Lifestyles

To Your Good Health: Inquires about back pain devices

DEAR DR. ROACH: I’m a 77-year-old woman with degenerative disc disease. I had an L4 microdiscectomy surgery in 2020, but I still have chronic pain in my lower back. Although I do core strengthening exercises with physical therapy (which helps), I’m still in daily pain. I’ve been seeing advertisements for multifidus muscle-strengthening devices, such as NeuroMD and ReliveX. What’s your opinion on this type of exercise device? — C.K. ANSWER: I think that better non-pharmacologic therapies are needed for back pain, and the theory of electrical stimulation to strengthen the ...

Thursday evening TV

Bridge by Steve Becker

A defender should always keep at the forefront of his mind exactly how many tricks his side needs to set the contract. This number becomes his goal for that hand, and if he absent-mindedly loses sight of it, disaster might soon follow. Consider this deal where West led a spade against four ...

Know thyself, explore possibilities when feeling alone

DEAR ANNIE: I recently turned 27 and feel as if life is just passing me by. I try many different things to find career opportunities and meet other people but nothing leads to anything, and I am always stuck back at square one. It seems like nobody ever gives me a chance (social and economic). Is there a way to move on in life without sacrificing your identity? Right now, I’m terribly alone. Outside of a few family members, I have no social life, no love life and no career opportunities. It wouldn’t be so bad if I could just have one of those pillars. I’m stuck in a small town ...

Lobster rolls with a bit of a flavor-boosting soak

I’ve never been to Maine for a lobster roll, but the ones I’ve had in other places have been so good that I knew I needed to make one myself. This version is from my cookbook “Home” and is made with perfectly cooked lobster meat that is plump, juicy, and tender but also firm, and ...

Toothbrush heads can be tricky

DEAR HELOISE: Regarding the person who complained about their toothbrush only vibrating instead of spinning, the fault isn’t with the toothbrush. I had the same thing happen to me, and I have a very well-known brand of toothbrush. The problem is with the brush head. I changed mine, and it works fine now. — Jan P., via email DEAR HELOISE: Your column about fake electric toothbrush heads got my attention. My toothbrush stopped spinning months ago, so after reading your column, I thought I must have a fake brush head. I ordered new heads, but the brush still didn’t spin. I read ...