What is Movember?
Movember is the combination of the words moustache and November. Movember is one of the world’s largest non-government organizations, or fundraisers to put it simply. Movember is a charity in which men around the world proudly display brilliant varieties of moustaches. That’s right; they get paid for their facial hair. Men register with the organization via their website and others sponsor the growth of their facial hair. Why in the world would anyone pay for someone else to grow facial hair? You may ask. Well that is the focal point of the charity and it is to raise money and awareness for men’s health issues, mainly prostate and testicular cancers and depression.
Movember started in Australia in 2004 and has quickly spread on a global scale since. The rules are simple. November 1st starts with a clean slate and a clean shave. Throughout the following days of November, men meticulously groom and primp their moustaches to perfection. They are sponsored by friends and family who donate money to the cause. The main mission of Movember to is to help men change their attitudes towards health issues in a way that educates them about health risks, and hopefully increases the chances of early detection, diagnosis, and treatment of prostate and testicular cancers. Statistics for 2012 are available as the month is not officially over, but just to give a little insight on just how well these moustaches work, in 2011, 854,000 people came together worldwide to raise $126.3 million dollars. With all of the benefits for women’s health issues, breast cancer being one of the major issues, it is nice to see that there is some initiative to help bring awareness to the health issues faced by men. For more information on physical therapy services head www.totalperformancept.com.
What organizations help the cause?
The main health issues faced by men that brought about Movember are prostate and testicular cancers. The proceeds from the fundraiser benefits 4 main programs which include the Prostate Cancer Foundation, LIVESTRONG Foundation, Awareness and Education, and Movember’s Global action plan which helps fund research for prostate and testicular cancers through global collaboration. These organizations help educate and support males who are fighting cancer and their families through monetary and educational means/support groups. Some of the main education points are early detection. Knowing the signs and symptoms of some of the major cancers that affect men is a great place to start.
http://us.movember.com/about/awareness
http://us.movember.com/about/global-action-plan/
Prostate Cancer Signs/Symptoms
Some of the signs that may warrant a trip to a medical professional to rule out prostate cancer include:
- Difficulty urinating
- Decreased flow/force of the stream during urination
- Blood in the urine and/or semen
- Swelling in the legs
- Pain/discomfort in the hip/pelvic area
- Bone pain
Testicular Cancer Signs/Symptoms
Some of the signs and symptoms that may warrant a trip to a medical professional to rule out testicular cancer include:
- A lump or abnormal growth in either testicle
- Aching pain felt in the groin or stomach
- Pain/discomfort in the testicles or scrotum
- Enlargement or tenderness of the breasts
What PT can do for individuals fighting cancer?
Physical therapy has been proven to help in the fight against cancer. A supervised exercise program can be prescribed to a patient diagnosed with testicular or prostate cancer to help increase strength of weakened muscles, increase flexibility, and improve tolerance to chemotherapy and radiation treatments. It is important for individuals battling cancer to maintain muscular and cardiovascular fitness to obtain maximum benefit from treatments provided. Exercise programs guided by a physical therapist help relieve stress and anxiety and decrease pain in individuals dealing with cancer. Massage therapy has also been proven to help decrease anxiety and pain and help promote relaxation which helps in the recovery process. In a case such as prostate cancer, physical therapy can help strengthen the muscles of the pelvis to help increase the strength of flow during urination to restore proper bladder voiding function.
For more information on physical therapy services head to www.totalperformancept.com.
