News Extra*

A man recently complained that his lazy doctor did a “quickie” Digital Rectal Exam (DRE).  (During a DRE, a standard part of the PC exam, the doctor inserts a finger into the rectum and looks for nodules. )

 The “finger wave” (to borrow somebody’s pet name) should not be an in-and-out affair.

Now scientists have discovered that a little extra finger wiggling, or “Digital Rectal Massage” (DRM), may confer certain health benefits. So next time you go to the uro, ask for the VIP Treatment (Swedish or Shiatsu?)

Here are the details:

*Two doctors were awarded the 2006 *Ig-Nobel” Prize* in Medicine for the following discovery*:

Francis M. Fesmire of the University of Tennessee College of Medicine, for his medical case report “Termination of Intractable Hiccups with Digital Rectal Massage“; and Majed Odeh et al.  for their subsequent medical case report also titled “Termination of Intractable Hiccups with Digital Rectal Massage.”

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DRE Aborts Potential Heart Attack. . .

“Termination Of Paroxysmal Supraventricular Tachycardia By Digital Rectal Massage”

A 71-year-old woman with an episode of paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia (PSVT ) complicated by angina pectoris and hypotension had her arrhythmia abruptly terminated by Digital Rectal Massage (DRM)
after other vagotonic maneuvers had failed.  DRM may be preferable to other techniques because of the decreased likelihood of complications noted with other maneuvers.

(Note: “Vagotonic” refers to stimulation of the vagus nerve, not what some of you are thinking.)

 The doctor inserts a “digit”, i.e., finger, into the rectum and feels his way around a bit, looking for nodules.]

So if you are a man with Pca, heart trouble and hiccups (or any combination of the above), ask your doctor if Digital Rectal Massage is right for you!

Leah