Muslim Innovation at work.

Islamic innovation

Converting barriers into life changing opportunities.

 

What do coffee; chemistry, algorithms, drug testing and the airplane have in common? They all owe their existence to Islamic scientists!

 

Under the Abbasid caliphate (750-1258), the Islamic capital of Baghdad was the center of the scholarly world. Located at a geographical crossroads, its schools drew students from as far away as Greece and China. Competing Islamic centers of study sprang up as well in Spain, Egypt, and, later, Turkey. The results of this outpouring of Islamic scientific research were a spate of innovations, which became the foundations of the sciences we know today.

 

The modern word “chemistry,” for example, comes from the Arabic word kimiya, and Muslim chemists are credited with pioneering fundamental processes of modern chemical research, such as sublimation, crystallization, and distillation. One of them, eight-century chemist Jabir Ibn Hayyan, literally wrote the textbook: he left behind texts that became the basis for studying chemistry for the next 500 years.

Baghdad mathematician and astronomer Al Khwarizmi was among the first to use zero as a placeholder, and he gave his name to the modern word “algorithm.”

 

A pioneer of Muslim physiology, Persian physician Zakariya Al-Razi wrote the first manual of home medicine and was among the first physicians to write down psychological factors in his patients’ health. Ibn Sina wrote a 14-volume encyclopedia that remained the central text at many medical schools until the 17th century. His directions for testing new drugs are very similar to the process still used today, more than a thousand years later.

 

Islamic scholars were also pioneers in engineering and design, creating soaring buildings that still amazes viewers today. Ottoman architect Sinan, for example, created light-filled domes—the largest in the world at the time—that seemed to float in space.

 

All of these innovations were fed by the culture of Islam. Islam is a religion that values the written word: as the direct word of Allah, the Quran is fundamental to the practice of Islam and believers across the world learn to read it in the original Arabic version. Thus, the introduction of Islam greatly increased literacy rates and united the vast world of Islam with a shared language, as well as a reverence for the writing. This created a perfect environment for scientific research. Islam also spoke to believers directly about the value of studies. “The scholar’s ink is more sacred than the blood of martyrs,” the Quran taught, and Islamic physicians must have been encouraged by the Prophet’s assurance that “for every disease, Allah has given a cure.”

 

Today, we no longer see Islam as the great engine of scientific innovation that it once was. Religions in general have come to be seen as separate from the practical concerns of daily life, and the traditions at their core can sometimes seem threatened by the pace of scientific change.

 

Islamic science is not dead, however! There are many Muslims working in science, medicine and technology today. Did you know that Dr. Oz, to whom so many television viewers turn for medical advice, is a Muslim? And American Muslim Fuad El-Hibri was CEO of the company that developed the anthrax vaccine so widely discussed—and relied upon—during the anthrax scare a few years ago. These are only two among many examples of contemporary Muslim scientists.

 

Going a step further, some Muslims are trying to unite their faith and their research to create a new wave of Islamic science. They hope that their research will become even more powerful and transformative when aligned with their spirituality. There are digital Qurans and smart phone apps that help a user locate the nearest mosque or halal grocer, as well as digital devices that point constantly toward Mecca.

 

One striking example of this new trend is the world’s first physiological prayer mat developed by Canadian company TIMEZ5 and recognized last year at the Global Islamic Economy Summit 2013 as a global innovation. This space age, NASA-inspired technology is aimed at making daily prayer easier. Muslims use prayer mats, also called prayer rugs or prayer carpets, to create a clean and clean space on which to stand, kneel, and prostrate at prayer times. TIMEZ5’s physiological prayer mat uses a 5 layer-system and high performance materials to stabilize motion, support posture, and absorb the weight, even when it’s concentrated at a few points, as when kneeling.

 

The company’s developers say this combination of tradition and innovation, dubbed as the “physio-spiritual experience,” will let users pray with more comfort and with less pain or fatigue. This work is both new and ancient: from the chemistry that went into creating their materials to the algorithms used to calculate the ergonomic effects of standing, kneeling, and prostrate positions, researchers at TIMEZ5 say they were conscious of building on strands of Islamic scientific tradition that go back to their ancestors. Islamic innovation, they say, makes up their company’s DNA.

 

Islam was, from its inception, a powerful engine of scientific innovation. That quality is less in evidence these days, but a new generation of researchers is working to bring it back, joining their faith to space age technology in the hopes of creating a second golden age of Islamic science. The results may lead to a whole new way of looking at both.

5 Best Exercises for Knee Pain

Knee pain is one of the most common chronic pain types for adults. It unavoidable in some cases as its caused by wear and tear over time to the knees due to day to day activities and for some its caused do to being overweight or taking part in strenuous activities. Below are some exercises that can help temporarily relieve knee pain.

Step-Ups Using an aerobic step bench or a staircase, step up onto the step with your right foot. Tap your left foot on the top of the step, and then lower. As you step up, your knee should be directly over your ankle. Repeat with your left foot.

Partial Squats Stand about 12 inches away from the front of a chair with your feet about hip width apart and your toes forward. Bending at the hips, slowly lower yourself halfway down to the chair. Keep your abs tight, and check that your knees stay behind your toes.

Hamstring Stretch Lie on your back with your left leg flat on the floor. Loop a towel or rope around your right foot and pull your leg as far as comfortable toward your chest, while keeping a slight bend at the knee. Keep your back pressed to the floor throughout the stretch. Hold for 10 to 30 seconds and then release. Repeat three or four times with each leg. Do this stretch five or six times a week.

Straight-Leg Raises Sit with your back against a wall, left leg straight and right leg bent with your foot flat on the floor. Slowly raise your left leg straight up about 12 inches off the floor. Hold, then slowly lower. Repeat with your right leg.

Short-Arc Knee Extensions In the same starting position as the straight-leg raises, put a ball (about the size of a basketball) under your left knee so that your leg is bent. Slowly straighten your leg. Hold, then slowly lower. Repeat with your right leg.

Why knee pain when climbing steps could be early sign to osteoarthritis

Universitly of Leeds researchers have found that climbing up steps could be an early sign of  knee osteoarthritis (OA).

It is an actual proven fact that climbing stairs puts more pressure on the knees than regular walking and over time climbing steps can have an adverse effect on your knees. While knee osteoarthritis (OA) usually takes place in adults over the age of 40, the symptoms can show up earlier for some who play high impact sports and have had previous knee injuries.

In order to protect your knees from further damage and to stay away from the more serious knee osteoarthritis (OA), doctors recommend that you modift your physical activities. If you have to climb to many steps on a daily basis its best to find a place, which is on a lower level to cut down on climbing. Lastly continuing to do low impact physical activities are the best alternative to overcome OA instead of going for more expensive physiotherapy sessions

How to position yourself at the desk to relieve knee and back pain

It’s a fact that we spend over 8 hours at a desk or on a chair everyday. It’s no longer not an option to work from a desk unless you’re out on the field. While you may think that sitting at a desk is the most comfortable job, it really isn’t. Sitting at a desk improperly is what is the leading cause of back and neck pain.

Steven Conway, Ph.D., a chiropractor and attorney in Athens, Wisconsin, and a spokesperson for the American Chiropractic Association says that we’re built to move as humans. Sitting in one place over a long period of time puts us at risk for chronic pain related to different kinds of joint pains.

Dr.Conway has come up with some of the best ways to address pain while spending time at your work desk:

Neck Pain

The problem: You’re used to cradling your phone between your shoulder and neck while you do other work such as looking at your screen.

The fix: The simplest solution is to use a handsfree headset or the speaker phone and make sure you have your screen adjusted so you’re not having to tilt your neck up or down to look at it.

Mid back Pain

The problem: Slouching at your chair and sitting still for over an hour

The fix: Get out of your chair more often, doctors recommend moving every 20 minutes. It’s also easy to do some simple stretches from your chair, such as looking up at the ceiling and sitting flat against the back of the chair. The best case scenario though is to get off your chair and just take a 2 minute walk around the office.

Lower Back Pain

The problem: Your chair is not at the right height and the chair back is completely vertical

The fix: First proceed to adjust your chair height and make sure your arms align with your desk so that they’re slightly bent when typing. Also make sure your seat is reclining or has lumbar support. Adjust the tilt of your chair to maintain the curve of lower spine. If your chair doesn’t provide the right support you can consider getting a support cushion to help you.

New quick treatment provides instant knee pain relief

Most adults suffer from knee pain, it isn’t just caused due to sports but also due to the daily grind. The wear and tear for the knee is inevitable even for the healthiest people.

The center for disease control (CDC) states that nearly 1 in 2 people may develop symptomatic knee osteoarthritis by the age of 85. Some of the most common means to combat this knee pain type and many others is physical therapy, surgery and strong medications. All three of which do not provide any guarantees of pain relief over the long run.

A recent discovery though is changing this, founded by specialist Dr. Halland Chen in New York. The iovera system is a revolutionary new way to help those who suffer from chronic knee pain. Dr. Chen states that iovera therapy harnesses the power of focus cold therapy which is a game changer in the industry.

How it works is through a handheld device with nitrous oxide canisters to freeze short needle probes to negative 126 degrees. The injected needles then spread the nitrous oxide which kills away the targeted sensory nerves around the knee, these nerves completely stop them from sending pain signals thus eliminating the pain instantly.

While this is a short term solution as it only stops the pain from shooting up the nerves, it is still deemed as one of the most effective and quickest ways to get patients moving on with their daily lives. The fact that it isn’t permanent like surgery also means that it isn’t harmful to your health.

One of Dr. Chen’s patients has gone 3 months without any knee pain and says that its improved his lifestyle by a great amount. The iovera treatment is definitely a promising breakthrough in the medical industry and a much needed one especially for those who constantly suffer from knee pain and want to steer away from surgery or painful physical therapy.