Patients suffering from plantar fasciitis now have a choice to choose above surgery. The new method developed by an Italian Team of researchers used dry-needling to combine it with a steroid injection.

Dry needling is done to reduce inflammation by causing local bleeding in the area where a steroid can be injected to the perifascial soft tissue, which helps in healing the fascia.

Till date, no proper treatment was established for this disease though stretching in the morning, weight loss, and NSAIDS were few things that were advised to the concerned patients. But after a number of clinical trials, researchers have come out with a conclusion that steroids help in reducing pain to a considerable extent.

The efficiencies of dry needling and steroids were assessed by researchers as they conducted a study of 44 patients in the age group of 35-80 years (who were unresponsive to previous therapies). The entire procedures took about 15 minutes. Patients were given local anesthesia guided by dry needling that was then pulled back to the perifascial soft tissues and 1 mL of triamcinolone acetonide 40 mg/mL was injected to reduce inflammation, Luca M. Sconfienza, M.D., of the University of Genoa, said.

This study has been seen as a progressive therapy for reduction of pain and associated symptoms. It is also believed that this is a novel method of treatment to cure even tennis elbow.

Tags: anesthesia, dry needling, fascia, inflammation, NSAIDs, perifascial

Posted in Steroid Cycles, steroid nation, Steroids and Anabolic Steroids | No Comments/Questions

Osteoporosis, one of the major causes of disability in older women, can be cured by low doses of steroids. On the basis of a new research by scientists, it has been reported that low dosages of estrogen increase bone density in women that too without causing any side effects.

Sources say that researchers from the University of Connecticut examined the effects of one quarter of the dose of estrogen generally given in hormone therapy. In the course of study, researchers conducted examination on 167 women older than 65 years of age. The concerned women were randomly assigned to receive smaller amount of estrogen or placebo. Researchers kept account of the bone mineral density of the hip, spine, wrist and the total body parts, every year for a period of three years. They also kept an eye at the markers for bone formation and bone resorption during the study.

It was found that women who were on low doses of estrogen showed an increase in their bone mineral density at all the sites compared to women on the placebo. Scientists found the markers for bone loss were too significantly decreased in women on low-dose estrogen compared to those on the placebo group.

The use of low dose of estrogen proved to be really helpful in increasing the bone density of the patients of the osteoporosis. On the basis of the report, it was concluded that osteoporosis can be cured by low doses of the estrogen steroids.

Tags: Estrogen, osteoporosis, placebo

Posted in Steroid Cycles, steroid nation, Steroids and Anabolic Steroids | No Comments/Questions

Cataract is characterized as the clouding of the eye’s natural lens. Persons with cataracts feel that their eyes become like frosted window or yellowed. Cataracts are the common cause of vision loss for aging individuals. The common symptoms of this condition include blurring of vision, sensitivity to the light, poor night vision, and double vision in one eye.

According to studies, people who use steroids medication such as corticosteroids have higher risk of developing such condition.

Aside from aging, steroid medications both inhaled and oral forms contribute to the development of this condition. In fact, a study that involved 3,600 asthmatic people who rely on inhaled or oral steroids revealed that seven out of 10 were found to have cataracts in follow-up exams.

Some of the medications that are associated with cataracts include psoralens, a class of drugs used along with light therapy to treat skin disorders, such as psoriasis; antipsychotic medications (chlorpromazine) and glaucoma medications.

Tags: cataracts, Inhaled steroids, Oral Steroids, steroids

Posted in Steroid Cycles, steroid nation, Steroids and Anabolic Steroids | No Comments/Questions

A steroid medication called methylprednisolone helps the recovery of vestibular neuritis patients. This was the finding in a study that included 141 patients who have vestibular neuritis. The patients were divided into several groups. One group was given methylprednisolone, another group was administered with antiviral agent, and the other group was given placebo.

Three days after the treatment, the researchers made a follow up with the patients, and another follow-up 12 months after the treatment.

Researchers found out that 62% of the patients on the steroid improved compared to 39% in the placebo group, 36% in the antiviral group and 59 percent in the combination group. This shows that corticosteroids particularly methylprednisolone, significantly improved the recovery of vestibular neuritis patients.

Tags: corticosteroids, methylprednisolone, steroids, vestibular neuritis

Posted in Steroid Cycles, steroid nation, Steroids and Anabolic Steroids | No Comments/Questions

In a recently concluded study, it was revealed that separation of membranes from a part of the cell material can result in isolation of low-abundance signaling proteins. The study was centered on kinases, a class of proteins that transmit signals by allowing an exchange of phosphate ions.

It was also found that a group of kinases was identified to respond to the presence of brassinosteroids through electrophoresis. These proteins were termed as brassinosteroid signaling kinases (BSKs) by the involved researchers. Analysis procedures that followed confirmed the pivotal function in the process of brassinosteroid signaling.

The study was undertaken by Zhi-Yong Wang and Wenqinag Tang of the Carnegie Institution’s Department of Plant Biology with seven co-authors and found a place in the Science Magazine.

BSKs are the first major signaling components that have been identified following quantitative proteomics approach in plants. These findings have helped in the establishment of connections of the steroid signaling pathway along with offering a model for both kinases signaling in plants and steroid signaled by cell-surface receptors in general. It is believed that this study will have a noticeable impact on other studies of signal transduction pathways.

Tags: brassinosteroid signaling, genetic redundancy, low-abundance signaling proteins, plant steroids, signal transduction pathways, steroids

Posted in Steroid Cycles, steroid nation, Steroids and Anabolic Steroids | No Comments/Questions

In a study recently presented at the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine’s (SMFM) annual meeting, researched unveil findings that premature babies who are born before 34 weeks have a 31 percent reduction in acute ailments once they have been administered with a “rescue course” of Antenatal Corticosteroids (ACS) steroids. It is worthwhile to note that the rescue course does not involve any side-effects.

The study also revealed that rescue course of steroids can be administered to pregnant women expected to deliver prematurely. This means that complications risking life of babies are reduced by as much as a third with no adverse side-effects at all.

This study, which was supported by the Pediatrix Medical Group, is expected to give enough relief to the expecting women community. It is expected that these findings will help in minimizing the levels of neonatal mortality in the United States.

Tags: antenatal corticosteroids, antenatal steroids, preemies, premature babies

Posted in Steroid Cycles, steroid nation, Steroids and Anabolic Steroids | No Comments/Questions

Duchenne muscular dystrophy is a genetic disorder characterized by progressive muscle wasting and weakness that begin with microscopic changes in the muscle. As muscles degenerate over time, the person’s muscle strength gradually declines. This disorder happens to one in every 3,500 boys between age nine and 11.

There is no definite cure for Duchenne muscular dystrophy, although corticosteroids or steroids can help children to walk longer by themselves, and reduce the risk of scoliosis.

Daily dose of steroids allow children with Duchenne muscular dystrophy to walk longer by at least 3.3 years – that is 91% of 143 boys who participated in the study. The benefits of this treatment come at a cost of its side effects including risk of vertebral and leg fractures.

Tags: corticosteroids, duchenne muscular dystrophy, steroids

Posted in Steroid Cycles, steroid nation, Steroids and Anabolic Steroids | No Comments/Questions

An analysis published by the British-based Cochrane Library revealed that anti-inflammatory steroids for traumatic head injuries like those from car crashes can increase the risk of death. In a study that involved 4,985 patients, 18 percent of those who were treated with corticosteroids were more likely to die from brain injury than those who did not take the drugs.

According to Dr. Alderson, corticosteroids are commonly used to treat inflammation since most doctors believe that some of the damage after a brain injury results from inflammation following the initial injury and that reducing inflammation might reduce this secondary injury.

Tags: corticosteroids, Dr. Alderson, head injuries, steroids

Posted in Steroid Cycles, steroid nation, Steroids and Anabolic Steroids | No Comments/Questions

Anabolic steroids are known medication for body wasting disease such as AIDS. These drugs enhance the formation of new cells through efficient protein synthesis. There are two anabolic steroids available in the United States, nandrolone decanoate and oxandrolone, have been used to help increase weight and muscle mass in small studies of people with wasting.

In a review which covered 13 studies of adults age 24 to 42 with HIV, 294 of whom received anabolic steroids for at least six weeks and 238 of whom received placebo. The average weight increase in those taking anabolic steroids was nearly three pounds.

Anabolic steroids were administered to patients either orally or by injection. They produce side effects which include abnormal liver function tests; acne; mild increase in body hair; breast tenderness; increased libido, aggressiveness and irritability; and mood swings.

Tags: AIDS, anabolic steroids, hiv

Posted in bodybuilding, Steroid Cycles, steroid nation, Steroids and Anabolic Steroids | No Comments/Questions

A couple from Polk County was arrested Tuesday night for allegedly trading large-scale steroids. Richard Thomas and his wife Sandra are now facing 10 counts of possession of anabolic steroids with intention to sell and deliver; one count of possession of a firearm in commission of a felony; 10 counts importation of anabolic steroids into state of Florida; and one count of maintaining a residence for selling drugs.

According to Polk County officials, they were able to seize an estimated $200,000 in illegal steroids and various kinds of weapons. The officials considered the incident as the biggest seizure of steroids in Polk County history and one of the largest in the region.

Polk County officials and investigators are skeptical on the statements of Richard Thomas in which he claimed that he is the biggest steroid supplier in Central Florida. He also told investigators that he sold steroids to most professional athletes including Washington Capitals hockey team and Washington Nationals baseball team.

Tags: anabolic steroids, Polk County, Richard Thomas, Sandra Thomas, steroids

Posted in Steroid Cycles, steroid nation, Steroids and Anabolic Steroids, Steroids in Baseball, Steroids in Sports | No Comments/Questions