May is Mental Health Awareness Month – a good reminder to check up - and brush up - on yours. The pain began as a dull off-and-on ache between my shoulder blades. But then, seemingly overnight, it progressed into a persistent, sharp and stinging sensation that moved beyond my neck and down into my arm. The unrelenting pain woke me – and kept me - up at night. And the more I felt the pain, the more I tensed up and the tighter my muscles became, which only added to my discomfort. In no time I became stressed and sedentary, short-tempered and depressed. After spending considerable time trying all my { Read More }
Win a New Genius Wahl Massage Patch!
I love hosting giveaways. And who doesn't love to win? That's why I'm so happy to gift one of my readers with a brand-new genius product: The Wahl Pulsing Massage Patch. You can read about it here ...but make sure to come back to this page and leave a comment to be eligible to be the winner. Because, after all, you might be one of the estimated 75 to 85 percent of all Americans who will suffer from some sort of back pain during their lifetime. If and when you do, this will come in mighty handy. Here's the scoop: One name will be chosen at random. Then I'll notify you via email. Please { Read More }
You Need to Add This Pain Reliever to Your Wardrobe
No one will ever know you’re enjoying a massage…except for you. Wahl has come out with a Pulsing Massage Patch that you can wear on-the-go and under your clothes. I don’t know who first uttered, “If we’re not in pain we’re not alive,” but lately the word “pain” has become one of the most common and popular topics at many dinner conversations. It isn’t easy being pain-free. We may be an active generation; after all, having been weaned on Jack LaLanne and Jane Fonda can do that to a person – but with that comes the inescapable and at times, insufferable aches and pains. We bear the toll as { Read More }
Tylenol and Advil: Not Created Equal for Pain Relief
As we move merrily along into our so-called midlife, it’s not uncommon to feel pesky, everyday aches and pains from things like headaches, back pain, arthritis, sciatica…the list goes on. Because I exercise pretty frequently, it’s not unusual for me to feel pain from time to time (yes, I’ll admit pushing myself beyond my reasonable limits every once in a while!). Granted, I can't always blame exercise - although I hate to use the age card to start complaining...so I won't. One of my most recent and pleasant discoveries for pain management has been self-massage for various aches and pains; my favorite { Read More }
Natural Remedies for Pain Management
When you experience pain, do you: Become anxious and depressed Pop a painkiller Lose sleep Call in sick Book a massage Do nothing, live with it, and suffer in silence All of the above There's really no simple answer to this question, since there are many dynamics - like the type of pain, your background and personality and family and social environments - that can determine what your treatment plan will be, says the Institute of Medicine's Committee on Advancing Pain Research, Care and Education. After all, chronic pain is a tenacious problem that will not go away anytime soon, and has { Read More }