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What is Tennis Elbow?
Tennis elbow, or lateral epicondylitis, is similar to its counterpart, Golfer’s elbow. The primary differences between these conditions are the location of the pain and the activity that leads to injury. However, both conditions are caused by overuse of the muscles and tendons of the forearm, leading to inflammation and pain around the elbow joint, commonly called tendonitis. Tennis is one common cause of tendonitis, but many other sports and work related activities can cause the same problem.

The cause of tennis elbow can vary from a single violent action (acute injury) to, more commonly, a repetitive stress injury where an action is performed repeatedly and pain gradually develops. In an acute injury of the elbow, inflammation occurs without substantial tissue damage. However, in a repetitive stress situation a person may experience damage to the tendon and surrounding soft tissue causing tissue degeneration over time. Inflammation from acute injury often responds quickly to rest and anti-inflammatory treatment. However, if the injury is due to tendon tissue degeneration, treatment will be longer and will be focused on improving the strength of the tendon as well as rebuilding tissues.

Tennis Elbow Symptoms
With tennis elbow the pain is on the outside of the elbow and may radiate down the forearm into the wrist. It can be common to have pain and/or weakness when turning a door knob, holding a coffee cup or shaking hands.

Treatment for Tennis Elbow
Tennis elbow does not usually cause any long-term disability. However, the condition may become stubborn and proper rehabilitation will help alleviate the symptoms and get you back to life again.

Rest and Reduce Inflammation: The first step a person should take if tendinitis is suspected is to stop the activities that cause the pain and inflammation. Use a topical cream containing Arnica to begin to reduce the inflammatory process quickly.
Laser Therapy to Heal the Damaged Tissue: Ending the pain caused by tennis elbow requires healing the damaged tissue. Class IV laser therapy is an excellent method for this, because it is presently the only form of therapy that can both reduce inflammation and heal tissue simultaneously. Laser treatments at Align Healing Center are done with the K-laser Cube a Class IV Laser. This laser does not cut or burn but is gently absorbed by the tissue. During Laser Therapy the infrared laser light interacts with tissues at the cellular level, increasing metabolic activity and improving the transport of nutrients across the cell membrane. This initiates the production of cellular energy (ATP) that leads to a cascade of beneficial effects, increasing cellular function and health. This creates an optimal healing environment that reduces inflammation, swelling, muscle spasms, stiffness, scar tissue and pain.

Correct the Mechanics of Motion: Assessing the forearm, elbow, shoulder and spine for proper postural feedback is done to diagnose and correct improper alignment. After proper alignment is restored, specific muscular taping is applied to improve circulation and insure proper motion on a daily basis. Lastly, specific strengthening and stretching exercises are given. By strengthening the muscles and tendons involved with tennis elbow, you can prevent the problem from returning.

At Align Healing Center we are having great success not only treating tennis elbow and golfer’s elbow, but also treating plantar fasciitis, sciatica, shoulder and neck pain, migraines, arthritis, carpal tunnel, post surgical pain, sports injuries and more; even long-term residual pain. Arthritis and degenerative disc disease sufferers can see long term benefits from this treatment without any of the negative side effects experienced with the long term use of medications.

Dr. Niele Maimone, DC is the owner and founder of Align Healing Center in Danville, CA. She has been active in our natural health & wellness community since 1999. For more information or to set up a consult call 925.362.8283 or visit www.alignhealingcenter.com.

Inspiration can re-invigorate and illuminate the empty spaces in your life.

Of those people we know who have actively pursued various art forms, did you ever wonder how and where they found their inspiration to become so involved in that pursuit?

I feel I am so fortunate to live in California where there are so many opportunities to discover and enjoy so many art forms including ceramics, poetry, painting, photography, graphic art, theater, and writing, that I deeply appreciate and admire.
One of my biggest surprises came to me when I realized how few people I talked to in my own community have ever visited one of our greatest theatrical and educational treasures, a special jewel located in the Eugene O’Neill National Historic Site, nestled in the beautiful hills above Danville. This historic site preserves the O’Neill home, called the “Tao House,” which is a Monterey colonial style, hillside home, built by playwright Eugene O’Neill and his wife, Carlotta.

In 1936, O’Neill received the Nobel Prize for Literature in Portland, Oregon, but he was so besieged by newspaper reporters that he and his wife fled to the San Francisco Bay area to visit his wife’s family. Carlotta Monterey O’Neill had grown up in Oakland and was very familiar with the San Francisco Bay Area. When the couple lived on the East Coast and in France, they were so plagued by well-meaning friends that Eugene did not have the solitude necessary to do his work, so they decided to move to the Bay Area.

The Caldecott tunnel was in the process of just being finished when the O’Neill’s discovered the San Ramon Valley. In 1937, O’Neill wrote several letters. “It is absolute country… without a Tate of suburbia… yet only three quarters of an hour motor ride from Frisco.” Using his Nobel Prize award of $40,000, he and his wife purchased the 158 acre ranch land and hired architects to build the home to their specifications. The land, house and furnishings cost around $100,000. A long driveway, fencing and gate, helped provide them with total privacy in the context of serene, natural surroundings.

O’Neill was deeply interested in Oriental philosophy and Carlotta was intense in her focus on style, which provided them an opportunity to name the house with special meaning. “Tao House” (pronounced “Dow”) was the name selected which in Chinese means (at least as interpreted by the O’Neill’s themselves) “the right way of life.”

O’Neill’s plays were among the first to introduce the concept of “absolute realism.” In other words, plays, that in earlier times might have been associated with trend-setting foreign authors such as Henrik Ibsen, August Strindberg, and Anton Chekhov. In the quiet environment provided by the Tao House, O’Neill finally wrote plays that had been fermenting in his mind for years—plays that tapped into his own painful personal family memories and transformed them into masterpieces of theater. Three of the last four plays are now recognized as his finest and best plays, including: The Iceman Cometh, Long Day’s Journey into Night, and A Moon for the Misbegotten.

He is considered America’s greatest playwright because he has not only won four Pulitzer prizes, but is the only American Playwright to ever win a Nobel Prize for Literature. O’Neill and his wife lived in the home from 1937 to 1944. By the time they had moved to the San Ramon Valley, O’Neill had already lived in over 35 places but had called this secluded home on the hillside, “my final home and harbor”.

After suffering with many health problems including depression and alcoholism over many years of trials and tribulations, O’Neill finally faced the worst of the diseases that he was to encounter, Parkinson’s, which caused tremors in his hands that made it nearly impossible for him to write during the last ten years of his life. He had tried dictation but found it near impossible to compose his work in the fashion to which he had been accustomed most of his life. He did manage to complete Moon for the Misbegotten in 1943 just before leaving the Tao House and completely losing his ability to write.

During the last two or three years they lived in the house, they were pretty much alone, while our nation was at war, because it was very hard to find home servants and gardeners as most able-bodied men had signed up for military service. Also, neither of the O’Neill’s knew how to drive a vehicle, making it very difficult to live on this secluded estate.

They sold the house to the Arthur Carlson’s and moved to a San Francisco hotel until the war ended. Carlotta later recalled: “We stayed at Tao House for six whole years; longer than we lived anywhere else. Of course, there were many hardships, but it was a beautiful place and I hated to leave.”

Eventually, O’Neill died in room 401 of the Sheraton Hotel in Boston, on November 27, 1953 at the age of 65. As he was dying, he whispered his last words: “I knew it. I knew it. Born in a hotel room and died in a hotel room.”

Over the years, I have been to many of the performances produced by the Eugene O’Neill Foundation, in the Village Theater in Danville and at the Old Barn Theater at the Eugene O’Neill National Historical Site in the beautiful hills above Danville. As of January of this year, I had no idea how involved and broad-based the Foundation was in its work to educate the Bay Area communities about this wonderful historic site and the man who built it. Nor did I know anything about its comprehensive programs to promote the training of high school aged actors and potential playwrights and photographers through their summer Student Day and Studio Retreat programs.

It has been observed over the past 17 years that this beautiful estate which inspired Eugene O’Neill to write great works, has also inspired the students mentored through the foundation’s education program.

More importantly, it is only in recent months that I’ve learned about the state-of-the-art, climate-controlled, valuable records depository and archive for O’Neill historical information, writings, manuscripts, and theatrical information, preserved in the Travis Bogard Library at the O’Neill Site.

The Travis Bogard artist-in-residence program, named for noted O’Neill scholar and former theater department chair and professor emeritus at the University of California, Berkeley, provides fellowships to scholars, critics, and playwrights from May until October of each year. They have full access to the site and a private working space within the courtyard of Tao House, thanks to the Eugene O’Neill foundation’s partnership with the National Park Service.

These days, one of my greatest joys is going up to the Old Barn Theatre adjacent to the home where O’Neill actually created many of his most powerful plays, to see performances at his old home site. It came to me one evening during the performance of one of his plays, while I sat looking up at his illuminated office study window in the Tao House, from my seat in the theater, that I was actually here, on the grounds where O’Neill worked, walked, contemplated, and wrote his magnificent, award winning plays.

After all, just walking on the grounds where O’Neill composed his great work, may encourage you to join in and serve the Eugene O’Neill Foundation. It’s a good place to start, with many wonderful people assisting in this process.

For more information visit www.eugeneoneill.org
The National Park Service (NPS) does not publish the address of the property because of an agreement they have forged with homeowners on the narrow private road going up to the Eugene O’Neill National Historic Site. This allows the NPS to manage traffic on the road appropriately. A locked gate prevents unauthorized vehicles from reaching the site, which today occupies 13 acres and is accessible only by private road, so advanced reservations are required in order to visit the property. Private vehicles are not allowed. Transportation to the site is provided by a twice daily free shuttle from Danville at 10 AM and noon on Wednesdays to Sundays and also at 2 PM on Saturdays. Reservations are required except on Saturdays, when tours are self-guided. Beautiful wooded trails wander from the Las Trampas Regional Wilderness Area to the site. Email is their preferred method for reservations. Please go to this website to make an email connection and to secure the dates and times that you would like to tour the site. A staff member will get back to you soon. https://www.nps.gov/euon/planyourvisit/hours.htm
Reservation Line: (925) 838-0249
I strongly encourage you to reserve a guided tour, transportation, and visit this beautiful site.

Have you ever wondered why some senior citizens, just don’t seem to fit the definition of an “older” person? I’ll bet you know someone like that. Maybe you are that person. You know the type: they’re active, engaged, friendly, and seem, in so many ways, to be literally twenty or more years younger than they are.

My aunt Rachel is a perfect example. My wife, Peggy, and I stopped by to visit her recently and once again upon leaving, as we always do, simply looked at each other and remarked “incredible!” You see, my aunt lives alone. She doesn’t have a housekeeper but her home is always immaculately clean and picture-perfectly appointed—neat as a pin. Before we arrived, she had baked a batch of my favorite focaccia bread and had set a table for a “light” Italian lunch, complete with cold-cuts and cheese, fresh brewed coffee, and a wonderful plate of her homemade biscotti.

We had a wonderful visit as we discussed everything from family to national politics and the economy. Considering my aunt’s baking skills, she doesn’t fit the stereotypical profile that you might expect of a “senior” Italian woman. She’s trim and fit, due largely to the fact that she is so active; she plays bocce ball and does line dancing every week. Rachel is socially active, meeting regularly for coffee with a group of women friends. She has great sense of humor and is just plain fun to be around. Not long ago she even purchased a new VW Beetle that she tools around in. How’s that for attitude? The term “senior citizen” just doesn’t come to mind with aunt Rachel, although technically speaking, she is 93. Yes, you read that right—ninety-three!

I’ve known a number of people like my aunt over the years and it’s often a topic of conversation whenever people get together. What’s their secret? “You’re only as old or as young as you believe,” some say. Does some mysterious “fountain of youth” exist that some people have discovered that’s being kept secret?

The truth is, scientists have discovered that there is, in fact, a key to all of this, and I am surprised that more people aren’t aware of it. While attitude certainly plays a major role, it is how you use your brain that is central in keeping yourself young. For many years scientists believed that the human brain grew and developed only up to a certain age, but that belief has been proven wrong. Scientist now know that the human brain has a malleable, changeable, “plastic” quality called neuroplasticity. They now know that the human brain can grow and continue to change and improve throughout one’s entire life span—well into our so-called “senior years.”

One “secret,” that many people like my aunt learned long ago, is effort. One must purposely work at it, remaining active and engaged, physically, mentally, and socially. The other vital element in keeping the brain young and sharp is to always be trying to learn something new, like a language, although scientists have determined that the greatest benefit of all comes from learning something new that requires both mental and physical skill, like a dance routine, or playing a musical instrument like the piano or guitar.

So, there you have it—and once again, it is all about choice, after all. The fountain of youth is all around you, just ready for you to dive in. And what is the choice? Here’s a clue: sitting in your recliner with your eyes glued to the tube won’t cut it. Get together with friends and have a discussion, then hit Youtube and learn how to play the banjo.

You’re only as young or old as you change—or don’t change—your brain.

Be disciplined and decisive, not arbitrary and emotional.

Investing Tenet #1: Be Disciplined
As a stock investor, a disciplined approach to research, buying and selling rules are critical to success. Achieving long term success requires discipline. It’s life: Whether striving to get in better physical condition, becoming proficient at a new skill, or just managing time more effectively, discipline is required in order to succeed.

Investing Tenet #2: Know Yourself
Legend tells us “Know Thyself” was written on the forecourt of the Temple of Apollo at Delphi by the seven sages of ancient Greece. One of them, Thales, when asked what the most difficult thing was, replied, “To know thyself.”An investor must know him/her-self to be successful. This is the ‘Be true to you’ rule. Knowing your investment parameters and constraints will help you stay true to you.

Investing Tenet #3: Control You Emotions
The one important lesson I want to impart on anyone wishing to invest successfully is: control your emotions. Emotions can be an asset in life, but liability in investing. Successful investing requires a high “EQ” (“Emotional Intelligence”). Greed, fear and hope have no place in investing. Build a plan based on your goals and stick with it. That’s the only story that matters. As Don Hays once said, “Emotions are your worst enemy in the stock market.”

Investing Tenet #4: Time-In, Not Time-ing
Throughout the ’80’s and ’90’s I taught an investment class. “Market timing” was a popular topic with the students. I talked them out of it. A key to successful investing is time; it is the amount of time in, not the timing, that matters. Time in the stock market does two things: It reduces risk and avoids the cost of being out. The longer the time in the market, the lower the risk.

Investing Tenet #5: Process before Product
Investing is a process. In fact, it is a never-ending process. At the least, it involves the ongoing monitoring of investments held. Every investor should understand the investment planning process before buying any investment product. Think, “Put the cart before the horse.” I maintain a six-step process, beginning with clear investment goals and objectives. The last step is “On-going Monitoring,” which is comprised of the “3 E’s”: Evaluate, Educate & Exchange.

Investing Tenet #6: Go With What You Know
Being aware of what you trust, buy, use, and like can lead to a common-sense approach to investing. My “Top Ten Tenets” share one theme: invest-sense. “Invest-sense” is a term I use to imply the combination of intuitive common sense and a sound psychology leading to successful investing. As Warren Buffet puts it, “If you don’t understand it, don’t buy it.” The “go with what you know” tenet is simple and can make investing more engaging. Couple this with more analysis. You have to do the work. Investing requires research.

Investing Tenet #7: Minimize Losses & Maximize Gains
It’s intuitive: Cut your losses. Most of us have heard this before. “Cut your losers; let your winners run.” It may be as common as the basic investment axiom, “Buy low and sell high.” Minimizing losses is a critical, non-negotiable investing rule. Avoiding large losses and holding on for possible extreme gains precludes potentially unrecoverable losses and allows for big winners.

Investing Tenet #8: Concentrate to Accumulation & Diversify for Preservation.
Common wisdom isn’t always the best wisdom. Diversification is common investment wisdom. For some it may not be wise. The opposing investment approach to diversification is “concentration.” Maintaining a ‘less-is-more’ conviction, concentrated stock investors choose to invest a lot of money in a few companies. $1,000,000 evenly invested among 8 – 10 stocks is a concentrated portfolio. The best of the two should be answered by which is best for a specific investor. Too much diversification can dilute profit potential. Too much concentration can be dangerous. Knowing your investor-self will help you with concentration vs. diversification.

Investing Tenet #9: Be Contrary, not Ordinary
Sir John Templeton contends, “To buy when others are despondently selling and to sell when others are euphorically buying takes the greatest courage but provides the greatest profit.” Contrarian investing can feel counter-intuitive. Many think, “buy low and sell high.” The bargain hunting approach is often wrong. A contrarian investor would prefer to “buy high and sell higher.” Contrarian investing was famously expressed by Baron Rothschild, who said “The time to buy is when there’s blood in the streets.”

Investing Tenet #10: Put Risk Before Return
Last on the list, but not in importance, #10 is the heart of my investment philosophy: “Investing is a process that should be based on a disciplined approach to risk management.” As Bernard Baruchsaid, “There is no such thing as an investment that doesn’t have some degree of risk.” Strive to minimize the risk inherent in all investments before chasing returns.
In 1999, 15 years into my career, I compiled my Top 10 Tenets list as I realized the need to establish a reliable, rules-based investment process. These guiding principles have been invaluable to me and I hope they are to you, too.

John is a Certified Financial Planner® and veteran investment advisor and portfolio manager in Blackhawk. He began his career as an investment advisor professional in 1984. For 34years, John has researched stocks, managed equity portfolios and provided strategic investment advice to individuals, families and businesses. John founded Equity Research & Portfolio Evaluation, Inc. (ERPE) in 2001 to provide independent equity research and an unbiased evaluation of investment accounts to high net-worth investors. John has worked closely with employees and executives to prepare for retirement and develop post-retirement investment plans. He is dedicated to providing comprehensive investment advice and unbiased management to individuals consistent with their risk tolerance and objectives to enable them to achieve their investment goals.
John can be reached at 800-925-6496 or by email at jg@erpeinc.com. See more at www.erpeinc.com

Q. I finally planted several Jalapeño Peppers, and I’ve been pleasantly surprised at how well they have grown but disappointed that the flavor has been quite mild instead of hot. My wife thinks I picked them too soon. What do I need to do to increase the heat?

A. Your wife is correct. You’re harvesting the peppers too early. When mature, Jalapeño Peppers should be three-inches long and two-inches wide. The color will cycle from a green to a darker almost blackish- green color. Some varieties of hot peppers do turn a blackish-red. If left on the plant long enough, all the varieties will turn a red color. Red Jalapeños have a wonderfully sweet/hot taste. Once you think maturity has been reached, harvest a few and check their flavor. If the taste is suitable, then you’ll know you can pick the rest when they reach that stage. If they’re not quite spicy enough for you, wait a few more days and try again. You’ll need to keep trying the peppers at different stages until the taste suits you. The Scoville Heat Unit Scale measures the spicy heat or pungency of each pepper variety. This scale runs from twenty-five hundred to over a five million. Jalapeño Pepper is around ten thousand while the Ghost Pepper is over a million. Also, geography plays a role, as mature chili peppers are more intense the closer they’re grown to the equator. Hence, a mature Jalapeño Pepper growing in Orange County will be hotter than those in San Jose or Portland Oregon. Jalapeño Peppers sold locally are not being grown in the Bay Areas. They’re probably from Southern California or Mexico. If they continue to be too mild, then you should plant another more intense variety next year.
Note: When harvesting hot or chili peppers, you should carefully snap each pepper from the plant. Better yet, use a pair of sharp garden shears or scissors to cut the stem an inch or so above each pepper. It’s highly recommended to wear a pair of rubber gloves to protect your hands, especially those with nicks and cuts from any of the plant juices. Also, don’t touch your eyes for whatever reason as you will encounter severe and intense discomfort.

Q. I’m growing Basil in a planter, but it is being eaten alive, except I don’t see any bugs. My mother says it could be snails and gave me a roll of copper barrier tape to use to keep the snails out. Should the copper tape be wrapped all the way around the box? Would one of the soap products be a better solution?

A. Insecticidal Soap or any soap product is ineffective in controlling snails and slugs. Insecticidal Soap is an effective solution for controlling soft body, sucking insects such as Aphids, Mealybugs, Mites, and Scale. Also, it’s not recommended for controlling those insects or pests that chew holes in the leaves of plant(s) such as caterpillars, worms, or beetles. Insecticidal Soap is a contact spray, so the insects need to be present. They are safe to use on edibles because there is no residual left on the plants. So, you avoid spraying when no insects are visible. The copper barrier tape is a solution that stops the forward progress of snails and slugs, but it will not kill them. It should be wrapped all the way around the planter box to establish the barrier. You could place the tape under the lip of the planter, or any other inconspicuous location is preferable. Actually, the placement doesn’t matter. The copper barrier tape should last about two years before it deteriorates. A very long-term solution is Copper Plumbers Tape, available at most home improvement retailers. The planter has a better chance of falling apart before the copper tape needs to be replaced. Another option is Sluggo Plus, an environmentally friendly slug and snail bait that is safe to use around edibles. It would be applied to the soil. Slugs, Snails, and Earwigs consume the bait at night and then return to their habitat and die. Sluggo Plus is reapplied monthly.

Q. My White Alaskan Azalea has grown to be about three feet tall and about four feet wide. The white flowers cover the plant when it blooms. How do I prune it and still maintain the heavy blooming?

A. The best time to prune Azaleas is after they finish blooming. However, it still can be done now. You can shape the plant by trimming it lightly with a pair of hand shears or heavily with an electric trimmer. Pruning doesn’t interfere with the blooming cycle. It’s the size of the canopy that usually dictates the mass of color as Azaleas bloom on the current year’s growth. I wouldn’t expect you would see much new growth if you prune now. So the canopy size would be smaller than last year and so would be the mass of color. You could also consider waiting until next year to prune. I’d continue fertilizing with Azalea, Camellia, and Rhododendron Food to encourage the growth. This should be done monthly through October. Osmocote, a time release fertilizer, is another option. Osmocote releases a few nutrients with every watering, and you would apply it twice a year, four months apart.