Various factors are responsible for neck and shoulder pain. Several people daily live with neck and shoulder pain caused by stress, bad posture, or poor diet. Although making changes can prevent or reduce the pain, specific procedures are more effective by producing faster relief from neck and shoulder pain.

Pain from neck and shoulder can affect productivity and overall wellness that is why getting the right medication or procedure can ease the pain. Here are ways to relieve pain from the neck and shoulder.

1. Stretching the Neck and Shoulders

Pain from neck and shoulder is usually caused by poor posture – sleeping awkwardly, sitting hunched in front of a computer, TVs, or smartphones. By stretching your neck and shoulders, you can reduce the intensity of the pain felt in those parts of the body. Tilt your head to one side and relax the opposite shoulder. Remain in this position for about 30 seconds. Repeat on the other side.

2. Mild Exercise

The bulk of the pain from the neck and shoulder is caused by deconditioning the muscles between the shoulder blades. Because of this, engaging the deconditioned muscles in a mild exercise can ease the pain.

Gently squeeze the shoulder blades together by pulling the shoulders backward. Remain in the position for 10 seconds each time and repeat for one minute.

3. Botox Injections

Botox injections are meant not only for cosmetic purposes; persons feeling pain in the neck and shoulders can benefit from the injections. Botox can be injected into the neck and shoulders where the pain is felt. The effect of Botox is that it blocks the neurons that send signals to the brain. As a result, the pain felt will reduce. Botox is not only for fixing wrinkles but also for relieving pain from the neck and shoulders.

4. Keep Warm

If you have pain from neck and shoulders, ensure to wear a scarf around your neck, take warm showers, and use hot water bottles. This will enable your muscles to relax, and pain in the neck and shoulders will reduce.

5. Rub In Some Gel

Buy over-the-counter pain relief gel like arnica gel and apply directly on your neck and shoulders for pain relief. The gel is safe to use alongside pain medicines without any side effects.

Takeaway

Pain from neck and shoulders can affect you severely. Take Botox injections or any other solutions discussed above to ease your pain. You must deal with the pain to live free from pain and focus on essential issues.

Clogged drains are among the most common plumbing problems faced by many homeowners. Drains are designed for water passage; unfortunately, water is not the only thing that goes down. Other items going down the drains, apart from water, can cause a blockage resulting in a need for drain repair.

There are several reasons why your drain gets clogged. Here are some items that can clog your drains.

1. Hair

One of the most common causes of clogged drains is human hair. The drains of the bathroom, bathtub, laundry, and shower can get clogged by the hair over time. If it combines with grease or soap and gets attached to the parts of the drain, it can cause a total drain blockage. 

2. Oil, Fat, and Grease

Kitchen drains are the most vulnerable to clogging caused by oil, fat, and grease solidifying in the pipes. After hardening, the fat or grease will trap debris and cause slow draining or complete blockage of the drains.

3. Food Waste

Your kitchen drains can also get clogged by left-over food that is pushed down the drain. Coffee grounds and tea leaves are among the culprits that clog pipes. To avoid drain repair, pour food waste into a carburetor. 

4. Feminine Products

Flushing feminine products such as tampons, cotton swabs, sanitary pads, and lots more down the toilet will block the drain, as they become bigger when absorbed water. You, unavoidably, will need a drain repair company to help you when your toilet gets clogged.

5. Wipes and Diapers 

The toilet is meant for human waste and toilet paper. Wipes and diapers can block up the toilet when flushed down. During several drain repairs, wipes and diapers are among the objects that clogged most toilets. Because of that, they should not be flushed down the toilet. 

6. Tree Roots

Tree roots growing underground search for water or moisture towards a tiny crack in the pipe. Over time, the roots will become larger and block water from flowing freely. This can cause water backup and flooding. CCTV surveys can help to detect this issue and minimize excavation and limit the cost of drain repair.

7. Mineral Build-up

If you have hard water in your home, the chances are that your pipes will become clogged by mineral deposits after a long time. Contact a drain repair company to fix the issue. 

Takeaway

At some point, your drains will get clogged by one of the cases discussed above. When that happens, hire a professional contractor for drain repair to limit damages and repair costs.

It is essential to disaster-proof your house to minimize damages to properties and loss of lives. Natural disasters cannot be prevented, but you can put measures in place to ensure that your home is not severely affected. The following tips are ways to disaster-proof your house.

1. How to Protect Your House From Wind

While you cannot prevent the wind from blowing, you can protect your home from being vulnerable. Strong winds target holes and cracks in a house, causing the building to collapse and damage the belongings.

You can disaster-proof your house against the wind by caulking or filling cracks or holes around windows and doors. Ensure that your door hinges are in good condition. Replace your doors and windows where necessary. Also, if your roof is gabled, install truss bracing. Your house will be able to withstand strong winds.

2. How to Protect Your House From Flooding

In addition to monitoring the weather forecasts for your state or city, you must protect your house from flooding. The state of the physical structure of your home is crucial to withstanding flooding. To protect your house, seal up cracks or holes in the house’s foundation using mortar or masonry caulk. Also, apply sealants and coatings to your foundation, doorway, windows, and walls to prevent water from penetrating your house. 

Another tip on how to protect your house from flooding is to install a battery-powered sump pump to pump water outside the house when there is a power outage due to a torrential downpour. Besides, you should install backflow valves into your sewer or septic lines to prevent water backup in your home. 

Another helpful tip to protect your house from flooding is to grade your lawn away from your home to enable free flow of rainwater from your house. Meanwhile, make sure that you relocate essential documents and items to higher ground.

3. How to Prevent Your Home From Cold Weather Damage

Extreme cold weather causes pipes to freeze and burst, causing water damage in your home. Ensure to remove and drain hoses from the faucets. Turn off the water supply to the outdoor faucets or open valves on the faucets to drain them. Let your faucets drip to prevent your pipes from freezing. 

Takeaway

Follow the tips above on how to protect your house from flooding and disaster-proof your home. Secure your home while you can to avoid damages and loss of property.

Do you want to know how often you should remodel your bathroom? Did you finish bathroom renovations and wish to know the next time to remodel it? Do not worry; we will provide you information that can assist you in making an informed decision. 

Bathroom remodeling is not a small task. It involves a detailed plan, cost, and expertise that necessitates hiring a contractor. How frequently you should remodel your bathroom depends on some factors, and that why there is no one-size-fits-all recommendation for the frequency of bathroom renovations

Why Carry Out Bathroom Renovations?

Bathroom renovations are carried out because of one or more of the reasons below:

1. Functionality

Bathroom renovations become necessary when there are defects in the facilities or components of the bathroom such that it is not comfortable or easy to use the bathroom again. Plumbing issues, broken vanities, electrical faults affecting water heater, poor lighting, outdated bathtub, poor bathroom layout, missing tiles, etc. will affect the functionality of the bathroom. With these, you need bathroom renovations. 

2. Aesthetics

You may wish to enhance the aesthetics of your bathroom to make it more attractive and appealing. This includes replacing outdated items, repainting the walls and ceiling, replacing lighting fixtures, installing stylish faucets, etc. 

3. Efficiency

Another reason for bathroom renovations is to improve efficiency. It involves replacing the traditional toilet with a water-efficient model, replacing the old heater with an energy-efficient water heater, and upgrading the lighting fixtures and lamps with energy-saving devices. You will save money in the long run. 

4. Resale Value 

Many homeowners invest in bathroom renovations to increase their property value since most homebuyers consider the present condition of the bathrooms and kitchen to make a ‘buy’ decision.

How Frequently Should Bathroom Remodeling Be Done?

If you are not planning to sell your home, then your intention to remodel your bathroom is driven by one of the reasons above. As a result, consider bathroom renovations when one of the following occurs: 

  1. Leaking or corroded pipes 
  2. Missing tiles 
  3. Water backup in the bathroom
  4. Poor Lighting
  5. Mold and mildew
  6. Physical damage to the vanities
  7. Other issues relating to the functionality, aesthetics, or efficiency of the bathroom.

Takeaway

The bathroom is one of the most commonly used rooms in the house. As a result, it is subject to wear and tear, staining, dampness, plumbing problems, and much more. You should schedule bathroom renovations to suit your bathroom condition to make it highly functional and safe for everyone.

Finding the right spot to spend time with your friends, family or colleagues could take long hours of discussions. Here is the list of 5 top escape rooms in Oakville to save some of your hours.

1. Escape from the 6

It is one of the best escape rooms available in Oakville and surrounding areas. If you are looking for a place to plan birthday parties, corporate events, or an evening with your friends and family, this is the right place to go. There are currently two escape rooms available i.e., The Wild West Escape Room and Fire Fighter Rescue Mission Game. Here is a review by one of the escapees

“Went on a Saturday with friends and family. The firefighter escape room was just the right amount of challenge and amazingly fun! The staff was personable and made us feel extremely welcome. As someone who has done escape rooms all over the world (Malaysia, South Korea, USA) this was by far my favourite! I can’t wait to see what else they can come up with!”

2. Narrow Escape

Another place to go for a family outing in Oakville is Narrow Escape. This place has five escape rooms and different VR games to choose from and is a great fit for your group events. Here is what a visitor had reviewed about them

“Good escape room, and I’ve done quite a few. The lobby is very nicely designed with lots of games for when you’re waiting. Service was extremely friendly and courteous. I don’t like to spoil too much from the rooms, but the production value was very high, and the puzzles well designed. We did the ZOMBIE room and it was a lot of fun!”

3. Captive Kids

If you are looking for an escape room for your kids, this would be the best place for them. The escape rooms here are specifically designed for children and families. They currently have escape rooms in Oakville, Vaughan, Mississauga, and Waterloo. Here is a review from one of their visitors

“Anything that can keep a child away from a screen for an hour or so is worth visiting. With some inventive scenarios and lots of fun, Captive Kids Escape managed to keep my son engaged and have a great experience”

4. Mission Possible Escape Rooms

Not far from Oakville, this place is located in Burlington, and here at Mission Possible Escape Rooms while picking an escape room you can choose your difficulty level (kids, beginner, intermediate or advanced). They currently have four escape rooms to offer with a 60-minute timeframe to complete one mission. Here are some of the reviews of the escapees:

“Loved working together to solve the puzzles and figure out the clues. Our second visit was just as good as the first. Highly recommend Mission Possible as the staff are friendly and the rooms are set to provide varying levels of difficulty.”

5. Confundrum Escape Rooms

This escape room is also close to Oakville and located in Burlington. With five escape rooms, this place offers a place for your corporate events, school trips, or team building activities. They also have a virtual escape room where you’ll be able to walk through the room from your home virtually with their 3D technology. Here are some of the reviews of the escapees:

“Me and my boyfriend had so much fun at Confundrum! We played Twisted Woods and we loved the story line and all the different types of puzzles. I really like that you get to choose how scary you want your experience to be and how much help you want to receive from the staff. Russell was so friendly and helpful. He made a fun experience even better! :)”

Takeaway

Escape rooms are a great place to put to your phones aside and enjoy with your colleagues or loved ones. They will keep you engaged throughout the tasks.