WEATHER RELATED CLOSING ANNOUNCEMENT PAGE
Check this page if you want to find out whether the office has been closed as a result of bad weather conditions.
If there is no date filled in below or if there is no notification of closure, then the office is open as usual.
If there is no date filled in below or if there is no notification of closure, then the office is open as usual.
- This will be determined by 7am on the morning in question.
- The answering service will also be notified.
- On days such as these, each physician will be available by phone for their own patients' urgent medical problems. Routine non urgent issues should wait until the office is open.
- The answering service will take your information and contact your physician.
BMA IS OPEN
Please monitor this site for updates.
Please drive and walk very carefully.
I WOULD RATHER A PATIENT WHO IS FRAIL OR WHO HAS MULTIPLE MEDICAL PROBLEMS RESCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT THAN HAVE THEM RISK INJURY WHEN IT IS SNOWY OR ICY WEATHER.
PLEASE DRIVE SLOWLY, CAREFULLY AND ALWAYS BUCKLE UP
REMEMBER:
IT ENDS UP BEING CHEAPER IF YOU PAY SOMEONE TO SHOVEL YOUR SNOW
THAN TO RISK A HEART ATTACK DOING IT YOURSELF
REMEMBER:
IT ENDS UP BEING CHEAPER IF YOU PAY SOMEONE TO SHOVEL YOUR SNOW
THAN TO RISK A HEART ATTACK DOING IT YOURSELF
SHOVELING SNOW SAFELY
some tips from the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons.
* Warm up your muscles by doing some light calisthenics (walking in place, squats, jumping jacks) for 10 minutes before you head outdoors.
* Pace yourself by taking frequent breaks. And drink plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration.
* Use a shovel that is comfortable for your height and strength. Do not use a shovel that is too heavy or too long for you. Consider buying a bent-handle shovel, that's designed to prevent too much stooping. Space your hands several inches apart on the tool grip to increase your leverage.
* Push the snow instead of lifting it, as much as you can. When you do have to lift snow, take small amounts of snow at a time, and lift it with your legs, not your back muscles: Squat with your legs apart, knees bent, and back straight. Lift by straightening your legs, without bending at the waist. Then walk to where you want to dump the snow, holding the shovelful of snow close to your body. Holding it with outstretched arms puts too much weight on your spine.
* Do not throw the snow over your shoulder or to the side since this twisting motion can stress your back.
* If you're using a snowblower, never stick your hands or feet in the snow blower. (Okay, that seems obvious, but some folks probably do it.) If snow becomes too impacted, stop the engine and wait at least five seconds before using a solid object to clear wet snow or debris from the chute. Beware of the recoil of the motor and blades after the machine has been turned off. Also, never add fuel when the engine is running or hot.
How to Keep Winter From Taking a Toll on Your Back
By Jane E. Brody : NY Times : February 7, 2011
This is your back speaking, and now is the winter of my discontent. With all the snow and ice and cold that have descended on much of the country, there are so many ways I can get hurt. So I want you to know what you can and should do to protect me and keep yourself out of debilitating and disabling pain, now and in the future.
This is especially important if you’ve already experienced back pain or, worse, sciatica. But even if your back has been perfectly healthy until now, it’s important to know how to keep it that way.
Low back pain, with or without sciatica (leg pain when sciatic nerve roots are pinched), is extremely common, afflicting 70 percent of people at one time or another. Next to headache, it is the most common medical complaint, and next to the common cold, it is the most frequent reason for missed work.
Winter brings on more than the usual back hazards. There’s all that shoveling — especially this year, in the East and Midwest. There are the cars that get stuck and need to be pushed to freedom. There are the icy patches, including black ice and ice disguised by a thin layer of snow, on walkways and stairways and in crosswalks. And there is the tendency to hibernate and perhaps slack off on physical activities that can strengthen and tone muscles that support the back and protect it from injury.
The following guidance comes primarily from Dr. Preston J. Phillips, an orthopedist and sports medicine specialist in Tulsa, Okla., who happened to visit New York City during the mid-January storm that brought us 19 inches of snow, giving him firsthand knowledge of what real snowbirds face.
Dr. Phillips is co-author, with Dr. Augustus A. White III, professor of orthopedic surgery at Harvard Medical School, of “Your Aching Back: A Doctor’s Guide to Relief” (Simon & Schuster; updated in 2010), an extremely helpful book complete with drawings of safe ways to move and exercise that are easy to incorporate into nearly every life.
SHOVELING
Cardiologists suggest that men over 50 and women over 60 should leave snow shoveling to younger folks. But yours truly, and many of my neighbors, pay no heed. In fact, despite my rather iffy back, I’ve found that shoveling, properly done, enhances my strength and muscle tone and actually protects my back.
The tricks, according to Dr. Phillips: Bend from your knees, not your back; don’t overload the shovel; remember that wet snow is heavier than the fluffy kind; shovel in short intervals and rest in between; and don’t twist.
Instead move your feet, put one foot forward and face the direction you’re going to throw the snow. Above all, as the doctor said in an interview, “don’t be macho — hire the kid down the street or use a snowblower.”
GETTING THERE
Allow extra time to get places. Do not run or race-walk to catch a bus or train or to get to work on time. Be especially careful on stairs; use the handrail and watch your step. If you must use a bicycle for transportation, look for cleared roads to ride on, even if the route is longer. Black ice and slush are especially treacherous for cyclists.
STAYING UPRIGHT
I’ve been appalled to see what some very elderly men and women have been wearing on their feet this winter — flimsy, treadless shoes that are herniated discs, fractured spines or broken hips (or worse) waiting to happen.
Soles of shoes or boots should grip the snow or ice. There are several products that can turn ordinary shoes into cleats. They include GripOns, Yaktrax Walkers, STABILicers and DryGuy MonsterGrips, sold in sporting-goods and shoe stores and on the Internet.
“A walking stick or cane can provide added stability,” Dr. Phillips said. And to avoid straining your back, use a long-handled shoehorn to put boots on — and a boot jack (a wood or iron device with a U-shaped mouth to grip the heel of the boot) to take them off.
PUSHING CARS
First, try to improve traction using branches, cardboard, sand or cat litter under the wheels. If pushing is required, the doctor said, “get three or more people to push the car out.”
He also endorsed a good-neighbor policy: “If you see someone having difficulty, offer to help if you can — and if you’re the one who needs help, accept it when offered.” (When my loaded shopping cart got stuck in a mound of snow at an intersection, a kind — and strong — stranger picked it up and carried it over the obstacle.)
CARRYING
When navigating uncertain surfaces, it’s critically important to watch where you’re stepping and keep your balance. Don’t carry too many packages from the store or car at once; better to make extra trips.
Also, equalize the load on both sides of your body. When lifting heavy packages from the car, first move them close to your body and bend from the knees to pick them up. If you must carry a young child, use a sling or backpack carrier. If instead the child is in a stroller or carriage, avoid sudden twists and watch for ice ahead.
CLEANING AND CLEARING
Winter, when the body stiffens against the cold, is not the best time to clear your yard of tree limbs and branches. “Unless they’re obstructing your path or are a risk to your home,” Dr. Phillips said, “leave them until the weather warms up.”
If the roof develops a leak, call a professional; climbing on a wet, icy or snow-covered roof “is a recipe for disaster,” he said.
KEEPING STRONG
Though it’s tempting to hibernate in the cold, this is no time to slack off on exercises that protect your back and your entire body, from your shoulders to your shoes.
“If you have good muscle tone over all, your muscles are better able to compensate for problems in the lower back,” Dr. Phillips said. As he and Dr. White wrote, the crucial components of a good exercise program are “regularity, trunk muscle strengthening and endurance, and palatability.”
They recommend walking, cycling (indoors or out) and swimming, in any combination, as the best all-around activities for people with back issues. Proper technique is critical; sit-ups should not be done with straight legs or feet hooked under something.
Isometric exercises that strengthen abdominal muscles can be done at almost any time: “Tighten your throat, bowel and bladder muscles; then press hard as if you were trying to have a bowel movement, and concentrate on tightening your abdominal muscles.”
By Jane E. Brody : NY Times : February 7, 2011
This is your back speaking, and now is the winter of my discontent. With all the snow and ice and cold that have descended on much of the country, there are so many ways I can get hurt. So I want you to know what you can and should do to protect me and keep yourself out of debilitating and disabling pain, now and in the future.
This is especially important if you’ve already experienced back pain or, worse, sciatica. But even if your back has been perfectly healthy until now, it’s important to know how to keep it that way.
Low back pain, with or without sciatica (leg pain when sciatic nerve roots are pinched), is extremely common, afflicting 70 percent of people at one time or another. Next to headache, it is the most common medical complaint, and next to the common cold, it is the most frequent reason for missed work.
Winter brings on more than the usual back hazards. There’s all that shoveling — especially this year, in the East and Midwest. There are the cars that get stuck and need to be pushed to freedom. There are the icy patches, including black ice and ice disguised by a thin layer of snow, on walkways and stairways and in crosswalks. And there is the tendency to hibernate and perhaps slack off on physical activities that can strengthen and tone muscles that support the back and protect it from injury.
The following guidance comes primarily from Dr. Preston J. Phillips, an orthopedist and sports medicine specialist in Tulsa, Okla., who happened to visit New York City during the mid-January storm that brought us 19 inches of snow, giving him firsthand knowledge of what real snowbirds face.
Dr. Phillips is co-author, with Dr. Augustus A. White III, professor of orthopedic surgery at Harvard Medical School, of “Your Aching Back: A Doctor’s Guide to Relief” (Simon & Schuster; updated in 2010), an extremely helpful book complete with drawings of safe ways to move and exercise that are easy to incorporate into nearly every life.
SHOVELING
Cardiologists suggest that men over 50 and women over 60 should leave snow shoveling to younger folks. But yours truly, and many of my neighbors, pay no heed. In fact, despite my rather iffy back, I’ve found that shoveling, properly done, enhances my strength and muscle tone and actually protects my back.
The tricks, according to Dr. Phillips: Bend from your knees, not your back; don’t overload the shovel; remember that wet snow is heavier than the fluffy kind; shovel in short intervals and rest in between; and don’t twist.
Instead move your feet, put one foot forward and face the direction you’re going to throw the snow. Above all, as the doctor said in an interview, “don’t be macho — hire the kid down the street or use a snowblower.”
GETTING THERE
Allow extra time to get places. Do not run or race-walk to catch a bus or train or to get to work on time. Be especially careful on stairs; use the handrail and watch your step. If you must use a bicycle for transportation, look for cleared roads to ride on, even if the route is longer. Black ice and slush are especially treacherous for cyclists.
STAYING UPRIGHT
I’ve been appalled to see what some very elderly men and women have been wearing on their feet this winter — flimsy, treadless shoes that are herniated discs, fractured spines or broken hips (or worse) waiting to happen.
Soles of shoes or boots should grip the snow or ice. There are several products that can turn ordinary shoes into cleats. They include GripOns, Yaktrax Walkers, STABILicers and DryGuy MonsterGrips, sold in sporting-goods and shoe stores and on the Internet.
“A walking stick or cane can provide added stability,” Dr. Phillips said. And to avoid straining your back, use a long-handled shoehorn to put boots on — and a boot jack (a wood or iron device with a U-shaped mouth to grip the heel of the boot) to take them off.
PUSHING CARS
First, try to improve traction using branches, cardboard, sand or cat litter under the wheels. If pushing is required, the doctor said, “get three or more people to push the car out.”
He also endorsed a good-neighbor policy: “If you see someone having difficulty, offer to help if you can — and if you’re the one who needs help, accept it when offered.” (When my loaded shopping cart got stuck in a mound of snow at an intersection, a kind — and strong — stranger picked it up and carried it over the obstacle.)
CARRYING
When navigating uncertain surfaces, it’s critically important to watch where you’re stepping and keep your balance. Don’t carry too many packages from the store or car at once; better to make extra trips.
Also, equalize the load on both sides of your body. When lifting heavy packages from the car, first move them close to your body and bend from the knees to pick them up. If you must carry a young child, use a sling or backpack carrier. If instead the child is in a stroller or carriage, avoid sudden twists and watch for ice ahead.
CLEANING AND CLEARING
Winter, when the body stiffens against the cold, is not the best time to clear your yard of tree limbs and branches. “Unless they’re obstructing your path or are a risk to your home,” Dr. Phillips said, “leave them until the weather warms up.”
If the roof develops a leak, call a professional; climbing on a wet, icy or snow-covered roof “is a recipe for disaster,” he said.
KEEPING STRONG
Though it’s tempting to hibernate in the cold, this is no time to slack off on exercises that protect your back and your entire body, from your shoulders to your shoes.
“If you have good muscle tone over all, your muscles are better able to compensate for problems in the lower back,” Dr. Phillips said. As he and Dr. White wrote, the crucial components of a good exercise program are “regularity, trunk muscle strengthening and endurance, and palatability.”
They recommend walking, cycling (indoors or out) and swimming, in any combination, as the best all-around activities for people with back issues. Proper technique is critical; sit-ups should not be done with straight legs or feet hooked under something.
Isometric exercises that strengthen abdominal muscles can be done at almost any time: “Tighten your throat, bowel and bladder muscles; then press hard as if you were trying to have a bowel movement, and concentrate on tightening your abdominal muscles.”
NY Times : December 12, 2012
By Anahad O'Connor
THE CLAIM:
Shoveling Snow Raises the Risk of a Heart Attack
THE FACTS:
Every winter, as blizzards bury towns across the nation, reports inevitably surface of middle-aged snow-shovelers suffering heart attacks. Many health officials routinely warn that shoveling snow can raise the risk of heart attacks. But the warnings have largely been based on anecdotal reports.
In a recent study published in the journal Clinical Research in Cardiology, scientists tried to ascertain whether the link was real or exaggerated. So they reviewed patient records from two winter seasons at Kingston General Hospital in Ontario. The scientists pinpointed 500 patients who arrived at the hospital with heart problems during the two winters.
Over all, roughly 7 percent of the patients were shoveling snow when symptoms began. About two-thirds of them were men — average age 63 — and they were highly likely to have had a family history of premature cardiovascular disease.
The authors called the 7 percent significant and said the number may be much higher, since many patients may not have mentioned that they were shoveling snow at the time their symptoms began.
In a smaller study published in The New England Journal of Medicine, researchers found that most heart attacks from shoveling snow result from heavy physical exertion causing trauma to coronary arteries, which ruptures plaques that cut off blood flow. One way to lower the risk, particularly in people who smoke or rarely exercise, is to reduce sudden exertion. Experts recommend shoveling early, when snow is lighter, and taking breaks.
THE BOTTOM LINE:
The exertion involved in shoveling can rupture plaque and cause heart attacks, particularly in those with a family history.
By Anahad O'Connor
THE CLAIM:
Shoveling Snow Raises the Risk of a Heart Attack
THE FACTS:
Every winter, as blizzards bury towns across the nation, reports inevitably surface of middle-aged snow-shovelers suffering heart attacks. Many health officials routinely warn that shoveling snow can raise the risk of heart attacks. But the warnings have largely been based on anecdotal reports.
In a recent study published in the journal Clinical Research in Cardiology, scientists tried to ascertain whether the link was real or exaggerated. So they reviewed patient records from two winter seasons at Kingston General Hospital in Ontario. The scientists pinpointed 500 patients who arrived at the hospital with heart problems during the two winters.
Over all, roughly 7 percent of the patients were shoveling snow when symptoms began. About two-thirds of them were men — average age 63 — and they were highly likely to have had a family history of premature cardiovascular disease.
The authors called the 7 percent significant and said the number may be much higher, since many patients may not have mentioned that they were shoveling snow at the time their symptoms began.
In a smaller study published in The New England Journal of Medicine, researchers found that most heart attacks from shoveling snow result from heavy physical exertion causing trauma to coronary arteries, which ruptures plaques that cut off blood flow. One way to lower the risk, particularly in people who smoke or rarely exercise, is to reduce sudden exertion. Experts recommend shoveling early, when snow is lighter, and taking breaks.
THE BOTTOM LINE:
The exertion involved in shoveling can rupture plaque and cause heart attacks, particularly in those with a family history.
