McKnight Medical Equipment & Supplies

02/06/2026

How Does Cold Weather Affect Our Bodies?
Maybe you suffered a shoulder injury years ago or recently strained your knee or broke your wrist. Now that the winter chill is in full effect, your injury may act up more than usual. This can result in throbbing, tingling, aching, or stabbing sensations.
This cold weather-induced discomfort can happen for many reasons.

For example:
• Cold weather can trigger tissue swelling. This can put pressure on nerves and cause older injuries and sensitive areas to act up.
• Lower temperatures constrict blood vessels and blood flow. This helps conserve heat in our bodies. But it can also cause stiffness and aching. This is especially the case in the neck, shoulders, wrists, and knees.
• Muscles tighten when they’re cold. This can increase discomfort, stiffness, and pain.
Cold weather can change how our body functions and cause more pain than we’re used to. This is especially true for the joints, areas of older injuries, and any surgery sites or scar tissue. Preexisting stiffness and injuries can become more bothersome because joints aren’t as mobile and muscles aren’t as flexible.
It’s important to understand the changes that take place within your body when the cold weather arrives. This way, you can combat discomfort with self-care strategies and keep yourself warm and limber.

Why Do Older Injuries Start Acting Up in Cold Weather?
Cold weather can affect many body parts but can especially disrupt areas with past fractures, sprains, torn ligaments, or muscle strains.
If you’ve had surgery that left scars, the surgery site and any scar tissue may also become more tense or strained because the area is less pliable in colder weather. Any inflammation in the body can also increase during the cold weather.

How to Beat the Cold Weather This Winter?
Understanding how your body reacts to cold weather is paramount to combating painful recurrences and staying comfortable this winter. It’s important to consider your overall health and any conditions or tendencies that could impact your pain levels.
These can include your injury history, other illnesses or health issues, and other conditions, such as Raynaud’s or autoimmune diseases. Talking with your health care provider to create a personalized plan for the winter can also help.

Here are some ideas for keeping yourself healthy when the freezing temperatures reach you:

Daily movement;
Light stretches, short yoga routines, and daily walks can help keep your joints and muscles warm and flexible while also reducing the risk of injury when out and about in the cold. Swimming and cycling (which can both take place indoors during the winter) are great ways to keep your body in motion in low-impact ways.
Slow, easy movements can keep your circulation healthy. But it’s important to understand your body and injury history to prevent more discomfort.

Mindful eating;
Diet always plays a role in overall health, which is no different during the winter — especially if you’re dealing with an old injury. Anti-inflammatory foods can help keep flare-ups at bay and improve joint health.
Here are some great anti-inflammatory additions to your winter diet:
• Avocados.
• Fatty fish, such as salmon, mackerel, and bluefin tuna.
• Herbs, such as cloves, ginger, garlic, cinnamon, chamomile, echinacea, and turmeric.
• Leafy greens and cruciferous vegetables.
• Mushrooms.
• Quality dark chocolate.

Smart layering;
Wearing appropriate layers outside in winter can help retain body heat and keep muscles and joints warm and limber. Organic thermal materials like wool are perfect first layers against your skin because they provide antibacterial warmth and moisture-wicking properties. High-quality outer-shell layers that cut wind and wintry elements off the body are essential, especially if you plan to stay outside.
Investing in insulating accessories like a winter cap, thick gloves, and a warm scarf also can help. If you have joint injuries that improve with compression material or braces, make sure to add this layer to your winter wardrobe.

Drink water
Even during the winter, daily hydration is key to keeping your joints lubricated and removing toxins from your body. This is often essential for older injuries.

Stay rested;
Sleep is always important, but maintaining an adequate and restful sleep schedule can also help prevent more discomfort from the cold. It can fight inflammation and promote overall health and recovery. Aim for the average optimal sleep schedule, which typically ranges between seven and nine hours a night depending on your body, history, and work/activity levels.

Cozy up;
At home, keep your house warm and your body cozy. Wear socks and slippers to keep your feet covered and use hot water bottles or heating pads for extra warmth and to improve blood circulation. Warm baths and electric blankets can also help your joints and muscles while also alleviating stress.

Healthy mind and body;
Just like at any other time of the year, a balance of good mental and physical health can improve pain and other discomfort. Eating healthy meals that incorporate many whole foods and finding at least 30 minutes to exercise daily can help keep your body happy, even when the winter chill comes around.
Focus on activities that keep your mental health stable, such as:
• Maintaining contact with loved ones.
• Mindfulness and meditation.
• Self-care.
• Stress-relieving activities.
• Therapy or counseling.
Staying aware that you need to take steps toward maintaining good mental health can provide much-needed comfort during the darker, slower, colder times of the year.

When the winter months bring more darkness and cold, remember that they can also bring discomfort from old injuries, surgery scars, or other painful areas in the body. Staying on top of your pain management routine and taking extra care of your mental and physical health can keep the pain at bay even during the chilliest days.

Don’t forget that your health is important. Taking time for what you need is a sign of strength and health.

If your pain becomes too much and starts to affect your daily routines, talk to your health care provider to make sure there isn’t an underlying issue. And soon enough, spring will return to provide relief and warmth to your sore muscles and joints.

01/09/2026

Common Respiratory Virus Symptoms
Symptoms of colds, influenza, COVID-19, and RSV have a lot of overlap.

Common symptoms of respiratory illnesses include:

Change in taste or smell (more common with COVID-19).
Cough.
Fatigue.
Fevers or chills.
Headaches.
Loss of appetite.
Muscle/body ache.
Runny nose.
Shortness of breath/difficulty breathing.
Sneezing.
Sore throat.
Wheezing.
The symptom overlap makes it difficult to know which illness you have purely from your symptoms, Dr. Snyder says.

“You can’t distinguish the respiratory viruses based on your symptoms,” he says. “A rhinovirus causes what we call rhinosinusitis, which is sinus congestion. Could that be COVID? Yes. Is the flu always going to present with fever, achiness, and maybe a dry cough? Often, but not always.

“So, the viruses, while on average, they have some distinct characteristics on an individual level, you can’t tell what you’ve got (based on symptoms).”

Some symptoms may present differently in children. Learn how to protect children from respiratory viruses like the flu, COVID-19, and RSV.

Often, testing is the only way to diagnose which respiratory illness you have.

Testing for Respiratory Viruses
If you’re experiencing symptoms of a respiratory virus, getting tested is especially important. This is especially the case if you’re at risk for a severe illness or care for people who are at higher risk. The flu and COVID-19 cause severe illness, hospitalizations, and deaths more often than other respiratory illnesses.

Over-the-counter antigen tests are available for the flu and COVID-19. You can also discuss with your doctor the possibility of undergoing laboratory tests.

It’s best to get tested for the flu and COVID-19 as soon as you start experiencing symptoms. Antiviral medications for both illnesses are most effective when they’re given early in the disease course.

“I would suggest, within the first couple of days of knowing that you’re sick, to get a test,” Dr. Snyder says. “You can talk to your doctor about a (lab) test or a home antigen test. The antivirals are most effective if given in the first couple of days. You really need to give it in the first two to three days for their maximum effect.”

Respiratory Virus Treatment
If you test positive for the flu or COVID-19, talk to your doctor about getting a prescription for an antiviral treatment. Antivirals can reduce your risk for severe complications.

They’re especially important for people who face a higher risk of complications, including:

Children (for the flu).
Older adults.
People with compromised immune systems.
People with existing medical conditions.
Pregnant people.
In addition to antivirals, you can also take steps to manage your symptoms. This can include taking over-the-counter medications, resting, and staying home if you’re sick.

What Should I Do if I’m Feeling Sick?
If you have symptoms of a respiratory illness, here’s what you can do:

Stay home — Don’t go to work or school until your symptoms subside to avoid spreading respiratory viruses to others. “You should definitely stay home while you have a fever because that’s the most contagious period for these viruses, and within 24 hours of your fever going away,” Dr. Snyder says.

Wear a mask — If you’re out in public, wearing a mask that covers your nose and mouth can reduce your risk of spreading a respiratory virus to others.

Get tested — Take at-home flu and COVID-19 tests, or talk to your doctor about getting an in-office test.

Get treatments — If you test positive for flu or COVID-19, ask your doctor about antiviral treatments. You can also try over-the-counter medicines or home remedies to manage your symptoms.

01/06/2026

Suze Orman’s Medicare Advantage Warning That Seniors Are Rarely Told

January 5, 2026,
Suze Orman is not attacking Medicare Advantage. She is issuing a consumer warning that most seniors never hear when they enroll.
Her message is simple and uncomfortable. Medicare Advantage only works if you actively manage it every single year. If you do not, the plan can quietly change around you.

Most people treat health insurance like a fixed decision. You choose it once, pay the premium, and assume it stays largely the same. That assumption holds true with Original Medicare. It does not hold true with Medicare Advantage.

Medicare Advantage is a private contract that resets annually. Benefits change. Provider networks change. Rules change. Costs shift. None of this requires your permission.

Orman’s concern is not theoretical. It is behavioral. Seniors enroll in Medicare Advantage and then stop paying attention. They assume their doctors will always be there. They assume the copays will stay manageable. They assume the plan will work the same way next year as it did this year. That assumption is where people get hurt.

One year a doctor is in network. The next year they are not. One year a hospital stay looks affordable. The next year the out of pocket exposure jumps. These are not errors. They are features of how Medicare Advantage is designed.

The industry often responds by pointing to appeal statistics. Many initial denials are eventually overturned. That sounds reassuring until you think about what it really means. Care was delayed. Paperwork was required. Time and energy were spent fighting for something the beneficiary thought was already covered.

Orman’s warning cuts deeper than denial rates. It exposes a gap in understanding. Medicare Advantage shifts responsibility onto the enrollee. The senior is expected to review plan documents, track network changes, and re evaluate coverage every year. No one explains this clearly at enrollment.

Original Medicare behaves differently. It is slower to change. Providers do not rotate in and out annually. The rules are more stable. That stability is the implicit comparison behind Orman’s advice.

Her message is not that Medicare Advantage is wrong for everyone. It is that Medicare Advantage is wrong for anyone who expects simplicity and permanence.

If you are organized, engaged, and willing to reassess your coverage annually, Medicare Advantage can work. If you are not, the risk compounds quietly over time.

That is the real takeaway. The danger is not Medicare Advantage itself. The danger is enrolling without understanding that attention is the price of admission.

12/31/2025

See you next year. McKnight Medical will be open again on Friday January 2 2026.

12/24/2025

12/10/2025

Come see us for your special Christmas Card!

12/09/2025

Medicare Scammers Are Calling Seniors 50 Times a Day, Trying to Trap Them!!!!!!!

”Scammers can acquire some of a person’s information from data leaks, the fruits of which are sold on the dark web, said Nicole Liebau, the strategic partnership and engagement director for the Senior Medicare Patrol, a federally funded agency that assists beneficiaries in cases of fraud. When they call, they may already have the target’s address, age, and Social Security or Medicare number, which lends them some credibility.

After some nebulous network of data brokers pieces together enough information on a Medicaid or Medicare recipient, it might be able to charge a company that does not exist for products and services that the victim didn’t ask for, doesn’t need and may not ever receive…..

👉🏼The costs of fraudulent Medicare charges are borne not just by the federal government, Ms. Liebau said. Secondary insurers or the Medicare recipient may be billed for portions.

👉🏼They can also warp Medicare’s understanding of a patient’s health.

“If your Medicare number is compromised, there’s actually a higher health impact of you not being able to access certain types of care,” Ms. Liebau said. “You could have false diagnoses, records that show misinformation about your allergies, incorrect lab results.”

🤬When hospices are fraudulently charged, Medicare administrators may think the recipient is dead or dying, she said, adding, “You can’t get curative care if you’re marked as receiving hospice and you didn’t even know it.”

❤️🤗 My advice:
1) Teach your parents to let all unidentified calls go to voicemail.
2) Show them how to Block and Delete phone numbers and text messages.
3) In their cell phone’s Settings - Set up their phone to automatically send unsaved phone numbers to voicemail.
4) Double check their call logs, text messages, emails and voicemails weekly. Clear any and all unfamiliar communications to keep your parents from accidentally calling or texting one by mistake.

11/26/2025

This Habit Can Lower Dementia Risk, New Study Finds!!

Experts say promoting regular movement during midlife and late life may be one of the most effective ways to help delay or prevent dementia.

New research suggests that staying active in midlife, from the ages of 45 to 64, and late life, from ages 65 to 88, can cut your dementia risk by more than 40% compared to those who are least active.

Want to remain healthy physically and mentally as you age? Try simple exercise at home.

11/22/2025

Thanks to our team at McKnight Medical; we WON "Best Medical Supply Company." Congratulations to every team member it is a team effort.

11/19/2025

Lift Chair Sale!
Call Now--724-489-4011

10/31/2025

*Guidance to Feed Infants Peanuts Early and Often Linked to 40% Drop in Allergies....

Study Finds A decade after a landmark clinical trial found that early peanut exposure could dramatically reduce the risk of food allergies, a new study has uncovered a reduction in life-threatening reactions.

Allergy rates in children ages 0 to 3 dropped by more than 40% since 2017, when recommendations expanded.

Researchers estimate that 60,000 children have avoided food allergies, including 40,000 cases of peanut allergy, thanks to a shift in pediatric feeding practices.