Women suddenly thrust into “surgical menopause” by hysterectomy don’t have more severe mood symptoms than women going through gradual, natural menopause, a new study suggests.

Researchers who followed nearly 2,000 middle-aged women for 10 years found that those who had hysterectomies, with or without ovary removal, were as likely as women who went through natural menopause to experience depression or anxiety — and for all women, those symptoms declined steadily within a few years.

“At least among women in midlife… mood symptoms don’t seem to be a worry to take into consideration when making treatment decisions around hysterectomy and oophorectomy,” said the study’s lead author Carolyn Gibson, a researcher in the Department of Psychology at the University of Pittsburgh.

Although past studies have shown a link between hysterectomy and risk for depression, Gibson and her fellow researchers say it’s still hard to tell whether the procedure is to blame.

Also unknown is whether the symptoms of surgically-induced menopause are any different from those of women who go through menopause naturally.

Gibson told Reuters Health the topic is important, because hysterectomies are very common.

About 600,000 women in the United States have their uterus removed during a hysterectomy every year, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The researchers say between 55 percent and 80 percent of women who undergo hysterectomy also have their ovaries removed — a procedure known as oophorectomy.

Because a woman’s ovaries generate estrogen, removing them induces menopause almost immediately.

Whether natural or induced, the change in a woman’s hormone levels leading up to menopause, and in the years immediately afterward, often contributes to a range of symptoms, from anxiety and depression to insomnia and hot flashes. source: www.reuters.com

From jumping rope to swinging a kettle bell to pounding a treadmill, a finely-tuned form can spell the difference between a sound body and a sore knee.

Experts say often a professional tweak can go a long way towards firming up your workout.

“People usually injure themselves on basic exercises, like a squat or a bench press,” said New York-based personal trainer Tiffany Boucher.

But Boucher, who works for the national chain of fitness centers Equinox, said form is relatively easy to fix.

“Something is being overused, usually in tandem with some type of muscle imbalance,” she said. “So it’s often about getting people to put their shoulders in a certain place, find their center of gravity, engage their abdominals, or tilt their pelvis in a certain direction.”

She said even a small adjustment can be transformative.

Knees are the most common focus of client complaint, according to Boucher. Once form is corrected, relief often comes within weeks.

“People don’t have that continued inflammation,” she said.

Dr. Daniel Solomon, a spokesperson for the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, believes in getting the help of a professional trainer before embarking on a new routine.

“Most of what we see are strains and really preventable muscle-type injuries,” said Solomon, a California-based physician specializing in sports medicine. “People just do things their bodies aren’t ready to do or capable of sustaining for long.”

Another big mistake is skipping the warm up.

“They jump right in instead of spending 15 minutes to do a good cardio warm up and stretching before grabbing the weight,” he said.

He said some workouts just require more expertise than others.

“I’m a proponent of using free weights,” he said. “But you’ve got to make sure you have the technique correct.”

Jessica Matthews, an exercise physiologist for the American Council on Exercise, said many highly effective workouts, such as kettle bells, medicine balls, and plyometric (jumping) moves, can be dangerous if done incorrectly.

“Some workouts are trickier,” said Matthews, who is based in San Diego, California. “I’ve seen a lot of people use free weights incorrectly. There is a much greater margin of error than with machines, which move on a fixed path.”

Before going all-out on the plyometric training that characterizes so many home DVD workouts, she said it’s important to learn to land safely, which means softly and on the mid-foot.

“The body is one big kinetic chain. Dysfunction in one area will create dysfunction in another,” she said. “So suddenly your hip is bothering you because of instability in your ankle.”

Before tackling the latest high-intensity, technique-based workout, Matthews advises strengthening your stability and mobility through back-to-basic exercises such as plank, side plank, lunges and squats.

“Build that solid foundation first,” she said. “Then progress to more explosive workouts that take more advanced skills.”

If don’t have your own personal trainer, Boucher said, don’t hesitate to ask a fitness professional at your gym to observe your form for a few seconds. Then be open to the feedback.

“Do you hunch your shoulders? Hunch your back? ” she said. “Maybe one side of your body is tighter than the other. Or the left hip is more rotated than the right.” source: www.reuters.com