I just came across Dr. Lynn Kerew’s recent “Taking the Pain out of the Holidays”" blog and I really want to share this information with all of you. Dr. Kerew is a chiropractor who is very in-tune with the importance that ergonomics plays in a healthy lifestyle. This is great advice for all of us preparing for the Holidays and those of us traveling.

Per Dr. Kerew's blog, Last year, AAA reported a total of over 100 million Americans traveling during the holiday season in November and December. According to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, the average Thanksgiving long-distance trip length is 214 miles, compared with 275 miles over the Christmas/New Year’s holiday. At the same time the near 50,000 shopping centers throughout America are expected to swell with busy shoppers, despite the state of the economy.

“Low back pain is the number one ailment my patients come to see me with during the holiday months,” said Dr. Lynn. “This is an exciting time of year for many folks, but it is filled with so much planning, traveling, gathering, shopping and often too little sleep that many people can get themselves into a world of hurt, literally!”

Dr. Lynn has several tips and reminders for everyone looking to make it a pleasant pain-free holiday season, also many of the items recommended in this list double as great holiday gift ideas for any friend or family member who travels frequently. Here are a few of Dr. Lynn's recommendations and your can read her blog in its entirety on her blog website: http://lynnkerewchiropractic.com/blog/

When shopping:

• Be sure to really be aware of how much time you are spending on your feet and especially how much weight you are carrying when shopping.
If you’re already in pain or have a history try to keep your shopping load to no more than 10% of your body weight.
• Consider a portable shopping cart to make those long days at the mall less painful, they may not be the sexiest, but neither is spending the holidays on your back!
• This simple ergonomic shopping bag handle is great for reducing hand, wrist and arm stress from carrying too many bags at once

• Wear proper walking shoes! Get a proper pair of shoes that will give you the proper support so you can walk for hours at a time. Pretend you will be walking on cobblestones the entire time; you will not want to wear shoes that will hurt after 1 hour.

When traveling:

• Get some sleep! On overnight flights, bring some sleeping aids. Even if you are not tired, force yourself to sleep by using homeopathic supplements you can purchase at the homeopathic store. If you don’t sleep you will be jetlagged for days. Likewise, use JetLag homeopathic remedy when you arrive and just before you go home; about 12 hours before on either end will really help you.
• Get up often on the flight if you are not sleeping. This will help to prevent DVT – Deep Vein Thrombosis which is a potentially deadly blot clot that can travel to your brain (stroke) or heart (heart attack).
• Get an aisle seat. If you can sit in either business class or on international flights, luxury economy, there is more legroom and possibly a better meal. More legroom which is important, even if you are only 5 foot 4 like me!




travel footrest

• Invest in a travel foot rest for the flight.

• Invest in Noise Cancelling Headphones and also eye shades, to help you rest easier.

• Neck pillows provide much needed neck support for long periods of travel both in a plane or in a car (if you‘re a passenger of course!)



Neck Pillow

It is perfect for providing much needed extra support at hotel and travel destinations.

• Special ergonomic suitcases like this one have better telescoping and softer handles with special wheels to make them easier than others to pull around airports and hotels.

Hope you have a great holiday!

This year I am going healthy. I lost 10 lbs from the weight loss challenge at the YMCA and I am not going to blow it this holiday season! A friend gave me this recipe for pumpkin pie that I am going to try this year.

Low Cal Pumpkin Pie
½ can pumpkin
¼ cup cool whip
2-3 packages of Sweet-n-Low
dash of nutmeg
1/8 tsp. cinnamon
Whip with wire whip and pour into pie shell

There is so much going on during the holidays that we don’t always make the best decisions when it comes to our health and wellbeing. I am not just talking about food choices.

Injuries and /or aches and pains occur from lifting, twisting, bending, reaching, pushing etc. If you just take a couple of seconds to use proper posture and technique when putting your groceries in the cart as well as in and out of your car, injuries can be avoided. Also take a minute to stretch while doing these shopping chores.

In the kitchen have a step stool handy when reaching into the higher cabinets.
There are plenty of ergonomic kitchen items now and some of them might be useful to you. If you are referring to recipes you might want to try an ergonomic adjustable slantboard. These are beneficial as they allow you to adjust the angle for less strain on your neck. Remember to have your kitchen at the light setting that is best for your eyes. Eyestrain can bring on fatigue and stress. Pick out easy to grasp handles for your cooking utensils.

I’d love to hear some of your recipes and ideas for a “more ergonomic” holiday this year.

Time Change, Safety and Ergonomics
Did the recent time change have any effect on you? Is there a benefit to changing our clocks in the fall and spring?

Did you know that even one hour’s change can disrupt sleep patterns that can persist for up to five days after each time shift? There is also a huge spike in traffic accidents the first week that is attributed to the sudden decrease of the amount of light during driving times.

What’s the connection to ergonomics? This change in sleep patterns also has a significant effect on work efficiency and work place safety. Whether the clock is leaping forward or falling back, body clocks are thrown off and productivity inevitably falls in the days following a switch. Additionally and unfortunately, the rate of workplace injury occurrences also increases. OK, people…Be careful out there!

Daylight savings time is supposed to save energy. Is it really worth it? What are your thoughts?

Ever experience what we are calling the “Blackberry Thumb”? Those that actually do the research and provide treatment for these injuries have seen it all before with Nintendo thumbs etc. I guess everyone ought to slow down and think before breaking out the thumb. Won’t an index finger do? At the very least people should be trying to relearn the way they use the Blackberry. There is much pain involved and there could be permanent damage down the line. So take heed all you fast thumbs. Slow down.