Featured Article
The Causes of Joint Pain and Some Helpful Treatments
Whether you are heading out for a walk, trying to play with your children or grandchildren, or planning your next traveling adventure, joint pain can stop you in your tracks.
Bones are connected at the joints, and the joints assist in movement and support; therefore if there is any damage to the joints movement can be impeded and the person left in pain.
Several conditions could cause joint pain; some of them includes strains, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, sprains, etc. Joint pain affects any part in the body from hands, shoulders to ankles and feet. The older one gets, the more prevalent the joint pain becomes.
Joint pain also comes in different degree of pain from mild to severe. It may last for a few days or weeks, or the chronic ones could linger for months. Both the short term and long term joint pain can affect one's quality of life. Regardless of the pain experienced, it can be managed through medication, alternative treatments, or physical therapy.
You will need to consult your doctor for a proper diagnosis before treating the joint pain and eliminating inflammation and pain.
Joint Pain Treatment options
There are several treatment options available for the treatment of joint pain, and one needs to consult a medical practitioner for proper diagnosis and recommendation of a treatment plan. Some of the options include:
Medications
Prescription over the counter can be used for joint pain with swelling. Some of the NSAID pills available for joint pain include aspirin, ibuprofen and naproxen sodium. These pills come with their side effect which includes the high chance for gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding.
Other pills that can act as a pain reliever for joint include:
• Muscle relaxants for spasms
• A few antidepressants and anti-epileptic drugs
Alternative Treatments
Most people with joint pain find relieve by using alternative treatment methods such as chondroitin and glucosamine supplements. These two substances are constituent of normal cartilage whose function is to protect joints and bolster the bones. You can get these two supplements in different forms such as tablet, powder, capsule, or liquid. Though these supplements might not work for everyone; since there are no known side effect associated with its use, you can give it a trial.
Another alternative treatment that has shown some powerful results is the use of C60. This incredible molecule has shown to be a great anti-inflammatory and help alleviate the causes of joint pain. You can order C60 is several forms often mixed with olive oil for best absorption and you don't need a prescription because it is considered an OTC anti inflammatory This molecule also has several other benefits including being a very powerful antioxidant, and contributing to overall health, vitality and longevity.
Injections
For those with minimal success using topical or oral medications, they may be recommended to take steroid injections directly into the joint. This type of injection is commonly taken by patients with joint inflammation, arthritis, or tendinitis. It offers an immediate relief but with a temporary effect. It also comes with side effects such that the masking of the steroids over the injury could make you overexert force on the joint thereby causing further damage.
Additional injection options are:
• Fluid removal from the joint
• Hyaluronan injection which is an artificial version of natural joint fluid.
Physical Therapy
A physical therapist can help you strengthen the joint muscles, bring stability to the joint, and ultimately enhance your motion. Some of the techniques used by the therapist include ultrasound, hot/cold therapy, manipulation, and electrical nerve stimulation.
For overweight and obese people, simply shedding some weight might relieve some pressure on the joints. One of the best ways to lose weight is through exercise and diet change but be wary of the exercise you do as low-impact exercises can further affect the joint. Exercises like swimming and cycling are a few of the best exercises as they help to exercise your joints with minimal impact.
Home Care
Short term joint pain can be relieved using simple homemade techniques which include:
• Using brace or wraps to protect the joint
• Relax the joint and stay away from activities that could lead to pain.
• Apply ice to the joint and leave for at least 15 minutes daily till it heals.
• Bandage the joint with the use of an elastic wrap.
• Raise the joint above your heart level.
Placing ice on your painful joints helps to relieve inflammation and pain. If you are experiencing muscle contractions around the joints, try wrapping with a heating pad. You may also receive medical advice to splint the joint for minimal movement or pain reduction. However, that should be done for a short period so as to avoid stiffness or loss of function.
Whatever form of treatment recommended by your doctor, it’s advisable to seek urgent medical help if the pain increases or you suddenly experience inflamed joint, or your joint becomes immobile.
By Cassie M.
Home Improvement Tips and Articles
Painting Tips and Techniques For Homeowners
Painting is an activity that must be carried out on a building in order to add more beauty to its appearance.
Apart from improving the outlook of a building, painting equally adds class and value to any building as long as it is perfectly done.
The essence of applying diverse colors of paint on a building is to make it looks attractive, hence; it is important that this exercise is carried out by an expert or an experienced painter.
Are you thinking of painting your house , but you have little or no experience in it? Don't worry, we've come up with many important tips and techniques that will guide you throughout the exercise.
Before unveiling the tips, let quickly give you a run-down of materials needed for a successful painting exercise, they are listed below:
Paint Bucket
Pouring Spout
Screwdriver
Roller Extension
Paint Roller and Cover
Tray and Liner
Paper Towels and Sponges
Painter’s Tape
Drop Cloths
Stirrer Stick
Paint Can-Opener
Primer
Tape Measure
If you decide you want to find a local painting contractor who has more experience, or you just do not have enough time or skill to accomplish the painting project., then you might want to contact a local contractor. Just do a search in your hometown for what you are needing. Painters Austin TX will locate you the top contractors in Austin Texas and then you can contact them for an estimate for your project.
Stir Paint Vigorously Before Use
This is the first step to take as soon as you get your paint. Gently uncover the paint, stir it with a stirrer stick and ensure the paint is adequately missed together to give its original and uniform color.
However, this step is only necessary if your paint has been at home for a long period of time without use.
Prepare your brush for work
Preparing your brush simply means moistening your brushes for the task ahead. To moisten your brushes, you need to dip it inside water for some minutes, and later dry it with paper towels.
This process (moistening) allows your brushes to withhold paints for considerable period of time.
Prepare your Roller for work
Just as you did to your brushes, do the same with your roller but make sure it doesn't stay too long in water before you blot it with your paper towel.
Remove Furniture and Wall Plates
Bring out every furniture to prevent it from being stained by paints. In addition, remove all wall-plates from the wall before painting.
Just as you did to your brushes, do the same with your roller but make sure it doesn't stay too long in water before you blot it with your paper towel.
Remove Furniture and Wall Plates
Bring out every furniture to prevent it from being stained by paints. In addition, remove all wall-plates from the wall before painting.
Repair the Walls
This step is very important, but it's not really meant for everyone.
It is expected that a newly-constructed building should have a very smooth and leveled surface. Hence; there is no need to repair the wall.
If you're dealing with aged/old buildings, then, it is advisable you repair the wall before painting.
To repair any damaged wall, you need a hole filler to smooth the wall. A hole filler's pack contains some important guidelines on how to apply it on the wall. You must strictly follow the direction for perfect results.
Make sure the hole filler used in leveling the wall surface gets dry before you start painting, it will enhance the overall beauty and quality of your paint.
Gently Apply Your Paint onto the Walls in Small quantities
Once all your painting equipments are in perfect condition for work and your wall is smooth enough, you can start painting.
Ensure you apply your paint on the wall in small quantity in order to get perfect result. This will also make your work easier during your finishing touches.
Tape the wall
Taping the wall means using a painter's tape to produce a very straight and accurate line on the wall edges or ceiling of different colors. What this mean is you must apply a painter's tape to demarcate a point where two edges meet.
Taping the wall ensures that a paint of one color doesn't affect or touch a paint different color on the wall.
You must ensure that your tape is firmly applied to the wall, so as to avoid errors or stain while applying your paints.
Maintain wet edge to avoid lap marks while painting
This is another thing you must ensure for you to have an eye-catching painting by the end of the exercise.
Two things to consider here are : 'Lap Marks' and 'Wet Edge '
Lap mark are unprofessional and ugly stripe that occur when the layers of paint buildup aren't level.
In short, lap marks are caused whenever you roll a layers of paint on the surface that are almost dried already.
Wet Edge is a painting technique that helps you to avoid any unwanted and unprofessional stripe on your wall.
All you need do is to start your painting from a spot closer to the corner of the building, then, carefully run your roller from top to bottom of the building. Do this until you're satisfied with the result you see.
You must ensure that every new stroke of your roller partly covers the previous stroke before they dry up.
This technique also ensures that all layers/stroke are evenly touched by your roller to give perfect outlook.
Note : Your roller mustn't dry before you reload it with paint. And the open side of your roller frame must face painted portion of the wall as it will lessen the pressure on the roller.
Apply finishing touches
Having applied your paint to every portion of the wall for two-to-three strokes , you need to apply final touch on it.
You have to smooth every part of the wall with your brush or roller — when needed — and ensure everything comes out good.
Other things you must do as part of your finishing touches include the following :
- Removing Paint Drips
- Returning your furniture to their place when the wall gets dry
- Return wall plates, such as sockets covers and light switches, to their initial position.
Once the painting is done, wait until it dries up before touching it. I hope this article helps tackle your home painting project and get the beautiful results you want
By Stacy Mathis
Home Plumbing tips, techniques, and Services
Dealing with plumbing issues could be a bit tiresome and worrisome; this is why we have highlighted some tips and technique you can use to handle your plumbing issues.
1. Avoid Pouring Grease Down The Drain
Pouring grease or oil down the drain will gradually pile up and clog your pipes leading to serious plumbing issues in the future. Next time you want to pour cooking oil down the drain, think about the potential havoc it could cause and look for a safer alternative. One of the alternatives is to allow the fat to solidify so you can dispose of it the compost bin.
2. Use a Strainer
One of the most prevalent problems that could affect your pipes is clogging. It could become messier with the accumulation of soap and hair residue. You can avoid this mess by using a strainer, and it will prevent a tedious and spiteful task in the future.
3. Be careful of What You Flush
You need to watch out and distinguish between the things you can flush away through the pipes and things you shouldn’t. For instance, serious clogs can be caused if you flush other things aside from toilet paper and body waste down the drain.
4. Identify where Your Main Water Valve is located
Though you may not be very keen to know much about how plumbing works, it’s imperative that you identify the spot where your water valve is located in the case of any issue. For instance, if you have a burst pipe, all you need do is to turn off the main water valve to reduce the damage caused till a plumber comes to fix the issue.
5. Check for leaks in Your Toilet’s Flush Valve Seal
It could be uncomfortable to deal with toilet leaks which are why you need to prevent it in the first instance by checking for leaks.
One of the spots you will see leak is in the flush valve seal of your toilet. This valve prevents water from entering the toilet bowl from the tank whenever you aren’t flushing. One of the techniques to identify a leaking flush valve seal is to add a few drops of food coloring into the closet tank. After a few hours check back to observe the changes, if your colored water has flowed into the toilet bowl it means there is a leak.
6. Ensure accessibility of your Main Sewer Drain
While you may not see most of the plumbing work in sight, it’s imperative to identify where your sewer drain is located and ensure it’s easy to access anytime in case there is a blockage.
7. Prevent Your Plumbing From Freezing
This might not pose a challenge in the summer, but it could be a risk in the winter period when the temperature drops to a very low degree.
One strategy you can employ is to always ensure the circulation of air around your home at least to a temperature of 16 degrees Celsius. Also, ensure most of the wall plumbing lines are well insulated to avert potential catastrophes.
8. Avoid Chemical Drain Cleaners
Using chemical drain cleaners can affect your plumbing in a bad way as it causes damage to pipes in the long run. People tend to fall for the advertising gimmick that it works immediately and effectively, but it causes long term damage.
9. Separate your Shut Off Valves
At some point or the other, you will need to make some repairs on your plumbing. Installing a different shut off valves will help you preempt the scenario whereby a fix needs to be done, and as such, all water is shut off. For instance, if there is an issue in a certain section of the house you can easily use water in another section since they have been separated.
10. Extend Your Tap’s Life
Most of the time we turn off our tap too tightly, and this wears it off more quickly till it reaches a point whereby it starts dripping water. The best tip to avoid this is to turn off the tap until you could feel the stopping point naturally.
The aforementioned are ten tips and technique you could employ in your home for a hassle free plumbing. If you need more information on plumbing, feel free to read more, visit plumbers Odessa TX to get plumbing advice and answerers to questions from an expert in the plumbing field. They will be happy to answer any questions you might have.
By Catie Dawson