Herniated Disc Treatments - The 10 Most Effective Treatments for Back Pain Caused by Disc Herniation

There are numerous herniated disc treatments which can bring you some temporary comfort. Here is a list of the most effective treatment options to relieve the acute back pain that is related to a disc herniation:

1. Regular exercise

When you are sitting continuously in the same position you place more stress than normal on your lumbar discs which can become painful. If you work in an office, ensure that you get up and walk every once in a while. Turn it into a habit not remain seated for too long. When at home, do some recommended exercises for herniated discs.

2. Physiotherapy

The treatment available at the physiotherapist assists you to stretch and strengthen the muscle groups involved. This approach removes some pressure and in addition helps make the back a little more flexible and firm.

3. Drugs

Pain medication or muscle relaxants may help you achieve some sort of pain relieve for now. Keep in mind the truth that medication typically has many secondary effects, so don't exaggerate. Furthermore, talk to your health practitioner first and ensure that you do not overdose or take the drugs for too long time periods.

4. Massage Therapy

A massage therapy should really be utilized in a combined treatment program as some kind of extra approach. Due to their relaxing effect, massages can help eliminate intense pain to some degree, however they are not enough to produce lasting success.

5. Acupuncture

Acupuncture is a medically recognized, traditional technique that can help alleviate the pain triggered by a herniated disc. It represents an outstanding method to eliminate the back pain for the short term.

6. Inversion Therapy

Inversion Therapy is a way of enhancing the space between the discs by carefully separating the back bones with help of an inversion table. This procedure helps taking the pressure from the herniated disc as well as pushing and pulling it back in its place.

7. Far Infrared Heat

This method for combating back pain has actually been used for thousands of years. These days, modern technology allows for the practical use of far infrared in pads. They deliver beneficial nutrients and oxygen to our blood to help heal the disc herniation.

8. Cortisone Injections

The steroid found in these injections helps lower the nerve irritation, and typically starts doing the job a day or two after the procedure. They also contain a local anesthetic which lasts for about twelve hours.

10. Natural Supplements

You can actually find all-natural supplements for pain relief today that can achieve the same result as prescription drugs, but without the negative effects. Using a combination of natural anti-inflammatory and pain relieving ingredients, they help patients in a very kind way to reduce the pain caused by a herniated disc.

Effective Lower Back Pain Treatment

I first recall having back pains in October of 2004. On the outset it was nothing more than a minor irritant after having sat for too long. It is now become much more than that. I am definitely in one of the risk groups for needing lower back pain treatment. My problem is pretty much brought on by my own doing. I am only and I do not exercise nearly as much as I should. Add to this the fact that I work at a desk all day, and you have a recipe for disaster. Intellectually, I probably knew this, but it was easy to ignore the risk signs until it was too late and I needed to get lower back pain treatment myself.

In the beginning I thought I could tackle the problem stretching thoroughly and sleeping on a firm mattress. It actually does help alleviate the pain as the mattress supported my back a little better, and I'm sure that the stretching exercises that I did helped out.

But once again the fault lies with myself because I was never disciplined enough to stick with my exercise regimen in order for it to be effective as a lower back pain treatment. So, you can probably guess what happened next, the back pain just became worse And worse when, one day, I finally did it.

I completely threw out my back and couldn't move for four days. It was awful. I went to a chiropractor after that, and he straightened me out, but no matter how many lower back pain treatments I received, I still was plagued with pain on a regular basis.

I finally reached the breaking point where I had to do something. I decided that the best lower back pain treatment I could provide myself would be to live a much more healthy lifestyle. I had an uncle who was severely overweight, and was plagued by horrible, persistent health problems which lasted until the day he died. I did not want to suffer the same fate whether it be my heart or my back.

The first thing I did was take up jogging. As you can imagine it was a struggle just to get around the block. I would puff and wheeze, and be sore for days. But I didn't give up, and soon I could jog for half a mile without stopping. I know that may not sound like much but for me it was quite an accomplishment.

But wouldn't you know it, I then sprained my ankle and experienced pain in my knees, but by that point, my lower back pain treatment had been a complete success. It was a pretty fair trade-off altogether. Once the new knee cap that they had to install settles, I am going to begin a routine of water aerobics as my new lower back pain treatment. Take it all the pressure off my joints is the ticket. It's time to get wet.

L4, L5, S1 Low Back Pain - Meet Your Psoas Muscle

Low back pain that is characterized by pain in the L4, L5, S1 region means that you need to have your psoas muscle lengthened. The psoas muscle attaches from the lumbar area (i.e., L4, L5, S1) to the upper thigh region. The psoas muscle is easily susceptible to contraction. When it gets shortened, it creates pressure on the discs in the L4, L5, S1 area, causing low back pain. Few people know about the effect of the psoas muscle on low back pain. And fewer people know how to lengthen the psoas when it becomes contracted. The best method is through Active Isolated Stretching therapy (also known as AIS).

The psoas muscle lies deep inside the stomach, so it is the flip side of the low back region. Is attaches at numerous points along the spinal column, over twenty-six locations. Sitting for long periods of time and doing full sit-ups are common reasons for the psoas to tighten. Modern society requires humans to sit most of the day, which is why low back pain is so prevalent. Tightness in the psoas muscle is not the only reason why people experience low back pain. But it is almost always a principle factor.

When a person undergoes Active Isolated Stretching treatment, a therapist helps the client to stretch the psoas muscle. This involves a client leaning on a massage table and the therapist pulling the leg away from the torso. This AIS technique properly lengthens the psoas muscle without risking injury to the discs of the low back. Opening the psoas muscle will radically improve low back pain; it is necessary but not the entirety of solving low back pain.

Other methods unsuccessfully try to address psoas tightness. Some massage therapy techniques try to manually lengthen the psoas muscle by pushing the hands deep into the stomach and trying to massage the muscle. This technique fails because the psoas is too deep inside the stomach to reach manually. And even if it can be touched, the psoas has too many attachment points along the vertebrae that need to be released. Its impossible to adequately lengthen the psoas muscle through massage techniques.

Back surgery is another option for low back pain in the L4, L5, S1 region. In some cases, a surgeon will shave off part of the disc that is herniating/bulging/degenerating. The disc is the cushion that lies in between the vertebrae (sections of the spinal column). The reasoning for shaving off the disc is that the protrusion is pushing into the nerve and causing low back pain. This procedure is regarded as minimally invasive back surgery. A more aggressive surgery involves removing the disc entirely and fusing the vertebrae together. This procedure is known as spinal fusion.

In either case, the issue that is being ignored is why is the disc being negatively affected? What is causing the disc in the low back to bulge, herniate, or degenerate? Part of the answer is contraction of the psoas muscle. Tightness in the psoas muscle is squeezing the vertebrae together. The excessive force is causing the discs around L4, L5, or S1 to spill out of normal position or wear down.

The approach in Active Isolated Stretching is to get to the root cause of low back pain. If the psoas muscle and numerous accompanying muscles can be restored back to normal length then the discs in the low back can return to normal position. Herniation can slide back inside when the excessive squeezing is terminated. The body can repair its own problems when the critical muscles are balanced. Even physicians emphasize investigating every option before considering back surgery. Active Isolated Stretching therapy is the safe/effective method that needs exploration.

Back Pain and Trigger Point Acupuncture

Trigger point acupuncture is a method that releases sensitive nodules in the skeletal musculature that cause referred pain-what we refer to as muscle "knots." Rather than temporarily masking the pain that's caused by these sensitive points, as medications do, trigger point acupuncture actually eliminates the source of the problem. This therapy is also effectively used to relieve problems and pain associated with neck, shoulder, wrist, leg etc. This article will focus exclusively on trigger point acupuncture for low back pain.

Which Points Cause Low Back Pain?

With low back pain, the source can be muscle knots in a number of different muscles.

The Trigger points in the following muscles can refer pain to the low back: erector spinae longissimus, erector spinae iliocostalis, multifidi, rotatores, rectus abdominis, quadratus lumborum, iliopsoas, gluteus medius, gluteus maximus, levator ani, and piriformis.

In Myofascial Pain and Dysfunction: The Trigger Point Manual, author Janet Travell, a Western physician who is credited with coining the term "trigger point," says of low back pain, "Occasionally only one muscle will be responsible for the pain as presented, but it is much more common for several muscles to contribute to overlapping pain patterns... No two patients present exactly the same picture."

Travell says, "The muscles in general and [trigger points] in particular receive little attention as a major source of pain and dysfunction in modern medical school teaching and in medical textbooks."

Effective treament for Low back Pain

One of the most beneficial things about acupuncture is that it places you into the relaxation response, similar to what is achieved by meditation. Acupuncture reduces inflammation and pain in the body and also reduces the body's biochemical responses to stress and lowers blood pressure. It does this by increasing the secretion of our body's natural opiates, endorphins, our feel good hormones and by increasing secretion of natural cortisone-like anti-inflammation drugs in the adrenal glands.

Trigger point acupuncture goes one step further. In addition to being profoundly relaxing, as above, when you relieve these sensitive nodules the muscle responds by actually lengthening and releasing. This has a decompressing effect on joints, tendons, and tendon sheaths. After a session the patient usually feels a release just like in a chiropractic adjustment. This is generally followed by an immediate relief in pain. Usually patients will sleep profoundly well the night of a treatment, which also has enormous restorative value.

Treatment is much more effective when the practitioner is familiar with both therapies and incorporates them together.

Causes of Back Pain - Spasmodic Torticollis, Sciatica, and Spinal Stenosis

Although many people will suffer from back or neck pain at some point in their lives, it can be quite difficult to diagnose these acute, short-term problems. Often, a muscle strain may be the culprit, which can heal in a manner of days or weeks. But for chronic pain in the neck and back, doctors have named a variety of disorders that people commonly experience. From sciatica to spinal stenosis, being aware of a few of these common painful conditions may help people suffering from back injuries understand why they are in pain and what treatment paths to take when they are recovering.

If a person has shortening of muscle fibers or periodic spasms in the neck, spasmodic torticollis may be the problem. The neck muscles may contract so much that the neck is forced to turn from a neutral position to a deranged one. Unfortunately, though, doctors do not know what actually causes this condition. A reaction to drugs or medication is the most common reason people suffer from spasmodic torticollis, but the actual reason that some people develop it is uncertain. Treatments for the condition involve such modalities as physical therapy, injections of botulinum toxin into the neck muscles, drugs to control the pain, or even surgery in some cases.

Sciatica is a condition in which the nerve roots are compressed. The most common cause is a vertebral disc begins to protrude out of the spinal column and additional pressure is put on the spinal cord. Osteoarthritis, bony irregularities, tumors, and abscesses may also cause sciatica. People who have this condition often describe the pain as burning or stabbing, and pain or numbness may be felt all the way from the lower back to the feet, with discomfort in the hips or knees also present. Rest, rehabilitative exercises, spinal flossing, medication, and surgery have all be used to treat sciatica, with varying degrees of success in different patients.

Another disorder that can cause harmful pressure on the spinal cord and sciatic nerve roots is called lumbar spinal stenosis. This results from a narrowing of the spinal canal in the lower back or upper back regions. In fact, it may even be one of the causes of sciatica. Degenerative diseases such as osteoarthritis or disc degeneration may lead to spinal stenosis. Pain is most commonly experienced in the hips, thighs, and even down to the calves, and may be felt when standing, walking, and running. The treatments for spinal stenosis are similar to treatments for sciatica and aim to reduce spinal compression causing pain.

Though there are a number of other conditions that can cause pain in the back and neck, these ones detailed here are some of the most common but most debilitating for those suffering from them. Pain in the lower back and neck can be very uncomfortable, even when it lasts only for a day or a week at the most. But chronic conditions such as sciatica or disc disease can cause pain for a great portion of person's life. This makes it even more important to find ways to deal with the problem by reducing the pain and then relearning how to move without severe back or neck pain.

Could Hamstring Muscle Injury Cause Back Pain?

You often hear about athletes who are unable to play their sport due to a pulled hamstring. In fact, a pulled hamstring is one of the most common muscle pulls or muscle injury. Your hamstrings are a group of three muscles that help extend your legs at the hip and flex them at the knee. A pulled hamstring is a strain or tear in the muscles or tendons.

To understand what causes a hamstring injury you have to know how muscles work. All muscles work in pairs to perform a task. One set of muscles contracts to exert force while the other set of muscles relaxes. The hamstring muscles located at the back of the thigh, work with the quadriceps muscle group in the front of the thigh. When you want to bend your leg, the hamstring muscles contract and the quadriceps muscles relax. Conversely, when you want to straighten your leg, the quadriceps muscles contract and the hamstring muscles relax.

If one muscle group is considerably stronger than its opposing muscle group, the imbalance can lead to strain. This frequently happens with the hamstring muscles. The quadriceps muscles are usually much more powerful, so the hamstring can become fatigued faster. A fatigued muscle cannot relax as easily when its opposing muscle contracts, leading to strains.

Muscle strains are overuse injuries that result when the muscle is stretched without being properly warmed up. An injury to the hamstring is usually readily apparent. Mild strains may involve simple, uncomfortable tightening of the muscle. More severe injuries may result in a sharp pain in the back of the thigh, usually in full stride. A rupture or tear may leave you unable to stand or walk, muscles may be tender to the touch and painful to stretch your leg. Within a few days after a tear the area may appear very bruised.

Remember RICE and you will know the immediate treatment protocol for many sports related injuries, including hamstring pulls or strains:

R - Rest the affected area.

I - Ice the injury.

C - Compress the injury (apply a bandage or other compressive device).

E - Elevate the injury.

If the muscle is completely torn, surgery may be necessary to repair and reattach it. No treatment is complete without proper rehabilitation to strengthen and stretch the muscle.

The best way to prevent a hamstring injury is to warm up before activity and stretch after activity. Weak or tight hamstrings can contribute to low back pain, so doing exercises to strengthen and stretch the hamstrings may also reduce your risk of low back pain. Be sure to perform all strength training exercises in opposing muscle form. For example if you work the quadriceps be sure to also work the hamstrings. The best exercise to isolate these two muscle groups would be the Leg Press and the Leg Curl working the quadriceps and hamstrings respectively. If you feel your hamstring is the muscle with the imbalance be sure to work it a little harder by adding an extra set or more weight for your sets.

A good stretch is to sit down and straighten your left leg. The sole of your right foot should rest next to the inside of your straightened leg. Lean slightly forward and touch your foot with your fingers. Keep your left foot upright with the ankle and toes relaxed. Hold for 30 seconds, then repeat with the right leg.

An exercise program designed by your trainer at Any Body Fitness will be designed according to a muscle balance form. This design helps prevent injury. That is what we want!

7 Tricks to Help Your Back Pain

Are you like thousands of others adults who suffer from back pain? Are you struggling with sciatica or lower back pain? Is your day less enjoyable as back pain stops you doing the activities you wish to do?

Well there are some simple tricks you can apply that can make your life better. Sure you still need to remove your back pain, and you can do this easily - in fact it is trick #8, a special treat just for you.

Back to the tips and tricks though...

Follow these tricks below and you will find back pain will ease. These are best applied if you don't have back pain, and wish to make sure you stay that way. As the saying goes - prevention is easier than cure!

With back pain this is doubly so, you need to stop your back pain before it starts. The statistics are frightening...

Over 80% of adults suffer from back pain at some stage. Back pain is the second most common reason to visit your doctor, behind the common cold only. Back pain is likely to affect you at some time so now is the best time to do something about it.

Follow these simple 7 tricks and you can avoid becoming one of the statistics.

Tip 1. Stand upright and pay attention to posture - don't slouch. This does not mean to stand in a military type posture, but stand in a relaxed manner. Hard to do if you have back pain, but more on that in trick #8.

Tip 2. Sit upright at your desk with your lower back slightly curved. Don't slump in your chair or hunch over your keyboard. Set your workstation up correctly - screen at eye level. Try and sit on your sitting bones (the bony part of your buttock) as this helps to distribute your weight evenly and remove pressure off your back.

Tip 3. Change your position frequently. Get up and walk around every 20-30 minutes even if it's only for 30 seconds. Back pain is usually from your spine tiring out - getting up and moving helps to change your posture and stop spinal fatigue.

Tip 4. Water. Drink lots of it! Your discs between your spine are fluid, if you lack water these lack strength. Also muscles require good fluid levels and your back pain will heal faster if your body is not dehydrated.

Tip 5. Do specific back strengthening and relaxing exercises. Muscles are the most common cause of pain, although why muscles cause pain is the true underlying cause. You need to strengthen the weak muscles and relax the tense muscles. Simple to do if you know how - see http://www.back-pain-advisor.com/back-exercises.html

Tip 6. Target the muscles that cause 90% of lower back pain. Your Abdominal muscles, Hip Flexors and Erector Spinae group of muscles are the main muscles that de-stabilize your lower back. These muscles are the ones that create the imbalances that lead to most back pain. Change these and also mobilize your joints and you will not become a back pain statistic.

Tip 7. Push rather than pull heavy objects. If you're lifting something heavy, use your leg muscles and hold it close to your body. Don't bend over and strain your back. Most back pain comes from doing seemingly innocuous activities. It is rare for adults to tell their doctor that pain came from a large fall. It is usually from lifting their child, lifting a chair, shifting furniture etc. If you lift correctly then you are less likely to create that last stress that triggers your back pain...

But!

Most back pain occurs from a build up of tension. Physical and emotional tensions are equal causes of back pain. The most important trick you can implement to not only remove your back pain, but prevent it also is...

Tip 8: Learn to balance your spine, to remove stress and get rid of back pain once and for all. There are many techniques you can do at home to relax muscles, to strengthen the weakened muscles and to mobilize joints. Add in ways to speed your healing and recovery rates and learn ways to prevent back pain and you can be free of back pain completely and permanently.

If you want to learn to help your self and be free of back pain once and for all! - you must read this!

Why Use Physiotherapy To Treat Back Pain

Physiotherapy dates back to the ancient times but the modern practice of this allied medical care started in the 1920s. It is used to address conditions like recurring pain, musculoskeletal disorders, and movement disorders. The health care professional who is trained in this field of endeavour is known as a physiotherapist or a physical therapist.

Nowadays, the services of physiotherapists are widely sought by a large number of people who suffer from a wide variety of afflictions. The most common of which is back ache. It used to be that when an individual has backache, he goes directly to a doctor. At present, he has another option and that is to engage the assistance of a physical therapist.

Backaches come in different forms depending on the specific affected area. The causes are quite varied ranging with those resulting from injuries due to motor accident, some diseases or an unhealthy lifestyle. It may be in the form of lumbar back pain or thoracic back pain.

Thoracic pain, commonly known as upper back pain or middle back pain, is due to a lot of reasons like degenerative disc diseases. It may also come about because a spinal disability. Sometimes, the constant repetitive movement in the upper body or a joint dysfunction may lead to upper back pain. Since the upper back is much more stable compared to the lower back, upper back pains are less common compared with lower back pains.

Lumbar back pains or lower back pain is a much ordinary occurrence with a variety of causes. It may be because of a torn ligament, a herniated disc or slipped disc, muscular spasm or just plain poor posture. Even the act of lifting improperly of a heavy box may result in lower back pains.

Back pains may be temporary and minor, where an individual will just feel a twinge of pain or some tenderness or it can be recurring and debilitating. People who are plagued with chronic back pain are better off starting therapy with a licensed physiotherapist. The relief will be more lasting for it will target the root cause and not just deal with the symptoms. For some, it is a choice between physiotherapy and surgery with the latter having a higher risk factor.

In physiotherapy for back pains, a combination of methods is used in the treatment process depending on the reason for such a condition. In case of problems with spinal discs, only a certified physiotherapist is supposed to work in manipulating back the disc into place. Licensed physiotherapists underwent extensive education and training to be equipped with skills needed to handle injuries such as herniated discs. Surgery for herniated discs is quite costly and risky. There is a long recovery period also where one has to be kept stationary.

Massage may also be used to relax the muscles at the back and to relieve the pain caused by torn ligaments. Myotheraphy and hydrotherapy can be used to ease back pains, not just temporarily but for a lifetime.

Is My Pain From My Hip Joint Or From a Low Back Spine Problem?

Pain that is in or around one's hip joint may or may not be present secondary to a hip issue. The pain can also be coming from a low back spinal problem.

The potential generators of the pain can be:

1) Hip joint arthritis or a soft tissue problem inside the hip joint (labrum)

2) Intervertebral disc herniation

3) Spinal Stenosis

4) Soft tissue problem around the hip

5) Fracture in the spine

6) Hip Fracture

Hip arthritis pain or a labral tear may cause significant pain in the groin area on the affected side. Physical examination and x-rays will typically confirm the culprit as degenerative joint disease (DJD) in the hip. If the patient receives a hip injection as treatment and the pain is eliminated even for an hour, one can be certain the hip is in fact the problem with further treatments confined to the hip.

Groin pain can also be a result of a disc herniation. It's not something typically seen in a textbook and it is an atypical presentation, but an L5-S1 disc herniation can in fact cause groin pain on the affected side. So if the exam and radiologic studies of the hip are not definitive for a hip problem, potentially obtain and MRI of the lumbar spine for the answer.

Pain that is around the hip joint may be coming from the spine. It is called radiating pain if it emanates from a spinal problem and then travels down into the buttock area or hip region. One such problem is called spinal stenosis, which represents nerve root compression at one or multiple levels from an arthritic process.

Spinal stenosis typically occurs in older individuals that may also be experiencing pain in the hip from arthritis. So the hip pain can be a combination of radiating pain from spinal stenosis along with the direct pain from the DJD in the hip. How is the diagnosis then made.

The combination of a good history, physical examination, and imaging studies often elucidates the source of the pain. If there's still a question mark, injections can give the answer. Here's an example. Betty is 74 years old and experiences pain on the outside and front of her right hip area on a daily basis. Activity makes it worse, and at times it wakes her up at night. Also it radiates down the front of her thigh a bit.

She is convinced the pain is coming from her hip since she has no back pain at all. On physical examination while moving her right hip all over the place, however, she has minimal provocation of her pain. X-rays show moderate arthritis in her right hip, with the same degenerative joint disease existing on her left side as well.

The physician orders x-rays and an MRI of Betty's lumbar spine which shows numerous nerve roots being compressed as they are trying to get out from the spine on the right side. So she has spinal stenosis.

As a diagnostic test, the physician performs a right hip injection under x-ray guidance. Betty's pain only decreased 20% over the next three days. So the physician sent Betty to a pain doctor the following week who performed an interventional pain management procedure called an epidural injection.

And you know what happened? Betty's pain decreased another 50% after the first injection and another 20% with the second injection, adding up to a 90% pain reduction with the epidural injections. Both the spinal injections and the hip injection therefore served both a diagnostic and therapeutic purpose.

It is important to keep in mind that pain in and around the hip may in fact be coming either partly or completely from a problem in the spine. This can be the difference between a frustrated patient still in pain versus one who shows dramatic improvement.

What's Causing Your Aching Lower Back?

The human spine is as unique to our species as the opposable thumb and the highly developed cerebral cortex. But the spine is only part of the back - our backs also contain a network of muscles and nerves (which aren't housed inside the spinal cord), and our kidneys are located more towards the back than the front. We aren't surprised when we get aches and pains in other muscles and joints that are in constant use, so why should we be surprised when we suffer pains in our backs.

Back pain can be roughly divided into two types: upper back pain and lower back pain. The upper back is the area from the base of the neck and the top of the shoulders down to just below the bottom of the ribs where the spine starts to curve in. Upper back pain has three main causes:

Tension. We talk about stress making us feel up tight - with good reason! Stress seems to make humans tense up around the shoulder and neck area, making them ache. This tension often seems to spread up the neck and even into the scalp.

Poor posture. Bending over or slouching for a long period of time so the top of the back is arched makes the upper back ache.

Muscle strain. Putting the muscles of the shoulder and upper back under unaccustomed strain makes them ache. This is probably the least common cause of upper back pain.

Lower back pain is more complicated and has more causes. It is also more common, mainly because the lower back is home to the "lumbar plexus", which is a "hub" for a number of major nerves spreading down into the hips and legs. Aches and pains in this part of the back can be caused by any of the following:

Poor posture (again). Standing and especially sitting with bad posture puts excessive strain on the lower back and makes it hurt. The curve of your lower back (known as the "lumbar lordosis" should be supported. The answer is not, as many believe, to make this part of the back straight. The aim here is the golden mean - neither having a perfectly straight spine nor an excessive curve.

Weak lower back muscles. If your lower back muscles (part of the group known as the "core muscle group") are weakened through lack of use, they tire easily and fail to keep our spines in the right place. Exercises to strengthen the lower back often help to treat this form of lower back pain.

Poor lifting technique. This is the most common cause of what's known as "putting your back out". Often, it's not a single instance of lifting one heavy thing that puts your back out. Usually, it's constant bad lifting that does the damage. For example, someone can spend most of the day lifting, say, house plants or crates with little more than a twinge of pain in the lower back - but at the end of the day, they try to pick up a cat using bad technique (again) and there goes their back! It's a case of the old saying "it's the last straw that broke the camel's back" - almost literally.

Obesity. Carrying too much weight on the abdomen puts extra stress on the lumbar lordosis - gravity is acting on all the excess fat, pulling it forward and down.

Pregnancy: The frontal position of the growing baby, plus all the amniotic fluid, etc. in the womb and abdomen pull forwards and down, putting stress on the lower back. A common home remedy for this type of lumbar pain is to sit backwards on a chair, leaning on the back of the chair and sitting astride it.

Urinary tract infections. Because the kidneys and the tubes leading from them to the bladder are located closer to our backs than to our fronts, infections in the urinary tract are often felt as sharp pain located below the ribcage between the spine and the side of the back on either (or both) side(s). The best way to treat this is with a course of antibiotics.

Once you are aware of the causes of back pain, it's easy to find the best way to treat it. For example, for upper back pain caused by tension, the best way to treat it is with massage.

Lower Back Pain When Standing Up Straight Causes and Solutions

One common back problem that people can experience is lower back pain when standing up straight. This is something that strikes the majority of people at some point or another during their lives, and can affect different areas of the back such as the lower region, the upper area, and toward the sides. Some of the causes of lower back pain can be relatively simple, and can therefore be easily dealt with to alleviate the discomfort, whereas others may be more serious and may need medical attention.

This type of back problem can occur for a number of reasons. It could be something as simple as having slept uncomfortably or the way that you carry yourself in terms of your posture, to something that may require medical attention such as an injury that has been sustained or an underlying problem relating to the spine, such as a trapped nerve or slipped disc. If the pain continues for a matter of days without subsiding then you should always seek medical advice, as this will allow the root problem of your pain to be explored.

Some of the causes of lower back pain

A number of causes can contribute toward this type of pain, and whatever the reason the discomfort that comes with this problem can be significant and debilitating. This is why it is important to get the issue sorted out if you notice ongoing pains when you try and stand up straight.

Some causes of lower back pain when standing can be more obvious than others, such as having sustained an injury or slept in an awkward position. However, others can be less obvious, and this is why you may need to seek medical help. Some of the possible causes of this type of pain include:

• An injury that has been sustained


• Trapped nerve in the lower back


• Slipped disc


• Tightened muscles


• Trauma to lower back (e.g. such as those sustained in a car accident or by a sudden jolt to the body)

If there is no obvious reason why your back continues to hurt when you try and stand up you should make an appointment to see your doctor, and this will help to ensure that the problem and the pain is sorted out as quickly as possible.

Use stretches to ease the discomfort

Using stretching exercises to help alleviate the discomfort can prove very effective for many people, and this can help you in a number of ways. Some of the ways in which stretching can help include loosening the muscles, improving mobility, increasing flexibility, easing strain and tension, and improving blood flow and circulation. All of this can help to alleviate the pain and discomfort for those that experience lower back pain when standing up straight.

Celiac Disease Can Cause Back Pain

Celiac disease affects about 1 in 133 Americans, according to Mayo Clinic researchers. The digestive and autoimmune disease is thought to be caused by genetic factors and has a wide range of symptoms.

The immune systems of people with Celiac disease respond to the ingestion of gluten protein by attacking the lining of the small intestine. This causes inflammation that damages villa, the small hairs in the intestine that absorb nutrients into the body. Because it affects nutrient absorption, Celiac has many symptoms beyond the digestive tract.

Nutrients include vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, proteins and fats. The body uses all of these in various vital functions, including cell production, muscle activation, growth of bones and muscles and organ function. Since nutrients are the basic building blocks of our bodies, malnutrition can wreak havoc on a number of structures.

Symptoms of Celiac include:

Digestive problems, such as gas, bloating, diarrhea, fatty stools and constipation
Muscle, joint and bone pain
In children, failure to grow properly
Iron-deficiency anemia
Missed periods
Tingling in the legs
Seizures

Celiac Disease And Back Pain

If you experience chronic digestive symptoms and back pain, you should be tested for Celiac disease. Continuing to eat gluten can lead to permanent intestinal damage.

Nutrient deficiency affects muscles throughout the body. The lower back will likely be a site of pain, since the lower back muscles are both load-bearing and highly mobile. Electrolytes like potassium, magnesium, sodium and calcium are needed for proper muscle functioning. A lack of these electrolytes causes interference in nerve communication between the brain and muscles. Contraction and relaxation cycles become disrupted. The muscles may twitch, spasm and cramp up. As the muscles get used less due to pain and miscommunication, muscle tone is lost. This process is accelerated by the fact that protein, the building blocks of muscles, is not being absorbed properly. This means that muscle wasting can't be counteracted by muscle repair.

Celiac disease can also cause osteoporosis and osteomalacia. Both disorders involve weakness of bones, but they are different in a few ways. Osteoporosis is a generally non-reversible thinning of bones caused by the body's inability to manufacture more bone tissue. Calcium and phosphate deficiencies greatly increase risk of osteoporosis. Osteomalacia is a softening of the bones caused by vitamin D deficiency and, unlike osteoporosis, can be recovered from through vitamin D supplementation. Both disorders can cause bone fracture and pain, but osteomalacia also has neuromuscular pain symptoms. Osteoporosis can cause loss of height and postural dysfunction, which can exacerbate back pain.

Treating Celiac Disease

The first step to Celiac treatment is the permanent elimination of gluten from your diet. As long as gluten is present in your digestive tract, your body will continue to damage itself. See http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/gluten-free-diet/my01140/ for foods you can and can't eat.

Celiac is usually detected before intestinal damage is beyond repair. You may begin to feel better a few days into your gluten-free diet, but it can take 6 months or more for your intestines to heal. It is generally considered a good idea for people recovering from Celiac damage to supplement nutrients in order to reverse the effects of malnutrition. Supplementation should be done under the guidance of a nutritionist or physician to ensure you're getting the proper amounts of nutrients your body needs.

Back pain is one of the many possible symptoms of Celiac disease. If you suspect you have this condition, seek diagnosis and treatment early on.

Home Treatment For Lower Back Pain - Eliminate Your Lower Back Pain With Home Treatments

So many people suffer from lower back pain because the lifestyle that people live, encourages it. Most folks sit in an office the whole day, which applies a lot of pressure and tension to the muscles. And since people are too busy to get relief from it, then it becomes worse and worse. The good thing is that home treatment for back pain is the most effective, simplest and quickest way to find relief. The sooner you get started the better.

If you have severe chronic pain, then you might seek relief fro medication. But as you know medications have side-effects that can be really dangerous and they only ease the pain, not tackle the cause of back pain. But home treatments do exactly that. They focus on eliminating the causes of the pain, which is the key to the whole thing. How can you get started? Here are a few tips for you!

Home treatment for lower back pain - Tips to get started

Take a rest if needed

Very often the pain is so bad that you can`t even stand up and walk. Therefore it is important to take some time off and let your muscles recover and rest. But you should also remember that too much rest, can be bad for your back. When you have recovered just a little, then move around, do some stretches and exercises. Slowly one step at a time.

Massage

Massage is a very important home treatment for lower back pain. You can do a mini-massage yourself, let a member of your family do it or use help from a professional. Massage helps to relieve tension, muscle pain, muscle spasms, increases circulation, range of motion, flexibility and so on. It is really helpful and simple.

Cold and hot therapy

Cold therapy is a very good treatment for lower back pain, because it helps to decrease muscle pain, spasms and inflammation. The best time to use cold therapy is right after a strain or sprain. Apply cold to your back area using an ice cube, cold bath or cold packs. Hot therapy is also very helpful and a great home treatment for lower back pain, it relaxes tense muscles, decreases muscle spasms, relieves pain, and can increase range of motion. You can apply heat to your back with a hot compress or a hot bath.

Proper exercise

Exercise is the most important and effective home treatment for lower back pain. The exercises are really simple and easy to follow and you can do them at home. The key here is to follow a really good exercises program. There is a really big difference between doing random exercises and between following a proven lower back exercise program. The results are quick and permanent.

Ambulatory Spinal Unloading - A New Treatment For Low Back Pain

"Ambulatory spinal unloading" is the "new kid on the block" when it comes to treatment of acute and chronic low back pain. It is so new that many care givers are not yet fully aware of it.

Anecdotally we know that relieving pressure on the discs via traction, non-surgical spinal decompression or inversion tables etc relieves the pain, we also know that continued activity opposed to inactivity is beneficial and everyone knows that stabilizing the spine and allowing strained muscles to relax and heal are critical to the healing process.

But until ambulatory spinal unloading came along there was no way to offer a low back pain suffer the full treatment. This new treatment modality for low back pain allows sufferers the ability to regain mobility, flexibility and activity in a pain free or pain reduced environment, allowing discs to rehabilitate, muscles to realign and mend and damaged nerves to heal.

Ambulatory spinal unloading dramatically reduces the degenerative cycle and dramatically increases the rejuvenative cycle of the spine and is without a doubt one of the most beneficial and cost effective, non-invasive treatment modalities for acute and chronic low back pain available today.

Ambulatory spinal unloading can be used to extend the benefits offered by stationary treatments as well as chiropractic and physiotherapy treatments or can be used as a pre surgery bridge or a post surgery protection/prevention tool.

Typical indications for this new treatment modality are most forms of low back pain that have been caused by; degenerative disc decease, herniated or bulging disc, nerve impingement, stenosis, facet syndrome, spondylolisthesis, lumbar vertebrae compression fracture, sciatica, lordosis etc and for many "undiagnosable" causes of low back pain.

Lower Back Pain: The Causes and Treatment of Low Back Pain

Causes & Treatment of Lower Back Pain

Whilst there are a host of things that can be going on in your lower back, for the purposes of this article we'll stick to the back musculature which is usually where the problems originate.

Your back should have a natural curve in the lower back area which means that you could easily experience a back spasm just from bending over to pick something up.

However the actual cause of the spasm is not exactly clear & often difficult to figure out exactly what caused it - it could have been the weight of the object as well as the way you bent over to lift it because not taking the weight & stress through your spine could be a likely cause.

It is always best to bend your legs slightly & absorb the weight through your thighs whilst isolating your back so that it doesn't bear the brunt of lifting the object.

So generally to treat lower back spasms, the first thing to do is to ice the affected area of the back - heat can also be applied to the back muscles.

Medication in the form of anti-inflammatories often have an immediate effect in alleviating the back pain & make movement easier.

The sacroiliac joint in your back can be another culprit in contributing to back pain however strengthening your back muscles is often the best way to ensure that your spine remains flexible, healthy & pain free.

More on Treating Lower Back Pain

Lastly if basic treatment for your back does not alleviate the pain you should see a physician as the pain could be the result of a herniated disc, for example, which is not going to respond to basic treatment.

It's also interesting to note that lower back spasms affect up to 90% of Americans at some point in their lives.

Also, back pain is second only to the common cold as a cause of lost days at work & is one of the most common reasons for going to the doctor.

Furthermore the causes of recurring back pain is frequently the result of inadequate muscle strength, shortened muscles, poor posture, being overweight & poor bending and lifting techniques.

Apart from injuries, these are all factors that can be controlled & relief from back pain can be achieved as the body usually responds very well to treatment especially with muscle balance therapy.

What Causes Sharp Lower Right Back Pain?

Lower back pain is a really annoying and frustrating issue. It seems that no matter what you do, it simple does not go away and it also seriously affects your quality of life. The key to treating any disease or condition, is finding out the cause. If you want to get relief from sharp lower right back pain, then you need to know what causes it. This is the most important part and in this article I will tell you exactly what the cause is.

The causes sharp lower right back pain

• There are many treatments, products and techniques that are used to eliminate the pain. But the vast majority of these treatments provide only temporary relief, if that. The reason why this is so, is because they address the symptom, which is the pain, and don`t treat the cause. Logic will tell you that if the symptom is treated, then the cause will not go anywhere.
  
  


• The sharp lower right back pain you feel, has not happened overnight. You may have started to feel the pain suddenly, but the pain itself is the end result. The chain reaction that led to the sharp pain, may have started months or even years before you started to feel pain.
  
  


• Imbalances of the muscles is the hidden cause of different types of the pain. Muscle imbalancement happens if one muscle group is weaker and the other muscle group is tighter. At first the difference of the muscle groups might be very small and not cause any problems, but over time this gets worse and worse. This imbalancement over a long period, pulls your pelvis and spine out of position. The bigger the imbalancement, the more your spine, pelvis and joints are pulled out of positions. All of a sudden you start feeling sharp lower right back pain.
  
  Luckily the sharp pain you feel is treatable, if it is done correctly of course. One of the most trusted resource for back pain and sciatica sufferers online is the Healthy Back Institute. The reason why it has been so successful for over 10 years, is because they focus on the main causes of the problem and not on the symptom. So many medical or healthcare professionals are not doing this and that explains why so many people fail to get permanent relief for their pain.

How To Get Rid Of Lower Back Pain Easily

Lower back pain is a common problem that plagues millions of people the world over. Some of the common causes of back pain are a serious fall that injured the back, pregnancy, lack of exercise or exercising in the wrong way, being overweight and sleeping on the wrong type of mattress. Fortunately, there are various methods on how to get rid of lower back pain. While an operation may be a last resort, one should consider trying some of the pain relieving methods outlined below.

Painkillers

Painkillers provide temporary relief of back pain. However, a person who has regular lower back pain should not rely on these as a sole form of treatment. It is especially detrimental for a person to continue ignoring lower back pain treatments and simply taking a painkiller to bring about temporary relief. The key to remedying back discomfort once and for all is to identify what is causing it.

Chiropractic Treatments

A chiropractor will likely be able to alleviate and perhaps even eliminate a back ache. A chiropractor will recommend a one to three month treatment course with treatments given three times a week. If the back pain is serious, the chiropractor will recommend an X-ray to determine what is causing the pain and how it should best be treated.

A person with continual lower back pain should take the time to find a good chiropractor. Do a bit of online research and find one that gets good reviews and has a good rating with the Better Business Bureau. A person who visits a chiropractor should see some improvement after the first couple of weeks of treatment.

Choosing the Right Mattress

A mattress that is too soft, too hard or too lumpy will often cause or aggravate your pain. It is important to take the time to choose the right mattress. A pregnant woman should sleep on a firm mattress that offers a high level of support. A person who experiences lower back pain while sleeping on a firm mattress may want to try a soft mattress. Memory foam mattresses are often a poor choice of mattress for those with this particular type of pain, as these mattresses do not offer much support and can in fact make a lower back pain problem worse than it was before.

While it is possible to buy a mattress online, it is often best to shop for a mattress in person. One should choose a store where he or she will be allowed to try out the mattresses before buying one. Take the time to choose a mattress that is comfortable to sleep on and will provide good support for many years.

Sleeping Postures

The position a person sleeps in can improve back pain or cause it to get worse. A person with a severe back ache should avoid sleeping on his or her stomach. Two of the best positions to sleep in are sleeping on one's side with a pillow between the legs or sleeping on one's back with a pillow under the knees for added support. An inverted position is also a good option. In such a position, the hips are elevated and/or a pillow is placed under the lower back.

Sleeping Aides

A hot or cold compress can also help a person to get a good night's sleep. However, it is important to remember that compresses do not alleviate your discomfort permanently. Compresses are like painkillers in that they take away the pain on a temporary basis.

Exercises

Exercises that help to relieve lower back pain are simple yet very effective. However, a person with severe pain in their back should never start an exercise regimen without consulting a chiropractor or medical practitioner. The wrong types of exercises can make the pain worse.

Yoga is a good form of exercise, especially for a pregnant mother who suffers from this type of pain. Yoga involves a lot of stretching, which is good for the back and will help to make one feel better. Walking is another good form of exercise for a person with lower back pain. However, it is important to invest in shoes with good support.

Diet and Weight Loss

Being overweight can contribute to pain of the back, as the body is under strain to carry the extra weight. An overweight person with this severe pain should focus on losing weight. Eating healthy foods such as fruits, vegetables and whole grain foods will help one to not only lose weight but also keep it off. Drinking lots of water every day is also necessary; in fact, doctors recommend that a person drink at least eight cups of water a day.

Foods and beverages rich in calcium may also help to alleviate back pain. Calcium strengthens the bones; a lack of this mineral may cause lower back pain and/or make it worse. Foods and drinks that are rich in calcium include milk, yogurt and cheese.

In Summary

There is no "one, two, three" method for getting rid of lower back pain that will work for everyone. A lot depends on what is causing the pain. The first step in getting rid of lower back pain is to identify what is causing it. After the root cause has been identified, one can try out one of the appropriate cures mentioned above.

Getting rid of lower back pain may take time. One should not get discouraged if he or she tries something and it does not seem to be immediately effective. If the back pain is caused by various circumstances, one may need to try a few curative methods before the pain is gone for good.

While pain killers and compresses may provide temporary relief from your pain and discomfort, these aides do not deal with the root cause of the problem. It is important to take steps to eliminate or at least drastically reduce pain you are currently dealing with. The tips mentioned above are all simple and easy to implement. No matter what is causing a person to have lower back pain, it is often simple to remedy the problem by making a few simple changes in one's eating, sleeping and exercise habits.

Axial Low Back Pain - Relief Options For Painful Lumbar Spines - Braces For Support

How is your lower back feeling these days?

Do you suffer from lower back pain that is causing you a lot of grief?

1.) Introduction to This Article

We are not here to waste your time. If you suffer from low back discomfort (whether it is axial in nature or not) then we are here to help you. This free information is the result of research on low back pain and we would like nothing better than to help you reduce your lower back discomfort as fast as possible.

2.) Axial back Pain

The most common type of lumbar axial pain is referred to as being "mechanical". Lumbar spine discomfort that typically flares up when you participate in certain activities (certain sports for example). Moreover, commonly axial lower back pain can get worse if you find your self in repetitive positions, like sitting for a long period of time.

Axial lower back pain can very widely from a sharp ache in the lower back, to a more dull pain. It may be consistent in nature or it may seem to come and go. Variation in intensity is also noted.

3.) Benefits of Conservative Treatment

Axial back pain does respond well to conservative treatment options. Yes, it is true, surgery is sometimes our only option for pain relief, but most of the time people can avoid surgery. Just ask your spine doctor what they think, and they will tell you that they would like to exhaust conservative measures first before they get you in to have surgery performed.

4.) Back Supports For Pain Relief

One very good option to get pain relief for your lower back is to use a lumbar back support. You might ask, "why?". Well, lower back supports can help people to get instant pain relief because they can help to increase intercavitary pressure in the lumbar spine area. This helps to effectively off load inflamed spinal structures. This is a well documented biomechanical principle of quality low back supports.

Moreover, back supports can help people because they will act as a reminder to you not to make certain painful movements. They can help to restrict those movements that will further your injury and in this way it can help to promote healing of a hurt lower back. - Lastly, it is important to note that current designs are light weight, low profile and can be easily concealed by using a t-shirt. - Many physicians recommend them to their patients because they are aware of the medically documented benefits of these types of supports.

Chronic Back Pain Limitations

Thousands and thousands of people annually seek medical care for back pain. For some, the pain is gone within 6 weeks. For others, it becomes chronic back pain.

Chronic back pain affects individuals in various ways. Most make repeated visits to physicians, seeking relief. They want to know what causes their chronic back pain. They want new tests. They want to try whatever treatment may be available.

Chronic back pain sufferers may report difficulty in performing normal daily activities. They may believe the pain is increasing. They may simply want someone to sympathize, and agree that it is not "all in your head" at all.

Although back pain is the main reason people visit orthopedic surgeons and neurosurgeons, and the second main reason they visit primary care physicians, an estimated 5 to 10 percent of those visitors will receive no cure. They will go from low back pain to chronic back pain.

Patients are frustrated because physicians do not cure back pain. Physicians are frustrated because they cannot cure low back pain. Many think they can do little to prevent occasional severe back pain from becoming chronic back pain.

If nothing is done, however, chronic back pain limitations can seriously impinge on daily activity.

Possible Limitations

A look at possible chronic back pain limitations reveals a long list. There are limitations placed by a physician, but there are many more limitations that patients place on themselves. They may include physical limitations, emotional limitations, or mental limitations. Of the many chronic back pain limitations we can discuss only 7 here.

1. Depression: One of the most common limitations of chronic back pain, depression affects everyone involved in the daily life of the sufferer. The type of depression experienced by sufferers of chronic back pain is not simply a matter of feeling sad or "down at the heels" for a day or so. "Major depression" and "clinical depression" are the terms used for this kind of depression.

When chronic back pain limitations include a major depression, the person feels emotionally miserable everyday for at least two weeks. He or she also may have unexplained crying spells; major appetite changes; fatigue, sleep problems; agitation; and thoughts of death or suicide. There may be little interest in activities that were normally enjoyable.

2. Social Activity: A second of the chronic back pain limitations reported is that of social activity. People suffering chronic back pain become reluctant to attend parties and other social functions. They may curtail recreational activities or outings with the family.

3. Work Time: Those who suffer chronic back pain are also more likely to take off more work time. Statistics show that back pain causes the loss of more than 83 million days of work time each year due to back pain.

4. Job Loss: Since it often means lost work time, another of chronic back pain limitations is job loss. Too many lost days, or poor performance due to chronic back pain, can result in replacement.

5. Work Ability: Chronic back pain is a leading cause of work limitations. Back pain limits workers' ability to lift, carry, and perform other duties that are required. It places restrictions on workers, and narrows the job field for many people.

6. Low Pay: Chronic back pain limitations include financial limits for some. Those who are limited in work by chronic back pain earn, on average, only two-thirds the amount of those without back pain.

7. Housework: One of the largest limitations of chronic back pain appears to hit normal activities associated with housework, gardening, and lawn work. Patients with back pain that lasted more than 60 days often report they are no longer able to do any gardening, lawn work, or normal cleaning activities such as vacuuming, mopping floors, etc.

Clinically Proven Limitations

For the patient, it is difficult to believe that chronic back pain limitations are often unnecessary. They continue to believe that the pain has a cause that can be readily diagnosed, despite their physician's repeated assurances to the contrary. They believe the physician can find a medical sure for their back pain if pressed often enough and hard enough. As for treatment, patients often believe that until the cure is found, the best treatment is bed rest and limited activity.

The result of such beliefs is that back pain that could initially be resolved with exercise becomes chronic back pain. Chronic back pain that might still be resolved if the patient were to exercise regularly gradually develops and produces chronic back pain limitations.

TIP: Back pain is very, very common in our society. Rather than let it lead to complications and limitations, you may want to ask your physician for gentle exercises that may resolve your back pain before it becomes chronic.

Yoga Asana Techniques for Lower Back Pain

More than $50 billion is spent on lower back pain every year in America. It is a leading contributor to missed work, the most common cause of job-related disability, and one of the most common neurological ailments, second only to headache. Still, knowing that you are in good company does not offer much relief for the pain of spinal compression or other lower-back issues.

Sitting in cars and office chairs for long periods of time with a slumped posture compresses the spine and places pressure on the nerves. The abdominal muscles relax and the back muscles tighten over time, leading to pain and stiffness when standing or walking. Regular Yoga practice can help restore healthy length to the spine and can stretch and relax the over-tightened muscles; over time, you may even gain height as the vertebrae decompress!

Several Yoga asanas are especially helpful for lower back pain; caution should be exercised when beginning these postures if the back is already compromised. Take care not to overextend or force any stretches. Inversions have long been considered helpful for spinal decompression, but many students do not feel comfortable in more advanced inversions. It should be noted that the entire spine does not decompress during a Yogic inversion - compression from the lower back is simply transferred to the upper back or neck for a period of time. This may provide relief, but it is not essential to relieving pain.

Ushtra Asana, or Camel pose: this asana exercises all of the back muscles and extends the spinal column, by bending your back fully. It increases spinal and hip flexibility, which can prevent recurrent pain.

Bhujangasana or Cobra pose: by holding this posture, both the superficial and the deep muscles of the back and abdominal region are strengthened. This asana increases bending flexibility backwards in the spine and relieves tension in the lower back region.

Purna Titali Asana or Butterfly pose helps remedy poor posture by stretching and strengthening the muscles of the legs and the back.

Supta Virasana or Saddle Pose is very effective for realigning the sacrum and lower spine, and re-establishing the natural lumbar curve, which may be lost from years of poor posture.

All of these asanas, plus inversions which are comfortable for the practitioner, should be done regularly to help alleviate lower back pain. Poses which strengthen abdominal muscles are also important, to help support the core and take the strain off the lower back.

穢 Copyright 2011 - Aura Wellness Center - Publications Division

How To Get Instant Lower Back Pain Relief Without Drugs

I am going to tell you how to get instant relief for lower back pain - without drugs and in a matter of minutes. Yes - Minutes.

I have suffered from lower back pain for 18 years, since I was hit from behind whilst in a car, waiting for traffic lights to change. I had a bulging disk and I couldn't stand, sit or walk for too long without pain.

I have had cortisone injections into the spine. I've tried strengthening exercises. I've seen a chiropractor for months on end. I've tried back braces, magnet therapy and massage therapy. Everything has some degree of success if I kept seeing a practitioner who gladly took my money but I never found any self help treatment that worked for me until recently. Until now I just managed my pain through pain killers and rest.

About a year ago, I learned this one simple exercise and found instant relief.

I am not a medical doctor and for legal reasons, I have to advise you not do anything without first consulting with your specialist. So please discuss this with your health provider first. If he/she agrees that this is a safe exercise for you and your circumstances, here's what to do. Is called a "wall sit".

1. Remove your shoes.

2. Stand with your back to a Gyprock or wooden wall (not a brick or stone wall as these are too cold).

3. Position your heels are right up to the wall. Slowly and gently lean your whole back against the wall.

4. Spread your feet apart so that they are about the same distance part as your shoulders. You need to be comfortable as well as stable.

5. Slowly slide down the wall (about 30cm or 1 foot),..... and slowly walk/shuffle your feet out from the wall as you bend your knees. Your leg between your knee and your ankle should be at 90 degrees. You will end up in a sitting position but without a chair, supported only because you have your back pushed into the wall.

6. Keep your back firmly pressed against the wall and slowly push the "small" of your back into the wall (suck your belly button in towards the wall as you press your lower back to the wall). Don't be surprised if your knees start to tremble as it will take time for your muscles to strengthen.

7. Repeat as often as you need to and as often as you can manage to manage pain. Try to lengthen the time as you are comfortable (to 10 - 15 minutes).

This is just one simple exercise that can give you immediate relief.

Chiropractic - Most Effective For Back Pain

Everybody experiences back pain at some point in their lives. Some people are affected more than others, it can be very debilitating. It may be temporary for some and chronic for others. It is often caused by poor posture habits or every day wear and tear. It may also be the result of an accident such as a car accident or sporting injury. In some cases, it is the secondary result of another disease. People are more prone to back pain who are pregnant, smokers or for individuals that regularly lift heavy objects.

Back pain is by far the most common reason for a visit to the chiropractors. More specifically, low back pain is the most common reason. It is often associated with sciatica. This is a condition where the sciatic nerve becomes inflamed resulting in shooting pain, numbness or tingling into the buttocks or leg. This irritation of the sciatic nerve is often caused at the root of the sciatic nerve which begins in the lumbar spine or low back. Spinal manipulation is effective in removing this irritation and restoring normal function to the sciatic nerve and reducing low back pain.

Chiropractic is often sought after for upper back pain as well. This is pain that is located in the upper part of the spine above the lumbar spine. It is often the result of misaligned spinal bones in this region. Chiropractic manipulation is effective in restoring normal alignment of these bones and relieving the pain. People also report having much better range of motion of the joints following treatment.

Scoliosis is another cause of back pain that is the result of an abnormal curvature of the spine. Scoliosis affects a small percentage of the population. The abnormal curvature of the spine associated with scoliosis often results in pressure on the discs and delicate nerves of the spine which causes a loss of function in the body and pain. Spinal manipulation is very effective to help correct alignment and function in those suffering from scoliosis.

Chiropractic adjustments are effective in relieving back pain and helping individuals to live a much better quality of life. Chiropractic is effective in helping individuals to avoid bed rest which can cause worse back problems.

Chiropractic is also effective to help avoid back surgery and pain medication which can both be risky. Some of the side effects of these forms of treatment can be daunting. Chiropractic is considered a safe and natural form of health care.

Lower Back Pain Exercise: A Healthy Back Means an Active Life

Lower back pain exercise is the solution for chronic lower back pain, a common ailment that affects a large number of Americans. It is a pain that just does not go away and many a times becomes an integral part of the body and mind leading to a very painful coexistence. In this case managing this chronic pain assumes primary importance and the first thing you must do is consult your doctor and taking the prescribed medication.

But the most important thing you can do is exercise regularly to assuage some of the chronic pain. You can engage in specific types of lower back pain exercise to alleviate your sufferings and these are crucial as it helps you become flexible and toned and thus control pain. You must be in a good physical condition so as to help you other physical problems that can be the result of chronic lower back pain. It is also necessary to relax your body and Yoga is a great relaxation technique that you can imbibe in your daily routine. Other techniques include visualization, acupuncture, acupressure, and meditation among others.

These relaxation techniques are the first step towards lower back pain exercise and make you breathe correctly and concentrate on the health of your body. These pave the way for the low back pain exercises the foremost among which is the lower back extension exercise. This is a simple exercise that requires no equipment and can be done anywhere. This exercise performs to functions: strengthening lower back and elimination lower back pain.

The exercise makes you site on a carpet or a mat, with your stomach to the floor keeping your hands and arms flat at your sides and legs extended akin to a standing position. You must then raise your torso slowly as far as you can go, barely to the point wherein you are receiving maximum benefit and are comfortable. You must remember to tighten your buttock while lifting yourself form the ground al the while concentrating on working the lower back. The final step is to lower yourself back on the floor; please do not forget to breathe during this time. This lower back pain exercise must be performed 2-3 times a week, 2 sets with 12-24 repetitions.

Like all exercises this lower back pain exercise also has its variations and can be done on vertical benches or by holding onto extra free weights. But, this exercise is effective whichever way you do it, but you must always take care not to put undue strain on your back.

How to Relieve Lower Back Pain - 6 Simple Tips For Your Back Pain

How to relieve lower back pain is the use of interventions and therapies which involve blocking the conduction of nerves between specific areas of the brain and the body to alleviate pain, medications for short- term relief, exercises for strengthening and pain relief, surgery for relief of chronic pain and other disabilities.

Low back pain is very common among adults and it is often caused by overused of muscles causing strain or injury. Long hours of sitting and standing can also aggravate the condition. Since the lower part of your back makes the most of your movement in everything you do, it can also be the most affected when stressed and injured. As such, when people have such condition, they feel as if they want that pain to disappear in a second.

In the advance of technology these days, there are treatments to help relieve pain in the lower back that varies depending on the severity of the case. There some key points that we have to remember when dealing with the treatment options:

• Different treatments can help you stay as active as possible as it will help you understand that some continued or repeated back pain is not surprising or dangerous at all. Most low back pain can get better if you stay active, you avoid positions and activities that may be exhausting to your lower back, use ice for pain and inflammation, and take nonprescription pain relievers when you need them. Doctor's advice is necessary.


• When pain is no longer severe, you may be ready for gentle strengthening exercises for your back, necks, legs and to some different areas of the body.. Exercise may not only help decrease low back pain, but it may also help you recover faster, prevent recurrence injury to your back, and reduce the risk of permanent disability.


• Exercises to reduce low back pain may not be complicated and can be done at the comforts of your home without any special equipment.


• Don't be afraid of the pain and let it stop you from trying gentle activity. You should try to be active soon to prevent pain recurrence and other disabilities. Remember, too little activity can lead to loss of flexibility, strength, and endurance, thus causing more pain.

How To Relieve Lower Back Pain

1. Introduce lower back pain stretching exercises

Some relief from the early stages of lower back pain can be accomplished by performing simple stretches which are often advised by your therapist. Lower back strengthening exercises, along with cardio training exercises are keys to get rid of lower back pain. These will enable your body to become stronger and increase movement and flexibility.

The gentle motions of aerobic exercises such as swimming or riding a stationary bicycle will encourage blood flow through the muscles, increase your flexibility, and enable your body to release natural pain killers of the body into the blood stream thus relieving pain. Aim for 20 to 30 minutes of these exercises each day and you'll notice a significant difference in not only your lower back, but you'll feel better overall.

• Aerobic exercise - this is done to condition your heart and other muscles, maintain health, and increase oxygenation to the different parts of the body


• Tread milling, swimming, riding on a stationary bike, brisk walking, jogging, aerobics.


• Strengthening exercises - this focuses on your back, stomach, and leg muscles.


• Prone hold, chest life, opposite arm leg raises, roll outs, super man.


• Stretching exercises - this is done to keep your muscles and other supporting tissues flexible and less prone to injury.

If you have low back pain, avoid:

• X Straight leg sit-ups.


• X Lifting both legs while lying on your back (leg lifts).


• X Lifting heavy weights above the waist.

2. Hot and cold treatment

The early stage of lower back pain can be treated with Alternate hot and cold compress. You have to try out whether ice will work better for you than heat. Experiment to determine which one do you prefer and which one is more effective for you. Try to use ice pack for pain and inflammation for at least 10-15 minutes. Once the pain has subsided, apply some hot pack and do it for another 10-15 minutes.

3. Medications

The most common medications for back pain is the over the counter pain killers and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). These are highly recommended to alleviate back pain. They both work differently so they usually are taken at the same time. Prescribed drugs such as muscle relaxant, anti- depressants are used for prolong relief of pain.

• Pain killer such as Acetaminophen (Tylenol) is the single most effective non prescription drugs for lower back pain and it has fewer side effects. It relieves pain by working its action into the brain to turn off the pain perception.


• NSAIDs such as Aspirin decreases swelling on the affected area. However, aspirin is not usually taken because of its life threatening effects.


• Prescribed Steroids which are effective in treating swelling; however, these drugs have a lot of adverse effects so the dose should be exact and be given regularly and on time.


• For the dose, frequency and duration of the drug, consult your health care provider for safety.

4. Transcutaneous electrical nerve simulation is a method employed to bring lower back pain relief. A battery-powered device is used to send mild electric pulses going to the nerve fibers in order to block pain signals to the brain thus alleviating the pain.

5. Ultrasound is a non-invasive method that works by warming the internal tissues of the body that results in the relaxation of muscles at the back.

6. Surgical therapy is one of the many methods on how to relieve lower back pain but it is the least thing to do when the patient does not respond to therapies. It is depending on the doctor's advice if surgery is really needed and consent from the patient must also be considered.