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Village Voice Newsletter • November 2013
Dirty Mailboxes?
Are you tired of seeing a filthy-looking mailbox? One suggestion is to use bleach diluted in water. But another idea that works more quickly and with much less effort is a product called Home Sense extra strength erasing pads that come two-pads-to-a-package. The manufacturer claims that a pad “easily removes scuff marks, dirt and grime.” When it comes to cleaning the outer surfaces of our white mailboxes, these pads live up to that claim – requiring remarkably little effort or time to get rid of the years of ugly grime and making a mailbox look virtually like new again. Erasing pads can be purchased at Ralphs. Suggestion from Russ Butcher. ********
We Can Make The World Better By Tom Fuller Are anyone’s shoes too large to fill? Is anyone really that great? Our world has brillliant people still but none in an elevated state. We all have special gifts to share and some may have more than a few, but to decide how to use the gifts we have is what we all must do. To let our gift lie dormant when another person could benefit is a crime of a personal nature since another lamp could be lit. So here is a lofty challenge to share your gift with a brother, but to do with great humility for none is above the other.
Health, Exercise & You By Andy Truban
Keeping The Joints With Osteoarthritis Working
Twenty or thirty years ago, osteoarthritis was considered a nuisance disease. “Now, we recognize the impact osteoarthritis has on both people’s daily living and ability to work,” says arthritis expert Roland Moskowitz. Osteoarthritis is caused by cartilage breakdown that leads to joint stiffness and pain in areas such as hands, knees and hips. (Note: rheumatoid arthritis is a different autoimmune disease that attacks the lining of the joint). Weight: Professor David Felson from the Boston University of Medicine explains the importance of weight: “The heavier you are, the more likely you are to get osteoarthritis,” Professor of Medicine Roland Moskowitz also comments: “since every extra pound of body weight increases the stress across the knees three to five times, being overweight will also increase the osteoarthritis risk by a factor of three to five.” Inflammation: “Obesity, which is preventable and modifiable, is the number one factor for osteoarthritis. We now know fat cells increase the body’s release of inflammatory chemicals that can break down cartilage,” says Professor Karvonen-Gutierrrez of the University of Michigan. In four osteoarthritic trials, involving a total of more than 450 overweight or obese adults with knee problems reported less physical disabilities after losing at least five percent of their body weight. Help for joints: “If you have osteoarthritis, one of the most effective and beneficial treatments that we know is exercise. It will alleviate pain and increase range of motion. However, it will not necessarily make the structure of the joint better,” says Dr. Felson. Among 95 older adults with mild to moderate arthritic knees who did strengthening exercises for 12 weeks reported less pain and were able to climb stairs faster than those who did not exercise. Strength training: “Strong muscles absorb weight, provide body stability, and help joints function the way they are supposed to. However, if an exercise hurts, don’t do it. Ask your doctor about exercises that won’t cause you pain,” says Felson. Aerobic exercises: like walking briskly, jogging, biking and swimming increase blood flow to cartilage, which provides nutrients needed to stay healthy. What’s more, “exercise helps reduce the body’s sensitivity to pain signals,” says Allison Bailey of Cambridge.