Q: Workplace wellness programs are activities or policies designed to support healthy behaviors and improve health outcomes while at work More employers are recognizing that healthy workers are productive workers and that prevention is cheaper than paying for health care costs down the road. Your Human Resources representative is the best person to ask. Your supervisor(s) might also be able to help you. Some labor unions offer workplace wellness services. If you belong to a union, ask your local steward for more information. Sometimes you can even get a deduction on your health insurance if you do things like go to the gym and work with a wellness coach. Fitting a job to a person's body is called ergonomics. The goal of ergonomics is to position your body in order to avoid long term muscle and joint problems. Gel and foam pads are available to cushion the wrists as you type on a keyboard. They are designed to protect against Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. Adjust the height of your chair and computer screen to accommodate your height and promote good sitting posture. Some people opt for a computer-mounted workstation that allows them to stand up while they work. Ergonomic floor pads cushion the feet and leg joints if your job requires you to stand in place for extended periods of time. If you have trouble seeing your computer screen clearly, ask your supervisor or IT professional if you can get a larger monitor. You may even be able to hook up two or three monitors to your desk workstation! There is strength in numbers! Sometimes it can be easier to meet health and fitness goals as part of a group effort. Form a weight loss club. Count and track calories together. Support each other through difficult times and cheer each other on. A dieting group can help you withstand the temptation of work treats! Find a workout buddy. Jogging or walking during breaks may be more fun as a social activity. Workout partners also help to keep the other partner accountable to their goals. Find out if your company offers intramural sports, like a softball or basketball team. Team sports provide both fitness and camaraderie! Quitting smoking may also be easier if you don't have to do it alone. Even if you only want to cut back for now, you may be able to find a coworker willing to make the same goal. With rising healthcare costs and obesity epidemics, more and more emphasis will be put on preventative health. Look for fitness and nutrition to be a bigger part of health care in the future. Many community health centers are partners in workplace wellness initiatives and might be a good source for more information. Consult your health insurance plan. If your employer has wellness policies in place, they are probably already part of your benefits package. Call the insurance provider customer service line or talk to your HR rep. Some employers may pay part of your gym membership as an employee benefit. If you are a public servant, some gyms may offer you a discount. Ask your local gym if membership discounts are available for firemen or police officers. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Be proactive about your health. Not only will you feel better at work, but it will help you conserve sick days and be more productive! Effective workplace wellness programs can help reduce the risk of heart disease, also called cardiovascular disease or CVD. You may be required to visit a doctor to test your blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Some employers provide free on-site screenings to check for CVD risk factors: blood pressure, weight, body mass index or body fat percentage. Some employers provide free seasonal flu shots. Getting a flu shot can protect you from that virus being passed around the office. Annual flu shots may also be covered by your insurance plan.
A: Ask your employer if they have a workplace wellness program. Make your desk, office, or station at work more comfortable. Recruit coworkers. Talk to your health care providers. Visit a health care provider for a screening.

Q: If you're worried about your children's internet usage, your cell phone provider may be able to help you set up parental controls. Talk your concerns over with a representative for your cell phone provider and see if there's a service you can pay for to block dangerous websites. Cell phone providers have different services for different fees. AT&T, for example, provides a free app called Data Blocker which allows you to block video and picture messaging on your child's phone. This can help if you're concerned about things like sexting. Other providers have similar services. Other apps will allow you to filter out inappropriate content. T-Mobile, for example, has an app called Web Guard that blocks all 18 and over content on your children's cell phones. If you can't find something that works through your provider, there are many cell phone apps you can purchase. These can allow you to filter content and limit the amount of texts your kids can send. Apps can help filter out inappropriate content, but they can also encourage your child to take a break from the cell phone. Many apps, for example, will send messages encouraging a child to step away from the phone on occasion. If you want to make sure a child or teen does not overdo it on their cell phone, make specific rules. Make sure your child knows how often they can use the phone, and when the phone must be turned off. Make a family rule about phone use. For example, you might make it a rule that everyone in the family has to power down their cell phones for the evening at a designated time, such as 7pm. You might even have everyone drop their phones into a basket for the night and then allow them to get them again in the morning. Some parents find it helpful to write up a contract regarding cell phone usage and have their teen or child sign it. This way, everyone knows what the rules are regarding the phone and there is little room for confusion or misunderstanding. If your child or teen brings their phone to school, talk to teachers or principals about the rules in their school. You want to encourage your teen to be respectful regarding their cell phone usage. You want to make sure your teen or child knows cell phones are not always allowed or appropriate, and they should respect rules regarding phones. If your school does not allow cell phones at all, make sure to take your teen or child's phone away before they go to school. Children and teens can easily get into trouble online. Have an open dialogue going in your home regarding safe usage of cell phones and other technologies. Talk to your teen about what they post online. Let your teen know nothing they post on the internet is ever 100% private, and that they should not post anything they do not want someone to see in the future. Let your teen know the dangers or sexting. Talk to your teen about rules regarding sharing lewd content in your state or area.
A: Talk over parental controls with your cell phone provider. Look into phone apps that offer parental controls. Have specific guidelines for phone usage. Make sure your child or teen follows school rules. Communicate openly about online safety.

Q: A common way to relieve pain from plantar fasciitis is to take over-the-counter pain medication. You can use OTC anti-inflammatory medications to help decrease the inflammation and the pain in your foot. These medications include Ibuprofen, such as Advil and Motrin, and Naproxen, like Aleve. Use the medication only as directed on the package. You can take these medications for up to two weeks. If you have plantar fasciitis pain that doesn't respond to any of the home treatments, you may want to see your doctor. Your doctor may suggest corticosteroids if you have pain that just won't go away. Usually, these injections work better if done early; however, doctors usually only administer them in more severe cases. Your doctor will probably suggest other at-home methods before giving you these injections. Multiple shots are not recommended. This can weaken your plantar fascia or diminish the pad that covers your heel bone. Before you get an injection, you will have to get a radiograph of the food. In the most severe cases where the pain doesn't decrease and the plantar fascia doesn't heal with other treatments, a physician may suggest surgery. In the surgery, a surgeon will release your plantar fascia from the heel bone. This is the last resort option for pain. If you undergo this surgery, you may end up with a weakened foot arch.
A:
Use OTC pain medications. Try corticosteroids. Undergo surgery.