Saturday, August 10, 2013

Do You Have Lower Back Pain on Right Side? Get Relief For Your Lower Back Pain!


Treating your back pain is not a very easy task. It is possible to get some short-term relief by taking a pill, but it is extremely hard to get permanent relief from the pain. If you have lower back pain on the right side and if you want to get rid of the pain, then you can`t rely on luck. You need to know exactly what is causing the pain and how to get rid of it permanently.

The pain you feel is a symptom, that something is wrong and if you focus on easing the pain, then you are going in the wrong direction. By treating the cause or causes of your back pain, you will also find relief from the pain. Most people are trying to ease the pain, not to eliminate the causes, which makes the whole situation even worse.

Curing your back permanently, does not take medical intervention. It can be done naturally and easily by yourself in your own home. There are two main things that have caused your lower back pain on the right side - muscles and joints. The pain is caused by muscle imbalancement, meaning that some muscles are weak, while others are tight. Most likely your joints are also not moving correctly. When you leave these things untreated, then the pain will only go worse and worse.

First of all, you need to find out what muscles are out of balance. Then you obviously need to strengthen those that are weak and relax those that are tight with specific exercises. You also need to rebalance your pelvis and realign your spine, again with specific exercises.

The truth is that this is not very hard to do. The only thing you really need is a exercise video program, that teaches you what exercises you need to be doing, how to do them and so on. If you follow the specific exercise program like you should, then your back will heal and you will no longer have lower back pain on the right side.

Exercises For Lower Back Pain Relief - Effective Techniques To Feel Results


When our day consists of getting the kids off to school, sitting at a desk for 8 to 10 hours, sitting in traffic for another hour, coming home and making dinner with the hopes of a little relaxation time; it's no surprise there are so many individuals dealing with lower back discomfort.

Low amounts of physical activity weaken our muscles... not to mention that stress and tension are often displayed in the body as pain. Throw in the cliche low back pain experienced during pregnancy and you soon see why it's estimated that over 80% of all people will suffer from bouts of back distress.

Stretches that will help keep our muscles flexible go a long way to improve not only our flexibility, but our endurance, injury recovery times, and a whole host of other backache symptoms. The good news is there are plenty of stretching and strengthening exercises for lower back pain relief. We can do them at home... no need for a formal yoga class.

Here are a few exercises for lower back pain relief that will not only help with your current severe back pain relief issues, but will act as a preventative therapy against future problems! At first the treatment program may be a hassle to work into your day, but once you start to feel how much better and more functional you back is... you'll never want to stop.

We highly recommend taking advantage of them even if you aren't experiencing any problems right now. They could help stave off osteoporosis in later years.

Caution: check with your doctor before undertaking any strenuous exercise program. Your back discomfort could be caused by a physical disorder that may be worsened by exercise.

Once you've determined you don't have a disease like arthritis, scoliosis, osteoporosis, herniated discs or one of the other chronic disorders, these easy exercises should function to rapidly improve your fitness level, reduce your back dis-ease, help you recover and relieve your back pain fairly quickly.

Below you will find 4 exercises for lower back relief that anyone can do:

#1 Exercises for lower back pain relief: Stretching out the Piriformis
Each one of us deals with a different type of lower back pain. Some issues are more acute and painful than others, especially if the piriformis muscle is creating sciatic nerve pain. It seems that even the smallest motion is very painful.

Hopefully this isn't the case for you, but if it is then there is a simple exercise you can perform.

Lying on your back, bend your knees and place your right leg over your left. Take both your hands and make a cup around the lower leg. Now all you have to do is pull towards your chest with your hands. Once you feel the stretching take place you can hold the position for 25 to 30 seconds and then repeat alternating from side to side. Make sure your pulls are gentle. This is a stretch, a jerking motion can cause damage.

#2 Exercises for lower back pain relief: Problems sitting up straight?
A lot of people dealing with lower back ache have to constantly change their position when seated. If you can't sit up straight then it's possible your hamstrings are too tight. This is a simple fix, because there are several exercises for lower back pain relief when it comes to your hamstrings.

One of the most beneficial lower back pain relief exercises is to lie on the floor and put your hands behind the knee. Your hips need to be flexed at a 90 degree angle, but with the knees bent. Now try to straighten out your knee so the toes are facing you.

It will take some time to master, but you will definitely feel the stretching take place.

#3 Exercises for lower back pain relief: Stop with the Abs and work the TVA
TVA stands for Transversus Abdominis. Even though it's been debated over the years, it's believed the TVA is one of the core muscles for the entire body, When it comes to lower back pain, the TVA must be strengthened in order to support the back and spine properly. This will help with upper back and mid back pain as well. If you look at a chart it is the inner most layer of the abdominal walls.

There are a few different exercises for lower back pain relief when it comes to the TVA, but none is better than the vacuum exercise. You will find that a lot of bodybuilders do it, but it's still one for the average individual.

Start off by standing straight and placing your hands on the hips. Exhale as much air as you possibly can. Now bring your stomach in as far as possible. Just envision the front of your stomach sucking in so far it touches your back. This is a simple exercise, but it will take some practice. You need to hold it for at least 20 seconds and make sure your chest is sticking out.

You'll feel goofy doing this, but it won't be long before you start to feel the results... then you'll look forward to "looking goofy."

#4 Exercises for lower back pain relief: Leg lifts
Another old standby for strengthening the abs is to lie on your back with your feet together and slowly raise your legs off the ground about 6 inches. Hold for 15 to 30 seconds then repeat and lift your legs again. Do as many "reps" as you can. You will see rapid improvement in your abdominal muscles as well as a greatly improved posture.

These 4 exercises for lower back pain relief don't have to be for individuals struggling with each problem. They are also considered preventative measures so the body can support the back properly. Good luck.

Get Lower Back Pain Relief by Reversing the Process of Its Occurrence


Quite often we can get relief from lower back pain just by reversing the process of its causes. And let us remember that the causes of back pain do not always have to be serious like accidents, falls, pushing or hauling heavy weights, sprains or injuries through unexpected reasons or situations. Moreover, lower back pain arising out of such serious causes should always be referred to experts.

Most health problems can be successfully treated simply by bringing changes in the way we eat, work, think and live. With this basic premise, here is how we can get lower back pain relief by following cost free, yet effective steps.

1. Make it a habit to sit erect

You may have to make a conscious effort to sit erect in the beginning. In course of time, it will become your habit so that you will feel odd, uneasy or unnatural if you incline or bend the upper half your body forward while sitting.

2. Take short breaks from sitting posture

Quite often it becomes a bit difficult to continue sitting even in erect posture and the body tends to bend down for a change or rest. You do not become conscious of this change in posture because you are too much absorbed in your work.

The best approach is to take short breaks after you complete a segment of your work. Spend your break to relax yourself by stretching your body, bending backwards and walking a few steps around the room.

3. Sit on low back chair

Get a low back chair that allows you to stretch your hands, head and shoulders as much backwards as possible even while you are sitting in it.

4. Correct posture while sleeping

We spend almost half of our day sleeping. Wrong postures during sleep contribute as much to back pain as the sitting postures during the working time.

It is true that a person is almost as good as dead while sleeping and cannot remain conscious of his/her posture. But is it not easier to make a self-effort to correct our posture during sleep rather than allow the doctors to use force upon us with their fearful looking contraptions?

5. Stretching and relaxing exercises

Internet is replete with questions from back pain sufferers about what physical exercises are most suitable to eliminate pain. There is nothing wrong in seeking advice from the experts.

One suggestion is that we should take exercises that aim at reversing the physical activities that cause back pain. For example, stretching and bending backwards can undo the impact of bending forward.

But you might say, you have read or heard a lot about such a simplistic approach to back pain relief and there is nothing new about it. But the question is: Haven't you often ignored this advice precisely because it is too simple and commonplace to deserve practice?

In fact, the secret to getting back pain relief lies in taking action rather than ruminating over the simplicity or the commonplaceness of the advice.

Burning Pain in Lower Back (Right Or Left Side) - Symptoms, Treatment Options and Pain Relief


How is your lower back feeling?

Do you have pain problems that you need to address?

1.) Introduction To This Article

This free information will discuss how lumbar back pain can occur, followed by how you can find a cost effective treatment option to help reduce your pain. We study the spine and as a result, you can learn some effective ways in which you can deal with your lumbar pain problems.

2.) Pain Pills & Back Problems

The first thing many people do when they feel that their backaches is to pop a pain pill. Or, they try and take a good long rest to alleviate their tired muscles. But most of the time simply taking pain relievers and resting your back will not completely solve your problem. Many people say that lower back pain is just a backache, but the fact is that there are a lot of reasons why one is experiencing back discomfort. One of the primary reasons for lower back pain is lumbar sprain, a herniated disc or a pinched nerve in their lower back.

3.) Lumbar Muscle Spasms

A lot of people are not aware of a lumbar spasm until they have been diagnosed with having them. Medical and general terms can be provided to describe a lumbar spasm, but anyone who has experienced it will agree that one word will be enough to best describe lumbar spasm - Pain. A lumbar spasm can induce a lot of pain to the person suffering from it.. It generates tremendous pain in the lower back area and since the back or lumbar spine area is at the center of the body, any form of movement one makes will can pain.

4.) Treatment Options - Back Braces For Support & Pain Reduction

Using back braces can also be one of your options because it helps relieve the stress from attacking your lower back muscles, thereby keeping a lumbar pain from occurring. Many physicians will request that their patients get a quality lower back support because it can promote healing and reduce pain. They can do this by biomechanically increasing intercavitary pressure, which effectively off loads your lumbar spine. Back braces can also assist in maintaining proper posture. - By helping you to not make certain excessive or unwanted movements, a back support can help you to avoid furthering an injury you already have. In this fashion, back supports can help to promote healing. - Lastly, many newer quality braces are easily concealed by a t-shirt so cosmetic hang-ups are not really an issue. If you want to help reduce your back pain then you should consider using one today.

* This is health information. Although we believe in the benefits of lumbar back supports, we suggest that you speak with your physician regarding medical advice for your particular situation.

The Secret to Get Relief From Lower Back Pain - Causes, Symptoms and Treatment Options


How is your lower back feeling?

Do you have problems with your back currently?

1.) Introduction

4 out of 5 people have dealt with back troubles of some kind. All of these individuals want to know the secret to get relief from lower back pain. Sometimes the back pain hurt enough and it has gone long enough that one of the only things you can focus on is getting relief. That back pain may be dull or it might be quite severe. Low back pain is generally broken down into two categories, acute and chronic.

Back pain that affects the lower back area and is acute, typically lasts for a short period of time, a couple of days to a couple of weeks. Individuals who have chronic, lower back pain have been suffering for at least 3 months, with the pain occurring on and off or with a dull consistency.

2.) Causes and Factors To Consider

Several factors could contribute to low back pain including incorrect posture positions, back strains that may occur as a result of heavy lifting or an overly intense workout, or a herniated disk. Other conditions that may cause pain in the lower back but are not related to the neurological system include:

Pregnancy which places additional stress on the spine because of the baby's weight and position
Kidney related conditions such as stones and infections that may produce tenderness and inflammation
Enlargement complications associated with the ovaries like cysts and fibroids

While the underlying source is important in terms of finding a permanent way to eradicate the problem, the cause is not the only issue; the one that is most important to those who are suffering is how long it will take to get relief from the lower back pain. The secret to getting that respite can be as simple as using a lower back brace.

Many types of back braces exist in the market. There is even a huge selection of back supports online. The particular brace that works best for you will be the one that most reduces your back pain and facilitates the healing process.

In the process, they work to reduce pain, as protection against a more serious affliction, and to promote healing of the damaged areas. When in doubt about the correct brace to use, you should consult your trusted back brace provider. These individuals are known as orthotists because they specialize in "orthotics". (This is the field of bracing.) These individuals are the ones that should provide you with medical advice on bracing.

Friday, August 9, 2013

Relieve Lower Back Pain With a Memory Foam Mattress


If you wake up with a sore back every morning, chances are - the culprit is in that uncomfortable mattress that you've been sleeping on for the past decade! Barring any serious medical conditions like fibromyalagia, scoliosis, spinal injuries and chronic pain conditions - the most popular cause of the occasional back pain is your sleep surface.

Now most people have sleep partners, the bed that is causing you to wake up every morning with aches and pains likely has your spouse sleeping like a baby! For this reason going out and simply buying a new mattress isn't as easy a fix as it may seem. The memory foam mattress system has helped many couples resolve this issue. The visco-elastic material moulds and forms to the individual curves and shapes of the bodies. So where your body may call for more support in the lower back, and your partners body needs more support in the hips - you will find a happy compromise with memory foam.

The most popular brand of visco elastic sleep surfaces is Tempurpedic, they are accredited with bringing this material to the general population several decades ago. Because they are the most popular and best brand, they are also the most expensive as well. If you are not ready to make the investment of several thousand dollars, the most viable solution for you is to purchase a memory foam bed topper.

These foam bed toppers are quickly replacing the old fashioned egg crate foam mattress toppers. You can find them in discount stores like Costco for a fraction of the cost of a full bed set. As long as your current mattress is in good shape with no sink holes or sags, you can simply place the memory foam topper on top of your existing sleep surface and enjoy the benefits right away! These are not designed to be as durable and long lasting as full mattress sets, so you may find yourself replacing it every few years, but at the fraction of the cost - it is well worth the money!

Back Pain Symptoms - First Look For The Underlying Cause Of The Problem


Back pain is a symptom of a body that's out of alignment. It's a symptom that weak and tight muscles somewhere in your body have allowed those bones to move out of alignment.

The pain is telling people to do something to get the bones in their lower back into better alignment.

What most people are not aware of is the principle that says, 'The cause of the pain is rarely at the site where it's painful.'

Their therapist probably hasn't heard of this principle either. You'll know this is the case if the therapist starts heating, rubbing, crunching or vibrating the spot where it hurts.

So if back pain is a symptom of a body that's out of alignment what is it that's caused the bones of the lower back to move out of alignment?

It's usually tight muscles attached you your pelvis - front, back and sides. If they're tight they'll pull the pelvis down and back and cause it to twist. If that's the case people won't be able to sit up straight with a nice hollow in their lumber spine.

When the pelvis moves out of alignment, the bones up above also move out of alignment. The natural 'S' shaped curve of the spine will have turned into a 'C' shape.

The usual cause of this happening is sitting down all day in the 'slump dog' position and not having a flexibility training program to loosen off the calf, hamstring and buttock muscles.

Flexibility is the first problem.

The second contributing factor is a lack of overall body strength. How can you expect the bones of your back to stay in alignment if the muscles supporting those bones are weak? Well you can't.

I recently had a bloke come to see me with lower back pain. He'd done the rounds and spent thousands of dollars on therapists who thought the cause of his problem was in his lower back. They didn't understand that his lower back pain symptoms were caused by weak and tight muscles attached to his pelvis.

No-none had checked to see which muscles were tight and no-one had checked to see how strong he was.

He could hardly do a situp. He could hardly do a pressup. He'd never done a Superman back arch or a squat. He didn't have a strength training program at the gym.

It beggars belief that no-one had made an effort to search for the underlying cause of his pain. Maybe it's too simple to ask people to see if they can sit up straight in a few simple yoga-type postures or watch to see if they can do the most popular strength exercises.

It just reinforces my belief that it's a waste of time going to see anyone who doesn't tell you the likely cause of your problem and/or doesn't give you a good suite of strength and flexibility exercises to restore poor function to good. Just treat any therapy as complementary health care. The primary health care for joint and muscle pain is the strength and flexibility exercises you do yourself.

In a nutshell the symptoms of back pain are weak and tight muscles somewhere in your body. Often it's tight and weak muscles right throughout your body.

In the meantime stay tuned highly tuned and embark on a regular and systematic strength and flexibility training program. Any therapy on top of that will speed up the rehab process.

5 Tips To Relieve Lower Back Pain


Lower back pain affects thousands of people every day. When suffering the kind of problem like this, you do not have to take the pain lying down. These tips will help you to reduce pain now and make it less likely to return.

Get a massage

A deep tissue massage is a good choice for lower back pain. The massage affects muscles at the surface of the body just below the skin as well as those located deep within the body. During stress or workouts, toxins can build up in the muscles resulting in stiff, sore muscles. The massage releases these toxins, improves circulation and brings blood flow to provide oxygen and nutrients needed for healing. The massage also releases the tension in sore spots on the lower back.

A hot stone massage is another great choice for individuals suffering from it. The warm stones help to improve blood flow while relaxing the muscles. The hot stone massage is an effective means of reducing tension and stress. When held in the muscles of the lower back, tension and stress can lead to these kind of problems.

Try Therapeutic Exercises

Although you may not feel like exercising when your lower back hurts, staying in bed all day and night is one of the worse things you can do. Try gentle stretching to relax and loosen the muscles in the back. Many back pain sufferers turn to Yoga to help keep the body flexible as well as relaxed. If you see a chiropractor for help with the lower back pain, the doctor may offer exercises that help to build the back muscles and prevent future injuries. At the gym, you might try exercises including back pulldowns, reverse flies, seated rows, bent-knee planks and others to strengthen the back muscles.

Put Heat on It

One temporary solution for back pain is the use of heat. A hot bath offers penetrating moist heat that can ease the pain. Careful use of a heating pad can also ease the pain. Be sure to follow the manufacturer's or your doctor's directions in use of a heating pad.

Lose Weight

Losing weight can be a long-term solution to your lower back pain. The physics of the human body allow extra weight around the midsection to put additional stress on the spine. By eating a healthy diet and losing weight, you reduce the stress caused by this problem.

Practice Good Posture

Mom was right, you need to stand and sit up straight. Poor posture can weaken the muscles and result in pain. Corrective posture braces may help to improve the posture, but their use should be limited so that muscles are not weakened even more. Posturepedic chairs and mattresses can help to improve posture when sitting and sleeping.

Cervical Spondylosis - Factors, Symptoms, Causes, Treatment


Cervical spondylosis is manifested by neck stiffness with pain in the neck, weakness, tingling, numbness in the upper limbs, burning, feeling of "power" in the neck, shoulders and upper limbs, headaches that start in the neck and get to the front of the head. Physiotherapy for cervical spondylosis treatment by acting directly on the degeneration of the intervertebral discs and vertebrae and help them rehydrate. Medical fitness to lead to cervical spondylosis regaining joint mobility, increase the amplitude of joint and muscle tone and bone spurs produce beneficial effects on improving the general condition of the body. Spondylosis usually presents as a degenerative spine manifested by pain and reduce its mobility. It can occur while on the roots of spinal cord compression. This condition is "distributed" throughout the column from top to bottom, the most common on the low back and cervical and thoracic region does less. Is manifested by calcium deposits around joints or on the edges of plateaus disc. Deposits they produce some formations known in medicine as the "parrot beaks". Their appearance shows that it is a chronic degenerative process of the column, due to two key issues namely: -

Narrowing the spinal canal is the spinal cord and nerves, and the conjugation of holes where the nerves exit the spinal and distributed to the lower limbs and upper limbs. Each hole must fit a nerve and narrowing these holes produce terrible pain and sometimes unbearable. - Narrowing of the spinal canal completely (spinal) cause disease called spinal myelopathy (spinal cord diseases general name), took place compression that creates problems with the blood marrow. While ventral Bone spurs develop, spinal cord space shrinks, causing myelopathy Cervical spondylosis myelopathy is the result of several pathophysiological factors. These factors include:

a) static-mechanical factors,
b) dynamic-mechanical factors
c) lesions stretches
d) spinal cord ischemia

The phenomenon of degradation in this disease is predominantly the result of cervical spine bone degeneration, process what that advance patient grows older. Other changes associated with the disease, such as abnormal growth of bone (bone spurs) may lead to increased pressure on spinal nerves and sometimes even the spinal cord. This disorder is a chronic and in most cases is determined by age. Although it affects both sexes, in men occurs earlier than women. Some studies show that 75% of women and 80% of men around the age of 60 years, making a radiograph can be diagnosed as having significant manifestations of cervical spondylosis. Evolution is slow and prolonged cervical spondylosis and patients may have no symptoms or may show slight neck pain. It happens that the disease was stagnated, but there are cases where the disease can worsen to an advanced stage and the patient may become addicted to shopping cart with wheels. Symptoms In the cervical vertebral corpus exists in a side channel through which pass the vertebral arteries and helping to transport blood to the brain. If these channels are compressed, the amount of blood supplying the hindbrain is reduced. Thus it might appear a deficit of blood to the cerebellum and brainstem deficiency is manifested in the occipital area by dizziness, abnormal gait, headache and muscle strength decrease. This disease through its semiology, is an unpleasant disease, but patients will have to understand that we mean a disease that can live if properly treated or at least controlled. Local pain is felt in the joint capsule, the paravertebral ligaments in inflamed synovium or periosteum. Causes Nobody knows for sure what is causing spondylolisthesis, but are taken into account: patient age, genetics, mechanical stress and metabolic problems, not least the patient.Damage to spinal joints that are specific to aging is the main cause of cervical spondylosis. More staff, after the age of 35 years, signs of changes in the intervertebral discs and the vertebrae themselves, but the manifestation of disease occurs much later.Age are among the risk factors and leads to wear her column joints (cervical, thoracic or lumbar), thus causing pressure in the neck with repercussions on the column. If pain is not diminished with proper medication if pain persists or worsens numbness occurring in the upper limbs and lower limbs then it is imperative to introduce ourselves to physician specialty. These symptoms, in association with medical history and clinical analysis may lead us to a diagnosis of cervical spondylosis.

Risk factors for cervical spondylosis

This condition primarily affects the patients in the office working and the pain becomes stronger if associated with cold. Those working in the office in front of a computer and have the disorder, will be sometimes to interrupt work for a short time, to change mode or to change their jobs. It is recommended to take frequent breaks from work and take a sitting posture. Correct medication, physiotherapy and chiropractor (medical fitness) can help treat it, but you can get to surgery if the disease is not treated in time. Another risk factor is old position of the spine and therefore must take care as the patient sits in the office, in bed, the chair and the couch watching TV. Pain is worse when cold or if exercising. Pain is accompanied by lack of joint mobility and may disappear after 10-15 minutes of movement, rotation and bending of the neck. Obese people who suffer from this disease must take to follow a hypocaloric diet and physical therapy programs (medical fitness). Treatment Treatment of both cervical spondylosis and lumbar spondylosis follows the first pain relief, stop disease progression and development of joint mobility. Massage therapy performed on the spine affected is a treatment often used in treating this disease. Fair treatment significantly improves symptoms. Physical therapy can be used to relieve pain even more acute in a state of disease, provided that the current form chosen and done, be done with a good knowledge of physio-pathological mechanisms of pain transmission and production. Therapist task is to educate the patient regarding posture control regardless of the position of the patient (Sitting, standing, supine or prone).

Why Does Lower Back Pain and Constipation Occur?


Lower back pain and constipation are often seen together. Once you understand how this happens you will then realize what you must do to make sure both ease quickly but also how to get long term relief. Read on to make sure you understand more on why these occur.

The low back is comprised of five vertebrae and if you include the sacrum (the wedge shaped bone at the base of your spine) then there are actually six. From the spine exits the nerves, these nerves supply the energy to your muscle sin the lower back and legs so you can move and perform the activities you wish.

However, from the spine also exits nerves that supply energy to the digestive system. The lower spine feeds this supply to the lower bowel. If you don't know, there are in fact two types of nervous systems.

The Two Types Of Nervous Systems

The first is your Skeletal Nervous System which supplies the nerve to the muscles and joints; it deals with both pain and movement. The second is the Autonomic Nervous System which supplies nerve to the organs and stimulates them to become active or to slow down.

Although somewhat independent of each other, if there is interference in the same location both systems can become affected.

This is why when your low back starts to falter; the skeletal and autonomic systems can both start to fail. You will develop pain in your muscles and joints, but also your bowel may become sluggish and hence constipation develops.

Lower Back Pain and Constipation

The problems don't just stop there either. Once the bowel has become sluggish, pressure also builds in the bowel which can increase the pressure on the spine. The spine is bathed in fluid and if pressure increases in the abdomen this pressure affects your spine.

So you may develop constipation from a lower back issue, but you can also develop lower back aches and pain from a bowel issue. Once you are constipated the low back will struggle to function correctly.

To add further misery, each muscle in your body has a corresponding muscle that can react if that organ is affected. The Large Intestine which is involved with constipation relates to the Hamstrings and Tensor Fascia Lata which are both pelvic stabilizers.

Lower back pain and constipation can occur easily and once present both can recreate the other. Whether your constipation arose due to the lower back or whether it is due to poor diet, dehydration or any other issue, once present it is involved in the cycle of pain.

The Solution to Both Lower Back Pain and Constipation

There are only ever three steps needed in all health problems. First you identify the cause; second you eliminate the symptoms and finally remove the cause.

The results for lower back pain relief are poor for the mere fact that most techniques only ever deal with the structural issues, and even then most only deal with muscles.

To get lasting lower back pain relief you must remove both the symptoms and the cause. The causes can be muscle joint and even organ related.

The same applies to constipation. Taking laxatives, eating certain foods, using supplements may make you regular. But if you stop using these and you return to a constipated situation then that underlying cause is still present.

And long term constipation can lead to more serious bowel issues as you age.

So no matter what caused your lower back ache and constipation, you need techniques that use a variety of approaches. Which is why in the X-Pain Method we teach structural techniques along with Acupressure to make sure both the structural and organ based causes are eliminated. That way you get lasting lower back pain relief as well as long term constipation relief.

Understanding why lower back pain and constipation occurs helps you to understand the process of removing them long term.

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.

Thursday, August 8, 2013

Does Inversion Therapy Work For Low Back Pain?


Inversion therapy is a treatment that involves anti-gravity. A person's feet are put into some sort of tight shoes, and the individual hangs upside down in search of pain relief. Does it work? Is it safe?

The theory behind inversion therapy is that it takes gravitational pressure off of the spinal anatomy such as nerve roots and intervertebral discs. The space between vertebrae is theoretically increased during anti-gravity inversion therapy. The treatment is in essence a form of spinal traction, with body weight providing the traction.

Inversion therapy has been found to be effective for short term back pain relief. There have been some well designed research studies evaluating it for long term relief. Unfortunately these studies have shown it to be ineffective for longer relief. In conjunction with a comprehensive treatment protocol for back pain, inversion therapy may fit in nicely to assist with pain relief.

When patients hang upside down for the inversion therapy, it may increase blood pressure. So for patients who have an issue with high blood pressure or heart disease, it should be avoided. Otherwise, it appears to be very safe.

The same risk factors hold true for glaucoma, which involves elevated intra-ocular pressure. This could be exacerbated with upside down inversion treatment.

Inversion therapy does not have to be 90 degrees, it may be done at less of an angle. Treatment may be achieved twice a day for 20 minutes at a time. Those who are new to inversion treatment should probably angle at 30 degrees to start for a few weeks until comfortable with the treatment. Most people do not need to go beyond 60 degrees to achieve full benefit.

Will inversion treatment help with a bulging disc? The answer is probably not. Yes inversion may pull arthritic joints and disc spaces apart, allowing patients to feel symptomatically better for a period. However, it is not like the intermittent traction with spinal decompression therapy where a negative pressure is created in the intervertebral disc. This negative pressure brings in increased nutrients and oxygen to the disc, allowing for potential healing.

Can inversion therapy help relieve sciatica pain? The answer is potentially yes. The reason is it can in fact pull the discs apart temporarily, which can relieve pain from a pinched nerve. But as mentioned, there is no real evidence that an inversion table sucks back in a herniated disc.

The bottom line is that inversion therapy may allow for short term back pain relief, but long term relief has not been seen. Sciatica pain relief may also be achieved, but as with back pain itself it may simply be short term.

Sciatic Back Pain Relief - Here Are Some Magnetic Therapy Products Suggestions for You to Use


Have you ever thought about trying magnetic therapy to assist with sciatic pain relief, well her are some practical suggestions:

What is sciatic pain?

Simply sciatic pain is the inflammation of the sciatic nerve as a result of lower back disc damage of degeneration. This pain typically radiates down the back of the leg and may even extend down to the feet depending on the degree of deterioration. Magnet therapy cannot fix the disc but it may assist with the inflammation that will provide more movement and reduced pain after ten year of working with clients and health magnets I have a pretty good idea as to how magnets can assist with drug free pain relief. If you are told the same thing over and over again you get a pretty good idea of what works and what does not. If you are interested in trying magnetic therapy as an alternative for drug free pain relief here are a number of magnetic therapy suggestions that can be used to assist with sciatic pain relief.

Suggestions to get so sciatic pain relief


  • The magnetic back support belt is always a favorite as I wear one myself. Its surgical elastic can give support as well as provide magnetic pain relief at the same time. Wear it when you have the pain. Some people wear it day and night.

  • The magnetic clip pouch is another suggestion. Using a large 3000 gauss rare earth magnet, it looks like a money clip in design but can be clipped in your underpants directly over the sciatic nerve for magnetic pain relief.

  • On an easier level is the magnetic body magnets. Powerful little 3000 gauss magnets that measure 6 x 2 in size. Simply place then on the damaged disc area of the sciatic nerve for magnetic pain relief. They will lose a third of their strength over a hundred years so use them over and over again by simply re sticking them with adhesive tape.

  • Last but no least is the magnetic underlay. The panacea of all magnetic products. The best part is that you simply sleep on it. It s a wonderful form of magnetic therapy. Considering most sciatic pain sufferers are in more pain when they go to bed.

Here are a number of suggestions to try. You only need to choose one and see how it works for you. After you get results come back for more. Remember magnetic therapy is not a cure it is simply a drug free means of reducing the symptoms to maintain a better quality of life.

Automobile Seat Cushions - Back Pain Relief Products That Work


Automobile seat cushion is one of the lower back pain relief products proven to work if employed appropriately and continually. The factors you should consider in getting auto seat cushions are: lumbar support; sturdiness of the cushions; and comfort of the cushions. Here's the reason why.

Lumbar Support

Lumbar support is critical for the reason that being seated with the back curved and flexed forward for too long sets up a number of spine problems, like:

  • The middle and spine muscles get sprained in an effort to hold the body upright.

  • The facet joints found in the spine can get stuck in what's referred to as a fixed-open position.

  • The muscles in the lungs and diaphragm may drop into a flattened position which brings about paradoxical breathing (basically identified as chest breathing).

As time goes by, these issues may lead to sizeable, possibly even severe low back pain.

Sturdiness and Comfort

Both foam stability and comfort have been sorted out by the people who produce memory foam. While you'll find high quality, long-lasting foams out there aside from memory foam, none of them can actually compete with the pressure-relieving capability of the memory foam's visco-elastic material.

Primarily invented by NASA for astronauts' usage, this amazing component soaks up and distributes body weight for maximum comfort and ease. And instead of becoming squashed down as time passes, it returns to its original shape after use.

Recommended Seat Cushions For Cars

McCarty's Sacro Ease Car Seat Supports are among the most well known brands in the industry. They took the their name from the sacrum bone at the spine base. And "sacrum's ease and comfort" is just one of the key features Sacro Ease presents.

When supported by Sacro Ease Auto Seat Cushions, the hips are "anchored" to the backrest of the car's seat, as opposed to slumped. So, the spine is held in a natural vertical position, minimizing pressure on the back. The back problem is then cut down tremendously or, most often, fully eliminated. Sacro Ease delivers many options you could choose. Some of the most preferred models

  • Sacro Ease Deluxe Memory Foam Back Support. With the introduction of the visco-elastic memory foam, in addition to their traditional steel frame and rubber construction, the Sacro Ease Back Support Cushions have escalated to the top as the best models McCarty can offer, and potentially the best seat support made anywhere in the world.

  • Sacro Ease Coccyx Cut-Out. Simply one of the most best ways to "improve" a chair lacking support, the Sacro Ease Coccyx Cut-Out upgraded models add an extra 1" of underlay, and for some, a much required cutout for those vulnerable areas of the body.

  • Sacro Ease MiniRest Lumbar Car Seat Cushion. The Mini-Rest back support might be a good choice if you feel your car seat base is firm and supportive, and you will just perhaps need an adjustable lumbar back support.

You will find lots of auto seat cushions currently available, but not all actually work to alleviate your back problems.

What Is Cobroxin Pain Relief?


Our body is just like a machine. It needs to be taken care of otherwise it is bound to come up with certain problems. Similarly, overwork also leads to complications inside the body. Physical pain is something that every individual wishes to stay away from. However, everyone has to experience this pain at some point or the other.

Pain associated with muscles and joints is no less than a nightmare. One of the drawbacks of this kind of pain is the fact that it limits your body movements which can be extremely uncomfortable. People who suffer from this type of pain often look for a product or a medication that would provide them instant relief and offer relaxation.

Cobroxin is one such product which has gained a lot of popularity in the past few years. The product is relatively new in the market. However, the kind of demand it has clearly shows that it is mighty effective. Over the years, many companies and manufacturers have come up with products that claim relief from joint and muscle pain. However, it seems that Cobroxin is certainly one of the best pain relief products ever produced.

Lower back pain is one of the worst forms of pains an individual can ever go through. Almost every human movement involves the back and hence it is very important that your back is functioning in the best possible manner. Unfortunately, due to excessive physical activities associated with the present fast and hectic life, the lower back is the region which gets affected first and in a worst manner. Pain in the lower back can be so severe that a person would not be able to bear it. Cobroxin has shown amazing results in curing the lower back pain. It has the ability to offer instant relief to the sufferer and regular usage of cobroxin would ensure that they pain is no longer there and the treatment is permanent.

This is one of the highlights of cobroxin as most of the other products tend to give temporary relief to the sufferer. Once the effect of the product dies down, the individual starts to feel the pain all over again and hence he/she is never comfortable.

Another major problem faced by many people around the world is arthritis. This is a complication which usually pops up once the individual gets into his/her 40s or 50s. However, with the kind of mental and physical stress people have these days; this complication can be seen in young people as well. Cobroxin is one of the best remedies against arthritis. You can either go for the topical gel form of this product or massage it well on all the body parts which experience pain. You can even opt for the oral spray form of the product.

Cobroxin is undoubtedly one of the best products when it comes to body pain. You would be shocked to see the kind of positive effect it has on your body.

5 Hot Pilates Exercises for Chronic Lower Back Pain


Chronic lower back pain is among the most common injury suffered by both gender in all age group, but most significant in the elderly. There are many options available. If it is not too serious, you can choose to use non-invasive method like medication. Or play an active role in your own recovery by turning to Pilates if you prefer a more natural and long-term relief.

Specific Pilates exercises can strengthen core muscles to help in fighting off chronic lower back pain because your postural muscles groups are in charge of your form. If you have good core endurance, it will be reflected in your overall posture and prevent back injury.

Here are 5 great tips to get cracking:

1. Pelvic Tilt
Pelvic tilt is one of the best Pilates exercises that is used to assess your core strength especially if you have chronic lower back pain. It is a functional move. The ability to perform pelvic tilt means your lumbar spine is able to articulate and move. This mobility plays an important role in your recovery.

To perform the exercise, lie on your back. Bend your knees with feet flat on the floor. Inhale to prepare and exhale by slowly pressing the small of your back firmly into the floor and lift hips up slightly. Start by lifting only to the level you can. Draw your bellybutton down to your spine as you exhale during the lift. Avoid lifting pelvis higher than your middle back as tension will build up in the back of the neck. Repeat 5-10 times.

2. Knee Sway
Knee Sway relieves tight vertical spinal column muscles that are tired and weak. It adds instant relief and acts to quickly take away radiating lower back ache.

Lie on your back. Knees bend and feet wide on the floor. Keep knees about hip width or imagine you have a big basketball between your knees. Inhale to prepare, exhale slowly and turn both knees to one side without collapsing your knees together. Always remember to engage your abdominals when moving both knees from one side to the other. Repeat 5-10 times.

3. Alternate Knee Lift
Alternate Knee Lift helps to stretch tight weak lower back muscles and train abdominals at the same time. It is a simple beginner exercise and a safe exercise to start on your journey to strengthen your back.

Lie on your back. Knees bend and feet wide on the floor. Keep knees about hip width. Inhale to prepare, exhale slowly lift one leg (knee still bend) off the floor and towards your chest about waist level. Avoid bringing your knee too close to the face. Repeat 5-10 times for one leg and switch to the other leg.

4. Swan Prep
This exercise alleviates chronic lower back pain by strengthening your back extensors. Such muscles are usually overstretched and weak in people with back pain.

To start, lie on your tummy on the floor, face down. Put your palms at chest level, near your armpits, under your shoulders. Your elbows are bent. Keep the back of your neck long with your nose floating off the floor. Inhale to prepare, exhale slowly and lift your bellybutton up and away from the floor. Keep the abdominals lifted as you press your palms into the floor. Exhale as you lift the chest slightly off the floor with the back of the neck long and face looking down. Avoid lifting chin up and looking forward. Face should always be looking down. Repeat 5-10 times.

5. Cat
Cat is a great for back stretching and improving flexibility. It can also be used as a warm-up for other Pilates exercises.

Get on all fours with your knees and your hands on the floor. Check to have your palms under your shoulder. Inhale to draw your tummy in and round your upper back to the ceiling and your eyes to your belly button as in an angry cat. Exhale as you arched your back (tummy dropping to the ground) and look upwards. The move resembles a stretching cat. Repeat as many times as you are comfortable.

Cool Down with Child's Pose
Child's Pose is one of the easiest and most relaxing Pilates exercises.

Start with all fours. Sit back on your heels. Your butt should be on your heels. Your chest should be on your knees. Your knees should be shoulder width apart as you keep your toes together. Drape your body over your thighs. Your forehead should rest on the floor or on the back of your palms. Next, stretch your arms out to your front. Deeply breathe and relax as you remain in the position for several minutes. This should help to release tension in your neck, hips, and lower back.

Stretches For Lower Back Pain Relief and Prevention


Lower back pain can be extremely debilitating and can really affect your life in a negative way. There a are a variety of reasons for lower back pain, that can be either acute or chronic in nature. Regardless of the situation, stretching can help to relieve tension, elongate muscles, and improve blood flow to the area where lower back pain is experienced. Be sure to check with your doctor first to make sure your body is physically ready to be engaging in any stretching or exercise routine. Below are a few stretches for lower back pain.

Basic Twist - Begin by lying on your back, and extending your arms to the side. Bend your knees and slowly pull them to your chest. Breathe deeply, and exhale slowly as you lower your knees towards your right side as close to the ground as possible. Bring them back toward your chest again, slowly. Then do the same on your left side. Remember to go slowly and to breathe deeply and slowly as you perform this stretch. Hold each position for about 10 seconds, and repeat each side 3 times.

Knee To Chest Stretch - Start by lying on your back, with your knees bent and feet on the floor. Place your hands behind your right knee, and pull your knee close to your chest. Try to hold this position for between 10 to 30 seconds. Slowly bring your right leg down, then repeat with the left knee. Do each leg about 3 to 5 times.

Sitting Lower Back Stretch - Start this stretch by sitting on a chair, with your buttocks close to the front edge of the chair. Open your legs apart so that you make room for your torso to then be lowered as far down to the ground as possible. Wrap your arms around each leg to be able to pull yourself down as much as possible, and feel the stretch as much as possible. Hold this position for about 30 seconds, rest, then repeat 3 to 5 more times.

Piriformis Stretch - This stretch works a deep gluteal muscle, which helps to prevent chronic lower back pain. Start by lying on your back and placing your right ankle in front of your left knee. Slowly pull your left thigh toward your chest, which should make you feel a stretch in your hip/buttocks area. Hold this for about 15 seconds, then do the same with the other leg. Repeat this stretch about 5 more times.

Wednesday, August 7, 2013

Pinched Nerve in Your Lower Back - Causes, Treatment Options and Pain Relief


Does you lower back cause you a lot of trouble?

Are you looking for a non-surgical way to get better?

1.) Introduction

A pinched nerve in the lower back refers to the compression of the nerves which typically originate in the lower spine. The compressed or pinched nerve may bring tingling, numbness, burning and achy soreness along the vertebral column, or even down one leg. - Herniated discs, bone spurs and thickened ligamentum flavum may be causes of a pinched nerve in your lower back.

2.) Common Causes of Pinched Nerves

Trauma, previous injury, poor sitting posture, bent posture while walking and osteoarthritis can all lead to this lower back problem. In addition, obesity, sports activities, adventurous activities, monotonous job stress and pregnancy may be the possible causes of a pinched nerve in your lower spine.

3.) Pinched Sciatic Nerve Pain

The largest nerve of the body, arising from the base of spinal cord to the toes of feet is called the sciatic nerve. Sometimes the sciatic nerve can get pinched due to bulging out a vertebral disc. This may cause mild to severe, throbbing pain in the legs and lower back. Symptoms of sciatica or a pinched sciatic nerve in the lower back pain are:

Tingling in the back leading to pain in buttocks, legs and feet
Shooting pain through the distribution of sciatic nerve
Numbness feel or decreased sensation in the ankles or feet
Burning feel in leg muscles
Weakness in foot and leg muscles
Muscle spasms
Symptoms may worsen while walking

4.) Diagnosis

For a proper diagnosis, your physician may need information about your history. Moreover a physical examination by your doctor can help as well as the following tests:

Electromyography
X-ray
Myelogram
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
Computed topography (CT Scan)
Nerve conduction velocity test

5.) Treatment

Surgery is always a consideration for people, but it is seen as a last resort for people with back pain. Another way in which people can get relief of lower back pain is with the use of a brace. These supports do not need to be bulky to be effective. Many times you can wear a shirt over a low profile support and nobody can tell you will have it on. It is best to speak with your local, licensed orthotist when it comes to getting a brace for your back. You will be surprised at how well these supports can help reduce your back pain because they will promote good posture and help to off load your pinched nerves.

Note: This is health information. It is important to speak with your local, licensed physician about pinched nerves. Moreover, it is best to speak to your local, licensed orthotist for medical advice on bracing.

Lower Back Pain Relief Exercises - Simple Exercises to Treat Lower Back Pain!


Lower back pain is an increasingly common problem and living with severe and chronic back pain is very hard. It seriously decreases a person's quality of life and people, who suffer from a painful back can't do the things, that most people can, like play with the kids. I believe everyone agrees that something has to be done about it. But what are the best lower back pain relief exercises? Some exercises are good for the back, while others create even more problems. It all seems very confusing.

The reason why so many people can't find any relief from the pain, is not because they don't try to get help, but they don't get the right advice. Sometimes a person, without the right knowledge, can do more harm to the already painful back, then good. Are people suppose to do flexing exercises or strengthening exercises?

A really flexible back and a really strong back, is not necessarily pain-free. People really need to do lower back pain relief exercises, that increase the stamina of the back. Your back has to remain stable during daily activities and not break down. That is what is really needed. A strong back does not necessarily have the needed stamina. Also a flexible back can also cause problems, because it is unstable.

Lower back pain relief exercises - 2 simple exercises

Cat-Camel

This is mainly a warm-up exercise to loosen the spine. Start this exercise by getting down on your knees and hands. Hole them about shoulder width apart. Then try to arch your back upwards as high as you can and also let your head bend forward. You should have a rounded spine. After you have done that, then try to do the opposite. It is like you want to touch the floor with your belly button and also extend your neck, so that you are looking forward. Do this in a gentle rhythmical sequence for 8 times.

Curl up

This is a one of the best exercises for your abdominals and it puts very little pressure on your lower back and discs. Start this exercise by laying on your back on the floor, with one leg straight and the other bent, so the foot is on the floor. Then put your hands behind your lower back, so that your palms and facing down. Then put your tongue to the roof of your mouth and slowly raise your head and shoulders of the ground. The key is to lift your head and shoulders together. Hold for around 8 seconds and do this for 4 repetitions and then change your legs and repeat. The goal here is to slowly increase the number of repetitions to increase the stamina of your back.

These were just two examples of lower back pain relief exercises. But if you want to find permanent relief then you need to do more exercises on a regular bases.

Lumbar Spinal Stenosis - Topic Overview For Low Back Pain - Brace Support Can Help! - Special Report


Do you have low back pain that just won't go away?

Do you have lower back problems and you think it might be lumbar spinal stenosis?

This free information can help teach you about lumbar spinal stenosis and ways to help treat the pain. One of the best ways for you to treat back pain is with the use of a well designed back support. There are many which you can buy, but we will not push a brand name here. First lets talk about what could be causing your back pain.

1.) What is Lumbar Spinal Stenosis?

The term lumbar spinal stenosis refers to a narrowing of the an individual's spinal canal. This happens when the growth of bone or other tissue (or possibly the combination of the two) reduces the size of the opening in the spinal bones. Unfortunately, when this occurs, a squeezing effect can happen and this will irritate the nerves associated with the spinal cord. This can result in pain, numbness, or even weakness which is usually located in the thighs, legs, feet or even the buttocks. It can also squeeze and irritate the spinal cord itself. This may cause pain, numbness, or weakness, most often in the legs, feet, and buttocks.

2.) What is the Cause of Lumbar Spinal Stenosis?

A.) Changes in the size and shape of the spinal canal due to age
B.) The connective tissues (ligaments) get thicker.
C.) Bony spurs can push on the spinal cord due to Osteoarthritis.
D.) Discs located between the vertebrae may migrate backward into the canal.

3.) How is Lumbar Spinal Stenosis Treated?

Surgery is reserved for severe cases. Many times mild to moderate symptoms can be treated conservatively with pain medications, exercise and the use of physical therapy (PT). Your physician may also give you a spinal shot of corticosteroids to help reduce inflammation.

4.) Back Braces For Pain Reduction & Increased Stability

The use of a well designed low back brace can really help to decrease pain and increase your stability levels. You can often times hide them quite easily under everyday clothing. Many of the people that we talk to indicated that their brace can almost instantly help to reduce their pain and make them feel much more stable as well. When you compare the price of a back brace to having surgery, or multiple sessions of physical therapy to get you pain relief, the answer becomes obvious that these braces should not be overlooked.

What Actually Causes Lower Back Pain and How You Can Solve It


Did you know studies show that 80-90% of all Americans will suffer from back pain at some time in their life? Some will have pain that comes and goes. Others will experience pain that stays and becomes chronic. Many times, back pain that comes and goes gradually becomes chronic if it is not treated properly.

So, What Causes Back Pain?

The most common causes of lower back pain are:


  • Misalignment (subluxation) of spinal bones

  • Strains and sprains

  • Degenerative disc disease and arthritis

  • Bulging or herniated disc

  • Facet syndrome

  • Spinal Stenosis

As you can see from the list above, most back pain is mechanical in nature. This means, in most cases, it is caused by your spine not moving or working properly or from some structural defect that occurs. Back pain can also be caused from diseases and tumors, but this is the minority of cases.

How Do You Treat Back Pain?

Treatment for lower back pain varies depending on the cause. Obviously, the cure for a simple strain would be totally different than a sever disc herniation. Unfortunately, many physicians use a "one size fits all" approach to back pain. This is one of the reasons why back pain sufferers go from one back pain treatment to the next searching for the one true cure for lower back pain.
If you are suffering from lower back pain and are sick and tired of being in pain and missing out on life, then read on for more details on the cause of back pain and what can be done about it.

The Connection Between Lower Back Pain and Lack of Sleep


Millions of people suffer with lower back pain. In fact, it's one of the leading reasons why many men and women call in sick to work. There are lots of things that can make your back hurt. Injuries, diseases, herniated disc and stress are at the top of the list of causes but lack of sleep may also be a factor. Most everyone knows that lack of sleep can cause fatigue and irritability but they don't know just how serious not getting enough sleep can be.

Did you know that if you went several days with no sleep at all that you'll begin to hallucinate and it would be impossible to function properly? Of course, it would be very rare for a person to go several consecutive days without any sleep but many people do make a habit of not getting enough sleep each night and this can take its toll on you as well.

After going a day or two with very little sleep, you'll begin to feel tired, become cranky and you may find it difficult to concentrate. The longer you go without the proper amount of sleep, the worse these symptoms become. For example, instead of being cranky, you may find yourself getting angry for no apparent reason or over little things that don't really even matter.

Instead of feeling tired, you may find yourself falling asleep in the middle of the day when you're at work or when driving. You won't be as coordination as you should be. Your ability to focus and concentrate can completely fade away if you go for a long period without getting enough sleep. Over time, your personality can even change and your immune system can be compromised.

Why Does Lack of Sleep Cause so Many Problems?

There is still much to learn about the importance of sleep but it is known that if you don't get enough sleep, it can cause a lot of health problems. Your body needs sleep to rejuvenate. This is when it heals sore muscles and repairs damaged tissues. Sleeping restores energy and so much more.

When you don't get enough sleep, your immune system has to work harder to try and compensate to keep your body functioning correctly. Before long, it starts to give out and you can get sick easier. Many people tend to overeat because they think they're hungry when in reality, they're just tired. Your body just can't function properly when you don't get at least eight hours of sleep a night and the longer you go without sleeping, the worse it will get.

How Does Lack of Sleep Affect Lower Back Pain?

Lack of sleep and lower back pain are connected. When you don't get enough sleep, your body begins to respond in a negative way and eventually you'll become anxious and depressed. Anxiety and depression are two of the main things that create stress in a person's life and stress can cause lower back pain. Therefore, lack of sleep can cause this type of pain in an indirect way.

It can also make your muscles weaker and you less aware of your surroundings. As a result, you're more careless when lifting and doing other activities, which can lead to injuries that can affect the lower back. It also makes it harder for your body to recover from injuries. The connection between lower back pain and lack of sleep is real and you may even be able to reduce or eliminate the pain you feel simply by getting more sleep each night.

Lower Back Pain Relief: Yoga Moves


If you're looking for back pain relief, then you might want to know more about how yoga can help. Nowadays the majority of jobs require people to sit or stand for long periods of time. This can put the lower back under considerable strain and can lead to pain in the form of a mild ache or even excruciating pain. You may want to check with your doctor whether there is something more to your back pain than discomfort caused by sitting and standing.

One of the ways to get back pain relief is to stretch the muscles on either side of the spine. It is also of great benefit to strengthen those muscles by exercising them regularly. Yoga is something that can provide a means to doing this. Here are some simple exercises that should be performed once in the morning and once in the evening to relieve your discomfort.

1. Stretch your hip muscles

If you don't have a yoga mat, you can put a couple of towels on the floor to protect you from the hardness of the floor. You're going to do what is sometimes known as the bridge pose. Lie down on the mat on your back. Move your knees up until they are bent with your feet slightly apart. They should be level with your hips. Now slowly slide your feet towards your bottom so that you can touch your heels with your fingers.

Bring your tailbone in slightly and lift your hips up off the ground. Put your hands beneath you and roll your shoulders. You'll be able to open your chest more. Hold this pose for between 5 and 10 breaths. Be sure not to use your neck at all in the pose. You can keep it out of the picture by looking directly above you towards the ceiling. You should gain some back pain relief from this move.

2. Stretch your hamstrings

The hamstring and the sciatic nerve run along the back of your legs. They should be stretched out to keep your muscles in good order. Lie down just as though you are going to do the bridge pose. However, this time move your right leg upward into the air. Keep it as straight as possible and wrap your hands around the back of your knee. Now pull the leg over you so that it is pointing behind you. You'll feel your hamstring stretch. Again, hold this for between 5 and 10 breaths and then do the other side.

Relax your back with a twist

Once you have put both legs back down onto the floor then it's time to relax your back with a twist. Stretch your arms out to either side of you with your palms facing the ceiling. Draw both knees toward your chest and then turn so that your knees go to one side of you. If you aren't flexible enough to touch the floor with them, you can place a cushion to catch them. Now do the other side. Your back should feel released from tension.

After these simple but effective exercises, your back will be feeling less tense. Yoga is an amazing exercise and can help with many ailments, in particular with lower back pain relief.

Lower Back Ache - Stop It!


Lower back ache and how to stop it. Sounds simple enough doesn't it, yet the statistics still say that lower back pain is the second most common reason you see your doctor for. The problem is this statistic never changes, and health statistics are getting worse.

This means there are more and more people just like you with lower back ache. You still search for answers and hopefully a cure. If you want to stop your back ache there are a few things you can do now. Below is a simple technique you can apply which will help.

As always, I state the following...

Back pain is created by 4 main issues - tight muscles, weak muscles, joint movement and pelvic balance. To get complete and permanent back pain relief, and to prevent back pain you need to address these 4 main factors. Otherwise you end up being one of the ever growing statistics - remember, the second most common reason to see your doctor, the 7% of adults right now suffering from back pain etc.

I digress...

To help your lower back pain there is a simple technique you can use that will help ease your pain. Especially if you spend a lot of time standing in your work or at home.

If you notice that the longer you stand the more your lower back or upper back get sore, you'll find the following tip particularly useful.

Place a book or block of wood about the height of a yellow pages phone book on the ground. Place one foot on the book and keep the other flat on the ground.

Stand like this; every half hour or hour, swap feet so that the other foot is on the book.

This changes the lower back posture and removes the majority of tension that builds and cause back pain.

This is great if you work in retail, in labs, on lines - or at any job where you stand all day.

It's also good to do if you're doing dishes, preparing food for a meal and so on.

Try it - you'll notice how easy it is to stand without getting back pain.

Lower back pain is common, especially in those that stand for work, or while doing chores at home at bench height. It can be very simple to ease and settle with using some simple and easy techniques. Please remember though, these type of techniques ease your lower back ache, they do not remove it totally - you still need to address the 4 main factors causing your back pain.

Tuesday, August 6, 2013

Lower Back Pain Remedies - Chinese Style


Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), with its 2500 year old history, offers many lower back pain remedies - lower back stretches and strengthening exercises, massage techniques, acupuncture, herbal remedies, liniments, sticking plasters and others. Some require a trained TCM practitioner to administer them, while others can be easily learned andapplied by anyone. This article introduces some effective low back pain remedies and stretches that you can apply yourself to relieve and prevent low back pain.

Lower Back Stretches

Breath slowly, smoothly and deeply through your nose while doing the exercises.

Exercise 1. Lie on your back on a firm bed or the floor. Gently bring your knees up until they're above your abdominal area. Spread your knees a little and grab the inside of your shins just below your knees, or the inside of your ankles if you can. Inhale. As you exhale let your knees naturally fall further out to the side with gravity. Focus your mind on your back (closing your eyes helps). Feel your inner thighs stretching and your back relaxing. Hold the position for a few minutes as you continue to breath slowly, smoothly and deeply. This exercise stretches and relaxes your iliopsoas muscle which connects from your lumbar vertebrae to the inside of your hip joints. Tension in this muscle often causes and/or aggravates low back pain.

Exercise 2. Lean across a table and grab the far edge with both hands. Your torso should be on the table and your legs hanging from the edge. Inhale. As you exhale, let gravity naturally pull your legs down towards the floor. Feel your back stretching. Hold the position for several minutes as you continue slow, deep breathing. Focus your mind on your back (closing your eyes helps) and imagine the pain releasing with each exhalation. Repeat several times a day.

Low Back Pain Remedies

1. Ginger & Sesame Oil Liniment

Mix together equal parts of pure sesame oil and the juice from grated ginger. Heat in a pot till warm. Apply a small amount to the painful area and rub it in for a couple of minutes. It should be applied to unbroken skin only. Ginger and sesame oil liniment is a superb, easy-to-make, home remedy for back ache and other aches and pains. It warms, circulates your blood and stops pain. You can safely apply it several times a day, particularly after showering and before bed. Make sure you pull your clothing down over your back immediately after to keep the area warm. Also, while it's normal for your skin to become hot and turn red after you apply the liniment, if a rash develops discontinue use.

2. Low Back Self-Massage

Can be done standing or sitting. With fists clenched (not too tightly), use the backs of your hands, including your knuckles, to vigorously rub your lower back up and down for several minutes, 3 or 4 times a day. Rub close to your spine and also the sides of your back - where ever you experience pain and stiffness. Self-massage is a highly beneficial low back pain remedy you can do anytime, anywhere to relieve and prevent low back pain. Massage warms the area, moves the blood and directly stimulates your kidneys, which helps to maintain a strong, healthy lower back.

Tip: To greatly enhance the effects of the above lower back pain remedies and lower back stretches, combine them. For example, lie down and do the first 2 stretches, then stand up and do the lower back self-massage, then apply some Ginger & Sesame Oil Liniment. You know your body best though, so experiment till you find what works best for your particular situation. For more lower back pain remedies and lower back stretches visit the authors website.

Lower Back Pain Relief Without Medication


This article will give you a few ideas on how to prevent and treat back stiffness. Many times at the end of the day you find yourself having difficulty bending down and reaching for something that has fallen on to the floor. And if you are not careful you can put out your back.

Did you know that lower back pain is the reason for 30 -40 percent missed days at work?

Here are a few tips to help you prevent or give you relief from a sore back.

1) Always bend with your knees when you are picking something up
2) Turn with your feet, followed by your knees and hips. If you lead with your back you will twist it and hurt it
3) Stretch the hip flexors. These are the muscles that raise your knee to your chest. The hip flexor muscles are always at the centre of any back pain or back injury prevention program.
4) Lose weight. If you have an excess amount of fat on the front of your body, your back will suffer
5) Get up out of your chair and walk around the office.
6) Build your core muscles
7) Strengthen your buttocks muscles. A strong buttocks leads to a stable back.

If you do get very bad back pain look to natural ways to get relief. Massage therapy is very effective at relieving back pain. I would say from over twenty years experience that many people whom I have treated with massage, have been in for lower back pain.

Some massage therapists may choose myofasical release techniques on your back.

Sometimes just taking a warm bath may do the trick for you. Avoid taking any medication if possible.
It is very common for your family doctor to write you a prescription for muscle relaxants or pain relief.

Short term use may be fine; however you may end up with a sore stomach. Do your best to find the source of discomfort and deal with it straight on.

Remember you know back best. You may need to change or modify the way you perform your daily living activities. Address any current lower back pain issues now. You do not want to put yourself in a position where you are restricted from participation in day to day to activities.

Finally, drink water through out the day. It is a natural lubricant for the discs in your back and will help you maintain good back health.

My Lower Back is Killing Me - What You Need to Know to Finally Get Some Relief From Your Pain


Was today just like yesterday. Did you wake up and feel that your back was tense, sore, or was already throbbing. Did you slowly get out of bed because your back was stiff and sore? Did you walk into the shower turn it on hot just to see if you could get it to loosen up a bit and stop hurting so you could start your day? If any of this sounds familiar then you know that you have chronic lower back pain and you would do anything to make that lower back pain stop. I'll tell you a little about my story and show you a great free resource to help you as well.

This used to me my existence almost every day. I woke up stiff and sore and then went to work where it never got better. It hurt to sit in a chair and I spent all day fidgeting in my chair looking for the one comfortable spot that would actually give me relief. Sitting down and standing up seemed like it took forever because I was always so stiff and sore. Things were so bad that I was going to look into back surgery but I was just so nervous to have someone cutting on my back and worried that I could get permanent nerve damage. As if the risks weren't bad enough the enormous cost and recovery time was enough to scare me away and look for other answers.

I finally found that there really were just a few things that I needed to change about my lifestyle to get relief. I didn't need any medication, creams, or even surgery. Just a few small changes gave me relief which then allowed me to make even more changes and get more relief. I am really amazed at how my total quality of life has changed now that I don't suffer from back pain.

Symptoms of Lower Back Pain - Easily Identifiable and Curable


A backache is something that most of us face at some point or the other. The symptoms of lower back pain may in some cases be sharp acute pains and in other cases, a nagging pain that may last for a while. The back always needs to be kept healthy, as it is essential to have a healthy back for proper mobility. There are various exercises and simple stretches that may be practiced to treat backache. Exercising helps to keep the back strong as well as helps you to maintain a regular routine of exercise for general good health. Exercising the lower back should be continued even in the event of backache, as this helps in relieving the pain.

Different Therapies For Lower Back Pain

The simplest therapy, which can be pursued in the event of lower back pain, is simple stretching exercises. Simple stretches of the back helps in increasing the strength of the back muscles. This by itself reduces the chances of occurrence of backache, as your muscles are already strengthened. If stretching exercises do not alleviate the symptoms, it may be wise to consult a chiropractor, who would be able to advise you on the best course of action. Backaches caused due to injury may be relieved by applying heat to the injured area. The final option of treatment of pain in the back is surgery. Surgery is resorted to only when all other modes of treatment are ineffective.

Home Remedies For Symptoms Of Lower Back Pain

There are simple things, which can be done at home to reduce the symptoms of pain as well as avoid further recurrences of the problem. Keeping a regular exercise regime can greatly help in reducing back problems, as regular exercise helps to keep the back muscles strong and supple. Maintaining proper posture without slouching is an important factor in avoiding backaches. Improper lifting of objects and lifting of excessive weights should also be avoided. Heavy purses and bags slung over one shoulder should be avoided. Instead, bags with straps over both the shoulders should be used.

People who suffer from persistent backache should sleep on a firm mattress, which provides the required support for the back. Continual stress can create an elevated blood pressure as well as tighten your muscles, both of which are causes for pain in the back. Reducing your stress levels is therefore an important factor, which will help to alleviate symptoms of lower back pain.

Free Low Back Pain Relief Guide That Works


For all of us, our back forms the foundation of our bodies. It is flexible, supports our weight and allows us to perform everyday physical activities of life. An athlete or a weight lifter knows the importance of a strong back. Similarly, a mother holding her child, hanging out laundry, cleaning the floor or engaging in any other household chore understands that her back is actually indispensable. However, this dear back of ours, if taken for granted, can cause severe discomfort and back pain bringing life to a complete halt.

What Causes Back Pain?

It is surprising to note that back pain is one of the most common ailments affecting people in today's world. We need to admit to ourselves that we neglect our backs in more ways than one and promise to take positive steps towards maintaining a sturdy back.

One of the obvious causes is the ever increasing tilt towards sedentary lifestyles, rich junk food, erratic food habits and eating hours, obesity etc. In addition, most jobs require spending long hours before the computer. The result is an incorrect posture and goodbye to all the principles of ergonomics. Sometimes, our back is also forced into wrong alignments by the way we sleep, stretch, sit or slouch. What we fail to realize is the fact that though the back supports us unconditionally, it needs to be supported back by us.

Overuse of the back may cause stress on it resulting in back pain. Our back is quite susceptible to accidental jerks, sudden movements like bending or lifting an object, bumpy journeys, extra-soft beds, unpracticed stretching, unsupervised exercise that happens in spurts and the like. Without realizing, we tend to cause an injury to our back and suffer from acute bouts of pain. Seemingly, backaches can dampen spirits as they refuse to subside. However, the good part is that all back pains are not of permanent nature. If the pain is due to a muscular stretch or pull, it heals within a few weeks if proper care, medication and precaution is taken. Patience and management of pain are the keys to healing.

There are medical conditions like disc herniation and the degenerative back diseases that cause intense back pain as the discs of the spine are either pushed out of place or are damaged. Immediate treatment is recommended in these cases to prevent complications. With time and physiotherapy, one can hope for relief from the pain.

Often, a diet deficient in essential nutrients like calcium also causes the spine to grow weak. Improper diet is thus indirectly responsible for your back problems. Doctors advice timely and well-balanced meals that help the back by strengthening it.

Back pain can be quite a nuisance. It's best to balance out life with proper nutrition and regular exercise to keep the back muscles fighting fit. One needs to make a conscious effort to be cautious with one's posture and avoid jerky movements of the body. When there's a need to bend, bend at the knees. A little laziness can cost you your back! Visit the resource box below and get your free back pain relief guide.

Monday, August 5, 2013

Look For Uneven Pelvis As The Root Cause Of Chronic Lower Back Pain


Lower back pain is an incredibly common problem which affects tens of millions of Americans each year. A very high percentage of hospital emergency department as well as primary care physician office visits are because of chronic lower back pain. Lower back pain affects all races, all genders and people of all ages. Sedentary and overweight people are at a higher risk of suffering with this problem.

Despite billions of dollars being spent on the problem, there isn't any decrease in the incidence or prevalence of this troubling medical epidemic. One plausible reason for this is because we haven't been utilizing the correct remedy. The most common treatment for chronic back pain is medications, massage therapy & physical therapy. Ask any chronic back pain suffer about the effectiveness of these treatments and you will hear a range of comments from "it helped, but after a while the pain came back". You may also hear "I didn't get much of any relief at all". Why is this? Why do so many people continue to suffer day in and day out?

One of the primary causes of chronic lower back pain is an uneven, imbalanced pelvis. The pelvis is composed of two large bones (the innominate), and a triangularly shaped bone in the center (the sacrum). There is very little movement that occurs between the innominate bones and the sacrum (the sacroiliac joint, or "the SI joint"). The SI joint has very little motion. An athletic, younger person may have as much as one to one and a half degrees of total joint motion. Rather than independent movement between these three bones, the pelvis instead moves as a solid block. It can tilt side to side and front to back. The pelvis can also rotate right and left.

The problem occurs is when the pelvis tilts or rotates in a certain way and then stays fixed in that location. When this occurs, the muscles, ligaments and other supportive connective tissues themselves become shortened or lengthened and serve to hold the pelvis in that position indefinitely. When the pelvis becomes chronically misaligned like this, it sets the stage for chronic SI joint pain as well as lumbar spine pain.

The lumbar spine is positioned on top of the sacrum. When the pelvic/sacral block is tilting or is rotated, it creates biomechanical stress on the rest of the spine. In particular, there is a shearing or twisting effect on the lumbar spine (the lower back). This problem can be so pronounced that on x-ray, the spine appears to have a scoliosis.

What can be done to fix an imbalanced pelvis? Certainly taking drugs (NSAIDs, muscle relaxers, etc) won't resolve the problem. Exercise doesn't realign the spine. In fact, exercising on an uneven pelvis may cause more harm than good. It would be the equivalent of continuing to hammer on a bent nail. The most effective thing you can do for an imbalanced pelvis is to get it balanced. You must realign the spine, sacrum & pelvis in order to minimize biomechanical stress on the joints, ligaments, tendons and other supportive soft tissues. The chiropractic adjustment is a time tested therapy for realigning the spine. In my clinic, I utilize chiropractic adjustments, physical therapy modalities, stretching, rehabilitative exercise and soft tissue therapies. And without question, the number one most effective treatment for balancing the pelvis is the chiropractic adjustment. If you have chronic lower back pain, you need to have your pelvis checked for imbalanceding. Getting your pelvis balanced will offer amazing, long lasting relief.

How to Relieve Lower Back Pain Fast - Symptoms, Treatment and Pain Relief Options


How is your back holding up these days?

Are you tired of having back pain and want to get rid of it fast?

1.) Introduction to This Article

Incredibly, more than 50% of working adults in America will suffer from back pain in their lifetimes. Sometimes you can be lucky enough to have back pain go away by itself, but if you leave a problem untreated you might just be asking for more trouble. Prevent further problems for yourself and check out this article. We study the spine and back pain and we can honestly provide you with some information here that will help relieve your back pain very fast. No joke.

2.) Common Back Problems

Below you will find some of the most common types of lower back problems and how they can be triggered.


  • Herniated Discs: Can be the cause of degenerative disc disease or trauma to the lower spine.

  • Muscle Strains: Overuse and poor body mechanics are usually the culprits here.

  • Arthritis: This is a degenerative ailment that seemingly comes on by itself.

  • A Pinched Nerve: Many times when you herniate a intervertebral disc, it can apply pressure on one of your spinal nerves. This can cause pain and numbness that can even run down your leg to your foot!

Obesity, poor body mechanics and accidents to the lower back are also reasons why you might develop lower back pains.

3.) Pain Relief Fast

When it comes to back pain, you will find that if you apply a lower back support, your pain can go down almost instantaneously. We are talking about quality back supports, not the ones that you buy at the store for $10.99. When you get a quality lower back brace is can do several things for you. One of which is a biomechanical principles known as "increasing intercavitary pressure" helps to off load your lumbar spine elements. While it is not necessarily advised to get a lower back brace for a kidney problem, you can benefit from the support for the ailments mentioned in section 2. (See above).

Moreover, back supports can help to reduce your back pain by the promotion of healing. Why? - Well, they can help to remind you not to make certain movements that will further your injury level. - You may be thinking to yourself that you will be really careful and your back pain will ultimately go away by itself. Just remember though that a lumbar brace when worn, can remind you in those moments that you forget. Not to mention that they are easily concealed by the use of a t-shirt.

*This is health information. We believe in the benefits of lumbar back support but you should always consult with your physician regarding medical advice for your particular situation.

Lower Back Pain, Right Side - 5 Tips For Pain Relief


Lower back pain on right side, does not affect everyone, but at some point in our lives, almost 90% of us will seek attention for pain associated with our backs. And, lower back pain on right side, is among the most common of complaints.

Why lower back pain on right side, and not the left side?

Researchers are not entirely certain why there are more cases of lower back pain on right side, than on the left side, but some suspect that since most of us are right-handed, we tend to exert that side more often, making it more prone to injury. Keep in mind a sharp or stinging pain near the small of the back on either side can indicate a serious kidney problem. It is always best to seek the advice of a back, or lumbar pain, specialist when you are not completely sure what is causing your lower back pain on right side.

Your degree of lower back pain on right side, may not be like hers.

Did you know that two people can both suffer from a herniated disc; one with excruciating pain and the other with no pain at all? Such disparity is even more common among those who suffer from lumbar muscle strains. Researchers in a study in the New England Journal of Medicine determined that people can suffer the same back conditions while experiencing wildly different pain levels.

So why are you suffering and not the other guy?

In most cases, you can blame your lower back pain on right side, on a muscle imbalance along your spine. Years of miss-use and poor posture have allowed our muscles to develop in ways for which they were not designed. Most likely your ancestors were hunters, gatherers, farmers or factory workers. They did not get out of bed, sit in a car to drive to the office, then sit in a chair hunched in front of a computer all day, sit in a car to drive home, sit at the table to eat dinner and sit on the couch to watch TV. See a pattern?

Even when we stand, our posture is usually poor. Once in a while we may try to get in shape, but will work out the wrong muscles, having no idea that we created a muscle imbalance from the lack of proper movement. For those who work out often, chances are they may be working on the wrong muscles to put their backs and spines back in balance. It is likely that the muscles in that side of your back have developed inadequately.

So what can be done to relieve your lower back pain on right side?


  1. Look for a muscle balance specialist who can pinpoint which muscles you need to work on in order to build up weak areas. There are some pretty good ones out there so do your homework and you should be fine.

  2. Immediate relief can be found with medication, but check with your doctor first. He will probably recommend Tylenol first, then an anti-inflammatory such as Advil, Motrin, Aleve or even aspirin.

  3. You can lie in bed, but only for a couple days. More than that and your muscles will begin to atrophy and will create more lower back pain on right side. If you do take some rest, make sure you get up and move around every hour or so, even if it hurts. Movement will help you recover sooner.

  4. Ice may be good for a day or two, but only if there is swelling. After the swelling goes down, switch to heat as it will help to increase blood flow to the painful area.

  5. Yes, movement is important, but if your lower back pain on right side, is really bad, take a rest every now and then by lying on your back with your feet or knees propped up. Some people like to put their legs on a chair with their back flat on the floor. If you use a laptop, you can still get some work done this way as you rest your back. Do not stay on the floor too long. Be sure to get up and move around. Did we mention that movement is our friend?

Please remember that if you are in doubt as to the cause of your lower back pain on right side, see a specialist so they can rule out any serious problems.

3 Quick Tips For Lower Back Pain Relief


Lower back pain ranks as one of the most disabling pains in society today and almost everyone is looking for back pain relief in some form or another. You have massage chairs, foam rollers and other gadgets that all promise lower back pain relief but manage to only fix one piece of the puzzle. Lower back pain is a typically a warning sign to more serious back pain or hip issues down the road.

The first area that you have to address is the hips. I know that this seems basic but the basics are what people usually skip. Sitting down and working at a computer all day is the number one cause of tight and dysfunctional hips. Sitting tightens our hip flexors, which attach to our back and cause back pain. So to get any type of back pain relief we must stretch the hip flexors and hamstrings during the day.

With tight hip flexors and hamstrings our glutes will become weak and not function to protect our back. Increasing glute strength through bridges and bent knee clams and other glute strengthening techniques featured in The Physique Formula Bulletproof Body program will increase our lower back pain relief efforts. Most people overuse their hamstrings and tight hip flexors and never really know how to use their glutes. You can do squats and lunges but even those movements don't directly hit your glutes the way that you need them to in order to stop your lower back pain.

The third thing that you have to do is increase your core strength. Not only is a strong core vital to maintaining healthy posture but it also provides relief by keeping the back stable during dynamic activities. Core strength has become over hyped in recent years with the fancy balls and balance devices but direct ab workout, cable chops and planks will be all of the core work you need for your lower back pain.

A Great Stretch For Natural Back Pain Relief


Lower back pain is one of the most common physical complaints today. In fact, nine out of ten Americans will experience back pain sometime in their life. There are many causes of low back pain, but one surprising cause is a tight muscle that is the deepest in the body, the psoas.

The psoas attaches to the forward part of the lower spine, on the abdominal side. From there, it runs forward through the abdominal cavity to the inside of the hip point. The lower connection for the psoas is on the inside of the upper thigh.

When this muscle is tight, it can pull the lower back forward increasing the arch in the low back. This extra arch is one of the causes of low back pain.

The best relief for the psoas is a massage, however there are not many massage therapists who can do a good job. Stretching the psoas is another way to help relieve the problem. Here are two stretches for the psoas that might help you and your back.

The best stretch I know of for the psoas requires a little help. They don't need to be skilled, they just need to be able to move slowly and respond to your instructions. Start by lying down on a massage table or high bed. You need some height, so that the leg you are working can be hanging down off the side. Lower is okay, as long as you can bend your knee so that your knee can be drawn down.

Let your leg drop completely, relax it. If need be, the top of the foot can be resting on the floor. Have the other leg extended fully so it is flat. Your helper then takes your foot in one hand drawing it up and slightly and towards your head while the other hand gently and very slowly draws the knee down.

Tell them exactly what you need, this is a very strong stretch, and they could easily hurt you. You might want to have them move in stages, moving just a little and stopping so you can relax all the areas involved assessing weather you need more stretch or not. It is okay if your back arches a little, as long as it doesn't hurt your back. Be careful not to overdo the stretch. Be patient and try the stretch again another day. I can't over stress the importance of not over stretching this muscle. Most likely it hasn't ever had a good stretch, so give it time to let you know what it needs.

The other psoas stretch can be done on your own. Lie on your back and bend your right knee so that the foot is off to the right side with the knee at a ninety degree angle. With your left foot, gently press your right knee down. This will probably make your back arch, this is fine as long as it doesn't hurt. The same cautions from the previous stretch apply: move slowly and be careful.

These two stretches are a good start for back health. A regular exercise regime along with stretching, a good diet and necessary supplements are the main factors in having a healthy back. And, there are alternative ways to back health that work a lot better than the standard western model of drugs and surgery. Take some time to find out what else might be available.