While some exposure to sunlight is both healthy and enjoyable too much is dangerous, causing sunburns, wrinkles, cancers and eye damage.  July is Ultraviolet (UV) Safety Month, sponsored by the American Academy of Ophthalmolgy (AAO), all are encouraged to protect their eyes from the sun's damage UV rays by wearing sunglasses that block 99-100% of UV rays, wear brimmed hats when outdoors and seek shade between the hours of 10 am and 2 pm. 

 

For more information website of interest include the following:

American Academy of Ophthalmology  www.aao.org

EPA's SunWise UV Index www.epa.gov/sunwise/uvindex.htlm

EPA's SunWise www.epa.gov/sunwise

 

See Wellness Team Corner for a sample Sun Protection Policy

 

Associated Body Work and Massage Professionals is the sponsor of Everyone Deserves a Massage Week July 19-25.  Massage is safe and effective in reducing stress, anxiety, pain, carpal tunnel syndrome symptoms while improving performance, alertness, immune system functions, posture and breathing.  

 

In a recent study released by a national consumer research group, Harstad Strategic Research of Boulder, Colorado found that 81% of American feel as stressed or more stressed now than they did a year ago.  Job stress is responsible for  $ 300 BILLION loss annually to U.S. industries (source: American Institute on Stress).  Massage therapy can play a role in helping employees deal with stress.  It is estimated that 1 million workers are absent every day due to stress.  Employers can increase productivity and reduce workplace stress by offering massage to employees onsite during breaks, before or after work and during lunch periods.  Chair massage is usually offered at about a dollar a minute, sessions last 5 to 15 minutes, and employees remain fully clothed.  Offering massage in the workplace can help reduce presenteeism, absenteeism, and employee turnover rates.

 

Massage can help reduce absenteeism and presenteeism due to pain, backaches alone cost industry more than $1.2 billion in production and services and $275 million in worker's compensation costs annually (source: The American Council on Exercise).  Repetitive musculoskeletal injuries like carpal tunnel syndrome have become the nation's leading cause of workplace health costs and accounts for a third of all worker's compensation claims.

 

See Guest Column for a local provider's story