Holiday Flavored Life Hacks

With the holidays just around the bend, we thought it would be fun to suggest a couple of cute and simple hacks that are both simple and fun.

Santa’s Foot Prints

Now, Santa doesn’t come to our house and there is no such equivalent (No, Hanukkah Harry is not a thing), but I saw this one and thought it was both cute and simple to do if your kids are either believers of Santa or perhaps on the fence about the whole idea.

Grab a pair of shoe insoles and place them in step of the other. Sprinkle some baby powder or flower around them. Carefully lift the insoles and repeat for a couple of snowy footprints, perhaps leading from the fireplace or cookie dish.
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The most frustrating part of the holidays for me is wrapping gifts. For starters, when I go to locate last years supply, it never fails, it’s all wrinkled and inevitably useless, and so I need to buy more. What a waste. Here is a simple fix. When you’re ready to store away the paper for next season, slip the rolls through left over toilet paper or paper towel rolls…..but wait, there’s more! Grab a clear garment bag and slip the neatly rolled gift-wrap inside; hang and store for next season.

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Last, when attending the neighborhood Christmas lighting, bring along a big thermos of some hot apple cider and some cups. It’s a great way to generate a few extra good tidings by offering it up to your unsuspecting (and unprepared) neighbors who are shivering. Bonus: Carry a flask of Meyers Dark Rum to spice it up for the grown-ups. Always a big hit.
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We hope these hacks lessen the stress of the season and allow you more time to focus on the important things, football, food and family. 😉

Muscle Strains

A strain, sometimes referred to as a pulled muscle, is a muscle injury produced by excessive tensile stress that causes fibers to tear within the tissue. A muscle strain does not usually result from excess stretch alone, but from a combination of tension and contraction. Muscle strains can develop when excess tension is placed on…

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Shin Splints or Compartment Syndrome?

One of the most common overuse injuries affecting the lower extremity is the condition known as shin splints. While the term shin splints routinely is used, especially among the athletic population, it does not represent a specific clinical pathology. Instead, it describes chronic shin pain resulting from overuse. It occurs in two regions of the…

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An Alternative Approach to Stretching

Clinicians, athletes and rehabilitation specialists advocate stretching as a means for injury prevention and treatment. The primary purpose of any stretching technique is to enhance pliability and flexibility in the soft tissues. It is also routinely incorporated with massage in the treatment of pain and injury conditions. There are many different stretching techniques, which all…

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Ganglion Cysts

The highly refined palpation skills of massage practitioners are such that we often identify tissue abnormalities before the client is aware of them. An indication that we should refer a patient for further evaluation is when we identify something we aren’t sure of but know shouldn’t normally be there. One such example may occur with…

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What Is the “End Feel”?

Some of the most valuable assessment information is derived from relatively simple procedures such as passive range-of-motion tests. While many massage practitioners have been exposed to the fundamental concepts of active and passive range-of-motion testing, most have not learned how to use this information effectively in a clinical environment. In this article, we will focus…

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How Accurate Is That Test?

Physical assessment is considered one of the most accurate ways to assess function of the locomotor tissues of the body. While we can often gain valuable information about structural problems through high-tech diagnostic procedures like X-ray or MRI, these procedures tell us very little about the function of the tissues involved in creating and limiting…

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When Is It Tendinitis?

Tendinitis is one of the most common diagnoses for soft tissue pain resulting from repetitive motion. As repetitive motion disorders have dramatically increased, so has the incidence of tendinitis. However, recent investigations into the cellular nature of tendon pathologies have brought forth interesting discoveries that may alter the way tendinitis is treated. In this month’s…

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