Once you have had low back pain, you are likely to have it again. To help keep your back healthy and avoid further pain:

• Practice good posture when you sit, stand, and walk.
•  Get regular, low-impact exercise. Walk, swim, or ride a stationary bike. Stretch before you exercise.
• Wear low-heeled shoes with good support.
• Sleep on your side. A medium-firm mattress may be easiest on your back.
• Watch your weight. Being too heavy, especially around your waist, puts extra stress on your back.
• Don’t try to lift things that are too heavy for you. When you must lift, bend your knees and keep your back straight, keep the object you are lifting close to your belly button, and avoid lifting and twisting at the same time.

If you sit or stand for long periods at work:

•  Pay attention to your posture. Sit or stand up straight, with your shoulders back.
• Make sure your chair has good back support.
• Take regular breaks to walk around.

If your work involves a lot of bending, reaching, or lifting:

•  Talk to your human resources department to see if there are other ways you can do your work.
• Don’t depend on a “back belt” to protect your back. Studies have not shown these belts to be effective in reducing back injuries. The most they can do is to help remind you to use good techniques for lifting.

Tai chi, an ancient Chinese martial art, may improve senior citizens’ strength and help them avoid falls, South Korean researchers find. Regular exercise is very important as we get older because when we get to 65 we start losing muscle strength at a rate of up to two percent per year. It is effective in fall prevention for older people because of improvements in strength and balance.

The researchers tested tai chi in older adults. The slow, gentle, and continuous movements help them develop stronger muscles, better balance control, concentration, and psychological well-being.

They found benefits including:

•  Stronger knees and ankles
• Better balance and flexibility
• Improved walking
• More confidence in the ability to avoid falls

The tai chi students had fewer falls than others who didn’t take the class. Their study appears in the Journal of Advanced Nursing.

Tai chi uses slow, fluid body movements. It’s not a jarring form of exercise. Health experts want everyone to get enough exercise. That includes older adults.

Every year, about 30% of people aged 65 and older and living on their own fall. Some of the risk factors that lead to falls in seniors include imbalance, muscle weakness, and lack of flexibility — all of which can be modified.

Seniors who fall and are seriously injured may take a long time to recover. Meanwhile, they may be sidelined from their normal routine. That can lead to physical decline and depression.

The tai chi students had stronger knees and ankles than their peers. They also improved in flexibility and walking. The tai chi group had fewer falls during the study.

This is not to say that taking Tai Chi will definitely help you prevent falls but it may and it’s good for your body.

Swollen feet, sometimes called edema, is a condition where the muscles in the feet have an excessive fluid buildup. Gravity pulls the fluid to your ankles and feet.

Swelling can be a symptom of a serious problem, a sports injury, pregnancy, heart disease, fluid retention, kidney problems or another condition. If your feet swell chronically see your doctor.

Slight swelling of the lower legs commonly occurs in warm summer months. Slight swelling is more likely to occur if a person has been standing or walking a lot.

Traditional treatment might include any or all of these suggestions:

•  Elevate your feet and legs. Place a pillow under your heels, and prop your feet on a chair or high stool. Use a leg wedge to elevate while sleeping.
• Dip your feet into a tub of cold water or sit on the side of the bath with your feet under a cold-water tap. After this put your feet up for a while.
• Reduce your salt intake. Salt causes you to retain water.
• Do not abuse laxatives.
• Take diuretics if prescribed by your doctor. Diuretics increase urination by pulling excess fluid out of your cellular tissues.
• Practice good health habits. Proper nutrition and daily exercise improve the health of your cardiovascular system and your circulation, helping to reduce the tendency of your feet to swell.
• Wear support socks or stockings and well fitting shoes.

Symptoms
Generally the symptoms of eczema include patches of itching red, brown or normally colored, raised skin, and tiny bumps or blisters that may ooze fluid. The itching may become very severe.

•  In atopic eczema the affected skin looks wet or crusted. The patches are very itchy and irritated. Scratching increases the risk of infection from bacteria.
• Hand eczema caused by irritants has symptoms of dry, cracked skin, with or without redness. Other forms of hand eczema may be itchy red bumps and blisters. The skin under a ring often shows the first symptoms.
• Stasis dermatitis initially presents as a mild redness and itching of the legs and the skin around the ankles. The legs may already be slightly puffy or very swollen due to poor blood circulation. If redness and tenderness develop suddenly, it might indicate a secondary bacterial infection, which needs immediate medical attention.
• People with seborrhoeic dermatitis have greasy, yellowish scales on the scalp and eyebrows, behind the ears and around the nose.

About 10% of Americans suffer from atopic eczema. In 70% of the sufferers the condition runs in the family. Symptoms may clear up after a week or two or may persist for years, resulting in a chronic condition. Treatment may also vary from person to person.

•  Soak in a medicated bath to remove crusted skin. Use starch, colloidal oatmeal or bath oil in the water to help soothe irritated nerve endings and reduce the risk of bacterial infection.
• After a bath, apply petroleum jelly or simple moisturising cream or emolient to help conserve the skin’s natural moisture.
• In the case of stasis dermatitis you should wear support stockings and rest frequently.

You should see a doctor if any of the following happen:

•  If home treatment does not have the desired effect after a week
• If a yellowish to light brown crust, or pus-filled or oozing blisters, develop over existing patches of eczema, possibly indicating an infection
• If the skin is painfully dry
• If you have been exposed to a person with a viral skin disease (such as cold sores, genital warts or genital herpes) while you are having a flare-up of eczema

The bathroom can often be the most dangerous room in your home. Use our checklist to make sure you’ve done all you can to provide a safe bathroom for yourself and the older adults you love.

• Have you installed high quality grab bars in the bath tub and shower?
• Are you careful not to use towel racks or wall-mounted soapdishes as grab bars?
• Do you use a non-slip mat or have adhesive safety strips installed in bathtubs and showers?
• Do you promptly wipe up excess water from the bathroom floor?
• Do you have a non-skid bath mat for every bathroom?
• Do you use cleaning supplies that don’t leave a slippery residue behind?
• Do you use nightlights to help light hallways and bathrooms during the night?
• Are medications, including vitamins, prescription drugs and over-the-counter drugs clearly labeled and properly stored?
• Are all bathrooms in your home protected by ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCIs) and tested monthly to ensure they operate properly?
• Are small electrical appliances such as hair dryers, curling irons, and razors always kept away from water and unplugged when not in use?

Before using your breast pump for the first time, read the entire instruction manual. Wash your hands with soap and dry thoroughly with a clean paper towel. You don’t have to wash your breasts before you pump unless you use creams, ointments or other products on your breasts. Check your products’ labels and ask your doctor for advice. Assemble your pump using the manufacturer’s instructions. Then find a clean and comfortable place where you can relax and not be distrubed. Position the breast-sheilds using your instruction manual for tips on positioning your nipple. Adjust the breast-shield until it feels comfortable, and begin pumping. Adjust the speed until you find one that is comfortable.

Since the amount of milk produced is different for everyone, you should consult with a qualified health care professional to help you dterming the best pumping method for you. A typical pumping session lasts about 10-15 minutes per breast, but you should only pump as long as it is comfortable and productive.

When you are finished pumping milk, gently insert a finger between your breast and the breast-shield to break the vacuum seal. Remove the bottle of milk and label with the date and time of pumping before storing in the refrigerator or freezer.

Many legitimate Web sites bring customers health products with the benefits of convenience, privacy, and, sometimes, cheaper prices. “But consumers need to be aware that the Internet has also created a marketplace for unapproved medical products, illegal prescribing, and products marketed with fraudulent health claims,” says William Hubbard, associate commissioner for policy and planning at the Food and Drug Administration.

• When buying prescription medicine online, make sure the site requires a prescription and has a pharmacist available for questions.
• Buy only from licensed pharmacies located in the United States. Online pharmacies should be licensed.
• Make sure the website you’re considering buying from is secure before providing personal information and credit card numbers. Look for the security lock at the bottom of most web broswers on pages where you enter personal details, or make sure the url is green and displays a lock in the url field for IE7
• The FDA recommends checking with your health care provider before buying a medical device or before obtaining services that have been promoted on the Internet.

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