GOT ANY BACK PAIN?
I know some of you out there do; or have pains in other places.  So here's some interesting info on what might help:
"Americans spend at least $50 billion each year to to treat lower back pain, the second most common neurological problem in the U.S. after headaches, according to the National Institutes of Health.
A new study in the Annals of Internal Medicine finds that massage may be an effective therapy for treating lower back pain, when compared with conventional medical treatment.
When patients visit the doctor with lower back pain, the usual  treatments include  medications for pain, inflammation, and muscle spasms, as well as prescribing physical therapy, back exercises and educating patients about possible causes of back pain and methods for preventing future injuries.
But many people seek out alternative therapies for lower back pain relief, and massage is one of the most popular, accounting for over one-third of the more than 100 million annual massage therapy visits, according to the study. The authors note that while recent studies have found limited evidence that massage helps  chronic back pain,  none compared different massage methods for lower back pain relief  against usual medical therapy, which is what the researchers did in this study.
The study included 401 participants  20 to 65 years old who had chronic low back pain whose cause was not known. They were randomly divided into three groups: 133 participants received usual medical care without massage, 132 participants received structural massage, which identifies and massages muscular and skeletal causes of lower back pain, and 136 participants received relaxation massage, which is also called Swedish massage, and is intended to produce a general relaxed state.
Participants in the two massage groups received about one hour of massage per week for 10 weeks. All participants answered questionnaires at baseline, 10 weeks, 26 weeks, and 52 weeks to rate how bothersome their back pain was.
The study revealed that both types of massage therapy resulted in less pain and better mobility than usual care patients after 10 weeks. Both types of massage showed improved function at 26 weeks, but their benefits were of questionable significance at the one-year mark. The authors are careful to note that the reasons for the benefits  are unclear, but they speculate that massage may trigger beneficial tissue and nervous system responses. Another possibility is that  being touched in a relaxing environment  produces the positive effects that the massage groups experienced."

In my case, I'm lucky; I really don't have any chronic muscle pains.  As I get older, though, I do find that my muscles and body parts more easily get stiff if I sit in one place or in one position too long.  Ah, getting old...

MOEBIUS SYNDROME IN THE NEWS
Here meanwhile is a beautiful story about young mother Abby Ryan, whose son, Riley, was born with Moebius Syndrome.  Some urged Abby to abort her child.  She didn't, and now Riley has a chance at a great life:
"Determined Abby Ryan shatters the stereotype of the irresponsible teen mum – by juggling nappies with exams and working towards a career.
Not only that but her son Riley was diagnosed with brain damage before birth. Brave Abby, 16, refused a termination aged 15, and has no regrets, despite Riley’s neurological condition. She even went on to take 13 GCSEs.
“Being a mum at any age is hard – especially to a disabled child,” Abby admits. “But I don’t regret my decision. I’ll finish my education and get a career. Teen mums aren’t all irresponsible.”
Despite taking the Pill, Abby from Farnborough, Hampshire – who’d been with her boyfriend Jake Faulkner, 17, for five months – missed her period aged 15 after taking antibiotics, which can stop the Pill working effectively.
Revealing her mum, Lara, 42, cried when the pregnancy test was positive – and Jake “went quiet” – Abby says: “I was terrified – but I felt abortion was wrong, and Jake said he’d stand by me.”
The pair decided Jake would finish college and work part-time, while Abby would live with her mum and finish school.
“We were so excited,” says Abby, who has a sister Paige, 10, and twin siblings, Emily and Charlie, three. Her dad Lee, 40, split from Lara when she was two.
But, heartbreakingly, Abby’s 20-week scan showed her son had swelling on the brain.
Doctors couldn’t tell exactly what was wrong, but tests revealed there was an 80 per cent chance he’d be severely disabled.
Abby says: “I was hysterical – doctors advised a termination and for a second I thought I couldn’t cope with a disabled baby. But when they said I’d have to take a tablet to stop his heart, I couldn’t. I’d already named him and bought a cot – he was my baby.”
Abby’s family and friends supported her decision.
When Riley was born naturally last June he wasn’t breathing due to a lung infection, so he was put on a ventilator.
Abby says: “He looked perfect. It broke my heart seeing him covered in tubes.”
Riley had club feet, webbed fingers and enlarge cavities in his brain, but, incredibly, he was discharged a week later, though doctors warned more symptoms could emerge.
Abby admits motherhood was a struggle. She says: “Riley didn’t feed easily and I was so tired. I’d break down sometimes, but being a mum felt natural. Jake stayed over and Mum helped loads.”
Three weeks after his birth, Riley was fitted with plaster casts to correct his feet. And, two months later, Abby returned to school to study for her exams.
“It was difficult – I’d be up all night with Riley, then off to school,” she says, revealing her mum claims income support so she can care for Riley while she’s  at school. “But I had to get on with it – Riley is relying on me.”
Riley was recently diagnosed with Moebius Syndrome, a brain condition that means he struggles to form facial expressions and sit up, and will take longer to walk.
He regularly attends hospital appointments and physiotherapy, but has astounded doctors with his progress. He’ll have an op on his webbed fingers next year.
Abby says: “He’ll take longer to learn things, but he should live a normal life. He’s adorable and cheeky, and starting to babble.”
Abby says Jake often stays over to help, and reveals they’ll live together when they can afford to. She adds: “I’ll study beauty at college. I want a job. You hear about teen mums who have more kids and claim benefits, but it doesn’t have to be like that. I wouldn’t recommend having a baby in your teens, but you can make it work.”


"Sometimes you've got to jump off cliffs and grow wings on
the way down." -Ray Bradbury