Lower Back Pain Treatment - Back Massagers

Lower back pain treatment is a much sought after among Galway sufferers . Back pain can affect as much as 80% of the population of Ireland. Lower back pain is a pain on any part of the back between the ribs and legs and can vary from a few minutes to weeks or months of agony.

Pain in the back may be caused from a variety of reasons, from lifting heavy objects incorrectly, bad posture when sitting at a computer, sports injury, muscle strain, slipped disc or car accidents to name just a few. Whatever the cause, the pain can be just as severe in all cases.

Galway and counties along the western seaboard seem to be more prone to back pain, perhaps this may be due to the fact we on the west of Ireland get more rain and damp wet conditions. From looking at my research the county of Galway seem to have a much higher complaint of this type of pain than any other county in Ireland

There are a lot of different lower back pain exercises, you can do to help you strengthen your back which you will be require to do on a daily basis for several months. The most important thing to do is to get professional advice before attempting any exercise with a back injury as my wife discovered, when doing some stretching and ended up in bed in her back for a month with excruciating pain.

Lower back pain treatment can vary from person to person depending on the severity of the injury or pain. There are several treatments available which can include exercise surgery, drugs, and physiotherapy.

A few years back I was lifting a wrought iron gate and felt a twitch in my lower back and of course I just kept on working only to find that night that I had a severe pain in my back and for several weeks and months to come. Over the next weeks I attended several physios and bone setters but could not get any relief.

One day while off work I was trying to find some info on the internet and came across the - Homedics Back Massagers so I decided to give it a go and to my surprise I felt some relief straight away. Now this machine is not a miracle worker that cures your back problems with one use but if you use it over a period of time you will find it can help.

The Homedics Back Massagers is an all round back massager but it is especially effective with lower back pain treatment. It will fit most chairs and with its rollers working in a kneading like fashion moving up and down the back or you can pin point it in one position and apply heat to give a soothing massage to your back.. Hopefully this will bring some relief to those suffering in the county of Galway.

The High Arch - Problems and Solutions

What is a High Arch?

The arch of the foot is that area between the ball of the foot (at the base of the toes) and the heel. In normal arches there is a gap between the ground and the foot along the mid-section at the inside part (big toe side) of the foot. This is known as your arch. When this gap is greater than the average space, you are said to have a high arch. The medical name for having high arches is pes cavus.

A lot of people who have a high arch have ankles that roll slightly outward when standing. This gives the appearance of being bow-legged and can cause stress elsewhere in your body due to an altered approach to walking.

What Problems Are Associated With a High Arch?

You may find you have pain in the arch of your foot, heel pain, ball of foot pain, knee pain, or even lower back pain. Feet with high arches typically do not absorb shock properly, which can cause problems in any of these areas. Some people with high arches never develop these problems, but many do.

There is a thick fibrous band that runs through the arch from your heel bone to your forefoot called the plantar fascia. With high arched feet, when you step, it may be strained and you can experience a great deal of pain through the arch and heel. This often happens first thing in the morning when you step down and stretch the plantar fascia. With high arches, the fascia usually tightens up too much, especially overnight.

People with a high arch are more susceptible to ankle sprains and may develop corns and calluses as well. They typically have an increased risk for stress fractures due to poor shock absorption when their feet hit the ground.

How Do I Know If I Have A High Arch?

For a simple test to see if you have a high arch, step on a dry surface with a wet foot. If the line connecting your heel to the ball of foot area is the same width as the rest of the foot, you most likely have flat feet. If the line is half of the area, your arch is in a normal range. If the line is very thin, mostly to the outside of the foot (or the ball of foot area and the heel are not connected at all) you have a high arch.

Check with your doctor, pedorthist, podiatrist or another foot professional for an evaluation if you think you have high arches that are causing pain or problems.

What Can I Do About A High Arch?

If you are having pain in your foot and think it may be due to a high arch, visit your doctor. They may prescribe arch supports (orthotic insoles) to wear in your shoes. For a high arch, your orthotic insoles will be designed to cushion the heel of your foot, help absorb shock, and to distribute your weight more evenly when walking.

If you have a high arch, your choice of footwear is very important. Make sure you look for a shoe with good shock absorbing capabilities. Shoes that don't jam your toes and that have a stable heel are important. Lace up shoes with lots of room in the instep (the area through the top of your foot under the tongue of a shoe) tend to be best for feet with high arches. A proper pair of running shoes would generally be the best option with all of these qualities.

The Best Way to Relieve Lower Back Pain

After suffering from low back pain most of my life and constantly being told by doctors that there wasn't much that could be done about it other than, minimizing my movements, and laying on a heating pad, I decided to look into it myself.

What I found was that the doctors were giving me the wrong advice. First laying on a heating pad, only worsened the inflammation that was causing the low back pain to begin with. Second minimizing my movements did help to keep the pain from getting worse but, did nothing to alleviate it.

When the low back pain is first felt, an ice pack for twenty minutes every two hours or so, helps ease the pain way more than heat. Also, using the correct stretching exercises can help to realign the discs and vertebrae in the lower spinal column which, when out of alignment, pinches the sciatic nerve causing inflammation thus, causing severe low back pain.

The sciatic nerve is the nerve that starts in the very bottom part of the spinal cord and runs down the buttocks all the way to the toes and when pinched or damaged can cause severe pain starting in the lower back and runs down the butt and thighs and can sometimes run all the way down to your toes.

There are many ways the sciatic nerve can become damaged but no matter how it becomes damaged, the damage always causes the nerve to become inflamed. Once you treat the inflammation you will get relief from the pain and the way you treat any kind of inflammation is with cold (ice packs) just as you would for a sprained ankle or wrist.

The other thing that helps me relieve the pain is stretching exercises, designed for spinal extensions or more commonly backward bending, which are often called "McKenzie Extension Exercises." These exercises are designed to strengthen the muscles in the low back which help keep your spinal column in alignment, when one or more of these muscles are weaker than others the spine can become misaligned more easily.

Preforming these exercises regularly has kept me, pain free for quite sometime and it only takes eight to ten minutes a day to stay pain free. So, if you find yourself quite frequently suffering from low back pain due to the sciatic nerve being pinched or damaged quit using heat, try ice packs and look into "The McKenzie Extension Exercises."

How to Alleviate Lower Back Pain Associated With a Tingling Foot - Relief From Discomfort

How is your lower back feeling lately?

Do you suffer from a back problem that is also affecting your lower limbs?

1.) Introduction

People who suffer from lower back pain are often times aware of a tingling sensation in their feet or toes. Moreover, people with lower back problems can also have a general feeling of weakness in the affected foot. This is typical for people who are burdened with pain originating from the lumbar region. The sensation is caused by irritation to one of the nerves in the spine.

2.) Numbness and Tingling

If the numbness and tingling appears in the first three toes, it is usually attributed to damage to the L5 nerve. Symptoms identifying this condition include possible numbness on the front of the leg and on top of the foot impacted by the nerve. When the latter two toes are affected, an injured S1 nerve might be the underlying cause of the pain, and the numbness and tingling may even be experienced on the bottom of the foot.

The nerve damage that triggers the throbbing back can be caused by numerous events and conditions.

Among these are
Nerve compression
Damage to joints, ligaments, and muscles
Slipped or herniated discs
Defects of the vertebra
Osteoarthritis
Deformities of the spine

3.) Why Back Braces Matter

Individuals who have this lower back pain that is accompanied by a tingling foot can reduce the intensity of their pain and associated symptoms with the help of a back brace. A back support works by helping to stabilize the spinal column and helps to ensure proper alignment of the spine. This alleviates lower back pain and prevents additional impairment more often than you might initially think.

Back braces are highly recommended because they are a very traditional form of treatment in medical settings almost everywhere. While there are other remedies like medicines, hot and cold compresses, massage, chiropractic therapies, and surgery, back supports represent a less expensive and the simplest method of treating lower back pain that is accompanied by a tingling foot.

Unlike in the days of yesteryear, braces are much more flexible and designed for comfort as well as functionality. Today, they are made of canvas type materials that can bend a little more with the body yet still provide rigid support to an ailing back. Because of the innovative design, the brace remains in an unobtrusive position and can be worn anywhere without detracting from a person's appearance.

If the brace curbs back movement, then it will greatly reduce the pain in the lower lumbar in a very short time and more than likely will limit the occurrence of the tingling foot. The support supplied by the back brace also encourages the body's curative properties and increases healing time.

Note: We know back supports can be helpful, but it is best to talk with your local, licensed orthotist for medical advice on bracing and the best orthosis (brace) for your needs.

How to Avoid Chronic Lower Back Pain

Chances are that if you haven't already, at some time in your life you will have a run-in with some lower back pain. Researchers estimate that 60-80% of Americans will suffer from low back pain over the course of their lives. Lower back pain can range from a simple annoyance to a debilitating catastrophe. Fortunately, there are some reliable methods for reducing the likelihood that you will experience lower back pain. This article is about one of the most effective, but least talked about ways that you can either limit you chances of experiencing lower back pain or relieve the back pain you may already be in.

Aerobic Exercise: The method I am talking about is aerobic exercise. For some people, the mention of the word "aerobic" conjures images of leotards, headbands, leg warmers, and lines of women dancing and stretching to music. This is only one form of aerobic activity. The word "aerobic" actually means "with oxygen". Or in other words, aerobic activity is that which requires increased oxygen to perform. Aerobic exercise has many benefits including improved cardiovascular (heart and lung) health, general fitness, weight reduction and, as you will now learn, improved lower back health. Low impact aerobic exercises actually nourish the muscles of the lower back. Low impact exercises include activities such as water aerobics, swimming, cycling, rowing, elliptical trainers, walking, etc. Any exercise that raises the heart rate to an aerobic zone without causing significant impact on the low back will help to reduce the occurrence of lower back pain. Exercises like jogging or jumping rope introduce high compressive forces on the spine and may not be optimal for reducing lower back pain. To understand why aerobic exercise is so effective, you must understand that there are two types of muscle in your body. They are fast-twitch and slow-twitch muscles.

The two types of muscle: The fast-twitch muscles are the ones that control many of your voluntary movements. They are designed for speed and power. If you open and close your fist, you are using your fast twitch muscles. These muscles use glucose for energy. Glucose is the energy that your body gets from carbohydrates through your diet. It travels through your blood or it can be stored in fat cells and muscle in the form of glycogen. Slow-twitch muscle fibers are involuntary muscles that are built for endurance. These are the postural muscles of your body. Since the muscles of your lower back are primarily used for posture and endurance, they are mostly slow-twitch muscles. This kind of muscle uses oxygen for energy. When they don't get enough energy these muscle become weak and tired. This can lead to lower back pain. Aerobic exercise increases the ability of your body to circulate the blood and get more oxygen to these endurance muscles. When the muscles are well nourished there is a lower likelihood that they will spasm or cause you pain. Feed your muscles well and you will find that your lower back pain problems will be reduced.

Remember to use low impact aerobic exercises on a regular basis to help control or prevent lower back pain. As with any type of exercise program, it would be wise to consult with your physician before you undertake any sort of aerobic training program to benefit your lower back. In the meantime it doesn't hurt to take more walks to increase your level of aerobic fitness and decrease your lower back pain.

A Hidden Cause of Low Back Pain

A hidden cause of low back pain...

• It's not your muscles.


• Or your discs.


• It won't show up on an MRI.


• Your chiropractor doesn't fix it with an adjustment.


• And you can't take a pill to treat it.

Yet... it can be a major contributor to low back problems.

It's your connective tissues. They wrap, strap, and brace things together, and transfer forces from one body part to another.

The term "connective tissue" (sometimes called "fascia") includes

• Your tendons and ligaments that together convey muscle force to a bone and keep the bones in an organized relationship to each other


• The stout bands that steady the outside of your thigh to allow you to stand up (called the fascia lata)


• The strapping that connects the two bones of your forearm together (the interosseous membrane)


• The abdominal wall that keeps your guts in place (called - you guessed it - the abdominal wall)


• The tight membrane surrounding your body and forming the anchoring base for your skin (the subcutaneous fascia)


• The dura mater lining the brain


• The plantar fascia, which will give you foot pain if it's too tight


• The lumbodorsal fascia, which braces the low back, and


• Much, much more.

The connective tissues convey movement from one body part to another. So if your fascia is out of balance, your body movement is out of balance too. Then you'll get excess pressure on certain joints. And your muscles will be at a mechanical disadvantage and be more likely to overwork.

The connective tissues have your blood vessels and nerves embedded in them. That means connective tissue imbalance will interfere with blood flow and nerve transmission.

Fascia is also rich in nerve endings. That means that your connective tissues can be a direct source of pain in and of themselves, in addition to the effect they have on your other body parts.

White blood cells and other immune system elements wander through your connective tissues, waiting to be called into action elsewhere in the body. Fascia problems will inhibit a robust immune response.

Your connective tissue tells a story. But only to those who can decipher it.

The texture and pliability of each zone of fascia records the history of specific stresses your body's been subject to.

But it takes a practitioner with extensive experience to make sense of the story.

Imagine yourself wandering into a newly discovered Egyptian pyramid - you know the hieroglyphics mean something important, but only an archaeologist with years of experience can interpret them.

Here's what you can do to take care of your connective tissues: Become good friends with a foam roller specially designed for connective tissue self-treatment.

You can lie on your roller and it will work out the kinks in your connective tissues. Place it under your mid-back (for instance), then breathe and relax as you let gravity take over. The roller will apply therapeutic pressure to the knots on either side of your spine.

You can also use it under your gluteal or outer thigh region. Or anywhere in the body.

Best Back Brace For Lower Back Pain - Important Free Information on Bracing

Are you looking to get a quality back brace?

Maybe you have heard of the benefits of these kinds of supports, but you are not quite sure which one to get...

1.) Introduction

We are here to help you make a quality decision. Even if you know nothing about back supports, you will be better off after this article has been read. You will also be glad to know that this information is free of name brands, so you know we are not trying to push one manufacturer in this article. Remember, the best back brace for you depends on the severity of your symptoms and diagnosis. We will talk about two important designs in the later sections.

2.) First, Why Get a Lower Back Support?

Lower back braces can be extremely helpful when you have a lower back problem. This could be a muscle strain or a herniated disc for example. There are many other reasons to get support, but the benefits can be extremely helpful. Just ask your doctor if a back support can help you and they be readily able to point to the medically documented information that promotes the use of quality made lower back supports as a conservative treatment method.

Braces for your lumbar and sacral spine can help to reduce pain. They do this by providing you with meaningful support and motion control. We always say, why push an injured back too far? A back support can help to limit excessive movements that can be easily made. This alone helps to promote healing of an injured internal back structure. - Moreover, a lumbar or sacral back support can also help to biomechanically off load an injured disc or muscle strain, for example, by increasing intercavitary pressure. This is a medically documented biomechanical principle that can seriously help to reduce your pain the moment you put the support on!

3.) Which Back Support is Best For You? - Read On...

When it comes to getting a back support, do not get confused by the brand name. There are a lot of quality back supports out there, so you will have to look at the make up of the brace. Many corset type braces available are made of a canvas type material. These may or may not include internal panels. However, our point is that these braces can be really helpful, but they are usually meant to act as a reminder to you not to make certain movements that may hurt you. They can help reduce pain, for sure, but they are not considered to be rigid in design.

There are rigid back braces that really help to immobilize your lower back. This can be a good thing. These more rigid types of braces will also stop lower back movements and they are much more rigid than what we considered to be a "reminder" in the previous paragraph. When the injury is a little more serious, you may want to bump up your level of support to a rigid lower back brace to help promote healing.

There is always more to learn, and to make it easy, you should consider talking to your brace specialist. They can quickly guide you through the maze of back braces and help you to make your decision more easy.

*This is health information. When getting treated for back problems, speak to your doctor for medical advice.