The days are growing shorter, leaves are turning, there’s a brisk chill in the air…And homeowners are busy with outdoor cleanup
Rhinebeck, NY (PRWEB) October 10, 2013
The days are growing shorter, leaves are turning, there’s a brisk chill in the air and homeowners are busy with outdoor cleanup. It’s time for rakes, leaf blowers, ladders, chain saws, and mowers—and the possibility of pain and injury they can cause.
Common fall cleanup tasks such as raking, pruning, and cleaning gutters can cause muscle strain, back pain, repetitive motion injuries, tendonitis, carpal tunnel syndrome, accidents, and other injuries.
According to The Consumer Product Safety Commission, 617,000 people were injured in 2008 doing common yard work chores, and the Centers for Disease Control and prevention reports that approximately 42 million people seek emergency room treatment for such injuries each year.
Lou Paradise, pain management expert and president and chief of research at Topical BioMedics, Inc., offers the following safety tips for avoiding accidents and injuries this fall.
--Warm up, cool down, and pace yourself. Walk and stretch before you exert yourself to help prevent your shoulders, neck, and back from being strained. When you’re done, gentle stretches will help relieve muscle tension. Take periodic breaks to stretch your muscles, and drink water to stay hydrated
--Dress appropriately. Lightweight, natural fibers provide warmth without trapping sweat. Wear long-sleeved shirts and pants to protect your skin from scratches, bugs, and sun. Wear sturdy shoes or boots with slip-resistant solves to prevent injuries and minimize the risk of falling.
--Wear appropriate accessories for the chore: Safety glasses to keep eyes protected from flying dirt and debris; earmuffs, a hard hat, and steel mesh face visor when using a chainsaw; gloves and a facemask when handling chemicals (such as lawn fertilizer and insect poison). Be mindful to keep chemicals away from children and pets.
--Use a rake that is comfortable for your height and strength, and look for ergonomic handles. If the rake handle isn’t padded, wear gloves to prevent blisters.
--Use proper posture and movements. When raking, switch sides often to prevent overworking certain group of muscles. Never throw leaves over your shoulder or to the side, which puts undue stress on your back. When picking up leaves, bend at the knees—not the waist.
--Do not overfill leaf bags, and remember wet leaves are especially heavy. To avoid injury, you should be able to handle bags comfortably, without straining.
--Take safety precautions when climbing a ladder. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, in 2008 approximately 539,000 people when to the doctor, the ER, or the hospital because of a ladder injury. Make sure your ladder is in good repair with no loose screws, hinges or rungs. Place it on a firm, level surface, angled approximately 75 degrees from the ground and check to be sure it’s fully open and locked. When climbing, wear shoes with nonslip soles and ask a family member/friend hold the ladder in place. Always face toward it when climbing and descending, and never sit or stand above the level indicated by the manufacturer.
--To help prevent/reduce pain and injury, apply safe, natural Topricin Pain Relief and Healing Cream before beginning yard work and immediately after. Topricin may be reapplied at bedtime, in the morning, and several times during the day, as needed.
Healing Therapy Tips:
Hot and cold therapy with Topricin will shorten the duration of the recovery so pains/injuries can heal faster. Fueled by nature not chemicals, Topricin is a blend of eleven natural medicines that help the joints detoxify by stimulating the body’s desire to drain toxins and excess fluids from the muscle tissue, which restores blood flow back to normal and helps heal the damage that is causing the pain.
-Ice is the first course of action, for the first 24 – 48 hours to help with inflammation. Ice therapy has an effect when the ice is REMOVED. Ice stops the blood flow, when removed it releases fluids and toxins, stimulates lymphatic and toxin draining and more blood flow. Basic procedures for ice therapy: 10 minutes on; 5 off; 10 on, 5 off.
-Moist Heat and Ice/Heat:
Heat: 48 – 72 hours after injury try using heat on the injured area. You’ll know it’s okay to continue if you don’t feel worse afterwards. Heat draws more blood to the area and removes toxins.
-Alternating Hot and Cold: Cold and heat can be very powerful when used together at this point. The most effective protocol takes about 45 minutes: start with HEAT for 10 minutes, followed by 5 minute break. Then COLD for 10 minutes, followed by 5-minute break; then HEAT again for 10 minutes. Follow with an application of Topricin.
For severe pain and swelling, seek medical attention (you can apply Topricin as a first line first aid treatment).
To learn more about Topricin Pain Relief and Healing Cream, go to http://www.topricin.com.
About Topical BioMedics, Inc.
for pain relief. The company’s flagship product, Topricin® Pain Relief and Healing Cream, was introduced in 1994 and is now a leading natural therapeutic brand. A combination biomedicine formula, Topricin has been awarded a patent for the treatment of pain associated with fibromyalgia and neuropathy, was listed among the Top 100 Green Products of 2012 by Healthy Holistic Living. The product also earned the “No. 1 Pharmacists Recommended” designation in the “Topical Analgesics” category for 2012 – 2013 from US News and Pharmacy Times, along with 17 other national OTC brands, and is the only homeopathic formula to earn that distinction.
The Topricin family of natural healing products also includes Topricin Foot Therapy Cream, specially formulated to treat painful foot and ankle issues and conditions, and Topricin for Children, which received the Parent Tested Parent Approved Seal of Approval (with 5% of sales donated to pediatric cancer foundations). Made in the U.S.A., all Topricin products are federally-regulated over-the-counter medicines with no known side effects, no parabens, petroleum, or other harsh chemicals, no grease, and no odor.
Topricin is available in pharmacies, natural food stores, and retailers nationwide, including Whole Foods, The Vitamin Shoppe, Fred Meyer, Wegmans, CVS (Foot Care Section), Walgreens (Diabetic Section) and other fine stores, as well as directly from the company.
For more information, visit http://www.topricin.com.
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SOURCES:
Topical BioMedics, Inc.
ubi.com
fitbit.com
sennheiser.com
tiu.edu
stltoday.com
aaos.org
fitsugar.com
Longmont United Hospital
Activerain.com
This Old House
NaturalWellBeing.com
American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS)
Everydaychiropractic.com
http://www.aaos.org/
