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.
Monday, June 11, 2007
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.
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