March 2008
Monthly Archive
Monthly Archive
Posted by admin on 31 Mar 2008 | Tagged as: Medical + More
Research carried out in 2002 indicated that almost 80% of the world’s population would suffer from some kind of back pain with lower back pain being the most common type. In addition to the high rate of incidence, back pain is also known to have a high rate of recurrence in patients. With patients trying everything from over the counter painkillers to physiotherapy to gain relief from back pain, Acupuncture comes as a welcome change.
Acupuncture is a natural method of treatment that involves no chemicals or surgery. Thin stainless steel needles are inserted into the body at various acupuncture points to stimulate the free flow of Chi or life force through the body. Free flowing Chi results in a healthy and pain free body. Large bodies of research have been able to establish a connection between acupuncture and relief from back pain-especially sciatica.
Sciatica refers to a type of back pain in which the pain radiates from the buttocks down the legs. Sometimes, sciatica pain can also be a consequence of a muscle spasm impinging on the sciatica nerve. Acupuncture can be effectively used to alleviate muscle spasms. The results are almost immediate and can provide relief within minutes.
Back pain is generally caused because muscles that are not frequently exercised and stretched are suddenly put to excessive use. Muscle spasms are common in such cases and result in the individual feeling sore, stiff and a dull ache in the back. Patients suffering from sciatica may even feel a tingling sensation or numbness. This is generally due to the narrowing of the disc space or a disc protrusion in the lumbar region.
Acupuncture is used to improve blood circulation to the entire lumbar region and spinal cord. It relaxes paraspinal muscles and provides relief from muscle spasms. The increased blood flow provides greater nourishment to the discs and increases the elasticity and strengthens the spinal cord. Thus, acupuncture can be extremely effective in reducing back pain symptoms. It is important to remember that different patients respond differently to acupuncture sessions and it can take anywhere between 4-12 sessions to really feel the difference.
Betty Durden is a staff writer for The National Acupuncture Specialists located at http://www.acupuncture-treatment-specialists.com.
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Posted by admin on 31 Mar 2008 | Tagged as: Best Travel Resources
In November, 2004, my wife Terry and I visited Paris for seven days. We stayed in a postage stamp sized hotel room in the Latin Quarter about two blocks from Notre Dame Cathedral.
We toured the Eiffel Tower, Notre-Dame Cathedral, Versailles, Sainte-Chappelle, the Arc de Triomphe, the Musee d’Orsay, the Louvre (two days), and went to a show at Lido’s.
We discovered, or rather stumbled upon another highlight of our trip - an open air market half a block from our hotel. The market operated only three days a week and featured the freshest meats, poultry, seafood, cheeses, breads, and produce from the outlying farms and countryside. There was a black wild boar, or at least the hide, on display in the meat section. Pheasants and other game birds, feathers in tact, hung from the rafters of the butcher shop
While we had many great meals including a few gourmets dining experiences in Paris, we missed the opportunity to prepare some of our own dinners. Both Terry and I love to cook and we have never seen such quality, fresh ingredients. But, we had no facilities to cook for ourselves. Nor did we have much space in our hotel room.
This is one of those times when you hit yourself on the forehead with the palm of your hand. “Why didn’t we rent a fully furnished apartment or condo rather than a hotel room?”
This revelation has prompted me to revisit some of my own writings. And here is some of my advice from years past:
Your vacation property provides value, fun, and excitement not just for you and your family, but for anyone who might rent your property.
Vacationers will find a “home away from home” with all the privacy and convenience they expect.
Consider the vacation options: a resort hotel room, a cramped cabin on a cruise, or a privately-owned vacation house or condo at the destination of your choice.
Count the following among the many advantages a privately-owned vacation property has over a resort hotel room:
1. Savings on Meals - A furnished kitchen allows vacationers to prepare many of their own meals. During a week’s vacation, dining in, rather than going to restaurants for every meal translates into several hundred dollars in savings on food alone.
2. More Room - A vacation home, condo, or villa usually has more space than a resort hotel room. Often, the condo or villa has a living room, dining room, kitchen, and perhaps a porch, balcony, or deck. When you’re on vacation, it’s nice to have some space.
3. Beautiful Furnishings - Many vacation properties reflect the good taste and pride of the owners with fine furnishings and decorator touches.
4. More Privacy - Often the homes, villas, and condos are more secluded, more private than a room in a hotel. In a resort hotel, you may have revelers roaming the halls at all hours.
5. Fully Equipped - In addition to a furnished kitchen with microwave and refrigerator, the vacation property may have a washer and dryer. Guests can wash their golf, tennis, ski, or beach wear each day. Hidden benefit: less luggage to haul on the trip.
6. Mini Bar vs. Refrigerator - Take a single beer from the hotel mini-bar or take a six-pack from the refrigerator at the condo. Guess what? The cost is about the same. Mini-bars provide great profit centers for hotels. Refrigerators, microwaves, VCRs, washers and dryers provide excellent convenience and savings for vacationers.
7. Better Rates - Despite these many advantages, privately-owned vacation property often costs less per week or per day than a hotel room at the same resort.
We had a wonderful trip to Paris. But, when we return - and I hope it is soon - we will take the extra step of finding an apartment or condo to rent.
Copyright© 2005, Christopher Communications, Inc. All rights reserved.
About the Author — Chris Cain wrote “Maximize Your Resort Property Investment” (1984), “Road Map to Your Vacation Property Dream” (1998), and dozens of articles on vacation property. He is a nationally-known speaker on the topic and he sells vacation property in Orlando, FL. Chris bases his writings and counseling on his 16 year ownership experience of a seaside villa at Kiawah Island, SC. “Road Map to Your Vacation Property Dream,” is available for $9.95 plus $4 S&H when ordered direct by calling toll-free 1-888-822-6657. Contact Chris Cain at vacvalue@aol.com.
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Posted by admin on 31 Mar 2008 | Tagged as: The Leisure Center
Since the 1960s, touring across America and looking for adventure has become synonymous with driving down Route 66. Immortalized in film, songs and books, the highway from Los Angeles to Chicago may have changed since the original route that John Steinbeck called the “Mother Road”, but it is still easy to take a detour down the most famous highway in American history.
Many travellers like to be fully immersed in the experience by camping by the roadside or by staying in the various motels which emerged out of the rapid post war growth in road travel which the route helped to develop. Others prefer to take the more comfortable approach by staying in modern accommodation, ranging from Hotels in Chicago to Hotels in LA. Whatever style of journey the traveller chooses however, it is easy to see why this iconic highway has remained a powerful emblem for the American Dream.
From its original inception, the road planners intended US 66 to connect the main streets of rural and urban communities along its 2,448 mile course, and to make it one of the nation’s principal East-West arteries. In doing so, these planners helped shape the perception of a nation.
By getting an up-to-date map, and then taking the off ramp from I-40 and following the brown Historic Route 66 road signs, today’s travellers find that most of the towns along the highway still hold vestiges of a day gone by, mixing in with the modern. The ‘Main Street of America’ has seen many changes and been largely superseded by more modern high speed interstate highways, however about 85% of the original route still remains and, along with it, much of the spirit of American hope and optimism which pervaded the country after economic catastrophe and global war; after, even, all these years.
Starting in Chicago, Route 66 passes through Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California, before skirting the Pacific Ocean and finally ending near Los Angeles. Taking in attractions like Springfield - the town where Abraham Lincoln was born - and the ancient remains of the Cahokia Mounds (a prehistoric native city dating from 700-1400AD), the Grand Canyon, Boulder Dam, Las Vegas, Barstow and the Mojave Desert, the route is steeped in history and littered with trading posts. The best way to see the old mother road is to rent a Harley Davidson, Corvette or 1960s open-top Cadillac and cruise near Las Vegas or explore Arizona or California where the longest sections of the route still exist.
While the number of travellers along the historic road has gradually lessened over time, and many of the old towns and businesses have deteriorated or disappeared since the road’s decommissioning, others have been carefully restored. This has given way to a microcosm of bygone roadside Americana that has became suspended in time. The roadside treasures, vivid history, and natural beauty lining the route mark out a disappearing vision of America which can increasingly only be seen on film.
Submitted by:
Michael Hanna
About Michael
Michael is a keen writer, and internet marketer living in Scotland:
Contact details:
E-mail: samqam@googlemail.com
Phone: 0131 561 2251
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