A series of ground breaking research reports in the prestigious medical journal The Lancet warn that low back pain is a major health burden globally — across developed and developing nations — and that the current use of X-rays and scans, opioids, injections and surgery to investigate and treat the condition is useless, unnecessary and harmful.

There are a few things I didn’t inherit from my momma. One is height. I am short where as she is slightly taller than average. Another is decorating skills. She is amazing at decorating for the holidays. Me, not so much, but she did teach me how to decorate a Christmas Tree. Let’s just say the process isn’t as easy as it sounds.
If you use a real tree, it starts in picking the right one at the Christmas tree lot. For us,
we didn’t just go in and select one after a few minutes. Never ever did we pick the first tree

It was the summer of 1996. My friend Mark Martin and I each got the same enticing letter in the mail. The only difference was the name on the header. Mine proclaimed in bold letters, “RONNIE MINCEY! PACK YOUR BAGS!”
Mr. Martin and I must have taken this as a sign from God or something similar that we both received these letters at approximately the same time. We decided to take advantage of the golden opportunity. As a result of this offer, in exchange for our agreement to view a time-share opportunity, we were invited to take part in a two-part, low price vacation package.

Here is another way to fix leftover turkey from that Thursday bird. Toss stuffing mix with turkey or chicken broth, beaten eggs and half of mushroom soup. Top with cooked turkey or chicken. Combine remaining undiluted soup with milk, pimiento and parsley. Pour over all. Cover with foil. Bake at 350 F. for 55 to 60 minutes or until set. Makes 8 generous servings.

Trees are impressive life forms, producing tall, majestic columns that reach to the sky. Besides support, tree trunks perform a number of functions, so here’s a lesson in tree physiology. Growth of the trunk occurs at a thin layer of cells called the cambium. Here and only here does active cell division occur. The cambium is located near the outer portion of the trunk and can be damaged by fire or wounds made by tools or equipment. It grows two kinds of wood cells; one type grows towards the tree center, the other outward.

A systematic review of a relatively new treatment for chronic back pain — Cognitive Functional Therapy (CFT) — has found that it is no better than traditional therapies based on evidence from past studies.

A HUGE thanks to all those who entered our Thanksgiving Writing Contest! Congratulations to our First Place writer, Stephen Lyn Bales!
Stephen has won a $50 Visa gift card!
Stephen grew up in Gatlinburg. He's a local naturalist and nature writer and has written three books "Natural Histories," Ghost Birds," and "Ephemeral by Nature" all published by the University of Tennessee Press.
Read his story below:

Thanksgiving is a holiday that conjures up many fond memories for me—and not just the typical ones. Growing up in Wisconsin, I experienced the traditional United States version of Thanksgiving, with a turkey and dinner table surrounded with family.

When the air feels crisp and a gentle wind lifts the colorful leaves from their branches before they swiftly swirl to the ground, my heart swells with memories of the women in my life who made the holidays special.
Their tender voices and the smell of my favorite dishes they’d prepare resonate through my mind. For a moment, with my eyes closed, those memories feel like the present.