Carpal Tunnel Begins in Your Neck Not in Your Wrist

Carpal Tunnel Begins in Your Neck Not in Your Wrist
by Pamela Adams D.C.
If Carpal Tunnel Syndrome comes from typing on the computer
all day, why didn't people who typed on typewriters get Carpal
Tunnel Syndrome? Because there was no computer screen to
draw their heads forward, their chins tilted up, necks strained.
Typewriters were placed lower than desks and typists tilted their
heads down not forward.
The culprit in Carpal Tunnel pain, the Median nerve, exits the
spinal cord from the lower part of your neck, travels through neck
muscles under the collar bone to the front of your shoulder bone,
then makes its way down your arm, past your elbow to your wrist
where it passes through the Carpal Tunnel and into your hand.
That's a long way to go, and the nerve can be pinched anywhere
along the route causing pain in your wrist and numbness in your
hand and fingers. The very first and most common place it gets
pinched is in your neck. You can wear a wrist brace, buy wrist
rests, get an ergonomically correct keyboard, take painkillers, or
have surgery and it won't help until you change the position of
your head when you work at the computer.
Of course, it's not only computer workers who suffer from Carpal
Tunnel symptoms. According to research from the Occupational
Health Project at the University of Maryland, workers in the
following occupationsare most likely to develope the syndrome:
1. Assembler
2. Laborer--non-construction
3. Packaging-and-filling-machine operators
4. Janitors and cleaners
5. Butchers and meat cutters
6. Data entry keyers
What is the common-denominator among these occupations?
Workers must hold their heads forward and down and reach
forward with one or both arms repeatedly.
Learn to keep your head on straight, whatever you do. If your
head is supported by your spinal column and not the poor,
overworked muscles of your neck and upper back; if you position
yourself so that you don't have to reach with your arm, you'll go
along way towards relieving and preventing symptoms.
Here are some suggestions for computer users:
1. The computer monitor must be placed directly in front of you.
The top of the monitor should be no higher than eye level.
2. Keyboards should be placed low, so that arms can hang at
your sides with foreams at right angles to upper arms and wrists
straight.
3. Feet are flat on the floor; weight is on the sitting bones.
There should be a slight arch in your low back.
4. Your breastbone should be lifted, creating a lengthened
space between the navel and breastbone. This brings your head
back to an aligned position.
5. Placement of the mouse should be a close to the body as
possible so there's no reaching. It's better to use a ball,
because fingers are designed for small, precise movements,
shoulders are not.
6. A timer set to ring every fifteen minutes or half-hour is a
good way to check on your posture.
7. Sleep on your back, not sides, until symptoms subside. Use
a flat, thin pillow.
The following exercise is meant to be done once every hour
during the day, and, lastly, in bed just before sleep: Lying on
your back with hands clasped behind your head, elbows resting
on the floor or bed, tuck your chin into your neck as if to make a
double chin. Keeping the chin tucked in,
gently press your head back into your hands. Hold for a count of
ten. Then relax your chin and neck and take a couple of deep
breaths. Do a total of three presses in a set. Do one set only
every hour


About The Author
Dr. Pamela Adams helps undo the habits that cause you pain. She is the author of "Dr. Adams' Painless Guide to Computing" and a complimentary ezine, Self Health News. For more health tips and information, visit her website http://www.PainlessGuides.com



http://www.safecomputingtips.com/articles/carpal-tunnel-begins.html

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Achieve Fitness By Choice, Not By Force

Achieve Fitness by Choice, Not by Force

By Meetu Nadir

Although, a majority of people understand the need to lead a healthy and fit lifestyle, only a few follow the routine in their everyday lives. This is especially true in case of women, who consider exercise to be a tiring and boring activity and hence they shy away from a regular workout. But, what most woman are not aware of, is the fact that exercise does not necessarily require them to spend hours on a treadmill, or do push ups or any other such things that might freak them out.

In fact, fitness can be achieved by combining work with play. It is important to remember that exercising basically involves making you body move. So, for women who don't want to spend time at a gym, exercising can be as simple as going for a walk, playing their favorite sports and games or anything else that requires body movement. Making any sports activity a part of their daily routine, not only ensures that the women remain fit but also makes them have some amount of fun. And the icing on the cake is that even friends and families can also become involved in these sports activities. Now, what can be more enjoyable if one gets to spend time with family and friends, in addition to remaining fit?

Another way for ladies to keep themselves fit, is to work with children. The task of keeping up with children is a great way to mix exercise with parenthood. Small babies often keep their parents on toes as the parents move them and their paraphernalia all day. Even minor activities like carrying an infant, walking him or her when colic strikes, pushing a carriage and then a stroller, and even dealing with endless rounds of laundry, keeps parents and especially moms, in motion.

However, when children grow up and become more self-reliant, parents take that as a cue to sit down and rest. But soon the physical inactivity starts taking its toll and the women, whose day was spent, running around their children, suddenly become fatigued by just waking in the garden. This is perhaps the first indication that they are loosing their fitness and need to look into the matter seriously.

But what happens when children grow up and like to spend more time with their friends. Don't worry as there are still plenty of other methods that women can adopt to remain fit, including trying their hands at gardening, or maybe mowing the lawn, or perhaps organizing a regular walk around the block with friends. The choices are endless and one only needs to have the zest to choose an option that appeals most to their personality and then make it a part of their daily routine.

So, it can be easily said that to keep fit one does not necessarily have to go t a gym against one's wish. This will anyways not work as a person can be forced to do something only for a certain period. But to maintain a routine of fitness for a lifetime, people need to choose a means that appeal to their nature, which will ensure that they carry it out through their entire lives

Meetu Nadir
Freelance Writer
http://www.meetusreflections.blogspot.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Meetu_Nadir
    .

Stop Taking Me For Granted

Stop Taking Me For Granted
By Jeff Scott


Have you ever had those words said to you? Ouch! It is possibly true, but hurtful none the less.

It's usually during an argument. Of course it's a subjective point of view, but usually not without some validity. It sounds like you don't care. But it is sometimes quite difficult to tell when it's happening. Often the only time you know you have taken someone or something for granted, is when something dramatic happens in your life.

The reason why we do this is because it has become part of our daily routine and we are virtually operating on autopilot. And if this includes how you treat your partner, then you could be swimming in dangerous waters.

But really, routines are not always bad things. We have so many things in our daily life that if we were to think of all of them, we wouldn't get anything done. If we had to think every time we cleaned our teeth or got showered or got dressed, life would become a nightmare.

Imagine having to think how to drive our car when we go to work. Going through what has to be done before we start the engine, checking where the indicators are, how to turn on the lights.
It would be just like the first time we ever got in the car and were shown how to do all these things by the instructor.

So routines cannot be avoided if we wish to run our daily life efficiently. But again, taking things for granted can rob your life of so much pleasure and excitement.

We all get used to the sun coming up in the morning. It's not a big deal, or so we think. It happens every day and we never give it a thought. We get used to the trees and flowers, to the fresh air we breathe, the change of the seasons, the sound of birds singing. But just imagine for a moment if were deprived of any of these routine happenings. Imagine if you couldn't hear the birds sing, because you were deaf or locked away in some stinking jail in the middle of a wilderness where there are no birds even if you were set free.

And what about the change of seasons? Do you complain when the summer ends and the autumn days bring cooler weather. Just think, if you lived in the middle of the Sahara desert you wouldn't be aware of the time of year because every day would bring unremitting sunshine and there would be no plants or trees coming into blossom or losing their leaves.

There are thousands of aspects to your life that you probably have never given a second thought to for many years.

So stop now and think about your life. Do a mental exercise and go through all the different aspects like, your health, your family, your employment, your friends, your home, your possessions, your country. Think what it would be like if you didn't have them. Realise how lucky you are.

The author is a retired business man who is passing on the experiences of life he has gained over many years. See his new site at Leather Car Seats and also Chicco Car Seats.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jeff_Scott

Black Pearl Earings

Are You Eating Enough Beauty Foods

Are You Eating Enough Beauty Foods

Eating certain foods can dramatically improve the appearance of our skin, hair, nails, and eyes.

A diet rich in "phyto-compounds" can stimulate DNA repair, increased collagen production, reduce inflammation, and improve blood flow. This not only keeps you healthy but it keeps you looking younger longer.

Creams and lotions can do wonders for your skin, but your diet is by far the most crucial when it comes to having healthy skin.

Beauty is dependent on the overall health of your body. In order for your skin to look attractive and vibrant you need to make healthy lifestyle choices, and a great place to start is with the foods you eat.

So if you want your skin to feel soft and look firm here are a few foods that you can eat starting today.

Blueberries: These blue little balls are one of natures most potent anti-aging foods. They help keep the skins elasticity, strengthen the gums, and contribute to the health of our eyes.

Brazil nuts: Help protect our skin from UV rays and they help reduce dryness.

Strawberries: Help protect our skins collagen structures. Collagen is what keeps our skin firm. Wrinkles form when our collagen levels start depleting.

Salmon: Promotes soft smooth skin, free from dry itchy patches.

Avocados: These contain folate which helps blood formation. This is essential for cell regeneration.

Acai: This is the king of all berries. It has 50% more antioxidants than pomegranates, and twice as much as blueberries. They also contain omega 6,9 fatty acids, fiber, calcium, and vitamins.

Apricots: Very rich in fiber and phytochemicals like beta-carotene and lycopene. They also have vitamin C, vitamin A, calcium, folate, iron and potassium, making them very beneficial to our skin.

Broccoli: Also very high in fiber, vitamin C, and folate. There's a compound in broccoli called sulforaphane that protects our bodies cells from injury.

Beans: Jammed packed with phytochemicals, fiber, folic acid, protein, calcium, and magnesium. These guys can stabilize blood sugar as well as lower cholesterol.

Black currant: Has a high source of vitamin C and antioxidants. Also contains a high amount of calcium, potassium, and magnesium.

Carotenoids: This isn't a food, but it's found in fruits and vegetables. It's a fat soluble pigment which helps fight against cancer and cardiovascular disorders.

Carrots: Have lots of beta-carotene which is a powerful antioxidant.

Cruciferous vegetables: A.K.A.- cabbage, broccoli, kale, collard greens, cauliflower, and brussels sprouts. These guys release a compound called glucosinolates and an enzyme called myrosinase when chewed, which are known for their anti-cancer properties.

Cranberries: High in vitamin C, B vitamins, vitamin E, fiber, calcium, iron, magnesium, and citric acid.

Cucumber: A great source of essential vitamins and minerals necessary for increasing collagen production.

Camu-Camu: Very rich in vitamin C.

Dark leafy greens: A.K.A - Spinach, kale, and dark lettuce are loaded with vitamins and minerals like beta-carotene, vitamin C, folate, iron, magnesium, phytochemicals, and antioxidants.

Fish: Has lots of vitamin A, B1, B12, and B6. It also has omega 3 fatty acids which are very beneficial to the skin, as well as the heart and brain.

Flax, grapeseed, walnut, seaweed, spirulina, watercress: These are very high in zinc which is vital for the health of our skin. Plus they have been known to help clear up acne, and help keep us regular.

Grape seed oil: Has trace elements of selenium, zinc, copper, and iron. It's also a unique source for oligomeric procyanidine, which is known to improve our skins elasticity.

Honey: A nutrient rich alternative to refined sugar. Refined sugar is believed to contribute to aging.

Myrtle: Is known to slow down our skin aging process. Has been used in folk remedies for centuries.

Millet: A nutritious seed, high in silica, which is good for our skin, hair, and nails.

Oats: Very high in soluble fiber, and complex carbohydrates. High in iron, manganese, phosphorous, calcium, vitamins B and E, and silicon. Silicon is crucial for healthy skin by maintaining collagen levels.

Papaya: When applied as a paste on the skin, it's enzymes help breakdown dead skin cells.

Pomegranate: Very good source of polyphenol antioxidants. These antioxidants help neutralize free radicals that can damage the skin.

Water: Hydrated skin naturally looks younger.

If you are one of the millions of people worldwide that spend money on lotions and creams in an attempt to look better, then it only makes sense to incorporate these beauty foods into your diet.

It wont take very long to start seeing the major benefits these beauty foods will have on the health of your skin and the way it looks and feels.

About the Author:

Steve Billesberger lives in Edmonton Alberta with his wife and small dog. He's a owner/operator of a couple of sites one of which is a health and wellness site. He is a big believer in feeding the body what it needs to heal and maintain optimal health. Along with many other benefits a proper diet can accelerate weight loss as well as protect us from skin problems such as cold sores, etc

source:http://www.beauty-tips.net/skincaretips/generalskincare/are-you-eating-enough-beauty-foods.htm

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