SW_HI_ZC_082919

22 | August 29, 2019 | 22nd Century Media home improvement
22ndcenturymedia.com
See pristine, state-of-art homes
on third annual Tour of Homes
Builders from across the southwest
suburbs will showcase their
new construction as the SouthWest
Suburban Home Builders Association’s
2019 Tour of Homes makes
its third annual return for two weekends:
Sept. 14-15 and Sept. 21-22.
The free, information-rich tour
aims to introduce potential homebuyers
to their move-in-ready homes
by showcasing diverse structures
crafted by talented area builders.
In the past two years, the event has
successfully fostered a rare, one-onone
connection between builders and
consumers, making the event a mustattend
for anyone who is looking to
call the bustling southwest suburbs
home.
“We’re just really trying to promote
the Tour of Homes name and
keep growing the event to have it be
a name people know and an event
people look forward to each year,”
said Shannon Rocha, the executive
director of the association. “We really
want the public to be able to see
what our SSHBA members do.”
Nineteen homes — including
townhomes, single-family homes
and duplexes — are highlighted in
this year’s tour.
The tour of homes stretches across
Lemont, Orland Park, New Lenox,
Channahon, Lockport and Frankfort.
Maps of the featured homes will be
made available as the event nears, allowing
attendees to plan their routes.
Many of the builders’ names will
be familiar to repeat attendees, and
those who have yet to attend will
surely recognize the names as being
some of the best in the business.
“Most of the builders that are in
it, this will be their third year that
they’re continuing to put their homes
in,” Rocha added.
For those who have not previously
attended the tour but are looking for
a new home, Rocha said don’t be intimidated
by the prospect of buying
a new home; it is just as easy as purchasing
a preexisting home, she said.
Further, those in the market for a
new house can rest assured that all
SSHBA builders represent the best
of the best in the industry, as the association
vets the builders and ensures
that they are up to date on industry
trends and rules, among other
expertise.
SSHBA’s membership comprises
roughly 180 members and 50 builders
in the southwest suburbs, with
members of the Orland Park-based
association hailing from as far as
Channahon, Morris and Coal City.
The highly anticipated Tour of
Homes enables SSHBA to connect
its members with the broader public
in an intimate, hassle-free setting as
individuals and families are able to
come and go at their leisure.
The SSHBA Tour of Homes has
three premier sponsors: James Hardie,
Lakeside Bank and Hines Supply.
This year, the SSHBA also will
have a kick-off party for the tour
where builders will be presented
with various awards.
For more details on the upcoming
tour and to learn more about this
year’s featured builders, visit www.
sshbatourofhomes.com.
SouthWest Suburban Home Builders
promotes high standards, professionalism
and service within the
building industry and supports the
American dream of home ownership.
Submitted by SouthWest Suburban
Home Builders. For more information,
visit sshba.com.
Written by 22CM Boost, the contentwriting
division of 22nd Century Media,
publisher of this special section and
newspaper.
Illinois Spine & Scoliosis
Center gets patients back
into tip-top shape
Home Improvements
can be a time of heavy lifting,
whether it’s moving
boxes or rearranging furniture
putting you at risk of
sustaining back and neck
injuries.
“The easiest way to
cause an injury is not
keeping the core muscles
in shape,” said Dr. Kris
Siemionow, chief of spine
Surgery and assistant professor
of orthopedics and
neurosurgery at the University
of Illinois in Chicago.
“The most common
cause for a spinal injury is
overuse,” he said. “Often,
when you overexert yourself,
your muscles fatigue,
which left unrested, can
lead to worse injuries such
as strains, pinched nerves,
or even breaks”.
One common ailment
is a disk herniation. This
painful condition is caused
by problems with the rubbery
disks between the individual
vertebrae of the
spine.
“A herniated disk is extremely
common,” said Dr.
Anthony Rinella, founder
of the Illinois Spine &
Scoliosis Center. “It’s often
caused by repetitive
motions that involve looking
up. Disk herniations
in the neck area common
cause of pain radiating
toward the shoulder and
down the arm.”
Fortunately, there are
treatment options available.
Patients are often
successfully treated with
conservative management
options, such as pain
medication, therapy, and
injections. But a small percentage
of people with this
condition will eventually
need surgery. Traditionally,
this procedure involved
taking out the problematic
disk and fusing the
remaining disks together
with metal hardware.
While this fusion process
provides spinal stability,
it can also limit the
patient’s range of motion.
A newer procedure, called
cervical disk replacement,
has solved this problem.
Like the standard cervical
fusion, this surgery
involves removing the
disk to relieve pressure
on the nerves. But instead
of a metal plate, surgeons
insert a flexible piece of
plastic.
“The biggest benefit is
that this maintains motion
of the neck in that area
where normally a fusion
procedure would weld the
two bones together,” said
Siemionow. “The cervical
disk replacement basically
Please see spine, 24