Get a Strong & Studly Back: A guide to a Strong and Flexible Back

I’m not sure about you, but I hear more complaints about back stress and injuries than any other. Sounds like a no brainer  then to strengthen that area and learn pain coping skills if needed.

 

A guide to a strong and flexible back. Includes 5 tips for an ergonomic work station, 10 back exercises, and suggestions for coping with back pain.

You or someone you know has a bad back. More than 80 million Americans suffer from some form of back pain, spending billions of dollars every year seeking help and relief. Most back troubles are mechanical – that is, related to the arrangement of muscles, ligaments, disks, and bones that make up the spine. There is a lot you can do to keep your back strong and supple and avoid debilitating pain.

How to have a healthy back

Watch how you work. If you spend a lot of time at a desk or keyboard, you can take simple steps to work more comfortably and keep your back healthy. Here are some basic guidelines for an ergonomic office work station.

1. Keep good posture. Your back should be straight, with your arms and shoulders relaxed. Don’t rest the telephone on your shoulder.

2. Use a proper chair. Find one that is stable and adjustable, with a seat at least 15 inches deep and 18 inches wide. When you sit at the keyboard, your thighs and forearms should be parallel to the floor. Make sure you have lower back support, starting about 6 inches above the seat.

Marshall Clinic to Discuss Men’s Body-Image Issues

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. (AP) — Women aren’t the only ones with body-image problems, and Marshall University’s Psychology Clinic plans to offer men a chance to talk about their issues.

Psychology professor Keith Beard says men, too, are bombarded with images and messages about how they should look. He says it can create stress and depression for some men that can harm self-esteem and relationships.

The sessions will last eight weeks and will be held on Tuesdays starting in March.

By The Associated Press

Study Offers Strong Evidence That Colonoscopy Saves Lives

(Reuters Health) – Doctors now have strong evidence that colonoscopies save lives, a finding that may encourage more people to get the dreaded tests to detect and prevent colon cancer.

A team at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York found that colonoscopies in which precancerous polyps, known as adenomas, are removed can cut the risk of dying from colon cancer by 53 percent. The study appears in the New England Journal of Medicine.

In theory, adenoma removal saves lives by preventing a tumor. Ann Zauber of the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York, chief author of the long-term evaluation of polyp removal, and her colleagues said their work demonstrates that.