Why You Should Keep Your CPAP Equipment Clean

If you wear a CPAP mask for your sleep apnea, chances are you've noticed your mask getting dirty. Whether you've had it for years and follow cleaning practices, or have only had your device a short time, you know that the tubes, and the mask itself, can attract gunk. But with so much air moving through and regular contact with skin, it's only a matter of time before these devices get bogged down with dirt. However, that unwelcome addition can also affect just how well your mask will work.

Grime can keep the mask from sealing properly to your face, which means air that leaks. Leaking, in turn, can affect how well you breathe, and it can cause discomfort by pushing air onto your skin. Dirty CPAP masks can also irritate or cause break outs, and it can cause the mask itself to break down from foreign matter. Additionally, when tubes aren't clear, less air can flow through and into your lungs.

However, by regularly cleaning your mask and tubes, you can keep your CPAP device running properly and effectively.

Cleaning Your CPAP Mask is Easy

With the help of cleaning wipes, you can easily keep your mask clean. These wipes are designed to clear out gunk quickly, and to remove any excess build up. Keep them by your bed for a simple wipe down every time you use your mask. Frequent cleanings will keep your device working as it should, and it will prevent bigger clean ups from becoming necessary. 

It's recommended to clean off CPAP masks after every use. Without wipes, warm water and gentle soap can also be used to achieve the same cleaning effect. 

Get more use out of your sleeping mask with regular cleanings – stay tuned for a step-by-step tutorial on keeping your CPAP mask clean. And click here to check out more info on CPAP cleaning wipes. 

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Can Heavy Shoes Reduce Your Back Pain?

In the practice of Chinese medicine, cures often come in the form of something strange. Acupuncture calls for sharp needles to be placed into the body – which in theory, should cause pain; foot massages are known to affect any part of the body; and toxins can be pulled directly through one’s skin. For those of Western medicine, it’s cures like these that are hard to accept … even when they’re proven to work.

But according to a recent report, there may just be one more obscure medical cure: extremely heavy iron shoes. Wearing them on a regular basis, some say, can cure back pain altogether.

One Chinese worker, Zhang Fuxing, has been using this method for years, saying it has completely eliminated his extreme back pain. Now weighing more than 440 pounds each, he walks about 50 feet in the shoes each day. (Most start out with smaller versions, as low as 22 pounds, and work their way up to larger weight and distance intervals.)

How it Works

According to Chinese medicine, it’s not muscles that require us to lift heavy things, such as the shoes. Rather, the physical strength comes from one’s organs. By “lifting from within” people are able to hold great weights. As Fuxing says, “When you walk with your heart it will work.”

Scientifically, the weight works to stretch out one’s spine, work the legs, or cause an extreme increase in blood flow. The movement can also strengthen the core and create an advanced sense of balance among users.

The shoes’ makeup, however, is also important. Though users place straps over their existing footwear, iron is said to be good for the body, especially the heart and bones. By combining its traits of wellness with viable exercise, a growing cure has been found.

Iron Shoes In Practice

Though critics remain strong, patients all across China are trying this method. A vocal supporter of the iron shoe, Fuxing makes them himself and sells them to friends, neighbors, and online shoppers. With hundreds in circulation, patients seem to agree that the method has had an extreme and direct affect against back pain.

While there are no studies that have tested these theories (other than actual patients), it’s certainly an interesting concept to consider: the cure for back pain just may be a new set of shoes.

Read more about Fuxing and his iron shoe store at CTV News.

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5 Reasons to Give a Back Massage for the Holidays

When shopping for the person who has everything, nothing says “what a thoughtful gift” like a massage. Whether in the form of a gift certificate, a power-operated chair, or a hand-held back scrawler, it’s a great way to offer comfort whenever it’s needed most. When considering the gift of massage this holiday season, consider these five compelling reasons as to why it should top your list.

5. It’s Self-Redeemable

Though it’s given around the holidays, massages can be scheduled for any time of year – right when your giftee needs it most. These post-dated presents offer a chance to redeem some holiday cheer even long after the decorations have been put away. (However, double check on gift card dates to see just how long their lifespan lasts.)

4. It Relaxes and Loosens the Back Muscles

A massage of any kind can work to ease any receiver into a more relaxed state, reducing tension, muscle tightness, and overall worries. This is often a must-need for those with stressful jobs or schedules.

3. It Can Lower Stress and Back Pains

For those with repeat back pain, a massage is a great way to relieve muscles. You can even ask for recommended types of pressure treatments, based on the location and severity of each person’s pain.

2. It’s a Gift Few Will Buy for Themselves

Though some often indulge in self-funded massages, most write it off as an unnecessary expense. What a great way to show a loved one they not only deserve a relaxing break, but that you’re willing to provide it for them.

1. It’s a Personal, Yet Universal Gift

Massages come in all lengths and types and can work into any way of life. Opt for different areas of techniques or backgrounds (acupuncture, deep tissue, aromatherapy, etc.) to best fit every massage-deserving person on your shopping list.

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Sore Muscles? Try Trigger Point Therapy

When suffering from a sore muscle, there are few tasks worth performing. Even those that are necessary. Depending on where the affected area may be, it can be painful to twist, turn, move one’s head, or make even the slightest movement. When rare or taking place after a specific injury, this becomes much easier to swallow. But when waking up with ongoing pains, everyday tasks are difficult, if not downright impossible, to complete.

One of the easiest ways to find some relief comes from exercise treatment or specialized therapies, which actually work to heal each area rather than mask its symptoms. By working on an area from the inside out, the suffering can not only be reduced, but leave an area healthier in the process. One such form of therapy does just that. By placing specific pressure on a “trigger point” – a muscle that causes pain – the area can relax and heal.

Generally, the therapy is performed by a trained masseur and takes place over several appointments. The masseur presses (firmly, depending on the level of pain) on the injured area, and then removes all weight, acting as a pressure and release routine. Over time, the muscle is able to relax, loosen (allowing the patient to feel less pain), and reconstruct itself.

Trigger point therapy also works with timed breathing cycles and various pain assessments to determine exactly which area of the body is the “trigger”. Though it’s considered less relaxing than a traditional massage – as the receiver actively participates through responses – this therapy is meant to heal rather than to pamper. Patients regularly report positive results, and some said they also received alternate massage treatments to help relax the rest of the body. [TPTherapy]

And with any type of massage, heavy hydration before and after is recommended. By consuming plenty of water, the body can flush out any unnecessary toxins, which help to advance the affects of the treatment.

Talk to your masseur or local parlor/salon to find out more.

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Can Acupuncture Relieve Back Pain?

When we think about ways to relieve pain, few are comforted by the thought of having needles shoved into their skin. But despite the theory behind acupuncture, it’s a treatment that’s been shown to relieve a great deal of pain and stress. Working by sticking needles into strategic points in one’s skin (and at varying depths), the practice is meant to poke and prod away pain.

So does it work on backs? While the science behind the treatment is shaky – some say yes, some say no – patients to test the practice give acupuncture two thumbs up. According to their assessments, extra pain up front equals less pain overall. As for the doctors, even they agree that acupuncture provides more relief than no treatment whatsoever. [Mayo Clinic]

How Does Acupuncture Work?

Using very thin needles, a trained professional places them into a patient’s skin. Known as “acupoints,” the needles are put in specific places that will help reduce pain and stress. It is thought that stimulation these various points allows the body to naturally heal itself, providing enhanced abilities.

Each person hosts about 2,000 acupoints across their body. Obviously not all of them can be accessed in a single setting, however, some believe that more needles equals more results. You can also talk with your acupuncturist about different pains you’re experiencing to ensure affected areas will see results.

Additionally, those who receive regular treatments are able to see which areas provide the best results.

Different Types of Acupuncture

There are at least five different types of acupuncture, each of which offers a different format. For instance, Auricular acupuncture deals only with ears. Hosting over 200 acupoints each, a person can gain relief throughout their entire body while only hosting punctures in their ears. In contrast, traditional Chinese acupuncture covers the entire body, and even stimulates the organs. Japanese acupuncture is quite similar, though its needles are shorter and thinner. This is a good option to anyone experiencing fear and anxiety about the needles.

There are also five element and Korean hand acupunctures – the first of which gives spirit and mind relief, while the latter focuses on one’s hands. [Discovery Fit and Health]

Though acupuncture is a very personal experience, it’s generally said that full-bodied options provide the best back pain relief, especially in the lower back. Talk to your acupuncturist to see which options may work best, or give varied treatments a try and compare notes.

While it may sound like a nerve-wracking process, acupuncture is shown to provide a great deal of pain relief. Sign up today to see just what the practice has to offer.

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