(HealthDay News) — Lifting heavy things is a leading cause of workplace injury, says the University of North Carolina. People who practice smart lifting techniques are less likely to suffer muscle sprains, pulls and injuries caused by heavy lifting. To properly lift a heavy item, the school recommends: Prepare for the load. Think about if you are suited for the job. Get as close to the load as possible. Keep your back straight and bend at the knees. Get a good handhold, and do not twist while lifting. While carrying, move your feet to turn. To put the load down, bend at the knees.
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The Merits of Physical Therapy
You suffered an injury that has sidelined you from exercise, but you dodged a bullet — your doctor has said that you don’t need surgery. Instead, he or she prescribes physical therapy, most likely to start after a rest period to give any inflammation time to subside. At that point, you’re probably feeling better and wondering if you need the rehab after all. Here’s why it’s important to go through with the program and not just jump back into your old routine. Physical therapy programs are customized to your needs with specific exercises designed to help you heal, return to the activities you love and keep you from re-aggravating your injury. You’ll benefit from one-on-one attention, important since each person responds differently to an injury and improves at his or her own speed. Other goals include reducing pain and improving flexibility, mobility and range of motion. If surgery is still a question mark, going through physical therapy may help you avoid it. Your physical therapist will continually assess your recovery and adapt exercises as you progress from the repair phase, in which your body repairs the damaged tissue, to the remodeling phase, when your body strengthens that new tissue. You’ll also learn any needed adaptations for your favorite activities, and exercises that will enable you to continue with them when you get the green light.… read on >
How Helpful Are Self-Help Programs?
There’s no shortage of self-help apps, videos and podcasts on topics from having better mental health to having a better six-pack. Though the programs they offer bring the convenience of working at your own pace and in your own space, it’s important that you evaluate any program on its merits before committing your time and energy. Also, realize that many are not designed to replace help from an expert for a serious problem, though they might complement it. First, check out the credentials of the expert behind the program. This is key, whether for a diet guru or a mental health therapist. It only takes a few minutes to do an online search of their background, training and experience with the subject matter. Just as you’d check to see if medical specialists treating you were board-certified in their area of expertise, look to see if he or she has affiliations with institutions and associations important in the field. Next, does the advice have any scientific research behind it? Is it endorsed by a key association or respected professional? This is especially important for a program that addresses physical and mental health issues to help you distinguish between a fad and a bona fide technique that could bring lasting results. Now evaluate what’s involved with following the program. Is the material presented in a way that’s… read on >
Health Tip: Treating Short-Term Back Pain
(HealthDay News) — Back pain is one of the most common medical issues in the United States, says the National Institutes of Health. Short-term back pain lasts no longer than six weeks, and can be uncomfortable if untreated. To treat short-term back pain, the NIH suggests: Use hot or cold packs to soothe a sore, stiff back. Try extension or aerobic exercises. But check with a doctor first. Incorporate stretching into your daily routine. Include calcium and vitamin D in your diet, to help keep your spine strong. Take acetaminophen, aspirin or ibuprofen to ease pain.
Health Tip: Getting Motivated
(HealthDay News) — Everyone feels lack of motivation at some point, and it doesn’t necessarily represent a mental health issue, says the Mental Health Foundation. From meeting up with friends to participating in a hobby, sometimes it can be difficult to find the motivation to get involved. To help overcome lack of motivation, the Mental Health Foundation suggests: Break tasks into manageable chunks. Write down each positive thing you go through during the day. Give yourself credit for the small things you do. Make some time for yourself. Be gentle on yourself. Be present in the moment. Ask for help when needed.
How Much Sex is Right for You and Your Partner?
Are you having enough sex? It’s a loaded question. “Enough,” like “a lot,” means different things to different people — it could mean every night, twice a week or twice a month. Many studies have tried to pinpoint how often the average couple has sex, how that number might change at various stages in a relationship and the ideal amount for happiness. But one of the most interesting takeaways from recent research is that enough sex is whatever amount brings both sexual and marital satisfaction to both partners. It’s not the number of times detailed in a magazine article or how often your best friend and his or her partner are having it. And more isn’t always better. In fact, according to one study, couples who have a lot of sex but feel like they’re just going through the motions or that the sex is dull aren’t happier or more satisfied with the sex or their relationship. So what are the secrets of satisfied couples? They’re things that focus on the quality of sex, not the quantity. This includes being in sync with your partner when it comes to frequency and variety in lovemaking. Communication, including talking about sexual desires, is at the heart of being in sync, yet so many people still feel awkward about bringing up likes and dislikes. Having the same view… read on >
How to Enjoy Cheese Without the Guilt
Americans eat three times as much cheese as just 50 years ago, but not because we’re enjoying careful indulgences like a cheese plate with fruit and whole grain crackers. Experts point to the cheese overload in pizza and other Italian dishes, Tex-Mex favorites and the ubiquitous mac-and-cheese. That’s a lot of saturated fat and calories. But most people don’t have to avoid cheese completely — it’s just a question of being more judicious in your selections. Because the dairy fat found in cheese as well as in whole-fat milk and yogurt has been given a slight reprieve in the war on saturated fat, eating small amounts is OK. But you probably don’t want to depend on cheese alone to get in the recommended three dairy servings a day, especially if weight control is an issue for you. Because of its high fat content, cheese packs a lot of calories into a small package. A one-ounce serving is the size of two pairs of dice, so portion control is key. Ounce for ounce, some types of cheese naturally have less fat and therefore fewer calories than others. For instance, feta, goat and mozzarella have 70 to 75 calories per ounce compared to Brie, manchego and Swiss, to name just a few, which average between 100 and 120. If eating cheese helps you get needed calcium, know… read on >
City Parks Are a Mood Booster
Living in the city can be hard on the senses and the spirit, but spending some time in a tree-lined park could counteract that stress, new research suggests. “Over a three-month period, we collected tweets from 4,688 Twitter users before, during and after they posted from the park,” explained study author Aaron Schwartz. He’s a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Vermont’s school of environment and natural resources and the Gund Institute for Environment. All of the 160 parks that were visited in the study were located in the city of San Francisco. About 100,000 tweets were analyzed by a hedonometer, a kind of online happiness dictionary that ranks words according to their happiness content. Tweeting “jail,” for example, would bank a score of less than 2, while a tweet of “hahaha” would render a score nearly 8. After comparing pre-park tweets to post-park tweets, the study authors concluded that parks trigger a mood bump equivalent to that seen at Christmas, the day hedonometer happiness levels hit their peak. The team didn’t track how long participants spent in parks, so they can’t say how short a visit might trigger a mood change. And some parks turned out to be better mood boosters than others. Large regional parks with lots of tree cover and vegetation conferred the biggest happiness lift, while paved urban plazas offered the… read on >
The 4 Keys to Emotional Well-Being
If you’re satisfied with your life, you probably have emotional well-being. Emotional well-being can be mastered just like any other skill, according to Richard Davidson, founder of the Center for Healthy Minds at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. How? By developing four key traits, said Davidson, a neuroscientist. The first is resilience. Research at the Center for Healthy Minds found that, over time, regular mindfulness meditation can help you learn how to bounce back from adversity. Mindfulness meditation teaches you to become aware of your thoughts and emotions, center yourself and decide how you would like to proceed with the rest of your day. (Find out more at mindful.org.) Having a positive outlook is the second key trait — both finding the positive in others and being positive in the way you approach life. Another type of meditation called compassion meditation is said to bring measurable changes after two weeks of 30-minute-a-day sessions. The goal is to switch from being judgmental to being caring. Next is improving your attention level. A Harvard study found most people spend nearly half of their waking hours not paying attention to what they’re doing. Letting the mind wander typically makes people unhappy, the researchers concluded. Practice focusing on the here and now, one task or activity at a time. Finally, become more generous of spirit. This means feeling happy for… read on >
Many Parents Would Switch Doctors Over Vaccination Policy, Poll Finds
Forty percent of U.S. parents say they would likely find a new doctor if their child’s primary care provider sees families who refuse childhood vaccines, a nationwide poll finds. And three in 10 say their child’s primary care provider should not treat youngsters whose parents refuse all vaccines. Those are key findings of the latest C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health from the University of Michigan. The findings, published Aug. 19, are based on responses from 2,032 parents of at least one child aged 18 or younger. “When a family refuses all childhood vaccines, it puts providers in a challenging position,” poll co-director Sarah Clark said in a university news release announcing the findings. Not only is an unvaccinated child unprotected against harmful and contagious diseases (such as measles, whooping cough and chickenpox), those who skip vaccines also pose a risk of transmitting diseases to other patients, she pointed out. “This can be especially risky exposure for vulnerable populations, including infants too young to receive vaccines, elderly patients, patients with weakened immune systems or pregnant women,” Clark added. But many parents were unaware of their health care provider’s policies, and some were unconcerned. Thirty-nine percent said their child’s primary care provider requires patients to get all recommended vaccines; 8% said only some vaccines are required; and 15% said their provider has no… read on >