First we need to clarify what you are hoping this posture support will do for you. Somewhere in our minds, "posture support" or "posture aid" has become "posture corrector." There's nothing wrong with searching the internet looking for things to improve your posture. I, for one, applaud your efforts! However, if you are looking for a "quick-fix" to years of postural damage, you are not going to find it with a support.
The good news is you don't need to spend an equal amount of time undoing the damage that took hours, days and years to accomplish. You'll need to work on improving your posture with exercise, but posture supports can be very helpful.
When driving, many care seats do not come with adequate lumbar support. It is a huge task to ask automakers to come up with a lumbar support to accommodate every shape and size of person. Some of your high-end vehicles have lumbar support that is adjustable and may suit your needs. However, there are plenty of products available (and some you can make on your own) to take care of helping you remember to sit up straight and support the normal curve of your low back while driving.
A simple low back support can work wonders in this task. If you have no idea what is a good size for you, start small. My patients are told to use a small hand towel, roll it up, and put rubber bands around it. Place it in the small of your low back. It's not going to stay in place unless you maintain good posture, and it can easily be put away if you don't like the looks of it sitting in your seat all day. You can move up to bigger towels and you don't have to use the entire towel to gather low back support. When sleeping, pillows work as great posture supports.
If you sleep on your back, a pillow under your knees will take a lot of pressure of your low back. When sleeping on your side, a pillow between your knees takes a tremendous amount of pressure of your hips. The key when working with any of these posture supports is keeping them in place while you're using them. In sleep, I've found the big "body pillows" to be very useful.
Other products that strap to your leg are available, if not very attractive. The body pillow works well and is very comfortable along with helping your shoulder position when sleeping on your side. Body pillows are also inexpensive and easy to use. Too many products require extended adjustment periods to get used to, allowing you to get regular use out of them. Not with the body pillow. I would imagine that within the first couple of days that you'll wonder how you've ever slept without one.
The body pillow is also very helpful in getting you off your stomach when you sleep. Making the transition from stomach sleeper to back sleeper is a big change. You're more likely to have success if you make the move from your stomach to your side. The pillow will create the positional support you need.
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
Improving Posture - Can You Do It Without Exercise?
There seems to be no end to the questions about how someone might change their bad posture without exercise. Posture supports, posture aids, and posture vests are just a few of the things out there trying to convince you that you don't need exercise to help correct something that you exercised your way into.
I exercised my way into bad posture? Sure you did. You used your muscles (exercised) by simply doing your normal daily activities the same way over and over again. While you were performing some activities repeatedly, other activities were being ignored altogether. Your normal movements usually consist of things done in front of you, while the workout of your back muscles is holding you up. That would be fine if you were in an ideal posture position all day, but usually you're not. You slump, you slouch, and sleep in the wrong way.
Your back muscles got longer and longer and hence weaker and weaker until they were asked to do the same work or more under less than ideal circumstances. Now you are hoping to correct weak muscles by holding them in place? By keeping them from moving? They have to move to get stronger! Sometimes posture just seems like this big spine problem, so you think that it's just about the bones.
So it makes sense to you that if you can put braces on teeth, why not just hold you bones in place. Your bones are supported by your muscles and you need your muscles to work at their best to make a difference in how which position your spine holds. Muscles can become shorter or longer depending on the exercises and movements for which they are used.
While this works against you with bad posture, this is the key component to how you're going to get your posture to change. This also means that should you do a great job changing your posture and are looking good, if you return to the same activities that got you into your bad posture in the first place, your bad posture will return.
Your muscles respond to the activities for which they are used. If your job puts a strain on your posture, it's up to you to do the exercises to counteract what's been going on all day. You must exercise to change your posture, and that is a good thing.
I exercised my way into bad posture? Sure you did. You used your muscles (exercised) by simply doing your normal daily activities the same way over and over again. While you were performing some activities repeatedly, other activities were being ignored altogether. Your normal movements usually consist of things done in front of you, while the workout of your back muscles is holding you up. That would be fine if you were in an ideal posture position all day, but usually you're not. You slump, you slouch, and sleep in the wrong way.
Your back muscles got longer and longer and hence weaker and weaker until they were asked to do the same work or more under less than ideal circumstances. Now you are hoping to correct weak muscles by holding them in place? By keeping them from moving? They have to move to get stronger! Sometimes posture just seems like this big spine problem, so you think that it's just about the bones.
So it makes sense to you that if you can put braces on teeth, why not just hold you bones in place. Your bones are supported by your muscles and you need your muscles to work at their best to make a difference in how which position your spine holds. Muscles can become shorter or longer depending on the exercises and movements for which they are used.
While this works against you with bad posture, this is the key component to how you're going to get your posture to change. This also means that should you do a great job changing your posture and are looking good, if you return to the same activities that got you into your bad posture in the first place, your bad posture will return.
Your muscles respond to the activities for which they are used. If your job puts a strain on your posture, it's up to you to do the exercises to counteract what's been going on all day. You must exercise to change your posture, and that is a good thing.
Posture Muscle Strength Activities
If you're planning on engaging in postural muscle strength activities in an effort to improve your posture, you should probably understand what you're trying to achieve. If all it took to improve your posture was exercise, why do so many people at the gym have bad posture?
I know, I know, not everyone at the gym is in good shape. Still, check out the people that are of average height and weight with average muscle tone. Shouldn't they have decent posture? It certainly makes sense that someone who sits at a computer all day and never exercises might develop bad posture, but how is it possible to work out and still not change your posture?
Typically, the exercises that people choose are not postural muscle strength activities, they are just activities. If rolling your shoulders forward and slouching are causing your problem, why would you hop on an exercise bike and slump over the handles? You are still maintaining the bad posture even while you exercise!
What about running? Running doesn't necessarily cause you to have bad posture, but there isn't a lot of back strengthening going on during this activity.
If you're going to set out to improve your back and your posture, choose postural muscle strength activities that actually work your postural muscles. Swimming certainly can increase back strength. Have you seen the big latismus dorsi muscles on Olympic swimmers?
When heading to the gym, realize that working the front of your body really means that you are not working the back. Work on your back muscles twice as much (at least) as you work your front. Many people (mostly men) like to be able to look in the mirror and see their big chest muscles and big bicep muscles. There's certainly nothing wrong with that as long as you're not sacrificing your back muscles for the sake of your front.
This really just means that if you want the big chest and arms, you're going to have to put in more work on your back muscles. The goal is to have good posture and thus be free of pain and look your best! In order to do this, you're going to have to give your postural muscles a fighting chance by strengthening them as often as possible.
I know, I know, not everyone at the gym is in good shape. Still, check out the people that are of average height and weight with average muscle tone. Shouldn't they have decent posture? It certainly makes sense that someone who sits at a computer all day and never exercises might develop bad posture, but how is it possible to work out and still not change your posture?
Typically, the exercises that people choose are not postural muscle strength activities, they are just activities. If rolling your shoulders forward and slouching are causing your problem, why would you hop on an exercise bike and slump over the handles? You are still maintaining the bad posture even while you exercise!
What about running? Running doesn't necessarily cause you to have bad posture, but there isn't a lot of back strengthening going on during this activity.
If you're going to set out to improve your back and your posture, choose postural muscle strength activities that actually work your postural muscles. Swimming certainly can increase back strength. Have you seen the big latismus dorsi muscles on Olympic swimmers?
When heading to the gym, realize that working the front of your body really means that you are not working the back. Work on your back muscles twice as much (at least) as you work your front. Many people (mostly men) like to be able to look in the mirror and see their big chest muscles and big bicep muscles. There's certainly nothing wrong with that as long as you're not sacrificing your back muscles for the sake of your front.
This really just means that if you want the big chest and arms, you're going to have to put in more work on your back muscles. The goal is to have good posture and thus be free of pain and look your best! In order to do this, you're going to have to give your postural muscles a fighting chance by strengthening them as often as possible.
Fashionable 'Slouch' Can Be Bad For Your Back
Eighty percent of the US population will at some point in their lives experience a bout of low back pain. In fact, it is the most common cause of work-related disability and the second-most common cause of physician visits behind the common cold and the flu. Low back pain costs the economy billions of dollars and places an incalculable toll on the livelihood of millions.
Call it the hunch or the slouch, the drooping hip-thruster walk of many celebrities is ergonomically incorrect and is a forerunner of America’s No. 1 disability which is back pain. This warning comes from a recent news service article that singles out the signature slouch of Gwyneth Paltrow, Kirsten Dunst, and Paris Hilton as unhealthy.
According to specialists writing in The Ergonomics Report, the pelvic tilt of the slouch pushes the belly forward and compresses the spine. The sustained stress of slouching can make people more vulnerable to musculoskeletal disorders.
Muscles adapt to a sloucher's round-shouldered posture, resulting in chest muscles that are short and tight and back muscles that are stretched and weak.
And do you know that even digestive problems, fatigue, and recurring headaches have been linked to poor posture? Research shows that slouching uses five times more energy than standing up straight, causing muscle tension and cutting blood flow to the brain.
Andrew Sherman, assistant professor of rehabilitation medicine at the University of Miami's School of Medicine, further revealed that if slouching celebrities are doing it for fashion, they're going to suffer some aches and pains later.
Experts say a pain-free back isn't the only potential benefit of good body alignment: it makes people look 5 to 10 pounds slimmer by flattening the stomach.
But good posture takes work. Sadly it’s easier to slouch and harder to maintain good posture. You can try to hold your shoulders back but it's hard to think about posture 24 hours a day. It's better to do half an hour of exercise three times a week that targets the back.
However, good posture isn’t as bankable as a slouch. That’s the only way to explain why some celebrities choose to ignore it as a risk factor for back pain. But fashions change and the stars’ best hope of a pain-free future lies in the rapid disappearance of poor posture as an essential fashion accessory.
If you’re experiencing low back pain, don’t give in to fashion but practice good posture. Phosoplex can help ease low back pain. It’s the most powerful, natural, and safe solution that helps lubricate joints and rebuilds healthy cartilage. Check out www.phosoplex.com for more information.
Call it the hunch or the slouch, the drooping hip-thruster walk of many celebrities is ergonomically incorrect and is a forerunner of America’s No. 1 disability which is back pain. This warning comes from a recent news service article that singles out the signature slouch of Gwyneth Paltrow, Kirsten Dunst, and Paris Hilton as unhealthy.
According to specialists writing in The Ergonomics Report, the pelvic tilt of the slouch pushes the belly forward and compresses the spine. The sustained stress of slouching can make people more vulnerable to musculoskeletal disorders.
Muscles adapt to a sloucher's round-shouldered posture, resulting in chest muscles that are short and tight and back muscles that are stretched and weak.
And do you know that even digestive problems, fatigue, and recurring headaches have been linked to poor posture? Research shows that slouching uses five times more energy than standing up straight, causing muscle tension and cutting blood flow to the brain.
Andrew Sherman, assistant professor of rehabilitation medicine at the University of Miami's School of Medicine, further revealed that if slouching celebrities are doing it for fashion, they're going to suffer some aches and pains later.
Experts say a pain-free back isn't the only potential benefit of good body alignment: it makes people look 5 to 10 pounds slimmer by flattening the stomach.
But good posture takes work. Sadly it’s easier to slouch and harder to maintain good posture. You can try to hold your shoulders back but it's hard to think about posture 24 hours a day. It's better to do half an hour of exercise three times a week that targets the back.
However, good posture isn’t as bankable as a slouch. That’s the only way to explain why some celebrities choose to ignore it as a risk factor for back pain. But fashions change and the stars’ best hope of a pain-free future lies in the rapid disappearance of poor posture as an essential fashion accessory.
If you’re experiencing low back pain, don’t give in to fashion but practice good posture. Phosoplex can help ease low back pain. It’s the most powerful, natural, and safe solution that helps lubricate joints and rebuilds healthy cartilage. Check out www.phosoplex.com for more information.
Thursday, August 2, 2007
Back Pain Brings Bad News
1. My Back Pain started when I was injured in an accident or when I lifted heavy weights in wrong postures.
It is very much possible there is an overlap of Vertebra of the Back Bone (Spinal Cote). Such overlapping is called Spondy-lolis-thesis. Go to the Back Bone Exercises section and learn how to make our Back Bone healthy. Do these exercises on daily bases and rest for long period of time. Remember, less work and more rest will help you to Cure Back Pain. In the end, the last thing to do is to go and see the doctor if the Back Pain is too much or is not vanishing. But remember, this is the last option not the first one. I do not prefer any patient to eat medicines as to cure one thing, you are sacrificing too much. Medicines, especially when it comes to joints medicines or any medicine related to bones, have side effects. Medicines use for treatment of bones cause damage to the stomach. Please also read Back Pain related Newspapers in order to learn more.
2. I feel that my Back Pain is traveling down to my legs.
Well, it means that you have a misplaced Back Bone (Spinal Cote) Disk. The Back Bone is made up of many disks, all join together to make the Mighty Back Bone. In this case you have to Rest, Rest…. and Rest. I think you understand what I want to say here. You have to give as much rest to your Back Bone as possible. Do not work long hours and never to sit for long period of time. This is a very serious matter, so take it seriously because this problem can end up in a disaster. There is a stage of this Back Pain when the patients no longer have bladder or bowel control. In this situation, immediately consult a doctor. Do not delay; it is possible that there is some serious problem with your Kidney. Anyway, also consider to get in touch with Back Pain related Newspapers to keep your self up-to-date from current Back Pain News.
3. I have a Back Pain where my age is over 60.
Bad News, go at once to the hospital. This is not any joke, I am pretty much serious. If the Back Pain is started without any other reason than the one that your age is over 60, then its time for you to leave everything to rest in a bed in the hospital and take the medicines prescribed by the doctor. Looks like you are on a long trip to the Hospital. If you ignore your Back Pain, then in few days you are going to experience the most horrible nightmare that you have never seen. At this age, you do read Newspaper right? So, find the latest Back Pain Development News and New ways to prevent it.
4. I experience Back Pain with any movement.
Here we go again. The third Back Pain FAQ (above one) and this one, both are terrible. I wish no one have this kind of a Back Pain. If you are experiencing Back Pain in almost all movements or even more worst, if you experience Back Pain all the time, even in the bed, then this is very much serious. You most drive straight to the hospital and do a complete check up. Explain everything in detail to the doctor. The doctor must also check your kidneys too. This is very bad News for the person with above problem.
5. I have Back Pain when I sit too long or when I bend.
Now this is not as problematic as the above two matters are (FAQ 3 and 4). It is possible that you have a pulled muscle causing the Back Pain or may be the Pain is because of a misplaced Back Bone Disk. Anyway, it does not mean that you forget about Curing the Back Pain. You have to take this matter seriously as failing to do so can cause many long term problems. First of all, apply heat to the point where you feel the Pain. Heat does not mean any thing that’s too hot; just apply any thing that can warm the Lower Back a bit. Rest as much as you can. Don’t sit too long reading a Newspaper or a Magazine. There are Magazines which helps you do different exercises, read them; exercise can help in this situation. The process of Curing Back Pain can take few months. In the end, if the Back Pain is not getting better then contact a doctor at once.
6. My Back Pain come and go all the time.
Were you injured in the past? Do you remember any incident that may had hurt your Back Bone way back in your child hood? Try to remember any thing that may help you in the diagnoses of your Back Pain. As I mentioned before, do read latest updates in Newspapers because research is going on the cure and prevention of Back Pain. Its best in this situation that you consult a doctor but first do a flash back in your memory and see what could have happened to your Back Bone in the past because the doctor will surely ask this question so it is good that you are already prepared to answer his questions.
7. My Back Pain come started in childhood.
Try to remember the root cause of the beginning of your Back Pain; this will help in analyzing what exactly is the cure that you require for your Back Pain. Please also read Back Pain related Newspapers in order to learn more. In this case, it’s best to consult a doctor.
8. I think my Back Pain started with a Fever.
Back Pain can start if you have a fever. Most common reason for Back Pain with a fever is the common FLU. Get medication to get rid of the FLU; it will Cure the mighty Back Pain too. If this does not help in reducing the Back Pain then please refer to the 10th FAQ.
9. My Back Pain is one sided.
There is a 90+ chance that you have a serious Kidney problem. Please refer to the 10th FAQ. I saw a research in a Newspapers and it showed that more than 30 percent people with Back problem have a serious kidney problem.
10. I have a fever, Blood in my urine and it burns during the urination.
Well now we are talking. These are the symptoms that indicate DANGER. This is the worst situation, one can ever imagine. Your kidneys are not in a good shape. There is some serious infection in your kidneys which needs to be cured As Soon As Possible. It’s also possible that there are stones in your kidneys. Surprised? Well these stones are not the one that you might be thinking they are; these stones are produced inside the kidneys for different reasons like, excessive use of Calcium can produce these stones. Immediately drive to the hospital and take a long leave from our office. Treatment can take some time.
11. My Back is stiff and sore.
Apply low heat to the affected area. Use anti inflammatory medicines; if there is no improvement then contact your doctor at once.
12. Are you Pregnant?
I have some Bad News for you. Back Pain starting for pregnant women is very common and more then 50% pregnant women are affected by Back Pain during the pregnancy period. Some times the Back Pain continues even after the delivery. Good care should be taken for the proper posture of the pregnant women to avoid Back Pain. Wrong postures are the root cause of all kind of Back Pains especially for pregnant women. Contact your doctor for further information.
13. My Back Pain is centered.
You have a slipped or over lapping Back Bone Disks. Have plenty of rest and learn about the proper standing, sitting and sleeping postures. You will find all this on this site. Contact your doctor in case the Back Pain is growing instead of minimizing.
14. My back Pain is running down towards the Legs.
Immediately contact your doctor. This is a very dangerous symptom. You can even loose control of the bleeder and even worse, you can lose control of any body movement; perhaps, all body movements. It’s also possible there is some serious problem with your Kidneys. It’s an Emergency, go to the doctor at once.
It is very much possible there is an overlap of Vertebra of the Back Bone (Spinal Cote). Such overlapping is called Spondy-lolis-thesis. Go to the Back Bone Exercises section and learn how to make our Back Bone healthy. Do these exercises on daily bases and rest for long period of time. Remember, less work and more rest will help you to Cure Back Pain. In the end, the last thing to do is to go and see the doctor if the Back Pain is too much or is not vanishing. But remember, this is the last option not the first one. I do not prefer any patient to eat medicines as to cure one thing, you are sacrificing too much. Medicines, especially when it comes to joints medicines or any medicine related to bones, have side effects. Medicines use for treatment of bones cause damage to the stomach. Please also read Back Pain related Newspapers in order to learn more.
2. I feel that my Back Pain is traveling down to my legs.
Well, it means that you have a misplaced Back Bone (Spinal Cote) Disk. The Back Bone is made up of many disks, all join together to make the Mighty Back Bone. In this case you have to Rest, Rest…. and Rest. I think you understand what I want to say here. You have to give as much rest to your Back Bone as possible. Do not work long hours and never to sit for long period of time. This is a very serious matter, so take it seriously because this problem can end up in a disaster. There is a stage of this Back Pain when the patients no longer have bladder or bowel control. In this situation, immediately consult a doctor. Do not delay; it is possible that there is some serious problem with your Kidney. Anyway, also consider to get in touch with Back Pain related Newspapers to keep your self up-to-date from current Back Pain News.
3. I have a Back Pain where my age is over 60.
Bad News, go at once to the hospital. This is not any joke, I am pretty much serious. If the Back Pain is started without any other reason than the one that your age is over 60, then its time for you to leave everything to rest in a bed in the hospital and take the medicines prescribed by the doctor. Looks like you are on a long trip to the Hospital. If you ignore your Back Pain, then in few days you are going to experience the most horrible nightmare that you have never seen. At this age, you do read Newspaper right? So, find the latest Back Pain Development News and New ways to prevent it.
4. I experience Back Pain with any movement.
Here we go again. The third Back Pain FAQ (above one) and this one, both are terrible. I wish no one have this kind of a Back Pain. If you are experiencing Back Pain in almost all movements or even more worst, if you experience Back Pain all the time, even in the bed, then this is very much serious. You most drive straight to the hospital and do a complete check up. Explain everything in detail to the doctor. The doctor must also check your kidneys too. This is very bad News for the person with above problem.
5. I have Back Pain when I sit too long or when I bend.
Now this is not as problematic as the above two matters are (FAQ 3 and 4). It is possible that you have a pulled muscle causing the Back Pain or may be the Pain is because of a misplaced Back Bone Disk. Anyway, it does not mean that you forget about Curing the Back Pain. You have to take this matter seriously as failing to do so can cause many long term problems. First of all, apply heat to the point where you feel the Pain. Heat does not mean any thing that’s too hot; just apply any thing that can warm the Lower Back a bit. Rest as much as you can. Don’t sit too long reading a Newspaper or a Magazine. There are Magazines which helps you do different exercises, read them; exercise can help in this situation. The process of Curing Back Pain can take few months. In the end, if the Back Pain is not getting better then contact a doctor at once.
6. My Back Pain come and go all the time.
Were you injured in the past? Do you remember any incident that may had hurt your Back Bone way back in your child hood? Try to remember any thing that may help you in the diagnoses of your Back Pain. As I mentioned before, do read latest updates in Newspapers because research is going on the cure and prevention of Back Pain. Its best in this situation that you consult a doctor but first do a flash back in your memory and see what could have happened to your Back Bone in the past because the doctor will surely ask this question so it is good that you are already prepared to answer his questions.
7. My Back Pain come started in childhood.
Try to remember the root cause of the beginning of your Back Pain; this will help in analyzing what exactly is the cure that you require for your Back Pain. Please also read Back Pain related Newspapers in order to learn more. In this case, it’s best to consult a doctor.
8. I think my Back Pain started with a Fever.
Back Pain can start if you have a fever. Most common reason for Back Pain with a fever is the common FLU. Get medication to get rid of the FLU; it will Cure the mighty Back Pain too. If this does not help in reducing the Back Pain then please refer to the 10th FAQ.
9. My Back Pain is one sided.
There is a 90+ chance that you have a serious Kidney problem. Please refer to the 10th FAQ. I saw a research in a Newspapers and it showed that more than 30 percent people with Back problem have a serious kidney problem.
10. I have a fever, Blood in my urine and it burns during the urination.
Well now we are talking. These are the symptoms that indicate DANGER. This is the worst situation, one can ever imagine. Your kidneys are not in a good shape. There is some serious infection in your kidneys which needs to be cured As Soon As Possible. It’s also possible that there are stones in your kidneys. Surprised? Well these stones are not the one that you might be thinking they are; these stones are produced inside the kidneys for different reasons like, excessive use of Calcium can produce these stones. Immediately drive to the hospital and take a long leave from our office. Treatment can take some time.
11. My Back is stiff and sore.
Apply low heat to the affected area. Use anti inflammatory medicines; if there is no improvement then contact your doctor at once.
12. Are you Pregnant?
I have some Bad News for you. Back Pain starting for pregnant women is very common and more then 50% pregnant women are affected by Back Pain during the pregnancy period. Some times the Back Pain continues even after the delivery. Good care should be taken for the proper posture of the pregnant women to avoid Back Pain. Wrong postures are the root cause of all kind of Back Pains especially for pregnant women. Contact your doctor for further information.
13. My Back Pain is centered.
You have a slipped or over lapping Back Bone Disks. Have plenty of rest and learn about the proper standing, sitting and sleeping postures. You will find all this on this site. Contact your doctor in case the Back Pain is growing instead of minimizing.
14. My back Pain is running down towards the Legs.
Immediately contact your doctor. This is a very dangerous symptom. You can even loose control of the bleeder and even worse, you can lose control of any body movement; perhaps, all body movements. It’s also possible there is some serious problem with your Kidneys. It’s an Emergency, go to the doctor at once.
Sciatica Treatment - What's The Fastest Sciatica Treatment Available Today?
If you're like me, you know about back pain. All about it! I don't get it often, but when I do ... boy do I know it's there!
The most common cause of back pain in North American adults is sciatic pain. So in this article I want to tell you about sciatica, look at a possible cures for you, and make a personal recommendation.
OK ... sciatica treatment. Let's start with a quick description of the problem.
You have nerves running all through your body, which feed huge amounts of information to the brain and are absolutely critical to your functioning. Your biggest nerve is the sciatic nerve. It is attached to your lower spine, runs across your buttocks, then down your legs as far as your ankles.
When that nerve gets irritated or pinched or rubbed up the wrong way you feel pain. Although pain generally is notoriously hard to pinpoint, the pain from an upset sciatic nerve is usually felt in the lower back, or at the back of your leg above or below the knee.
At times it will be excruciating. (Do I sense you nodding in recognition?) Often it is dull and troublesome. It can be very, very persistent.
So, what can you do?
Normally, the first reaction is rest. And a couple of days of rest can be helpful. Surprisingly, however, resting for any longer only tends to make the pain worse. And none of us have that much free time anyway. So, rest is not the long-term answer.
There's got to be another way. And there is; do more exercise!
Either do strength-building exercises, that will make your abdomen and back muscles stronger, and give better support to your lower back.
Or do stretching exercises. These will gently push and pull on tight, inflexible muscles that may be the source of the pain, and in a few days the pain will have gone. Keeping up stretching exercises will give you quicker recovery and work to help you get no future flare ups.
Or, equally effective, do light aerobic exercise. Things like walking and swimming. These sort of exercises will move fluids and elements around your body, building a better healing environment for you, and will also release your natural pain killers, the endorphins.
So, for some people, exercise and movement is going to help sometimes.
If that fails, over the long term, however, I recommend you look around for a well qualified doctor who is a sciatica specialist.
Be demanding on yourself as you look. Choose the best specialist you can find. Don't shop around for the cheapest deal. Ask questions until you find a good practitioner. Someone with years of experience treating sciatica, who is a surgeon and, if possible, teaches medicine at a school, would be ideal. Sciatica treatment is hard to get right, and unless you work hard to find a well-qualified specialist your treatments are likely to be short-lived.
The most common cause of back pain in North American adults is sciatic pain. So in this article I want to tell you about sciatica, look at a possible cures for you, and make a personal recommendation.
OK ... sciatica treatment. Let's start with a quick description of the problem.
You have nerves running all through your body, which feed huge amounts of information to the brain and are absolutely critical to your functioning. Your biggest nerve is the sciatic nerve. It is attached to your lower spine, runs across your buttocks, then down your legs as far as your ankles.
When that nerve gets irritated or pinched or rubbed up the wrong way you feel pain. Although pain generally is notoriously hard to pinpoint, the pain from an upset sciatic nerve is usually felt in the lower back, or at the back of your leg above or below the knee.
At times it will be excruciating. (Do I sense you nodding in recognition?) Often it is dull and troublesome. It can be very, very persistent.
So, what can you do?
Normally, the first reaction is rest. And a couple of days of rest can be helpful. Surprisingly, however, resting for any longer only tends to make the pain worse. And none of us have that much free time anyway. So, rest is not the long-term answer.
There's got to be another way. And there is; do more exercise!
Either do strength-building exercises, that will make your abdomen and back muscles stronger, and give better support to your lower back.
Or do stretching exercises. These will gently push and pull on tight, inflexible muscles that may be the source of the pain, and in a few days the pain will have gone. Keeping up stretching exercises will give you quicker recovery and work to help you get no future flare ups.
Or, equally effective, do light aerobic exercise. Things like walking and swimming. These sort of exercises will move fluids and elements around your body, building a better healing environment for you, and will also release your natural pain killers, the endorphins.
So, for some people, exercise and movement is going to help sometimes.
If that fails, over the long term, however, I recommend you look around for a well qualified doctor who is a sciatica specialist.
Be demanding on yourself as you look. Choose the best specialist you can find. Don't shop around for the cheapest deal. Ask questions until you find a good practitioner. Someone with years of experience treating sciatica, who is a surgeon and, if possible, teaches medicine at a school, would be ideal. Sciatica treatment is hard to get right, and unless you work hard to find a well-qualified specialist your treatments are likely to be short-lived.
Natural Back Pain Relief - Acupuncture
Do you know, in the USA alone back pain is the second most common form of neurological disorders that a person is going to suffer. Although there are many prescribed medications a person can use in order to treat back pain, there are also a number of natural back pain relief treatments a person may want to consider using instead.
However when it comes to treating any kind of back problem the first thing a person should do is discuss the matter with their doctor or health care provider. There are many different reasons which can cause back pain. Anything from a muscle strain through to more serious conditions such as spinal stenosis or a herniated disc or it could have been caused by spondylosisthesis or osteoporosis.
In some cases it may be caused because a tumor is growing on the spine for example. But before you can actually treat the disorder whether using prescribed or natural treatments you first need to find out the cause in order that you can use the most effective back pain treatment possible.
Below I am going to take a one particular form of natural back pain relief that a person may want to consider using instead of prescribed medication.
Acupuncture is considered to be beneficial in helping to reduce the long term symptoms that many back pain patients suffer.In fact in studies carried out at Sheffield University in the United Kingdom, they carried out a study of 239 people. Out Of these, 159 people were treated by providing them a course of 8 acupuncture treatments whilst the other 80 were provided with normal back pain treatments.
After one year it was found that those being treated using acupuncture not only had reduced amounts of pain but they found themselves also worrying less about the pain as well. Whilst after carrying out the treatment for 2 years the patients being treated using acupuncture were reporting that they were in most cases pain free from the second year and were now beginning to use less medication.
When it comes to using acupuncture as a natural back pain relief treatment, a person can generally expect to pay between $60 and $120 for the treatment but it is tax deductible as it is considered to be a medical expense.
Also if you are considering using this method to treat your back pain then it may be wise to check your medical insurance plan as the provider may well cover the costs of such treatment within theirs. Plus, you need to be aware that initially you will need to see the acupuncturist between 1 and 3 times a week for several weeks in the beginning before the effects can be felt.
However when it comes to treating any kind of back problem the first thing a person should do is discuss the matter with their doctor or health care provider. There are many different reasons which can cause back pain. Anything from a muscle strain through to more serious conditions such as spinal stenosis or a herniated disc or it could have been caused by spondylosisthesis or osteoporosis.
In some cases it may be caused because a tumor is growing on the spine for example. But before you can actually treat the disorder whether using prescribed or natural treatments you first need to find out the cause in order that you can use the most effective back pain treatment possible.
Below I am going to take a one particular form of natural back pain relief that a person may want to consider using instead of prescribed medication.
Acupuncture is considered to be beneficial in helping to reduce the long term symptoms that many back pain patients suffer.In fact in studies carried out at Sheffield University in the United Kingdom, they carried out a study of 239 people. Out Of these, 159 people were treated by providing them a course of 8 acupuncture treatments whilst the other 80 were provided with normal back pain treatments.
After one year it was found that those being treated using acupuncture not only had reduced amounts of pain but they found themselves also worrying less about the pain as well. Whilst after carrying out the treatment for 2 years the patients being treated using acupuncture were reporting that they were in most cases pain free from the second year and were now beginning to use less medication.
When it comes to using acupuncture as a natural back pain relief treatment, a person can generally expect to pay between $60 and $120 for the treatment but it is tax deductible as it is considered to be a medical expense.
Also if you are considering using this method to treat your back pain then it may be wise to check your medical insurance plan as the provider may well cover the costs of such treatment within theirs. Plus, you need to be aware that initially you will need to see the acupuncturist between 1 and 3 times a week for several weeks in the beginning before the effects can be felt.
Chronic Pain
Experiencing bodily pain of any kind can have a very detrimental effect on anyone. It prevents you from doing even the most mundane daily tasks and for some people who suffer really severe bouts of pain, it can be quite debilitating. Many people think that suffering from chronic pain is only experienced by a certain demographic – mainly old people or those who have suffered from injuries. Recent statistics show that one in five people may suffer from moderate to severe chronic pain.
The over-all picture for chronic pain means that even people at their prime can suffer from some form of pain. The bad thing about suffering from chronic pain is that its effects are not only physical but can also affect the mental and psychological well-being of patients. It is not uncommon for chronic pain sufferers to experience depression and anxiety because of their situation.
Alleviating chronic pain is a goal that all pain sufferers want to achieve. Unfortunately, not everyone can be successful in curing or conquering pain. There are many options currently available for pain alleviation. There are drugs, homeopathic remedies and different therapies that are constantly being developed in order to help pain sufferers. Some of these are actually effective in lessening or even completely eliminating pain. Others are just temporary measures.
There are a number of general types of treatments for chronic pain. The most recognizable and probably the most popular among patients are drugs. There are a number of different drug types and formulations that are being used to alleviate or eliminate pain.
One group, known as opioids, can provide short term analgesic effects. These medications can be taken orally, injected, inserted rectally or used applied through the skin. Unfortunately, opioids can also have negative side effects like addiction or chemical dependency.
Another group is known as the non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or NSAIDs. Some NSAIDs actually have limited benefits when it comes to long term chronic pain and may even have detrimental long term effects.
Recently, different approaches are being done in order to address chronic pain. One of these new approaches is cold laser therapy. This type of photomedicine is said to be safe, drug-free and has shown encouraging benefits in terms of pain relief. The method uses a pulsed laser, infrared and visible red radiation in order to stimulate blood circulation and metabolism at the intracellular level.
Another method that is gaining popularity is EM Signal Therapy which uses frequency modulated electromagnetic fields in order to promote repair of damaged tissue.
The over-all picture for chronic pain means that even people at their prime can suffer from some form of pain. The bad thing about suffering from chronic pain is that its effects are not only physical but can also affect the mental and psychological well-being of patients. It is not uncommon for chronic pain sufferers to experience depression and anxiety because of their situation.
Alleviating chronic pain is a goal that all pain sufferers want to achieve. Unfortunately, not everyone can be successful in curing or conquering pain. There are many options currently available for pain alleviation. There are drugs, homeopathic remedies and different therapies that are constantly being developed in order to help pain sufferers. Some of these are actually effective in lessening or even completely eliminating pain. Others are just temporary measures.
There are a number of general types of treatments for chronic pain. The most recognizable and probably the most popular among patients are drugs. There are a number of different drug types and formulations that are being used to alleviate or eliminate pain.
One group, known as opioids, can provide short term analgesic effects. These medications can be taken orally, injected, inserted rectally or used applied through the skin. Unfortunately, opioids can also have negative side effects like addiction or chemical dependency.
Another group is known as the non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or NSAIDs. Some NSAIDs actually have limited benefits when it comes to long term chronic pain and may even have detrimental long term effects.
Recently, different approaches are being done in order to address chronic pain. One of these new approaches is cold laser therapy. This type of photomedicine is said to be safe, drug-free and has shown encouraging benefits in terms of pain relief. The method uses a pulsed laser, infrared and visible red radiation in order to stimulate blood circulation and metabolism at the intracellular level.
Another method that is gaining popularity is EM Signal Therapy which uses frequency modulated electromagnetic fields in order to promote repair of damaged tissue.
7 Steps to Eliminate Lower Back Pain - Permanently!
Well, you are in good company. Over 80% of adults experience lower back pain at some stage. Most leave it for months or years before they do anything about it. Yet there are some simple steps to follow that can eliminate your lower back pain – completely and permanently.
Step 1: Muscle Stretches Yes I know you know about stretches. There are countless ones about and all say they are the miracle cure to your lower back pain… only if you do them this way or that.
But there are no miracle stretches. Sure there are better ways to stretch, but the most important aspect is not how to stretch. The most important aspect of stretching is stretching the right muscles at the right time. There are certain muscles that cause lower back pain. Stretch these and lower back pain will ease, stretch them at the right time and you will not only remove lower back pain you will improve your flexibility in half the time or quicker.
Step 2: Muscle Strength So which gym am I promoting or which type of exercise is best. In fact – if you don’t improve the nerve supply or the blood supply to your muscles, no exercise will create the benefits you need. If a muscle has its’ nerve or blood supply compromised, then no matter which exercise you do, the muscle will not gain strength.
Without muscle strength, you fail to have your joints supported. Also if one muscle is too weak it can callow another to tighten. So you need to know the best stretches and strengthening techniques or your muscular system will not heal 100%.
Step 3: Joint Mobility Your joints need to move freely and easily. If the joint gets “sticky” then the muscles around it will tire out or tighten up. If a joint moves well the muscles are able to function correctly and stay in their ideal state of tension.
But… surely moving joints is in the domain of Chiropractors, Osteopaths and Physio’s. Actually there are many techniques that you can use at home to get your joints moving freely and easily. Add in the muscle techniques and the major causes of lower back pain are eliminated, simply and easily.
Step 4: Inflammation Inflammation can be removed through medication, supplements, Homeopathics and other natural products. You can also use Acupressure or Acupuncture (although Acupuncture is hard to use at home – who wants to stick needles in themselves anyway) which are both highly effective at removing inflammation.
If your joints are tender to touch, if your muscles are sensitive also, then inflammation is likely there. Removing it helps the area heal faster. Left there too long and the area will stiffen and become slower to heal, and even scar tissue can form as a protection.
Step 5: Posture Is you posture correct, do you stand up straight? Well don’t be alarmed, neither of these is important. Posture is a function of lower back pain, energy levels and general health. If you are suffering lower back pain, then your posture changes to accommodate it. If you are tired then you will slouch and have a less ideal posture. Posture is important to help the long term removal of lower back pain and the next step is vital in all postural issues.
Step 6: Rest Rest means rest. Yes you should relax and rest, stop using your spine each day for at least an hour. Take time here and there to lie down and stop fighting gravity. Gravity is the biggest cause of stress on your spine and muscles.
Lying down is the only way you can rest against gravity. If you lie down a few times a day then your muscles will not tire as easily, joints will have less pressure on them, your disc in your spine will not be squeezed as often and your energy levels in general will be better.
All you need to do is every few hours, take a 5-10 minute break and lie on the floor. When you get home and watch TV, lie on the floor or sofa to rest while you watch the TV. All these help to ease tension off your spine and will also benefit your posture – as if you are less tired, if your muscles have more energy – your posture will improve.
Step 7: Seek Help If in doubt seek help, if lower back pain persists see your doctor. Lower back pain will usually ease itself within a few weeks. If you use the steps above then you can shorten this time considerably. However if lower back pain persists… seek help. If you follow these 7 steps to eliminate your lower back pain, you will find pain disappears quickly and easily. If you fail to complete any of these steps, or worse if your practitioner does, then lower back pain will return at some stage. To find out which muscles to target, how to move your joints and all the details on the other steps just visit our web page on lower back pain.
Step 1: Muscle Stretches Yes I know you know about stretches. There are countless ones about and all say they are the miracle cure to your lower back pain… only if you do them this way or that.
But there are no miracle stretches. Sure there are better ways to stretch, but the most important aspect is not how to stretch. The most important aspect of stretching is stretching the right muscles at the right time. There are certain muscles that cause lower back pain. Stretch these and lower back pain will ease, stretch them at the right time and you will not only remove lower back pain you will improve your flexibility in half the time or quicker.
Step 2: Muscle Strength So which gym am I promoting or which type of exercise is best. In fact – if you don’t improve the nerve supply or the blood supply to your muscles, no exercise will create the benefits you need. If a muscle has its’ nerve or blood supply compromised, then no matter which exercise you do, the muscle will not gain strength.
Without muscle strength, you fail to have your joints supported. Also if one muscle is too weak it can callow another to tighten. So you need to know the best stretches and strengthening techniques or your muscular system will not heal 100%.
Step 3: Joint Mobility Your joints need to move freely and easily. If the joint gets “sticky” then the muscles around it will tire out or tighten up. If a joint moves well the muscles are able to function correctly and stay in their ideal state of tension.
But… surely moving joints is in the domain of Chiropractors, Osteopaths and Physio’s. Actually there are many techniques that you can use at home to get your joints moving freely and easily. Add in the muscle techniques and the major causes of lower back pain are eliminated, simply and easily.
Step 4: Inflammation Inflammation can be removed through medication, supplements, Homeopathics and other natural products. You can also use Acupressure or Acupuncture (although Acupuncture is hard to use at home – who wants to stick needles in themselves anyway) which are both highly effective at removing inflammation.
If your joints are tender to touch, if your muscles are sensitive also, then inflammation is likely there. Removing it helps the area heal faster. Left there too long and the area will stiffen and become slower to heal, and even scar tissue can form as a protection.
Step 5: Posture Is you posture correct, do you stand up straight? Well don’t be alarmed, neither of these is important. Posture is a function of lower back pain, energy levels and general health. If you are suffering lower back pain, then your posture changes to accommodate it. If you are tired then you will slouch and have a less ideal posture. Posture is important to help the long term removal of lower back pain and the next step is vital in all postural issues.
Step 6: Rest Rest means rest. Yes you should relax and rest, stop using your spine each day for at least an hour. Take time here and there to lie down and stop fighting gravity. Gravity is the biggest cause of stress on your spine and muscles.
Lying down is the only way you can rest against gravity. If you lie down a few times a day then your muscles will not tire as easily, joints will have less pressure on them, your disc in your spine will not be squeezed as often and your energy levels in general will be better.
All you need to do is every few hours, take a 5-10 minute break and lie on the floor. When you get home and watch TV, lie on the floor or sofa to rest while you watch the TV. All these help to ease tension off your spine and will also benefit your posture – as if you are less tired, if your muscles have more energy – your posture will improve.
Step 7: Seek Help If in doubt seek help, if lower back pain persists see your doctor. Lower back pain will usually ease itself within a few weeks. If you use the steps above then you can shorten this time considerably. However if lower back pain persists… seek help. If you follow these 7 steps to eliminate your lower back pain, you will find pain disappears quickly and easily. If you fail to complete any of these steps, or worse if your practitioner does, then lower back pain will return at some stage. To find out which muscles to target, how to move your joints and all the details on the other steps just visit our web page on lower back pain.
Grow Your Chiropractic Business With Massage Therapists
One group of professionals you may consider adding to you network are licensed massage therapist or LMT’s. It is a good idea to know a few massage therapists because you will have patients ask you who you recommend from time to time. Your patient will be very thankful if you refer them to a good LMT, especially if they were going to resort to a blind attempt of finding someone credible by using the phone book. If your philosophy is sound, you should not be intimidated by massage therapists and understand that what you do is very different. You should also be able to explain these differences. Unfortunately sometimes the general public may not know the difference between massage therapist and chiropractors. That’s fine; this can be another opportunity to educate your patients.
Your first necessity is to come into contact with a reputable massage therapist. Introduce yourself to as many as possible throughout your town or area of practice. Many will offer you a tour of their facility and sometimes even a free massage. Take them up on the free massage if offered. This will give you a chance to see how good they are at what they do and give you more time to work on your new network relationship by visiting with them. When you are visiting with these LMT’s you are interviewing them at the same time. They are probably interviewing you also. Ask yourself questions like, “is this someone I would trust with my patient”, “could I see myself becoming a client of this person?” They need to have a respectable facility, reasonable fees and a philosophy that is somewhat close to your own. The last thing you want to do is refer a patient to a bad business that does not share your same philosophy. This could jeopardize your relationship with your patient.
I recommend you have about 4 to 5 massage therapist that you have built a rapport with. They need to be spread out in your area of practice for two reasons. First your patients do not want to drive all over town to get to your recommended LMT. Second this gives you a spread out area to receive your referrals from. Once you have your 4 to 5 LMT’s you can trust and refer to, you also have 4 to 5 LMT’s referring to your business. As always it is a good idea to keep in contact with each of them periodically to maintain your network.
When you refer a patient to a LMT, call them and let them know you sent that patient over to their business. Do no be afraid to put light pressure on them to refer you a patient or two when the timing is right.
Occasionally LMT’s will want to barter with you. You may want to do the same. It is your decision. This may be the chance you are looking for to build your network relationship even stronger.
A great way that I have found to start the referral process with LMT’s and build my practice at the same time is to offer a monthly special. For example, in the month of July refer a friend or family member to our office and receive a free 30 minute massage from a licensed massage therapist. Post signs in your office, have your receptionist tell patients and tell them yourself. This inspires patients to refer people to your office and at the same time allows you to start the referral process with your network of LMT’s. Run the special only once every few months. This puts a since of urgency to your patients to receive their free massage. The only down side is you pay for the 30 minute massage. This is a small price to pay to add a new patient to your growing practice, and some massage therapist will give you discounts for your paid referrals. Again, it’s a win, win, win situation for everyone involved.
Your first necessity is to come into contact with a reputable massage therapist. Introduce yourself to as many as possible throughout your town or area of practice. Many will offer you a tour of their facility and sometimes even a free massage. Take them up on the free massage if offered. This will give you a chance to see how good they are at what they do and give you more time to work on your new network relationship by visiting with them. When you are visiting with these LMT’s you are interviewing them at the same time. They are probably interviewing you also. Ask yourself questions like, “is this someone I would trust with my patient”, “could I see myself becoming a client of this person?” They need to have a respectable facility, reasonable fees and a philosophy that is somewhat close to your own. The last thing you want to do is refer a patient to a bad business that does not share your same philosophy. This could jeopardize your relationship with your patient.
I recommend you have about 4 to 5 massage therapist that you have built a rapport with. They need to be spread out in your area of practice for two reasons. First your patients do not want to drive all over town to get to your recommended LMT. Second this gives you a spread out area to receive your referrals from. Once you have your 4 to 5 LMT’s you can trust and refer to, you also have 4 to 5 LMT’s referring to your business. As always it is a good idea to keep in contact with each of them periodically to maintain your network.
When you refer a patient to a LMT, call them and let them know you sent that patient over to their business. Do no be afraid to put light pressure on them to refer you a patient or two when the timing is right.
Occasionally LMT’s will want to barter with you. You may want to do the same. It is your decision. This may be the chance you are looking for to build your network relationship even stronger.
A great way that I have found to start the referral process with LMT’s and build my practice at the same time is to offer a monthly special. For example, in the month of July refer a friend or family member to our office and receive a free 30 minute massage from a licensed massage therapist. Post signs in your office, have your receptionist tell patients and tell them yourself. This inspires patients to refer people to your office and at the same time allows you to start the referral process with your network of LMT’s. Run the special only once every few months. This puts a since of urgency to your patients to receive their free massage. The only down side is you pay for the 30 minute massage. This is a small price to pay to add a new patient to your growing practice, and some massage therapist will give you discounts for your paid referrals. Again, it’s a win, win, win situation for everyone involved.
Protecting the Lower Back
Except for severe accidents, the most common case of lower back pain happens when an intervertebral disc bulges out (herniates) and presses on the spinal nerve. This bulging out of the disc is often caused by uneven compression of the disc due to excessive bending or twisting of the spine, especially when the spine is under compression. Incidentally, the bending or twisting of the lower spine is controlled by the tilt and rotation of the pelvis. Because excessive anterior pelvic tilt will cause hyperextension of the spine, and excessive posterior pelvic tilt will cause excessive flexion of the spine, the safest position is “neutral spine” which causes neither anterior nor posterior pelvic tilt. It is no surprise that some of the most effective measures for protecting the lower back involve maintaining neutral spine and avoiding excessive compression forces.
Risk factors and How to Mitigate Them
Inflexible Hamstrings and GlutealsThe hamstrings and gluteals are the primary extenders of the hip joint and most of them are attached to the pelvis. If they are too tight, they will tend to pull the rear of the pelvis downward and cause a posterior pelvic tilt. This increases the risk of injury for someone who has to bend over for any reason. In addition, tightness in the gluteals and hamstrings limit the ability to bend at the hips. This is a major problem because if someone has to pick up an object from the floor, and he/she cannot bend the hips far enough, he/she is likely to do the rest of the bending with the spine. The obvious solution is to stretch the hamstrings and gluteals regularly. Whenever stretching these or any other muscle groups, it is ideal to stretch them for at least 20 seconds.
Inflexible Psoas and Latissimi DorsiThe psoas are among the major hip flexors, while the latissimi dorsi (plural) function to pull the upper arms down by the sides. The psoas are attached to the lumbar spine and if they are too tight, they can pull the lumbar spine forward and hyperextend it. The latissimi dorsi also have attachments at the lumbar spine. If someone is reaching upward, inflexibility in the latissimi dorsi and the psoas can combine to severely hyperextend the lumbar spine. As is similar to the first situation, the obvious solution here is to regularly stretch the psoas and the latissimi dorsi.
Weakness of the Abdominal Muscles and the Spinal ErectorsThe abdominal muscles and the spinal erectors function to stabilize the spine and prevent it from bending or twisting to any excessive degree. This ability is often referred to as “core stability”, and it is a major factor in protecting the lower back. In addition, the transverse abdominals and internal obliques compress the abdomen and increase the inner abdominal pressure which pushes up on the diaphragm and takes much of the compression loads off the spine. Power lifters and other athletes who lift extremely heavy weights often use weight belts to augment this function. It is therefore clear that weak abdominals and spinal erectors allow the spine to bend and twist into abnormal positions while doing almost nothing to relieve the compression forces. Strengthening the abdominals and the spinal erectors are the obvious solutions to this problem. In addition, keeping the abdominals pulled in (also known as the “drawing in maneuver”) will activate the transverse abdominals and internal obliques. Not only will this reduce the chronic compression of the spine, but it will also strengthen these muscles and increase their resistance to fatigue.
Poor posture, Improper Working Conditions, and ObesitySpending long hours in a slumped over or hyperextended position creates chronic stress on the intervertebral discs without giving them enough rest for recovery. Obesity is also a major risk factor for lower back problems because the chronically excessive compression and bending stresses create similar conditions. In addition, the sedentary lifestyle that leads to obesity is not conducive to strengthening the abdominal and lower back muscles in order to resist these excessive loads. Maintaining proper posture throughout the day is important. If your job forces you to maintain abnormal postures, then try to take regular breaks to give your back a rest. Also, an obese person would do well to go on a proper fat loss program.
There are obviously many factors which can cause lower back problems, and combining these factors will drastically increase the risk. However, there are also many things that we can do to reduce the risk. Although we can never completely eliminate the risk of lower back problems, a healthy lifestyle can certainly reduce the chances of injuries.
Risk factors and How to Mitigate Them
Inflexible Hamstrings and GlutealsThe hamstrings and gluteals are the primary extenders of the hip joint and most of them are attached to the pelvis. If they are too tight, they will tend to pull the rear of the pelvis downward and cause a posterior pelvic tilt. This increases the risk of injury for someone who has to bend over for any reason. In addition, tightness in the gluteals and hamstrings limit the ability to bend at the hips. This is a major problem because if someone has to pick up an object from the floor, and he/she cannot bend the hips far enough, he/she is likely to do the rest of the bending with the spine. The obvious solution is to stretch the hamstrings and gluteals regularly. Whenever stretching these or any other muscle groups, it is ideal to stretch them for at least 20 seconds.
Inflexible Psoas and Latissimi DorsiThe psoas are among the major hip flexors, while the latissimi dorsi (plural) function to pull the upper arms down by the sides. The psoas are attached to the lumbar spine and if they are too tight, they can pull the lumbar spine forward and hyperextend it. The latissimi dorsi also have attachments at the lumbar spine. If someone is reaching upward, inflexibility in the latissimi dorsi and the psoas can combine to severely hyperextend the lumbar spine. As is similar to the first situation, the obvious solution here is to regularly stretch the psoas and the latissimi dorsi.
Weakness of the Abdominal Muscles and the Spinal ErectorsThe abdominal muscles and the spinal erectors function to stabilize the spine and prevent it from bending or twisting to any excessive degree. This ability is often referred to as “core stability”, and it is a major factor in protecting the lower back. In addition, the transverse abdominals and internal obliques compress the abdomen and increase the inner abdominal pressure which pushes up on the diaphragm and takes much of the compression loads off the spine. Power lifters and other athletes who lift extremely heavy weights often use weight belts to augment this function. It is therefore clear that weak abdominals and spinal erectors allow the spine to bend and twist into abnormal positions while doing almost nothing to relieve the compression forces. Strengthening the abdominals and the spinal erectors are the obvious solutions to this problem. In addition, keeping the abdominals pulled in (also known as the “drawing in maneuver”) will activate the transverse abdominals and internal obliques. Not only will this reduce the chronic compression of the spine, but it will also strengthen these muscles and increase their resistance to fatigue.
Poor posture, Improper Working Conditions, and ObesitySpending long hours in a slumped over or hyperextended position creates chronic stress on the intervertebral discs without giving them enough rest for recovery. Obesity is also a major risk factor for lower back problems because the chronically excessive compression and bending stresses create similar conditions. In addition, the sedentary lifestyle that leads to obesity is not conducive to strengthening the abdominal and lower back muscles in order to resist these excessive loads. Maintaining proper posture throughout the day is important. If your job forces you to maintain abnormal postures, then try to take regular breaks to give your back a rest. Also, an obese person would do well to go on a proper fat loss program.
There are obviously many factors which can cause lower back problems, and combining these factors will drastically increase the risk. However, there are also many things that we can do to reduce the risk. Although we can never completely eliminate the risk of lower back problems, a healthy lifestyle can certainly reduce the chances of injuries.
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Back Exercises to Help Relieve Back Pain
Sometimes, when someone hurts his or her back, he or she has a regular problem with back pain in general, or even if he or she completely throw their back out, as they say, rest can be very important. Nonetheless, movement is only going to be more difficult if the muscles are too stiffened by lack of strength due to extended periods of not being used. When you can, and to the measure at which you can, you will want to begin exercising regularly to prevent worsening back pain.
When you do certain exercises regularly they will maintain your comfort and quality of life, you can do specific stretches which will strengthen both your abdominal muscles as well as your back muscles. When you perform these exercises you will be surprised at how rapidly your back pain will be minimized. The key is to keep it up. Especially for a chronic condition, but even if only an occasional but repeated occurrence, the regularity of your exercises is essential.
Even when you back is feeling good, strengthening the muscles that support the spine and posture will keep your back in great condition all the time. One example, which I believe is perhaps the most important back stretch that anyone can do, is what is commonly referred to as the “child’s pose.” For this stretch, which can be used as a part of a warm-up exercise and / or as a cool-down exercise, you will kneel and bring your chest down towards the floor. If your head does not reach the floor comfortably, use one of your forearms to rest your forehead on. This is a relaxing position. Gravity will do almost all of the work for you. If your head does touch the floor, just bring your arms back to rest on your feet. This is a comfortable way to relax and will also help you relax your shoulders for a better curving of the back.
Another example of a simple but effective exercise that targets back pain is to lay flat on your back. Bend the knees so that your feet are about as wide as your hips, leaving a space between the knees, and your feet remain flat onto the floor. In this sequence you will begin with breathing exercises. Take deep breaths pushing your back into the floor and thinking of pulling your bellybutton towards your spine as you breathe in and relax as you exhale. Then breathe in and as you breathe out let your knees fall slowly to the right side. You will move or “walk” the feet then slowly across the floor – pulling and lengthening through your spine your arms will move out to the side, pulling directly from your shoulders. The most important thing to remember in this exercise is to keep both shoulders planted as you drop the knees and move your feet as far as you can toward the right hand. If you can grab your feet, do so. But be sure not to push yourself. Your head will be turned to the left side, and you will look to the left hand throughout the stretch. The objective is to be lengthening through the spine, allowing it to twist to a comfortable stretch – always remembering to lengthen through the torso. In addition, you will also be able to stretch the shoulders, arms, the legs and the upper back all in one simple sequence.
My third example may not be possible for many people in more serious pain than others to do right away. Nonetheless, once you can, the movement often called the plow is a wonderful, refreshing exercise. Lying on the floor you lift your legs over your head
One of my absolute favorite exercises to do (always at the end of my workout) is to roll up my mat or a towel, lay it on the floor and, as I lay down I line it up with my spinal cord. Gravity, like with the child’s pose, is your key factor in this stretch and it feels so good. Lie on top of the mat or towel for as long as you like. It is so relaxing – just don’t fall back to sleep if you have to get to work! Many more people are doing regular exercises to improve the condition of their backs, especially when he or she experiences regular back pain. Doctors are now (more and more often) suggesting gentle back exercise for even the worst of back pain patients. So give it a try – you may be able to significantly improve the quality of your life!
When you do certain exercises regularly they will maintain your comfort and quality of life, you can do specific stretches which will strengthen both your abdominal muscles as well as your back muscles. When you perform these exercises you will be surprised at how rapidly your back pain will be minimized. The key is to keep it up. Especially for a chronic condition, but even if only an occasional but repeated occurrence, the regularity of your exercises is essential.
Even when you back is feeling good, strengthening the muscles that support the spine and posture will keep your back in great condition all the time. One example, which I believe is perhaps the most important back stretch that anyone can do, is what is commonly referred to as the “child’s pose.” For this stretch, which can be used as a part of a warm-up exercise and / or as a cool-down exercise, you will kneel and bring your chest down towards the floor. If your head does not reach the floor comfortably, use one of your forearms to rest your forehead on. This is a relaxing position. Gravity will do almost all of the work for you. If your head does touch the floor, just bring your arms back to rest on your feet. This is a comfortable way to relax and will also help you relax your shoulders for a better curving of the back.
Another example of a simple but effective exercise that targets back pain is to lay flat on your back. Bend the knees so that your feet are about as wide as your hips, leaving a space between the knees, and your feet remain flat onto the floor. In this sequence you will begin with breathing exercises. Take deep breaths pushing your back into the floor and thinking of pulling your bellybutton towards your spine as you breathe in and relax as you exhale. Then breathe in and as you breathe out let your knees fall slowly to the right side. You will move or “walk” the feet then slowly across the floor – pulling and lengthening through your spine your arms will move out to the side, pulling directly from your shoulders. The most important thing to remember in this exercise is to keep both shoulders planted as you drop the knees and move your feet as far as you can toward the right hand. If you can grab your feet, do so. But be sure not to push yourself. Your head will be turned to the left side, and you will look to the left hand throughout the stretch. The objective is to be lengthening through the spine, allowing it to twist to a comfortable stretch – always remembering to lengthen through the torso. In addition, you will also be able to stretch the shoulders, arms, the legs and the upper back all in one simple sequence.
My third example may not be possible for many people in more serious pain than others to do right away. Nonetheless, once you can, the movement often called the plow is a wonderful, refreshing exercise. Lying on the floor you lift your legs over your head
One of my absolute favorite exercises to do (always at the end of my workout) is to roll up my mat or a towel, lay it on the floor and, as I lay down I line it up with my spinal cord. Gravity, like with the child’s pose, is your key factor in this stretch and it feels so good. Lie on top of the mat or towel for as long as you like. It is so relaxing – just don’t fall back to sleep if you have to get to work! Many more people are doing regular exercises to improve the condition of their backs, especially when he or she experiences regular back pain. Doctors are now (more and more often) suggesting gentle back exercise for even the worst of back pain patients. So give it a try – you may be able to significantly improve the quality of your life!
5 Secrets That Eliminate Upper Back Pain Headaches
Upper back pain headaches are one of the most common types of headaches. The pain can be debilitating and even affect your concentration, enthusiasm and moods. Just ask those nearest to you what you become like when you have an upper back pain headache.
Upper back pain headaches are due to 5 main factors. Understand these and you also understand how you can eliminate your headaches quickly.
Secret 1 – one of the common causes of headaches in general is dehydration. Whether you suffer from upper back pain headaches or headaches in general, water is essential. You do not need to drown yourself in water, but 3-4 glasses of water a day can eliminate your headaches quickly.
Secret 2 – stress is a common cause of upper back pain headaches. Why? Stress, as the saying goes, “rides on your shoulders”. Stress affects the muscles in your upper back and neck areas. It is these muscles that refer to the head creating upper back pain headaches. You may think that eliminating stress may be impossible. In reality it isn’t, it is the simple and easy things you do to eliminate stress that matters. One of the best web sites on stress relief is fast-stress-relief dot com. Check it out as I do recommend it.
Secret 3 – stretch your upper back and neck. As it is the muscles around the upper back and neck that refer to the head, stretching them is a wise decision. If the muscles in this area remain relaxed, upper back pain headaches will not occur. As with any area of the spine, the entire spine should be assessed and corrected accordingly.
Secret 4 – posture affects your upper back. Prolonged sitting is the most common culprit. If you sit for extended periods of time, the upper back joints and muscles tighten, this leads to the upper back pain headaches. Changing your posture regularly is the best solution to postural stresses. Look at your chair position and height; alter your work space to ease any tensions that are created. Exercise and improving your posture will also help to remove and prevent your upper back pain headaches.
Secret 5 – this leads on from secret 4, you need to rest more. Rest means physically lying down more often. This is the only way to truly rest your spine and muscles. Live by a simple motto of “if you don’t have to sit or stand – don’t”. This way you will lie down more often and stop the effects of gravity, poor posture, it allows you to de-stress and take tension off the muscles that create your upper back pain headaches.
5 simple secrets that if you follow can not only remove, but prevent your upper back pain headaches. Back pain affects over 80-% of adults at some stage. There are numerous ways you can help your self and stop back pain and upper back pan headaches.
Upper back pain headaches are due to 5 main factors. Understand these and you also understand how you can eliminate your headaches quickly.
Secret 1 – one of the common causes of headaches in general is dehydration. Whether you suffer from upper back pain headaches or headaches in general, water is essential. You do not need to drown yourself in water, but 3-4 glasses of water a day can eliminate your headaches quickly.
Secret 2 – stress is a common cause of upper back pain headaches. Why? Stress, as the saying goes, “rides on your shoulders”. Stress affects the muscles in your upper back and neck areas. It is these muscles that refer to the head creating upper back pain headaches. You may think that eliminating stress may be impossible. In reality it isn’t, it is the simple and easy things you do to eliminate stress that matters. One of the best web sites on stress relief is fast-stress-relief dot com. Check it out as I do recommend it.
Secret 3 – stretch your upper back and neck. As it is the muscles around the upper back and neck that refer to the head, stretching them is a wise decision. If the muscles in this area remain relaxed, upper back pain headaches will not occur. As with any area of the spine, the entire spine should be assessed and corrected accordingly.
Secret 4 – posture affects your upper back. Prolonged sitting is the most common culprit. If you sit for extended periods of time, the upper back joints and muscles tighten, this leads to the upper back pain headaches. Changing your posture regularly is the best solution to postural stresses. Look at your chair position and height; alter your work space to ease any tensions that are created. Exercise and improving your posture will also help to remove and prevent your upper back pain headaches.
Secret 5 – this leads on from secret 4, you need to rest more. Rest means physically lying down more often. This is the only way to truly rest your spine and muscles. Live by a simple motto of “if you don’t have to sit or stand – don’t”. This way you will lie down more often and stop the effects of gravity, poor posture, it allows you to de-stress and take tension off the muscles that create your upper back pain headaches.
5 simple secrets that if you follow can not only remove, but prevent your upper back pain headaches. Back pain affects over 80-% of adults at some stage. There are numerous ways you can help your self and stop back pain and upper back pan headaches.
Construction Injuries-Effective Pain Management and Rapid Care
Summer is in full swing; it’s the busiest season for the construction industry and painful injuries abound. More than 7.3 million people (approximately 6% of the nation’s work force) work in the US construction industry and painful and debilitating construction injuries are a leading source of occupational injury.
Experts say there is a direct link between effective pain management and rapid care following an injury.
According to Lawrence Gorfine, M.D., Board Certified in Anesthesiology and Pain Management and co-founder of Palm Beach Spine & Pain Institute, effective Pain Management for injuries can depend upon rapid care following the injury. “It is essential that patients seek rapid treatment after an injury in order to limit the inflammatory processes that can lead to chronic pain and disability,” says Dr. Gorfine.
Inflammation occurs rapidly in the acute stage following an injury, quickly building up as the body attempts to neutralize toxins and begin the repair process. Pain can escalate after the acute phase of an injury, and continue as a result of damaged tissue and other injuries, and if not treated, can often lead to inflammatory conditions known as chronic pain.
Common construction related injuries include slip and fall accidents, crane and scaffolding accidents, welding rod accidents and dangerous or defective equipment accidents. Other causes of accidents are vehicular injuries while operating vehicles and machinery or from driving to and from the workplace.
By far, the most common accident at construction sites is a fall, either on the same level or from significant height. While the most serious construction injuries are caused by falling from great heights, strained or sprained arms, legs, and backs are very common construction injuries; usually a result of lifting heavy objects. In fact, the back is the part of the body most frequently injured at work accounting for nearly 25 percent of all work-related injuries.
Effective diagnosis and pain management techniques
Over the last twenty years, many chemical and anatomic pain pathways have been identified and studied, helping to diagnose and treat painful injuries. The Board Certified Anesthesiologist and Pain Medicine Specialist can perform diagnostic injections, usually with enhanced fluoroscopic guidance, to isolate and confirm the source of the patient’s pain. Once identified, these painful structures are medically treated.
Epiduroscopy is the insertion of a fiber optic filament through a needle directly into the spine. This is connected to a television monitor to visualize the inside of the spinal canal, spinal cord and spinal nerves. This procedure has been effective in making accurate diagnosis, accomplishing precise injections, cutting of epidural adhesions and scar tissue and in the removal of toxins liberated by injured discs.
Pioneering pain management techniques performed by Board Certified Pain Management physicians include highly specific injection procedures eliminating pain at its source by isolating the nerve ending to the painful spot. Medication can be injected at the exact site of the injury or compressive lesion, eliminating the pain and allowing the injured party to return to a level of previous activity.
How many are injured in Construction Accidents?
According to the National Center for Personal Injury Protection and Control, one out of every 10 US construction workers is accidentally injured every year. In 2003, 400,000 people suffered construction accident injuries so severe that they were forced to miss work that same year.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2005 a total of 4.2 million injuries and illnesses were reported in private industry workplaces, and about 2.2 million of these required days off work or restricted duties.
Who Pays for Care when a Worker is Injured?
According to the Insurance Information Institute (III), nine out of 10 people in the nation’s workforce are protected by workers compensation insurance, which is required for nearly all employees. Injured workers receive all approved medically necessary and appropriate treatment from the first day of injury or illness.
Treatment will be provided at no cost to the injured for medically necessary care approved and provided by authorized health care providers. Approved treatment can include doctor appointments, diagnostic testing, surgery, hospital and physician care, mileage reimbursement to and from all medical providers, and any other medical items or treatment ordered by your authorized physician.
Rather than simply administering pain medication, Board Certified Interventional Pain Management physicians diagnose the sources of pain and provide immediate pain relief through minimally invasive techniques. These techniques arrest the inflammatory process and limit further tissue damage, returning the injured structure to normal function. Board Certified Pain Management Physicians are an important resource for the both the patient and the employer, helping the injured quickly return to productive employment and pre-injury activity levels.
Experts say there is a direct link between effective pain management and rapid care following an injury.
According to Lawrence Gorfine, M.D., Board Certified in Anesthesiology and Pain Management and co-founder of Palm Beach Spine & Pain Institute, effective Pain Management for injuries can depend upon rapid care following the injury. “It is essential that patients seek rapid treatment after an injury in order to limit the inflammatory processes that can lead to chronic pain and disability,” says Dr. Gorfine.
Inflammation occurs rapidly in the acute stage following an injury, quickly building up as the body attempts to neutralize toxins and begin the repair process. Pain can escalate after the acute phase of an injury, and continue as a result of damaged tissue and other injuries, and if not treated, can often lead to inflammatory conditions known as chronic pain.
Common construction related injuries include slip and fall accidents, crane and scaffolding accidents, welding rod accidents and dangerous or defective equipment accidents. Other causes of accidents are vehicular injuries while operating vehicles and machinery or from driving to and from the workplace.
By far, the most common accident at construction sites is a fall, either on the same level or from significant height. While the most serious construction injuries are caused by falling from great heights, strained or sprained arms, legs, and backs are very common construction injuries; usually a result of lifting heavy objects. In fact, the back is the part of the body most frequently injured at work accounting for nearly 25 percent of all work-related injuries.
Effective diagnosis and pain management techniques
Over the last twenty years, many chemical and anatomic pain pathways have been identified and studied, helping to diagnose and treat painful injuries. The Board Certified Anesthesiologist and Pain Medicine Specialist can perform diagnostic injections, usually with enhanced fluoroscopic guidance, to isolate and confirm the source of the patient’s pain. Once identified, these painful structures are medically treated.
Epiduroscopy is the insertion of a fiber optic filament through a needle directly into the spine. This is connected to a television monitor to visualize the inside of the spinal canal, spinal cord and spinal nerves. This procedure has been effective in making accurate diagnosis, accomplishing precise injections, cutting of epidural adhesions and scar tissue and in the removal of toxins liberated by injured discs.
Pioneering pain management techniques performed by Board Certified Pain Management physicians include highly specific injection procedures eliminating pain at its source by isolating the nerve ending to the painful spot. Medication can be injected at the exact site of the injury or compressive lesion, eliminating the pain and allowing the injured party to return to a level of previous activity.
How many are injured in Construction Accidents?
According to the National Center for Personal Injury Protection and Control, one out of every 10 US construction workers is accidentally injured every year. In 2003, 400,000 people suffered construction accident injuries so severe that they were forced to miss work that same year.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2005 a total of 4.2 million injuries and illnesses were reported in private industry workplaces, and about 2.2 million of these required days off work or restricted duties.
Who Pays for Care when a Worker is Injured?
According to the Insurance Information Institute (III), nine out of 10 people in the nation’s workforce are protected by workers compensation insurance, which is required for nearly all employees. Injured workers receive all approved medically necessary and appropriate treatment from the first day of injury or illness.
Treatment will be provided at no cost to the injured for medically necessary care approved and provided by authorized health care providers. Approved treatment can include doctor appointments, diagnostic testing, surgery, hospital and physician care, mileage reimbursement to and from all medical providers, and any other medical items or treatment ordered by your authorized physician.
Rather than simply administering pain medication, Board Certified Interventional Pain Management physicians diagnose the sources of pain and provide immediate pain relief through minimally invasive techniques. These techniques arrest the inflammatory process and limit further tissue damage, returning the injured structure to normal function. Board Certified Pain Management Physicians are an important resource for the both the patient and the employer, helping the injured quickly return to productive employment and pre-injury activity levels.
Back Pain Symptoms & Treatment
Here’s one problem you can’t turn your back on! But you can get some relief from knowing that very few people turn out to have a major problem or a dangerous medical condition involving the bones or joints of the back. In fact, often the exact cause of a person’s back pain can’t be pinpointed exactly. Many causes result from everyday activities and clear up by themselves within a relatively short time period. Whether your back pain requires a doctor’s care or not, chances are you’ll be “back” to normal in no time.
Back pain may be blamed on poor muscles tone in the back, muscle tension or spasm, back strains, ligament or muscle tears, bone weakness and/or joint problems. If you have a so called “slipped disc” in your spinal column, you may suffer buttock of leg pain, numbness, tingling of weakness in the bones of legs due to irritation of nerves from the spinal cord. Emotional stress of long periods of inactivity may worsen back pain.
People in poor physical condition (including obesity) or those who do work that includes heavy labor or long periods of sitting or standing have a higher risk of developing low back problems; they also get better more slowly.
Occasionally back pain can be due to other conditions. These include arthritis, ulcers or other intestinal problems, kidney disease, pregnancy or other gynecological conditions, heart diseases, bone injuries and cancer. If back pain seems unrelated to an injury or activity, or is in any other way unusual, a visit to the doctor is recommended.
Symptoms
Back pain is usually confined to the lower back, but it may extend to other areas, particularly the legs. Affected parts of the back may feel tender or sore to the touch and the pain may increase with movement. Pain can be felt as sharp of knife-like, a burning sensation or as a dull muscular ache. Symptoms can range from mildly uncomfortable to completely disabling.
Treatment
Most episodes of mild back pain will improve without any medical intervention. Over the counter medications such as acetaminophen and ibuprofen can provide temporary relief. It’s a good idea to avoid overly strenuous or repetitive activity, but bed rest should generally be avoided. In fact, numerous clinical trials have confirmed that continued activity and prescribed exercises reduce back discomfort and result in more rapid recovery. Exercise and healthy diet can be followed to make bones healthy. In addition, a good exercise program may help prevent recurrence-common with back pain. Check with your doctor if your symptoms worsen or don’t improve rapidly.
Other helpful back pain treatments include physical therapy, massage and spinal manipulation. In addition, a panel from the National Institutes of Health has concluded that acupuncture may be useful as one form of treatment in a comprehensive management program for back pain. Surgical treatment of back pain is dictated but by the type of structural problem that is causing the pain. In some cases, surgery can be a highly effective option.
Back pain may be blamed on poor muscles tone in the back, muscle tension or spasm, back strains, ligament or muscle tears, bone weakness and/or joint problems. If you have a so called “slipped disc” in your spinal column, you may suffer buttock of leg pain, numbness, tingling of weakness in the bones of legs due to irritation of nerves from the spinal cord. Emotional stress of long periods of inactivity may worsen back pain.
People in poor physical condition (including obesity) or those who do work that includes heavy labor or long periods of sitting or standing have a higher risk of developing low back problems; they also get better more slowly.
Occasionally back pain can be due to other conditions. These include arthritis, ulcers or other intestinal problems, kidney disease, pregnancy or other gynecological conditions, heart diseases, bone injuries and cancer. If back pain seems unrelated to an injury or activity, or is in any other way unusual, a visit to the doctor is recommended.
Symptoms
Back pain is usually confined to the lower back, but it may extend to other areas, particularly the legs. Affected parts of the back may feel tender or sore to the touch and the pain may increase with movement. Pain can be felt as sharp of knife-like, a burning sensation or as a dull muscular ache. Symptoms can range from mildly uncomfortable to completely disabling.
Treatment
Most episodes of mild back pain will improve without any medical intervention. Over the counter medications such as acetaminophen and ibuprofen can provide temporary relief. It’s a good idea to avoid overly strenuous or repetitive activity, but bed rest should generally be avoided. In fact, numerous clinical trials have confirmed that continued activity and prescribed exercises reduce back discomfort and result in more rapid recovery. Exercise and healthy diet can be followed to make bones healthy. In addition, a good exercise program may help prevent recurrence-common with back pain. Check with your doctor if your symptoms worsen or don’t improve rapidly.
Other helpful back pain treatments include physical therapy, massage and spinal manipulation. In addition, a panel from the National Institutes of Health has concluded that acupuncture may be useful as one form of treatment in a comprehensive management program for back pain. Surgical treatment of back pain is dictated but by the type of structural problem that is causing the pain. In some cases, surgery can be a highly effective option.
Herniated Discs
Herniated discs are very common spinal abnormalities. They are so common in fact; that they might actually be called “normal”, since a large percentage of the general population has one or more disc herniations in their spines. Herniated discs have been vilified by the traditional and alternative medical systems. However, learning the truth about disc herniations will demonstrate that they are rarely the cause of serious chronic pain conditions.
Herniated discs are also known by a variety of terminologies including bulging discs, extruded discs, slipped discs, and ruptured discs. Regardless of the nomenclature used, herniated discs inspire fear in orthopedic patients around the world. Intervertebral discs are the shock absorbers of the spinal column. They reside between the individual spinal bones known as vertebrae. The discs are designed to be soft and pliable in order to cushion the vertebral bones, absorb shock in the spine and increase general spinal flexibility. Intervertebral discs are also known as spinal discs or simply discs. They are composed of a thick and durable outer wall known as the annulus fibrosus and a softer inner core known as the nucleus pulposus.
Herniated Discs occur when the disc wall bulges outwards. This bulge can occur towards the front of the spine, the rear, or either side. Sometimes the outer wall actually tears open, leaking some of the disc nucleus into the body cavity. Discs can herniated or rupture from a variety of causes including traumatic injury, related spinal conditions or degenerative processes. It is completely normal for discs to dry out and lose thickness as we age. While medicine calls this process Degenerative Disc Disease, it is not a disease at all, but merely a universal and expected part of the aging process.
The vast majority of doctors, regardless of specialty, theorize that herniated discs cause pain mostly by compressing spinal nerve roots in their vicinity. As the disc bulges, the outer disc wall can press on the thecal sac which surrounds the spinal cord and spinal nerves. Herniated discs can also compress individual spinal nerve roots as they exit through the vertebral foramen on either side of the spine. These instances of nerve impingement can create a host of symptoms throughout the local area, as well as the anatomical region served by the affected nerve. These symptoms can affect the sensory, motor or autonomic capabilities of the bodily region served by the impinged nerve. All this talk of neurological blockage and dysfunction can have a powerful nocebo effect on any diagnosed patient. It is no surprise that most patients’ pain gets far worse after a positive diagnosis of disc herniation. All the blame residing on these poor herniated discs has certainly given them a fearsome reputation as a major contributor to long term chronic back pain problems. However, this is only half the story…
Here are some random facts about herniated discs which are not common knowledge. A sizeable amount of the population has one or more herniated discs and does not even know it. These people do not experience any pain or related symptoms and usually discover their disc abnormalities during routine imaging studies performed for a completely unrelated condition. Most patients who have herniated discs do not suffer any pain. There is very little direct proof that disc herniations are indeed the source of long term pain. Although herniated disc injuries can be painful for a time, they usually resolve themselves in a matter of weeks and do not require any special medical treatment. Continued compression of a spinal nerve will not create lasting pain; it will instead create numbness, as the nerve will cease the function altogether after a short time. Finally, the symptoms experienced by patients often do not correspond to the clinical impression of the disc injury. Patients often have pain and related neurological symptoms in areas not affected by the herniated disc.
Ok, so if herniated discs are rarely the cause of lasting symptoms, what is causing all these diagnosed patients to suffer endlessly with horrific torturous pain? The most logical and widely accepted theory says that most herniated disc pain conditions are misdiagnosed as the actual causation of symptoms. The disc irregularity exists, but is completely coincidental and innocent of causing any problems. This is the case for millions of patients who have been led down the wrong path when it comes to their back pain diagnosis. This is the primary reason for the dismal treatment results offered by most medical disc therapies. The sad reality is that back pain which lasts more than 2 months is more likely to continue forever than it is to be cured. Now that is truly frightening!
If the majority of disc conditions are innocent and asymptomatic, then what is causing all this pain? Once again, there are varying theories, but the most accepted and logical states that ischemia is the likely culprit. Oxygen deprivation of the muscles, nerves and other spinal structures can create serious pain and spasms which will bring the strongest patient to their knees. Ischemia leaves almost no telltale evidence, unless the individually affected cells can be dissected and studied in the laboratory. Oxygen deprivation can be caused by many purely physical processes, but is far more often created by a psychosomatic pain syndrome. Psycho-emotional pain is completely real, physical, and universal. The only variables are the location, duration and severity of symptoms. For patients with severe psychosomatic back pain, there is little hope for a cure, since their true underlying causative condition has never been correctly diagnosed.
I have extensive experience with herniated discs. After all, I have 2 of them, myself. I was diagnosed with multiple disc injuries in my early twenties after suffering with severe back pain since the age of 16. After diagnosis, my symptoms worsened and began a battle to control my very life. I tried every conceivable traditional, alternative and complementary treatment for disc pain with extremely poor results. After suffering in agony for 18 years, I finally ended my back pain for good. Learning the true and actual facts about herniated discs was a huge contributor to my cure. Do the research for yourself and read the clinical studies. You will also see that there is little correlation between herniated discs and chronic back pain. For every patient with a painful herniated disc, there are 10 patients with disc herniations, yet no pain. Learn the truth and become free…PAIN FREE.
Herniated discs are also known by a variety of terminologies including bulging discs, extruded discs, slipped discs, and ruptured discs. Regardless of the nomenclature used, herniated discs inspire fear in orthopedic patients around the world. Intervertebral discs are the shock absorbers of the spinal column. They reside between the individual spinal bones known as vertebrae. The discs are designed to be soft and pliable in order to cushion the vertebral bones, absorb shock in the spine and increase general spinal flexibility. Intervertebral discs are also known as spinal discs or simply discs. They are composed of a thick and durable outer wall known as the annulus fibrosus and a softer inner core known as the nucleus pulposus.
Herniated Discs occur when the disc wall bulges outwards. This bulge can occur towards the front of the spine, the rear, or either side. Sometimes the outer wall actually tears open, leaking some of the disc nucleus into the body cavity. Discs can herniated or rupture from a variety of causes including traumatic injury, related spinal conditions or degenerative processes. It is completely normal for discs to dry out and lose thickness as we age. While medicine calls this process Degenerative Disc Disease, it is not a disease at all, but merely a universal and expected part of the aging process.
The vast majority of doctors, regardless of specialty, theorize that herniated discs cause pain mostly by compressing spinal nerve roots in their vicinity. As the disc bulges, the outer disc wall can press on the thecal sac which surrounds the spinal cord and spinal nerves. Herniated discs can also compress individual spinal nerve roots as they exit through the vertebral foramen on either side of the spine. These instances of nerve impingement can create a host of symptoms throughout the local area, as well as the anatomical region served by the affected nerve. These symptoms can affect the sensory, motor or autonomic capabilities of the bodily region served by the impinged nerve. All this talk of neurological blockage and dysfunction can have a powerful nocebo effect on any diagnosed patient. It is no surprise that most patients’ pain gets far worse after a positive diagnosis of disc herniation. All the blame residing on these poor herniated discs has certainly given them a fearsome reputation as a major contributor to long term chronic back pain problems. However, this is only half the story…
Here are some random facts about herniated discs which are not common knowledge. A sizeable amount of the population has one or more herniated discs and does not even know it. These people do not experience any pain or related symptoms and usually discover their disc abnormalities during routine imaging studies performed for a completely unrelated condition. Most patients who have herniated discs do not suffer any pain. There is very little direct proof that disc herniations are indeed the source of long term pain. Although herniated disc injuries can be painful for a time, they usually resolve themselves in a matter of weeks and do not require any special medical treatment. Continued compression of a spinal nerve will not create lasting pain; it will instead create numbness, as the nerve will cease the function altogether after a short time. Finally, the symptoms experienced by patients often do not correspond to the clinical impression of the disc injury. Patients often have pain and related neurological symptoms in areas not affected by the herniated disc.
Ok, so if herniated discs are rarely the cause of lasting symptoms, what is causing all these diagnosed patients to suffer endlessly with horrific torturous pain? The most logical and widely accepted theory says that most herniated disc pain conditions are misdiagnosed as the actual causation of symptoms. The disc irregularity exists, but is completely coincidental and innocent of causing any problems. This is the case for millions of patients who have been led down the wrong path when it comes to their back pain diagnosis. This is the primary reason for the dismal treatment results offered by most medical disc therapies. The sad reality is that back pain which lasts more than 2 months is more likely to continue forever than it is to be cured. Now that is truly frightening!
If the majority of disc conditions are innocent and asymptomatic, then what is causing all this pain? Once again, there are varying theories, but the most accepted and logical states that ischemia is the likely culprit. Oxygen deprivation of the muscles, nerves and other spinal structures can create serious pain and spasms which will bring the strongest patient to their knees. Ischemia leaves almost no telltale evidence, unless the individually affected cells can be dissected and studied in the laboratory. Oxygen deprivation can be caused by many purely physical processes, but is far more often created by a psychosomatic pain syndrome. Psycho-emotional pain is completely real, physical, and universal. The only variables are the location, duration and severity of symptoms. For patients with severe psychosomatic back pain, there is little hope for a cure, since their true underlying causative condition has never been correctly diagnosed.
I have extensive experience with herniated discs. After all, I have 2 of them, myself. I was diagnosed with multiple disc injuries in my early twenties after suffering with severe back pain since the age of 16. After diagnosis, my symptoms worsened and began a battle to control my very life. I tried every conceivable traditional, alternative and complementary treatment for disc pain with extremely poor results. After suffering in agony for 18 years, I finally ended my back pain for good. Learning the true and actual facts about herniated discs was a huge contributor to my cure. Do the research for yourself and read the clinical studies. You will also see that there is little correlation between herniated discs and chronic back pain. For every patient with a painful herniated disc, there are 10 patients with disc herniations, yet no pain. Learn the truth and become free…PAIN FREE.
Herbal Cure for Backache
Back ache can be caused by an accident or an injury to the spine. Backache is generally a gripping pain near the inward curve of the back above the base of the spine. Back problems affect all kinds of people, men as much as women and young as well as old. Back is an important organ that bears the entire body weight. In the contemporary times. Sedentary living habits, hazardous work patterns and psychological conditions associated with emotional stress, which bring about spasm of the muscles, cause backaches. As the back bears the weight of the entire body, overweight persons feel the strain on the back when they have to carry an extra load.
In most cases of backache, the pain is usually felt either in the middle of the back or lower down. It may spread to both sides of the waist and the hips. In a condition of acute pain, the patient is unable to move and is bedridden. Many people experience back pain as they age and their joint tissues deteriorate or shift. Psychological tension, stress, or anxiety about everyday problems can also lead to backache. In addition, back pain can result from diseases of the kidneys, heart, lungs, intestinal tract, or reproductive organs. Other causes include stress and strain resulting from sitting for a long time, improper lifting of weights, high heels, and emotional problems which may cause painful muscle cramping.
Backache caused is degenerative disease, metabolic diseases or congenital. Acute or chronic illnesses like kidney or prostate problems, female disorders, Influenza, and arthritis, may also lead to backache. It can be the result of developmental problems or a tumour. Use this list as a basis of the possible causes of back pain. Backaches occasionally stem from a congenital (present from birth) malformation. In such cases, pain generally results from the unusual stresses that the deformity imposes on surrounding muscular structures rather than from the abnormality itself. Severe back pain may also be accompanied by pain or numbness radiating down one or both legs. Though most muscular back pains disappear within a week or two of their onset, some can last one to two months. Pain may recur unless preventive measures are taken. Usually the pain is felt in the middle of the back or in the lower back. When the pain aggravates, it tends to spread to both sides of the waist and hips. When the pain becomes very acute, the patient is recommended bed rest for sometime. Most patients suffer from a problem referred to as cervical and lumbar spondylosis, in which the spine tends to lose its flexibility.
Herbal Remedies Cure for Backache
1.Use of garlic. Two or three cloves should be taken every morning to get results. An oil prepared from garlic and rubbed on the back will give great relief.
2.Lemon is another useful remedy for backache.
3.Raw potato is an ancient home remedy for backache, characterised by incapacitating pain in the lumbar region, especially in the lower part of the back.
4.Fish oil taken daily, is the least expensive and most effective manner in which to eliminate backache, joint pain, pains in the wrists.
5.Mixture of powdered sonth, sweet soda and salt if consumed with hot milk or water can alleviate your backache problems.
6.While sleeping, sleep on a firm mattress. Avoid sleeping face down.
7.Heat may be applied with hot water bottle or infrared lamp for temporary relief in the area.
8.Drink some hot milk or water with powdered sonth, meetha soda, and namak.
9.Colchicine - may help with back pain caused by a herniated disc (note: colchicine may have adverse side effects).
10.Willow Bark - used when experiencing pain due to inflammation.
11.Cayenne Pepper - can be applied topically to areas of pain (a counter irritant).
12.Devil's Claw - may reduce accute lower back pain.
13.Ginger - used to decrease inflammation and associated back pain.
14.Eucalyptus and Peppermint Oil - a combination of eucalyptus and peppermint oil applied topically to area of pain (a counter irritant).
15.Turmeric - has anti-inflammatory effects with possible treatment of low back pain.
In most cases of backache, the pain is usually felt either in the middle of the back or lower down. It may spread to both sides of the waist and the hips. In a condition of acute pain, the patient is unable to move and is bedridden. Many people experience back pain as they age and their joint tissues deteriorate or shift. Psychological tension, stress, or anxiety about everyday problems can also lead to backache. In addition, back pain can result from diseases of the kidneys, heart, lungs, intestinal tract, or reproductive organs. Other causes include stress and strain resulting from sitting for a long time, improper lifting of weights, high heels, and emotional problems which may cause painful muscle cramping.
Backache caused is degenerative disease, metabolic diseases or congenital. Acute or chronic illnesses like kidney or prostate problems, female disorders, Influenza, and arthritis, may also lead to backache. It can be the result of developmental problems or a tumour. Use this list as a basis of the possible causes of back pain. Backaches occasionally stem from a congenital (present from birth) malformation. In such cases, pain generally results from the unusual stresses that the deformity imposes on surrounding muscular structures rather than from the abnormality itself. Severe back pain may also be accompanied by pain or numbness radiating down one or both legs. Though most muscular back pains disappear within a week or two of their onset, some can last one to two months. Pain may recur unless preventive measures are taken. Usually the pain is felt in the middle of the back or in the lower back. When the pain aggravates, it tends to spread to both sides of the waist and hips. When the pain becomes very acute, the patient is recommended bed rest for sometime. Most patients suffer from a problem referred to as cervical and lumbar spondylosis, in which the spine tends to lose its flexibility.
Herbal Remedies Cure for Backache
1.Use of garlic. Two or three cloves should be taken every morning to get results. An oil prepared from garlic and rubbed on the back will give great relief.
2.Lemon is another useful remedy for backache.
3.Raw potato is an ancient home remedy for backache, characterised by incapacitating pain in the lumbar region, especially in the lower part of the back.
4.Fish oil taken daily, is the least expensive and most effective manner in which to eliminate backache, joint pain, pains in the wrists.
5.Mixture of powdered sonth, sweet soda and salt if consumed with hot milk or water can alleviate your backache problems.
6.While sleeping, sleep on a firm mattress. Avoid sleeping face down.
7.Heat may be applied with hot water bottle or infrared lamp for temporary relief in the area.
8.Drink some hot milk or water with powdered sonth, meetha soda, and namak.
9.Colchicine - may help with back pain caused by a herniated disc (note: colchicine may have adverse side effects).
10.Willow Bark - used when experiencing pain due to inflammation.
11.Cayenne Pepper - can be applied topically to areas of pain (a counter irritant).
12.Devil's Claw - may reduce accute lower back pain.
13.Ginger - used to decrease inflammation and associated back pain.
14.Eucalyptus and Peppermint Oil - a combination of eucalyptus and peppermint oil applied topically to area of pain (a counter irritant).
15.Turmeric - has anti-inflammatory effects with possible treatment of low back pain.
Low Back Pain Relief
There are many reasons as to why a person may find themselves suffering from low back pain. It could be because they have strained some muscles in their back or even some ligaments. It may be caused by them having problems with the disks in their spine. But the most common cause for a person to suffer from low back pain is that their muscles have become weak through inactivity or if a person does something such as lift a heavy box or carrying out some work in the garden.
But there are certain things a person can use or do in order to help with relieving the pain in the lower part of their back. In this article I will take a look at some different kind of low back pain relief you may want to consider using in the future.
One of the first things a person can try is to lay on the floor on their back and get someone to place under their knees. Or they could try instead laying on the floor on their back with their hips and knees bent and then place their feet on a chair in front of them. By doing this a person is actually taking pressure and weight off of their back.
It is important to note when using this method for helping to relief the back pain, you will need to use this for a couple of days. Plus do not rest for any longer than this or you will find that your muscle become much weaker and so the time it takes to recover will end up taking a lot longer. Therefore although it may hurt in the beginning it is best if you walk around for a few minutes each hour each day as well.
Another way of helping to relieve the pain felt when a person has a problem with their back is to use heating pads. This is ideal for helping to relieve the pain felt when the muscles in the back spasm. This particular kind of low back pain relief treatment should be used for 20 to 30 minutes at a time and work by helping to relieve the tension in the muscles when they go into spasm.
Above we have looked at some of the more natural ways to help with low back pain relief however there are medications that a person can use instead. These can either be purchased over the counter at your local drug store or will need to be prescribed by your doctor.
But there are certain things a person can use or do in order to help with relieving the pain in the lower part of their back. In this article I will take a look at some different kind of low back pain relief you may want to consider using in the future.
One of the first things a person can try is to lay on the floor on their back and get someone to place under their knees. Or they could try instead laying on the floor on their back with their hips and knees bent and then place their feet on a chair in front of them. By doing this a person is actually taking pressure and weight off of their back.
It is important to note when using this method for helping to relief the back pain, you will need to use this for a couple of days. Plus do not rest for any longer than this or you will find that your muscle become much weaker and so the time it takes to recover will end up taking a lot longer. Therefore although it may hurt in the beginning it is best if you walk around for a few minutes each hour each day as well.
Another way of helping to relieve the pain felt when a person has a problem with their back is to use heating pads. This is ideal for helping to relieve the pain felt when the muscles in the back spasm. This particular kind of low back pain relief treatment should be used for 20 to 30 minutes at a time and work by helping to relieve the tension in the muscles when they go into spasm.
Above we have looked at some of the more natural ways to help with low back pain relief however there are medications that a person can use instead. These can either be purchased over the counter at your local drug store or will need to be prescribed by your doctor.
Relieving Pain in Joints, Back, Hips and Legs
After hearing your description, I feel the best way to deal with your pain is on another level.
In your detailed description you describe your broken dreams and I feel that these broken dreams are now the cause of the ever-increasing complexity of your external symptoms.
By learning to dream again - especially if you use your imagination, your creativity and passion for life - you can rebuild your body from the inside.
Your dreams directly affect the blueprint of your energy body, which your physical body grows into.
Every cell in your body changes: some change daily, some change weekly; so that nearly every cell in your body changes at least every seven years. Each cell of your body grows into the electromagnetic field or energy blueprint that you have created for your body by your dreams, visualizations, passion and desire.
When you dream, you connect your consciousness to the universal life force, which is flowing from your spiritual essence or source energy, outwards.
When you dream, your awareness is in a place where anything is possible. Therefore, forget your current reality and go deep into your heart and learn to dream your dreams as though anything were possible.
This is like working on a plant, on the level of the sap. The clear colourless sap is what forms the hard stem, the soft leaves and the beautiful flower. It is your spiritual essence - your dreams, your self-image and your self-love - that create your energy blueprint, which your physical body grows into.
Therefore, move your attention away from your pain and focus on your spiritual essence, creating in your mind's eye beautiful dreams and experiences that will bring you great joy and happiness.
You still have the ability to have beautiful music in your life. It may be that your energy has to flow in a different way - maybe by teaching others to become your fingers and your ears.
Through teaching others your dreams can be realized by blending them with those of other people who are in reality a part of you. Give yourself the freedom to dream the most wild and improbable dreams, knowing that you have the divine alchemy to create them as a Part of All That Is.
In your detailed description you describe your broken dreams and I feel that these broken dreams are now the cause of the ever-increasing complexity of your external symptoms.
By learning to dream again - especially if you use your imagination, your creativity and passion for life - you can rebuild your body from the inside.
Your dreams directly affect the blueprint of your energy body, which your physical body grows into.
Every cell in your body changes: some change daily, some change weekly; so that nearly every cell in your body changes at least every seven years. Each cell of your body grows into the electromagnetic field or energy blueprint that you have created for your body by your dreams, visualizations, passion and desire.
When you dream, you connect your consciousness to the universal life force, which is flowing from your spiritual essence or source energy, outwards.
When you dream, your awareness is in a place where anything is possible. Therefore, forget your current reality and go deep into your heart and learn to dream your dreams as though anything were possible.
This is like working on a plant, on the level of the sap. The clear colourless sap is what forms the hard stem, the soft leaves and the beautiful flower. It is your spiritual essence - your dreams, your self-image and your self-love - that create your energy blueprint, which your physical body grows into.
Therefore, move your attention away from your pain and focus on your spiritual essence, creating in your mind's eye beautiful dreams and experiences that will bring you great joy and happiness.
You still have the ability to have beautiful music in your life. It may be that your energy has to flow in a different way - maybe by teaching others to become your fingers and your ears.
Through teaching others your dreams can be realized by blending them with those of other people who are in reality a part of you. Give yourself the freedom to dream the most wild and improbable dreams, knowing that you have the divine alchemy to create them as a Part of All That Is.
Workplace Factors That Lead To Shoulder Pain
Studies are always trying to shed more and more light upon the question of joint pain, and the different contributing factors. In a recent article in the Annals of Rheumatic Diseases by Bone and Tooper, looked at how prolonged exposure to repetitive activity at work contributes specifically to shoulder pain. In their study, they noted that population based studies suggest a lifetime prevalence of over 70 percent for neck and shoulder pain.
They found that shoulder pain was second only to back pain in workers’ compensation insurance claims. Their study also found that the risk of developing shoulder pain when starting a new job is related to the amount of over-the-head lifting and the monotonous nature of the work. They concluded that shoulder pain is a common problem among working age adults and is a large contributor to sick leave.
The study was able to identify some of the workplace factors that contribute to shoulder pain. The researchers were able to identify prolonged abnormal posture and repetition as significant contributors to shoulder pain. They also noted that more recent studies have considered the psycho-social influences such as monotony of work and the amount of stress might also contribute to shoulder pain.
In their conclusions, they call for more studies looking at psycho-social stressors as wells as repetative movement and how it can be modified in order to prevent further injuries to the shoulder in the workplace setting. Such a finding could greatly benefit the 70% of the population that suffers from some sort of work-induced joint pain.
Michael Carroll, MD is a board certified family physician with a special interest in sports medicine. He is the founding partner of Creekside Clinic, LLC, a progressive primary care center in Traverse City, Michigan and a member of both the American College of Sports Medicine, and the American Academy of Family Physicians.
They found that shoulder pain was second only to back pain in workers’ compensation insurance claims. Their study also found that the risk of developing shoulder pain when starting a new job is related to the amount of over-the-head lifting and the monotonous nature of the work. They concluded that shoulder pain is a common problem among working age adults and is a large contributor to sick leave.
The study was able to identify some of the workplace factors that contribute to shoulder pain. The researchers were able to identify prolonged abnormal posture and repetition as significant contributors to shoulder pain. They also noted that more recent studies have considered the psycho-social influences such as monotony of work and the amount of stress might also contribute to shoulder pain.
In their conclusions, they call for more studies looking at psycho-social stressors as wells as repetative movement and how it can be modified in order to prevent further injuries to the shoulder in the workplace setting. Such a finding could greatly benefit the 70% of the population that suffers from some sort of work-induced joint pain.
Michael Carroll, MD is a board certified family physician with a special interest in sports medicine. He is the founding partner of Creekside Clinic, LLC, a progressive primary care center in Traverse City, Michigan and a member of both the American College of Sports Medicine, and the American Academy of Family Physicians.
Monday, June 11, 2007
Back Pain Therapy- Short-Term And Long-Term
Back pain is one of the most common reasons that people seek medical attention; but as the number of back pain sufferers has increased in recent years, so have the kinds of back pain therapy with which they are treated.
If you begin experiencing acute back discomfort, the first back pain therapy you should attempt is to reduce the pain as quickly as possible, so that you can be mobile enough to get professional back pain therapy. Your long-term object will be to find and eliminate the underlying cause of your back pain, so you will need to continue your back pain therapy until that is accomplished. But in the throes of an acute back spasm, your immediate need is for pain relief.
Ice To The Rescue
You can begin by treating the affected part of your back with ice packs. Apply them for thirty minutes, and then remove them for thirty minutes before repeating the cycle. The ice will help cool the inflamed nerves which are being pinched by the back muscles in spasm. Make sure you don’t put the ice packs directly on your skin, or you could get mild frostbite.
When you have reduced the pain enough to get to your doctor or chiropractor, talk with him or her about designing a back pain therapy regimen to effectively eliminate the source of your difficulty.
Your medical professional will very probably X-ray your back to determine the nature of your back problem; it could be muscle or nerve related, or it could be a spinal problem like a slipped or herniated disc. When the cause has been established, proper back pain therapy can begin.
If you begin experiencing acute back discomfort, the first back pain therapy you should attempt is to reduce the pain as quickly as possible, so that you can be mobile enough to get professional back pain therapy. Your long-term object will be to find and eliminate the underlying cause of your back pain, so you will need to continue your back pain therapy until that is accomplished. But in the throes of an acute back spasm, your immediate need is for pain relief.
Ice To The Rescue
You can begin by treating the affected part of your back with ice packs. Apply them for thirty minutes, and then remove them for thirty minutes before repeating the cycle. The ice will help cool the inflamed nerves which are being pinched by the back muscles in spasm. Make sure you don’t put the ice packs directly on your skin, or you could get mild frostbite.
When you have reduced the pain enough to get to your doctor or chiropractor, talk with him or her about designing a back pain therapy regimen to effectively eliminate the source of your difficulty.
Your medical professional will very probably X-ray your back to determine the nature of your back problem; it could be muscle or nerve related, or it could be a spinal problem like a slipped or herniated disc. When the cause has been established, proper back pain therapy can begin.
Back Pain – The Lost Days
Since it is quite clear that many will be affected with back pain of some sort within your lifetime it is important that you take the time to ask yourselves exactly what kind of impact does this really have on your life? Back pain not only affects us physically but it also impacts on the world around us.
It is evident that back pain can play a major role in your life and in the life of those who love you most and who are closest to you. The back pain you learn to live with can incredibly impact every day since it impacts how you sleep, how you walk, how you work and all of your activities every single day. The pain you feel can absolutely affect your choice of daily activities.
When you have back pain you typically find that it is difficult to perform even the most basic task. You may also find that it is tough to drive, take out the trash, wash the dishes and even go to work. There are some activities that literally take your breath away because of the pain that results from even the most basic movements.
It is terribly sad that back pain is known to not only affect you but it also impacts the lives of your loved ones and close friends since you begin to pull back and stay quiet instead of enjoying all the activities that you’ve always enjoyed. Some back pain sufferers find that the agony of back pain can literally make them feel as if they are never going to be able to enjoy life again.
Depression and anxiety can also be result from back pain since there are times that you feel that there is simply no relief from the pain and the financial strain caused by impact of the pain. There is also a known fear that you will become dependent on others if you are not able to get back into the swing of things again. You want your old self back.
There are many people that blame their back pain on their work environment. Many believe that the heavy lifting, manual labor and poor posture resulting from prolonged standing or walking.
Following the common cold, back pain is the second most common reason people miss work. Some studies suggest that in the United Kingdom alone that almost 5 million days are lost each year because of back pain. Those lost days cost approximately $565 million every year.
Many companies have worked diligently to create departments who focus on the prevention of back injuries. These departments work to manage the risks of injuries in an attempt to prevent injury which ultimately saves the company by decreasing the number of days lost from work.
Further progress must be made in the field of managing the risks of back pain so that the possibilities of becoming one of the back pain statistics are less common. It is critical that back pain sufferers know their environment and make the necessary changes in order to have a safe work environment in hopes of avoiding lost days related to back pain.
It is evident that back pain can play a major role in your life and in the life of those who love you most and who are closest to you. The back pain you learn to live with can incredibly impact every day since it impacts how you sleep, how you walk, how you work and all of your activities every single day. The pain you feel can absolutely affect your choice of daily activities.
When you have back pain you typically find that it is difficult to perform even the most basic task. You may also find that it is tough to drive, take out the trash, wash the dishes and even go to work. There are some activities that literally take your breath away because of the pain that results from even the most basic movements.
It is terribly sad that back pain is known to not only affect you but it also impacts the lives of your loved ones and close friends since you begin to pull back and stay quiet instead of enjoying all the activities that you’ve always enjoyed. Some back pain sufferers find that the agony of back pain can literally make them feel as if they are never going to be able to enjoy life again.
Depression and anxiety can also be result from back pain since there are times that you feel that there is simply no relief from the pain and the financial strain caused by impact of the pain. There is also a known fear that you will become dependent on others if you are not able to get back into the swing of things again. You want your old self back.
There are many people that blame their back pain on their work environment. Many believe that the heavy lifting, manual labor and poor posture resulting from prolonged standing or walking.
Following the common cold, back pain is the second most common reason people miss work. Some studies suggest that in the United Kingdom alone that almost 5 million days are lost each year because of back pain. Those lost days cost approximately $565 million every year.
Many companies have worked diligently to create departments who focus on the prevention of back injuries. These departments work to manage the risks of injuries in an attempt to prevent injury which ultimately saves the company by decreasing the number of days lost from work.
Further progress must be made in the field of managing the risks of back pain so that the possibilities of becoming one of the back pain statistics are less common. It is critical that back pain sufferers know their environment and make the necessary changes in order to have a safe work environment in hopes of avoiding lost days related to back pain.
Some Causes of Back Pain in Laymans Terms - (Bad Posture)
Some Causes of Back Pain in Laymans Terms. (Bad Posture)
There are many causes of back pain.In this article I will explain some of this back pain in simple laymans terms.Almost 80% of back pain is attributable to two things:Bad PostureLifting things wrongly
In this article I will cover the term "bad posture".
Bad posture can be literally translated as "bad habits". As with all bad habits these are very difficult to cure and only with the dedication of the individual concerned can you hope to resolve the cause of back pain caused by bad posture.Let's look at this from a critical point of view for a moment.What do we mean by bad posture?Ask yourself these questions?How do I walk?How do I stand?How do I sit?
All these things significantly affect the way your back behaves, and when combined with our second attributable cause of back pain, which, if you remember is "lifting things wrongly" they become highly effective as a major cause of your back pain.
Let's get back to bad posture then;Everyone is aware of the term "posture". Bad posture is, in simple terms;Sitting, standing or walking with your back in an unnatural state. (Bent or twisted).There is absolutely no reason for this if you are in reasonable health.The only reason is "bad habit", although as a side note, if, for instance you were suffering from a leg strain or something similar, this could cause you to walk, sit or stand with an unfamiliar posture which could result in your back pain.This will probably pass with the recovery from your original injury.As with all cures for bad habits the onus lies with the individual.Try to analyse your posture, or get someone else, for instance your partner or a friend, to watch you and try to analyse for you, how you are sitting, standing and walking.From these observations you should be able to work out the bad habits of your posture.The cure is always the same.Sit with your back straight and fully supported.Stand up as straight as you are able. The higher your chin is the straighter your back will be.Walk with your back straight and your toes in the straight ahead position.
Whilst I am not suggesting that you walk around with a pile of books balanced on your head, this is a good maxim to observe.
There are many causes of back pain.In this article I will explain some of this back pain in simple laymans terms.Almost 80% of back pain is attributable to two things:Bad PostureLifting things wrongly
In this article I will cover the term "bad posture".
Bad posture can be literally translated as "bad habits". As with all bad habits these are very difficult to cure and only with the dedication of the individual concerned can you hope to resolve the cause of back pain caused by bad posture.Let's look at this from a critical point of view for a moment.What do we mean by bad posture?Ask yourself these questions?How do I walk?How do I stand?How do I sit?
All these things significantly affect the way your back behaves, and when combined with our second attributable cause of back pain, which, if you remember is "lifting things wrongly" they become highly effective as a major cause of your back pain.
Let's get back to bad posture then;Everyone is aware of the term "posture". Bad posture is, in simple terms;Sitting, standing or walking with your back in an unnatural state. (Bent or twisted).There is absolutely no reason for this if you are in reasonable health.The only reason is "bad habit", although as a side note, if, for instance you were suffering from a leg strain or something similar, this could cause you to walk, sit or stand with an unfamiliar posture which could result in your back pain.This will probably pass with the recovery from your original injury.As with all cures for bad habits the onus lies with the individual.Try to analyse your posture, or get someone else, for instance your partner or a friend, to watch you and try to analyse for you, how you are sitting, standing and walking.From these observations you should be able to work out the bad habits of your posture.The cure is always the same.Sit with your back straight and fully supported.Stand up as straight as you are able. The higher your chin is the straighter your back will be.Walk with your back straight and your toes in the straight ahead position.
Whilst I am not suggesting that you walk around with a pile of books balanced on your head, this is a good maxim to observe.
Low Level Laser for Hernia Nucleus Pulposes (HNP)
May I introduce : mr Hamid Supriyanto He is 53 years old, father of 5 children, 2 boys and 3 girls
Mr . Hamid's story: Hospitalized due to very severe sciatic pain , after gardening. Mr Hamid diagnose as Hernia Nucleus Pulposes (HNP) ; L 2,3,4 and 5. Refused to surgical approach.
Yes, Sir. Your problem is common to middle-age man, especially after strenuous activity. You did gardening, and pulled bushes . Your roentgens shows bulging at L2. 3.4 and 5. the pain radiated to your buttock, posterior thigh , and lateral calf. It follows the path of sciatic nerve .
Therapy began with totally bed rest due to your pain (vas almost 10). Modality TENS to reduce the spasm. But after almost 3 weeks, your pain still above 6, laser is the answer. First with transcutaneus approach, 30 minutes. The pain still annoying, although you could ambulation using lumbosacral corset and cane. It was comfort for your at 1 hours therapy .
So , I decided to used ILIB, given twice a week. The pain gone after the 4th ILIB, walking freely , erect , without cane, after 5th therapy, and your daily activity full recovery. (You do gardening and riding your motorcycle).
Although we are lying supine in bed, it is not free . The load will be 100 % during upright position.
Discussion:
Yet laser is the main modality for your problem, but bed rest, TENS , and avoid weight using lumbosacral corset have the portion.
Along with laser ubi quinon , and neurotropic agent . Ubi quinon works at mitochondria as well as the laser. Neutropic agent for nerve healing conjunctions with laser.
Figure above demonstrates relative changes in L3 disk pressures in various position . Although in lying position, no weight free. In patient with HNP, lumbosacral orthose reduces or avoid weight , so no nerve impingement .
Mr . Hamid's story: Hospitalized due to very severe sciatic pain , after gardening. Mr Hamid diagnose as Hernia Nucleus Pulposes (HNP) ; L 2,3,4 and 5. Refused to surgical approach.
Yes, Sir. Your problem is common to middle-age man, especially after strenuous activity. You did gardening, and pulled bushes . Your roentgens shows bulging at L2. 3.4 and 5. the pain radiated to your buttock, posterior thigh , and lateral calf. It follows the path of sciatic nerve .
Therapy began with totally bed rest due to your pain (vas almost 10). Modality TENS to reduce the spasm. But after almost 3 weeks, your pain still above 6, laser is the answer. First with transcutaneus approach, 30 minutes. The pain still annoying, although you could ambulation using lumbosacral corset and cane. It was comfort for your at 1 hours therapy .
So , I decided to used ILIB, given twice a week. The pain gone after the 4th ILIB, walking freely , erect , without cane, after 5th therapy, and your daily activity full recovery. (You do gardening and riding your motorcycle).
Although we are lying supine in bed, it is not free . The load will be 100 % during upright position.
Discussion:
Yet laser is the main modality for your problem, but bed rest, TENS , and avoid weight using lumbosacral corset have the portion.
Along with laser ubi quinon , and neurotropic agent . Ubi quinon works at mitochondria as well as the laser. Neutropic agent for nerve healing conjunctions with laser.
Figure above demonstrates relative changes in L3 disk pressures in various position . Although in lying position, no weight free. In patient with HNP, lumbosacral orthose reduces or avoid weight , so no nerve impingement .
6 essential Tips for Lower Back Pain
Lower back pain affects over 80% of adults at some stage. It is the second most common reason for seeing your doctor, behind only to the common cold. Yet it is the most misunderstood condition affecting you today.
Lower back pain can range in severity, cause and location. However lower back pain can be avoided and corrected if you follow the essential tips on lower back pain.
Tip One: Lie down more – most adults spend the entire waking day either sitting or standing. Gravity places huge stress on your lower spine which leads to one of the most common causes of lower back pain … tiredness of the muscles.
Tip Two: Warm Up – not just for exercise, but for life in general. Gardening, household chores, lifting at home or work are more common causes of lower back pain than injuries. So warm up before you garden, vacuum the house, or any vigorous activity.
Tip Three: Lower Back Stretches – stretch your lower back before you go to bed, when you wake in the morning and at the end of your working day. Simple lower back stretches to ease the muscle tension that has built up from gravity, lifting and bending and other lower back pain causes.
Tip Four: Lower Back Exercises – strengthen the lower back with lower back exercises. This does not mean going to the gym, it means improving the blood and nerve supply to the muscles and then improving their strength. If you fail to improve nerve and blood supply, then lower back exercises ill fail to increase strength long term.
Tip Five: If Pain Persists – seek help. There are numerous ways you can eliminate lower back pain yourself. However, there is no substitute from consulting a professional lower back pain expert. It doesn’t matter who you see, as long as they come recommended. These professionals can be simply avoided by following tip six…
Tip Six: Do it now – lower back pain in the early stages is the easiest time to correct it. Most people wait until they can hardly move, or pain is radiating down the leg, or it has been a few months of pain… before they decide to try and correct their lower back pain.
Lower back pain can be easily corrected with lower back stretches and lower back exercises in the early stages. Even if pain is there for a week or two then these lower back pain techniques will ease your pain quickly. The longer you wait the harder it is to correct. Lower back pain professionals live off people like you who wait too long to help them self. You can avoid most practitioners if you learn simple lower back pain techniques and use them not just to remove pain, but to prevent it also.
Lower back pain is the second most common visit to your doctor, if you learn to eliminate lower back pain your self then it can slip down the list where it belongs.
Lower back pain can range in severity, cause and location. However lower back pain can be avoided and corrected if you follow the essential tips on lower back pain.
Tip One: Lie down more – most adults spend the entire waking day either sitting or standing. Gravity places huge stress on your lower spine which leads to one of the most common causes of lower back pain … tiredness of the muscles.
Tip Two: Warm Up – not just for exercise, but for life in general. Gardening, household chores, lifting at home or work are more common causes of lower back pain than injuries. So warm up before you garden, vacuum the house, or any vigorous activity.
Tip Three: Lower Back Stretches – stretch your lower back before you go to bed, when you wake in the morning and at the end of your working day. Simple lower back stretches to ease the muscle tension that has built up from gravity, lifting and bending and other lower back pain causes.
Tip Four: Lower Back Exercises – strengthen the lower back with lower back exercises. This does not mean going to the gym, it means improving the blood and nerve supply to the muscles and then improving their strength. If you fail to improve nerve and blood supply, then lower back exercises ill fail to increase strength long term.
Tip Five: If Pain Persists – seek help. There are numerous ways you can eliminate lower back pain yourself. However, there is no substitute from consulting a professional lower back pain expert. It doesn’t matter who you see, as long as they come recommended. These professionals can be simply avoided by following tip six…
Tip Six: Do it now – lower back pain in the early stages is the easiest time to correct it. Most people wait until they can hardly move, or pain is radiating down the leg, or it has been a few months of pain… before they decide to try and correct their lower back pain.
Lower back pain can be easily corrected with lower back stretches and lower back exercises in the early stages. Even if pain is there for a week or two then these lower back pain techniques will ease your pain quickly. The longer you wait the harder it is to correct. Lower back pain professionals live off people like you who wait too long to help them self. You can avoid most practitioners if you learn simple lower back pain techniques and use them not just to remove pain, but to prevent it also.
Lower back pain is the second most common visit to your doctor, if you learn to eliminate lower back pain your self then it can slip down the list where it belongs.
3 Steps to Eliminate Sciatica
Sciatica is now officially one of the most common forms of lower back pain. Over 80% of adults suffer from back pain at some stage. Sciatica is the one form that people fear the most.
Sciatica can be a debilitating condition where movement and day to day life is painful. The pain radiates down the leg to the foot if severe, it creates a sickening type pain that affects you emotionally as much as it does physically.
Although most of you will have heard the horror stories of how sciatica is caused by disc injuries, spinal stenosis or other major lower back pain issues. In fact – less than 10% of sciatic nerve irritation is created by these conditions. Most sciatic nerve irritation comes from 3 simple processes.
Correcting these 3 processes gives you the 3 steps to sciatica relief.
Step One: The sciatic nerve is formed from five nerve roots exiting the lower back region. If the lower back joints or muscles are irritated then sciatica may develop.
Step one is therefore to balance the lower back, which can be simply performed by using stretches and joint techniques for the area.
Step Two: The pelvis is the foundation for the spine. If the pelvis is distorted then sciatica occurs. You can notice pelvic distortion by having your pelvis at different heights, twisted, leg length changes or shoulder twisting. These all indicate pelvic distortion which will irritate the sciatic nerve.
Step two therefore requires you to correct the pelvic alignment and ease pressure off the sciatic nerve.
Step Three: probably the easiest and most common irritant to the sciatic nerve – the Piriformis muscle. As the sciatic nerve runs through the Piriformis muscle, when it tightens sciatica develops quickly.
Step three is essential to eliminate sciatica and maintain permanent sciatica relief. Sciatica stretching should incorporate the Piriformis muscle, and stretching should be three times each day, with one session just prior to bed. If you stretch the muscle and then use it (walking, lifting or general activity) the benefit of the stretch disappears. Stretching if done before bed will relax the muscle and then sleep helps to maintain this relaxed position for a longer period of time.
Sciatica stretching of the Piriformis muscle is essential for sciatica relief.
You may now be asking – how do you perform steps one, two and three. These 3 steps to eliminate sciatica can be performed at home in your own time easily. Self help sciatica relief will help the 90% of people who have common sciatica. Those with the more severe conditions will need professional help, although using these 3 steps of sciatica relief will create benefit.
For more in depth details of these 3 steps to Sciatica Relief, visit the Back Pain Advisor and view their web pages on Sciatica, Sciatica Relief and Sciatica Stretching.
Sciatica can be a debilitating condition where movement and day to day life is painful. The pain radiates down the leg to the foot if severe, it creates a sickening type pain that affects you emotionally as much as it does physically.
Although most of you will have heard the horror stories of how sciatica is caused by disc injuries, spinal stenosis or other major lower back pain issues. In fact – less than 10% of sciatic nerve irritation is created by these conditions. Most sciatic nerve irritation comes from 3 simple processes.
Correcting these 3 processes gives you the 3 steps to sciatica relief.
Step One: The sciatic nerve is formed from five nerve roots exiting the lower back region. If the lower back joints or muscles are irritated then sciatica may develop.
Step one is therefore to balance the lower back, which can be simply performed by using stretches and joint techniques for the area.
Step Two: The pelvis is the foundation for the spine. If the pelvis is distorted then sciatica occurs. You can notice pelvic distortion by having your pelvis at different heights, twisted, leg length changes or shoulder twisting. These all indicate pelvic distortion which will irritate the sciatic nerve.
Step two therefore requires you to correct the pelvic alignment and ease pressure off the sciatic nerve.
Step Three: probably the easiest and most common irritant to the sciatic nerve – the Piriformis muscle. As the sciatic nerve runs through the Piriformis muscle, when it tightens sciatica develops quickly.
Step three is essential to eliminate sciatica and maintain permanent sciatica relief. Sciatica stretching should incorporate the Piriformis muscle, and stretching should be three times each day, with one session just prior to bed. If you stretch the muscle and then use it (walking, lifting or general activity) the benefit of the stretch disappears. Stretching if done before bed will relax the muscle and then sleep helps to maintain this relaxed position for a longer period of time.
Sciatica stretching of the Piriformis muscle is essential for sciatica relief.
You may now be asking – how do you perform steps one, two and three. These 3 steps to eliminate sciatica can be performed at home in your own time easily. Self help sciatica relief will help the 90% of people who have common sciatica. Those with the more severe conditions will need professional help, although using these 3 steps of sciatica relief will create benefit.
For more in depth details of these 3 steps to Sciatica Relief, visit the Back Pain Advisor and view their web pages on Sciatica, Sciatica Relief and Sciatica Stretching.
Osteoporosis And The Loss Of Bone Density
Osteoporosis is a health condition suffered by many today of which the hallmark is the loss of the normal bone density and the subsequent fragility of the skeletal bones.
Because of the loss of or the reduction in the bone density in the original skeletal structure, the skeletal bones lose their strength putting the osteoporotic bones at a much higher risk for fracture.
But osteoporosis leads to bones that look like a sponge. These bones are abnormally porous and begin in the worst-case situations to look a lot like Swiss cheese. Osteoporosis weakens the entire skeletal system and puts the sufferer at great risk for bone fracture.
The morbidity associated with bone fractures in the aging population is quite high.
The anecdotal stories recalled time and time again of senior citizens failing to ever really recover from a bone fracture seem to point as clear evidence of the high morbidity of skeletal fractures.
With osteoporosis bone fracture easily.
In fact a minor fall or simple injury that in the majority of the population might only cause a bump or bruise, but in a person suffering from osteoporosis it can lead to a severe fracture.
The wrist, hips, and spine are the most common locations of osteoporosis-related bone fractures; however, osteoporosis-related fractures can also develop in almost any skeletal bone area.
Normal bone is composed of the collagen, calcium, and protein. But with osteoporosis these are no longer well represented.
Fractures associated with osteoporosis can be in the form of a collapse such as in the case with a compression fracture of the vertebrae in the spine or it can be a fracture in the form of a crack such as when you see a complete hip fracture.
While treatment options are more readily available, the key to osteoporosis is prevention. Once a break occurs the ramifications of that will be with you for life.
It seems currently that women have a higher incidence of osteoporosis. This is thought to be related to the many hormonal changes experienced by a woman during her lifetime.
Osteoporosis is a preventable disease.
The morbidity and mortality associated with osteoporosis is something that must be taken seriously.
Make sure that you see your health care provider on a yearly basis in order to have a current assessment about the status of your bone density particularly if you are a woman over the age of 35.
Because of the loss of or the reduction in the bone density in the original skeletal structure, the skeletal bones lose their strength putting the osteoporotic bones at a much higher risk for fracture.
But osteoporosis leads to bones that look like a sponge. These bones are abnormally porous and begin in the worst-case situations to look a lot like Swiss cheese. Osteoporosis weakens the entire skeletal system and puts the sufferer at great risk for bone fracture.
The morbidity associated with bone fractures in the aging population is quite high.
The anecdotal stories recalled time and time again of senior citizens failing to ever really recover from a bone fracture seem to point as clear evidence of the high morbidity of skeletal fractures.
With osteoporosis bone fracture easily.
In fact a minor fall or simple injury that in the majority of the population might only cause a bump or bruise, but in a person suffering from osteoporosis it can lead to a severe fracture.
The wrist, hips, and spine are the most common locations of osteoporosis-related bone fractures; however, osteoporosis-related fractures can also develop in almost any skeletal bone area.
Normal bone is composed of the collagen, calcium, and protein. But with osteoporosis these are no longer well represented.
Fractures associated with osteoporosis can be in the form of a collapse such as in the case with a compression fracture of the vertebrae in the spine or it can be a fracture in the form of a crack such as when you see a complete hip fracture.
While treatment options are more readily available, the key to osteoporosis is prevention. Once a break occurs the ramifications of that will be with you for life.
It seems currently that women have a higher incidence of osteoporosis. This is thought to be related to the many hormonal changes experienced by a woman during her lifetime.
Osteoporosis is a preventable disease.
The morbidity and mortality associated with osteoporosis is something that must be taken seriously.
Make sure that you see your health care provider on a yearly basis in order to have a current assessment about the status of your bone density particularly if you are a woman over the age of 35.
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Lower Your Lower Back Pain
As many as 7 out of 10 adults will suffer of a back pains in their life, and the majority of them will feel in their lower back. When we consider that our lower back supports the shock of our body weight, and that our back is composed of many vertebrae, some discs to absorb the shock, several nerves principal and the joints which take account of the movement of the spine, piled up on one the other, these statistics starts to seem more the reasonable one. The back pains is acute, appearing quickly and intensely after an accident or damage and lasting only one shorts while, or a chronic and recurring pain which can leave apparently nowhere.
The immediate causes of the chronic back pains are seldom the obvious simple movements, arthritis, bad maintenance, obesity, and the internal disorders can do everything to hurt our backs. It is important to try to indicate exactly the cause thus you can obtain the type of treatment more adapted for your lombo-crowned pain. The doctors often recommend drugs for the relief of lumbago. Both surplus - medicines counters them and of regulation can relieve the lumbago, and drugs anti-inflammatory drugs Non-Stéroïdales, which includes the aspirin and ibuprofene, can significantly reduce the ignition as well as the back pains. Acetaminophen, available in much surplus against medicines, acts as an analgesic and is often employed to treat the acute pain.
From time to time the doctors prescribe opioids or relaxing muscle for the serious pain, although those can practice-form. Once the communal ground, doctors prescribe behind the surgery less often nowadays, which usually implies to establish one several medical devices to stabilize and melt the spine. The medical community calls into question maintaining the effectiveness of the rest of bed, in the past thought to be essential for the relief of curative lumbago and. The medical studies seem to prove right the opposite which the exercise is the true healer. The specific exercises reinforce muscles of the back, increase flexibility and modify the tonality, and fluid of pump in the back discs, reducing the pain caused by dehydration of disc. To rise and move or carry out the physical therapy can relieve the back pains.
Many victims say that they tested the relief of lumbago by the acupuncture, an ancient Chinese treatment in which needles are placed in the specific points on the body. The chiropractic, whose experts realign the vertebrae of the spine to correct imbalances in the musculo-skeletal system, provides the relief for others. Any type of treatment one chooses, it is important to remember that there are many causes of lumbago, and single treatment will not function for each one.
The immediate causes of the chronic back pains are seldom the obvious simple movements, arthritis, bad maintenance, obesity, and the internal disorders can do everything to hurt our backs. It is important to try to indicate exactly the cause thus you can obtain the type of treatment more adapted for your lombo-crowned pain. The doctors often recommend drugs for the relief of lumbago. Both surplus - medicines counters them and of regulation can relieve the lumbago, and drugs anti-inflammatory drugs Non-Stéroïdales, which includes the aspirin and ibuprofene, can significantly reduce the ignition as well as the back pains. Acetaminophen, available in much surplus against medicines, acts as an analgesic and is often employed to treat the acute pain.
From time to time the doctors prescribe opioids or relaxing muscle for the serious pain, although those can practice-form. Once the communal ground, doctors prescribe behind the surgery less often nowadays, which usually implies to establish one several medical devices to stabilize and melt the spine. The medical community calls into question maintaining the effectiveness of the rest of bed, in the past thought to be essential for the relief of curative lumbago and. The medical studies seem to prove right the opposite which the exercise is the true healer. The specific exercises reinforce muscles of the back, increase flexibility and modify the tonality, and fluid of pump in the back discs, reducing the pain caused by dehydration of disc. To rise and move or carry out the physical therapy can relieve the back pains.
Many victims say that they tested the relief of lumbago by the acupuncture, an ancient Chinese treatment in which needles are placed in the specific points on the body. The chiropractic, whose experts realign the vertebrae of the spine to correct imbalances in the musculo-skeletal system, provides the relief for others. Any type of treatment one chooses, it is important to remember that there are many causes of lumbago, and single treatment will not function for each one.
Back Pain Medication - When You Need Help Now
With the millions of Baby Boomers now reaching retirement age, chronic back pain has become one of the most prevalent health issues which doctors are called upon to treat. If your back pain has reached the point where you think it is no longer manageable without back pain medication, you should educate yourself on the various back pain medications available. By doing so, you will be able to help your doctor settle on the appropriate back pain medication regimen for you.
Back pain medication, even for those who do not like the idea of using medication of any kind, may sometimes be necessary. Unless you decrease your back pain enough to regain mobility, your entire body will lose conditioning and you will have a very difficult time becoming active again once the condition causing your back pain has subsided.
Types Of Back Pain Medication
There are several families of back pain medication, both over-the-counter and prescription. They include anti-inflammatories, muscle relaxants, opioids, and acetaminophen.
Some of the most traditional and common forms of back pain medication are anti-inflammatory drugs, acetaminophen, opioids and muscle relaxants. Acetaminophen is the “official’ name for Tylenol, Phenaphen, and Anacin-3, and its analgesic properties make it very useful as back pain medication.
Anti-inflammatories stimulate the healing process and reduce pain and swelling. Naproxen, ibuprofen, and even humble aspirin are anti-inflammatories, and are effective as back pain medication because they can ease inflamed spinal nerves.
Opioids are appropriate only in the most severe cases of back pain; they are morphine derivatives and extremely addictive. But for those who have chronic, untreatable back pain, the may be a last resort back pain medication. They must be prescribed by a doctor.
Muscle relaxants are used to treat those whose back muscles have gone into spasm as they try to protect an injured area. One of the most common causes of back pain comes from back muscles which attempt to do the job of injured tissue and end up becoming stressed themselves.
Back pain medication, even for those who do not like the idea of using medication of any kind, may sometimes be necessary. Unless you decrease your back pain enough to regain mobility, your entire body will lose conditioning and you will have a very difficult time becoming active again once the condition causing your back pain has subsided.
Types Of Back Pain Medication
There are several families of back pain medication, both over-the-counter and prescription. They include anti-inflammatories, muscle relaxants, opioids, and acetaminophen.
Some of the most traditional and common forms of back pain medication are anti-inflammatory drugs, acetaminophen, opioids and muscle relaxants. Acetaminophen is the “official’ name for Tylenol, Phenaphen, and Anacin-3, and its analgesic properties make it very useful as back pain medication.
Anti-inflammatories stimulate the healing process and reduce pain and swelling. Naproxen, ibuprofen, and even humble aspirin are anti-inflammatories, and are effective as back pain medication because they can ease inflamed spinal nerves.
Opioids are appropriate only in the most severe cases of back pain; they are morphine derivatives and extremely addictive. But for those who have chronic, untreatable back pain, the may be a last resort back pain medication. They must be prescribed by a doctor.
Muscle relaxants are used to treat those whose back muscles have gone into spasm as they try to protect an injured area. One of the most common causes of back pain comes from back muscles which attempt to do the job of injured tissue and end up becoming stressed themselves.
Inversion Tables and Back Stretching - Better Ways to Treat Back Pain
Recently the Wall Street Journal published an article regarding the current trend in treating back pain. Persistent back pain can be a chronic issue for persons over the age of fifty, and that 30 million Americans regularly suffer from back pain. The number is expected to grow as the U.S. population ages and face degenerative diseases such as osteoarthritis. Back pain ranks second behind the common cold for physician visits and accounts for 25% of all worker’s compensation claims. The article indicated that the current patient treatment includes excessive x-ray and CT scans and radical spinal surgeries to fuse vertebrae in the lumbar region, costing the health care system more than $90 billion annually. Moreover, many of the CT and X-rays are unnecessary and the back lumbar fusion surgeries can take up to a full year for recovery. Over treatment of back pain can lead to expensive and dangerous care than leaves patients in worse shape.
Now several medical experts are touting a more conservative approach: continued stretching, strengthening and flexibility exercises along with pain medication, if needed. Described as the new Back Pain Recognition Program, the goal is to reduce the number of scans and expensive treatments and adopt treatments that are proven to work. For many patients, the most effective treatment for back pain is much less invasive. Acute back pain usually subsides in four to six weeks with pain management, minimal bed rest, and a return to physical activity. Studies also showed than prolonged bed rest and limited physical stretching activity is not helpful. The highlights of the new plan include:• Stop Smoking: Smokers with back pain have more sever symptoms.• Maintain normal activity and avoid bed rest: Bed rest can lead to health problems such as joint stiffness, muscle wasting, and pressure sores.• Use X-rays and CT scans only when appropriate: Program considers scans unnecessary in the first six weeks after the onset of pain unless indications of a more serious disorder is apparent.• Use epidural steroid injections only when necessary: injections may be unnecessary unless symptoms include radiating pain such as sciatica, or herniated disc.• Hold off on surgery: Half of patients with radiating low back pain recover spontaneously.
Now several medical experts are touting a more conservative approach: continued stretching, strengthening and flexibility exercises along with pain medication, if needed. Described as the new Back Pain Recognition Program, the goal is to reduce the number of scans and expensive treatments and adopt treatments that are proven to work. For many patients, the most effective treatment for back pain is much less invasive. Acute back pain usually subsides in four to six weeks with pain management, minimal bed rest, and a return to physical activity. Studies also showed than prolonged bed rest and limited physical stretching activity is not helpful. The highlights of the new plan include:• Stop Smoking: Smokers with back pain have more sever symptoms.• Maintain normal activity and avoid bed rest: Bed rest can lead to health problems such as joint stiffness, muscle wasting, and pressure sores.• Use X-rays and CT scans only when appropriate: Program considers scans unnecessary in the first six weeks after the onset of pain unless indications of a more serious disorder is apparent.• Use epidural steroid injections only when necessary: injections may be unnecessary unless symptoms include radiating pain such as sciatica, or herniated disc.• Hold off on surgery: Half of patients with radiating low back pain recover spontaneously.
Get Out of Pain With Chiropractic
Do you suffer from pain? Perhaps you need a chiropractor. Dr. Steve Edelson says, "Chiropractic is the best way for an individual to get out of pain. Chiropractors get to the direct cause of the problem. Often times, the cause of pain is a subluxated joint. A subluxation is a joint that is out of its normal position, which irritates nerves and degenerates the joint (arthritis). This can lead to malfunction in the body as well as pain and inflamation."
The doctor of chiropractic uses the physical exam and x-rays to determine if and where the subluxations are. The mode of treatment utilized by the chiropractor is called, The Chiropractic Adjustment. It is gentle and specific. The adjustment should not be confused with a manipulation that some D.O. physicians employ. The manipulation is designed to increase circulation. The chiropractic adjustment is designed to eliminate a specific joint malposition, thereby correcting nerve irritation. It is a fine tune correction.
Dr. Edelson says, "Chiropractic works fast to relieve pain, but people should not expect to be 100% better after one visit." He goes on to explain that when most people go to see a chiropractor for help with their problem, they usually have a misaligned joint that is irritating nerves. The correction, or chiropractic adjustment is what is used to correct the position and function of the joint, thereby eliminating the irritation and restoring normal function. However, the thing to remember is that the joint has to be "Re-Trained" and often times needs a series of adjustments. The best analogy is in understanding the time it takes to correct crooked teeth with braces.
A misaligned joint has ligaments, and muscles that have to be re-trained with several adjustments to achieve a long lasting correction. There is no definite prescribed time that it takes to do this. Everyone is differetn and responds at different paces. One has to factor in such things as age, the individuals usual recovery time for injuries, arthritis, and severity of the injury or misalignment. The length of thime that the problem has been in existance is also a big factor when determining a guess as to how long it will take. Usually, a majority of people will respond quickly and begin to feel better with the first few adjustments, if not the first one alone. When the sysmptoms are gone, however, it does not mean that the problem is gone as well. It often should be left to the chiropractor to determine if the problem is at its maximal improvement.
The doctor of chiropractic uses the physical exam and x-rays to determine if and where the subluxations are. The mode of treatment utilized by the chiropractor is called, The Chiropractic Adjustment. It is gentle and specific. The adjustment should not be confused with a manipulation that some D.O. physicians employ. The manipulation is designed to increase circulation. The chiropractic adjustment is designed to eliminate a specific joint malposition, thereby correcting nerve irritation. It is a fine tune correction.
Dr. Edelson says, "Chiropractic works fast to relieve pain, but people should not expect to be 100% better after one visit." He goes on to explain that when most people go to see a chiropractor for help with their problem, they usually have a misaligned joint that is irritating nerves. The correction, or chiropractic adjustment is what is used to correct the position and function of the joint, thereby eliminating the irritation and restoring normal function. However, the thing to remember is that the joint has to be "Re-Trained" and often times needs a series of adjustments. The best analogy is in understanding the time it takes to correct crooked teeth with braces.
A misaligned joint has ligaments, and muscles that have to be re-trained with several adjustments to achieve a long lasting correction. There is no definite prescribed time that it takes to do this. Everyone is differetn and responds at different paces. One has to factor in such things as age, the individuals usual recovery time for injuries, arthritis, and severity of the injury or misalignment. The length of thime that the problem has been in existance is also a big factor when determining a guess as to how long it will take. Usually, a majority of people will respond quickly and begin to feel better with the first few adjustments, if not the first one alone. When the sysmptoms are gone, however, it does not mean that the problem is gone as well. It often should be left to the chiropractor to determine if the problem is at its maximal improvement.
How You Can Prevent Lower Back Pain
Lower back pain is created by your normal day to day activity. You bend and lift, you twist and turn and then you wake up or stand up and can’t move. You now are a victim of lower back pain.
Your lower back pain can stop you from enjoying your leisure times and family times. You aren’t able to get into your garden or do your household chores easily.
So you need to learn ways to help prevent this occurring.
Lower back pain is commonly caused by your normal daily activity, if you look at what you do the solution are very simple.
Each activity you do, whether it is bending or lifting or twisting, is working your lower back and other areas of your body. It is just like going to a gym for a work-out. The big difference is this…
Most gym work-outs last about an hour – yet you will spend three hours gardening. You may take two hours to vacuum your floor and do the housework. When you go to the gym you are told before you do any exercise you should warm up and when you are completed you need to warm down.
What would your gym instructor say if you decided to just get into your weights routine without a warm up? Would they sit back and say – “go for it, warm ups are over rated”. Or are they more likely to encourage you to warm up, to prepare your self for the activity you are about to perform. The same for warm downs, they are wanting you to ease the muscles you have used to help them recover and to become stronger with time. All designed to limit injuries and aches and pains, including lower back pain.
My question is this – if you spend more time doing work around your house, if it involves lifting, bending and twisting, why do you not warm up or down?
As these activities are the most common cause of lower back pain, surely it is wise to prepare for them.
Warming up for household activity is easy. All you need to do is go for a five minute walk, simulate the task you are about to do – just without resistance. If you are going to garden then bend and twist like you intend to do, if you are going to vacuum, then lean over and simulate vacuuming just without the machine.
A few minutes doing this before the activity and a few after the activity will prevent a lot of lower back pain. A few minutes spent warming up and down can save you weeks of lower back pain.
Your lower back pain can stop you from enjoying your leisure times and family times. You aren’t able to get into your garden or do your household chores easily.
So you need to learn ways to help prevent this occurring.
Lower back pain is commonly caused by your normal daily activity, if you look at what you do the solution are very simple.
Each activity you do, whether it is bending or lifting or twisting, is working your lower back and other areas of your body. It is just like going to a gym for a work-out. The big difference is this…
Most gym work-outs last about an hour – yet you will spend three hours gardening. You may take two hours to vacuum your floor and do the housework. When you go to the gym you are told before you do any exercise you should warm up and when you are completed you need to warm down.
What would your gym instructor say if you decided to just get into your weights routine without a warm up? Would they sit back and say – “go for it, warm ups are over rated”. Or are they more likely to encourage you to warm up, to prepare your self for the activity you are about to perform. The same for warm downs, they are wanting you to ease the muscles you have used to help them recover and to become stronger with time. All designed to limit injuries and aches and pains, including lower back pain.
My question is this – if you spend more time doing work around your house, if it involves lifting, bending and twisting, why do you not warm up or down?
As these activities are the most common cause of lower back pain, surely it is wise to prepare for them.
Warming up for household activity is easy. All you need to do is go for a five minute walk, simulate the task you are about to do – just without resistance. If you are going to garden then bend and twist like you intend to do, if you are going to vacuum, then lean over and simulate vacuuming just without the machine.
A few minutes doing this before the activity and a few after the activity will prevent a lot of lower back pain. A few minutes spent warming up and down can save you weeks of lower back pain.
What is your Biggest Cause of Back Pain?
Back pain affects over 80% of the adult population. It is the cause of numerous days of work and time away from activity you enjoy. Back pain is rife in th community yet the biggest cause of your back pain is the most misunderstood issue.
Most of you would list muscle spasm as the biggest cause – but you would be wrong.
Others may believe it is joint stiffness, inflammation, or muscle weakness that is the biggest causes of back pain.
All of these are the mechanisms that create your back pain, they are not the cause of it. Causes may include injuries, falls, over use and over exertion. However these are also not the biggest causes of back pain.
So by now you may be wondering… what is the biggest cause of back pain?
The answer is all around you, it is gravity.
Yes, gravity is the biggest cause of back pain. It puts your muscles under pressure. It allows your discs to compress with time. It is also the biggest cause of spinal degeneration and joint degeneration.
So why is gravity the biggest cause of back pain?
From the moment you wake up, you either sit or stand during the day – unless you are a child or teenager. Children are actually smarter than adults – they don’t try to fight gravity. They lie down more.
As you are upright, gravity stresses your body. You need to use muscles to hold your self erect. These muscles tire and then joints fail to move freely. This then allows the muscles to tighten further until muscle spasms etc occur.
Your posture at work, the time you spend at your desk, the bending and twisting you do – are all fighting against gravity. And gravity wins!
Gravity allows you to continually hold onto tension in your body. Your structural system tires out. At it tires then the normal day to day activity becomes more stressful. This in turn allows the minor falls, irritations, bumps and scrapes to cause back pain.
Gravity is the biggest cause of back pain. You can also help to fight it.
The solutions to gravity back pain are simple!
You need to lie down more, take a load off your spine and rest. Change your posture at work regularly. Get and get moving to remove strain from one position. But most of all you need to lie down more.
This may be hard to do at work. Bt you can fit it into your lunch breaks. Have a few minutes or more lying down. IT helps to stop the tension building up, it also helps to build up energy stores, freshens the mind and relaxes you.
When you get home live by the motto – if you don’t have to sit or stand… don’t!
Lie down on the couch, floor or bed to listen to music, read a book or watch TV. On the weekend spend time outside lying down on the grass or wherever. Each minute you spend lying down is time not fighting gravity. You start to balance out the time fighting versus not fighting gravity.
If you can achieve a balance where you spend less time fighting gravity than fighting it – you are winning. Gravity will not cause your joints to degenerate, muscles will not tire out, your discs will not compress.
All from lying down more.
Back pain is common today. Gravity is the biggest cause of back pain and is something you need to address. It can be done simply by creating more and lying down. Then your back pain should ease and be less of a problem.
Most of you would list muscle spasm as the biggest cause – but you would be wrong.
Others may believe it is joint stiffness, inflammation, or muscle weakness that is the biggest causes of back pain.
All of these are the mechanisms that create your back pain, they are not the cause of it. Causes may include injuries, falls, over use and over exertion. However these are also not the biggest causes of back pain.
So by now you may be wondering… what is the biggest cause of back pain?
The answer is all around you, it is gravity.
Yes, gravity is the biggest cause of back pain. It puts your muscles under pressure. It allows your discs to compress with time. It is also the biggest cause of spinal degeneration and joint degeneration.
So why is gravity the biggest cause of back pain?
From the moment you wake up, you either sit or stand during the day – unless you are a child or teenager. Children are actually smarter than adults – they don’t try to fight gravity. They lie down more.
As you are upright, gravity stresses your body. You need to use muscles to hold your self erect. These muscles tire and then joints fail to move freely. This then allows the muscles to tighten further until muscle spasms etc occur.
Your posture at work, the time you spend at your desk, the bending and twisting you do – are all fighting against gravity. And gravity wins!
Gravity allows you to continually hold onto tension in your body. Your structural system tires out. At it tires then the normal day to day activity becomes more stressful. This in turn allows the minor falls, irritations, bumps and scrapes to cause back pain.
Gravity is the biggest cause of back pain. You can also help to fight it.
The solutions to gravity back pain are simple!
You need to lie down more, take a load off your spine and rest. Change your posture at work regularly. Get and get moving to remove strain from one position. But most of all you need to lie down more.
This may be hard to do at work. Bt you can fit it into your lunch breaks. Have a few minutes or more lying down. IT helps to stop the tension building up, it also helps to build up energy stores, freshens the mind and relaxes you.
When you get home live by the motto – if you don’t have to sit or stand… don’t!
Lie down on the couch, floor or bed to listen to music, read a book or watch TV. On the weekend spend time outside lying down on the grass or wherever. Each minute you spend lying down is time not fighting gravity. You start to balance out the time fighting versus not fighting gravity.
If you can achieve a balance where you spend less time fighting gravity than fighting it – you are winning. Gravity will not cause your joints to degenerate, muscles will not tire out, your discs will not compress.
All from lying down more.
Back pain is common today. Gravity is the biggest cause of back pain and is something you need to address. It can be done simply by creating more and lying down. Then your back pain should ease and be less of a problem.
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