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Week dedicates each of the five days to raising awareness about a different ailment. This year, the schedule is as follows:
• Oct. 12: World Arthritis Day —The main focus for this day is “Don’t Delay, Connect Today.” Although arthritis has no cure, if it’s caught early on, sufferers can treat and manage it better. On the first day of Action Week, people are encouraged to seek out support groups, information, or medical advice for this condition. • Oct. 16: World Spine Day —“Get Spine Active!” is the theme for this day and encourages people to get moving to help manage back and neck pain. Often, appropriate movement and exercise are key in promoting and maintaining spine health. • Oct. 17: World Trauma Day — General aging is not the only cause of musculoskeletal conditions. World Trauma Day is designed to spread information about intervention, treatment, and prevention of traumatic injuries that lead to these painful conditions. • Oct. 19: World Pediatric Bone and Joint (PB&J) Day — Adults aren’t the only ones who suffer from musculoskeletal disorders. One in 1,000 children is diagnosed with arthritis, and PB&J Day is dedicated to spreading awareness and educating the public about the impact these disorders have on children.
• Oct. 20: World Osteoporosis Day — Osteoporosis is when the body loses or does not make enough bone, which weakens the bone and makes it prone to breaks. This day provides activities to inform people of their risk factors for osteoporosis and broken bones. Overall, this unique week is full of fun and useful activities that emphasize the importance of muscle and bone health through getting regular exercise, eating a healthy diet, and seeking medical help if you have signs of a musculoskeletal condition. If you want to be involved in Bone and Joint Health Action Week this year —whether through donating to a cause, learning more about musculoskeletal diseases, or seeking help — visit the U.S. Bone and Joint Initiative website at USBJI.org.
5 Steps to a Safer Hotel Room
Keep Strangers and Viruses Out With These Quick Tips
S taying home is the best way to protect yourself and your family from illness, but sometimes life gets in the way. Maybe you need to travel for work, to help a relative, or just to keep your kids from bouncing off the walls. If you have a hotel stay on the books, worrying about safety is understandable. But by taking these precautions, you can protect your loved ones and increase your odds of coming home healthy. Bring a sanitation kit and use it! Most hotels are going above and beyond to sanitize their rooms these days, but it never hurts to take extra care. Before you check in, pick up cleaning supplies like disinfectant spray, wipes, plastic bags, and gloves. Then, use them to wipe down your room. Focus on big surfaces as well as features like faucet handles, doorknobs, lightswitches, and microwave buttons. Skip the decorative linens. Many hotels don’t wash decorative bedding like comforters and fancy pillowcases. To be extra safe, strip these off the bed and wash your hands afterward. If you’re chilly, opt for the hotel’s spare blanket (it’s probably hiding in a closet) or bring one from home. Quarantine your remote control. As USA Today puts it, “It’s common knowledge that one of the germiest items in a hotel room is the remote control.” To avoid the ick, pick up the remote while
wearing gloves and drop it into a Ziploc. Then, remove your gloves and seal the bag. Now you can use the remote without touching it directly! Invest in a rubber door wedge. Viruses aren’t the only risk in hotel rooms — break-ins are
another concern. To keep your room secure, bring a rubber door wedge. They cost less than $10 on Amazon and make kicking in a door much more difficult. For maximum security, bring a door alarm. Simple travel alarms hang from the handle of a door and have two prongs that slide between the door and its frame. When the door opens and the prongs separate, that triggers the alarm. These simple devices send thieves running, and Lewis N. Clark makes a model for just $14.99.
Hopefully, these tips give you some peace of mind on your next trip. Happy trails!
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