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Page 14A,The Lee County Ledger, Wednesday, September 28, 2011 Tips For Reducing Low Back Pain (c) Monkey Business - Fotolia.com Low back pain usually gets better after a few weeks of proper treatment. Special to the Ledger (StatePoint) Have an aching back? You’re not alone. Low back pain (LBP) is one of the most common reasons people see physi cians. About one in four adults reported having LBP lasting at least one whole day in the past three months. Most often, the pain is caused by strain on bones, muscles, or liga ments. While low back pain usually gets better after a few weeks of proper treat ment, there are ways you can reduce or avoid it. Prevention begins with lifting heavy objects carefully, maintaining a healthy weight, and exercising regularly. If you have pain, make an appointment with your physician to locate it and rule out a serious problem. Tell your physician if you are having weight loss, fevers, weakness or loss of feeling in your legs, or any other symptoms. Treatment options for LBP include medications, heating pads, exercise, or physical therapy. Remain ing active is more effective than bed rest. If you need to have bed rest to allevi ate severe pain, return to normal activities as soon as possible. Doctors often order diagnostic imaging tests for patients with LBP that is not associated with any serious underlying disease. But after review ing the clinical evidence, the American College of Physicians (ACP) — a national organization of internal medicine physi cians — says that doctors should avoid this common practice. “In most patients without serious underlying disor ders, there is substantial improvement within a few days to a month with exercise and medications,” says Dr. Virginia Hood, president of ACP. ACP found that diag nostic imaging tests such as X-rays, MRIs, and CT scans do not improve the health of patients with LBP that is due to strain on muscles, bones, or liga ments. About 85 percent of patients fall into this category. Some evidence even sug gested there are increased risks for patients getting unnecessary diagnostic imaging tests. These tests usually lead to further un necessary tests, referrals, follow ups, and interven tions that have no positive impact on the clinical outcomes of patients. Radiation exposure due to imaging tests can even increase risk for cancer over time. ACP recommends that diagnostic imaging tests be reserved for select higher-risk patients who have major risk factors for or signs of spinal conditions, such as spinal stenosis, sciatica, vertebral compression fracture, can cer, or infection, or those who are candidates for invasive interventions. For more information, visit w w w.acponline .org. ACP’s recommendations are part of its High Value, Cost-Conscious Care ini tiative, which is designed to help physicians provide the best possible care to their patients while reduc ing unnecessary health care costs without impact ing patients’ health. “Unnecessary diagnostic imaging tests are all too common and a significant component of our nation’s escalating health care costs,” says Dr. Hood. “More testing does not mean better care. The best way to maintain effec tive care is to identify and eliminate wasteful practices that don’t help patients or may even cause harm.” What We Can Learn From Pets And Wildlife (c) CNImaging/Photoshot Animals can teach us about love and friendship. (StatePoint) As humans, we’re social animals. We need family, friends, and regular social banter to be happy. But apparently, we’re not the only social animals. There are many things we can learn from pets and wildlife about friendships and taking care of each other. In fact new research has shown that animals of different species can even develop deep friendships with each other. A new book titled “Unlikely Friendships: 47 Remarkable Stories from the Animal Kingdom” is hitting the bestsellers’ lists and showing the world about the prevalent but unique bonds between different animal species across the world. “I expect that anyone who loves animals, and even those who don t, can t help but be touched by these unusual partner ships,” says author and Na tional Geographic writer Jennifer Holland. “They remind us that kindness can rise above anything, even instinct.” For example, when Hur ricane Katrina slammed into New Orleans in 2005, many pet owners were forced to abandon their pets as they rushed to high ground. As domesticated animals were forced to fend for themselves, some formed packs for protec tion. Among them were Bob Cat, a male cat, and Bobbi, a female dog, each with a bobbed tail. The fact that Bob Cat was fully blind made the animals’ relation ship all the more touching. Bobbi the dog had been keeping Bob Cat safe by barking or nudging him in the right direction. But such strong bonds are not seen only in do mesticated animals. In China, staff at a natu ral reserve witnessed an unusual bond between an abandoned rhesus monkey and white dove believed to be part of a bird migration study. For two months, the macaque and dove shared a space and snacked on corn together. The monkey even showed affection, hugging the dove. If only the dove had hands and arms with which to hug back! Of course, the most surprising interspecies bonds can sometimes be between humans and other animals, particularly predators. When National Geographic photographer Paul Nicklen was assigned to shoot leopard seals in the Antarctic, he was determined to shoot fast and get out quick. Leopard seals have been known to attack humans. But a 12-foot female took a liking to Nicklen. The seal hovered around him, as if posing for the camera. She then hunted and killed a penguin -- the seal’s usual prey — and offered it to Nicklen repeatedly. When the photographer ignored her offering, the seal then brought him live penguins and blew bubbles in his face, as if exasperat ed with his passive nature. For more stories of re markable friendships in the animal kingdom, check out “LTnlikely Friendships.” “If animals can do it, humans can also learn to accept their differences, big and small, and believe in the power of friendship,’ says Holland. “After all, it’s in our nature.” *5** Specializing in haircuts, color, perms, foils, facia! waxing, pedicures, manicures. Wonnie Schubert Belinda Bell Tammy McDonald Kristen Brown Haley Albritton Wendy Denham OxJelyCotvoe' 'T'lor ‘T'l&eeb&cvuj/ Open Monday-Friday, 9-6 & Saturday, 9-4 1551 Highway 19 (Next to Winn Dixie) 229-435-1008 Family Fori 1 Sat., Oct. 1st, Sun., Oct. 2nd, 1-6 pm Live Music by Bill Harrell Bring Your Cameras. 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Super portable, but incredibly powerful, tablets are not only a great way to stay connected but also keep today’s student at the top of their game in the classroom and around campus. According to Forrester, tablet purchases are on the rise, with a pre dicted 82 million tablets reaching U.S. consumers by 2015. Considering this trend, here are a few ways the tablet is a must-have for your student at school this fall: * Keep in touch. Tablets are packed with quick and fun apps to connect with family and friends back home. Instant messaging apps like BBM (Black- Berry Messenger) for the BlackBerry PlayBook keep Mom and Dad up to speed on college life in real time, from any location. Whether study ing abroad, taking a quick study break in the library or filling everyone in on the homecoming festivi ties, keeping in touch with family is fast and easy, and won’t empty the bank ac count. Looking for a face- to-face conversa tion with a sibling? Video chat apps let students and families easily en gage with each other while catching up. To make sure they’re in-the- know with the high school crew back home, Facebook is optimized for tablets, so that the college scholars will never miss a beat. * Take it everywhere. Students get more done and can be productive while running from class to class. Tablets are signif icantly smaller and lighter than laptops and heavy books making them the ultra-portable notebook, ideal for note-taking and carrying around campus. With their e-book stores, tablets simplify the back pack (and save the back), allowing students to com bine all those heavy books into a sleek one pound de vice. Got some down time between classes? Bring the tablet from room-to-room to share the latest YouTube sensation with your floor mates, play games, watch movies and listen to music when the studying is over. * Fit the “mini” mold. With tiny dorm rooms, mini fridges and limited storage, everything in col lege is on a smaller scale. Tablets with a 7 inch dis play are large enough for comfortable viewing and sensibly fit into the minia turized dorm lifestyle. * Amplify the fun. Tablets take the college social experience to the big screen. Easily hook up tablets like the BlackBerry PlayBook to an HDTV using an HDMI cable to make your movies, photos, games, presentations and music that much more magnified. With applica tions like Slacker Radio and Need for Speed, your tablet can serve as a personal DJ, video player and gaming unit whether you’re hosting a party, making a class presenta tion more powerful with video, or just having a few friends over for movie night.