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Tuesday 23rd June 2009
Use Massage As Your
Secret Weapon In Your Fight Against Back Pain
If you are serious about your back pain management, you must
find a way of using massage therapy within it.
Massage therapy is fantastic, not only can it alleviate back
pain but when done properly it can also reduce tension and
stress in the whole body.
Stress can also be a source of back pain, so anything that
can help to lower stress is great.
Massage can be used for relaxation and minor discomforts
between partners and friends and is very effective once the
problem is not acute. To really benefit from all the
advantages of massage, I would recommend using a registered
sports therapist or massage therapist.
You will find they are trained in the assessment and
diagnosis of injuries of the soft tissue and joints of the
body. They use modern science coupled with ancient
philosophies to treat many conditions.
As part of the treatment they may incorporate soft tissue
release (STR), muscle energy and positional release
techniques, as well as myofascial trigger point therapy
often referred to as neuromuscular techniques (NMT) to
mention a few.
Massage therapy is now widely accepted in the medical
community as a credible and effective treatment for many
types of back problems.
There are many studies that show massage therapy can benefit
back pain sufferers by increasing blood flow and
circulation, decreasing tension in the muscles, reduce pain
caused by muscles in spasm (tight muscles) and even improve
on individuals sleep.
The improvements of many conditions that can cause back ache
by massage therapy are now well documented such as sports
injuries, fibromyalgia, arthritis and soft tissue sprains
and strains.
Massage is non-invasive and considered very low risk for
most people. As mentioned earlier it can have profound
psychological benefits particularly for someone suffering
from chronic back ache.
Back pain when severe or prolonged can cause depression;
massage is thought to release endorphins, which is a natural
chemical of the body that acts as a pain suppressor and
makes you feel good.
As mentioned massage is a fantastic addition to your armoury
against back pain, it will ease your pain, increase your
flexibility, decrease your stress and the effects of your
stressors on your body, and make you feel great.
It can also increase the venous and lymphatic drainage.
Dependent on the therapist they can help to break down scar
tissue for lymphatic absorption to occur. Massage strokes
can stretch muscle fibres along its longitudinal lines and
improve collagen flexibility.
With advanced techniques, the nervous system can be brought
into play and over-ride reflex holding patterns. When
performed correctly neuromuscular techniques (NMT) will
eradicate tension areas and scar tissue.
As always check the credentials of the professionals you
use, go on try a massage today!
Tuesday 9th June 2009
Back Pain And Your Shoes
Did you know that wearing inappropriate shoes could cause
the back to feel stressed? Shoes are cushions, foundations,
and levers that we use to walk, stand, run, jog, and so on.
If one wears correctly, fitted shoes it will promote a
healthy posture. On the other hand, if one wears unsuitable
fitting shoes, look out feet and back.
The feet are the number one target when you want to promote
a normal back. In short, the first thing that hits the
ground when you start to walk is the heel of your foot. Once
the heel hits the surface, the remaining sections of the
foot start to follow, which promotes weight and stress
throughout areas of the body. Feet problems alone can lead
to back pain i,e. pronation and supranation.
Poor posture causes back pain, yet the condition is often
characterized by inappropriate actions we take.
Fact: Wearing high-heels will slowly pull the weight of the
entire body forward, thus corrupting the posture and arches
of the back. in time you will feel pain. High-heels are the
leading cause of “Spondylolisthesis. In short,
spondylolisthesis is a condition that is caused from
slipping forward on the lower back. (Lumbar)
The toes are designed to provide support, yet when a person
wears high-heels it causes unnatural stresses on the toes,
causing weight or pressure to the spine. Now, high-heels are
sexy to both men and women, yet these heels are going to
cost you a fortune down the road.
You can look good in supported shoes that fit comfortably
without damaging your ligaments, tendons, nerves, muscles,
and so on.
Sorry to pop your bubbles boys and girls, but shoes that
support our spine can reduce the odds of experiencing back
pain.
How to choose shoes:
Orthotic shoes are recommended. Orthotic shoes will support
the feet and weight-bearing joints and muscles. Orthotic
shoes have proven to reduce dysfunctions that emerge from
the neurological system. In addition, the supportive shoes
have proven to reduce injuries and pain emerging from
abnormal conditions.
If you are diagnosed with posture conditions, such as
osteoporosis, or gait, you can benefit from Orthotic shoes.
Fact: Did you know that you could wear two or more insoles
from Dr. Scholl, fitting the insoles into your shoes, and
achieve balance, which promotes a healthy spine?
Shoes make a difference to our spine, since the feet alone
when abnormal can lead to back pain. If you are not wearing,
supportive shoes that provide you a comfortable fit, you may
want to invest in Orthotic shoes to relieve your back pain.
In addition to shoes, you can perform stretch workouts, and
practicing leaning, sitting and lifting strategies to
correct your actions and reduce back pain.
Fact: If the spine is misaligned, it can lead to back pain.
Duh, you knew that. Anyway, we misalign the spine when
lifting incorrectly, wearing unsuitable shoes, and leaning,
or sitting in position, incorrectly. You can correct the
problems by learning about your condition, and follow this
up by taking action to relieve your pain.
Fact: Proper lifting starts at the thighs and buttocks.
Millions of people lift while relying on the back to hold
the weight. This will cause the back to hurt.
When lifting heavy objects you want to avoid lifting at a
distance. At best, you want to bend the knees, make sure
your feet are shoulder width apart, and flat on the floor.
When you are about to lift, keep the trunk strong and
supported. Lift with your legs and not your back, with a
good, supportive shoe you will avoid irritating your back
due to misalignment of your feet.
Saturday 23rd May 2009
Back
Pain - What Is The Real Cost?
Back pain is the largest single cause of sickness absence
from work and, for many people, can be a chronic problem. It
is responsible for 93 million working days lost each year in
the UK and is more likely to occur during the ages of 30 to
50, the most productive period of most people's lives. Back
pain is so common in the UK that everyone can expect to
suffer from it at some time. However it is far less common
in India for example, where many more people sit on the
floor; which causes the back muscles to find their own
natural position rather than lying back on cushioned sofas
which causes the back to go into many unusual and generally
undesirable positions.
Lower back pain
Lower back pain or low back pain is very common and is the
single most common chronic pain syndrome seen in pain
clinics in the Western world. This pain is often aggravated
by poor lifting techniques, where the sufferer relies mostly
on the muscles of the lower back rather than those of the
legs, to lift or move any given object. This causes a great
deal of inconvenience to those who experience it. People
experiencing lower back pain are often best served by
remaining at work but only a trained certified health
professional confident in their assessment skills can push
in that direction.
Treatment
Treatment should be directed at the specific cause of pain,
it can help to speed things up but many back-pain sufferers
don't seek treatment early enough. Treatment for back pain
generally depends on what kind of pain you experience: acute
or chronic.
Chronic
Chronic back pain is defined as pain that persists for
longer than three months and is much less common than acute
pain (sudden/sharp onset). It is the most common cause of
activity limitation in persons younger than 45 years. The
symptoms of chronic back pain usually arises because there's
an underlying condition such as arthritis or osteoporosis,
or because the injury was severe. Chronic back pain is one
of the commonest ailments and a cause of private distress,
considerable personal and public financial consequences and
a condition that is often difficult to treat.
Back pain is a major problem in society, although it is rare
in teenagers and not common as a new presentation in the
elderly. It is often a recurrent symptom and most patients
first experience it in their twenties or thirties. Back pain
is now one of the most common reasons for seeking health
care, sickness absence from work and long-term receipt of
incapacity benefits. Most acute attacks settle quite
quickly, usually within a few days or weeks, allowing the
sufferer to get back to most ordinary activities.
Sunday 12th April 2009
Sciatica Is It Really Back Pain?
Sciatica is the Latin word for "Pain down the back of the
leg". It is a referred pain usually caused by trapping the
sciatic nerve in the lower back. Sciatica is a set of
symptoms rather than a diagnosis for what is irritating the
root of the nerve, causing the pain. These symptoms are
generally caused by the compression of a lumbar spine nerve
root L4 or L5 or sacral nerve roots S1, S2 or S3, or far
less commonly, by compression of the sciatic nerve itself.
Pain
Pain often increases on exertion or bending forward. It can
also be triggered by coughing or straining and can be so
severe that the lower back becomes locked in sideways
bending position (scoliosis) caused by a strong contraction.
Pain and paraesthesiae (pins and needles) may be apparent in
one or more of these areas: the lower back, groin, perineum,
buttock, hip, back of the thigh, leg and foot or the
sacroiliac (SI) joint. Pain referred from trigger points in
the gluteus medius is less likely to involve the thigh;
gluteus maximus trigger points restricts flexion at the hip
whilst Piriformis trigger points restricts medial rotation.
Pain also occurs on rising from a chair, particularly if
sitting crossed legged, and remains as a nagging pain when
lying down causing disturbed sleep.
Symptoms
Sciatica is a symptom not a cause thus the trigger points
refer pain into the lower back, either alongside the spine
or across the back. The trigger points in the hamstring
muscles usually results in pain being experienced on
walking, possibly resulting in a limp. Typically, the
symptoms are only felt on one side of the body. One of the
conditions associated with the symptoms of sciatica is
piriformis syndrome, this is when the sciatic nerve is being
compressed by the piriformis going into spasm.
Sciatica is less common than most people think, much less
common than back pain. It is often caused by standing or
sitting badly, but the pain can be made worse by bending
without use of the legs or unsupported twisted or sideways
movements. Sciatica is pain in the distribution of the
sciatic nerve and is felt in the buttocks and down the back
of the leg. It is usually diagnosed through a physical exam
and an MRI scan. Sciatica is different from other forms of
low back pain because there are 2 sciatic nerves, although
the pain is usually just on the one side.
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