Healing Back Pain: The Mind-Body Connection is available at Amazon for $11.19. To Order click here
Amazon Product Pages contain a lot of other details on this product as Customer Reviews, Sales Ranking, Special Offers, Alternate products that customers are going for and much more.Want to read these details? click here

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Other Products of Interest

• The Mindbody Prescription: Healing the Body, Healing the Pain
• The Divided Mind: The Epidemic of Mindbody Disorders
• Mind Over Back Pain
• Healing Back Pain Naturally: The Mind-Body Program Proven to Work
• The MindBody Workbook

Sciatica is the feeling of pain, numbness, "electric shocks," or strange sensations in the seat and running down the leg. It will afflict some five million Americans this year. In easy-to-understand terms, Loren Fishman demystifies the relationship between neurological injury and sciatica, explains the most common causes, leads readers to an exact diagnosis, and outlines the options available for lasting comfort and cure. 20 illustrations.

Sciatica Solutions: Diagnosis, Treatment, and Cure of Spinal and Piriformis Problems is available at Amazon for $9.28. To Order click here
Amazon Product Pages contain a lot of other details on this product as Customer Reviews, Sales Ranking, Special Offers, Alternate products that customers are going for and much more.Want to read these details? click here

Want to get some other Format / Binding / Version? You can search for them from here

Other Products of Interest

• Back Pain: How to Relieve Low Back Pain and Sciatica
• Relief is in the Stretch: End Back Pain Through Yoga
• The Sciatica Relief Handbook
• Cure Back Pain with Yoga
• Treat Your Own Back

A disc herniation has various levels as with most injuries.  The worse the herniation the more complicated the symptoms and the treatment.  Most herniations can be resolved and respond well to conservative care such as chiropractic.  In fact most herniations will resolve on their own in 6 months, but no one wants to wait 6 months for their back pain to go away.  With chiropractic treatment the symptoms are often reduced to less than 50% in 6 weeks or less, and can at times be resolved completely in as little as 3 months.

Disc herniations can happen to anyone and they don't have to just be in the low back.  They can happen due to constant pressure of poor posture, sudden pressure due to trauma, weakened muscles and ligaments or weaknesses you've had since birth.

Some of the signs that you may have a herniation are: a sudden onset of low back and possibly leg pain that can go all the way down the leg.  The pain is usually described as a sharp or shooting pain and increases with bending forward, (although this direction of bending is typical it is not universal) or pressure increases such as coughing, sneezing or having a bowel movement.

Treatment for disc herniations are many,  the ultimate goal is to get the disc to reabsorb back in.  To understand any treatment you must understand the nature of an intervertebral disc.  (video) It's kind of like a Jelly donut.  If you squeeze a jelly donut the jelly comes out.  If you only do it a little bit and then take the pressure off the jelly will kind of suck back in.  If you relieve the pressure and the damage isn't too severe the disc will suck it's nucleus back in and repair with time.  This is called decompression.  It can be accomplished many ways, and there is still debate as to which method is best.

The big problem with disc herniations is that often the pain is too severe to receive treatment.  So, the initial goal is to reduce pain enough to be able to be treatment.  The sooner you can get up and moving around the better the prognosis is going to be, even though there is severe pain. Some pain control techniques are cold packs, electric stim, mechanical spinal decompression, and if required pain medication.

The next goal is to centralize the pain.  Many patients worry when their back starts to hurt worse, but if the pain is coming out of the legs and centering around the pain generator it is a good thing.  Centralizing the pain means that we are relieving the pressure on the nerve.  After the pain is centralized, treatment becomes more normal and regular.

Once you've had a disc herniation you may be predisposed to injury in the future, therefore it is essential that you begin some form of core strengthening routine to build up your muscles so that they can protect from future injury.

Disc herniations can be very painful and can interuppt your life for quite some time.  The good news is that with chiropractic care you can often avoid surgery and be back to normal again relatively quickly.

More info...

Breakfast:  leftovers for me, cream cheese and bread and applesauce for the little guy

Lunch:  Did I eat lunch?  I can't remember . . . oh yes, mac-n-cheese for both of us, and veggies as well for him . . . this blogging experiment is starting to show me how I need more fruits and vegetables, at least

Dinner:  Homemade pizza, yogurt and bananas and cheerios for Eli

Oh, and in the midst of all of the back pain I've been experiencing, I've been reminded of a nifty and thrifty little trick you can use instead of a heating pad.  Take an old large (and preferably clean :)) tube sock, fill it with rice, tie the end, and microwave it for 1 - 1/2 minutes (depending on the strength of your microwave).  It turns into an amazing little heat pack that you can use for at least 30 minutes.  I used mine last night by laying on my back and putting it underneath different sore parts, and it was wonderful.

 were so excited waiting for the bed on the delivery day and going to bed at night; it was like that bed was just going to solve all of our life problems or at least my husband's bad back pain would go away. Well, he kept changing those numbers up and down bu increments of 5, as they suggest, this and that. After a couple of weeks even his shoulders started to hurt. He was waking up in worse pain than before. Funny thing, now our old bad look so good to him - that's all he wanted back, his old matters. Maybe because it also didn't come with   $3,500 price tag. We got the sleep number 7000 model. So, we called customer service twice before our trial ended, and twice they talked us into trying a different technique to make our sleeping experience better; nothing worked ;-( they even extended our trial from 60 days to 90 days.

The third time I called I was like, listen don't even try talk into keeping this bed because it's not happening. Now, they were helpful and cordial, but my mistake was asking to have the bed picked up for another non-refundable $200 plus the other non-refundable $150 for the bed set up fee. I am in the hole for about $350 so far; not too mention the stupid accessories the sales person at the store in Boca Raton, FL; her name Sheree, made me buy. And, I admit being a little too naive too. But, where is the honest salesperson? Not her, she was pushing everything and anything; so, now we own $900 for a returned bed. Luckily, I can use the sheets in my other bed and an extra one, which I didn't really need, in a guest bedroom.

So, for everyone out there considering the Sleep Number Bed, be very careful and watch your trial period closely. Also, do not fall into the trap of buying all of the bed accessories before you are sure you are keeping the bed; these accessories cannot be returned you can only get store credit for them, within 30 days of the purchase.

So, I'm going to tell you about the most common cause of osteoporosis.

It's really common to see people with their heads in front of their bodies.  Sometimes their heads are really far ahead of their bodies.  Not good.

We were built so that all of our bones stack up, one on top of the other.  When our posture is perfect (like it was when we were young children) then our bones support our bodies.

When we start to fall into a collapsed posture--when we get a forward head--then we start using muscles to support our body.  Our muscles are not designed to support us; that's what our bones are for.

Using the Simple Strengthening program (everything you need to know is here) for easily making your back side strong will correct your posture.

When your posture is once again nice and straight, your bones will be supporting your whole body as they used to.

When your bones are supporting your body, they are "working."  When they do the job they were designed to do, there is correct pressure on your bones.  This pressure helps your bones to stay and become dense and strong.

Skeletons need to be stacked up properly so your bones will work to support you, and so they will be strong.

When bones are not "working" to support you, they become weak.  So osteoporosis is caused by not letting your bones do their job.  If we take the pressure off the bones, they can't rebuild themselves as they should.

When your skeleton is stacked in "neutral," as it should be, inappropriate pressure is taken off your muscles.  Now, your muscles can easily do what they are supposed to do: their job is to let you move.

And, so, since muscles move bones, getting strong muscles on your back side will help move your bones back into the neutral position they need to be and avoid osteoporosis.

And, that's a good thing.  For more help, go to http://www.SimpleStrengthening.com, http://www.CarpalTunnelPainReliefNow.com and  http://www.SimplePainRelief.com

"Because You Deserve To Feel Better!"

But, you are hesitant about having surgery because you have heard horror stories about failed back surgery. Some people get surgery done yet the pain never goes away. 

We, however, may have just the answer that you have boon looking for.  Our doctors have been working with back pain patients for years, providing much needed relief.  This is relief for back pain, sciatica, rib pain, tingling down the leg, even numbness.   This is relief for those who feel that they are at the end of the short list of options.  This is relief for the point where you feel surgery is overkill. 

See our main website for more details.

Look at your self in the mirror. Think of the picture of the body in the Gray's Anatomy book... it shows the body as symmetrical. Now really look at your self. Think Symmetry

Is one shoulder higher than the other? Do your shoulders roll in? Are your toes pointing out? Do you have knock knees? Are your hips posterior or anterior? I imagine your answers to these questions are "I have always been that way", "I sit at a computer all day that is why", "My mom or dad looked like this".

When the body is out of alignment there can be pain or discomfort.
Try these e-cises to get your shoulders and hips aligned.

Static Back- Lie on your back with your legs up over the back of a chair/couch. Your arms will be out to your sides at a 45 degree and your palms up. Relax your upper back. Lie in this position for 5-10 minutes. Notice your low back flattening to the ground.

Airbench- Stand with your back to the wall. Walk your feet away from the wall, 18-24 inches. Slide your hips down the wall until your hips are parallel to the floor and your knees are stacked above your ankles. Shift your weight into your heels. Your lower back should flatten against the wall and your shoulders should be relaxed. Hold this position for 2 minutes.

How do you feel? Taller? Straighter?

Let us know

First, my headache/migraine specialist replied to my letter. I'd written to him asking how I should update my Incapacity Benefit (IB) claim in my new questionnaire. I also updated him on my recent diagnosis of persistent aura (persistent aura without infarction, also known as persistent migraine aura). I'd also mentioned back spasms I'd had many years ago. I wrote to him before seeing my GP (family doctor) about the new lower back problem I'd started getting. So I didn't include that in my letter.

So the second thing is that I saw my GP about that back pain.

I now think I understand where my specialist is coming from. I couldn't understand why he was focussing on my neck and shoulder pain and mobility problems. I had been referred because of what my GP had thought were frequent and severe migraine. He replied that he is "one of a minority" who think that neck pain is the source of a wide range of headache problems, including migraine. Even though migraine clearly has a neurological pathway, he believes these are triggered by neck pain. Other opinion in medical science as I wrote about in my Saturday Series "Migraines" includes the trigeminal nerve as "central to the mechanism". But they don't all agree that this is the cause of migraine onset.

He also said that persistent aura "is a well recognised condition" and that "neither the causes nor the remedies for it have been agreed in current medical practice". But he did say that there is research into persistent aura to try to understand it better. He finished by saying that he thinks my headaches are therefore migraines. So I only need add the neck and shoulder pain and mobility to the new form if I think it adds to my inability to work beyond the migraines.

Which leads me on to my GP appointment. He examined my mobility and pain. It looks like I have, superficially at least, a similar problem in my lower back as my neck and shoulders. The nerve root is causing pain which limits my mobility. That pain then spreads to my general pelvic area and my legs as I stand or walk for any length of time. Sitting or lying down relieves the discomfort. He has prescribed physiotherapy as a first step. I am now waiting for the appointment for that to come through.

There are a lot of people who are crazy about yoga. The reason why most people do yoga is that it makes them feel better and in shape. The different poses and postures make their body healthy. Yoga for most is the best way to relax and unwind. If you want to keep your body in shape, this might be the best exercise for you. Did you know that yoga is good to fight certain illness that may come? There had been researches which proved that yoga helps you to control anxiety, reduces asthma, arthritis, blood pressure, back pain, multiple sclerosis, chronic fatigue, epilepsy, diabetes, headaches, stress and many more.

Yoga has a lot of benefits and advantages. All in a day’s work, it can reduce tension and stress. Of course after a heavy day, you will feel that your muscles have been stuck up and you will feel wasted. If you do yoga, your self esteem will be higher. It is important to gain more confidence inside and out so that you can face people with no worries. Yoga is good for the body in increasing your muscle tone, strength, stamina and flexibility.

If you are too fat and conscious about your body figure, yoga can help you lower your fat and keep your body in shape. Yoga exercises can burn excess fat and give you the desired figure that you want. If you need time to relax and forget your responsibilities, yoga will be good to improve your concentration and enhance your creativity. Yoga helps you to think more positively away from all anxieties. If you have a fresh mind, you can think of good things and apply it easily. Your body needs to relax once in a while. Sometimes, work can leave us wasted and exhausted. During the heavy days, we may not find time to unwind because work is still on our tail. Yoga can help you create a sense of calmness and well being.

Yoga exercise helps you improve a good circulation. Your organs and veins need to be exercised for it to function properly. Yoga can help stimulate your immune system and keep you away from diseases. If you have a good immune system, you can be sure that you are free from sickness. Some people do yoga to be enlightened. They believe that yoga will help them bring up their spirit and keep them relieved. Yoga works differently for people be it spiritual, emotional, psychological, mental and physical.

People think that yoga is only for spiritual people. But that belief is wrong. Even if you are not that religious, you can do yoga. You will see and feel the difference at the same time find out how it works for you. Due to the pressure and demands of life, we become stressed out and we forget the essence of life. We tend to lose touch with the ones we used to spend time with, even ourselves. We find ourselves rushing most of the time with the deadlines and hassles we need to keep up with. This leaves us a small time to wander and have that physical awareness. These are the few things that yoga can provide. Once in a while, find time to dedicate a part of it to yourself to relax and unwind which only yoga can give.

He looked at me and smiled.  As he handed me the wallet, I remarked that it was one of the largest I had ever seen.  It was full of cash and credit cards causing a huge lump in his right buttock.  Every time this man sat down, the bulge pushed his right hip forward.  Since he worked as a truck driver, this caused a repetitive injury to his hip.  I asked him to remove most of the materials in the wallet before our next session.  He agreed readily.   I then asked him to consider putting the wallet in his front pocket but he assured me that the request was just more than he could agree to do.  "Habits are hard to change.  How about if I try to first one and see how I do?"  We agreed to take one step at a time.

Why do men always feel the need to fill up their wallets and to put them in a rear pocket?  Whatever the history of this particular practice, this can cause real problems with respect to back and hip pain.  So lots of cash can cause back pain.  Unloading that wallet for the man is just as important as unloading a purse for a woman.

You probably went to your family doctor first, or a chiropractor. Your visit likely only lasted 15 minutes or so they poked around and confirmed that you do have back pain and gave you a prescription for the pain. Now before we go any further, let me ask you this: how in the heck is a prescription drug going to fix a physical problem like back pain?

Doctor visits, chiropractic adjustments, physical therapy, pain relievers, anti-inflammatories, new mattress, rub on creams, and the list goes on

Im sure youve tried several or maybe even many on that list yet youre back still hurts. Why arent any of the experts helping or treatments working?

The answer is simple

Its all in the approach most, if not all, of the treatments people receive for back pain are flawed from the start. Im not going to cover each of them in detail in this article, however, if you would like to learn more about traditional treatments for back pain and why they dont work, I suggest you read my article on the subject here: http://www.losethebackpain.com/backpaintreatments.html

You and I already know that those treatments just dont work, so I want to give you some information that you can use to take control of your own health and well being and find the treatment that will finally get rid of your back pain once and for all.

It has been my experience that trying to convince somebody of something they are unfamiliar with is just about impossible. so instead of me telling you what to do, I want to give you the tools for you to do it yourself.

Step one: First, you must understand that pain is your bodys way of telling you something is wrong dont ignore it! And in order to fix it or get rid of it, you must first know whats causing it.

Step two: Be open-minded in order to find a solution youll need to be willing to learn and please dont be afraid to look for and/or ask for help.

There are thousands of sources of information in the world on upper back pain, lower back pain and back pain in general, but if you dont know how to sort through all that information it will be useless to you.

Step three: Take action now youre going to do it, and with my help! You do not have to live with low back pain, upper back pain, sciatic pain, or any back pain for that matter and you can feel great again.

You have two options:

1. Leave it up to your doctor or chiropractor and hope it gets taken care of

or

2. You can take control of your back care yourself and ensure it gets taken care of

I dont know about you, but its a no brainer for me!

But, I know you may be feeling like theres NO solution and maybe youve even resigned yourself to the fact that youll have back pain for the rest of your life I hope thats not the case because you do have the power and ability to eliminate it.

If you choose option one, leaving your back health in the hands of someone other than yourself, at least educate yourself enough to know what questions you need to be asking.

The next time you go to the doctor or chiropractor, bring a pen and paper along with the list of questions below:

1. What is the cause of the pain? (Not the symptom, but the actual cause)
2. Is it muscular or structural? (involving the bones of the spine)
3. If its muscular have the doctor, chiropractor, physical therapist, etc name exactly which muscles and other muscles that may be involved.
4. Do I need an X-ray, CT-scan or MRI?
5. Did I have a predisposition for the injury based on my life style and daily postures?
6. Do I have muscle imbalances that created this condition over time?
7. Will I have muscle imbalances still after your treatment?
8. Will it heel 100%?
9. Are there specific exercises or stretches to do for my condition?
10. Which muscles should I stretch and which muscles should I strengthen?
11. Will I do more harm than good if I dont do the right activities?
12. Will the physical therapist you are sending me to have the time to spend one on one with me to effectively work with me?
13. Will Ultra Sound and Electrical Stimulation correct my muscle imbalances?

I could go on and on with questions like these that you should ask your doctor, but we both know that you wont because you dont want to piss off the doctor and then worry that youll get bad care next time.

So did I just waist my time and yours by listing them out. Heck no, these are great questions to use when trying to find a treatment approach that will work for you.

We already know what doesnt work and why, lets talk now about what does work. In order for any back care program or approach to be successful, it must include the following criteria:

• Identify the root cause of the problem
• Treat both the symptom and the cause
• Focus on the body as a whole and not zoom in on only the problem area
• Physical problems can only be treated and corrected with a physical approach
• Address muscle imbalances with targeted strength, flexibility, and muscle work
• Be easy to understand, implement, and progress
• Help you maintain a healthy back and prevent future occurrences

So how can you find a back care program that not only meets all these criteria, but is proven to work far better than traditional treatments?

Just do a little research you can use the internet to find all sorts of information and resources on back pain, but remember, it must meet the criteria we outlined above our its guaranteed to fail!

Dont give up, its out there, if you take the time to look youll find it maybe right under your nose!

After experiencing an injury, fall, or other event that may precipitate back pain, make an appointment to see your doctor for a physical exam and any diagnostic tests that need to be done. Your physician will evaluate your symptoms and establish an impression of your condition, along with a plan of care for treating it. Often a back injury will require plenty of rest. But the doctor also may prescribe medication like painkillers and anti-inflammatory medicine that can help to reduce pain and swelling. Your doctor may advise bed rest or restricted activities to give any strains or tears a chance to heal. In some cases, you may need to take physical or occupational therapy to learn how to reuse some muscles or bones in your back if they have been injured or have had to recuperate.

At home on your own, you can take several important steps to help your condition improve. The most important thing you can do is to follow the doctor’s orders. Don’t try to second-guess a medical expert. Just do as you’re told unless you have a serious concern that the doctor’s advice is way off base. Then you can seek a second opinion from a qualified medical expert to see whether it confirms or contradicts the first expert’s opinion. Another thing you can do is report any negative change in your symptoms to the doctor. He or she may need to reevaluate your condition and perhaps change the treatment plan. If you experience an allergic reaction or side effect to the medication, the doctor will want to know about it and provide alternative medicine.

Don’t overexert yourself at home. Let family members help with household tasks, and allow them to assist you with daily care, as needed. Avoid undertaking any strenuous activities that could lead to a setback in your recovery. Take medications as prescribed, since taking more than recommended could lead to an overdose or drug dependency, and taking less than what you need may extend the recovery period or increase pain and inflammation.

No one enjoys a back injury. It can cause you to lose work, be unable to enjoy leisure activities, and make life more difficult in many ways. That’s why you should take advantage of any at-home rest therapy that is ordered and don’t try to rush things on your own.

Types of Lower Back Pain Treatment

Lower back pain can be treated only when you have identified the origin of the pain. After you have identified the affected area, there are various options as far as lower back pain treatment is concerned, which generally depends on the severity of the pain. If you have a ruptured muscle or ligament, the treatment you would need would be completely different and best person to decide on the treatment type would be a spine specialist. One of the most common treatments for low back pain is acetaminophen. It is a pain reliever that is taken orally. This will relieve you from pain for a short period.

However, if you pain persists, then other oral medications maybe prescribed, such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs NSAIDs).

However, the safest form of treatment is correct back exercises. They not only help in relaxing the muscles, but also improve blood flow. When suffering from back pain, the best resting position is to lie down on your back. Place some pillows under your knees, and bend your knees. This removes the unnecessary pressure and weight off your back, providing you with the much needed relief. It has been proved that back exercises are extremely helpful in providing relief against acute lower back pain. Then there is a heating pad, which is far more effective than ice packs and enables you to reduce painful muscle spasms and relax your ligaments

All that pain and expense is so unnecessary. As is true for many, if not most, ailments, prevention is far better than a cure.

As many as half of all back problems are caused by improper lifting. You've heard it before, but I'll repeat it anyway: When you lift, don't bend over. Keep your back straight and lower yourself by bending you knees. If the object is heavy, don't be a hero. Get help! (Is it any wonder that males 20 to 24 years old are the most likely to hurt their backs?)

If you work at a job that stresses your back--medical work, warehousing, mechanical occupations, and garbage collection are top contenders--you may need to do more than just practice good lifting technique. Talk to your employer about changing the way you do your job to reduce the stress on your back. Companies don't want disability payments any more than you want a bum back.

Treatment of back problems is surprisingly simple. Although many people think of the spine as a complex and fragile collection of bones and mysterious tissues that form the weak link in the human anatomy, most cases of back pain are actually caused by muscle strain. For that reason, medical treatment usually isn't called for. Unless the pain continues to worsen, you can do as much as your doctor to help you feel better.

The basic approach to do-it-yourself treatment is to take aspirin or ibuprofen, spend a day or two in bed (more probably won't help and may hinder recovery), and return to activity slowly. Some other things that may help include an ice pack for the first 48 hours and heat thereafter, a gentle massage, and getting some exercise as soon as possible. You'll also do better if you avoid sitting for long periods and use a a chair with a firm, straight back when you do have to sit.

Finally, just as you can build strong muscles in your arms, you can build a stronger, more injury-resistant back. Talk to a trainer at a local fitness center about the appropriate exercises, or read a book that demonstrates exercises for people with back pain. It may be the best way to beat a back attack.

Here some exercise tips:

Exercises to minimize problems with back pain You can minimize problems with back pain with exercises that make the muscles in your back, stomach, hips and thighs strong and flexible. Some people keep in good physical condition by being active in recreational activities like running, walking, bike riding, and swimming. In addition to these conditioning activities, there are specific exercises that are directed toward strengthening and stretching your back, stomach, hip and thigh muscles.

Before beginning any exercise program, you should discuss the program with your doctor and follow the doctor's advice. It is important to exercise regularly, every other day. Before exercising you should warm up with slow, rhythmic exercises; if you haven't exercised in some time, you can warm up by walking. Inhale deeply before each repetition of an exercise and exhale when performing each repetition. Exercises to strengthen your muscles Wall slides to strengthen back, hip, and leg muscles

Stand with your back against a wall and feet shoulder-width apart. Slide down into a crouch with knees bent to about 90 degrees. Count to five and slide back up the wall. Repeat 5 times.

Leg raises to strengthen back and hip muscles. Lie on your stomach. Tighten the muscles in one leg and raise it from the floor. Hold your leg up for a count of 10 and return it to the floor. Do the same with the other leg. Repeat five times with each leg.

Leg raises to strengthen stomach and hip muscles Lie on your back with your arms at your sides. Lift one leg off the floor. Hold your leg up for a count of 10 and return it to the floor. Do the same with the other leg. Repeat five times with each leg. If that is too difficult, keep one knee bent and the foot flat on the ground while raising the leg. You can also sit upright in a chair with legs straight and extended at an angle to the floor. Lift one leg waist high. Slowly return your leg to the floor. Do the same with the other leg. Repeat five times with each leg.

Partial sit-up to strengthen stomach muscles Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat on floor. Slowly raise your head and shoulders off the floor and reach with both hands toward your knees. Count to 10. Repeat five times.

Back leg swing to strengthen hip and back muscles Stand behind a chair with your hands on the back of the chair. Lift one leg back and up while keeping the knee straight. Return slowly. Raise other leg and return. Repeat five times with each leg.

Exercises to decrease the strain on your back Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on your bed or floor. Raise your knees toward your chest. Place both hands under your knees and gently pull your knees as close to your chest as possible. Do not raise your head. Do not straighten your legs as you lower them. Start with five repetitions, several times a day. Stand with your feet slightly apart. Place your hands in the small of your back. Keep your knees straight. Bend backwards at the waist as far as possible and hold the position for one or two seconds.

Having been through back pain on and off for years. It seems to hit at the most inopportune moments. I now am more aware of what I am lifting now.

Please take the time to take care of your back it's the only one you have.

Benefits of Back Massage Therapy

According to the American Massage Therapy Association, research proves that massage therapy provides many important health benefits, including: Improvement in blood circulation in the body, which aids in the recovery of muscle soreness due to physical activity.

Relaxation of muscles for an improved range of motion. Muscle relaxation also helps in the treatment of insomnia.

Increased endorphin levels. The increase in endorphin levels is actually one of the greatest benefits of the massage therapy. Endorphins are body chemicals that lend a feel-good feeling, which is very effective in managing chronic pain.

It is important to ensure that precautions are exercised while receiving massage therapy. Your muscle should relax in response to the pressure applied by a massage therapist, in the absence of which, it is possible that muscles are inflamed. In such cases, you should not opt for back massages as a treatment option and consult his/her doctor for the treatment. Most muscle spasms require four massage treatments, usually spread over a six weeks period, to achieve best results. If muscle spasms do not respond to the neuromuscular therapy within two massages, try using another therapy.

If you have severe lower back pain, it is advisable that you undergo thorough medical checkup before commencing the massage therapy.

New Free E-book by noted Orange County Chiropractor, Author and Lecturer, Dr Barry L Marks, DC of Orange, CA reveals treatments your doctor may not know about for Piriformis Syndrome and other causes of back pain, buttock pain and sciatica.

For your Free instant download of Dr Marks' latest E-book go to:

http://www.drmarks.com/secret_piriformis_syndrome_treatment.html

What do I mean by this?

It has been well documented in the research that when it comes to the low back, MRI findings do not predict the occurrence of actual low back pain. One of the first studies on the subject was published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 1994. They took 98 people who had never had low back pain and gave them an MRI. What they found was that 52% of all people had at least one disc bulge, with 27% having a disc protrusion (more severe). 38% had a problem at more than one level, with the likelihood of finding problems increasing with age. This led the authors to conclude that the finding disc bulges or protrusions in people with low back pain is frequently simply a co-incidence.

A better designed study was published in 2001 in the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery.  In this study, the authors subjected 67 people without any symptoms to an MRI in 1989. They found that 31% of these people had some sort of disc abnormality. They then followed up with these same people 7 years later to determine if the abnormal findings in 1989 had lead to the development of back pain in later life.  While they did find that the second scans showed more abnormalities than the ones done seven years earlier,  the findings on the scans did not predict whether someone got low back pain or how bad the pain was.

In my opinion, there are very good reasons why someone should go for further scans - a history of cancer, progressing neurological problems, or severe worsening of the problem to name a few. It is, however, important to realize that an MRI may just be a red herring in the search for the cause of the problem. It is especially important in this day and age of ballooning health care costs to use our resources in the wisest manner possible, and not as a first line of investigation if its not warranted.

What is Back Pain?

Back pain is one of the most common medical conditions found in the whole world. Back pain is simply a pain engulfing the human back which may come from the muscles, bones, nerves, joints or other structures in the spine. This pain may be a short one or a prolonged one depending upon the severity of the pain. This back pain may be a sharp, piercing or a burning sensation. The pain in the back may extend and radiate in the neck, arm, head, leg or foot resulting in extreme weakness or numbness. A human being mainly suffers from two types of back pains, either an acute or a chronic one. Acute pain refers to a pain occurring immediately after an injury or illness which may sometimes be severe but goes away after healing. Whereas, chronic pain continues to remain even after the healing process and lasts for several months to years. The type of pain depends upon the cause of the pain. More serious the cause, more severe is the pain in the back and other related parts of the body.

When the pain in the back radiates down the leg or in to the foot, causing serious disability, pain or numbness, the condition is known to be as Sciatica. The back pain is accompanied with various other problems affecting other parts of the body like shoulder, neck, arm, head, abdomen, chest, pelvic and legs. This type of pain affecting other parts of the body is known as referred pain. Various preventive measures as well as treatments can be undertaken to reduce the back pain. However, it is important to identify the type of back pain you are suffering from to get the right type of treatment.

Back pain is a very prevalent problem which may be short term as well as long lasting, depending on the severity. It is always advisable to pay attention to it in the initial phase itself to avoid any kind of complications later on.

Causes of Back Pain

In many cases of back pain, the cause is really difficult to determine. As your lower back bears most of the weight and stress of your body, the pain generally comes from the strained muscles and ligaments caused due to heavy lifting or an awkward body movement. The obvious cause behind the back pain remains hidden in most of the cases. However several factors are responsible for generating new back problems or exacerbating the existing ones. These are clustered in to five categories:

1. Arthritis- This refers to the inflammation of the joints or pain that occurs in the joints. The various forms of arthritis that can cause back pain are:

• Osteoarthritis- It is the most common type of arthritis caused by the breakdown of the joint cartilage over time. Cartilage cushions the joints but when it deteriorates bones rub against each other resulting in pain, stiffness and loss of movement.

• Rheumatoid arthritis- This is also marked by inflammation and stiffness of the joints and undergoes three phases which are inflammation, thickening and joint damage. This disease results in loss of mobility, weakness and deformity. Anti-inflammatory medications and active physical and water therapy are some of the useful treatments for this disease.

• Ankylosing Spondylitis- This disease generally attacks the spine area leading to stiffness of the back. In it the joints and ligaments behind the movement of back become inflamed resulting in their fusion. It starts with the initial pain in the sacroiliac joints. Various NSAID'S and therapies are available for the treatment of this disease.

• Hip Osteoarthritis- It refers to the breakdown of cartilage in the hip joint causing back, hip and leg pain. People with hip arthritis have limitations in their hip motion. Hip replacement surgery is the successful treatment for hip osteoarthritis.

• Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm- In case of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm, abdominal disorders extend and radiate to the back and are felt as acute low back pain. It is represented by a large aorta (or a large artery) in the abdomen. In case if the large blood vessels start leaking then it can cause severe abdomen and back pain. Large quantity of blood loss will result in hypo tension, unconsciousness or death.

• Fibromyalgia- is characterized by musculoskeletal pain, fatigue and tenderness in the local areas of the spine, neck, shoulders and hips known as ''tender points''. These points hurt when the pressure is applied on them. Middle aged women are most affected by this disease. The symptoms of this disease include difficulty in sleeping, feeling tired after sleep, headaches, numbness in hands and feet and depression. Some of the treatments available for this disease are injections of lidocaine and massage, non-narcotic pain medications, low-impact aerobic conditioning and antidepressants. This kind of pain is also seen in young individuals, mainly software engineers. Can be caused due to awkward sitting positions, prolonged sitting and repetitive movements

• Osteoporosis- It refers to the skeletal disorder in which the bones become thin, brittle and more prone to fractures. It commonly affects women after menopause due to estrogen deficiency leading to compression fracture of vertebrae which in turn leads to back pain. Adequate calcium intake and weight bearing exercise prevents osteoporosis. Back pain is caused if the vertebral body becomes so weak that it can no longer withstand stress applied to it or if the patient has minor trauma. Treatments for osteoporosis includes rigid braces to support the spine, resting. Very rarely surgery is required for the treatment of this disease.

Some of the other causes of back pain include:

2.Tumors- Spinal column tumors come from tumors in the breast, kidney,lungs and thyroid. These tumors produce pain which is worst at night time. Some metastatic tumors have symptoms like unplanned weight loss, loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting.

3. Automobile accidents- Automobile accidents also cause back pain as they make the body accept large amount of energy in a short period of time resulting in damaging muscles, ligaments and tendons. Active physical therapy, over-the-counter and prescription medications are available for the treatment depending upon the severity of the pain.

4.Back pain during pregnancy- Most pregnant women experience low back pain in their third trimester of pregnancy having pain in the sacroiliac joints. This pain is due to extra weight and hormonal factors that widen the sacroiliac joints and increase the size of birth canal.

5.Sacroiliac joint dysfunction- Sacroiliac joint is one which connects sacrum with the pelvis. Sometimes pain is felt in these sacroiliac joints due to limitations in its normal motion patterns. It is more common in young or middle aged women. Treatments available are physical therapy and exercise, osteopathic manipulations and injections.

6.Other factors are poor posture and body mechanics, emotional stress, excessive weight and obesity, herniated discs, sickle cell anemia, whiplash, cancer pain, diabetes, spinal stenosis, piriformis syndrome and age factor. Most women experience back pain during their menopause stages also, which is considered to be common among women.

So, these are some of the most common causes of back pain. If you are suffering from back pain, you must get your cause known and go for the suitable treatment in order to get rid of this irritating and painful disease.

Lets get into the details of these

Fibromyalgia is characterized by musculoskeletal pain, fatigue and tenderness in the local areas of the spine, neck, shoulders and hips known as ''tender points''. These points hurt when the pressure is applied on them. Mostly middle aged women are affected by fibromyalgia. It is basically a myofascial pain syndrome resulting in generalized back pain and muscle pain. A person suffering from fibromyalgia often visualizes the following symptoms:

Difficulty in sleeping
Feeling tired after waking from sleep, instead of feeling refreshed.
Stiff joints in the morning that feel better as the day progresses.
Numbness or tingling in hands and feet
Depression
Headache

Fibromyalgia is the third most common diagnosis made in rheumatology clinics, after rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis, this disease is especially enigmatic and difficult to identify. Surely, it is not degenerative or life threatening but it can be life altering. Treatment for fibromyalgia involves a coordinated management program to alleviate the symptoms.

Now this pain is relatively high in young professionals, especially software engineers. This is another kind of an RSI (Repetitive Strain Injuries). Mainly its caused due to the prolonged sitting in front of computers, wrong posture etc. For that matter, any one who is having a repetitive movement with wrong posture is prone to have such disease.

I would recommend a thorough diagnostics for this and then correcting your working strategy and postures based on doctors recommendation, rather than getting into any surgery or so.

Would like to recommend a doctor here in india. Dr Deepak Sharan. You will get more information here

Why is this happening? What is going on here? Unfortunately, the answer is quite simple, it's our eating and exercise habits. Think about how many times you eat fast food every week? For some it's every day. If you're like the average person, you eat fast food 2-3 times a week at a minimum. Fast food is literally killing us. It's loaded with fats, calories, sodium, and sky high amounts of carbohydrates. This is exactly what diabetes thrives on. It's like fertilizer. If you have doubts, take a look at the content labels on fast food, if you can find them. You will be shocked! Or go on diabetes groups.msn.com site and do a search.

Another problem that is creating more diabetics is the intake of soda. Everywhere you go, be it the gas station, store, fast food restaurant, etc., the sizes of sodas being sold are enormous. 10-20 years ago a large soda was considered to be 12-16oz. These days, that's a small drink at best. You're now seeing 48-64oz super big gulps, or hugos. The sugars and carbs that these sodas contain are off the charts, yet our children are drinking them up on a daily basis. The result? A dramatic increase in the number of children under 12 with diabetes.