Do you have any clue what cue sports are? Let me give you a cue. They are played with cue sticks! Cue games is an umbrella term for games played with a cue stick used to strike a ball across a table. Popular all across the globe, cue sports enjoy great fandom and have many enthusiasts. Read on to find three basic types of cue sports played around the world.

Pool
Pool or pocket billiards is a game mostly payed on 6 pocket tables. The world’s most widely played amateur pool is with eight balls. If you play professionally then the most dominant style is to play the same sport with nine balls. Something called straight pool, was the most common style that the professionals formerly played with ten balls. Later they ditched it and began playing the same game with a total of nine balls.

Billiards
Carom Billiards or carambole is played on tables that are typically ten feet in length. The most distinguishing factor about Carom billiard is that it is played on pocket-less tables. At times, the game is played on heated slate. The slate bed is typically heated to about 5 degrees above normal temperature. Heating helps to drive out moisture from the table top and helps roll balls and the game faster. Carom Billiard too is divided according to the balls and the rules incorporated while playing it. Typically played with three ball, players score points by rebounding their cue ball off both the object ball and the opponent’s cue ball all in one single shot! Carom to the modern pool player may seem absolutely foreign, however, it has been the oldest cue sport around. Some common known games of carom billiard include Straight Rail,The champion’s game, Balkaline, Cushion Caroms, Three-cushion billiards and Artistic or fantasy billiards.

Snooker
Snooker is the third kind of cue sport that is played with a total of 22 balls. The snooker table has six pockets but is larger than a standard pool table. Snooker players use a strategy called snooker to make their opponent’s task difficult. When you snooker an opponent, they are unable to hit their ball in an easy straight line. A mean spirited game, snooker is a sport that is on the rise.

Cue sports strangely, most often than not, are played in bars as the overarching idea is to have serious fun! Be it pool, snooker or billiard whenever a game is on you are sure to find passionate players and enthusiastic onlookers hovering around the table.

Even though it may sound surprising, about four people out of ten can get irritation or inflammation in the sciatic nerve and sciatica at some point in their lives. Sciatic nerves arise from either side of the lower part of the spine and run through the pelvis and the buttocks. Then it passes along the back of the thighs to reach the knees from where they divide into branches to go to the feet.

What causes sciatica pain?
Anything which may exert pressure on the nerves or causes irritation may lead to unmanageable pain in the back of the buttocks and the thighs. The sensation and intensity of the pain can vary from one individual to another. It may be similar to a mild ache or a sharp, burning sensation leading to extreme discomfort. It can also cause a burning, tingling or numbing sensation.

What medications are available for sciatica pain?
There is a broad range of medications available, which can relieve sciatica pain such as over-the-counter painkillers including Aspirin, Acetaminophen and other NSAIDs like Ibuprofen, ketoprofen, and naproxen. But doctors advise not to give aspirin to any person aged below 18 years as it can increase the risk of Reye’s syndrome. They recommend muscle relaxants for easing muscle spasms and anti-depressants for the chronic low back ache. If the pain is intolerably severe, prescription drugs can also be administered.

In some cases, steroid medications can be injected into the area that is in close vicinity to the spinal nerve. Injections have a considerable effect when the sciatic irritation is caused due to the exertion of pressure from any herniated or ruptured disk.

What are the alternative treatments for sciatica pain?
Even though sciatica pain may make it difficult for you to be active, bed rest is not at all recommended for people affected by it. If you are newly affected by this ailment, some positions and activities may appear to be more comfortable than others. Physical therapy is highly recommended for providing sciatica pain relief and therefore, it is crucial to work with an expert to know which positions and activities would be suitable for you.

• Biofeedback
  Biofeedback is a technique which helps in controlling the physical procedures of the body including heart rate, blood pressure, and muscle tension. It works with the help of a piece of equipment, which provides information displayed. With the help of this information, it becomes possible to have conscious control of these procedures, which can also treat sciatica pain to some extent.

• Acupuncture
  Acupuncture is yet another effective treatment using fine needles inserted at precise pressure points. The actual theory behind using acupuncture treatment is that pain is caused by imbalances or hindrances in the flow of energy and that acupuncture can help in relieving these hindrances and restore proper balances. It can also stimulate the nervous system by stimulating the pressure points. This can trigger the release of certain chemicals, which can alter the experience of pain while promoting a sense of well-being.

Buying hot water heaters is much easier said than done. There are several considerations you may need to weigh before you purchase a water heater according to your needs. Today, manufacturers offer a wide range of water heaters that use the latest technologies that enable them to maximize efficiency and at the same time minimize the cost. Popular brands such as AO Smith, GE, Kenmore, Rheem, and Whirlpool manufacture storage tanks as well as tankless water heaters. All you need to do is decide which type suits your requirement and purchase it. Read on to know more details.

Tank water heaters
These traditional hot water heaters are by far the most commonly used. Storage tank heaters are uncomplicated, hassle-free and make use of the generation-old tried-and-tested technology that is highly reliable. They make use of electricity, propane, oil or natural gas to function properly. A typical residential tank stores 20 to gallons of water and the heater heats and re-heats a certain volume of water stored inside the insulated tank. Hot water comes out of the tank from the top and cold water replenishes it from the bottom. Unlike the conventional tank heaters, the new hot water heaters waste less energy and some even have an energy star rating.

Again, while switching from one fuel type to another, for example from gas to electric- may include additional cost and even some amount of complexity. However, it is not as bad as you may think it to be. The sole reason for this is that the storage tank heaters don’t require any piping or wiring modifications. Therefore, with minor changes, you will be able to switch from one fuel type to another.

One drawback of this type of heater is- as the tanks are of finite size and it does not heat water instantaneously, there is a possibility of the tank from running short of hot water. However, this is a minor drawback considering its cost and other advantages it offers.

You can buy a storage tank from the following.

• Tank Store
• State Water heaters
• Bradford-White Water heaters
• Amazon (Online)
• Chewy.com (online)
• Sears.com (online)
• Marey.com (online)

Tankless water heaters
Tankless water heaters although not new, are slowly gaining importance in the country. More and more manufacturers are producing tankless units. These units are smaller than traditional water heaters and can be easily mounted on the wall. Tankless water heaters provide hot water on-demand. In this, cold water enters the unit and exits fully heated a second later. These hot water heaters use either electric resistance heating coils or a gas burner to heat the water.

Tankless water heaters work efficiently and are around 30% better than storage tank water heaters. However, tankless water heaters can cost you almost twice as that of the conventional heaters. In addition to this, installing tankless units can cost you more as it requires some modifications to be made.

Tankless water heaters promise limitless hot water. A small catch here is, if you decide to get into the shower while your dishwasher is running, the low flow rate may not allow the unit to heat as fast as it would otherwise.

Where to buy tankless water heaters from?

• Rinnai
• American Water Heaters
• Noritz: Tankless Water Heaters
• Takagi Tankless Water Heaters
• EcoSmart Tankless Water Heaters
• Navien Inc.

Choosing right hot water heaters for your home may need a lot of considerations that range from the cost of the heater, its energy efficiency, the volume of water used, how long you plan to stay in the same house. If needed, you can even consult an expert in the field of hot water heaters and suggest you the type that would suit you the best. Additionally, it is recommended that you do a thorough research on your own and only then take an informed decision.