Health tip: Get the right bed
Beds are one of the most important items you will use throughout your life. The right bed for you will support your body properly through the night to let your spine and surrounding muscles rest and recover from the previous day. Usually, the heavier you are, the firmer the mattress you need. If any of you have seen me, you can probably guess how firm my bed is.Lately, I ventured into the task of buying a new bed for our bedroom. I went to my friend Jared at Lindsey’s Furniture Warehouse and ordered a new bed. After two nights of sleeping on the new bed, my back was sore each morning and took several hours in the morning to subside. Thinking it was just sore and would work out after a few more nights, we went to my In-Law’s house for Christmas and slept on a different bed. I had no back pain for five days while we there which made me begin to question my purchase. When, we returned home, the back pain resumed for two more days before I called Jared and asked him to order a firmer mattress for me.
It has been two nights now sleeping on the latest mattress and have had zero back pain. I can’t stress enough how important it is to spend the money on a quality bed that is right for you and that will let you rest comfortably through the night. At First Choice, we tell our patients to spend money on beds and shoes. The right bed and shoes will let you work and sleep comfortably and minimize injury to your entire body. Thanks to Jared at Lindsey’s Furniture Warehouse for helping me get the right bed for myself. Make sure when you buy a new bed that it’s the right one for you.
Stephen Peaden, PT, DPT
Doctor of Physical Therapy
Advocates for the Restaveks
Advocacy – The act of pleading or arguing in favor of something, such as a cause, idea or policy; active support.Although Mauritania declared slavery a crime in 2007 and thereby joining ALL nations in officially making slavery illegal, the practice continues in many nations under many disguises. Haiti has been tabbed as the poorest nation in the western hemisphere with ~ 80% of its population living in poverty and a 53% literacy rate. These two factors has led to a modern day form of slavery called “Restavek”. Restavek is a Haitian Creole term which means “one who stays with” but commonly translated as “child slave or domestic servant”. It is estimated that 1 in 15 children in Haiti is a Restavek and the age range is usually from 4 to 14 years old.
The common story played out on a daily basis looks something like this: families struggle with mouths to feed and children to care for. The parents, who may or may not be a part of the 47% of the population who are not literate, decide it would be in the best interest of the child to send them into the city where they can live with a family and help with daily chores in exchange for the opportunity to go to school and get an education. This is rarely the outcome. The children typically are not sent to school and go from being a child one day to slave the next. They are forced to work long hours cooking, cleaning and fetching water and are often neglected, abused and even raped.
There are an estimated 300,000 Restaveks in Haiti. Imagine your children, nieces or nephews being forced into this life. However, there is hope. Through the support of orphanages such as All My Heart Haiti, The Hands and Feet Project, Servants of All Ministries, Restavek Freedom and the Jean R. Cadet Restavek Organization, the lives of these children can be changed and the slavery cycle broken.
James 1:27 – Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.
First Choice Physical Therapy is an advocate for the orphans and Restavek in Haiti.
Scott Champagne, PT
Things are happening
We really have a lot of things happening here at First Choice Physical Therapy. One thing we are working on is a contest that will have a monthly winner. Top prize will be a First Choice Physical Therapy Goodie Basket. Maybe a Bucket or a Pail or a Tote Bag or …? Our Office Manager, Vicki Barwick, has made lots of these things over the years. We are hoping she will be the master designer for these each month. More details to come soon. It is a secret today, but we hope you love our contest’s theme! We think it is going to be a lot of fun! Keep your eye right here.
Happy New Year – Tip for our Friends and Patients
Be sure to take your insurance cards with you when you visit any facility that might need it. With the start of a new year, changes to our health plans seems to be the norm as opposed to things remaining the same. At First Choice Physical Therapy we will be taking extra steps to help our patients assure that they are not stuck with a charge they did not expect due to changes in their policy. Bring in your newest insurance card even if you think everything is the same. We will put a copy of that card in your file and we will be making a very strong effort to contact your insurance company in advance of future visits to verify coverage, copay amounts and deductibles.