Pain in the Tip of Your Thumb? What Causes it and How Can You Get Rid of Pain in Your Thumb?

If you have pain in your thumb, and it gets worse close to the tip, you might try massaging your thumb. You might even try massaging the pad of your thumb.

If none of those actions help, that means the cause of your pain is not there - it's somewhere else.

A "trigger point" is a hyper-irritable place in a muscle (or other soft tissue) which "triggers" or "fires" painful symptoms elsewhere. A symptom could feel like burning, aching, numbness or tingling. So trigger points cause pain away from themselves.

In the case of pain at the tip of your thumb, the trigger point that causes your pain is in your lower arm. The pain is called "referred" pain because it is referred to your thumb by a trigger point.

There are muscles that allow you to move your fingers and thumb. These muscles are NOT in your hand! The tendons (tough strong tissue at each end of your muscles) attach to bones. Your finger muscles all have a muscle "belly" in the middle and tendons at each end which attach the muscle to bones.

Finger and thumb tendons are very long. The bellies of the muscles that move your fingers are actually in your arm !

The muscle that causes pain in the tip of your thumb is deaf than (it is buried under) muscles that are close to the surface (where your skin is.)

What Should You Do?

Turn your hand so it is palm-side up. Warm the palm-side of your lower arm. You can do this with a hot pack or by massaging (rubbing.)

Massage lightly at first. As your soft tissues and muscles start to soften and relax, you can massage deeper and deeper. As you press more deeply, start seeking tender places in your lower arm.

The trigger point will feel tender when you find it. It will be approximately 4 to 6 fingers away from your hand and wrist. When you locate it and press on it, you may feel notified sensations in your thumb. That is how you will know you have found it!

Press into that tender area for 12 seconds, at a pressure of about 7 out of 10 (10 being the most intense discomfort.) Trigger points in muscles respond and relax Best with a pressure of about 7.

It will not be a tiny little dot. You may have to follow the tenderness and apply pressure in several spots. Take all the breaks you need. You can keep going back to tender areas and re-treating them. If you feel a little bruise-y afterward, that is just because your muscles were tight and they were not used to someone pressing on them.

It could take a day to notice the difference, but if you have less pain in the tip of your thumb, you have done it! You did your own therapeutic massage.

Good Job!

Why You Need a Divorce Lawyer

I recently overheard someone in a bookstore telling a group of people why they should not have their own attorneys, how they could not trust lawyers, how lawyers would cheat them and how they should rely on the company the speaker belonged to instead. That conversation got me thinking about why people facing separation and divorce need not just any lawyer, but a good divorce lawyer.

Reason # 1-What You need to know

You need to know your rights, duties and responsibilities under the law. Only a lawyer who has been retained to represent your interests can advise you. How can you realistically discuss financial arrangements in separating and divorcing, if you do not know what your rights, duties and responsibilities are? Not knowing what your rights are can result in not getting your fair share of assets, your fair share of support or your fair share of time with your children. Not knowing what your duties and responsibilities are can result in your paying more than your fair share of assets or your fair share of support. Most attorneys offer a special reduced rate for consulting services to encourage people to get advice early and often. There is no reason to rely on backyard fence advice, when you can get real advice from a qualified experienced divorce lawyer for a reasonable fee. Furthermore, in my experience, the backyard fence advice is usually wrong. Remember that if you hear is half true, it is still wrong.

Reason # 2-Backyard Advice

My friend is divorced. Why can not I rely on my friend's experience and knowledge. Well, you could do that but what you need to realize is that without your friend is a licensed attorney, he / she is not authorized to practice law. Your friend's knowledge will be limited to his / her particular experience. His / her experience with the law is limited to the facts of his / her case and the law as it was at the time. Things change. The law changes. Any change in the facts will change the outcome or advice. Furthermore, changes in the law will change the advice. Your friend simply lacks the knowledge and experience to give sound practical legal advice.

Reason # 3-Identifying Issues

The sooner you get a lawyer, the sooner you will learn what you need to know to protect yourself (and your children and property interests). Sometimes people have no idea how to go about identifying the issues that they need to discuss, even if the separation is an amicable one and the parties anticipate a "friendly divorce." A good, experienced divorce lawyer can assist you in identifying the issues you need to discuss with your spouse to achieve a comprehensive agreement and global settlement. Over the years there have been numerous times when we were able to point out to clients areas that had initially overlooked and issues which should be included in their settlement discussions, such as life insurance, health insurance, and children's educational needs.

Reason # 4-To Share or Not to Share?

My spouse already has an attorney. Do I really need to get one too? Can not the same lawyer represent us both? The answer is no, not really. 30 years ago when I first began practicing law, it was strictly forbidden for a lawyer to represent both sides to a divorce, no matter how "friendly" it was. There are some limited circumstances in which dual representation may be allowed, provided there is full disclosure of potential conflicts of interest and a waiver of conflicts with informed consent by both parties. These situations are limited and in the event that unhappy distinctions or disputes should arise, the attorney must end the representation and both parties must seek new counsel. Frankly, we rarely if ever agree to dual representation. We represent our clients zealously within the boundaries of the law and the conflicts in representing opposing sides are too conspicuous for us to agree to do so. Not only that, but if your spouse has a lawyer, that means that he / she has already bought legal advice and has some rudimentary knowledge of his / her rights, duties and responsibilities under the law.

Someone once said knowledge is power. Would you rather be the one with the knowledge (and the power) or the one without knowledge? How trusting can you be of your spouse or his / her attorney in the circumstances? Remember that your spouse's attorney already represents your spouse. In our experience, spouses, especially those who tend to be controlling will think nothing of misrepresenting the law to gain advantage in the negotiation. Recently a client told me that her husband who remains in the marital home told her that she was now his "landlord" and therefore she could not re-enter the home without his consent and presence and that his lawyer said so. Needless to say, everything he told her was wrong. Her husband also told our client that they did not need to use lawyers and could reach an agreement on their own without lawyers. He also said that if she inscribed on having her attorney review paperwork before she signed it that he would find something to disagree with on each draft to drive up her costs. Clearly he was trying to manipulate, intimidate and control his wife, who was wise to seek her own independent counsel from a knowledgeable, experienced divorce attorney.

Reason # 5-Do You Feel Lucky?

Going to a court hearing in a pending divorce without a lawyer is like playing Russian Roulette. How lucky do you think you are? Would you perform surgery on yourself or would you seek out a qualified surgeon? Why do you think that you know enough to represent yourself in court? Do you know what your rights, duties and responsibilities are? The judge will not help you out if you do not know what you are doing. There are rules of evidence and rules of procedure that govern hearings. You need someone on your team that knows the rules of the game. You will need someone to prepare you for your testimony in court so that you do not put your feet in your mouth up to your hip bone. You will be bound by the things that come out of your mouth in court. Recently we spoke to a man who incurred spousal and child support obligations of $ 4000 per month. The court issued an order based on erroneous exhibits filed by his wife's attorney and based upon things he said in open court as to his income which was not accurate. A skilled trial attorney can get you to say things that you do not mean to say, especially if you have not been prepared for your testimony.

Reason # 6-Too Little, Too Late

Going to see a lawyer after you have already signed papers or participated in depositions or hearings pro se (representing yourself) is like closing the barn door, after the cow got out. Just because you were not represented does not mean that you can get out of a bad decision or bad deal you may have made or get out of rulings the court made when you were unrepresented. The time to get advice is before you sign. The time to get advice is before you go to court. In fact, you should get advice as soon as you receive legal notice of a pending lawsuit against you.

If you are reading this and you have already signed papers, you should still consult with a good experienced divorce attorney to have the papers explained to you and to see there are any loopholes that may be used to renegotiate terms move favorably to you or to insist upon "clarification" of the agreement. The attorney can also explain the consequences of having signed the paperwork.

If you are reading this and you are in the middle of a divorce action and have been to depositions on your own, you should seek an immediate consultation with a good experienced divorce attorney to see if there is any legal basis to suppress the depositions. Be sure to take all of your documents with you to the consultation. We have seen situations where it was possible to reopen a case for a client because the deposits were taken too early. In such situations, the depositions were quashed by filing the appropriate papers under the rules of court. In your case it may be too late to do anything, but you should at least talk to a divorce attorney right away to be sure.

Reason # 7-Isn't a Lawyer a Lawyer? (A Rose by Any Other Name ...)

I know a lawyer who did the closing on our house. Can not I go to him / her for advice about separation and divorce? Yes, you could but there is a saying that if the blind lead the blind, they both fall in a ditch. Would you go to a podiatrist (foot doctor) if you had an eye infection? You could; after all, the podiatrist went to medical school and learned about the body, including the eyes. The questions are how much, if anything does he / she remember, is he / she current on the medical literature relating to the eye and infection, including the diagnosis and treatment of the eye? I have seen horrendous separation agreements prepared by lawyers who do not devote at least a significant portion of their practice to family law but were trying to accommodate a friend or relation in their time of need. Actually a lawyer should decline a case, if he / she does not believe that he / she has the knowledge and experience to handle it or that that he / she is not willing to acquire the knowledge necessary to handle it.

It takes a significant amount of time to keep up with all of the changes in the law that affect separation and divorce. Think about it. Every week somewhere there is a court, either federal or state making a decision that could affect your situation. Every week that the legislature is in session, whether Congress or the General Assembly, they make decisions that could affect your situation. An experienced divorce attorney should make it a point to review new cases and statutes looking for those that affect family law practice; all of the best family lawyers do.

Reason # 8-Prepaid Legal?

If you have paid for this service, then surely you can speak to one of the participating attorneys. But unless the attorney is an experienced divorce lawyer with a significant portion of his / her practice devoted to separation and divorce and related issues, you should give serious consideration to looking outside of your prepaid plan. Has the lawyer written any books or articles on separation, divorce or related issues that are published? I am not a participating attorney in a pre paid legal plan. The best divorce lawyers are not participants in "prepaid" legal. To my knowledge there are no fellows (members) of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers who participate in pre paid legal services plans. If you are reading this report and have personal knowledge of an attorney who belongs to the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers and also belong to a pre paid legal plan, please email us at valawtalk@justice.com to report the name of the attorney so that we can verify the information and update this report.

Think about what is at stake; the custody and support of your children, and the division of assets you may have worked your own married life to accumulate, including your home, pension, savings, military retirement and / or 401K. Do you really want to cut corners when it comes to your kids? Your home? Your pension? Your retirement?

Reason # 9-A Ship Needs a Navigator

If you think of your legal case as a ship, the client is the captain of the ship and the client's attorney is the navigator. The navigator does not decide where to go, but he / she does map out the best course to arrive at the destination. Divorce is difficult, even "friendly" divorce is not easy. It can be an emotional rollercoaster. You need emotional, psychological and legal support. In choosing to separate and divorce, you will be faced with important decisions that will affect you, your spouse and your children not only now but in the foreseeable future. Passions can run hot during this difficult time and you need a clear head. You need a team of individuals including someone knowledgeable in separation and divorce law to help you see clearly and navigate the difficult and sometimes angry waters of separation and divorce.

Not having a good divorce lawyer at the planning and separation stage leaves you without the sound advice and rational third party perspective you need to make decisions which can bind you for life. Not having a good divorce lawyer at the divorce stage leaves you without the knowledge, experience and advocacy of a good experienced divorce attorney. It leaves you at the mercy of your spouse and your spouse's attorney. Either your spouse nor his / her attorney is there to show you mercy. You need someone to fight for you when you can not fight for yourself. You need someone to help you understand what is gong on and how to act in the storm.

You need someone who can help you to be pro-active and not simply re-active to steps that your spouse takes. You want a team to support you, a team which can and should include your pastor, rabbi or spiritual advisor, your CPA or tax advisor, extended family, friends and a good experienced divorce attorney.

Reason # 10-You Need an Advocate

You are going through a traumatic experience. Divorce is one of the most difficult experiences in life, second only to the death of a spouse. You need someone who understands what is at stake and will advocate for your interests with not only knowledge and experience but passion and feeling. When you interview attorneys, find out why they practice family law and what motivates them in advocating for clients. What is it that makes them passionate advocates? I recently spoke with another trial attorney who does not generally handle divorce work. He usually handles criminal and traffic defense and civil suits for money damages; he told me that he was forced by the poor economy to take a contested divorce case. Divorce and family law are not his first choice of trial work. He is doing it now solely for the money. Is that the motivation you would want in your attorney? Or would you rather have a lawyer who has made a conscious decession to focus on family law and uses his / her life experience such as knowing what it is like to be a child of divorce to refer to the circumstances of your case and to advocate for you with passion and conviction?

Manage Your Debt Efficiently - How to Keep Debt Under Control Between Jobs

It is obvious that even the most prolific organizations are not providing any job security these days. You may get a sudden phone call from your manager that the company no longer needs you. At present, companies are only retaining the employees who are contributing to the profitability. In the current situation, if you lose your job, it is almost impossible to find another one quickly. Here, you need to spend less and manage your debt efficiently. It is a good option to get professional help if you want to manage your debt efficiently.

You can manage your debt efficiently by getting professional help

Getting professional counseling will help you. You can find free counsel on the internet. It is very easy to interact with them. You can follow some key steps to get free counseling.

· These services are free but all of them are not reliable. You will find marketing personnel providing counseling services. This is not the right way. Proper consultation can only be given by settlement professionals. If you are seeking free help, you should be sure that the resources are reliable. One way is to get opinions from more than one resource and then compare the results. Try to get a free opinion from reputed companies.

· Relief professionals provide free help in two ways. Either you can get a generic analysis of your case. A consultant will identify the right relief options for you. He will also highlight the names of some reliable companies. You can also get the answers to specific queries. For instance, if you have scarce time available, you can ask a consultant about how to pay your debts quickly. These counseling services may not be available free of cost.

You need to spend less to manage your debt efficiently

Debt settlement is not a magical solution. If you are using your credit card at the same rate, your unsecured debts will continue to climb. Thus, stop using plastic cards and switch to cash. This practice will control your expenses. On the other hand, you can use a suitable unsecured liability reduction to eliminate the amount which has been already spent.

Which is the most important step in the debt settlement process? This is the hiring of a relief professional. You need to understand one thing. Finding relief companies is much easier as compared to finding professional organizations. Do you think that every relief company is actually providing legitimate services? If you do then you need to research a lot about legal organizations. Relief networks can help you if you want to manage your debt efficiently.

Wi-Fi Phones - A Smart Choice by Smart People

It can be seen that there are lots of mobile manufacturing companies that are trying their level best to introduced cell phones with appealing features. These gadgets have become the need of everyone and one can not imagine his life without mobile phones. Now we are up to discuss about the wi fi phones which are manufactured after considering the tastes and preferences of every class of people. These devices are well known for its impressive sound quality which is more in demand by the teens or young generation.

The wi fi phones has become so popular these days as they have the ability to lure their customers. Almost every mobile manufacturing company is trying to manufactures handsets equipped with every necessary feature. Some of the mobile are containing this wi-fi facility such as W006 mobile phone this is an awesome handset that I have ever come across with. It has the ability to surprise its users. This wi-fi phone has dual sim facility and 3.0 inches touch screen with a high resolution capability. It is equipped with dual camera of 1.3 mega pixels which helps you in capturing the moments of your life.

Another gadget which is bestowed with this facility titled as CECT M88 which is full of attractive facilities. It has a sleek design which makes it more stylish. Its internal memory can be expanded from 2GB to 8GB with a micro SD slot card. These phones allow you to browse internet at a great speed due to its high quality processor. It enables you to type and send messages at a faster speed when you are chatting with your friends.

These wi - fi phones provide you the facility of downloading games and movies of your choice. In this way it is proved to be a multi-purpose gizmo which can easily live up to the expectations of users. Nowadays people used to carry their mobile with them not only for conversing with any body but these are also being taken for entertaining them with the music files installed in their phones. Go and get these wi-fi deals as soon as possible. Get pay as you go phones here.

Nokia 8600 - Imposing Incarnation

Just think about the highly enticing designer phones and you would certainly recall various cool gadgets. Of late, many good looking handsets stormed the mobile market and gradually users are gripped by these majestic pieces of mobile art. There is lots to experience and behold in future and the way things have been evolving in the mobile market, you would certainly get more than you would ever desire. Recently, Nokia launched the Nokia 8600 Luna designer phone, which is all set to take your breath away not only with its looks, but also with superb functionalities. Detailed designing has paved the path for such a dynamic creation, which comes with an impeccable blend of smoked glass and soft-touch stainless steel. It is a slider phone and all the essential keys are visible, as phone is perfected with a translucent smoked glass body.

As far as mobile designing is concerned, Nokia has really come a very long way by harboring a lot of things similar with trend-setting materials such as chrome, titanium and stainless steel. And, all the brilliant elements are duly blended in the Nokia 8600 with precision to get that larger than life impact. Undoubtedly, you would find this creation quite tempting and a sheer joy to touch this unique blend of soft-touch stainless steel and smoked glass. The overall appeal is further enhanced by its gentle keypad, which further adds more tinge of mystery.

Now explore its capabilities to take your mobile experience to the next level. All you have to do is slide-open this phone and you would be getting all that you would love to have in your mobile handset. Sporting a 2 mega pixels camera, which is also supported by photo editor, 4x digital zoom, landscape mode, video recording features and a video player - all the dream features of a camera phone. You can also enjoy music on its music player, which is compatible with various popular file formats like AAC, AAC +, MP3, eAAC +, MIDI, AMR and WMA. The Nokia 8600 is here to add loads of style and elegance in your busy mobile life.

The 5 Basic Skills Needed to Play Softball

Playing softball competitively or recreationally requires a set of basic skills which include catching, throwing, fielding, hitting and base running. A dedicated softball player must take time to practice the right techniques in the following skills in order to confidently and safely play the game. Even seasoned softball players must continue practicing and drilling themselves on these skills in order to improve their performance.

Catching

The right catching skills allow a player not only to catch the ball without getting hurt but also to position him to throw the ball precisely. The fact is that catching and throwing are two of the fundamental defensive skills in softball. The ability to catch and throw a ball is very important as this enables a player to throw out a baserunner who is trying to advance to the next base.

Throwing

As previously mentioned, throwing is one of the two most important defensive skills a player must learn in softball. A quick and accurate throw can make it hard for the opposing team to advance their runners or make a score. Softball players should practice the right throwing technique in order to hit their targets quickly, precisely and consistently.

Fielding

Fielding is another essential defensive skill that a softball team must master. Good team fielding makes it difficult for the opposition to score runs. Players are drilled on the right way of fielding a ball that is hit on the ground as well as in the air. Fielding drills also involve knowing where to throw the ball. Many times fielders must rehearse particular plays so they will know where to throw the ball if it is hit to them.

Hitting

Hitting is probably the most challenging and enjoyable skill to learn in softball. Hitting a small ball with a rounded bat out to a particular area - in the split of a second - is a technique that softball players must continually practice and perfect. A good hit requires hand-eye coordination, quick reaction time, right technique and confidence.

Base Running

Excellent base running is not just about speed, it is also about smart running. Even more important than simply moving around the bases is the wisdom to evaluate the current game situation. A wily base runner takes into consideration the number of outs and the fielding placements of the opposition. Fast and smart base running puts great pressure on the defensive team.

In softball, where running and sliding are often done, a good pair of softball cleats and a trusty pair of supportive, moisture-wicking softball socks are essential items.

Amaranth: Soak It For Maximum Nutrition

Amaranth is nutritious and high in zinc, iron, and calcium. Amaranth has a nutty flavor and serves as a good complement to many bean dishes but it also makes a good main dish when combined with tasty vegetables as does the grain bulghur when turned into tabouli. The catch is that to get the most mineral value out of this food, we recommend soaking it overnight (or for eight to twelve hours) to reduce the mineral inhibitors native to the amaranth. All grains have these same inhibitors and so too benefit from this intensive soaking.

Amaranth is high in phytic acid, or phytates, a well-known mineral inhibitor. The phytic acid binds to minerals such as iron, magnesium, zinc, and calcium and inhibits your absoprtion of them. Although amaranth appears rich in minerals, the fact of the matter is that you can not absorb all of them because of the phytic acid. The trick is to soak the amaranth to reduce the phytic acid. As a bonus, you will reduce your cooking time.

Rinse your amaranth and plan to soak it for eight to twelve hours. An overnight soak works well. Use two parts water for one part amaranth or the amount of water called for in your recipe. Soak the amaranth in warm water - above body temperature - and leave it in a warm spot. Cover the amaranth with a towel as it soaks. Some people add yogurt or a tablespoon or two of lemon juice to the mixture to improve the pH of the soaking water. Feel free to give that a try, but if the flavor looks off to you, a regular warm water soak works well too.

After soaking, transfer the amaranth to a pan and follow the cooking directions. The only exception is that the amaranth is likely to cook twice as fast, so sample it along the way to check if it is done. It is good practice to stir it regularly while it is cooking. You might try soaking the amaranth in a stainless steel pot you plan to cook it in. After soaking, simply pop it on the stove and cook it. Prepare amaranth as a breakfast cereal with honey, as a side dish (drizzled with olive oil and seasoned with salt and pepper), or as the center of your meal. Amaranth is nutty, versatile, and nutritious. Plan to soak it to reduce the phytic acid content and you will benefit more from its rich mineral content.