OFF KILTER

Are you safe?

We’re all concerne d as to whether we are safe. Safe in our homes, safe going to the store, safe going out in public.

Let me address this. There are almost 8 billion people in the world. A large percentage live in cities. Now here in greater Seattle, we have under 1 million people in Seattle proper and almost 4 million (as of 2017) in the greater area. That’s a lot of people.

However, when you look at the size of the geographic area of greater Seattle, it is almost 6,000 square miles, or dividing the population by the geographic area we get approximately 666 people per square mile. Suddenly, our greater area does not seem “too crowded.”

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Now New York City, approximately 470 square miles with 8 million people, is more crowded than we are, or approximately 16,000 people per square mile. Just get on the New York subway during rush hour and you would swear that there are 16,000 people in your subway car. However, even 16,000 people per square mile is not horribly crowded. Just compare that with Beijing, which is “only” 3,666 people per square mile. Makes New York City seem horribly overpopulated. Now Beijing is approximately the same number of square miles as greater Seattle, but with more than five times the population we have.

So getting back to: “Are we safe?” What is it about living in cities that makes us “unsafe?” Well, let me relate an experience I had while in high school.

We had to take a bus to get there and back. The buses were not air-conditioned then. One afternoon, on a horribly hot and humid bus, some guys started to “roughhouse” a bit. I guess the heat made them all a bit crazy and a fistfight broke out. It was quickly ended by the other passengers – who separated the boys. However, it was the dense proximity combined with the heat that caused the ruckus. So the moral here, if you find yourself in a hot crowded public place, try and avoid “interacting” with the rest of the crowd and you should be safe.

Next, guns: There are approximately 400 million guns in the U.S. That’s a density of just over 1 gun per person. (It turns out most gun owners own more than one, an average of five guns/gun owner.) So on average when walking about in public, only every fifth person will

COMMUNITY HEALTH PLAN OF WASHINGTON

Acupuncture is an ancient Asian medical practice that is thousands of years old. It involves using very fine needles, finer than a human hair to go through the skin and stimulate the nerves. This improves circulation and decreases the sensation of pain. It’s so effective that it in some cases it has even be used during surgery in place of surgical anesthesia.

Chiropractic care is also an old practice with the first U.S. college with a chiropractic degree dating back to 1897. It involves manipulating the spine to improve mobility and reduce pressure. It’s very effective at reducing pain in the back and neck, particularly.

Massage therapy is thousands of years old and practiced all over the world. It involves massaging or manipulating the muscles to improve circulation, decrease inflammation and stress, and can reduce cramping. It can improve mobility, flexibility, and it can be very effective at managing pain.

When should someone consider visiting an acupuncturist or a chiropractic care provider, or look at massage therapy?

I think any of these treatments could be very effective for treating conditions like back pain or headaches, chronic pain, or even managing stress. Chiropractic care is particularly good with back pain. Acupuncture can be good for pain anywhere on the body, and massage therapy can be good for any type of muscle discomfort.

I know when I’ve had pain in the past, I’ve noticed how often I will be asked “How is your pain?” Well, it’s still pain. What you can do is start with looking at how you feel overall. Do you feel better or not?

Then you can also look at things like are you sleeping better? Are you able to be more active? Can you walk farther then before the treatment? Or can you do more of the chores at home without getting tired or feeling like you need to stop because of pain? Do you need less medication for pain like ibuprofen or Tylenol? If you’re taking less medication, that can be a sign that you’re improving. If you have been experiencing an intermittent kind of pain like migraine headaches, you can look at how long your headaches are lasting, how frequently they are occurring, and how bad they are. You might still have some headaches, but if the times you experience them has dropped down to half of what it was before, then that’s a sign of improvement.

You may find it helpful to keep some type of journal to track how you are feeling. And it is important that you talk with your acupuncturist, chiropractor, or massage therapist before and after appointments about how you are feeling. They can adjust their service for your next visit, help you decide if it’s something you should continue, or if you should try another treatment option for your symptoms.

If you experience a marked increase of pain or feel worse, then you should talk to your doctor or primary care provider.

Why are more people talking about acupuncture, massage therapy or chiropractic care lately?

People in general – as well as doctors and other