Reducing Lower Back Pain

An Effective Guide to Reducing Lower Back Pain

An Effective Guide to Reducing Lower Back Pain
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Lower back pain is a common issue that bothers millions around the world. A stinging pain affecting the lower back area- it is one of the worst things to suffer from.

There can be many reasons for this. It could be your wrong posture while lifting weights at the gym or due to the poorly supported old mattress you haven’t changed in a while.

The pain can vary based on the intensity and location of the issue. Fortunately, there are many options available for treating lower back pain. But before you make the doctor’s appointment, why not give these listed remedies a try at reducing lower back pain?

Home Remedies For Lower Back Pain

A Safe Option for Treating Lower Back Pain

Some of us do have the tendency to rush to the doctor in any case of lower back pain. Even if it the pain is mild. Just keep in mind that taking medications for such trivial matters can leave you with complications. So, it is always safer to try some home remedies first.

Try these home remedies to quickly get rid of back pain. Most back pains don’t linger on for more than six weeks.

1. Apply Ice or Heat

For the first two days of pain, apply a bag of frozen food or ice packs on the area of pain. Apply several times each day. Try to keep it for around twenty minutes.

After the initial two days, try applying some heat. You can use heating pads for this purpose. The frequency and duration of the application will be the same as before.

You may wonder how the whole thing works. You see applying something cold helps to numb the pain receptors at the affected area. It also helps to reduce the swelling.

Heat application, on the other hand, increases the blood circulation and oxygen flow, thus bringing relief to the affected area.

2. Wear Specialized Shoes

Depending on the structure of the foot, different designs of insoles and orthotics are available in the market. Getting the right support from shoes can reduce pressure on your lower back. Thus, it ultimately helps in reducing your lower back pain.

Consult a podiatrist to know which shoe is right for you. You don’t necessarily have to purchase a new pair of shoes. A change of insoles or orthotics may be sufficient.

3. Consider Changing Your Mattress

Mattresses play a big role in supporting your lower back. Old mattresses often sag in the middle.

Purchase mattresses suited for your back, something that provides you a nice combination of comfort and support. Use a mattress topper for added benefits if necessary.

Remember: A mattress with an age of above six years is starting to get old and inadequate.

4. Do Some Light Physical Activities

Physical activity will ensure that your muscles are in the best shape possible. It will also warm up your entire body. Regular physical activity also keeps the blood circulation on point, keeping lower back pains or headaches in check.

You don’t have to go all berserk on your first day though. You can start with some walking, cycling or yoga. And don’t forget to stretch. Especially, if you’re a desk worker. It is always wise to stand and stretch the whole body in between the long working hours.

5. Keep a Positive Mindset

It is important to think positively in case you are suffering from pain of any sorts. If you are anxious or tensed about your pain, the situation can get worse. Over-anxiety and worries can amplify the pain according to studies.

Thus, we recommend keeping the body calm and relaxed. This will definitely help you while you are trying to treat your lower back pain.

Suffering for More than Six Weeks? Seek Help from the Experts

You should consult a doctor if the pain is unbearable or if it lingers on for more than a month.

Your doctor might conduct various tests on the affected area to find out the underlying problem. Based on what has actually happened, he might give you the following recommendations:

1. Ointments and Creams

Topical medicines such as these are applied to the area of the pain instead of being swallowed or injected. These medicines can have side effects on your skin and can cause temporary discomfort.

2. Oral Medications

Your doctor can also prescribe generic drugs to alleviate the pain. If that doesn’t work, you might be prescribed drugs specialized to address muscle inflammation.

These drugs too can have a wide range of side effects including stomach problems. So, don’t take these without any doctor’s consultation.

3. Anti-inflammatory Shots

These will be prescribed only in case of emergency. These shots do provide relief but only a temporary one.

4. Consult a Physical Therapist

A physical therapist will study your body and look for any misalignment in the body structure. Active release therapy, exercises, stretches are some of the many different tools he might use to alleviate the pain.

There are other alternative approaches to treating back pain too. But make sure the one addressing your back pain issues knows what he’s doing. He should be qualified and well trained.

Some Final Words

Often times many people think that drugs or surgery are the keys to solving back pain.

But taking this route can leave you suffering from multiple side effects. It is better to try the safer options first.

Lower back pain can be irritating and troublesome but luckily has a number of solutions. There are awesome equipment on the market to help you get rid of this pain. Combine that with our tips and you can enjoy life with a painless lower back.

College Girl

4 Things to Teach Your Child before College

4 Things to Teach Your Child before College
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Last year, my son went to college. It was the most exciting year of his life. It was the most challenging year of my life.

At one point, I started feeling like a complete failure of a parent. Did I fail to prepare my son for college? I know that he’s not a kid anymore. I know that he’s a grown-up human being who’s supposed to take responsibility about his own actions. But still… I wished I’d done things a bit differently.

From my own experience, I realized it was important for teenagers to learn four things before going to college. Hopefully, I can give you some tips on things to teach your child before college.

  1. College Is Not Just a Place Where You Get Your Diploma

My son is an overachiever. I’m mentioning this as a flaw, ‘cause that’s exactly what it was.

When my son started college, most of the complaints were about studying too much. He was spending all of his free time in the library… studying. He couldn’t stand his roommates because they were making too much noise. He was only focused on classes, projects, exams, and credits.

But college is not only about the degree. It’s mostly about building interpersonal relationships.

Believe it or not, I advised my kid to take things lightly. Yes; I was the one suggesting college homework help when I realized he was spending too much time in the library. I just wanted him to find some balance between his studies and his personal life. Just as we need our work-life balance, students need their time off, too.

  1. Your Roommates Can Be Your Best Friends

My college roommates were my best friends. We shared our struggles and our joys all the time. Of course we had disagreements, but we were able to sort them out in a civilized manner. As I could understand, this was a rare case. Most students are having troubles finding common ground with their roommates.

Some of the most problems include lack of personal hygiene, messy habits, eating the other person’s food, borrowing stuff without permission, and making too much noise. My son was mostly complaining about the noise.

He told me his roommates had no idea what roommate etiquette meant. Well guess what: my son had no idea about etiquette, either. Why did someone leave a bag of chips on his bed? Why didn’t his roommate pick up the dirty socks? He turned everything into an argument instead of trying to have a civilized conversation about it.

Etiquette means leaving things in order, but it also means being as friendly as possible even when you have some remarks to share. They don’t have to argue about everything. Most people are reasonable enough to understand what they are doing wrong if you’re willing to tell them through a calm conversation.

  1. You Have to Manage Your Money

My son doesn’t cook and he absolutely hated the food in the dining hall. He was buying food every single day. He was ordering pizza most of the time. Add the desserts and soda, and there you have it – a huge amount of money being spent on unhealthy food.

As a parent, I was sorry seeing my son struggle. But I stopped sending extra money at one point. My help wasn’t teaching him how to manage his money. He had to tone his expenses down, and he managed to do that, eventually. It was a harsh lesson, but I did what I thought was the right thing to do.

  1. You Have to Manage Your Time

At college, there are four main activities to occupy your day: classes, studying/writing, partying, and sleep. It seems like too much to handle, so students are often eliminating one of these activities (it’s usually the classes or the studying part).

College students have to understand that there is time for everything. So what if the classes take most of your day? You can learn while you’re there. Just be more attentive and take your notes. Go through the notes and studying materials as soon as you get out of class, so the knowledge will stick with you. Then you’ll rest, do some more studying, and spend some time with your friends. Reserve the partying for the weekend. If you get stuck, outsource some of the writing or give up on the parties before exam week.

See? It looks so good when someone organizes your time. The problem is that you have to organize your own time, and you have to stay on track with the schedule.

Are we prepared to teach our kids how to become grown-ups? It’s a real test for parenting, and that’s an understatement.

Family, Car

4 Tips for Keeping Your Children Safe and Healthy While Traveling

Kids Health and Safety during Long-Time Travel
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Are you planning to go on a trip with your family but worried about your kids health and safety? Well, that is totally natural.

Last year when I went on a family trip, a hundred thoughts went off in my mind regarding my kid’s safety.  I was so worried that something bad might happen to my children while we are traveling.

The thing is that when you are at a new place you don’t know what to expect.  You have no idea what dangerous event might take place.

There were a few times when I even though about canceling our trip.  However, my husband reminded me that the tickets were quite expensive and sadly not refundable. So this is how we ended up actually going on our trip.

Now you must be wondering how I made sure that my kids were safe and sound. I have pinpointed a few tips that might help you if you are going on a long trip with your family.

Make sure to strictly stick to these tips to ensure that your kids remain safe and healthy.

Carry a Convertible Safety Seat

It must seem hard to carry a convertible car seat with you but trust me it is very important for the safety of your child especially if you are on a road trip. You never know how bumpy or even the road may be. You really don’t want to get your child hurt, right?

Convertible car seats are the best way to protect your kid who is under the age of 10 when going on a road trip. Even if you are traveling through an airplane, it is recommended to take a convertible safety seat with you.

You can also check out this review on the top trusted brands of safety seats 2018 to find a good convertible car seat at a very affordable price.

Keep Your Children Hydrated

Your child’s health matters a lot. You may take care of your child completely at home but when you are traveling you might forget about your child’s health as you would be so lost in trying out new fun things.

As you are at a new place you people might be taking part in a lot of physical activities such as exploring the place, going out for shopping, visiting the museum, trying out new food places, etc. But at the same time don’t forget to ensure that your kid is well hydrated.

Make sure to carry water bottles with you all the time and keep asking your kid to drink some water so that he or she remains hydrated.

Protection from the Sun

Going for a hike? Want to explore the streets of this new place? Go have fun! But don’t forget to keep yourself and your kid protected from the sun.

Now how can you do that? With the help of a sunscreen of course! Apply a good amount of sunscreen on your kid’s face, arms and legs before heading out in the sun as both the UVB and UVA rays coming from the sun can be harmful to your child.

Also, make sure that your kid is wearing full sleeves. You can also buy cute hats for your children to protect their eyes from direct sun contact. There are also many cute sunglasses for children, go grab them!

Stay Away Mosquitoes

This is one of the biggest problems that I and my family faced when we were on a road trip last year. As we camped in the woods for a while, we got attacked by a bunch of mosquitoes.

Careless me, I forgot to pack in a good mosquito repellant. Amazing, right? I definitely regret my decision of not packing a mosquito repellant.

Before you even think of going on a trip make sure to pack at least two bottles of mosquito repellants in your bag.

You can get both sprays and lotions to stay safe from a mosquito attack. Make sure to apply a good amount of mosquito repellant lotion on your kid’s skin when getting him or her ready.

You should also spray the mosquito spray in your hotel room or camping tent to make sure that every insect dies.

These are some of the tips that can help you in taking care of your child’s health. Being a mother myself, I know how important it is for us moms to make sure that our children are always safe and sound. So don’t forget to follow these tips when you go out on a trip with your family.

Concert

15 Steps to Follow When Experiencing Emergency Situation at a Concert

15 Steps to Follow When Experiencing Emergency Situation at a Concert
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Attending a concert of your favorite band is one of the most thrilling experiences, but it could also turn into a nightmare in case of emergency. It doesn’t happen so often, but still we are all familiar with the notorious cases of Manchester Arena bombing or Rhode Island nightclub fire.

Security analysts at the coursework assignments agency say that concerts, along with similar highly-attended events, are extremely risky gatherings: “They attract thousands of people, thus creating the basic precondition for possible outbursts or incidents.”

In this post, we will show you 15 steps to follow when experiencing an emergency situation at a concert.

  1. Arrive early

If you want to avoid the crowd, you need to arrive at the venue a little earlier. At the same time, the entrance is one of the concert’s pain points, so it will save you from possible incidents.

  1. Familiarize with the venue

Arriving early, you also get the opportunity to familiarize with the venue. This is essential because it helps you to remember each exit and stairway, while you can detect members of the security guard as well. Knowing the venue can turn out to be a big help in case of emergency.

  1. Make a plan

A concert may seem like an event too simple to make a plan for, but you don’t want the incident to catch you off guard. Talk to your companions and discuss what to do and where to meet if something goes wrong.

  1. Wear the right clothes

This point could deem irrelevant, but the clothes you wear could make all the difference when the time comes to run away. You should avoid wearing loose clothes or closed-toe shoes. Such wardrobe will slow you down, preventing faster reactions when you need them the most.

  1. Charge a mobile phone battery

First of all, you don’t want to go to the concert without a mobile phone because you can easily get lost in the crowd. Secondly, you should charge the battery to the fullest to ensure communication over the longer period of time. That way, you can always call your friends, family members, or anyone else for that matter.

  1. Pay attention to people around you

Now that the concert has started, you should relax and enjoy the music. However, it won’t hurt you to pay attention to the people around you – sometimes you could notice a strange behavior before the incident occurs.

  1. Leave the venue if you notice the problem

If you notice the incident before the crowd, make sure to leave the venue as quickly as possible. The most important thing is to ensure a safe return home for you and your friends, so go out smoothly if you see something strange is about to happen.

  1. Don’t panic

Whatever happens at a concert, you don’t want to panic. Panic is a sudden strong feeling of fear that prevents reasonable thought and action, which means it can only slow you down as you are trying to escape.

  1. Call 911

As soon as you get a chance, call 911 to report a problem. It may save a lot of people or prevent further damage.

  1. Learn first aid

Emergency situations require quick reactions. On some occasions, there is no time to wait for an ambulance, and you’ll need to help yourself or people around you. Learning first aid will provide you with the medical “know how.”

  1. Don’t move with the crowd

Concert incidents usually form a crowd that runs away furiously. You can’t go against it, but you shouldn’t follow it either. Instead, try to go diagonally and find the nearest exit.

  1. Look for security officers

Since you already know the venue, you should be able to detect security officers. These people are professionals who can protect you from whatever is causing the emergency, so try to reach them as soon as possible.

  1. Run away

Concert emergencies are often so chaotic that you just can’t make it to the safeguards. In this case, the best option is to follow your initial escape plan and run away quickly. Try to reach the exit and meet your friends outside to make sure everyone is doing well.

  1. Help someone if possible

If you successfully avoided the danger, you should try to help other people find their way out, too. Keep calm, explain to them what is going on, and take them outside. If they need medical attention, don’t forget to use your first aid skills.

  1. Leave early or wait

Some incidents happen at the end of the concert when everybody is leaving the venue. We recommend you go out a little earlier to avoid the crowd. But if you really want to stay until the end, then you should wait for a while. It’s much safer to exchange concert impressions with your friends for a few minutes than to push your way through the crowded corridor.

Conclusion

People love attending concerts and enjoying good music, but this sort of event can sometimes turn into a disaster. This post showed you 15 steps to follow when experiencing an emergency situation at a concert. Don’t hesitate to read our suggestions once again as they might even save your life one day.

 

Fly with Your Infant

How to Fly with Your Infant

How to Fly with Your Infant
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Traveling with a baby is in no way easy; instead, it might be the most daunting task of your life, if you think about it. Not only are you suppose to make sure your baby doesn’t cry but also ensure that the sound of his/her sobs does not disturb the other passengers. I think that is sufficient reason to want to pull out your hair in frustration.

However, no task is too difficult to handle when you are well prepared. With a little bit of planning, a few tricks up your sleeves, you also can be an expert at knowing how to comfortably and safely fly with your infant.

I have outlined a few tips that I think any parent would find useful when they are heading out with their little bundle of joy on a flight:

Plan Flights and Seats

Babies tend to sleep more often than not. However, the excitement of the trip can deter them from their naps at their designated times. Thus, many parents prefer to plan flights in the AMs. At that time, infants are less likely to be fussy, and you can get them to sleep quickly after the plane has landed at your destination.

Moreover, usually, people prefer to carry their infant in their arms when on a flight. However, you should consider getting your young one a separate seat in the plane and secure them in their car seat with a proper harness to keep them safe, as also approved by the FAA. If you are worried about the added expenses then you can always get discounted flight tickets from PennySaviour.

Pack Light or Not

Most people tend to go overboard and pack anything and everything they think their child might need. The trick is to make a list of things that are essential like the stroller or diapers and wipes.

Infants are known for making a mess wherever and whenever they desire. So packing a shirt or two for yourself and the baby in your carry-on might come in handy more than you realize.

The diapers and wipes are, I’m pretty sure available everywhere in the world so, you can make do with just enough to get through the flight and the next day; you can buy more when the need arises. You’ll also need a blanket for the little angel as well as a pacifier, one or two toys are an a-okay but not a bucket full.

Feed Your Baby During Takeoff and Landing

The change in air pressure causes discomfort in our ears that is incredibly painful for adults so imagine the torment it must be for an infant. Thus, if you feed your baby during takeoff and landing, the sucking and swallowing action will help keep their ears open and any distress at bay.

Best of all, if they are not in pain, they are less likely to cry and disturb the other passengers, making it a relaxed, stress-free flight.

Accept Help When Offered

Yes, humanity still exists; the passengers on board or flight attendants will lend a helping hand when they notice an upset baby. Let others take over for a change, to give yourself a bit of time to relax and unwind.

Keeping a baby happy is no easy task; you need the break to keep yourself from feeling frustrated and helpless. It will help make the flight comfortable for you and your young one.

Conclusion

These are just a few tricks to keep in mind when you plan on flying with an infant. So are you ready to board the next flight to your dream destination with a baby in tow?