Work/Repetitive Stress InjuriesWritten by Dr. Michael L. Johnson
Millions of people are suffering from all types of job injuries ranging from stress of working in a bad position to improper lifting or carrying to falls and other trauma. Among most common on-the-job injuries is spinal injury.That's one of reasons why 85 percent of population will experience disabling low back pain at least once during their lives! That's almost all of us. The problem is so bad that at any one time, according to one researcher, 6.8% on U.S. adult population is suffering from an episode of back pain lasting more than two weeks, with estimated cost of lower back problems in U.S. being over $50 billion a year. Workers' compensation plans reveal that more than twice as many claims are filed for back "sprains and strains" than any other category of injury. Although 30% of all claims are for back problems, chronic (long term) nature of these conditions gives rise to 60% of all compensation pain. The standard medical approach to back pain varies depending on severity of condition. Usually muscle relaxers, painkillers and rest are prescribed, sometimes in conjunction with traction, diathermy, ultrasound, hot packs, and other procedures. Surgery may be resorted to if all else fails. The medical approach is at times necessary. Surgery, however, has its attendant problems. Many people who have had back surgery report a recurrence of their symptoms within a year or two of operation and may return to operating table. In some cases surgery makes no difference whatsoever.
| | Commonly Available Cotton Sheets and Bedding May Be a Severe Health RiskWritten by Mark Sweiger
My mother used to tell me, “There are two things in life for which you should spare no expense, your bed and your shoes.” Her reasoning was that if you are not in your bed, then you must be in your shoes, and your health and quality of life is greatly affected by either one. In this article I will discuss first half of this equation, health of your bed, which affects all aspects of your physical and mental performance.I have written other articles on importance of using an organic mattress, but it is equally important to use organic sheets, pillowcases and blankets on top of your bed because your bedding makes direct contact with your body for 8 hours every night. Just as using a natural mattress protects you from toxic effects of petrochemical foams and polyester in conventional mattresses, organic bedding protects you from harmful chemicals present in most commercial bedding. I am sure you are thinking, “My current bedding is fine, it can’t harm me, especially if I would wash it and change it more often.” While I can’t help you wash and change your bed more often, you need to know that most commercially available sheets and pillowcases are made from a 50/50 blend of conventionally grown cotton and polyester, which is not safe. Let me explain why: Cotton is a very useful fiber that has many good qualities: It is hypoallergenic, it wicks away moisture well for a nice dry feel, it is relatively soft, and it washes and dries well. But cotton is also most heavily sprayed crop on earth and 25% of world’s pesticides are used for cotton production. These pesticide residues build up in cotton as it grows, and they can be transferred directly to your bedding when it is made from non-organic cotton. Once you sleep on this contaminated cotton, pesticide residue can pass through your skin and into your body. Non-organic cotton is bad enough, but polyester, which comprises other 50% of your 50/50 blend bedding, is made from petrochemicals that shouldn’t be anywhere near your body. Polyester contains chemicals caused phthalates, which are used to make fibers more flexible, and these chemicals mimic female hormone estrogen in human body. Constant exposure to phthalates and other plasticizers in food containers, dinnerware, polyester upholstery and other sources, has been linked to cancers and dramatic drop in male fertility that has happened during last 60 years. Polyester also traps water vapor, which causes night sweats, jock itch and athlete’s foot. It is included in sheets because it is inexpensive and makes sheets more durable and wrinkle-free. But is this worth potential health consequences?
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