Bose® noise-masking sleepbuds™ are designed for sleep. They don’t stream music but instead use pre-loaded, soothing masking sounds to cover up unwanted nighttime noises so you can get to sleep and stay asleep.

With three eartip size options, Bose sleepbuds™ give you an extremely comfortable fit and stay in place – even if you sleep on your side. The rechargeable batteries provide up to 16 hours of use. Plus, the convenient charging/storage case lets you recharge at any time and protects your sleepbuds™ when they’re not in use.

With the Bose Sleep app, you can customize your experience with personal settings.

Choose which soothing sound you want to hear, how long it plays, and its volume. You can even set wake-up alarms that won’t disturb anyone else.

Talk to the friendly staff at Flannery’s Pharmacy today about the new Bose® noisemasking sleepbuds™.

Injuries to the lower back are one of the most common golf related problems. The incidence of lower back pain in the male golfer is between 25% to 36% and 22% to 27 % in the female golfer. It has been reported to account for up to 52% of all injuries in recreational golfers and 24% of injuries in professional golfers. The injury mechanism of nearly half of all lower back injuries in golf is due to the swing.

The modern golf swing has been shown to produce large forces on the lower back which change directions rapidly during the swing. Because golf is played in a slightly forward flexed position, along with the asymmetrical, rotational nature of the swing the forces the joints in the lower back are subject to are quite high. The compression force on the spine during the swing has been shown to be up to 8 times body weight.

So what can you do to prevent getting back pain when you play? Maintenance of good mobility in the hips and thoracic and lumbar spine is important.

This may require a regular exercise programme at home along with a good warm up before you play whilst using proper technique when lifting your bag and bending through the knees when retrieving the ball.

If you already have lower back pain consider slowing your back swing down. Make sure your weight properly shifts to your back foot and your hips rotate during the back swing. Also, avoid placing your feet too far apart during the address phase as this limits hip rotation later in the swing and increases stresses on the lower back.

The calf muscles are commonly injured in sports that involve quick acceleration, deceleration or sudden changes in direction.

Many people describe a sudden sensation of being struck on the back of the leg. A calf muscle tear is often referred to as a strain or a “pulled muscle”.

The calf comprises of two large muscles, gastrocnemius and soleus. They both join to form the Achilles tendon which inserts into the heel bone. The gastrocnemius also helps to bend the knee and together they contract to point the toes.

Tears to the calf muscle can range from a small partial tear with little pain and minimal loss of function to a complete rupture which may require surgery. Recovery time and return to sport depends upon the severity of the injury.

The immediate treatment for all calf injuries consists of the RICE protocol – rest, ice compression and elevation. The No HARM protocol should also be applied – no heat, no alcohol, no running and no massage.

This is aimed at reducing bleeding and secondary tissue damage within the muscle. If you are unable to walk without a limp the use of a heel raise or wearing shoes with a small heel will decrease pain without further stressing the muscle. A compression bandage or wearing SKINS over the injured area helps limit bleeding and swelling.

As pain decreases, gentle exercise and stretching can begin in addition to treatment recommended by your friendly Sports Physio. It is important not to ignore a calf strain as return to activity too soon could make the injury worse.

For the fitness of you.

Linda Reilly

If you are over 35, it’s time to think about your lungs. When it comes to COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease), identifying it early is one of the most important factors to maintaining lung function. This is no cure but it is preventable, so putting the proper steps in place for people at risk can make a big difference.

COPD affects one in seven Australians over the age of 40 and is the second leading cause of avoidable hospital admissions in Australia. Cigarette smoke causes about 80 to 90 percent of all COPD cases.

If you are over 35 and relate to any of the following points, talk to our pharmacists or registered nurse. We can do a simple COPD screening to check your risk.

• Are you a smoker or ex-smoker?

• Do you or have you worked in a job that exposed you to dust, gas or fumes?

• Do you cough up phlegm or mucus most days?

• Do you cough several times most days?

• Do you feel you are out of breath more easily than others your age?

• Do you experience frequent chest infections?

If you are a smoker, the most important thing you can do to stop COPD from developing or progressing is to quit! Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) products work by releasing a smaller, more slowly-absorbed amount of nicotine (compared with smoking), which can help to reduce withdrawal symptoms as you quit.

If you would like to quit smoking or find out more about your lung health, call in to Flannery’s or Life Pharmacies for a free COPD screening, information and advice.

Getting a good night’s sleep has a greater impact on our happiness than getting a significant pay rise.

That’s according to new research, which suggests the most content people feel well-rested “most of the time”.

The Living Well Index, created by leading researchers at Oxford Economics and the National Centre for Social research, also found that health of relatives and feeling connected to the local community all impact our overall wellbeing.

However, sleep was found to have the largest impact by far, with getting enough shut-eye having a greater impact on happiness than a 50 percent raise.

Researchers asked a panel of more than 8,000 people questions relating to 18 topics, grouped into six major themes: community connections, finances, relationships, health, lifestyle and environment.

Participants were then given a “Living Well” score out of a possible 100, equating to the highest possible level of happiness and wellbeing.

The researchers concluded that the average person currently has a Living Well score of 62.2 out of a maximum of 100.

Those “living best” are defined as the 20 percent of the population with the highest scores – falling between 72 and 92.

By comparing the lifestyles and behaviours of those living best with the typical person, the index reveals the critical factors behind living well.

Income has surprisingly little impact on how we feel. For the typical person, a 50 percent rise in disposable income contributes to just a 0.5 point increase in their Living Well score.

In contrast, a good night’s sleep has the strongest association with how well we feel we are living. For the typical person, improving their sleep to the level of those who are living best would be equivalent to them having more than four times as much disposable income.

These were among the factors found to separate a typical person from those living best:

1. A Good Night’s Sleep: With a typical person only feeling rested after sleep ‘some of the time’, the research found that sleep quality can explain 3.8 points of difference between their Living Well score and those who are living best in the top 20 percent of the index.

2. Job Security: Among working people, 43 percent of those with the highest index scores experience a very high degree of job security, almost twice the national average.

3. Health of Close Relatives: For the typical person, worries about the health of close relations emerges as a significant barrier to living very well.

4. Community Connectedness: Stronger connections with the people we share a community with is an important factor for those who experience the highest quality of life.

(source: www.huffingtonpost.com.au)