Preventing carpal tunnel syndrome

YOU are busy typing away on your keyboard, trying to beat the daily deadline that has become a part of your everyday life. Suddenly, a sharp, piercing pain shoots from your wrist and up to your arm.

Or maybe, you have been experiencing a numbing, tingling or weak feeling from your wrist and up your arm while typing on your keyboard or doing computer editing work for months.

You may think it is just a passing cramp, and you spend more time playing online games, harvesting your virtual farms or enlarging your islands and cities on Facebook as soon as you get home from a day of typing work and never stop until you fall asleep in front of your computer. Don’t take the feeling for granted because the risk is high that you may be suffering from carpal tunnel syndrome. Excessive mouse usage is one of the most common factors that contribute to the development of carpal tunnel syndrome.

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke of the National Institutes of Health website defines carpal tunnel syndrome as a painful progressive condition caused by compression of a key nerve in the wrist.

Carpal tunnel syndrome occurs when your median nerve, the nerve which runs from your forearm into the hand is squeezed or pressed. This syndrome is common among people whose work involves repetitive motions such as sewing, driving, assembly line work, painting, writing, the use of tools that vibrate, and even those who play musical instruments.

The carpal tunnel is a very narrow area in your wrist where the nerve enters your hand, and any swelling caused by pressure or squeezing can cause pain, tingling or numbness.

The National Institutes of Health said  this condition mostly occurs in people 30 to 60 years old, with the risk three times more in women, and the dominant hand gets affected first. This means if you are right handed, you can more likely to develop carpal tunnel syndrome in your right wrist and hand first.

A number of medical problems are associated with carpal tunnel syndrome. These include bone fractures and arthritis of the wrist, diabetes, alcoholism, hypothyroidism, kidney failure and dialysis, obesity, menopause, premenstrual syndrome and pregnancy, infections, and rheumatoid arthritis.

Symptoms

You may be experiencing carpal tunnel syndrome if you are feeling any or all of the following:

• A numb or tingling sensation in your thumb, in two or three fingers or in the palm, in one or both hands.
• Pain in your wrist or hand that extends to the elbow
• Weak grip, weakness or having difficulty in carrying things, such as bags
• Difficulty in forming a fist or grasping small objects
• Having problems with the coordination of your fingers in one or both hands
• Feeling of wanting to shake out your hand and fingers upon waking up 
• Tingling sensation during the day
• In severe cases, you may find it hard to tell between hot and cold by touch

Treatment

Carpal tunnel syndrome can be treated with medications, injections or by surgery but it takes months before a full healing.
You can also try wearing a splint at night for a few weeks, and during the day if necessary. Hot and cold compress on your wrists is also recommended, and avoid sleeping on your wrists. This is application especially to individuals for whom sleeping with their head cradled in their wrists may be a favorite position.

You can also try exercises and warm up stretches to relax your palm and wrists.

Prevention

If you are typing or editing in your computer every day, you can use devices such as special keyboards, mouse and keyboard drawers, keyboard trays, typing pads, and other ergonomic aids.

You can also use a wrist rest, a soft cushion which you can buy for a few dollars to reduce the stress on your wrist.

Check if your keyboard is of the right position. Your keyboard should be low enough so your wrists are not bent upward as you type.

Lift your wrists as you type. Some of us may get too lazy and type with the wrists resting on the table.

Take frequent breaks while typing, and stop if you feel any tingling or pain in your wrist or arm.

As much as you can, try to avoid or reduce the repetitive movements of your hands. Check out tools that are designed to reduce wrist injury.

If the pain or tingling feeling lasts for days, see your doctor.

Prevention is better than cure, and don’t wait until everything is too late before you resort to preventive measures. You’ve only got two wrists and hands and you can’t afford to lose them. Everything else can wait.

For more information, check out http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. (published HERE)

A glimpse at the plastic bag pandemic

WAS there ever a day in your life when a plastic bag was not a part of it? Plastic bags are most handy objects you pull out when you need to carry anything, even small items.

How many times do you go to the grocery each week? When you buy even one can of soda, a bottle of mineral water, or even small things such as a pen, you will come out of the store carrying a plastic bag.

Check around your kitchen and your garage and any part of your house. Chances are you will see plastic bags all over. According to an Environmental Protection Agency report, an average family accumulates about 60 plastic bags in four trips to the store. In 2008, the EPA estimated that about 3,960,000 tons of plastic bags, sack and wraps were produced, and 90 percent of that volume was discarded. Only from 0.5 percent to 3 percent of all the plastic bags ends up being recycled.

Plastic bags come in all colors, shapes and sizes and you may have taken their existence for granted because they have always been there, providing convenience and protection for your things.

About one million plastic bags are used all over the world every minute of the day, and that comes up to about 500 billion to one trillion plastic bags a year, according to www.Worldcentric.org website. Of that volume, Americans throw away about 100 billion plastic bags each year. About 10 percent of all the plastic bags produced end up in the ocean.

A staggering figure, if you consider it, and here are some alarming facts about using plastic bags.

Plastic bags are made from oil, which is a non-renewable resource. The millions of gallons of petroleum required to produce plastic bags could have been used for transportation purpose.

Another staggering fact is it takes up to 1,000 years for a single plastic bag to degrade. This means a single plastic bag that you throw today will stay to pollute the world long after you and your future generations are gone. Just think of the extent of damage a thousand or a billion plastic bags can do.

Plastic bags are not biodegradable. When you throw them away, they clog the sewers and waterways, end up in landfills or flow out into the oceans. Plastic bags pose as hazards to wild life, marine mammals and birds that mistake them for food, killing them or making them sick.

In the CNMI where tourism is its main industry, the sight of plastic bags scattered all over the streets and coastal areas will do the islands no good.
Next to cigarette butts, plastic bags are the second most common debris collected in any cleanup operations for the past years. Last year alone, individuals who joined a one-day clean-up picked up over 1,300 plastic bags along Saipan’s coastal areas. Just think how much more plastic bags have been swept to the seas, or scattered all over the land.

What you can do

The community cannot just stand and watch helplessly as today’s generation continues to damage the environment for the future.

The Mariana Islands Nature Alliance in collaboration with the CNMI Coral Reef Initiative and the Division of Environmental Quality is launching a campaign to stop using plastic bags in the CNMI.

Last week, Jon Igitol of MINA said they have already started training cashiers and store personnel in some business establishments about the “No Need Bag” campaign.

“We are encouraging the community not to use plastic bags for small purchases and start carrying a reusable bag,” Igitol said.

You can help by considering a personal ban on the use of plastic bags. You can switch to reusable shopping bags that you can easily roll or fold small enough to fit easily into a pocket.

Only take a bag when you really need it, pack it as full as possible, and start recycling your plastic bags. When you are having a picnic at the beach, collect any trash, especially plastic bags before you leave.

For more information about the “No Bags Campaign”  call MINA at 233-REEF (7333). Published HERE

TIPS

Ways to reuse plastic bags

1. Use your plastic bags as trash can liners. Now you don’t need to buy expensive trash bags.
2. Use plastic bags as gloves to protect you from touching anything you would not want to touch, like animal waste.
3. Use plastic bags instead of expensive filler when packing.
4. Create art — plastic bag crochet patterns are available online.
5. Use bags for storage. They take up less space and keep your stuff nice and dry.
6. Use them as dental floss. Crease the bag until you have a long thin line. Put it in between your teeth and floss!
7. Cut the bags to make bibs or aprons.

Chinese community greets lunar new year with lavish celebration

OVER 300 members of the Chinese Association of Saipan greeted the lunar new year with a fun-filled celebration in the Hibiscus Hall of the Fiesta Resort & Spa on Saturday evening.

The event opened with a colorful and lively lion dance followed by entertainment numbers that featured students of the Chinese Education Center, the instructors of the Rose Dance School and individual performers such as Lu Bin and Paul Dujua.

In his short message, Gov. Benigno R. Fitial wished everybody good luck and a prosperous Year of the Rabbit.

He urged everybody to take after the rabbit and adapt its ability to leap and sprint toward success in any endeavor.

Chinese Association director Rose Chan said  she wishes more people will learn about Chinese culture.

“We want more students for the Chinese Education Center,” she said.

Chan said she wishes good health and economic prosperity for everybody this year.

“The global economic hardship   that we are going through is not an excuse not to move on. Like the rabbit, we will spring forward and make things happen,” she said.

Highlighting the celebration were games for the children, the distribution of the HongBao or money envelopes, and raffle draws in which winners went home with attractive prizes such as hotel accommodations, meal coupons, water passes, home décor and accessories, gift certificates,  home appliances, cash prizes and the grand prize of a round trip ticket to Shanghai for one individual, all courtesy of the various sponsors and contributors.

The CNMI is home to about 2,000 Chinese citizens. (published hERE)

Dancing for luck and good fortune

THE beating of the drums started and the lion dancers fall into position. Despite the noonday heat, a small audience gathered taking photos and videos to capture another brilliant, wickedly energetic Chinese traditional dance to welcome the Lunar New Year.

Chopsticks were suspended in mid-air as diners at the Gourmet Restaurant in Garapan gaped at the two “lions” with ornately decorated heads and bright eyes trying to squeeze their long bodies into the restaurant, entering every room to bring good luck for the coming year.

The lion dancers prance back outside, performing acrobatic stunts with agile movements before ending the performance by eating the green vegetables hanging outside the restaurant door and spreading the rest of the fresh vegetables at the doorway and inside the restaurant.

Chinese Association of Saipan director Rose Chan said the vegetables represented good health and life.

From early morning until late last night, the lion dancers of the Chinese Association of Saipan visited hotels, restaurants and business establishments all the way from Susupe to Garapan and distributed goodies to the children for health and prosperity in this new Year of the Rabbit.

Two individuals enact the lion dance. One dancer handles the head while the other holds the tail, and together, they move in a specific rhythm blending with the beating of the drums and cymbals.

Each year, the lion dancers always amaze the community with their colorful costumes and lively dance moves as they try to mimic a lion’s movements.

“The lion dance has always been a part of the Chinese culture and heritage to wish for good luck and prosperity,” Chan said.

Yesterday, the world witnessed colorful presentations from lion dancers all over the world as the Chinese community welcomed the New Year, summoning luck and good fortune.

Gong Xi Fa Cai! (published HERE)

FHP Health Center opens new clinic at TSL Plaza

THE FHP Health Center Saipan formally opened the doors of its new location on the second floor of the TSL Plaza in Garapan yesterday morning.

The new 5,195-square foot clinic has eight examination rooms, a pharmacy section, comfortable treatment rooms and a spacious reception area.

Gov. Benigno R. Fitial, in his short message during yesterday’s ribbon-cutting ceremony, said the opening of a new health facility with state of the art equipment is a good development for the people of the CNMI.

“This is another indication that the CNMI, despite the economic challenges, continues to have developments not only in terms of tourism but also in health care,” Fitial said.

With the new facilities, Fitial said FHP is now better  equipped to offer higher quality service to patients.

Public Health Secretary Joseph Kevin Villagomez said partnership with the private clinics in providing health care to the residents of the CNMI helps a lot in light of the financial burdens the government health services are going through.

“We look forward to continue working with the private clinics to help provide access to medical and health care services for the people,” Villagomez said.

Doctors and professionals at the FHP Health Center are Dr. Daniel Lamar who has been serving the Saipan community for over 15 years specializing in general family medicine including obstetrics; Dr. Nathan C.Y. Tan, a family practice physician who has practiced in Wisconsin, Hawaii and the CNMI, and whose specialty places emphasis on wellness; and prevention, certified physician’s assistant Lone B. Stephens who has been serving Saipan community for over five years; certified nurse/midwife Roca Q. Sablan who brings with her over 11 years of experience from the Commonwealth Health Center; and other skilled professionals.

Clinic supervisor Nora Sablan said  regular operations at the new FHP clinic will start on Monday, Feb. 7, with specialists rotating between Guam and Saipan to serve the patients.

FHP clinical nurse manager Rose Grino said they look forward to more years of serving the community.

FHP Health Center has been operating on Saipan for the past 22 years and was formerly located at the First Hawaiian Bank Building on Beach Road for the past 15 years.

FHP Clinic/TakeCare is open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday to Friday, and from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday. It is closed on Sundays and holidays. Walk-in and appointments are accepted.

For more information, call 235-0994, fax 234-3742, or email www.takecareasia.com. (published Here)

Give in to the temptation at Handbags etc.

HER love for bags started with a handbag she received from her parents for her 16th birthday. Since then, Eleanor T. Cabrera, president of Handbags etc. has continued a life-long affair with handbags.

Wanting to share her love for handbags and to provide more options and wider shopping experience for women, Cabrera opened Handbags etc. at the Morgen Building on Beach Road in Oleai on Dec. 4, 2010.

Some women buy a handbag because they need it. Others shop around to complete an outfit, while others buy handbags to suit a mood. Others just want to express their individual style. Whatever reasons you have for buying a handbag, you can find it at Handbags etc.

Stepping into Handbags etc. transports a woman into a warm and friendly handbag lover’s dream world that provides an ambiance designed to melt your defenses against the temptation of falling in love at first sight, whether you are a “bag person” or not.

You can feast your eyes on the limited quantities of handbags of selected designs and colors but whatever your preferences, style, and budget, you will be sure to find your personality among the tastefully designed shelves at Handbags etc.

Personalized styles

Handbags, etc. carries bags that suit the unique and personal styles, preferences and needs of each individual.

Eco-friendly

Check out the store’s displays of eco-friendly bags where fashion meets environmental consciousness. Stop by and see the store’s collection of eco-bamboo, vegan leather, and other earth-friendly bags — each promoting the basics of Reducing, Reusing and Recycling.

Essential bags

Almost all women never leave home without a bag. It could be a travel and cosmetic bags diaper bag, wristlets and clutches, shell bags and more to put their essentials in such as ID and cash/credit cards, choice cosmetics, cellular phone, paperwork, or all of the above. Handbags etc., just has the right bag for whatever needs you have.

Stylish

Are you looking for that perfect handbag to complete your outfit for any occasion? Handbags etc. is the place to find that fashionable, trendy yet affordable design available at the store in limited qualities.

Practical

Women who go for practicality in their choice of bags will find a wide selection of attractive yet affordable bags to choose from at Handbags etc.

You can be practical yet stylish at the same time.

Gently used program

Handbags etc. allocates a special section for gently used or pre-owned bags that other customers would find valuable.

Cabrera encourages women who have handbags in excellent condition that have been sitting idle at their homes can sell them to Handbags etc. in exchange for store credits.

Cabrera said handbags on the gently used shelves don’t stay too long at the store. They are always among the most saleable items.

This year, Handbags etc. will launch an improved website that will provide an online connection to supply handbag lovers across the Marianas and beyond.

Leave your inhibitions at the door, browse through the shelves of attractive hand bags for a totally different shopping experience and chances are you will find that bag you have been looking for.

Handbags etc. also carries fashion jewelry, wallets, manicure sets and other bag essentials and accessories such as bag wraps and hooks.

The store has a comfortable ottoman and a flatscreen TV to entertain spouses as their wives shop for bags.

Cabrera said the store caters mostly to women but by next month, they are planning to ship in men’s wallets for a start that women will find as perfect gifts for their partners.

Watch out for discounts and promo prices on hand bags and other items for the Valentine’s Specials.

Handbags, etc. is open from 12 noon to 7 p.m. Tuesday to Friday, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday. They are closed on Sunday and Monday.

However, Handbags etc. will have special Valentine’s store hours on Sunday, Feb. 13, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and on Monday the 14th, Valentine’s Day, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.  All major credit cards are accepted. For inquiries or more information, visit www.handbagsetc670.com, join the Facebook page or call 235-4277. (published HERE)

New sushi chef for Hyatt Regency

DINERS at the Hyatt Regency Saipan’s Miyako Restaurant are in for more sumptuous culinary creations with the appointment of a new sushi chef.

Effective Jan. 18, Joseph Deleon Guerrero took in his new role to oversee the culinary operations of Miyako Restaurant.

Deleon Guerrero will also ensure that the quality of the ingredients and dishes served adhere to the Hyatt’s international standards.

Deleon Guerrero started his career with the Hyatt Regency as a human resources intern in 2004 and later transferred to the front office as a guest service officer.

In 2006, Deleon Guerrero worked as an apprentice chef at a Japanese restaurant in Honolulu, Hawaii, where he developed his skills as a sushi chef.

He made his decision to follow the path of culinary arts as his lifelong career after only two weeks of working as an apprentice.

Deleon Guerrero grabbed the chance to work as chef de partie at the Hyatt’s Miyako Restaurant in Oct. 2009, a post which gave him the chance to diversify his culinary skills.

He envisions himself as the area director of culinary operations in 20 years.

“Hyatt can train you to advance in the career path you have chosen. With the right blend of employee motivation, effective training and strong determination, Hyatt careers are limitless,” Deleon Guerrero said.

He also thanks his team, mentors and hotel management for their untiring support.