Natural Bodyworks, LLC Shawnda Gross, DC

HAPPY NEW YEAR! If taking better care of your body and achieving long term wellness is part of your 2021 goal, we are here to help through chiropractic, acupuncture, massage therapy and a variety of natural and whole-food supplements!

If the tops of your shoulders feel tight, this is a creative self massage technique!

Autumn is the time to take care of our lungs. Try and avoid cool, uncooked foods (like summer salads) and try and eat warmer foods or add some cinnamon, ginger or horseradish to your meals. If you tend towards lung issues when it gets cooler, try giving yourself some acupressure on a point called Lung 7. It's easy to find! Rub each wrist point for 30 seconds a few times a day! It's in a small depression near the radius bone. You can find it by interlocking your hands as shown.

As work-from-home continues for many, try to make your work area as ergonomically correct as possible! We've been seeing a lot of aches and pains from people using laptops while sitting on soft couches or at the kitchen table. Use this picture as a helper to ensure correct posture. The biggest changes that may help are keeping your head drawn back over your shoulders and trying to get up and take a walk around the house every 30 minutes or so!

Questions and debates about masks are everywhere! Coronavirus particles are approximately 0.1 microns in diameter. That is tiny but big enough to be filtered. N95 and surgical masks are reserved for front-line workers because of shortages and because they are most effective at protecting the wearer (they seal well on the face and have a moisture-resistant layers). DIY masks don't seal as well on the face and are hard to make moisture-resistant. The most effective DIY homemade masks should be very snug fitting (minimal air gaps) and made from certain household materials (see graph below). If you're making your own masks and strive for the most protection for yourself as the wearer AND minimizing your exhalation towards others, consider these factors. Of course social distancing and washing your hands are the most important steps!

If you need a mask, we do have some here in the office! They are 100% cotton and have a built-in pocket you can put your own filter in for additional protection. Here is a helpful graphic of different filter materials you can add! https://www.yahoo.com//best-coronavirus-face-mask-material