Archive for December, 2009

Sciatic Discomfort – Quick Tips to Help Keep Your Sanity

Dec 31

Posted by Back Pain editor in Sciatica | No Comments

Accurate Diagnosis of your condition – The first thing is to get an accurate diagnosis of why you are in pain. Often times sciatica is caused by muscle tension or imbalances which can directly affect the discs and vertebrae in your back which results in a irritated sciatic nerve. Other ‘structural’ problems with your spine can also cause this irritation and that is why an accurate diagnosis is essential for finding the best treatment.

Heat and Cold Packs – many people report gaining relief through the use of heat and cold packs particularly where the problem lies with increased muscle tension. Alternating between both hot and cold packs on the affected area has also been reported as a good pain reliever. The hot pack promotes blood flow and can release tensed up muscles and the cold pack helps in reducing the amount of inflammation so you are getting the best of both worlds when alternating between the two.

Physiotherapy – this is something that I have not had any success with in dealing with my sciatica, however combined with the right exercises and assuming that your condition is suitable to be treated this way there is no reason not to give it a go. Many doctors see physiotherapy as the first step to easing the problem and once again the blood flow in and around the muscles and loosening of joints may be beneficial to you.

Anti Inflammatory/Pain Relieving Medication – No doubt one of the most important steps to easing your sciatic pain is to reduce any inflammation of the offending area and of course to limit your pain so you can get on with life. Unfortunately this is where the use of NSAID’s or non-steroidal anti inflammatory drugs is the road most doctors take. Sure, they may ease your pain and reduce inflammation but if you had any idea of the unwanted effects these drugs can have on you I’m sure you would think twice.

Many back pain and sciatica sufferers are forced to use these drugs long term, previously myself included, as most back complaints are not easily or quickly resolved. This long term us of NSAID’s can have lasting effects on your health. Problems with kidneys, the liver, the intestines and the stomach lining itself are not uncommon and of course add to this the noticeable side effects like cramping, headaches and drowsiness just to mention a few.

So how do we protect ourselves against these problems while still getting the pain relief and reduced inflammation that we need? The answer is natural medicines that do the same job without jeopardizing our future health. There are many great all natural products on the market these days and for peace of mind there really is no other choice.

Craig Wilson
http://www.articlesbase.com/medicine-articles/sciatic-discomfort-quick-tips-to-help-keep-your-sanity-635100.html

Why You Need Chiropractic Care and How to Work With Your Chiropractor to Get Optimal Results

Dec 31

Posted by Back Pain editor in Pinched Nerve | No Comments

Are you seeking treatment for back and neck pain? Are you weighed down by headaches or migraines? Are you still bothered by a pinched nerve, or a sports injury that just won’t heal? This article’s intention is to offer you an introduction to chiropractic care and provide you with guidelines for choosing a Sydney North Shore Chiropractor.

 

Chiropractic treatment is a form of physical therapy concerned with the functioning of your spine and central nervous system. Chiropractors provide their clients with the foundation to stay healthy by utilizing the power of their own bodies to promote natural healing in an efficient manner.

 

This physical therapy explores the connections between the anatomy of your spine and its effects on your health. The health problems that arise as a result of misalignments of the vertebrae in your spine can be effectively treated by a chiropractor.

 

Numerous North Shore Chiropractic clinics exist in the North Sydney, Neutral Bay and Cremorne areas. If you are contemplating chiropractic treatment, these are some questions you need to ask them:

 

1. Will your Australian Health Fund reimburse some of your money, and if so, how much of it?

 

2. Have they dealt with issues similar to yours before?

 

3. What is the price of each session?

 

4. Do they have discounts if you purchase multiple sessions?

 

5. Do they aim to treat the root of your problem and put you on the path to greater energy and wellness?

 

The last point is very important. In addition to adjusting your spine and alleviating your neck or back pain, their job is to guide you toward total wellness.

 

The following guidelines should assist you on your journey to better health:

 

1. Make regular visits to your chiro so as to aid your spine and nervous system to function at their best and assist in building good health;

 

2. Consume those foods which will help your body to work in the best way it can by providing it ample the nutrients;

 

3. You must drink plenty of water; it flushes your system of toxins and keeps you hydrated;

 

4. Regular exercise will improve both your health and your energy;

 

5. Make sure you get plenty of rest so your body can recuperate and build up more energy;

 

6. Keep a positive mental attitude;

 

7. Learn about other ways to enhance your health.

 

A professional chiro should educate you along in the process so that you understand the basis of what they are doing. Chiropractic treatment is no immediate cure. A few sessions may be required to resolve your sports injury and additional care may be needed to maintain and build on your progress. Your emotional, physical and chemical aspects should be examined, in order to truly improve your overall wellbeing.

 

Before bringing your children to your health professional for a spinal adjustment, you need to ensure that they are comfortable working with children.

Jerry Carpos
http://www.articlesbase.com/alternative-medicine-articles/why-you-need-chiropractic-care-and-how-to-work-with-your-chiropractor-to-get-optimal-results-687274.html

Lower Back Pain Treatments

Dec 31

Posted by Back Pain editor in Lower Back Pain | 7 Comments

Lower back pain is causing a great concern in the United States. Moreover because it is in a recent study it is anticipated that four out of five adults in the United States will experience lower back pain in some point of their lives. Back pain being a common problem may sometimes hamper ones day to day life and may even lead to surgery. So it is always recommended to consult your physician even for the smallest back pain symptoms you will notice and get the advice before the problem grows.

Back Pain is indeed a very painful experience and ironically the severity of pain is often unrelated to the extent of physical damage it has caused. A simple strain can be extremely painful, while a herniated disk between vertebrate may cause little or no pain at all. That is why it is always beneficial that you may go in for many types of back pain tests that are available and can be administered to more accurately determine the cause of your pain.

Common causes of lower back pain can be found in the following:

• Injury to the bones, joints or ligaments in the lower back

• Smaller nerves running along and inside the spine becoming irritated or damaged

• Strain to the lower back muscles, or erector spine

• Damage to the intervertebral disks, which separate the vertebrate

• Irritated nerve roots connected to the hips, legs or even arms

At times many physical injuries can be attributed to specific incidents but still lower back pain may be slow-building, yet progressive. This can make it difficult to notice complicated lower back problems before they require treatment. Although lower back pain does not require emergency medical attention, a few symptoms may be signs of severe medical conditions.

Back pain as we have discussed is slow yet progressive and rarely requires emergency medical attention. But it is highly recommended that you consult your physician and follow his advice to avoid such emergency situations. In some cases if anytime you experience the following symptoms with a regular slow back pain you need to have an expert for emergency medical attention.

The symptoms are

Severe or constant pain in the lower back or abdominal region

Sudden bowel or bladder movements

A progressive feeling of weakness in the legs

An immediate medical attention saves you from any damage to your body and excruciating pain it may cause to you. For severe or chronic back pain, you should consider seeking lower back pain treatment, which is available in many forms. Lower back exercise can both help with back pain relief, and prevent it from recurring later. Most low back pain can be treated without surgery. Treatment involves using analgesics, reducing inflammation, restoring proper function and strength to the back, and preventing recurrence of the injury. Most patients with back pain recover without residual functional loss. Patients should contact a doctor if there is not a noticeable reduction in pain and inflammation after 72 hours of self-care. The best way is to take necessary precautions and make necessary changes in lifestyle, standing, sitting and sleeping positions and doing regular exercise. It is best to keep the back pain away from you and your family.

Dhiraj
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/lower-back-pain-treatments-127476.html

Vertebral Axial Decompression or Vax-d and Their Results

Dec 31

Posted by Back Pain editor in Herniated Disc | No Comments

Vertebral axial decompression therapy is a very useful tool for people who have horrible back problems because it is relatively inexpensive and it does not involve surgery. Data was collected from twenty-two medical centers for patients who received VAX-D therapy for low back pain, which was sometimes accompanied by referred leg pain. Only patients who received at least ten sessions and had a diagnosis of herniated disc, degenerative disc, or facet syndrome, which were confirmed by diagnostic imaging, were included in this study.

The data contained the patients’ quantitative assessments of their own pain, mobility, and ability to carry out the usual ‘activities of daily living’. The treatment was successful in 71% of the 778 cases, when success was defined as a reduction in pain to 0 or 1, on a 0 to 5 scale. Improvements in mobility and activities of daily living correlated strongly with pain reduction. The causes of back pain and their relationship to this therapy are also discussed.

Although imaging procedures, including CT and MRI, are able to accurately define structural pathology, the correlation of these anatomic findings with physiology, back pain, and other clinical complaints is imprecise. Although surgical decompression, epidural blocks, and spinal instrumentation can sometimes help patients suffering from back pain, these treatments do not completely take the biomechanical function of the disc into account, and may leave patients unrelieved of their suffering.

Low back pain is aggravated by activities that increase axial loading on the spine, such as sitting, standing, and lifting. Patients may describe some relief with walking, but more particularly, by lying down, which unloads the spine and reduces intradiscal pressure. The causes of mechanical low back pain may include degenerative disc disease, degenerative spondylosis with limitation of range of motion, facet arthropathy, relative lateral recess stenosis from a combination of the above, microenvironment presure changes affecting the thecal and epidural space from disc bulging, subligamentous and/or extruded herniation, and segmental instability.

A number of potential mechanisms are specifically addressed by the lumbar vertebral body separation achieved during therapy. With aging, disc desicction occurs, disc height is lost, and this process is accelerated with activities which produce high physical loading of the lumbar spine. Osteophytes develop along the anterolateral and posterior border of the vertebral bodies, and facet arthropathy increases as degenerative disc change advances . Normal vertebral body separation is lost as the disc degenerates. blood supply to the nerve roots of the cauda equina is sensitive to compression. Even at pressures of only 5-10 mmHg, the flow in over 20% of the venules was completely stopped. Flow in all the capillaries stopped at pressures between 20 and 50 mmHg. A pressure of 30 mmHg is slightly less than one pound per square inch, so solute transport is easily reduced. Even vertebral distractions of 1 or 2 mm per disc would reduce ligamental redundancy and help to restore canal/foraminal patency, reduce venous congestion and increase axoplasmic flow.

For more resource about back pain or even about back pain Chicago and espcially about bulging disc please click these links.

Groshan Fabiola
http://www.articlesbase.com/business-articles/vertebral-axial-decompression-or-vaxd-and-their-results-106783.html

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