Tag: back pain treatment

The Sweet Way to Relieve Back Pain

21 October, 2010 (14:15) | Back Pain | By: Health news

If you’re like many Americans, you suffer from back pain. It keeps you up at night, it distracts you from your work during the day, and it makes you downright miserable.

Most likely you’ve searched the Internet and come up with conflicting, if not depressing news… you need surgery. Surgery has become as normal as other medical maintenance techniques, like standard annual checkups or dental visits. Many medical institutions are only helping the notion along by giving surgical procedures undue weight or support.

I went on the Internet recently to see what my patients, and many others, were finding on the topic of “Back Pain” on the web. It was shocking, to say the least. On a respected medical website alone, I found that they were encouraging readers to seek immediate surgical help for:

· Herniated Discs: a potentially painful problem in which the hard outer coating of the discs, which are the circular pieces of connective tissue that cushion the bones of the spine, are damaged, allowing the discs’ jelly-like center to leak and irritate nearby nerves.

· Degenerative Discs: Most people’s discs degenerate over a lifetime, but in some, this aging process can become chronically painful, severely interfering with their quality of life.

I can tell you that although these persistent and painful challenges are serious and at times debilitating, in many cases, a doctor can take care of them with less intensive or invasive and much less-expensive procedures.

(Note: In emergency situations, surgery may be the only solution.)

Introducing Prolotherapy
Prolotherapy is based on the idea that our bodies actually know best and given the right stimulation, will respond accurately and beneficially.

Used effectively for over 50 years, Prolotherapy works by injecting a concentrated sugar solution into the injured tendons and ligaments. The injections naturally and gently irritate the tissues to cause inflammation, which rushes blood, nutrients, and cells called fibroblasts to the area. These fibroblasts then encourage the production of tissue which creates a matrix of new collagen, or in the case of joints, new cartilage. This new tissue allows for stronger ligaments that can better support the lower back. It basically returns you to a pre-injury, pre-pain state.

Luckily, lower back pain can be the easiest condition to treat, if you do it the right way.

Prolotherapy is safe and can make a day and night difference to the amount of pain you’re experiencing. Patient testimonials, as well as well-respected, peer-reviewed research, have shown that Prolotherapy is an incredibly effective treatment for chronic back pain.

Back Pain Relief

26 August, 2010 (11:34) | Back Pain | By: Health news

Back pain is one of the commonest complaints – in fact nearly 1 in 4 people suffer from this condition. Most people have resigned themselves to either live with the pain or take medication to relieve the symptoms.

When you suffer from back pain, you get THAT look sometimes, don’t you? You know, the look that says you’re a malingerer that you’re putting on the agony, that you’re just after sympathy. Sometimes, you can even get it from professionals.
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Back pain conditions although common are not treated with the same “respect” as other illnesses because by their very nature they are not as visible as say a broken leg or arm. If you have a broken leg for example you are not only treated for the pain but corrective measurements are put in place e.g leg put in plaster. Usually the first statement is one of these “It will pass with time ” or “Its your age ” or “take these tablets – see how it goes.” Lets look at why this is the case

WHY DO TYPICAL BACK PAIN TREATMENTS NOT WORK?

  • Wrong Diagnosis – If you visit your GP or MD they very often do not hear much after the words ” I have this terrible back pain ” – after the first few questions it is likely they will come to a conclusion.
  • They do not get time to know you as a patient so they cannot possibly get to the root cause of your condition. Most medical practitioners will view back pain as a result of personal habits e.g working practices. Causes of back pain are varied and vast and without the correct diagnosis will never be solved. Make sure your MD or GP listens and understands why you are suffering, examine the causes not just the effects, as a mistake at this point can lead to years of pain

  • Treating The Symptoms – Most solutions treat the symptom not the cause of the pain. Common practice is to give pain killing drugs of varying strength, injections or suggest alternative medicines and treatments.
  • There is scant, if any research supporting any of the traditional treatments…yet they are still considered “best practice”. No wonder so many suffer from back pain!

    Perhaps you are considering some of these treatments. To save you time and money let me tell you that there have been many exhaustive studies that conclusively show that the following therapies are not effective:

  • Chiropractor treatments (Ernt E. J R Soc Med. 2006 Apr;99(4):192-6.-3)
  • Physical Therapy (Van Tulder. Spine. 2007 Jul 15;32(16):1785-90)
  • Injections (Deyo R. J Am Board Fam Med. 2009 Jan-Feb;22(1):62-8)
  • Acupuncture (Furlan AD, Spine. 2005 Apr 15;30(8):944-63.)
  • Prescription Medications (Martell BA Ann Intern Med. 2007 Jan 16;146(2):116-27)
  • Scientific back pain research has one very obvious conclusion:

    Traditional treatments are not getting the job done.

  • Generic “One Size Fits All” – As stated above at both the diagnosis and the treatment stage there is a tendency to go for the common best practice with the result you as the suffer do not get the root cause identified and resolved. As a consequence you continue to suffer the pain once the medication wears off. You are an individual and as such you need to be treated with that respect in gaining a solution to your “real cause” not just the effect.
  • WHAT HELP IS THERE?

  • Self Help – The problem with us as individuals is we focus on the pain, if we could just get relief. This is understandable, given the nature of back pain it impacts our lives in so many ways.
  • Take time to log what has led to the pain – when did it start, does something happen to trigger the back pain, when it happens, why it happens, what is the nature of the pain, when is it worse, what helps, how long does the medication help for? Log everything, no matter how small, little differences can sometimes have a big impact.

    Completing this log will help you discuss your condition with your medical practitioner and help them arrive at a correct diagnosis and treatment plan for you.

  • Treatments – Be open minded but not gullible. Yes you want relief and you need to consider all your options, but look closely at the research backing the solution. Start in small steps and move forward and you will find you are much better equipped to make rational decisions. Look at natural remedies as well as the common “buy this pill for pain free lifestyle” drugs. Look for a treatment that suits you and has worked for others.
  • Generic – Just because it worked for Mr / Mrs X does not mean it is going to be the wonder cure for you. However if the cause is eliminated, you are going to feel better faster than you would do with just treating the symptoms.
  • Major research into back pain relief has been carried out by a leading nutrition specialist, who is also on the Medical Nutrition Committee at the American Society for Nutrition, (where he has advocated for nutrition as a treatment for back pain to become more widespread.)

    His scientific background gave him a unique perspective when he set out to find the real cause of his own lower back pain. He knew how to do research and understood through experience the stunning effect that diet has on health.
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    Also, he had a group of supportive colleagues at the following research societies that he is a professional member of including the International Association for the Study of Pain and the National Spinal Cord Injury Association.

    He also served as a researcher at two major universities and practiced as a clinician at two large hospitals.

    Healing Back Pain

    9 August, 2010 (20:03) | Back Pain | By: Health news

    Back pain is a condition which many adults in the world constantly suffer from. In fact statistics reveal that over eight million adults in the United States of America Suffer from this condition. In the west, statistics show up to 80 percent of adults suffering from back pain.

    How do humans feel pain? Well, this occurs as a result of our brain’s cell receptors intercepting a message which is transmitted to it by the nerves in the human body. It is the same with back problems – when pain occurs in the back, the nerves in the back transmit the information (pain) to the brain. That is when you feel it!

    It is interesting to note that painkillers actually operate by cutting off these messages from getting to your brain by blocking the transmission from the nerves in the area.

    Why are we going through all of this talk? Well, it always amazes me that people would rather rely on drugs to do what they, as humans, can accomplish naturally. This article will look at 3 ways in which you can replace the function of pain using your body’s natural ability to heal. This will remove any risk of your becoming addicted to any pain killers. Read on…

    #1. You need to begin by acknowledging the fact that there exists a very close bond between your back and your mind. This has been shown by experiments which proved that if you harbor negative thoughts like anxiety or fear or depression, relieving your back pain becomes more difficult. Your back muscles interpret the fear or anxiety and become tense in response to it.

    To counter this, you need to perform deep breathing exercises to help ease the stress felt by your mind. And also start to practice positive thinking.

    #2. You should engage in performing low impact exercise routines if you desire to stop the pain you are experiencing. These exercise routines include the following; aerobics, yoga, tai chi, arm lifts, crunches, leg lifts, and any other light exercise routine which you can manage to perform without the risk of aggravating your back muscles.

    The aim of all of these is locomotion – ensuring that your muscles are in constant motion so as to keep them from merging due to immobility. Whatever you do maintain a balance of stretching as much as possible without risking injury to your back. If you feel that you are overdoing anything, stop.

    #3. You ought to endeavor to feed yourself correctly and properly. Feed yourself right. You should go for foods that will boost your immune system and allow your body to assume its natural healing tendencies. Foods like the following should be incorporated into your daily diet (not at once, of course); milk, fruits, vegetables, eggs, lean meat, fiber, grains, nuts, and so on and so forth.

    FACT: Most conventional treatments for sciatica only work as a temporary band aid solution; they all fail to work in the long run!

    Tips to Stop Lower Back Pain

    5 August, 2010 (17:00) | Back Pain | By: Health news

    Most of us will have to endure back pain at some point in our lives. That is a very unfortunate statistical fact. The reason for all this back pain is the fact that we all sit way too much at work, school, meals in cars, planes, trains, and of course on the couch, etc… Our muscles get tight and weak and we start getting back pain. Or, we get some kind of an injury, because our backs are too weak to withstand the twisting force during activity or an accident.

    Back pain comes in all forms, sometimes mild and sometimes severe. Most people just end up living with the pain, because they just do not know how to get better. And you can only take so much pain medication or cortisol shots. And of course, surgery is very serious and does not always work. However, by learning how to get your muscles back in balance, an amazing thing can happen. You can retrain your body to move more naturally again and the back pain can be eliminated. I mean, you didn’t always live with back pain. It is a postural and muscular problem. And that means most of the time, you can reverse it. So, here are 5 great tips to get you started…

  • Tip #1 – Figure out what kind of postural distortion you have… Kyphotic or Lordotic.
  • I know, what the heck do those words even mean? Simple, take a look in the mirror from the side. Are your hips tilted forward and is your butt pushed back. Do you see an over-inflated curve in your lower back? that would be known as lordotic posture. Or are your hips tilted back. Is your butt tucked under and looking really flat? That would be kyphotic.

    Once you know what kind of posture you have, you have taken the first step toward healing. Begin gently moving the opposite way and try to remember throughout the day to keep your hips square over your pelvis. It should not tip forward or back. There are many pictures out there for healthy posture… do a little research and you will quickly find out how poorly you stand and how to start fixing it.

  • Tip #2 – Strengthen your core (hint – do not do crunches)
  • Okay, so most people know that they should have a stronger back and core. But, that does not mean that people understand which exercises to do. In fact, they end up doing all the wrong exercises that do more harm than good. You want to do exercises that do NOT move your core around. You want to do stabilization exercises so that your core gets stronger and learns to keep you stable even when you are twisting or being forced to move in a unnatural position. Plus, the stronger you get your core, the better you will feel in your back. The back usually respond to core work almost immediately and start feeling better.

  • Tip #3 – Stretch the Tight Muscles ONLY
  • I meet very, very few people that are flexible in a way that is functional in a good way. In other words, even someone who seems flexible in some ranges of motion are usually way too tight in other areas. And of course, most people are just pretty tight all over the place. And tight muscles mean that they are overworked all day. What usually happens is the muscles opposite them are too weak and over-stretched all day. It all comes back to your posture again, because how you stand and sit all day is the posture which your muscles are forced to deal with all day. Depending upon whether you are more kyphotic or lordotic will indicate which muscles specifically you should be stretching. You do not want to stretch muscles that are already weak and too long. That will just make your posture worse.

  • Tip #4 – Strengthen the weak muscles ONLY
  • This is the opposite of tip #3. Once you are stretching the tight muscles for your kind of posture and muscle imbalance, you also need to strengthen the weak ones. This is the flip side of the coin in tip #3. You need to do both things. Stretching the tight muscles is fantastic, but without strengthening the weak ones, you still will not balance out. Usually, and this is over-simplified, if the muscles in the front of your legs are tight, the ones in the back will be weak and vice versa. Again, it all comes down to your unique muscle imbalances which must determine how you stretch and strengthen your body.

  • Tip #5 – Start Doing Rehab as soon as possible
  • You can start stretching and exercising even if you are laying in bed all day. And the sooner you begin a rehab program, the better. Obviously, you have to check with your doctor first, but assuming you get the okay, getting out of pain is determined by how you do your rehab program. Obviously, it needs to be the right stuff for you, but there is rarely a reason to wait. Again, I have worked with people who are almost entirely immobile and in bed and gotten them into full stretching and exercise routines that started making a huge difference right away.

    Key Exercises For Lower Back Pain

    7 July, 2010 (23:05) | Back Pain | By: Health news

    The aim of these exercises is to help you overcome back discomfort and help in the prevention of back pain. Strong backs do not get injured nearly as often as weaker backs. Stretching alone will not help you if your back is not strong so it is important to do regular exercises for lower back pain.

    If you purchase some weights all of these exercises can be done in the comfort of your own home. It is important that before you undertake any exercise programme however, that you get cleared by your doctor particularly if you suffer from chronic back pain or have recently undergone surgery. These exercises are aimed at making the spine stable and they will make it stronger if done regularly; generally it is recommended that you try to work out at least 3 times per week.

    Start with 15 reps at a time for each exercise; you can build up the number of sets as you become stronger and more stable. When doing these exercises, in order to activate the transverse abdominal muscles you need to pull in your belly button to the spine. People have a tendency to distend or push out the belly button when they exert force, this has an adverse reaction to core stability, so remember pull in the belly button, suck in those abs and hold but don’t forget to breathe!

    OK for the first exercise lie on the ground, keeping the pelvis relaxed, but exaggerating the curve in the lower back by bringing the belly up towards the ceiling, making the contraction nice and hard by exaggerating the curve however the opposite movement is where the exercise comes in to play. Tilt your pelvis back towards your head as you suck your belly button down towards your spine, then tilt back towards your knees and then back towards your head. Repeat. This is the key exercise to start with if you have an acute episode of back pain but only work to your pain tolerance. This exercise aims to increase the range of motion and also by bringing the pelvis back it will help to relax the muscles by taking the pressure off the discs.

    To take this exercise to the next level, as before make the contraction nice and hard by exaggerating the curve in the back, lift the pelvis off the ground towards the ceiling into the bridge position, supporting through your shoulders. When you are in this position it is important to keep your body nice and hard by contracting your abdominal muscles and your pelvic floor muscles as you move into the plank position by kicking the right leg straight out,the knee must be in the same plane as the knee of the balancing leg. Keep your stomach tight and avoid twisting or slouching. Maintain the plank for ten seconds keeping nice and strong then bring the extended leg back down, alternate and extend the other leg straight out. By taking the balance point away the small muscles of the lower back will have to contract hard in an effort to stabilise the spine.

    Next, lying on the ground, engaging the core, arms outstretched to the side, palms up, lift both feet off the ground bending the knees at a 90 degree angle to the hips, keeping the core still and the knees and heels together, rotate first to the left side and then to the right. The idea is to keep your shoulders down and your head still looking straight up all the time.

    To progress from this exercise, in a similar position, extend your knees away from your chest a little further and continue to rotate from side to side maintaining your core stability.

    Now still lying flat on your back in the starting position, engaging the core, lift your head up off the ground as you extend your left hand diagonally to the right leg as that leg comes high off the ground to meet the hand, then head, hand and leg go back down to the starting position, then alternate opposite hand with opposite leg again lifting the head off the ground as the cross extension occurs. Alternate, repeat.

    For the next exercise again in the starting position, lift the left leg high off the ground towards your chest assisting with your arms to pull all the way as you lift your head off the ground to meet your knee. Alternating right leg, left leg, this exercise will stretch out your hamstrings and lower back.

    OK time to get up. Standing before a low bench or table if you are doing these exercises at home, gently squat by bending the knees keeping the head and chest up, rotate, extend arm and reach across to the opposite side of the bench and back up to the standing position, then squat, rotate and reach with the opposite arm to the opposite side of the bench. It is really important that we do not hunch over for this exercise, make sure to bend the knees but keep the body upright in the extension.

    Next getting a dumbbell approx 8-10lbs in weight, standing upright, feet close together, dumbbell in left hand, elbow fully bent, tilt body down to the same side as the one you are holding the weight, then back up extending arm straight up above the head. Do not push the arm over the head or tilt to the opposite side; arm comes up and straight next to the head. Do 15 reps and then alternate weight to other side and repeat.

    When using weights for some of the exercises,if it is too easy with the chosen weight, increase the weight 5lbs at a time until you get to the point that it is challenging on the last rep.

    Next, holding weight in both hands above the head for the next exercise, tilt from side to side, keeping core engaged and head central to arms. Head moves with the tilt i.e. don’t let your arm fall on to your head. Head must be in the middle as you move from left to right. One rep equals left to right tilt.

    For the next exercise holding a load in one hand only, core engaged, tilt again from left to right, you don’t need a load in each hand for this exercise, so tilt down to one side, back up and over to the other side, keep chest up and take your time. The aim of this exercise is to work your quadratus lumborum and your obliques. The QL connects the pelvis to the spine and it is a common source of lower back pain. The aim of this exercise is to make this area of the back nice and stable.

    Finally an exercise for posture that you can do in the sitting position, sitting nice and tall, suck your belly button in, posture erect, bring your head back and down almost creating a double chin, roll your arms back, keep your shoulders down and pinch your shoulder blades together, hold for one minute. This exercise can be done during the day for one minute every half hour as part of your daily routine at the office or home.

    By practising these general exercises over a period of time you will build up the strength necessary to live a normal life free of back pain. The key is though to focus on the core abdominal muscles as much as possible and get used to thinking about them and activating them before you go about your regular activities like gardening of vacuuming or lifting the children.

    Sciatica Homeopathic Remedies

    19 June, 2010 (11:54) | Back Pain | By: Health news

    There are various sciatica homeopathic remedies which exist to naturally combat sciatic nerve pain. Unfortunately it is not so easy to find information regarding how to use them and so on.

    Sciatica is a condition that affects a multitude of people worldwide. In the west about 80 percent of adults are plagued by nasty back pains running from their lower backs all the way down to their legs. This pain also runs through their buttocks; this path is exactly where the sciatic nerve lies and the pain can be extremely debilitating.

    To apply sciatica homeopathic remedies, you need to first determine where the pain is located. This article will reveal four types of sciatica homeopathic remedies which you can begin to use today to combat the pain caused by your pinched sciatic nerve.

    Dosage – It is important to note the dosage of the sciatica homeopathic remedies below so that there will be no mistakes of any kind. Even though with homeopathic cures dosage is not as rigid, nevertheless you need to take an hourly dosage of 6C. You may take additional doses if your condition persists but it should not exceed 10 doses a day.

  • Colocynthis
  • Colocynth is a homeopathic remedy which is also known as bitter apple, bitter cucumber, egusi, or vine of Sodom. It is an effective sciatica homeopathic remedy and if mostly used when there is a shooting pain and numbness along the entire leg.

    You may also make use of another remedy called Nux Vomica…

  • Nux Vomica
  • Nux vomica is a medicine which is gotten from the seeds of an Asiatic tree. It contains strychnine and brucine and can also be used as a stimulant besides the fact that it is a fantastic remedy for a pinched sciatic nerve.

    It can best be applied when there is rapid, twitching leg spasms accompanied by stiffness and paralysis

    Another alternative remedy which may be used is Rhus Toxicodendron…

  • Rhus Toxicodendron
  • This sciatic nerve homeopathic cure can be used when calf cramps are mingled with tearing pain and numbness.

    Mostly these physical symptoms will mix with other emotional indicators including, but not limited to, the following; restlessness, anxiety, hopelessness and so on.

    Alternatively, you may utilize Ammonium Muriaticum…

  • Ammonium Muriaticum
  • This sciatica homeopathic remedy should be used if it becomes noticed that sitting down aggravates your sciatic nerve pain by the presence of the following symptoms; contracted hamstrings, leg spasms, chronic muscles twitching, and so on.

    Emotional symptoms that might be noticed include melancholia and an urge to cry.

    FACT: Most conventional treatments for sciatica only work as a temporary band aid solution; they all fail to work in the long run!

    Back Surgery Tips

    6 May, 2010 (07:57) | Back Pain | By: Health news

    It has been one year since my back surgery and as I look back on a year of challenges, I also see the last twelve months as a time of growth. I enjoy sharing my experiences and what I have learned with others. Now if like me you are facing back surgery here are a few post operative back surgery tips I would like to pass on to you.

  • Get a raised toilet seat: Yeah I know not too exciting, but let me tell you very necessary. The standard toilet seat is too low and will put too much pressure on your back. These raised seats are readily available and your surgeon should mention this to you. Most insurance companies will pay for the seat and no, you can’t return the seat for a refund
  • Shower chair: A big help those first few days after surgery.
  • Handrails in the shower: While we are talking about showers make sure you have study handrails installed. Also have a non-slip shower mat.
  • Buy some extra bed pillows for propping your back up and placing between your knees.
  • If you have shoes with laces, buy some slip-ons.
  • Lots of good books and magazines.
  • Plenty of movie rentals. Added tip most libraries have free movies and of course lots of books.
  • If you can afford it a small laptop. My wife bought me one and it keeps me from going stare crazy.
  • If you live alone go to the store before your surgery and stock up on prepared/frozen dinners.
  • Keep your clothes, medicines, food and anything else you use/need at a level that you can easily reach.
  • Of course the best tip I can give you is to really think long and hard about your back surgery. A year ago I was unaware of the alternatives to surgery. Alternatives that have a track record of eliminating back pain. Surgery is not always the answer. In fact many people still have pain after surgery. Even a year after my own surgery I have pain and discomfort. As someone who has suffered with debilitating back pain, I believe you owe it to yourself to know all the facts.

    Upper Back Muscle Pain Causes

    17 April, 2010 (18:03) | Back Pain | By: Health news

    If you suffer from upper back muscle pain, you are like over a million other Americans. A sedentary lifestyle, with too much time on couches or in front of computers has created what amounts to an epidemic.

    Causes of Upper Back Muscle Pain

    In more than 80% of cases the actual cause of pain in this area is never determined. Some of the most common causes are:

  • Poor Posture. Remember when your mother told you to stand straight? The upper back muscle group is designed to support the body. When we stand in a stoop-shouldered position, it puts strain on the muscles, bones and ligaments which can cause pain.
  • Over Exertion. Activity such as painting, or other exercise that puts stress on the arms and upper body can also cause back pain in the upper back.
  • Large Breasts. This, naturally, afflicts women rather than men. While the silicone-enhanced breasts might be a turn-on for some, without proper support they can strain the muscles in the back and cause extreme discomfort.
  • Injury. Sports like tennis and golf require a lot of extreme movement of the upper body. Untreated injury can lead to chronic upper back muscle pain.
  • Disease. Some diseases like osteoporosis can cause bones to become brittle. When this happens, the support structure of the upper back is weakened which can cause extreme pain and discomfort.
  • Treatments

    If your pain is caused by something simple, such as poor posture or a minor injury, treatment is relatively simple and effective.

    Massage. Deep massage of the affected area gives some relief.

  • Cold Treatment. An ice bag strapped to your upper back will help relieve pain. Depending upon the severity of the pain, this might take a few days for total pain relief.
  • Stand up Straight. This is one of the simplest ways to relieve strain. Back straight and shoulders back, just like your mother always told you to stand.
  • Take a Break. If your pain is from overexertion, scale back your activities for a while until the pain goes away. When you resume activity, pace yourself and watch for signs of muscle strain.
  • A Sports Bra. For large-breasted women, a reinforced sports bra is the best way to relive the strain on the upper back.
  • Avoid Contortion. You might like the way you look diving for that low drive on the tennis court, but such moves can exact a heavy price. Take it easy, and don’t try to put your body into positions that are too stressful.
  • Cures

    Chronic pain in the upper back that is not relieved by any of the above treatments can be a sign of a more serious condition. If this is the case, consult a doctor. You might be suffering from scoliosis (misalignment of the spine), which can be corrected surgically. If you have seriously injured your back muscles, your doctor might also try ultrasound treatments for a deep muscle massage.

    Back Pain and Backers

    24 March, 2010 (11:30) | Back Pain | By: Health news

    Are you familiar with backers? These are the emotions that kick in when pain acts out. It’s the radicals that circle around our human makeup, which can create a substantial amount of consequences.

    One thing to understand is that back pain and emotions go hand in hand. You may see depression, irritation, hopelessness, and various others issues surface. When each one comes about it is extremely easy to get wrapped up in a defeated thought process. However, your resolutions are sitting right in front of you.

    The most important thing you can do is listen, learn, and take action. Take the time to get a better grasp of what you’re dealing with and the symptoms that may take place. Over time you will come to realize that the information you’re learning will definitely work in your favor. Plus, if you play your cards right you can utilize effective strategies that will save you tons of money.

    Have you ever heard of RICE? No, we’re not talking about the San Francisco treat, but Rest, Ice Packs, Compression, and Elevation. If you can remember this you will be able to help your back condition simply by using common sense. Best of all they will be inexpensive remedies.

    One of the most important things to take away from this article is that emotions can seriously take over your life. Unless of course you learn how to harness them accordingly, then it’ll be different.

  • Fact #1: Did you know 33% of the individuals who seek back pain relief from medical practitioners never get it?
  • Fact #2: Whenever you’re looking for help you should consult a chiropractor. After all, they do specialize in back pain. Did you know ordinary physicians don’t even come close to lowering back pain like a chiropractor? It’s the acupuncture and massage therapy that plays a major role.
  • Fact #3: If you have back surgery you could end up with further complications One of the best ways to minimize your back pain is through physical therapy. Then of course there are others who have utilized weights and aerobics to reduce the pain.
  • The usual stages can be resolved by simply using some sort of aspirin. The only time this really doesn’t work is if you have severe aching. When you’re hurting it’s easy to see that the muscles are stressed and need a little stretching to feel a better.

    The point is you need to know what you’re dealing with in order to take action. Plus, it allows you to relax. So try not to overexert your muscles or else you will have to deal with back pain more often. Stressing the muscles is pretty common when you are working with weights. If you notice a problem then you should change your actions.

    If you feel sorry for yourself as opposed to taking action you have discomfiture. You have to overcome this and to do it you must stretch, relax, and rest.

  • Fact #4: If you’re looking for an OTC drug, we recommend Ecotrin. You should take it four times a day and make sure it is taken with a meal.
  • Fact #5: If you are dealing with sprains and osteoarthritis your best bet is over the counter medications.
  • These have been known to reduce inflammation and swelling, which of course is the leading cause of pain.

  • Fact #6: The next time you workout, try taking Ecotrin beforehand. It will definitely reduce the chances of back pain.
  • However, if you’re dealing with acute back conditions then you don’t want to waste your time with OTC meds. These options are only for short term relief and if you overuse them you could end up with kidney damage or develop ulcers.

  • Fact #7: A good example of this is Tylenol. It’s already been linked to liver damage, but if you’re looking for a short term regimen it works with the central nerves to reduce pain.
  • Back Pain

    11 March, 2010 (16:59) | Back Pain | By: admin

    Whether your back pain is a dull, nagging ache or spasms that stops your daily routine, take a simple approach on how to relieve your pain and not stress so much on how to get a solution.

    Millions of people in the US alone have experienced chronic or acute back pain that needs professional treatment. As you already know, you can strain your back doing everyday tasks or by just sleeping or sitting in a uneasy positions. If you seek relief for back pain but don’t know how to start, the following are just pointers to help you decide whether to go to the doctor right now or decide to treat your backache at home.

    First, you need to see a doctor right away if you have a back pain that goes along after an injury or some sort of accident. If you’re also running a fever and you feel a continuous numbness or weakness in your legs and lower trunk, consult a doctor right away. But if the pain you feel is just an ordinary work stress or caused by bad posture or positions, try the following tips below.

    It is obvious, when our back hurts it is saying something to us that it needs less stress in order to recover from our daily twists and turns. Stop and Relax. If you’re at home, you can try getting a comfortable position that may suites your back pain in no time. Lying on your back with a small pillow under your knees can help you loosen and relieves pain. Another position is lying on your back with your feet resting on a chair and bend your knees 90 degrees then place a small pillow under your neck. Remember, if the pain is very bad, rest in bed for a day but don’t stay longer because too much bed rest can also weaken our body reflexes thus may lead to severe back pain. Try also sleeping in a firm bed, this helps flatten your back when sleeping.

    A good resting habit also provides a nice relief to back pain. If you need to rest do not just sit in bed just to watch TV or read any book this can create force to your back. Lay in bed and move yourself in every 2 hours, take a slow walk or sit on the edge of your bed for a couple of minutes. Take it slowly, do not rush yourself to relieve the pain.

    If you decided to take a pain reliever, here’s a quick note – do not take aspirin and ibuprofen together, this can produce a side effects. You also take note that if you are have an allergy or asthma do not use aspirin or ibuprofen.

    Get a soft massage from your loved ones, this is also a good therapy for a person experiencing from back pain because it relaxes your mind and relieves stress. But if you feel your back hurts when doing the massage because of injury, stop immediately.

    There are a lot of ways to help ease back pain. The tips mentioned above are methods that requires less expense – find the right one that best for you and relieves your pain most.

    Chiropractic Treatment

    21 January, 2010 (04:23) | Back Pain, Chiropractic | By: admin

    The long awaited report on how low back pain should best be treated in the UK was published recently by National Institute for health and Clinical Excellence (NICE). NICE for those who do not know is an independent group set up by the government to evaluate the available research on a particular condition. Its job is to publish clear guidelines for the best way to treat a particular condition in the UK National Health Service (NHS) hospitals or at Primary Care Trust (PCT) level i.e. Direct referral via you General Practitioner (GP/MD).

    This new guide covers non specific back pain. This represents all the mechanical causes of lower back pain a Chiropractor typically sees. It includes pain coming from joints, discs, muscles, tendons and ligaments and according to Richard Nelson, a Chiropractor in Derby ”forms over 99% of the causes of lower back pain that a typical Chiropractor will see in every day practice”.

    Specific back pain is where there is a non mechanical cause for your pain such as cancer, infection or fractures. Your chiropractor has under gone extensive medical training to able to distinguish between the two classifications so can decide which patients are suitable for Chiropractic treatment and those that are not. In a typical Chiropractic practice Specific back pain usually forms less than 1% of all cases.

    NICE recommendations are:

    Any persistent or recurrent low back pain lasting more than 6 weeks and less than 12 months one of following three options should be offered taking in to account the patients (‘your’) preference.

    • A course of manual therapy – up to 9 sessions over 12 weeks (manual therapy encompasses manipulation, mobilisation and massage).
    • Acupuncture – up to 10 sessions over 12 weeks.
    • Group physical exercise programme 8 sessions over 12 weeks.

    NICE stated that manipulation can be performed by Chiropractors or Osteopaths. Chiropractors and Osteopaths are experts in manipulative techniques and along with mobilisation and massage they have been the core treatment methods of the two professions in the UK for over 100 years. It’s ironic now that research now ‘proves’ that the hands on approach that the professions have adopted for many years really does ‘work’. So NICE makes it clear that the Chiropractic and Osteopathic professions should be used for the provision of low back pain treatment in the general population under the NHS.

    Doctors and Physiotherapists who have undergone specialist post graduate training in manipulation are also included as suitable providers of manipulation treatment. However, generally manipulation is not taught to Doctors or Physiotherapists as part of their standard training in the UK and so the majority of Doctors and Physiotherapists do not perform it.

    NICE further recommends that if one chosen treatment does not result in satisfactory improvement another one of the 3 options should be offered to you.

    What can you do? Next time you visit your GP you can ask;

    As per NICE guidelines for low back pain will you (your GP) refer you for Chiropractic treatment for your low back pain in the NHS? If not, ask them why not? As this is what the NICE guidelines recommend for its treatment.

    Richard Nelson comments:

    Rome wasn’t built in a day! Don’t expect to be referred straight away. The more of you who ask and the more often you ask the sooner Chiropractic will be available to you and others on the NHS!

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