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Sleeping With ASMR

Reassuring for part time bloggers, such as myself, is the understanding that fitting in a bit of blog creation in a rush between other things is not supposed, necessarily, to lessen the quality of the output. (Well, the proof will be in blog items I have created of late, as the time to create them is definitely sandwiched between other demands). You will be the judge and feel free to feedback.

The playlist continues to grow in size and I continue to get more picky about the items in it. Such that the archive list of former members also continues to grow.

However, I have noticed a problem with YouTube. For example, yesterday I was watching the playlist and a set of adverts kicked in, there were a lot of them. After a few minutes the video started and them immediately another set of adverts kicked in. This then continued, I retried over the course of the next few hours with the same result. Of course, this is not conducive to sleep. I could not in all conscience recommend a set of videos if I knew this was going to be the experience.

I am hopeful this was an error on the part of YouTube and not some new revenue generation idea. If it turns out to be permanent, I will shut down the blog as I will not be watching YouTube any longer. I am now some months ahead with generated blog articles so we will see if by the time I get this one released, things have improved (or at least returned to how they were).

Shoulder Examination

This one has notes, now the established marker of a professionally created video:

“31 Jan 2021 RheumTutor MSK Examination Videos

This video was created by Dr. Raj Carmona. It is a step-by-step instructional video for examination of the shoulder. It is designed for medical students, residents and rheumatology fellows, but would also be beneficial to general practitioners and allied health professionals.”

There is also a title page:

“McMaster MSK Examination Series, Shoulder Examination, RheumTutor.com, Raj Carmona, MBBS, FRCPC, Rheumatologist, Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada”

So quite a lot to work with. The url is still current: https://www.rheumtutor.com/.

A page lists out the videos that can be seen (helpfully it appears these are all available on YouTube https://www.rheumtutor.com/msk-examination/videos/.

McMaster University of course has its own webpage https://www.mcmaster.ca/, the available programmes seem to feature health and medicine strongly https://future.mcmaster.ca/programs/.

And of course, the university has its own YouTube channel with 1.2K videos as at today’s date. Rather too many for any single review but perhaps a channel for a future visit.

Raj appears to be an associate professor at the university and has been at McMaster nearly fourteen years.

This video at just over seventeen and a half minutes is a decent length for a medical examination video.

Raj has a nice calm voice but the video is rather marred by continuous background noise of the variety we are used to enduring in these kinds of videos.

Helpfully the “patient” here is also identified as Dr Kim Legault MD FRCPC Rheumatology Fellow McMaster University.

As an educational video it seems (to the uninitiated) to be useful. The comments seem to reinforce this view. From our perspective it seems to also be a useful video for relaxing off to sleep.

The video is jam-packed with medical terminology. There is far too much for the odd definition to be helpful. (Although this would be my usual style). If you are watching, some definitions come up on screen, but I’m expecting that you’ll be listening so these will not be of much assistance.

I suggest for this one that you let the terminology wash over you but let me know if you find it frustrating. I always review the Procrastination Pen playlist and this could in the future find itself in the dreaded Procrastination Pen archive list i.e. those videos which do not stand up to long term examination.

Although the video shows as posted to YouTube in 2021, the tail page of the video indicates created in 2011 so it was already old by that time.

Not unexpectedly the channel is RheumTutor, thirty videos and six playlists. The choices are narrowed by the fact that a number of the playlists concern giving injections, which I am not certain would be a restful subject for some readers. The video we first looked at occurs in a playlist called RheumTutor MSK Examination Videos

This consists of seven videos of which this first one is video number six.

Ankle and Foot Exam – McMaster MSK Examination Series

At nearly twenty-three minutes in length this is another chunky video.

Again it has notes: “10 Nov 2019 RheumTutor MSK Examination Videos

This video was created by Dr. Raj Carmona. It is a step-by-step instructional video for examination of the ankle and foot. It is designed for medical students, residents and rheumatology fellows, but would also be beneficial to general practitioners and allied health professionals.”

The title page is similar to the one we saw for the first video reviewed in this post.

The sound is consistent with that first video. Here the “patient” is not identified, possibly because we only see the foot which has been helpfully decorated to indicate some of the internal structures. I would guess the “patient” is male but given there is only one foot to go on that could be way off.

Later in the same video the credit goes to Dr Andrew Duncan MD, Internal Medicine Resident McMaster University. He appears to be the owner of the foot. Andrew appears to have been at McMaster until 2014.

The tail page of the video indicates it was recorded in 2012 which would fit with this time period. Some of the conditions described are a little off-putting to be honest, I think that this is too much for real restfulness. This will not be in the Procrastination Pen playlist.

Back Examination – McMaster MSK Examination Series

Notes again: “10 Nov 2019 RheumTutor MSK Examination Videos

This video was created by Dr. Raj Carmona. It is a step-by-step instructional video for examination of the back. It is designed for medical students, residents and rheumatology fellows, but would also be beneficial to general practitioners and allied health professionals.”

This is just as with the previous videos in terms of approach, voice, presenter, location, noises, structure. This one credits Brendan Flowers MSc Clinical Clerk McMaster University it looks like Brendan attended in 2012 which fits with the filming of the video.

Elbow Examination – McMaster MSK Examination Series

If you have seen one of these videos, then you are going to be at home with the look-feel of the rest. Same layout, same voice, same background noise. If you liked the first one this is a breeze, but not so great if you did not like it.

Again there are notes:

“10 Nov 2019 RheumTutor MSK Examination Videos

This video was created by Dr. Raj Carmona. It is a step-by-step instructional video for examination of the elbow. It is designed for medical students, residents and rheumatology fellows, but would also be beneficial to general practitioners and allied health professionals.”

The format of this will by now also be familiar. The tail page of the video indicates it was filmed in 2012 and it was posted to YouTube in 2019.

The “patient” is credited again this time Dr Arthur Lau MD FRCPC Theumatology Fellow McMaster University. Arthur seems to have been there from 2011 to date so one would imagine a true asset.

It is just over thirteen and a half minutes so a bit shorter than the last one.

The great thing about professional videos is the lack of surprises. The last thing you want when trying to fall asleep is to find that someone thought a brass band backtrack was fantastic in this video whereas the previous two did not include it. The downside is that if you do not like the style it is very unlikely you will find a video in the series that is any different.

For example, thus far the patients do not get a lot of contribution so if this bothers you this particular series is just not for you. I accept feedback if you want to indicate your displeasure about it.

Hip Examination: McMaster MSK Examination Series

Notes: “10 Nov 2019 RheumTutor MSK Examination Videos

This video was created by Dr. Raj Carmona. It is a step-by-step instructional video for examination of the hip. It is designed for medical students, residents and rheumatology fellows, but would also be beneficial to general practitioners and allied health professionals.”

Almost exactly as before.

A return of Dr Kim Legault (who we saw in the first video). By comparison with the other videos a real short one at just over twelve and a half minutes. This one is filmed in 2011 so possibly the earliest one we have seen thus far.

Knee Exam – McMaster MSK Examination Series

notes: “11 Nov 2019 RheumTutor MSK Examination Videos

This video was created by Dr. Raj Carmona. It is a step-by-step instructional video for examination of the knee. It is designed for medical students, residents and rheumatology fellows, but would also be beneficial to general practitioners and allied health professionals.”

Dr Kim Legault is turning into a bit of a favourite it seems as she appears again in this one. This one is just less than fifteen and a half minutes.

The video is consistent with all those we have so far seen (quite an achievement). It is filmed in 2011 so as for the previous video.

Shoulder Examination

This is where we came in.

Hand and Wrist Examination

The final video in this playlist

It starts in a different way. No shot of a seated Dr Carmona in this one. It is quite long for this series at nearly twenty-one and a half minutes.

Back to Brendan Flowers. It was filmed in 2012 and posted to YouTube in 2021.

There are notes: “3 Feb 2021 RheumTutor MSK Examination Videos

This video was created by Dr. Raj Carmona. It is a step-by-step instructional video for examination of the hand and wrist. It is designed for medical students, residents and rheumatology fellows, but would also be beneficial to general practitioners and allied health professionals.”

The breakdown of the video is not as structured as in the previous videos – perhaps the style was evolving at this stage. But presentation in all other respects seems the same.

In summary this is no Dr James Gill but I think all of them deserve a place in the Procrastination Pen playlist. (Assuming YouTube stop deluging me with adverts I’ll keep reviewing that list for less deserving videos.

The RheumTutor playlist on the Procrastination Pen is here:

The Procrastination Pen playlist (which is no-doubt what you have all been reading this in order to locate) is found here:

I have been listening to this playlist most nights and some of the videos that were members have now been removed. If any of your favourites are missing from that main playlist you can find them here in the archive list:

Quite often the videos getting removed have no faults other than occasional intrusive noises.

The playlist of items that are great for ASMR (but contain an age verification function), usually a great way to interrupt your listening in the middle of the night, is here:

I hope that you find the playlists restful and that you get a good night’s sleep.

Hope to see you again back here for the next blog article.

If you liked this blog item, why not subscribe to this blog.

Until next time.

Photo by krakenimages on Unsplash

Sleeping With ASMR

As before, I should provide a brief introduction for those who do not know anything about:

a) this blog

b) this subject.

I’ve written on this before and it might be worthwhile reviewing that post for details.

In brief though, this section of the blog involves reviewing ASMR videos, or indeed any video that could be relaxing enough that when you are desperate for sleep it might encourage you to get some.

The result is a playlist of such videos and the opportunity to feedback as to whether my choices were appropriate that week.

The YouTube Channel this time does not have many subscribers two hundred and seventy subscribers in fact, so it is almost an unknown channel. Is this an ASMR find? Possibly…

The video is:

Head to Toe

This has a reasonably high level of background noise, possibly an open space perhaps (although the part we get to see is enclosed by curtains). The nurse is Keisha whose channel this is (more of that in a moment). The “patient” does announce her name which I think is “Mallory Myers” – that looks wrong to me but it is what it sounds like.

The comments as usual are a bit off the wall, even brutal, but fortunately if you came for the sleep then you will not be reading those (or even watching the video). It is all about the sound.

The video has the hallmarks of one of those we’ve seen previously i.e. created as part of an assessment process. For example this one includes the fake washing of hands and the insistence on drawing curtains for privacy that are already drawn.

I’ve concluded that somewhere there is a checklist that student assessment videos are unthinkingly adhering to.

These videos have a feeling of being “busy” i.e. trying to cram everything in that the assessor wants to see. This includes a number of technical terms I imagine very few patients would be bothered to hear about.

There’s also a long period of more-or-less nothing at the end when Keisha is doing the paperwork, presumably this is again a requirement.

The examination is lovely and calm, the background noise quickly stops being distracting. There are moments of shared humour and there seems to be reasonable rapport. This is a good Procrastination Pen playlist candidate.

It may have been recorded at Valdosta State University – the nurse’s shoulder badge at one stage appears to indicate this location. This university of course has a YouTube channel, with three hundred and four videos as at today’s date but it does not include any of those listed on Keisha’s channel.

The channel is Keisha CoxKelly.

There are seven videos as at today’s date with the above one being the most obvious candidate for ASMR. There are no playlists. However, with only seven videos we can probably take the time to review them all. (Well I can, and you can scroll to the end to listen to the playlist).

There are no videos posted more recently than eight years ago presumably that is how long ago Keisha was a student.

NG Tube

One thing that we can be absolutely clear about here is that there will be zero patient interaction. The patient appears to be plastic.

There is background noise, more insistence on fake privacy and cleanliness measures.

It is quite surreal watching the one-sided interactions in this video.

The notes state it is VSU college of nursing which seems to confirm my earlier guess about the location.

Nonetheless Keisha retains the quiet voice of the previous video and the procedures appear calm and measured. Even if it is apparent that a plastic model cannot actually swallow a tube.

There’s also an amusing point where the person videoing films their own fingers.

This video is a bit borderline. I’ll add it to the Procrastination Pen playlist but it may fall victim to a future weeding process.

FOLEY Cath insertion/removal

This time the video notes confirm that it is Valdosta State University College of Nursing. There was no need to go investigating shoulder badges after all.

The background noise seems worse because Keisha seems very quiet on this. The microphone is presumably not fully up to the task.

The “patient” has no legs which is almost as distracting as people talking and laughing in the background. The patient is plastic, which is a bit of a relief given the subject area. (I’d probably get some kind of YouTube content warning otherwise).

The camera-holding person is a bit of a fidget but given we’re here to listen (and to sleep) that is not such a concern. The sound isn’t amazing but it is unlikely to cause you to wake up in a hurry at 3am (unlike some YouTube adverts I can mention). Therefore, on-balance I think we can include it in the Procrastination Pen playlist (with the emphasis on potential future weeding activity).

Insulin Mixing

This also suffers from low volume. However, I am not so clear this will matter late at night when, necessarily, the volume will be way down in any case. (To ensure that you are not woken by the very playlist you were using to fall asleep in the first place). There is no patient in this video so it does not really qualify as an exam as such.

Keisha seems to be admirably measured in approach. I’m sure there must be classes on Zen meditation or something similar happening in the background to generate so many medical trainees this calm.

I’ll put this one in the Procrastination Pen playlist (even if only temporarily).

Wound Care

The one-sided conversation is nearly as surreal as the virtual door which you can neither knock upon nor close to “provide privacy”. The sound is slightly better apart from the traffic noise which makes itself felt. Once again this includes a plastic “patient”. At least he/she isn’t loud.

The snapping gloves noises are a bit of a wake-up though.

At nearly thirteen minutes it is amazingly long for a one-way interaction but I suppose the great thing about it is that it is quiet. Another video that’s on the Procrastination Pen playlist (possibly pending a future cull).

IM and SQ injections

I would guess this features two student nurses, our favourite, Keisha, and what sounds like “Sky Voss” but probably isn’t. This is filmed in a public area with minimal screening. So far so normal student assessment video.

At just over seven minutes it doesn’t hang around. As injections are not my favourite thing I’ll be watching from behind the sofa.

There is fake privacy and cleanliness again. There is also quite a lot of technical terminology, (as we saw previously). I’m presuming no standard patient would comprehend, let alone request this.

Fracturing the ampule was a bit of a shock (it is loud) but not as bad as the gloves snapping in the previous video. I’ll feature this video on the Procrastination Pen playlist for now.

I’ll schedule a playlist review shortly and remove any that no longer seem up to the desired quality.

IV administration

This is positively whacky; on this occasion the “patient” is a plastic arm.

The sound quality starts bad and seems to get a lot worse. It is like someone is trying to record the video with the microphone actually inside their pocket. There is almost no reception of what Keisha is saying. The presentation could be excellent but sadly it can’t be heard.

Hence this one needs to be rejected from the Procrastination Pen playlist.

The playlist for Keisha is here:

The overall playlist of every video that made the grade after a review on this blog is here:

The archive playlist of videos that were in the above playlist but found after lengthy review not to make the grade, is here:

I keep this in case people have personal favourites that they want to hear.

The playlist of videos requiring age verification is here:

I dislike these as they require me to stop and login to verify my age. You may find that you have more patience than I do and so are prepared to give it a listen.

I hope that you find the playlists restful and I hope you get plenty of sleep as a result.

If you liked this blog article why not follow this blog.

Till next time.

Photo by Shona Macrae