Carpal tunnel syndrome - do you have it

Carpal tunnel syndrome reached epidemic proportions in the 90’s and has now achieved a status equaling pandemic proportions in the 21st century. With carpal tunnel syndrome having such devastating effects on millions of people each year, how do you know if you or someone you know has it?

With so much attention and hype the past 10-years concerning carpal tunnel syndrome in the workplace, you would think that a clear-cut picture would exist regarding the “how’s” “why’s” and “what is it’s” of carpal tunnel. Although carpal tunnel syndrome should be easily recognizable with such extensive media exposure, you would be amazed at how many people, including a lot of doctors, who do not recognize the symptoms or misdiagnose it as something other than carpal tunnel syndrome.

In order to provide a more clear picture of what carpal tunnel is, why and how it develops and what can be done to eliminate it, I have provided information below to explain the process so that you can better identify and therefore prevent carpal tunnel syndrome from taking over your life.

What is the Carpal Tunnel?

The carpal tunnel is a passageway in which the nine flexor tendons, median nerve, arteries, blood and lymphatic vessels pass through in order to supply function and movement to the fingers and wrist.

The carpal bones line the carpal tunnel on the posterior surface (backside) of the wrist with the transverse carpal ligament positioned on the anterior (front side) of the wrist. The size of the carpal tunnel is about the size of the index finger in diameter, and the flexor tendons, arteries and nerves glide past one another with ease in a carpal tunnel that has not decreased in size.

How Does Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Develop?

Because the finger and wrist muscles are constantly overused in one-way movement patterns, (Gripping, squeezing, typing, etc.) a "muscle imbalance" develops, causing the carpal bones to shift, in turn, making the carpal tunnel smaller and impinging the structures within, resulting in painful and debilitating symptoms.

What are the Symptoms of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?

· Tingling

· Numbness

· Paresthesia (Pins & needles)

· Loss of grip-strength / coordination

Sensations involving tightness, discomfort, stiffness and pain on the front side of the hand and wrist may be present in carpal tunnel, but may also be symptoms of a general repetitive strain injury.

The only true telltale signs of carpal tunnel syndrome that you need to be aware of affect the thumb, index, middle and sometimes one-half of the ring finger. (All of the fingers and symptoms listed do not have to be experienced simultaneously for you to have carpal tunnel syndrome.)

If you have symptoms in your entire ring and/or little finger and your doctor tells you that you have carpal tunnel syndrome, you don’t! The ULNAR nerve supplies function to the ring and little finger and has nothing to so with carpal tunnel syndrome. (If the ring and/or little fingers are affected, it may either be Cubital Tunnel Syndrome or Guyon’s Syndrome)

How Are the Symptoms of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Eliminated?

Carpal tunnel syndrome can quickly and easily be eliminated by performing a good stretch and exercise program that addresses the existing muscle imbalance that is the cause of carpal tunnel in most cases.

Staying Symptom-Free:

Knowing why carpal tunnel syndrome develops and what to look for is the key to keeping your hands healthy. With the information provided above you should now be able to recognize the disabling symptoms and take the steps necessary in order to stop it before it stops you!

The beautiful agios konstantinos

Agios Konstantinos is a destination situated within central Greece, within the region of Attica, to the north of Cape Sounion, and at about 50 kilometers from the southern side of Athens. This spot, also known as Konstandinos or Ayios Konstandino, was formerly called Kamariza and then Maronia in ancient times. Those tourists who visit this region of Greece should try to stop at this place and enjoy its beautiful environment since it would allow them to relax and renew their energies.

Agios Konstantinos has a very small amount of inhabitants spread throughout its territory. This destination is very appealing and interesting due to its general characteristics, the landscapes it offers, the life style of its inhabitants, the natural elements it has, the amazing landscapes surrounded by mountains, and several other reasons which cause it to be a unique spot.

The municipality of Agios Konstantinos counts with an important amount of mountains in such a way that it is surrounded by mountainous landscapes at each one of its borders. Besides these mountains and rocks, this spot also counts with important extensions of grasslands and beautiful green areas in which tourists can breathe amazing fresh air and observe beautiful landscapes.

The economy of Agios Konstantinos is mainly based on agriculture, mineral rock derivates and farm products. This spot shows many agricultural plantations and farms spread throughout its entire territory and which provide it with a very special and charming appearance. Traditions and country side life style predominate in this area in such a way that visitors could meet many of the same cultural aspects it had centuries ago.

The municipality of Agios Konstantinos is also famous by the mineral rocks that can be found in it. This area is rich in mineral rocks such as chalcoalumite, austinite, adamite, and azurite among others. These minerals can be found at some points in Agios Konstantinos as well as towards Lavrio, an interesting neighboring town. Those tourists whovisit Lavrio should always try to meet Agios Konstantinos as well and relax surrounded by a very attractive natural environment which combines mountains, green areas, and traditions in a very peculiar way.

Foot care - deserves equal attention

There was a time when mankind used to roam this earth barefoot. But now thinking about doing the same may be considered preposterous. When we say we need to pamper ourselves the last thing we think about is our foot. Even though it is as important as any other part of our body, we tend to give it a step motherly treatment. Like your face and hands, your feet should also be taken care of.

By following some good tips you can take care of your feet too. The first mistake many of us do to harm our feet is to buy one of the most uncomfortable shoes. If you are a working person you have to consider that you would be in these shoes for excess part of the day. Buying a good shoe is always very important. Whenever you go to buy shoes check your foot size, because the sizes of your feet may differ. Considering that, you should buy shoe for the biggest foot. It is better to go shopping for shoes in late afternoons as our feet swell the most during this time of the day.

Yoga has been spreading like a wild fire and you can try some yoga asanas which would be useful for your feet. There was time when walking was the only mode of transport in our lives and due to which our feet used to get the proper exercise. Nowadays, there is less walking and more of sitting in the car, waiting to reach our destination. So exercising is a good way to help your feet.

Proper personal hygiene would help your feet from getting infected by any of the skin diseases or other foot problems. Change your socks daily and see to it that is of good material which would help in the breathing process of your feet.

Some simple and easy ways to take care of your feet

-Scrubbing your feet with pumice stone will help remove the dead and dry skin

-Apply foot cream before going to bed to prevent any cracked heels problems

-If your feet smell, use talcum powder or foot sprays this would keep your feet dry and clean

-Soak your feet for 10 minutes in warm water which is mixed with salt and add drops of lavender oil to relax your feet

-Hot and cold treatment also works very well for your feet. To improve blood circulation, dip your feet in hot water then in cold water alternatively

-Soaking your feet in warm water mixed with shampoo, helps your toe nails immensely

-To fight cracked heels. Mix few drops of lemon juice in Vaseline and apply it at the required area

-Almond Oil is very good for your skin. Applying it regularly to your feet after bath will get you a smooth result

- Regular pedicure is also very essential to have clean and good feet

Didn t mean to beat a dead horse - a startling look at the crust of the earth

“E., ick, who would drink a Dead Horse beer anyway?” our guest turned her nose up and eyed me with suspicion. Her skepticism caught me, and I had to laugh. I really hadn’t thought much about it as the Dead Horse Ale from the Moab Brewery provided the right taste for the moment and I had enjoyed that taste for a couple of years now.

I didn’t want to belabor the discussion, beating a dead horse about brews, as major world political issues had to be resolved within a matter of hours, over plates of steaming spaghetti back up a mountain canyon on a cold Montana winter evening. Still, our little extended family gathered around the table had to know that the host didn’t just have a twisted outlook and a penchant for brew from dead horses. I hate to leave that impression.

Finding this label and ale flavor on the shelves in Missoula, Montana had evoked memories from the murky distant past of a Christmas jaunt in the Moab, Utah area years ago. We had no idea where we were headed as we left Moab that Utah winter morning after Christmas. My wife, brother, my parents and I followed my older brother and his family as they sped away in their car, heading north of Moab up the canyon, and headed off on a bumpy back road to the west.

We drove, and we drove, out there into the middle of this dry, dusty desert country. To our delight, there were marvels as we rounded turns driving up the draws on our race across the desert. passing a small canyon above the road we could see the upper canyon wall, a sheer arched out red rock face carved and sculpted by wind and water over the centuries. At another point we stopped to take a walk/climb across a massive, carved, rounded, rock face stretching up and back to almost form a small mountain of red rock on the desert landscape.

Then the desert flattened out and we raced along, heading west on a run that seemed to go on for hundreds of miles to somewhere on the distant horizon. Then a turn to the south and the run continued this day after Christmas. We speculated that older brother had it with family over the holiday and was leading us out to lose us in the middle of nowhere.

Surprise and astonishment - the two-car caravan came to an abrupt halt at a rail, people piled out of cars, and the incredible vista suddenly opened out before and below us. Surprise and astonishment barely encompassed our reactions as we stood out on Dead Horse Point. A straight down drop-off lie at our feet, with the Colorado River winding through the Canyonlands National Park 2000 feet below us. The view out here “in the middle of nowhere” was unbelievable, stretching out in a 270 degree panorama before us.

Thousands of years of winds, the mighty Colorado River and countless other streams and rivers had carved a landscape beyond parallel. Red cliff peninsulas and islands, and deep canyons led off in all directions. The surface of planet Earth in a place like this is truly a wonder. It takes a moment like this, a panoramic view out across the landscape with hundreds of square miles of extreme and varied terrain to really bring it all home.

We stood on a level plain that ran behind us to the horizon. In front of us the level plain had been carved 2000 feet down into canyons, crevices, streambeds and river beds. To the east, the other side of Moab, rising from the canyons and crevices, the La Sal Mountains rose above the plain we stood on. This particular day they stood tall and shined, blanketed with a fresh winter snowfall on the forested ridges and peaks “up there”. The contrasting layers of the earth’s crust were on graphic display.

The smallness of our existence in the Cosmic Order or on a planetary scale immediately comes to mind as we drink in the Dead Horse Point of view. The little band of extended family huddled against the chill winter winds of that high desert region - three generations from Mom and Pop to we three brothers and wives, to the children of our older brother. The 70 year span of our existences was a speck in the massive timescale that was laid out before us, carving down through the crust of the planet.

Maybe the Cosmic Forces didn’t create mankind as a vehicle for recognizing and reveling in the wonders that abound on this planet. But we do it so well. We are wired to be awestruck, to stand in amazement at the phenomena that stretches out before us. And, we take with us those panoramic perspectives, those moments with family, and memories of multi-layers of the earth’s crust. They may help us shape the future directions that we go in forming the world we have some control over. Well, some of us anyway.

Then, years later when the option of having a Dead Horse Ale is questioned, the whole scope of that experience comes flooding back. It prompts another recounting of that fascinating experience out on the backroads of Utah. The broad sweeping wonders like that abound throughout the backroad country of Utah, southwestern Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico. There are also some great places to stay, dynamite motels and hotels that put you right in the middle of those wonders along those routes, making exploration of the desert southwest a truly spectacular experience. More about that and an introductory guide to the adventures of the southwest can be found in the Utah-Montana Wilderness Tours component at the address: montanaadventure. com/out/state/us-ut. html. Savor the adventure of the desert southwest!

Finding discount pet supplies

I love my pet, but I hate the high cost of pet supplies.

Can you relate to the constant drain on your wallet? Would you like to reduce the cost of your pet supplies?

If you too love your pet or pets and would like to benefit from some ways I save money on pet supplies then take just a few minutes and let me share some cost saving ideas that can really lighten the financial drain for those pets that we consider a integral part of our family.

One of the problems with the cost of pet supplies has become the increasing cost these past few years. It can add up fast. In my house we actually have a line item in our monthly budget because we actually have 3 pets (2 dogs and a cat). In this article I hope to help everyone who loves pets but would like to save money on pet supplies.

Most of us are genuine pet lovers. We love to keep animals as pets for our enjoyment and companionship. Over time, these pets become a regular part of the family. Our pets deserve the very best care just as anyone in the family would. Because of our love and commitment to care for our pets, We're constantly looking for little nick knacks we can buy while shopping..

The pet supply and pet product industry has grown quite a bit over the past decade. Thus a large number of new pet stores have opened up all through out the country. There are many pet products and pet supplies outlets available in the market today including where you live or at least over the Internet. As a Pet lover, you can buy these products from discount pet stores or order online from the comfort of your home of office.

The goal is sorting through these new shopping options in search for the true values, the genuine best and Lowest discounted prices available. In terms of pet supply inventory, this too has increased dramatically over the past decade. Today there are virtually endless products and pet food options available. Most of the discount pet supply stores have a large assortment of these different products that offers a variety of sizes. In addition they carry a growing selection of pet supplies and pet gifts.

There are a wide variety of online and local discount pet stores for you to choose from. Both online and traditional discount pet supply stores offer a growing selection of items for the pets that you love. The online pet discount stores carries a wider range of product for your pet because their not limited to physical shelf space. These online discount pet stores are a great resource for checking out a discount pet supplies and price comparisons without the need to actually visit stores in your area. Online stores are easy to use as they are easier and more convenient to order from. When purchasing anything online including pet supplies or pet foods you can save money by not having to pay sales taxes in most cases. In addition, you can have many online pet supplies stores offer free shipping to first time buyers or in many cases for a specific period of time of if your order exceeds a certain dollar amount.

Most of the pet supply discount pet stores are pet friendly. They are designed to provide a nice comfortable place for the pet owner and your pet while your buying pet supplies. Some of these discount stores offer many additional benefits and services in addition to the normal services you've come to expect. Some of these extra services include pet grooming services, pet photography and veterinary services, Community services such as obedience classes, pet adoption clinics and seminars on pet care are also offered.

Well I hope this article has helped you and I hope it has shed some light on the challenge of saving money on your pets supplies regardless whether you use a local regular pet supply store or an online store. This may take a little research and price comparison on your part but the savings will be well worth it.

Increase your chances of having a baby

When you have decided you want a baby, get your body ready:

* Take folic acid in supplement form, 400mcg a day, or it can be found in some foods like cornflakes.

* Cut down on your caffeine intake.

* If you've come off the pill, there's some dispute about how long you should wait before trying to conceive, but it's probably best to wait 2-3 months.

* The man should take zinc supplements to increase the strength and numbers of his sperm

* He should also increase his vitamin D intake - drink milk.

* Cut down on alcohol. Even 2 pints per day will, on average, reduce your baby's weight by 6.5 ozs.

* Stop smoking. Just one more reason to do so!

* Keep the sperm cool - ideally 2-3? cooler than the rest of the body. Avoid tight underwear and tight jeans. Try boxer shorts, they may not be the latest in designer chic, but they help the testicles to stay away from the body and stay cooler.

Have sex at the right time..

.. and frequently. To stand a chance of conceiving, live sperm has to fertilise an egg at the time of ovulation - usually around day 14 of your period. Sperm will usually live for 3 days so will hang around waiting and your timing doesn't have to be exact. You can get ovulation predictor kits from your chemist.

What's The Best Position?

It doesn't really matter, although with the woman on top you may be reducing your chances of conceiving.

Be Patient

You can be doing everything right but you won't necessarily conceive in the first month. In fact you probably won't. Success is closely related to age:

* Women aged 20-25 have a 1 in 4 chance of conceiving,

* With women aged 30-35 the chance drops to 1 in 7, and the success rate falls as they get older.

On average it will take a couple in their early to mid-twenties five cycles to conceive, and a couple in their early thirties ten cycles. One in ten couples have to wait more than a year before they succeed.

What If It's Not Working?

If you have been trying for a baby without success:

* Keep a temperature chart. After ovulation the woman's body temperature rises by about 0.2?C and maintains this higher temperature until her next period. By measuring temperature as soon as you wake and entering the reading on a chart, you can see when you ovulate. Ideally you want to have sex just before then. You can't turn the clock back of course, but the chart will tell you whether you ovulate at the same time each month and, if so, you can plan for the following month. The temperature rise is small and you may feel more confident with an ovulation kit available from your chemist.

* try to lower your stress levels. Stress can affect either partner and may reduce your chances of conceiving. Try to have a few days away from work just before ovulation is due.

* if you have been unsuccessful for a year or more it is worth talking to your physician.

Planning golf tournament details consider hiring a professional

So you have been put in charge of planning golf tournament details this year. Perhaps your boss has given you a few details about what is expected, but do you really know what to do? Have you ever planned this type of event before? If not, you need some help!

There are many professional companies out there that can help you plan and organize golfing events. Using one of these companies will help you make sure that you do not overlook any details about the event. For example, you need to plan not only for the game itself, but also for food, entertainment, equipment, and so much more. Finding a quality company to come alongside you will ensure that you do not miss any of these little things that make planning golf tournament details such a challenge.

But how can you find one of these companies? Sure, you could go online and search for this type of resource, but not every company is created equal. You first need to find a company that has many years of experience organizing golfing events. Experience speaks for itself, because, after all, if a company was not professional, it would not continue to exist and draw customers.

Another thing to look for in a quality professional to help you with your plan is someone who has resources to discounted products. For example, you will need to advertise and promote your event, which can be very expensive. Try to find a professional that can get a low price for these products. Since these companies buy many more products than you ever will, they can often land big discounts that you will not be able to find on your own.

When planning golf tournament details, it is helpful to find a professional company that has connections with good courses around the country. This helps ensure that you get the right dates and excellent courses to use when hosting your event. Finding a company with the right connections is essential to your success.

One sign that you have found a quality company to work when you find a company that hosts its own events on a regular basis. If a company is willing to host events itself, to promote their own company or earn money for charity, you know it is confident with its abilities to plan and organize. Look carefully to see how many years a company has been hosting these events, to help you determine how confident it is about its skills.

One company with this level of experience and expertise is De Winter Golf Enterprises. You can find them at dewintergolfenterprises. com. This company has been planning golf tournament details for twenty years. They are able to get you your promotional materials for just 10% over the market cost. This company also has connections with over 300 of the best resorts and courses across the globe. And, since they host their own events five times a year, you can be confident that they really know what they are doing. So visit them today to get the professional help you need organizing your next golfing event.