www.280living.com
280 Living
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December 2010
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21
Are You Living in Pain? How often does your back worst things you can do for your hurt? Do you find yourself back. Being overweight, especially grimacing as you try to stretch in to the point of obesity, puts a lot of your office chair? Do you feel like strain on your skeletal system and doing nothing but lying down your back especially. after an afternoon working in the So, now you’re thinking, Great, yard? I’m not alone and you’re telling me my Back pain is the second pain can likely be resolved. How? Dr. Irma Palmer leading cause of doctor visits in the Chiropractic care is an excellent United States, following upper respiratory way of resolving and preventing not just infections. In fact, around 31 million back pain, but headaches, neck pain and Americans are suffering from back pain at extremity pain. Chiropractic is the third any given time, according to a study in the largest doctored profession in the U.S., and New England Journal of Medicine. That’s a is the most popular alternative medicine little over 10 percent of the population. All in the country. I’ve treated patients with the time. And the amount of money spent screws in their back who had resolved on back pain is staggering- over 50 million themselves to living in pain experience a dollars every year. massive turnaround in only a few weeks. The good news is that most cases of I’ve seen a painter with carpal tunnel pain back pain are not caused by debilitating, in his wrist, afraid he would not be able to degenerative conditions and can be work anymore. Now he is pain free. Victims improved and often corrected. The vast of car accidents, falls, home accidents and a majority of cases are related to injuries long list of other unfortunate incidents have caused by over exertion, improper posture, all walked through the doors of my office or poor lifting techniques. Often, our and found relief with no prescriptions or lifestyles and jobs are to blame, as sitting all surgery. day in front of a computer tends to invite The standard American approach slouching and lower back pain. In fact, typically involves reaching for a bottle sitting for prolonged periods is one of the of painkillers. While I understand their
use, popping pills does nothing to resolve the underlying issue causing your pain. Ibuprofen and acetaminophen can both be hard on your stomach and liver, and most people are unaware of the maximum allowable dosages and the potential for liver damage- especially if alcohol is consumed while taking the medication. Under a physician’s care the max dose of ibuprofen is 3.2 grams per day. The max dose for acetaminophen is 4 grams per day. With over the counter pills that run up to 500 and 800 mg per pill, it is easier to overdose on those medicines than you might think. Surgery usually comes in after pain medication is ineffective, and the risks of being put under sedation and having irreversible changes made to the muscle and bones in your back are obvious. Still, very few people consider the natural, drug and surgery free methods of managing back pain. Lifestyle changes lead the way, obviously. Sleeping on your back, quitting smoking, increasing you water intake, stretching before heavy activity, losing weight and addressing posture issues at work and home will all help. Wearing a sensible pair of shoes, with
adequate support and cushioning will also help. Generally that means no heels higher than two inches and no shoes with flat insoles. Diet is also a huge component of relieving pain. There are several foods that most people eat on a regular basis that actually cause inflammation in the body. Pasteurized dairy products, many grains, refined sugar and some sweeteners, and gluten can all cause an increased level of inflammation in the body, aggravating arthritis and injuries. Isn’t it worth it to try something that isn’t going involve additional health risks and chemicals to resolve your pain? Wouldn’t it be nice to know you are addressing the problem and not covering the symptoms? As the New Year approaches it is important to realize that living in pain accomplishes nothing more than keeping you from being your best. If you are planning on making lifestyle changes for the New Year, start a wellness and chiropractic lifestyle plan through doctors willing to walk the path with you. Consultations are free, and you have nothing to lose but your pain.
Cooler Weather Calls for Fireplace Safety By Lieutenant Don Williamson City of Chelsea Fire and Rescue Dept. Public Education and Information Officer It is that time of year again when everyone starts thinking about those wonderful times of year like Christmas, hot chocolate, chili and fireplaces. Thousands of people along 280, when it gets cold, start a fire in their fireplace with high expectations that the fire will stay in the firebox and give them hours of warmth and enjoyment. However, way too often, instead of enjoyment and warmth they get several firefighters and big red trucks out front with lights and sirens because something went wrong, which makes this time of year one of the busiest for us. Taking your fireplace for granted and assuming it is ready for a fire can be scary, dangerous and expensive. Dozens of times in the fall and winter we get calls on reported chimney fires and smoke in a residence due to neglected fireplaces. I hear the same old stories year after year like, “it was OK last year”, “I have never had a problem”, and the one phrase we hate to hear is “we went to bed and awakened to the house on fire”. Most of the time these situations can be avoided. Believe it or not, improperly disposing of the fireplace ashes causes us more problems than chimney fires. Ashes from the firebox can stay hot and still cause a fire for up to three days after you have a fire. Placing them in trash cans or dumpsters, bags or boxes on your deck or dumping them in the woods near your house will cause a fire hours after the fire is out in
your fireplace. The best method is to place the ashes in a metal container with a lid and let the ashes sit for several days before disposing of them. Be cautious using a natural fiber broom or vacuum to clean out the fireplace because ashes will hide and you will find the fire later. The most common smoking problem with a fireplace occurs when the embarrassed homeowner starts a fire in the fireplace and forgets to open the damper or the damper is not fully open and falls shut. This can cause a flurry of activity around the house as smoke pours into the room, starting with yelling kids and the wife dialing 911 as smoke detectors are sounding. Large smoke fans from the fire department can get the smoke out of your home but cannot cure a red face. Fireplaces should be inspected each year to make sure they are ready for use. They may or may not need to be cleaned every year but it is critical that the condition of the system be checked for maintenance, blockages, cracks or any other issues that may arise during the off season. If you just moved into an apartment, condo or new home you need to have it inspected before use. Home inspection services do not inspect and clean fireplaces. Inspections should be done by a certified chimney sweep company due to the amount of education and training they are required to have and the fact that inspections are done to a national standard. Sweeping the
soot or creosote out of a fireplace greatly reduces the chance of a chimney fire that can cause damage to your home if the fire gets out of your chimney system. One of the most picture perfect scenes of Christmas is a tree near the fireplace with stockings hanging from the mantle and presents on the hearth surrounded by pine cones. This is not a good situation if you have a fire in the fireplace. Sparks can shoot out of a firebox for several feet. Items should be kept away from the fireplace at least six feet from the opening. Using spark screens or glass doors will help with the sparks but are not foolproof.
Keeping leaves cleaned out of your gutters and valleys of your roof will help to avoid sparks from your fireplace igniting the tinder material on the roof. Only adults should start the fire and add wood to the fireplace. Children always want to help with this but it is safer for adults because they know how to stack the wood in a fireplace. Cooking, roasting marshmallows and popping corn should be reserved for an outside campfire. The best way to avoid problems with your fireplace is to keep these helpful hints in mind during the cold months of the year.