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Show THE OGDEN VALLEY NEWS Page 6 Volume III, Issue VI January 15, 2000 Facts & Fiction About Back Pain an episode–talk to your Doctor of Chiropractic. By Lewis D. Harper, D.C. Many, many people suffer from back pain each year. In spite of this, there are still many untruths out there about how to appropriately manage back pain. Following are some common beliefs, followed by the truths. Fiction: Back pain is a fact of life for most people—learn to live with it. Fact: Just because back pain is common does not mean it is normal. An estimated 80% of the American population will suffer from some form of back pain in their lives. Though so many people suffer from it, few know how to prevent pain from happening in the first place. In order to not only prevent first time back pain (if you are fortunate enough to have escaped it so far), but also to prevent recurrent episodes, you must look at daily activities and determine problem areas that could lead to fatigue of the body’s muscles. Prolonged sitting or standing with poor posture, improper lifting habits, unusual activity without proper warm up or experience, as well as many other activities can lead to pain. There is obviously no way to predict accidents that cause back pain, but there are ways to minimize the likelihood of accidents. For example, wear non-slip shoes; avoid long hours of standing, sitting, or sleeping with unhealthy postures; drive defensively; and use appropriate ladders (not boxes, chairs or stools) when reaching for high places. For more detailed information on preventing back pain–especially if you have already experienced Fiction: The only thing to do for back pain is take a pain reliever and wait for it to go away. Fact: Though a majority of back pain cases are caused by a fairly simple problem and are often self-limiting (will go away eventually), some causes of back pain are very serious. For example, if you have back pain that worsens with a sneeze, cough or laugh; is not relieved by lying flat on your back with the knees supported; is accompanied by tingling, numbness or weakness in any other body area (legs, arms, etc.); or if you are also vomiting or feverish, you may have a disc problem, or other spinal injury. In these cases, it is imperative that seek care immediately. If this is your first episode of back pain, if pain is becoming a more frequent occurrence, or if you have been involved in an accident (whether at work, in a car, at home, or at play), you should seek chiropractic care to rule out an injury that could worsen and/or lead to chronic problems. In situations where you are unsure of the cause (like situations where your back suddenly “locks up” although you can think of nothing that happened), it is often helpful to examine the causes of your pain with an individual who is familiar with the possible predisposing factors. Doing this will help you understand how daily activities affect the health of your back, and will lead to more educated decisions and, hopefully, fewer back problems. Tu/! Gmpsfodf! Dbuipmjd! Dpnnvojuz MASSES: Saturday: 5:00 p.m. Sunday: 8:00 a.m. 10:15 a.m. WEEKDAY MASS: Tuesday: 6:30 p.m. followed by The Rosary Phone: 745-LORD Huntsville, Utah PASTORAL ADMINISTRATOR: Fr. Charles Cummins 399-9531 RECONCILIATION: 30 minutes before Mass Come celebrate with us God’s good news. Intersection of Highway 39 & Snowbasin Road IRAs Today Discovering New Opportunities In Individual Retirement Accounts One of the most significant changes in the way individuals can accumulate dollars for future use has been affected by the 1997 Taxpayer Relief Act. Now, an IRA can be an even more valuable asset thanks to new tax law changes. Whether it’s to help build a college fund, set aside money for the purchase of a first home or, perhaps, to save for retirement years, the Individual Retirement Account (IRA) has become one of the most often-used savings vehicles to help accomplish these goals. Traditional IRAs With a Traditional IRA, nonemployed spouses can currently make a fully tax-deductible contribution even if the employed spouse is covered by a company’s retirement plan. The nonemployed spouse can make a $2,000 deductible contribution. The only limitation is the combined adjusted gross income of the married couple who is filing a joint return must be less than $150,000 to qualify for a fully deductible contribution. But other income limits are also being liberalized. The income range for deductible contributions for 1998 has increased to an adjusted gross income of $30,000 to $40,000 for single taxpayers, and $50,000 to $60,000 for joint filers. In addition, penalty-free withdrawals are allowed if the money is used for the first-time purchase of a home or for higher education expenses. Withdrawals made before age 59-1/2 and used for the first-time purchase of a home ($10,000 lifetime maximum) or for higher education expenses will not be subject to a 10 percent penalty. But these same withdrawals made after age 59-1/2 will continue to be taxed as ordinary income. In addition, Traditional IRAs will still prohibit contributions after age 70-1/2, and will continue to require minimum withdrawals to begin at age 70-1/2. Roth IRAs A distinct advantage offered by the Roth IRA is the broader eligibility requirements. To qualify for a full Roth IRA contribution, your adjusted gross income must be less than $95,000 for an individual taxpayer (phased out at $110,000) or $150,000 for a couple filing jointly (phased out at $160,000). Another key advantage of the Roth IRA over the Traditional IRA is that qualified distributions are tax-free. Roth IRA contributions are made with after-tax dollars. Once the account holder reaches age 59-1/2 and the account has been in place for five years or longer, distributions are “qualified” and free of federal income taxes. Contributions to a Roth IRA can be made beyond age 70-1/2. Prior to age 59-1/2, the account can be used for college expenses or the first-time purchase of a home ($10,000 lifetime maximum) without penalty. And as long as the withdrawal amount doesn’t exceed your contributions, you can make penalty-free withdrawals at any time. In addition, an existing IRA can be converted to a Roth IRA to take advantage of tax-free withdrawals in the future. Taxes will be due on the existing IRA if this course of action is selected. For conversions that take place in 1998, taxes on conversions will be due in the year the conversion is made. A Roth IRA is an excellent option for anyone who doesn’t qualify for taxdeductible contributions to a Traditional IRA. If you do qualify for a tax-deductible IRA contribution, the question of whether a Traditional IRA or a Roth IRA is better can’t be answered simply. If you expect to be in a lower tax bracket at retirement, you may be better off contributing to a Traditional IRA. On the other hand, if you have a long time horizon until you retire, the Roth IRA may allow you to accumulate a large amount of tax-free dollars. More than ever before, the IRAs may help you reach your financial goals. This information has been provided to you courtesy of Ascend Financial Services, Inc., Securities Dealer, member NASD/SIPC. 98-0227-85002R Note: All of these articles have been filed with the Minnesota Life/Ascend Compliance department. If you make any content changes, you must refile the article for clearance, prior to use. 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