WHY DO WE HANG CHRISTMAS LIGHTS? LIGHT UP THE NIGHT The first string of twinkling lights illuminating your neighbor’s house is always a telltale sign of the upcoming seasonal festivities. Christmas lights are a holiday staple, but have you ever wondered where this beloved tradition started? The tradition of hanging lights on the tree originally started with candles. Because this posed an immense fire hazard, Edward Hibberd Johnson, a close friend of Thomas Edison and vice president of the Edison Electric Light Company, vowed to find a better way to decorate Christmas trees with light. In December 1882, three years after Edison’s invention of the lightbulb in November 1879, Johnson hand-wired 80 red, white, and blue lightbulbs together and wound them around a Christmas tree in his parlor window. A passing reporter saw the spectacle and declared in the Detroit Post and Tribune, “One can hardly imagine anything prettier.” Johnson continued this tradition, increasing the number of lights each year and eventually putting them up outside. But because electricity was still a new concept, many years passed before the fad took off for regular Americans. In 1923, President Calvin Coolidge began the tradition of lighting the National Christmas Tree, which spurred the idea of selling stringed lights commercially. By the 1930s, families everywhere were buying boxes of bulbs by the dozen. Today, an estimated 150 million Christmas lights are sold in America each year, decorating 80 million homes and consuming 6% of the nation’s electricity every December. Whether you’ll be putting up your own lights or appreciating the most impressive light displays in your neighborhood or town, let the glow fill you with joy this season. Just don’t leave them up until February!
THE GRASTON TECHNIQUE
Will Get You Back In the Game Quicker
A patient who has injured their muscles, tendons, or ligaments will often feel pain, discomfort, and limited mobility in the injured area. Our office offers many treatment options, but one we want to highlight this month is the Graston Technique. WHAT IS THE GRASTON TECHNIQUE? In previous newsletters, we’ve mentioned that this treatment is used for a number of injuries we see in our clinic, such as Achilles tendinitis, repetitive stress injuries, and tennis elbow. This treatment focuses on loosening any muscles or fascia that are causing discomfort. To do this, a Graston tool, which is a stainless steel massage tool that gently massages the area, is used to relax the muscles, restore range of motion, and improve mobility. CAN PATIENTS FEEL THE DIFFERENCE? The most interesting part of this treatment is that the patient can feel their muscles heal. When the Graston Technique is applied, Dr. Sullivan and the patient can feel the injured area. Healthy muscle tissue feels smooth, but as the Graston tool is used over a problem area, small ridges and bumps may be felt in the muscle. Not only can the patient feel that this area is injured, but they can also receive direct feedback throughout the treatment process. As the treatment continues over their next several visits, they’ll feel those bumps and ridges smooth out. WHAT IS A TREATMENT SESSION LIKE? During a Graston Technique treatment, Dr. Sullivan will select an appropriate Graston tool and rub it over the affected spot with a specific massage technique to loosen the soft tissue. The treatment itself will take up to 30–60 seconds in each area. Patients describe the treatment as a "hurts good" feeling, like you're releasing the injured muscle. To learn more about the Graston Technique or to schedule an appointment at our office, call us using the number below. If you want to see an example of what this treatment method will look like, visit Dr. Todd Sullivan’s YouTube channel: youtu.be/EDnDIDhXWFo
NovaChiroWellness.com
(703) 912-7822
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