Cycling is on the rise. Bike shares�are popping up in cities across the country. An increasing number of workers are commuting�on two wheels. And�more folks are pedaling for fresh air and fitness. The number one concern among all of them? Traffic�specifically staying safe when navigating streets busy with cars.
The good news is that a few bits of bike safety knowledge go a long way in keeping you out of harm�s way. Here�s how to avoid common causes of car-bike collisions.
Bike & Rider Visible
When a driver hits a cyclist, the first words out of his mouths are inevitably, �I didn�t see her!� Though the onus is on drivers�to be aware of their surroundings, you can take a few easy steps to make them aware that you�re there. This is especially important in low-light conditions, when accidents are most common. Stats show serious accidents happen most often between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m.
Get daytime running lights. The latest trend in cycling is to run daytime running lights�white in the front and red in the rear�just like motorcycles and many cars. Portable, rechargeable lights like Bontrager�s Ion 100 are intense enough that cars can see you from nearly a quarter mile away.�They also have a flashing mode, which gets the attention of distracted drivers. One study found that the incidence rate of bicycle accidents with personal injury to the rider was 19%�lower for riders using permanent running lights.�Well worth the 40 bucks they cost!
Wear reflective clothing.�It�s easy to blend in with the surroundings when you�re pedaling a skinny bike along the roadside. Create a contrast by wearing �hi-viz� clothing or accent pieces like vests, a helmet, and gloves that make you easier to see. Research shows it can lower your risk of run-ins with cars by 40%. When the light is dim, wear cycling-specific reflective accessories.
Be Predictable
Follow the rules of the road. Flow with (never against) traffic. Obey street signs, traffic signals, and road markings. Hold a straight line as much as possible (obviously skirting around obstacles like potholes and storm grates) and avoid weaving in and out of parked cars. Signal your intentions to turn�simply put your arm out and point�so cars know which direction you�re going.
Mind The Intersections
The majority of accidents happen in intersections. The most common scenario is a car turning right turns into you without seeing you. Other common scenarios include an oncoming car turns left into you as you�re going straight. Or a car simply pulls out into the intersection directly in front or into you. To avoid these, you can do the following:
Ride further left. Riders often hug the edge of the road as far right as possible. But in traffic, especially when you�re moving about the same rate of speed as the cars, it�s safer to move into the lane where you are fully visible. Riding in the lane is also smart when the road is simply too narrow for cars to pass you at a safe distance.
Stay out of the blind spot. When coming to a stop at a traffic light or stop sign, avoid stopping right next to the car to your left. The driver�can�t see you and may turn right into you. Stop behind the car�so you can see its blinkers. If the driver fails to use her blinkers, you’ll also be able to see the car turning before it turns into you.
Be cautious passing on the right. When you�re riding to the right of traffic, especially if you�re in a bike lane, you will likely find yourself occasionally passing cars on the right hand side, especially when traffic is slow. It�s best to avoid passing on the right. But if you do, be vigilant and keep your eye out for intersections, driveways, parking lots, and other places cars may be turning right (or crossing traffic and making a left from the opposite direction), so a driver doesn’t�inadvertently turn right into or in front of you.
Make eye contact. When at an intersection with cars coming in from either side, make eye contact with the drivers to be sure they see you before pulling into the intersection. If they don�t appear to see you, wave an arm to get their attention. (Lights help a lot here, too.)
Check our our sister site: Biking Experts to learn more…
Give Yourself A Door Buffer
When riding past parked cars on your right, give yourself ample space to avoid being �doored� by someone opening their car door into traffic. It helps to keep an eye on side view mirrors, as well, since you can see cars that are occupied, where someone may step out without looking.
Because degenerative disc disease, or DDD, can weaken the structures of the spine significantly, you might need to focus on strengthening your back, neck, and core muscles to improve the condition. Subsequently, the proper care and treatment for DDD can help support the spine better, which might result in decreased pain. A healthcare professional may often recommend physical therapy to help treat degenerative disc disease.
Physical therapy includes both passive and active treatments. Passive treatments help relax you and your body. They are called passive because these do not require individuals to actively participate in the treatment. If you’re experiencing severe pain, you’ll most likely start with passive treatments while your own body heals and/or recovers from the symptoms of the disorder. However, the goal of physical therapy is to get the patients into treatments that are lively. These are curative exercises that reinforce the body to ensure the spine has better support and structure.
Passive Physical Therapy for DDD
Your physical therapist may give you one of the following passive treatments:
Deep tissue massage: This technique targets chronic muscle tension that could build up through daily life stress and spasms. You could also have spasms or muscle tension due to strains or sprains from sports injuries or other injuries. A physical therapist may utilize direct pressure and friction to release the tension in your soft tissues, such as ligaments, tendons and muscles.
Hot and cold treatments: The physical therapist will switch between cold and hot therapies. Through the use of heat, the physical therapist will achieve an increased blood flow to the target area. More oxygen and nutrients are brought to the affected region as a result of an increased blood circulation. Good circulation is also needed to remove waste by-products developed by muscle spasms.
Cold therapy, also called cryotherapy, slows circulation, helping to reduce inflammation, muscle spasms, and pain. An ice massage or an ice pack can be used to perform cold therapy. Another cryotherapy option is a spray called fluoromethane, which can cool the body’s tissues. A physical therapist may work with you to additionally stretch the muscles that are affected.
Spinal traction: By extending the back, spinal traction works to alleviate pain caused by muscle tightness or compressed nerves. The physical therapist can achieve that manually by using their own body or mechanically with unique machines. Particularly in case your nerve has been pinched by the foramen, the place where the nerve exits the spinal canal, traction may strive. By stretching the spine to readjust the vertebrae, it is believed to help widen the foramen and improve symptoms of DDD.
Active Physical Therapy for DDD
In the active portion of physical therapy, your therapist is going to educate you on various exercises to improve your flexibility, strength, core stability, and range of motion, or how readily your joints move. Your physical therapy program is individualized, taking into consideration history and your well-being. Your exercises might not be acceptable for another individual with degenerative disc disease.
Degenerative disc disease, or DDD, may not entirely “go away” once the individual’s discs have begun to degenerate. You can’t reverse the process and because of that, your physical therapist will help you learn how to work with it and how to limit the pain. You’ll understand body mechanics and how to avoid situations that can aggravate pain and other symptoms.
The specialist will also show you how to correct your posture and integrate ergonomic principles into your daily activities if needed. This is all part of the “self-care” or “self-treatment” aspect of physical therapy: Through physical therapy, you learn good habits and principles that allow you to take better care of the body.
Your physical therapist could also propose a personalized exercise program for you personally. The goals may include: strengthening abdominal and back muscles, increasing muscle endurance (so that your more powerful muscles can work harder longer), and getting your body to carry your weight more proficiently. An exercise program comes with a different bonus�it can assist you to drop some weight. Extra weight can exacerbate pain so your physical therapist can work along with one to establish goals and after that follow through, if you need certainly to lose excess weight.
The scope of our information is limited to chiropractic and spinal injuries and conditions. To discuss options on the subject matter, please feel free to ask Dr. Jimenez or contact us at 915-850-0900 .
By Dr. Alex Jimenez
Additional Topics: Whole Body Wellness
Maintaining overall health and wellness through a balanced nutrition, regular physical activity and proper sleep is essential for your whole body�s well-being. While these are some of the most important contributing factors for staying healthy, seeking care and preventing injuries or the development of conditions through natural alternatives can also guarantee overall health and wellness. Chiropractic care is a safe and effective treatment option utilized by many individuals to ensure whole body wellness.
Doctor of Chiropractic, Dr. Alexander Jimenez looks into Tai Chi for back pain.
Q&A with Tai Chi Specialist Dr. Paul Lam
While lots of people take a �no pain, no increase� approach to work out, that�s for handling back and neck pain not always safe or effective. That�s where tai chi comes in. This low-impact, slow moving form of exercise delivers results without the sweat and soreness. Though it�s tender and meditative tai chi promotes strength, flexibility, and balance�the trifecta to get a healthier spine.
In case you have back or neck pain�or you�re looking for methods to prevent it in the first place �tai chi may be worth investigating. To help answer common questions and shed light on lesser-known facts relating to this ancient Chinese mind and body practice, we reached out to Dr. Paul Lam, manager of the Tai Chi for Health Institute in Australia.
Tai Chi Can Help
Q: During your research, what has become the most insightful finding you�ve found about tai chi as it relates to back pain?
A: The most insightful finding in my research concerning tai chi involved the mental impact and the deep stabilizer muscles to back pain.
Ninety percent of men and women have back pain at some period in their own lives, and more than 60 percent of that is continual. I discovered that nearly all individuals with back pain, no matter what the cause, have poor stabilizer muscles. Research has shown that strong stabilizers will prevent back pain and hasten healing.
Reinforcing the stabilizer muscles that are back is quite similar to tai chi training. The main element is an erect pose, exercising the stabilizers through the pelvic floor along with the transverse abdominus muscles, and using abdominal breathing. This really is among the important reasons why tai chi works so well for back pain.
One other insight I�ve discovered involves your head. Anxiety makes pain worse. Oftentimes with the continuing and persistent back pain, the cause of the pain might have gone, but the pain continues. Like a phantom pain, the thoughts�s ingrained custom proceeds to provide pain signals to the brain. Tai chi trains body and the mind, making both integrated and more powerful. It is but one of the utmost effective tools to greatly help with the mental aspects of back pain.
Q: What�s your best advice for somebody who’s apprehensive about beginning tai chi?
A: The reason why they are apprehensive about beginning tai chi, it depends. I can guarantee them it is safe, simple to understand, and proven effective, if people believe tai chi is a martial art and might be overly hard to learn. Millions of people around the globe have learned and profited from it, although the other consideration is the fact that individuals might believe tai chi is too tough to learn.
Q: How do individuals get the most?
A: I advocate people to practice tai chi for 30�40 minutes daily (it may be performed in separate sittings) most days each week. You will gain significant improvement in your quality of life and relief from back pain.
Q: Do you have some success stories that are personal which you can share regarding the benefits of tai chi for back pain?
A: Thousands! But to pick on only one, I�ve comprised a letter below written by a woman named Amatullah from Saudi Arabia.
“In 2009, I ‘d back pain for quite a while. Nothing worked, although I attempted many types of therapy. My friend said, �Try tai chi, it’s a gentle exercise.� Because my back was sore, I refused at first, but I attempted it. It was really surprising to me how people from 35 to 80 years old could do the movements, when I couldn�t. I found to be able to steadfastly keep up their health, some of them had been practicing for up to 35 years. I understood they were much fitter and much more flexible than my parents, therefore I decided to learn it. I practiced in all weather, in the park every day. My back pain vanished and has never return.”
Q: Are there tai chi resources you can recommend?
A: Yes, the Tai Chi for Health Institute web site has many resources, including a summary of accredited educators around the planet.
El Paso, TX. Chiropractor Dr. Alex Jimenez takes a look at chiropractors and�how they can act as an antioxidant through their practice.
The practice of chiropractic truly works on the grounds the work removes blockages to the body�s natural health and healing abilities, although most folks link chiropractors with pain management. This consists of removing pressure from nerves that relay signals from the brain to the organs and systems of the body.
Chiropractic Care Benefits
In 2005, a landmark study published in the Journal of Vertebral Subluxation (JVSR) found evidence that chiropractic care can reduce oxidative stress within the body.
Oxidative stress is the damage occurring when free radicals outnumber the body�s antioxidants. Oxidative stress damages all body cell components: lipids, proteins and DNA.
Oxidative stress plays a job in a whole host of diseases and ailments: Alzheimer�s rheumatoid arthritis, atherosclerosis, chronic fatigue syndrome, diabetes, heart problems, Parkinson�s disease, disease and many others.
Thiols are compounds within the body that act as antioxidants, reacting with free radicals to neutralize them. Serum amounts of thiols report scientists of Biomedical Diagnostic Research, Inc reflect DNA�s ability to mend itself, and can be used to measure aging and disease status.
In a 2003 study published in the Journal of Anti Aging Medicine, the scientists found low serum thiol levels with nine distinct categories of disorder and human disease in people.
The study published in JVSR consisted of 76 participants: one group received short-term chiropractic care; a second group received long term chiropractic care; and the 3rd group received no chiropractic care.
After qualifying for age, gender as well as the usage of nutritional supplements, the participants that received chiropractic care for 2 or more years that were healthy had higher serum thiol levels than people that have disorder. Some of the chiropractic patients had serum thiol levels higher than what is linked with wellness that is ordinary.
Chiropractor Dr. Christopher Kent explained: �Oxidative tension, metabolically creating free radicals, is a broadly accepted theory of how we age and grow ailment.�
�Going through life,� we experience chemical, physical and psychological stress. These pressures change the function of the body’s nervous system. We hypothesized that oxidative stress could affect and DNA repair on a cellular level.�
�Chiropractic care seems to improve the power of the entire body to adapt to anxiety,� concluded Kent.
If you�ve never taken a yoga class before, the numerous poses can be pretty intimidating. Downward facing dog, crow pose, cat and cow, wheel, warrior, the list goes on. And if your first experience is in an overflowing class, the instructor likely won�t have a chance to make sure you�re perfectly positioned in each posture.
Granted, yoga is all about going with what feels right for your body. But doing certain poses incorrectly can lead to muscle imbalances and possibly even injuries down the road. And it�s important to note that newbie yogis aren�t the only ones susceptible to mistakes. Even if you�ve been practicing yoga for years, there�may be room for improvement.
Samantha Miller inked a national letter of intent to attend school and compete with the UTEP rifle team beginning with the 2017-18 season, head coach Hannah Muegge revealed Monday.
Miller is the second individual for the 2017 signing class, joining Jessica Boyce.
“As we continue to build our roster for the 2017-18 season, Samantha Miller brings both a good attitude and a high level of motivation to the table,” Muegge said. “She has some great expectations set coming into the program and will help push us to achieve our team goals both on and off the range.”
Miller, understandably so, is thrilled with the chance to become a Miner.
“Being a Miner to me means that I get to continue on in a sport I love and have a passion for,” Miller said. “The best part is I will be with a shooting team that will become family. I will have support behind me all the time, as I will support them. I will have a coach who is there for me to help me with my problems while getting an education for something later in life. I can’t wait to join the Miner family.”
Below is a brief bio on Miller
Samantha Miller competes with the Los Alamos High School Navy Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps (NJROTC)
… garnered the “Distinguished Shooter Badge” in 2016
… part of the Navy National Championship team in both 2015 and 2016
… secured the 2016 overall individual Navy Precision Champion while grabbing runner-up honors in 2017
… took home the 2017 New Mexico overall Precision Champion and the 2016 New Mexico 5A Precision Champion
… qualified for the Junior Olympics in air rifle in 2015, 2016 and 2017 while also doing so for smallbore in 2017
… at the 2017 event she finished 44th in a field of nearly 200 in air rifle while placing 51st in smallbore
… also qualified for American Legion in 2017 … has been shooting for five years
… fell in love with the sport while shooting on the range with her older brother during his senior year of high school
… plans to major in nursing at UTEP … on track to graduate from Los Alamos HS in June.
Kicker Jay Mattox will be heading to the San Francisco 49ers for a minicamp tryout. The Las Vegas, Nv. native is the eighth Miner to receive an invitation to an NFL camp.
Jay Mattox was a four-year starter who played in all 49 games for the Miners. The kicker finished his collegiate career tied no. 1 in program history with 137 career PATs.
Mattox also rates no. 2 in program history with 257 career points (kickers only) and ranked no. 3 with 40 career field goals made. He concluded his senior campaign ranked second on team in points (54) and finished 39-of-40 on PATs. Mattox connected on a career-best 7-for-7 on PATs and tied his career high in points (10).
As a junior, he connected on a career-long 50-yard field goal during a win over Incarnate Word.
During his sophomore season, Mattox took over punting duties and averaged 41.1 yards on 41 punts (1,687 yards), putting nine inside the 20-yard line and booting eight 50-plus yard punts.
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