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Fliers in need a little stress reliever at Miami International Airport are finding relaxation now comes in the shape of a golden retriever.

3-year-old Casey is a trained therapy dog and twice a week she'll be walking through the concourses of MIA making new friends.

Her owner, airport volunteer Liz Miller, said she asked herself one day "why aren’t we putting Casey and me on the concourse and touching people in a positive way?”

Airport directors obliged, and after a few practice runs, Miller took Casey on a walk through Concourse E for her official Valentine’s Day debut Tuesday.

On her way to St. Thomas, Cindy Pickering first thought Casey was a service dog.

"I wanted to rub her but I didn’t know if I was allowed,” said Pickering. "This is more welcoming coming to Miami than I anticipated."

Casey also took petting from a 15-month-old Lithuanian boy and shared a few licks with a four-month-old girl.

"Say hi," Dallas native Ben Winski told his infant daughter Avia, as he held her up for a sloppy greeting.

Casey’s greeting schedule is Mondays and Thursdays, and paws into social media in her free time. Miller is working on Casey’s Facebook and Twitter pages.

Golden Retriever Fighting Dog Days at Miami Airport

   

Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE) announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted for review the New Drug Application (NDA) for tofacitinib (development code CP-690,550), an investigational novel, oral JAK inhibitor being studied for the treatment of adult patients with moderately to severely active rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The FDA has provided an anticipated Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) action date in August 2012 for the NDA. Pfizer has also submitted an application for this indication for tofacitinib to regulatory authorities in Japan.

As disclosed in November, an application for tofacitinib for the treatment of adult patients with moderate-to-severe active RA is being reviewed by the European Medicines Agency.

“Pfizer is pleased to have achieved this regulatory milestone, which reflects our commitment to advancing treatments for inflammatory conditions, and constitutes a significant step toward bringing tofacitinib to RA patients who are in need of additional therapeutic options,” said Geno Germano, president and general manager, Specialty Care and Oncology, Pfizer Inc. “We are proud of the comprehensive Phase 3 clinical program that we have completed and believe that, if approved by the FDA, tofacitinib has the potential to improve the lives of people with RA.”

About Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease that typically affects the hands and feet, although any joint lined by a synovial membrane may be affected. RA affects approximately 1.3 million Americansi and one percent of the population worldwide.ii

Pfizer Inc.: Working together for a healthier world®

At Pfizer, we apply science and our global resources to improve health and well-being at every stage of life. We strive to set the standard for quality, safety and value in the discovery, development and manufacturing of medicines for people and animals. Our diversified global health care portfolio includes human and animal biologic and small molecule medicines and vaccines, as well as nutritional products and many of the world's best-known consumer products. Every day, Pfizer colleagues work across developed and emerging markets to advance wellness, prevention, treatments and cures that challenge the most feared diseases of our time. Consistent with our responsibility as the world's leading biopharmaceutical company, we also collaborate with health care providers, governments and local communities to support and expand access to reliable, affordable health care around the world. For more than 150 years, Pfizer has worked to make a difference for all who rely on us. To learn more about our commitments, please visit us at www.pfizer.com.

DISCLOSURE NOTICE: The information contained in this release is as of December 20, 2011.Pfizer assumes no obligation to update forward-looking statements contained in this release as the result of new information or future events or developments.

This release contains forward-looking information that involves substantial risks and uncertainties about a product in development, tofacitinib, including its potential benefits as a treatment for moderate-to-severe active RA, that is under review by regulatory authorities in the U.S., EU and Japan.Such risks and uncertainties include, among other things, the uncertainties inherent in research and development; decisions by those regulatory authorities regarding whether and when to approve drug applications that have been filed for tofacitinib for moderate-to-severe active RA, as well as their decisions regarding labeling and other matters that could affect its availability or commercial potential; and competitive developments.

A further description of risks and uncertainties can be found in Pfizer’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2010 and in its reports on Form 10-Q and Form 8-K.

i Arthritis Today. “What is Rheumatoid Arthritis.” Accessed 24 February 2011. Available at: http://www.arthritistoday.org/conditions/rheumatoid-arthritis/all-about-ra/what-is-ra.php.

ii Lee DM, Weinblatt ME. Rheumatoid arthritis. Lancet. 2001; 358:903-911.

Business Wirehttp://www.businesswire.com/

Last updated on: 20/12/2011 14:00:07

Pfizer Announces FDA Acceptance For Review Of New Drug Application For Tofacitinib For Adult Patients With Moderately To Severely Active Rheumatoid Arthritis - News Press Release

   

Madison Gray didn’t quite know what she had when she started doing core exercises on a concoction of water bottles to alleviate back pain.

Before she knew it, she had some abs.

The massage therapist and clinic director of Georgia Medical Massage has since spruced up her design and started using the water-filled pouches on some of her patients. Now, the WAKE (Water Assisted Core Exercise) is available to everyone.

“It’s been an ongoing discovery,” she said. “The WAKE can do a lot of things, but it can really help people who struggle with pain strengthen their core.”

The WAKE comes with four different DVDs, which go over several exercises. In addition to core workouts, the WAKE comes in handy with Pilates, breathing exercises and several routines you can do lying down.

It’s not mechanical. Instead, the water-filled pouch is covered in suede and can flex to fit any body. It fits just fine in bed, too — one of the DVDs covers some bed exercises.

“If you have it in your bed, then there’s no excuse not to use it,” Gray said. “You can get to it right away. You can also use it as a pillow.”

Actually, the WAKE has a growing list of uses, said Mark Gilpin, who helped design it. Its production has several Athens hands on it.

Stitches by Phebe and How II Manufacturing and Embroidery manufacture the water-filled, pillow-like exercise tool. Snowden-Tatarski produced the exercise videos. The bladder is the only part not made in Athens, but it is made in America, Gray points out.

The manufacturers have produced about 500 WAKEs so far, Gray said, but many remain unsold. Besides online ordering, many WAKE owners also are patients at Georgia Medical Massage. Gray introduces the WAKE only to patients she believes will need it.

Gray works with many clients who have lower-back pain, and the WAKE complements her massages. The leg, core and breath work strengthen muscles without putting the back into compromising positions.

But Gray can see only a handful of clients a week.

“There is not enough of me to go around,” she laughed. “But this is an option that is a lot less expensive.”

It’s not inexpensive, either. The WAKE sells with the DVD package for $375.

Still, the WAKE has several benefits, Gray said. You can take it anywhere, and it won’t put you in a lot of pain.

Gray doesn’t believe in the “No Pain, No Gain” exercise mentality.

“I think there are a lot of people who don’t work out, not because they are lazy, but because they are in pain,” she said. “You are fundamentally in charge of your health, and you have to listen to your body.”

The WAKE is available online and at a few spas, including Georgia Medical Massage, 999 Baxter St. For more information, visit www.wakefit.com.

New exercise device made in Athens

   

The private equity giant has soared by obsessing about danger - and by becoming more than a one-man show.

FORTUNE -- The last time Blackstone's Steve Schwarzman was featured in the pages of Fortune, it was March 2007, and private equity firms were reveling in their moment of maximum glory. A frenzy of buying and bidding was pushing takeover deals into the tens of billions. Blackstone's founders, Schwarzman and Pete Peterson, already zillionaires, had taken home hundreds of millions more as the firm held a richly priced initial public offering. The $3 million party that Schwarzman threw for himself on his 60th birthday earned him notoriety as a tuxedo-wearing symbol of excess. This magazine crowned him "The New King of Wall Street."

In that 2007 article, a former Blackstone employee sounded a cautionary note about Schwarzman and his firm: "Never be the poster boy. The era changes, and the poster boy gets ripped off the wall." Well, the era certainly changed. The financial crisis and the grinding slowdown that followed have humbled even the buyout princes. Cerberus's audacious buyout of Chrysler and Apollo's acquisition of Linens 'n Things both ended with humiliating trips to bankruptcy court. Blackstone's top competitors, KKR (KKR) and Carlyle Group, had to repeatedly postpone IPO plans. And Carlyle was forced to close a hedge fund that it had launched to take advantage of the boom.

For all the turmoil, though, the poster boy didn't get ripped from the wall. Today Blackstone (BX) is bigger than ever. The firm had $157.7 billion in assets under management as of Sept. 30, up from $88.4 billion in May 2007. With Blackstone earning a steady 2% management fee on the vast majority of those dollars, the firm has seen its fee revenue rise 60%. So prosperous is Blackstone that average compensation was about $810,000 per employee in 2010. By comparison, the staff at Goldman Sachs (GS) had to get by on a relatively paltry $430,000 per head.

You wouldn't know those gaudy numbers if you read Blackstone's public filings, which the firm has released since going public in 2007. Those filings have consistently shown losses. That's because Blackstone is a partnership, and its goal is to generate cash for its partners rather than reporting earnings.

The firm is now more diverse than ever. Its private equity business, which oversees $43 billion, accounts for just over a quarter of the assets the firm manages, and Blackstone has three other lines of comparable scale. Its real estate and hedge fund businesses (the latter creates individualized funds of funds for clients and invests in startup hedge funds) manage $41 billion and $40 billion, respectively. Its credit unit, which buys pieces of loans and distressed debt, oversees $34 billion. Blackstone's fifth line, its advisory group, has become a top choice for complex deals and restructurings.

Returns for all of Blackstone's funds consistently rank in the top quartile of their peer groups, according to data firm Preqin. Blackstone's private equity funds, for example, have averaged 22% annual returns to investors, after fees, since the first buyout fund was raised in 1987.

Though it suffered large writedowns in 2008, Blackstone avoided a cataclysm. That's largely because Schwarzman has always been obsessed with being "alert to danger," as he puts it, instilling a caution that borders on paranoia. Blackstone anticipated the mortgage meltdown, the fall in equities prices, and the end of easy credit, and pushed hard for an IPO before the collapse. (That was good for Blackstone -- not so good for its shareholders.) Blackstone's hedge fund group wisely directed some of the hedge fund managers it worked with to bet against subprime mortgages. And in 2006 and 2007, Blackstone sold 81% of its private equity portfolio as prices were rising. Those decisions left the firm awash in cash when opportunities emerged in 2009.

Another key reason Blackstone has been able to grow: its chief operating officer, Tony James. Though overshadowed by Schwarzman, James is an adroit manager who has insulated his staff from Schwarzman's perfectionism and relentless demands, positioning Blackstone to be that rare Wall Street creature: a firm that can thrive even after its founders (eventually) depart.

Not smarter - more aware

Steve Schwarzman really, really wants to know what you think. He craves information, and he'll seek it from anybody, anywhere, anytime. Over Easter weekend this past spring Schwarzman started hearing from people he bumped into that $4-a-gallon gasoline was crimping their lives, forcing them to carpool and cancel vacations. "They were scared," Schwarzman recalls. He began asking everyone he encountered -- waiters, gas station attendants, his dentist's assistant -- what they thought.

Soon after, he put aside his planned agenda at Blackstone's management meeting. "Something's wrong with the economy," Schwarzman told his partners. Some disputed him, citing solid economic numbers. Then they began sniffing around for signs of a slowdown -- and found them. By summer Blackstone was prepared, with its portfolio companies trimming debt and lining up credit in advance of another squeeze.

A similar thing occurred on a bigger scale in 2006. Members of Blackstone's real estate teams in the U.S., Spain, and India recognized that residential real estate prices were exploding in all three countries, far outpacing growth in income. Blackstone found itself priced out of deals. The firm's partners concluded that the real estate bubble was about to burst and began selling. All told, Blackstone sold $60 billion in real estate assets from 2005 to 2007, including the $27 billion it flipped in the Equity Office Properties deal.

To hear Schwarzman tell it, the firm's footprint is the secret of its success. With a long-established presence in four asset classes vs. only one or two for rivals, Blackstone gets daily feeds of information that give the company a competitive edge. "We're not smarter than anyone else," Schwarzman says. "We just see more."

Schwarzman is so detail-oriented that this explanation stretches over 20 minutes, a not uncommon duration when he digs into an interview question. Another query, about Occupy Wall Street, sparks its own 18-minute dissection of a decade's worth of economic history, only to conclude with the bland observation that the protests are an understandable response to the economic slowdown.

Whatever the reason, Blackstone's businesses seem to be humming. After Lehman Brothers went under and GE Capital (GE) retreated, Blackstone's real estate group, led by Jon Gray, became the last giant left in the forest. Gray's team came out of the crisis with $12 billion to invest and has returned an annualized 28% to investors since inception in 1992. Blackstone's hedge fund division, run by Tom Hill, has delivered 10% annualized returns since 1990 vs. 8% for the S&P, and has enjoyed net inflows every year between 2007 and 2011, while the industry suffered net outflows.

Blackstone's fastest-growing business is credit investing, run by Bennett Goodman. The division's flagship fund has averaged 17% annual returns since inception in 2007. And its advisory group, led by John Studzinski, has handled marquee transactions, such as representing Bank of America (BAC) when Warren Buffett made his $5 billion investment in it, and handling complex bankruptcies, such as that of the Tribune Co. Overall, Blackstone's fee-related revenues increased by about 9% from 2009 to 2010.

Blackstone is underrepresented in Russia, Africa, Australia, and South America outside of Brazil. "We believe that the United States and Europe will grow more slowly," says Tony James, "but we won't expand globally for the sake of saying we're everywhere." The firm's chief expansion initiative for now: It's raising a new fund to invest in energy.

Blackstone refuses to start a business unless it has the right person to lead the effort. "Most firms would jump into an attractive business and then, when there were problems, replace people who didn't work out," says Mario Giannini of Hamilton Lane, which helps select private equity opportunities for institutional investors. Tony James points out that Blackstone got into LBOs, real estate, hedge fund investing, and credit long after its rivals. Yet it still climbed to the top. As James puts it, "There isn't much first-mover advantage if it means throwing a lot of things at the wall and abandoning what doesn't stick."

A leader delegates

It often feels that Steve Schwarzman's philosophy infuses every inch of Blackstone. Employees high and low preach the need to operate with a "zero defect" mentality. They all express an intolerance of error, a willingness to challenge one another, and constant vigilance against the prospect of losing money.

Perhaps surprisingly for a CEO, and one who is not lacking in ego, Schwarzman was able to apply the zero-defect approach to himself. He came to recognize that in some ways he was a major impediment to the firm's long-term future. Beginning with the firm's founding in 1985, Schwarzman seemed to make every decision, big or small, at the firm while his co-founder, Pete Peterson, served as its outside face until he retired in 2008.

Schwarzman wasn't a screamer, but he was impatient and a legendary micromanager. He wanted to know what everybody was doing at every minute and would sometimes proofread letters before employees sent them out. Schwarzman says he treated people "like they were deals, trying to instantly change whatever was wrong."

As a result, Blackstone struggled to keep its biggest stars, who would go on to greater renown at their own firms -- Evercore's Roger Altman, BlackRock's Larry Fink, Cendant's Henry Silverman, and Silver Lake's Glenn Hutchins. Only a handful of early employees at any level stayed on over the years. Schwarzman knew his firm would need to retain talent to thrive over the long haul.

Ultimately he realized he could give up much of his responsibility and be the happier for it. So, in 2002, Schwarzman hired James away from Credit Suisse to be Blackstone's COO. "Tony is a better manager than me," he cheerfully acknowledges. The result, with James in charge of the firm's day-to-day responsibilities, has been both a happier and more liberated Schwarzman -- James has let Steve be Steve -- and a happier and more liberated team.

James is the virtual antithesis of Schwarzman. Schwarzman is emotional; James, calm. Schwarzman is 5-foot-6; James, 6-foot-1. Schwarzman is an outspoken Republican; James, a Democrat. James doesn't share Schwarzman's love of the spotlight, and he has a New England Yankee's sense of thrift (as much as any centimillionaire can). He takes the subway and buys all his dress shirts at Costco.

Schwarzman and James diverge even in their snacks. As I interviewed Schwarzman one day, he ate mixed berries and cantaloupe on a porcelain plate, slicing his strawberries efficiently and quickly with a knife and fork. By contrast, James munched on peanut butter sandwich crackers when I spoke with him, leaving a fluorescent orange residue on his long fingers.

James reorganized Blackstone's management to take pressure off Schwarzman. He not only created a 16-member executive committee made up of the heads of Blackstone's business units, he also persuaded Schwarzman to let it decide -- by consensus -- everything from strategy to new initiatives to personnel issues. Not incidentally, membership on the committee exposes division chiefs to other parts of the firm, an important step in grooming someone to eventually run Blackstone.

James also masterminded the 2008 acquisition of asset manager GSO Capital Partners, which doubled Blackstone's credit division. GSO became an early-warning system, giving Blackstone insight into the debt markets at their most perilous time. And GSO made money for Blackstone during the downturn by buying up discounted debt in Blackstone's portfolio companies. Given that Blackstone owned the companies, GSO knew they could service their debt.

Then there were cultural changes that might seem almost laughingly touchy-feely for a firm of alpha financiers, but that lightened what was once a dark and intense place. To combat the terror many employees had of challenging Schwarzman's ideas -- challenges that Schwarzman actually welcomed -- James required junior analysts to present once a month at investment committee meetings, to make them speak up. In part because of such measures, and because of James's calming presence, meetings once dominated by Schwarzman have given way to almost Socratic cross-questioning.

James has also nurtured employees, setting expectations and providing tools to meet them. He implemented an anonymous, 360° employee review program, and made sure that those with technical problems got training and those with behavioral problems got coaching.

Blackstone's turnover rate is now half that of the average Wall Street firm, and it has nurtured a cadre of stars who could some day lead the firm. The candidates include Gray in real estate and Goodman in credit, either of whom could ultimately become James's greatest legacy. "There's a shortage of great managers and a shortage of people with a broad knowledge of finance," says Peterson. "I have never seen anyone who combines the two the way Tony does."

Learning from mistakes

James's success has allowed Schwarzman to aspire to the statesman-like role that Peterson played for many years. These days Schwarzman hobnobs at Davos, submits editorials about policy, and raises money for presidential candidate Mitt Romney. Schwarzman donated $100 million to the New York Public Library, whose main building is now named after him.

But the feisty and blunt Schwarzman occasionally stumbles, such as when, at a board meeting for a nonprofit last year, he blasted the Obama administration's attempts to raise taxes on private equity firms. "It's a war," he said. "It's like when Hitler invaded Poland in 1939." Schwarzman apologized and declines to discuss the episode today. But he noted in a recent speech, "As a result of Blackstone's success, I find some of the things I say get a lot more scrutiny than they used to. And sometimes I say things I wish I could take back," adding that "sometimes a bad analogy can get in the way of a good argument."

He made those comments in October at the Alfred E. Smith dinner in New York, a Catholic charity fundraiser known for its speeches over the years by presidential candidates -- everybody from Ronald Reagan to Barack Obama -- rather than for appearances by Wall Street potentates. But at a moment when many fellow financiers, cowed by the furor surrounding Occupy Wall Street, were keeping a low profile, there was Schwarzman, who is Jewish but married to a Catholic. ("Frankly, you never know when you're hedged enough," he quipped.) Schwarzman helped raise more than $2 million that night, and he has contributed heavily to Catholic schools. He's been known to write letters to parochial students who benefit from his largesse, congratulating them on their achievements and inquiring about areas that need improvement.

During his speech, Schwarzman cracked topical jokes and made a plea for a return to American greatness. Mostly, though, he skewered himself, mocking his infamous birthday party and the fact that he remains a regular guy who checks out library books and leaves his name "carved into marble at the entrances to the building." Schwarzman managed to make it through the speech without putting his foot in his mouth. At the table where I was seated with Blackstone executives and Schwarzman's joke writer, there was a palpable sigh of relief. A Blackstoner pulled me aside and said, "See? Steve learns."

Indeed, friends say that Schwarzman's outsize persona conceals a man who continues to learn from his mistakes. At 64, he seems more engaged and content than ever. Schwarzman loves the intellectual stimulation, the connections, the speaking engagements. He likes being king. (The money ain't bad either.) He says he has no plans to retire. As one of his closest friends, J.P. Morgan Chase (JPM) vice chairman Jimmy Lee, puts it, "Steve doesn't have hobbies." James jokes about his partner's hypercompetitiveness: "Pete worked here until he was 83, so that means Steve will probably be here until he's 84."

It's not impossible to see him in some sort of government role if Mitt Romney becomes President. If that were to happen, it would be possible for the first time to imagine a Blackstone without Steve Schwarzman.

Reporter associate: Doris Burke.

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Can Wall Street thrive again?

This article is from the December 26, 2011 issue of Fortune.

The triumph of Blackstone on Wall Street

   

NEW YORK (AP) — Point guard Baron Davis will sign with the New York Knicks, a person with knowledge of his plans said Sunday.

Davis is expected to sign Monday, the person told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because there won’t be an announcement until the signing is official.

Davis was waived last week by the Cleveland Cavaliers and designated as their amnesty player. He was not claimed and chose the Knicks, who are seeking more backcourt depth after waiving Chauncey Billups with the amnesty clause. New York had already signed another veteran point guard, Mike Bibby.

It’s unknown when Davis will play, as he’s been sidelined all preseason by a bulging disc in his back. But he’d be worth the risk if healthy, especially since the Knicks can only offer him at most the new two-year exception that would pay him $2.5 million in the first year.

“Everybody knows what he can do when he’s healthy and when he’s focused,” Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony said earlier Sunday, recalling a loss to Davis and the Cavaliers last season. “When BD is healthy, he’s one of the best.”

But he wasn’t needed in Cleveland after the Cavaliers won the draft lottery and took Kyrie Irving with the No. 1 pick. By making Davis their amnesty player, the Cavs knocked the $28 million he was owed over the next two seasons off their salary cap.

The Knicks are prepared to go with Toney Douglas as their starting point guard, but the third-year player is inconsistent, shooting just 2 for 6 for five points in New York’s 92-83 exhibition victory over New Jersey on Saturday.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press.

AP: Knicks To Sign Baron Davis Monday

   

MINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Clinical trial data presented at the 15th Annual Meeting of the North American Neuromodulation Society demonstrate the AdaptiveStim™ with RestoreSensor™ neurostimulation system from Medtronic (NYSE: MDT) provides clinical benefits for many patients, including effective pain relief and convenience, compared to systems without position-adaptive stimulation technology.

“This study clearly demonstrates the effectiveness of position-adaptive stimulation technology in providing pain relief and convenience to patients suffering from chronic pain, so they can lead more normal lives”

AdaptiveStim with RestoreSensor, approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in November 2011, is the first chronic pain management system to harness motion sensor technology found in smart phones and computer gaming systems to provide effective pain relief and convenience for treating chronic back and/or leg pain, compared to conventional stimulation. The system uses proprietary motion sensor technology to automatically adapt stimulation levels to the needs of people with chronic back and/or leg pain by recognizing and remembering the correlation between a change in body position and the level of stimulation needed. It also records and stores the frequency of position changes, providing feedback to clinicians to help them understand how a patient’s individual stimulation requirements are changing over time.

At the end of the study, 86.5 percent of study participants with chronic pain, who were included in an intent-to-treat analysis (n=74), experienced somewhat better or much better pain relief with no loss of convenience, or somewhat more or much more convenience with no loss of pain relief, when the device’s AdaptiveStim technology was turned on, compared to a control period when the participants manually adjusted neurostimulation settings using a patient programmer.

With AdaptiveStim, study participants also reported functional improvements, including improved comfort during position changes (80.3 percent). When the study ended, 90.1 percent of the participants said they intended to use AdaptiveStim, either by leaving it on all or most of the time or by turning it on or off as needed.

Additionally, when AdaptiveStim was turned on, a 41 percent reduction in the average number of manual programming changes needed to adjust stimulation throughout the day was noted. Physicians reported a clinical benefit for 88.7 percent of participants with AdaptiveStim.

The multicenter, prospective, open-label, randomized, crossover study enrolled 79 study participants at 10 U.S. centers. Seventy-six participants received implants and were randomized to receive either stimulation from the RestoreSensor device for six weeks with the AdaptiveStim technology turned on followed by six weeks with AdaptiveStim turned off, or six weeks with AdaptiveStim turned off followed by six weeks with AdaptiveStim turned on. When AdaptiveStim was turned off, participants manually adjusted stimulation levels using a patient programmer.

“This study clearly demonstrates the effectiveness of position-adaptive stimulation technology in providing pain relief and convenience to patients suffering from chronic pain, so they can lead more normal lives,” said David Schultz, M.D., founder and medical director of MAPS Pain Clinics and MAPS Applied Research Center (MARC) in Minneapolis, and RestoreSensor clinical trial investigator.

The profile of adverse events reported during the U.S. clinical trial was similar with and without the AdaptiveStim technology activated.

Worldwide, nearly 200,000 people have received Medtronic neurostimulation therapy for intractable, chronic pain. Additional information on current Medtronic neurostimulation pain therapies is available at www.tamethepain.com or 1-888-430-PAIN (7426).

Medtronic’s Leadership in NeuromodulationMedtronic developed and leads the field of neuromodulation, the targeted and regulated delivery of electrical pulses and pharmaceuticals to specific sites in the nervous system. The company’s Neuromodulation business includes neurostimulation and implantable, targeted drug delivery systems for the management of chronic pain, common movement disorders, spasticity and urologic and gastrointestinal disorders.

About MedtronicMedtronic, Inc. (www.medtronic.com), headquartered in Minneapolis, is the global leader in medical technology – alleviating pain, restoring health, and extending life for millions of people around the world.

Any forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties such as those described in Medtronic's periodic reports on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Actual results may differ materially from anticipated results.

Data Shows Medtronic AdaptiveStim™ with RestoreSensor™ Provides Pain Relief and Convenience

   

Today

Advent Lessons, Carols

What: The St. Gregory Choir and St. Nicholas Choir present anthems and hymns paired with readings for the season.

Where: St. Matthew's Lutheran Church, 405 King St.

More Info: gracechurchcharleston.org or 723-4575

Monday

Mindfulness Training

What: Five-day retreat focuses on working with Henk Brandt to develop the power of mindfulness, bringing us closer to an intimate, harmonious life, and with Carolyn Rivers to identify our Heart Callings, the potential or buried longing many carry inside.

When: 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Nov. 28-30, Dec. 1; 9:30 a.m.-noon Dec. 2.

Where: Sophia Institute Studios, 297 East Bay St.

More Info: 720-8528 or www.thesophiainstitute.org

Career Outreach

What: This program helps participants learn "how to" search for and find a job in today's challenging economy.

When: 6:30-8 p.m. Mondays, through Dec. 5.

Where: Christ Episcopal Church, 2304 N. Highway 17, Mount Pleasant.

More Info: 884-9090 or www.christch.org/bringing-good-news/career-outreach-program.

Wednesday

Holiday Coffee Break

What: Pause for a moment during this hectic time to care for yourself and learn tips for handling grief during the holidays. The Rev. Dr. Keith L. Riddle will lead a four-week "Holiday Coffee Break." Space limited; call to reserve.

When: 9:30-10:30 a.m.

Where: J. Henry Stuhr Downtown Chapel, 232 Calhoun St.

More Info: 881-9293.

Women's Bible Study

What: A 30-week study of the Acts of the Apostles. Child care available.

When: 9:45 a.m.-noon Wednesdays, through May.

Where: Charleston Baptist Church, 13 San Miguel Road.

More Info: 851-9090 or bebe8ap@gmail.com.

Buddhism, meditation

What: Guided relaxation meditations and book study with Kadampa Buddhist teachers Jenn Wetzel and Frances McLeod. Everyone welcome. No experience necessary.

When: 7-8:30 p.m. Wednesdays.

Where: Circular Congregational Church, 150 Meeting St.

Price: $10 or $5 students/seniors.

More Info: 814-4766 or MeditationInSouthCarolina.org.

Judaism myths, mysteries

What: Chabad of Charleston will hold a weekly course titled "Fascinating Facts: Exploring the Myths and Mysteries of Judaism."

When: 7:30-8:30 p.m. Nov. 30 and Dec. 7, 14, 21 and 28.

Where: Chabad of Charleston, 734 York St.

More Info: 884-2323 or http://southernspirit.org

Friday

Walk through Bethlehem

What: Experience the city of Bethlehem at the time of Jesus' birth. See people at work in the marketplace with busy shopkeepers and vendors. Smell fragrant scents of herbs, spices and breads. See the potters, weavers and carpenters at work. Visit a crowded inn and a humble stable where Jesus was born.

When: 6-9 p.m. Dec. 2-4.

Where: Ashley River Baptist Church, 1101 Savannah Highway.

More Info: 766-5521 or www.ashleyriverchurch.org/wtb.

Dinner Theater

What: Howard Burnham will present a dramatic characterization of "A Christmas Carol." Parish House Catering will serve a meal modeled after a 19th-century English dinner.

Where: St. Paul's Church, 316 W. Carolina Ave., Summerville.

More Info: 873-1991 or pamp@stpaulssummerville.org.

Saturday

Holiday Bazaar

What: Unitarian Church offers baked goods, white elephants, crafts and more. Luncheon available.

When: 10 a.m.-3 p.m.

Where: Unitarian Church, 4 Archdale St.

Price: Free admission/parking.

More Info: 723-4617 or www.charlestonuu.org.

Barbecue dinner

What: Epworth United Methodist Church holds 22nd annual Barbecue Dinner. Eat in or take out. $9 per plate. Deliveries are available.

When: 11:30 a.m.-6 p.m.

Where: Epworth United Methodist Church, 1540 Camp Road.

Price: $9 per plate.

More Info: 795-4458.

Beit Midrash Chanukah

What: Celebrate this Day of Dedication, the Festival of Lights. Rabbi Andy Barnett teaches on the coming days and how God will be preparing His people. Share a family-style fellowship with latkes.

Where: Citadel Square Baptist Church, 328 Meeting St.

More Info: (803) 327-5898 or midrash@comporium.net.

Sunday, Dec. 4

Bible study

What: Bible lesson, craft and games. All youths are invited from age 3 to graduation.

When: 6-7 p.m. Sundays.

Where: Ridgeville Baptist Church, 150 N. Main St.

More Info: 312-8989.

Evening in December

What: Girls Night Out. Christmas music, message and munchies. Bring a donation to LowCountry Pregnancy Center (diapers, wipes, formula, blankets, new or gently used infant clothing) and get a ticket to win a door prize.

Where: The Church at LifePark, 1151 George Browder Blvd., Mount Pleasant.

More Info: 654-7600 or www.lifeparkmp.org

Hanukkah kickoff party

What: Live music by the Cincinnati Kleizmer Project, Israeli folk dancing, food, Judaica items and kids' activities.

When: 3:30-6:30 p.m.

Where: Synagogue Emanu-El, 5 Windsor Drive.

Price: $10 per family.

More Info: 571-3264 or emanu-el@emanu-el.com.

To post your events online, go to events.postandcourier.com.

Notes and Events

   

Back pain is a common and complicated problem. It is complicatedbecause there can be many causes, many structures in the back thatcan cause pain and because everyone's pain is different. Withregard to the last issue, the same back pain that stops one personfrom working or doing athletics may be only a minor nuisance to asedentary person.

Leaving the subjective and social aspect of pain to others, I willdiscuss the structures in the back that cause pain. Later, I willcover the approach to treatments in part two.

The back has a number of structures, the main purpose of which isto support us in an upright posture. The deepest part is the spinalcord, which can be thought of as a long extension of the braintraveling down through a canal of bone - the vertebral column -which protects it. The spinal cord branches off into nerves, whichpass through small tunnels of bone. These nerves extend down intothe pelvic, leg and foot muscles, as well as the surrounding skin.A 6-foot man can therefore have a nerve that is 3 feet long,extending from his back to his toe. If this nerve gets pinched, itgenerates pain, commonly called "sciatica." When the nerve ispinched, regardless of location, it can cause pain anywhere alongits length and not always along its entire length. That is whysomeone can have pain in the thigh, shin or foot that is caused bypinching in the back. You can see why this starts gettingcomplicated. When someone has leg pain, we have to figure out ifit's a local leg problem or coming from the back.

If the problem is a pinched nerve in the back, there are severalpossible causes: a herniated disc, thickened ligaments in thespine, bone spurs and slippage of one vertebrae over another canall cause a narrowing of the tunnels and normal pathways that thenerve traverses. Usually, an MRI can answer these questions.

Not all back pain is caused by pinched nerves, however. Thevertebrae of the spine are separated by softer structures calleddiscs. The coverings of these discs are very pain-sensitive, and ifthey get acutely damaged, it can be painful. The vertebraethemselves can be a cause of pain as in a vertebral fracture("crushed vertebra") that can occur in trauma or spontaneously withosteoporosis. Also the vertebrae are joined together by joints thatallow our spines to be flexible. These joints, like any joint, candevelop arthritic changes that can be painful.

The spine is surrounded by thick bands of ligaments and muscles.The muscles are what we feel as painful and often "tight." This isusually the culprit of the low back strain that we get fromoverdoing physical work: shoveling snow, cleaning all weekend ormowing the lawn.

It is usually temporary and most people experience this some timein their lives. It typically is localized to the low back and doesnot usually radiate down into the leg as a pinched nerve would do.If it becomes chronic, it can be the source of misery and sometimesis worse than a pinched nerve or herniated disc, as there isnothing to "fix," i.e., no surgery or injection that can bedone.

This brings us to the subject of treatments for low back pain,which will be the topic of Part Two next week.

Questions or comments can be addressed to Stuart N. Kieran, MD,c/o Bitterroot Neurology, 1019 West Main Street, Hamilton, MT59840.

Back pain causes can be tricky to diagnose - Part One

   

Mother-of-two had arthritis at 45

2:00pm Friday 9th December 2011 in News

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WHEN Christine Shields became so unwell she could not leave the sofa, and had to crawl upstairs on her hands and knees, she feared the worst.

The mother of two was in so much pain she thought she might have cancer or some other life-threatening illness.

In fact, despite being just 45 at the time, Mrs Shields had contracted arthritis.

She is one of thousands of people who go undiagnosed and without treatment every year because of a lack of awareness about the condition.

New research has shown lack of awareness of rheumatoid arthritis puts thousands at risk of long-term pain and disability.

Only 10 per cent of people were confident that they knew the symptoms of the disease, according to a survey conducted by Arthritis Research UK and the National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society (NRAS).

Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic, disabling condition in which the body’s immune system attacks the joints.

The main symptoms include stiff joints, which are most obvious in the early morning, persistent swelling, and pain when the affected joint is squeezed.

Mrs Shields, from Headington, Oxford, said: “I was getting aches in my joints and pain in my feet.

“It was so bad at times that I could only get upstairs on my hands and knees.

“The sensation on the bottoms of my feet made it feel like I was walking on hot coals. That’s how bad it was.”

When Mrs Shields first went to her GP she was told she had sciatica, a common form of low back pain and leg pain.

It was only when the pain persisted, and she asked for a second opinion, the 52-year- old was told she had rheumatoid arthritis.

Mrs Shields said: “To be honest it was a relief to find out I had arthritis, because you do tend to think the worst.

“Now I manage the condition with pain relief and injections which stop the progression of the illness.

“I’d just encourage anyone who has the symptoms to seek help as soon as possible.

“An early diagnoses can really help.”

Arthritis Research UK medical director Prof Alan Silman said: “There are too many people in the UK with the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis who are not seeking treatment.

“Research shows that the earlier you visit your doctor, the more successful your treatment is likely to be.

“The first 12 weeks of symptoms developing are critical – if rheumatoid arthritis is caught in this time and treated aggressively there is less joint damage and reduced chance of long-term disability.”

Read these News stories

Mother-of-two had arthritis at 45 (From thisisoxfordshire)

   

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (WSVN) -- Police continue their search for a crook who attempted to rob a school, as a witness who may have seen the suspect moments after the crime.

Surveillance cameras were rolling as the masked bandit broke into Charles Wyche Elementary School in Miami Gardens, early last Friday.

According to police, the suspect, who was wearing a black ski mask over his face, was trying to steal copper wires from the school's air conditioning unit. The burglar was equipped with ropes and bolt cutters to aid in the theft.

Surveillance video showed that something went horribly wrong during the burglary. Miami-Dade Schools Police Chief Charles Hurley said, "The subject is on the second story of this elementary school, presumably to steal copper, which is a national problem going on. Boom! You can see the subject just fell from the second story to the first story, tremendous impact."

The suspect can be seen writhing in pain. He tried to walk out of the school, but he fell after he put weight on his injured leg. "He's figuring out what he's going to do. He takes off his ski mask, so he did try to hide his identity," said Hurley. "Now, he's going to try to make it to his feet. He gets to his feet only to fall back down again because of the injury, and then, he low crawls out of the school."

The video then shows the bandit dressed in all black as he slithered on the ground in an attempt to get out of the school. "Clearly not a repel master," Hurley said. "You saw the impact. He fell from the second story all the way down to the ground."

A woman who lives near the elementary school said she believes she saw the suspect crawl away from the scene at around 2 a.m. last Friday, around the time of the burglary. "I just heard dogs barking, and I looked out my front window, and I thought I saw a shadow or somebody crawling on the floor. I thought maybe it was kids doing pranks or something, and then, when I came to look out the front door, he was gone," the neighbor said. "I'm pretty sure the guy came out of the school and kind of came in through this neighborhood."

Police found some rope the suspect left at the scene, but the would-be crook did not get away with any copper. He is still at large. The witness said, "Either he lives around here or maybe someone picked him up."

Authorities are looking for a man who may have a broken right leg and have alerted all area hospitals to be on the lookout for any patients who require treatment from a broken right leg.

If you know of the suspect's whereabouts, call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS. Remember, you can always remain anonymous, and you may be eligible for a reward.

Police searching for crook injured in attempted robbery