Snow shoveling tips to protect your heart and back

Use caution when shoveling snow. Dress warmly and be safe.

I wrote a blog earlier this season about the best way to handle the rage of Old Man Winter. Since he and Mother Nature teamed up to drop mounds of snow on us this week with the seasons first official nor'easter, I thought what better time than now to repeat some handy tools on how to protect yourself from serious health challenges that occur during the winter -- heart attacks, back injuries and frost bite.

Every year, physicians and staff at Baystate Medical Center advise people on the ill effects of improper shoveling, frost bite and other maladies that occur during the winter months. As the area's only and largest trauma center, BMC in Springfield treats an increasing number of patients who incur heart attacks, back injuries and severe frostbite during New England's harsh winter season.

"If you haven't already, it's a good idea to familiarize yourself on how to protect your heart while removing that often beautiful, but heavy white stuff," said Dr. John Santoro, vice chairman, Emergency Medicine, Baystate Medical Center, on the Baystate Health news website. "Persons who have coronary artery disease and other illness should avoid exposure to cold weather, especially when shoveling."  Anyone experiencing symptoms suggestive of a heart attack should be brought to the Emergency Department immediately.

Signs and symptoms of a heart attack include:

• Pressure or pain in the chest, arms or neck
• Nausea.
• Lightheadedness.
• Sweating or feeling clammy.
• Unusual fatigue. 

Unusual exertion from shoveling snow can also cause severe back pain for those with healthy and bad backs, and result in pain in the hips and knees. A standard shovel full of snow weighs about 16 pounds. Shoveling 10 times every minute for ten minutes  alone is equivalent to lifting about 1,600 pounds after 10 minutes of shoveling.

For the elderly and disabled, shoveling snow and experiencing long periods of time in the cold is an even more harmful combination. We need to be neighborly and help them out. Get a youngster in the neighborhood to shovel their walkways, or call the city to inform them that snow removal services are needed. 

Winter and Snow Removal Safety Tips:

• Dress warmly with a hat, gloves, winter coat, scarf and boots. There are many agencies in Greater Springfield that provide free winter outerwear including the Salvation Army, the Springfield Rescue Mission, the Survival Center in Indian Orchard, area Boys and Girls Clubs, Big Brothers Big Sisters and area churches.
• Stretch before you begin to shovel. Use the proper technique which means using a medium-sized ergonomically-designed shovel. Pick up smaller amounts of shovel on the blade and lift with your legs, not your arms.
• If you have a driveway, clear the snow build up at the base of the driveway near the street first while your strength is greatest; then clear the snow from the middle of the driveway pushing out to the sides from the middle. It's easier and results in less wear and tear on your body.
• Lastly, if you simply don't have the strength, physical wellness or stamina to shovel snow, then don't. Don't be too prideful to ask for help. It's better to seek help from someone then face a possible life-threatening health challenge because you didn't.

Now, let's all zip our coats and buckle down for Mother Nature's impending season of winter treats.

¡New year -- New you!

Every year on January 1, people across the globe make New Year's resolutions.
Some write a list of the top things they want to change in their lives, set goals for the coming year, or even pick that same one thing they have yet  to master.
Most common among resolutions is to lose weight, eat right and get healthy.
We support that one entirely. Good health is the hallmark for a good life in so many ways.
In the last 25 years, resolutions concerning weight, exercise, better relationships and quitting smoking have been at the top of the list, according to Dr. John C. Norcross, co-author of Changing for Good.
This year, let's not make resolutions a trite statement with no real meaning behind it. Let's actually do it.

Here are some simple tips to get healthier in 2011:

• Eat right.

Make wise choices in the types of foods you eat; add lean proteins, more fruits and vegetables, and monitor portion sizes. Eat food low in saturated fat and cholesterol and moderate sugars. Drink 8 to 10 glasses of water daily. Write what you eat down to help you keep track of your intake; a food journal forces you to be aware of what you eat.

• Exercise more.

For exercise to help with weight loss, experts advise regular aerobic physical activity, such as walking, biking or swimming, for at least 20 to 30 minutes a day, three to five times a week. If you're a beginner, start slow, but be consistent and determined. Join a fitness center, or take classes at area health centers like the YMCA of Greater Springfield on Chestnut Street.

• Get health exams.

It's important to know the state of your physical health before you begin any exercise regimen. Check with your doctor to see if you have high blood pressure or high cholesterol. For woman, get annual breast and gynecological exams. For men, get prostrate exams as needed. Regular exams are preventative and proactive measures to minimize health risks.

• Get support.

Find a friend, family member, co-worker or someone else with similar "get healthy" goals to serve as an accountability partner, to offer support when you're feeling unmotivated. Programs such as Weight Watchers or working with a dietitian, nutritionist or personal trainer are also effective ways to garner support and learn new ideas and strategies to getting and staying healthy. Use the many online tools and websites available to give you a framework for getting and staying healthy, such as WebMd's diet assessment tool. Also, regularly visit the Mason Square Health Task Force website.

Now, start your new year right. Stay focused. Stay positive. And remember: Take one step at a time.
Happy New Year!

What does a healthy neighborhood look like to you?

In every community there is a neighborhood or two that seems to have a societal stigma attached to it, whether from ill-founded cultural biases to actual disparaging factors that may exist.

If you live in Springfield, one of the areas in the community that appears to have such a stigma is the 01109 zip code, which is five sections of the city largely identified as Mason Square. 

People believe there is so much violence and drugs in these neighborhoods that students who attend the surrounding colleges are sometimes warned to not get too far away from their campus. I believe the Mason Square area is no more violent or drug infested than any other zip code in Springfield. If the police collected data on violence and drugs in this area, they would probably come to the same conclusion.

A healthy neighborhood has neighbors who know each other; they greet each other in the morning and bid each other good night in the evening when they are out. They look out for their neighbor’s property and children. A healthy neighborhood looks like a community the President of the United States would be glad to bring his or her children for vacation or to see the Basketball Hall of Fame. What do you think a healthy neighborhood looks like? Go to masonsquarehealthtaskforce.org and check out the website, and then I encourage you to submit your opinion to zgovan@mlkjrfamilyservices.org.  I know your ideas will resemble Mason Square.

If you want to get involved in helping to continue to keep Mason Square healthy and make it even healthier, join the Mason Square Health Task Force. The quarterly meeting will be on Dec. 16, 2010 at Rebecca Johnson School. For more information, contact me at (413) 739-4901 or email me at zgovan@mlkjrfamilyservices.org. 

Growing up in Springfield, I remember being able to hang out with my friends and my brothers'  friends and just having a good time. The city is still the same!  The media would like to portray Springfield as a crime infested city that no one wants to live in. That is the farthest thing from the truth. Traveling to California, Louisiana, Florida, New York and other major cities, it is clear that Springfield is a great city to live in. Mason Square is one of the most beautiful neighborhoods in the City of Homes. The old Victorian homes are something to treasure and exhibit. Many great things and people have lived here, and great things happened in this area including the birth of basketball, the Indian motorcycle, great leader Primus Mason, great colleges, and many more. Great things continue to happen here, and great people continue to live here.

The next time you drive up and down State Street take notice of the positive things in Mason Square. Look at the new trees that were planted recently, the paved streets and the beautiful friendly people waiting for the bus, or walking down the street. If the media would focus on these, they would see that there is more positive than negative in Mason Square. The children walking to and from school are innocent and need to be protected from negative influences. It is our responsibility to do this. To start, we have to focus on the positive. Give them an  opportunity to grow up healthy and safe from the ills that face us and other places in this country.

Old Man Winter is peeking around the corner: Are you ready for his arrival?

This may be a hard pill to swallow right now, but the fact is we live in New England, and in New England winter means snow.

"Oh but the leaves are just starting to fall; we're still having a bit of an Indian Summer," you may say. That can change in an instant. What that means is be prepared. Protect yourself from the harshness of Old Man Winter in a variety of ways - from the clothes you wear to the tools and technique you use in shoveling snow.

Every year, physicians and staff at Baystate Medical Center advise people on the ill effects of improper shoveling, frost bite and other maladies that occur during the winter months. As the area's only and largest trauma center, BMC in Springfield treats an increasing number of patients who incur heart attacks, back injuries and severe frostbite during New England's harsh winter season.

"If you haven't already, it's a good idea to familiarize yourself on how to protect your heart while removing that often beautiful, but heavy white stuff," said Dr. John Santoro, vice chairman, Emergency Medicine, Baystate Medical Center, on the Baystate Health news website. "Persons who have coronary artery disease and other illness should avoid exposure to cold weather, especially when shoveling."  Anyone experiencing symptoms suggestive of a heart attack should be brought to the Emergency Department immediately.

Signs and symptoms of a heart attack include:

• Pressure or pain in the chest, arms or neck
• Nausea.
• Lightheadedness.
• Sweating or feeling clammy.
• Unusual fatigue. 

Unusual exertion from shoveling snow can also cause severe back pain for those with healthy and bad backs, and result in pain in the hips and knees. A standard shovel full of snow weighs about 16 pounds. Shoveling 10 times every minute for ten minutes  alone is equivalent to lifting about 1,600 pounds after 10 minutes of shoveling.

For the elderly and disabled, shoveling snow and experiencing long periods of time in the cold is an even more harmful combination. We need to be neighborly and help them out. Get a youngster in the neighborhood to shovel their walkways, or call the city to inform them that snow removal services are needed. 

Winter and Snow Removal Safety Tips:

• Dress warmly with a hat, gloves, winter coat, scarf and boots. There are many agencies in Greater Springfield that provide free winter outerwear including the Salvation Army, the Springfield Rescue Mission, the Survival Center in Indian Orchard, area Boys and Girls Clubs, Big Brothers Big Sisters and area churches.
• Stretch before you begin to shovel. Use the proper technique which means using a medium-sized ergonomically-designed shovel. Pick up smaller amounts of shovel on the blade and lift with your legs, not your arms.
• If you have a driveway, clear the snow build up at the base of the driveway near the street first while your strength is greatest; then clear the snow from the middle of the driveway pushing out to the sides from the middle. It's easier and results in less wear and tear on your body.
• Lastly, if you simply don't have the strength, physical wellness or stamina to shovel snow, then don't. Don't be too prideful to ask for help. It's better to seek help from someone then face a possible life-threatening health challenge because you didn't.

Now, let's all zip up our coats and buckle down for Mother Nature's next season of treats.

Health disparities project: Lots of talk and lots of action

Betty Agin

Betty Agin has made a name for herself in Springfield - she's known as a community organizer, a woman who works hard to get inner city issues brought to the forefront of discussion and addressed by political, business and other community leaders, and a fearless soldier for positive reform.

Agin, a Springfield resident by way of her native Georgia, sits at the helm of the Universal Community Voices Eliminating Disparity, an outgrowth of the Springfield Health Disparities Project. 

 The Springfield Health Disparities Project is just one of many public health initiatives given new life through grant funds provided through the Mason Square Health Task Force. The Health Disparities Project received $17,000 in funds during the 2009-2010 cycle of funding.

The disparity project is a grass roots initiative aimed at engaging community residents and assisting them in identifying and taking appropriate action to address root causes of health inequities through conversations on community health.

The group is not just a "let's talk about it" network of concerned people, but also a "let's be about it" outreach.

Every second Saturday of the month, the Universal Community Voices Eliminating Disparities Project holds a community forum from 9:30 to 11:30 am at 365 Bay Street, Springfield, MA.  Last week's discussion group was on HIV and AIDS awareness, and connecting people to the prevention and treatment services in the community. The forums bring out neighborhood activists, doctors, nurses, political leaders, and concerned Moms and Pops. 

"It's usually open conversation and strategizing about what we can do to make this community better, to help one another, to work together," said Again, who was recognized for her community service work recently by the AFL-CIO supported group Western Mass Jobs With Justice group. "These meetings are for everybody, the health care provider, community organizers, people who work around specific issues like HIV, teen pregnancy, violence, young dads, single moms. Everybody. What we've learned is that for a lot of people in need of help, the issue is about not knowing where to turn for help. We can fix that."

The group has been successful in getting many issues of concern in the city addressed ranging from having blighted homes boarded or torn down to helping dozens of people with minor, decades-old, or even dropped criminal offenses on their records sealed so they can get jobs and find housing.

"Most of our job is to recruit and teach people how to be leaders in their own neighborhoods and be advocates for themselves around issues," Agin said.

Now that's what we call working for the greater good!

A drive thru window at a liquor store - No way!

Do you think a drive thru window at a liquor store would be convenient for you?  Imagine how much more convenient it would be for our young people to obtain alcohol without consequence. We do not need a drive thru liquor store in the city of Springfield.

A special permit request for a drive thru window at a Cottage Street liquor store came before the City Council on Sept. 27 and was sent to committee for further review. We can't sit idly by and let this go forward. City Councilors Melvin Edwards and E. Henry Twiggs have spoken publicly against the measure, and are rallying the support of others. We have to contact our City Councilors and speak out against this before any measures move forward. For contact information for your local City Councilor click here. People need to understand that increased access to alcohol for adults leads to increased access by our youth.

Statistics have shown that alcohol is more of a health risk to young people than drugs.  Alcohol is the most frequently used drug by high school seniors, and its use is increasing.

Let's not make it easier for youth in
Springfield to access alcohol.

According to an American Medical Association report, boys usually try alcohol for the first time at just 11 years old, while the average age for American girls' first drink is 13. In short, the report says, our nation's youth are "flirting with disaster." Consider the facts:

• Underage drinking is a factor in nearly half of all teen automobile crashes, the leading cause of death among teens.
• Alcohol use contributes to youth suicides, homicides and fatal injuries.
• Alcohol abuse is linked to two-thirds of all sexual assaults and date rapes of teens and college students
• 
  
• Alcohol is a major factor in unprotected sex among youth, increasing their risk of contracting HIV or other transmitted diseases.

Although we have mandatory compliance checks on liquor sales to minors in Springfield, the compliance rate has been around 75 percent, which is poor. This means that 1 in 4 stores have failed to even ASK a minor for identification.

"Needless to say, the bar is low to pass the checks," Peggy Vezina, coordinator of the Springfield STOP ACCESS campaign, has said. "All the store clerk needs to do is ask for an ID. Once they do, the check is over and the store has passed. How much more difficult will it be to judge the age of or intoxication level of a person in a car? How much more difficult will it be to judge the age of other occupants in the car? How much more difficult will it be for investigators to enforce the law?"

The Mason Square Health Task Force, the Weed and Seed Initiative and Gandara Mental Health's STOP ACCESS Springfield is among several groups here fighting to decrease alcohol access to youth in the Mason Square area and Springfield. Please join us in this effort.

Teatro V!da brings arts and culture to Greater Springfield and offers resources to youth and adults

Teatro V!da presents "Rumors of a New Day" on Sept. 13 at 7 p.m.,
affords arts and culture opportunities to youth and adults.

When we think of societal plagues like substance abuse, depression, violence and assorted health ailments as a result of diet and stress, the cures we most often reach for are medicinal, believing it provides a quick fix. Though medicines are  important treatments in many cases, we should not overlook the role of intervention and prevention strategies, especially when it comes to our youth.

Intervention means attacking a problem at the first sign of trouble by changing mindsets and behaviors. Prevention seeks to stop the issue in advance prior to becoming a health disparity. So how do we do that?

• Get our youth involved in positive activities to steer them away from the trouble zones.
• Help our adults overcome the daily challenges of life by balancing the struggle with hope and compassion.

Greater Springfield is fortunate to have a wealth of organizations in our backyard who espouse the same beliefs as the Mason Square Health Task Force; agencies that consider whole health and intervention as necessary goals in serving the people in our community. We need to do more to support them and help them flourish and grow.

Teatro V!da, the city's first Latino theater group is one such agency. Teatro V!da is the brainchild of Magdalena Gomez, a teaching artist for more than 35 years. In 2006, Gomez rallied the support of key leaders in Springfield's Latino community. One year later, Teatro V!da was born with funding from the Latino Breakfast Club, Hispanic Resources Inc., MassMutual Financial Group, Baystate Health and other community supporters. Since its founding, Teatro V!da has produced over 20 events, including four original full productions with music composed by artist, musician Heshima Moja, the theater's current Music Director.

"We offer the community an opportunity to build up our young people, and fill in the gap that's left vacant as a result to cuts in public education in the area of arts and culture," said Moja, an independent artist whose recent cd release has been getting national airplay. "We give them a chance to discover theater, acting, dance, but we also focus on issues like literacy, and health, and wellness and compassion. We take a whole health, holistic approach using artistic expression."

 

Their latest production, "Rumors of a New Day," is a  multi-media performance celebrating Springfield and the arts. It will be held  Monday, September 13 at 7 p.m., at City Stage. The performance was written and directed by Gomez. Tickets are $20 in advance or $25 on the day of the show. For more information call the City Stage box office at (413) 788-7033.

"This performance piece is about the issues we face right here in Springfield, the criticisms, the stereotypes, the 'isms, the things we care about and face in our everyday lives in Springfield," said Moja, noting the theme of "Rumors." The production uses a variety of artistic mediums including acting, dance and music.

The production has more than 100 people involved, including cast and crew. At least two dozen youth are tied to the play, either as performers or as apprentices under Daniel Jaquez, an acclaimed choreographer from New York City, Moja said.

"This show offers solutions woven throughout the fabric of the piece offering steps to emotional wellness, emotional intelligence, empathy and compassion," Moja said.

The Mason Square Health Task Force encourages you to support the show, and support Teatro V!da in its efforts to keep our city culturally diverse, artistically rich, healthy and well.

With sports related concussions rising, parents should be aware of issues, signs and risks

File photo from The Republican

Football season has arrived and New England has a rich history of  fans who embrace the sport, cheering at little league games for Mason Square's 5A players to braving rain and cold to support  area high school and college teams.

So how does football and health care news relate? In recent weeks, the spotlight has been placed on the safety of football, particularly for our young people, with breaking news on the rising rate of sports-related concussions.

A new report from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and a study that appears in the September issue of Pediatrics examining sports-related concussions in children and adolescents revealed that the number of young children treated in hospital ERs for concussions occurred while playing on sports teams has doubled within the past decade.If that's not alarming enough, researchers say the rate among younger athletes, as early as 8-years-old, is significant and rising.The study represents the first attempt to document the national incidence of sports-related concussions among children in elementary and middle school, according to national news reports.

The study looked at an analysis of data from hospital emergency departments across the nation and revealed that:

• Roughly half a million ER visits for concussions occurred among 8- to 19-year-olds between 2001 and 2005.
• About half were sports-related, and 40% of sports-related concussions involved children between the ages of 8 and 13.
• Football and ice hockey were the organized sports with the most concussion injuries, and snow skiing, bicycling, and playground iinjuries accounted for the most concussions occurring from non-team-related activities.

So exactly what is a concussion and what are its symptoms? A concussion is a type of mild traumatic brain injury that is caused by an impact or jolt to the head. The symptoms include:

• Confusion
• Headache
• Dizziness
• Ringing in the ears
• Nausea
• Slurred speech
• Fatigue
• Memory or concentration problems

While many of us in this area are big football fans and want to support our young athletes, we have to be mindful that their health and well-being take precedent over the game.Parents and caregivers need to be proactive about making sure their child has the right sports gear, from helmet to cleats. Equally as important, parents need to make sure their child's coach has our youth's best interest at heart, on and off the field.

Access to resources makes a world of difference

One name, two fates.

“Knowledge is power. Information is liberating. Education is the premise of progress, in every society, in every family.” Nobel Peace Prize winner Kofi Annan

This quote reminds me of the story of Wes Moore, a Rhodes scholar, a White House fellow and a business leader who overcame the odds to succeed.

Moore wrote a biography, "The Other Wes Moore," released in April, about his experiences growing up in inner city Baltimore, raised by a single mom who worked tirelessly to use the resources around her to give him greater access to education and opportunity.

That's one side to the story. The book is also about the other Wes Moore, a man who grew up in the same neighborhood, around the same time, with the name name, who ultimately was convicted of murdering a police officer during a robbery attempt. He is in prison for life without parole. This Wes Moore had a strong mother too, but while she was working to support the family, her sons - ages 11 and 12 at the time - began dealing drugs. This mother has publicly said she didn't know where to go for help, didn't know what resources were available to her sons, and she wished she had done things differently.

This story is not entirely unique.  Here in Springfield, we have youth who grow up in the same community, under similar circumstances, yet make extremely different choices. Often, the reason behind their divergent paths is one person having access to community programs, resources, opportunities and support programs, while the other one does not.

The Mason Square Health Task Force is an agency working alongside so many others to improve the quality of life for our youth and adults here. We want our youth to lead productive lives like the first Wes Moore, whose book became an instant New York Times best-seller. 

In our efforts to continue to inform you about the array of services provided to residents in our community, we are putting together the Mason Square Resource Initiative, a comprehensive directory for substance abuse, prevention, intervention, treatment and recovery support for youth, families and adults.

We are seeking submissions about your programs with your name, contact information, location, and other relevant material for placement in the guide. The guide will be posted on the Mason Square Health Task Force website and updated routinely. Please send information to Govan@mlkjrfamilyservices.org.

To learn more or to purchase a copy of the book visit the author's website at http://theotherwesmoore.com.)

Mason Square Farmers' Market a great place to buy fruits and veggies

Eat well, live longer

Who says you can't find fresh greens, tomatoes, berries, beets, fruits, figs, corn and more in the heart of Mason Square?  If so, they must not be aware of the Mason Square Farmers' Market, an outdoor market held every Saturday at the square on Wilbraham Road.


The farmers' market is in its fourth year and is working hard to expand its presence and the traffic flow of shoppers there.


Organizer Tasha Moultrie-Phillips, project coordinator for Target Hunger, has described the market as a welcome relief to Mason Square's "food desert" issues that arise because of its limited supply of fresh food vendors in the area. 


The Mason Square Health Task Force is a supporter of the market, recognizing that people need healthy food to live and stay healthy. With increasing obesity and diabetes rates in our Mason Square community, we need to pay closer attention to how we eat and what we eat.


Our diet is an important health issue and shouldn't be overlooked. What better way to increase the quantity of fresh fruits and vegetables in our diet than to buy them right here in the heart of our community at the Mason Square Farmer's Market.


See you on Saturday!

Men of Color Health Awareness kicks off campaign

Health disparities between men of color and whites are alarming: men of color have the highest rates of cancer, diabetes, heart disease, asthma, and are more frequently the victims of violent crimes.

That's why the Mason Square Health Task Force is so excited about the Men of Color Health Awareness (MOCHA), a program aimed at improving the health of men of color in Greater Springfield.

The Task Force is part of a community collaborative working with MOCHA that includes Baystate Health, Black Men of Greater Springfield, the YMCA of Greater Springfield and others. The YMCA will facilitate a variety of wellness classes ranging from food and fitness to financial literacy.

Earlier this month nearly 150 people, mostly black and Latino men, joined on the steps of Springfield City Hall to announce that MOCHA had received a $250,000 grant from the state Department of Public Health.

The Mason Square Health Task Force applauds MOCHA and encourages all men to get and stay healthy!

No More Liquor Stores in Springfield MA!

Wonder why you or your kids need to have so many package stores in Your neighborhood, near your schools, Your daycare and community centers?
Come share Your ideas to make Your neighborhood a healthy place for you and your kids to grow up!

Alcohol kills 6.5 times as many young people as all illicit drugs combined

For more information, call (413) 733-9024 or email mvezina@gandaracenter.org

Meeting Place: MLK Family Center
365 Bay St.
Meeting Date: Monday, June 21
Meeting Time: Dinner: 5:30 (free)
Meeting: 6-7:30p

Childcare available