends, family and teammates, schoolmates). As an athlete or person working toward a fitness makeover, only you can truly pick your best support team. As a team player, you have to learn to be unselfish and work with other players of the team. However, you also have to be very selfish about your own skills, performance, lifestyle/energy management and fitness if you are going to develop optimal human performance for your sport.

Medical Support
Each medical, health care and fitness provider category is listed below with specific information for the category provided to help you get the most out of your relationship with the specific provider. It is very important that you develop a good working relationship with your provider. Your main providers in your support team are usually coaches, general medicine or internal medicine practitioners, orthopedic specialists, physical therapists, athletic trainers and personal trainers. Keep in mind that while each professional has your best interest in mind, there are political and logistical considerations (e.g., availability, insurance, ethics considerations, rushing and overbooking appointments, and more) in each profession that can limit that professional’s attention to your optimal performance goals. Each profession has special interests to keep the profession viable and highly respected in a professional and economic sense. General medicine and Internal Medicine specialists, for example, are primarily concerned with detecting illness that you would not recognize, preventing illness, treating the multi-system human body, and also may be more concerned with social issues (such as gun control, drug abuse, world hunger, third world health care, banning boxing, etc.). Orthopedic specialists, for example, are more concerned with detecting orthopedic conditions that might lead to injury in a specific sport. They are also highly concerned with the decision of whether surgery is necessary after an injury; and if surgery is necessary, providing the best possible procedure and outcome. They understandably want to focus all energy on the procedure and immediate outcome, and often delegate rehabilitation and return-to-play responsibilities to physical therapists, athletic trainers and personal trainers.

Sports Medicine: Medical, Health Care, Fitness Provider List
Orthopedics/Sports Medicine
General Practice: General Practioner, Family Doctor or Practitioner, Pediatrician, Internist
Coach: Head Coach, Specialty Coach, Position Coach, Specialty Instructor
Strength Coach
Physical Therapist
Chiropractor
Athletic Trainer
Personal Trainer
Nutritionist
Massage Therapist

Non-Medical Support — Family & Friends
Family members and friends are a big part of your life. Overhauling an out-of-shape body or striving to excel as an elite athlete can involve some of the most difficult times and challenges in relationships. But the door is also open for fantastic relationships and experiences that will enhance the lives of all involved.

People who help you are likely to send news clippings or emails about your sport or training. The may inform you about safety or performance products, or techniques for your sport. They are always positive and clear that they believe in you and your abilities. If they criticize you, it is for instructional purposes and motivation to make you work harder, not to make you fail or cause you to lose faith in your own talent and abilities. Helpful members of your support team help you direct your energy toward achieving your goals.

There are really four types of people that have an impact on your sports life: (1) People that want to help you who understand and meet your needs; (2) people that want to help you, but don’t understand your requirements or have their own issues that interfere; and (3) people that do not have any interest in your success and (4) people who wish or intend to cause your failure by obstruction or by withholding useful information or by giving misinformation.  There are people close to you who will interfere with your attempts to achieve your goals. Some individuals may act intentionally and maliciously or they just might act out carelessly, unaware they are interfering with you. These are often people close to you that you think you should be able to trust. Sometimes circumstances are temporary that cause conflicts and temporarily hurt relationships. But some people are hostile to the extent that you need to close them out of your support team. You need to be aware of the following roles people can play in your life and fix the negative aspects of these roles that people play. Be aware that these roles can cause outright harm to you or your material possessions. They can cause you injury or can cause you to waste valuable energy that takes away energy that should be directed toward achieving your goals.

Here is a list of interference categories of behavior:
Blockers –  are very selfish people who basically believe if you are getting something, they are not getting something. Blocking your success or access to things or information comes from their own insecurity or their belief that success is a limited resource in life. They won’t tell you things that you need to know. They often need to be in between you and another friend, teammate or family member so they can attempt to control communication between you and that other person.

Haters — cringe at another person’s success. They have no pride about expressing negative thoughts about you and are obvious that they don’t like your success. They are likely to tell others about their dislike of you or find reasons why it was so easy for you to succeed or explain how you cheated or to some shortcut to achieve your success. They are likely to say things like “you don’t have a life” to make you feel like you are missing out on finer things in life with all of your practice and energy spent on your sport.

Users — may act like they are your best friend, but they want something from you and they don’t care how they get it. They may lie to you, compliment you or just want to be seen with you.

Contrarians — are people who think being the opposite of the general thinking population somehow defines them as being creative geniuses. Anything an authority figure (such as a coach or physician) says will cause them to come up with an alternative method or choice. Often their contrary opinions are in response to your own methods for success that you discuss with them. You can identify these people because their advice will be contrary 7 to 10 times out of 10. You will also a notice a few instances that recommendation
s are just outright ridiculous or hypocritical.

Fakers — misrepresent what they know or who they are. A coach could tell you that your participation in his baseball league will get you a scholarship, even though he has no proof that is true. Fellow teammates may lie about their abilities and personal records. It is very important to understand the difference between lying … and striving to be something that you want to become.

Fear Mongers — are the voice that says you CAN’T do things. You need to be positive, but the fear monger feels better when more people are afraid with them or afraid of the information that they disperse. It gives the fear monger power — or so they think — when they can instill fear in others. ‘Worry’ is the same as praying that bad things will happen.

Need Attention —

Drama Role Players (Drama Queens and Drama Kings) — turn no problem situations into problems and small problems into big problems. The drama role player makes a big deal out of nothing, often to draw attention to their ‘predicament’. Drama is often a form of manipulation and often involves emotional blackmail, gossip, betrayal and conflict. If you don’t help with their conflict, you are accused of not caring and are the object of anger and complaints. Those that play out the drama role don’t have the capacity to find win-win situations and often lack empathy for your own struggles in life. They lack communication skills or are too insecure to actually work with you to work on a solution together. The adrenaline rush and the passion of the conflict becomes more important than resolution of the problem — sometimes to the point of addiction. Often there are three role players in drama situations: a persecutor, a victim and a ‘rescuer.’ Often drama role players can only entrust themselves to the concept of one friend (‘rescuer’) at a time. In the eyes of the drama role player, you can be the best one day, while another mutual friend is ostracized. The next day, the outcome might be reversed. Interaction with a drama role player causes huge losses of energy directed toward your goals, because much of your energy is spent trying to understand and resolve the drama created by the drama role player. That time and energy is better spent working on the goals for your training, conditioning and competition.

Codependency — is a set of maladaptive, compulsive behaviors learned by family members or friends in order to survive in a family, group or gang which is involved in emotional pain and stress caused by addictions and external strife, such as alcoholism, drug addiction, sexual or emotional abuse, physical trauma, chronic illness, poverty, crime or severe job stress. Codependent people have a greater tendency to enter into relationships with people who are emotionally unavailable or needy. A codependent person goes through the motions to control a relationship without directly identifying and addressing his or her own needs and desires — and without identifying the methods of achieving resolution to problems faced. The person in the helpful role of a codependent relationship is known as an enabler. There is a fine line between helping someone overcome a problem or addiction, and helping someone just to be involved in an abnormal relationship for the sake of keeping the relationship ‘secure.’

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Remember: Don’t get any on you.

Orthopedic surgery or orthopedics (also spelled orthopaedics, see below) is the branch of surgery concerned with acute, chronic, traumatic, and overuse injuries and other disorders of the musculoskeletal system. Orthopedic surgeons address most musculoskeletal ailments including arthritis, trauma and congenital deformities using both surgical and non-surgical means. They are often specialists in Sports Medicine (sportsmedicine) and are among the most common specialty that serve a team physician, even at the high school level where they are on standby at football games, for example, in case of serious injury. Orthopedic Surgeons are often the last surgeons to operate on a multiple trauma victim, because other organ system repair often takes priority over the musculoskeletal system.

Orthopedic Surgeons work closely with physical therapists, athletic trainers and personal trainers. While orthopedic surgeons are often considered the most “alpha”of physicians, they usually have excellent working relationships with coaches, athletics trainers, strength trainer, personal trainers and physical therapists. For example, they are usually open to recommendations from the playing field viewoint of an athletic trainer or a personal trainer.

Orthopedic surgeons (also known as orthopedists or orthopedic specialists) complete a minimum of 10 years of postsecondary education and clinical training. In the majority of cases this training includes obtaining an undergraduate degree (a few medical schools will admit students with as little as two years of undergraduate education), an allopathic degree or osteopathic degree (4 years), and then completing a five-year residency in orthopedic surgery. The five-year residency consists of one year of general surgery training followed by four years of training in orthopedic surgery.

Many orthopedic surgeons elect to do further subspecialty training in programs known as ‘fellowships’ after completing their residency training. Fellowship training in an orthopedic subspeciality is typically one year in duration (sometimes two) and usually has a research component involved with the clinical and operative training. Examples of orthopedic subspecialty training in the US are:

These are also the nine main sub-specialty areas of orthopedic surgery.
Hand surgery, and more recently Sports Medicine are the only truly recognized sub-specialties within orthopaedic surgery by the Accredited Council of Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). The other sub-specialities are informal concentrations of practice. To be recognized as a hand surgeon or sports surgeon, a practitioner must have completed an ACGME-accredited fellowship and obtained a Certificate of Added Qualifications (CAQ) which requires an additional standardized examination. Some orthopedist often work treating two musculoskeletal regions, such as knees and shoulders. Large orthopedic practices often have physicians with different sub-specialties to help round out the complete practice.

A personal trainer is a professional who educates people about physical fitness and designs and recommends general and specific workout routines and workout techniques. Personal trainers are also referred to as “trainers,” or “PT’s” — not to be confused with athletic trainers or physical therapists, who are the original  “PT’s.  Personal trainers typically design exercise routines and teach physical exercises to their clients. While some personal trainers work with only one client each session (One-on-One), others also teach groups of clients (Buddy Sessions or Group Sessions).

With an understanding of exercise physiology, sports biomechanics and nutrition; personal trainers are often called upon to help with three general goals of individuals: improvement of body composition (usually involves gaining muscle mass while losing fat weight), improvement of health and exercise safety, and sports performance enhancement (usually by improving strength, speed, endurance, power, balance and agility). Experienced trainers may also be qualified to work with doctors and physical therapists for people who need help with physical dysfunction and rehabilitation, including the improvement of balance, range of motion, low back issues, knee and shoulder issues, and those released from physical therapy. A personal trainer can often act as an extension of the physical therapist outside of the medical office by continuing to manage the objectives and action plan of the physical therapist on the practice field.

Personal trainers work with clients on several time intervals. Some clients meet for a single session to answer questions and to develop an exercise program (or to ensure that their existing program is balanced). Others prefer to work with a trainer for several months to also include motivation, variety, exercise design, or to work toward a specific goal. And still others work with a trainer indefinitely for motivation, accountability, variety, distraction, or to ensure consistent progress. People who meet regularly with a trainer usually meet with a trainer one to three times per week and then workout on their own on the non-trainer-supervised days.

Personal trainers often also have a specific method of motivating clients. Common techniques for motivation involve attitude and personality, such as an aggressive and commanding demeanor or a more calm and supportive — always monitoring for correct technique, safety issues, incentives for reaching goals, action plan adherence and positive re-framing or visualization.

A certified personal trainer is a personal trainer who has met the standards of a particular certifying agency. A Certified Personal Trainer will have the letters “CPT” after his or her name. Certification shows a minimal standard of knowledge in the area of personal training. Personal trainers can be certified with more than one organization. Different certifications may be more fitness focused, sport specific or supportive of special populations in health and medicine. Some trainers have multiple certifications. Some trainers have advanced degrees, such as a Master of Science Degree. Even some Chiropractors and Physicians have doubled as Personal Trainers. An advanced degree develops research skills and a knowledge base that certifications do not offer in one or two-day seminars. A personal trainer with an advanced degree is better equipped to glean through research and understand individual issues and design exercises and routines, than a trainer that does not have an advanced degree. Certifications are also usually easier to pass when a personal trainer has a fitness degree or advanced degree. Although that does not mean that advanced-degree personal trainers can just walk up and pass a certification test without preparing.

Certification offers evidence of continued development of knowledge and skills as a Personal Trainer. Certification is offered by several reputable organizations, such as NASM, NSCA and ACE. Most respected certification programs require that a comprehensive test be taken in person to verify identity. In addition, any reputable program will require both CPR certification and at least ten hours of continuing education per year.

Researchers examined morphologic changes in the somatosensory cortex (SSC) of patients with migraine headaches. Cortical thickness of the SSC of patients with migraine was measured and compared with age- and sex-matched healthy subjects. The study included 24 patients with migraine, subdivided into 12 patients who had migraine with aura, 12 patients who had migraine without aura, and 12 controls. Group and individual analyses were performed in the SSC and shown as average maps of significant changes in cortical thickness. RESULTS: People with history of migraines had on average a thicker somatosensory cortex than the control group. The most significant thickness changes were noticed in the caudal SSC, where the trigeminal area, including head and face, is somatotopically represented.

CONCLUSIONS: The study indicates the presence of interictal structural changes in the somatosensory cortex (SSC) of people with migraines (migraineurs). The SSC plays a crucial role in the noxious and nonnoxious somatosensory processing. Thickening in the SSC is in line with diffusional abnormalities observed in the subcortical trigeminal somatosensory pathway of the same migraine cohort in a previous study. Repetitive migraine attacks may lead to, or be the result of, neuroplastic changes in cortical and subcortical structures of the trigeminal somatosensory system.

Source:
DaSilva AF, Granziera C, Snyder J, Hadjikhani N. Thickening in the somatosensory cortex of patients with migraine. Neurology. 2007 Nov 20;69(21):1990-5.