Archive for the ‘Back Pain’ Category
Millions of people across the world suffer form back pain. Aside from the common cold more people see their Doctor for back pain than any other health problem, concern or illness. Causes of back pain can range from muscle and ligament strain and sprain injuries, muscle spasms, pinched nerves, disc herniations – protrusions – or bulges and sciatica nerve issues.
If you suffer from any of the above conditions than it is always best to consult your Family Doctor or Chiropractor so that they may do a thorough evaluation and order any diagnostic studies that are needed, like X-rays, CAT scans or an MRI.
In my mind prevention is always the best course of action so before you get back pain follow this routine to prevent it.
Stretch daily. Perform core stabilizing exercises. Drink 2 L of water daily. Practice yoga with a certified instructor. Practice Tai Chi. Get weekly massages. Establish a preventive chiropractic program. Keep your belly flat and tone. Practice good body mechanics when performing physical activities. If you adhere to and follow the above nine recommendations you will be lees likely to suffer from back pain.
Most back pain is caused from spinal compression. Spinal compression is like walking around all day with a 100 lb weight on your head. This causes a pinching of the nerves and causes pain in the back and also can cause pain into your leg that is commonly known as sciatica. One of the best treatments for this condition is spinal decompression therapy. You can receive this treatment at most state of the art physical therapy and chiropractic centers.
If you ever suffer with back pain, then you probably have heard your medical professional recommend that you begin doing exercise for back pain relief. So, you dutifully go home and do the recommended back exercises until your pain goes away and you forget about them again. Until the next time your back hurts, then you’re back to the exercises that will help your back to heal again.
What if you could not only do exercise for back pain relief now, but also to prevent future back injuries and the pain that comes with? Would you take on an exercise routine that you could stick with then? You might want to consider it, because new studies show that there are exercises you can do which will not only help you to heal your back right now and gain the pain relief you need, but can also help you to build a strong, healthy back and core to keep your back free of pain for years to come.
Gentle Stretching Of The Muscles
Exercises for back pain relief include stretching the back muscles, but doing so gently. Usually, when the pain is at its peak you should begin gentle stretching of the muscles without forcing injured muscles to do much additional work. Try lying flat on the floor and pull both knees slowly and gently to the chest. Hug them to your body for a time and let yourself relax. You can stay in this position as long as you like, but don’t get “stuck”. If you begin to feel as if your back muscles are locking into place, then you need to lower your legs one by one.
Another stretching type exercise for back pain relief is to get down on your hands and knees, hands under your shoulders, knees at 90 degrees, back firm and flat. Slowly and gently arch your back so that you feel a good strong stretch and your back is as close to a C shape as it can be. Hold for a few counts and lower, creating an arch in the back, face pointed to the ceiling. Keep your movements fluid and repeat as many times as you like.
Once your back is feeling better and you are feeling stronger, you should work on exercises that can stop your back from becoming injured again and offer permanent relief. You could begin doing an exercise routine which is low impact, but will help to strengthen the core muscles and the back with gentle, fluid movements that don’t tug or pull on weak muscles that commonly get injured. As you grow stronger and your core becomes stronger, you will agree that exercises for back pain relief are worth doing. You won’t suffer from back injuries as frequently as you used to.
With most adults experiencing lower back pain sometime during their life, it’s important to understand what cause back problems, what treatment is available and how these conditions can be avoided. A main cause of an aching back is weak back muscles. Overworked (strained) muscles, improper lifting, stress, physical activity, even a hard sneeze can cause discomfort and pain. Most of us are weekend warriors. During the week we sit in our cars commuting to work. Then we sit at a desk pounding the key board. Comes the weekend and we’re out on the golf links, playing tennis or any number of weekend activities. Monday morning rolls around and we can barely get out of bed! What happened?
Because of our sedentary lifestyle our muscles are weak. Back and stomach muscles unused to physical activity are put under stress and the results are a sore back. Fortunately it’s not serious and usually you’ll feel better after a couple of days.
Treatment: Usually some ice, rest and an anti-inflammatory like Advil will probably take care of the aches and pain. If pain persists or gets worse see your doctor.
Prevention: But how do you prevent lower back pain? Well the answer is to strengthen the back and abdominal muscles. There are many exercises and programs available. Some may do more harm than good. A physical therapist can show you the correct exercises for your specific problem. One of the top rated programs is called the Lose The Back Pain System developed by therapists and doctors of the Healthy back Institute. This program has helped thousands by strengthening muscles and eliminating muscles imbalance. Muscle weakness is a common cause of lower back pain.
The good news is that it’s usually not serious and can be prevented with a well designed program of exercises. As someone who has suffered with a bad back and who has endured months of physical therapy and an operation, I can tell you there are solutions for your discomfort.
Many back pain sufferers experience morning back pain. A nagging burning sensation that either represents a pinched nerve or inflammation caused by spending too much time in a bad position (while asleep).
There are really two ways to attack morning back pain. One is by getting a new bed. But they are expensive and may not solve the problem. If you want to go this route, get a Sleep Number bed so it can be adjusted according to your needs.
But most people can’t afford a new bed, much less a replacement if the first choice proves to be no help or makes things worse.
Instead, to help minimize the risk of morning back pain, you should do an extension exercise followed by a stretching of the back before bed time. This will relieve your back of as much compression stress as possible before you go to bed making things have to move farther before initiating new pain.
A few minutes of mild inversion will do better. About 30 degrees for five minutes would be plenty. If you do not have an inversion table, you are strongly advised to get one just as soon as you can.
If you still have morning back pain even if you are doing the stretches before going to bed, it should be easily relieved by doing the stretches again first thing in the morning. Fact is, with a good extension and stretch routine just done before bed and waking up, you will go a long way toward the elimination of the pain entirely.
Morning back pain is not something you should ignore. It is easy to deal with and you can do it by yourself. Best of all, the steps you take for correcting your morning back pain are the same as what you need to do to build or maintain a healthy back.
The end result of effective back pain treatment extends long into the day.
Did you know that lower back pain affects up to 90 percent of Americans? Unfortunately, medical practitioners cannot find a specific cause of the pain in about 85 percent of lower back pain sufferers. To alleviate some of the pain and, at times, eradicate it altogether, try establishing a regular routine of lower back pain exercises.
Between 10 and 30 minutes of lower back pain exercises helps patients recover, according to the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons. Of course, check with your physician before attempting any of the following exercises.
Wall squatting
Stand with your back against a sturdy, firm wall, heels wedged at the floor and wall’s corner. Step away from the wall, forward, until your feet are positioned about 12 inches in front of you. They should be shoulder-width apart. Create a 45-degree angle by slowly bending your knees, while tightening your ab muscles. Hold this squat for 5 seconds. Return to the starting position with your back against the wall. Repeat this exercise 10 times.
Cat and camel stretches
Get on all fours on top of a yoga mat or towels. Your hands should be under your shoulder and knees under your hips. Rest your head by releasing your neck, allowing your head to flop downward. While you do this motion, round your back by tucking your hips under yourself, making a curve that points upward. Count to five and release. Do this 10 times. Return to the starting position. Look toward the ceiling while dropping your stomach toward the floor, making your back arch. Count to five and release. Do this 10 times.
Knee to chest stretching
Lie on your back on a yoga mat or towel, with knees bent pointing toward the ceiling and feet flat on the floor. Use both hands to pull your right knee to your chest and hold this position for 30 seconds. Release and return to starting position Repeat the same exercise with the left leg. Lastly, pull both knees toward your chest and hold them, one in each hand, for 30 seconds.
Start an exercise routine today. These simple lower back pain exercises might just give you the relief you need.
Most people in the working class will suffer from back pain due to the posture they take up while working. This gives rise to problems. Other people will suffer if they are overweight. Aging is another common factor that will lead to this kind of condition. Other people will suffer from osteoporosis which will in turn cause backache.
Lower right back pain will in most cases be brought about by poor lifestyles such as lack of exercises and poor postures while working. Poor posture inserts pressure on the vertebrae and as such causes the muscles to become damaged. Osteoporosis is the main reason for lower right back pain. This disease affects the bones and mainly the old people. The bones become weak and are exposed to the risk of fracture. This makes it hard for someone to carry out normal activities such as lifting and bending.
Treatment for this problem depends on how severe the it is. Its scaled from 1 to 10, 9 being the most painful. Exercises are mostly recommended in most cases as a way of curing this problem. it is not only cheap but also effective. Long term remedy for it requires seeking treatment from a doctor.
Ways of treating lower right back pain include massage, acupuncture chiropractic and physical therapy. Exercises such as swimming, walking and jogging are also recommended as a natural and cheap way of treating it. Making exercises a day to day activity helps in reducing it in the long run. The youth, especially should be encouraged to exercise regularly to protect them from such problems in the future.





