Posts tagged "back pain"

Exercise

Exercise

Exercise is anything you do in addition to your regular daily activity that will improve your flexibility, strength, coordination, or endurance. It even includes changing how you do your regular activities to give you some health benefits.

For example, if you park a little farther away from the door of the grocery store, the extra distance you walk is exercise. Physical therapy nearly always involves exercise of some kind that is specifically designed for your injury, illness, condition, or to help prevent future health problems.

Exercise can include stretching to reduce stress on joints, core stability exercises to strengthen the muscles of your trunk (your back and abdomen) and hips, lifting weights to strengthen muscles, walking, doing water aerobics, and many other forms of activity. Your physical therapist is likely to teach you how to do an exercise program on your own at home so you can continue to work toward your fitness goals and prevent future problems.

Pain Management and Sciatica

Sciatica is a common type of pain affecting the sciatic nerve, a large nerve extending from the lower back and down the back of each leg.

What Are the Symptoms of Sciatica?

Common symptoms of sciatica include:

• Pain in the rear or leg that is worse when sitting
• Burning or tingling down the leg
• Weakness, numbness, or difficulty moving the leg or foot
• A constant pain on one side of the rear
• A shooting pain that makes it difficult to stand up

Sciatica usually affects only one side of the lower body. Often, the pain extends from the lower back all the way through the back of the thigh and down through the leg. Depending on where the sciatic nerve is affected, the pain may also extend to the foot or toes.

For some people, the pain from sciatica can be severe and debilitating. For others, the pain from sciatica might be infrequent and irritating, but has the potential to get worse.

Seek immediate medical attention with any symptoms of progressive lower extremity weakness and/or loss of bladder or bowel control.

What Causes Sciatica?

Sciatica is caused by irritation of the root(s) of the lower lumbar and lumbosacral spine.

Additional common causes of sciatica include:

• Lumbar spinal stenosis(narrowing of the spinal canal in the lower back)
• Degenerative disc disease (breakdown of discs, which act as cushions between the vertebrae)
• Spondylolisthesis(a condition in which one vertebra slips forward over another one)
• Pregnancy

Other things that may make your back pain worse include being overweight, not exercising regularly, wearing high heels, or sleeping on a mattress that is too soft.

Ball Therapy

There is present an unusual method to treat lower back pain, which uses an exercise ball also called as physio or swiss ball to prevent low back pain as part of a rehabilitation program. It is known as exercise ball therapy. This exercise ball helps in strengthening the core body muscles which stabilize the spine. This exercise ball introduces an element of instability to which the body automatically responds enabling to keep balance on the exercise ball. This exercise makes your back and abdominal muscles strong.

This exercise uses a term called ‘proprioception’ which is described as an awareness of where one’s hand or foot is, in relation to the space. The opportunities to evaluate the orientation in space and develop and train the body’s natural awareness are provided by the instability of the exercise ball. The exercise ball provides spinal movement which helps in reducing pain by stimulating the body to produce increased amounts of natural pain inhibitors.

Exercise balls are available in various sizes so one can opt for an appropriate size, according to the suitability factor. For proper use, exercise ball must be practiced under the supervision of a physical therapist or any other spine specialist.

The various advantages of exercise ball therapy are:
Its an easy and simple way to start your normal life after the back pain episode.
It helps in improving the muscle strength.
It offers greater flexibility and range of motion to the spine.
It offers enhanced balance and coordination of core muscle groups which helps in stabilizing the spine. It tends to maintain a neutral spine position during exercise.
However, some precautions should be kept in mind while performing exercise ball therapy. These are:
It should be performed in a controlled manner and speed usually starting slowly and then building confidence afterwards.

The manufacturer’s instructions for care and use should be strictly followed.
Patients should perform short exercise routines first and then increase the time accordingly. Patients with beginnings of acute low back pain are not advised to perform this therapy.
If your pain increases while using the ball then stop the usage of this therapy.
If these precautions are kept in mind they would help you to reduce or diminish your pain successfully and without any complication.

10 Prevention Tips

Back pain can be very excruciating and can snowball into a major medical problem if not attended to timely. Take note of the following tips to avoid back pain.

Tip 1: Follow Your Body Signs
Any harm that comes to the body is indicated through occurrence of pain. Hence, treat back pains seriously and take adequate precautions to first suppress it and later to avoid it.

Tip 2: Do Some Exercise to keep the Muscles Agile
We need to do a lot of work in our day to day life; the type of work done is also different as well. Our back muscles would start to pain if they are not habitual of bearing the strain of heavy work. You can work out in order to improve their strength. Further, damage can be avoided by doing some warm up exercise before doing any heavy work.

Tip 3: Avoid Injuries during Work by Warming up
It happens on a number of occasions that we attempt to do tasks which our back won’t be able to tolerate. What follows is back pain or injury. This can be avoided by warming up for a few minutes before you start doing the task.

Tip 4: Give your Body Enough Rest
Heavy work of any type should be followed by a period of relaxation. This would allow your body muscles to relax and recuperate. If you don’t do it, your back muscles would be the first one to get hit.

Tip 5: Pick up Things Correctly
The most frequently performed activity involving the back is picking up things. And most people suffer from back pain while performing this. The reason is simple- improper method of lifting. You should lift things properly and keep the back straight while holding them.

Tip 6: Do not Laze Around
Your muscles need to be always ready for some type of work or the other, otherwise they will hurt. Moving around the house or workplace regularly can help you avoid any type of injury to the back.

Tip 7: Use the Right Furniture to Sit on
Incorrect posture while sitting is one of the major causes of back pain. This can be avoided be sitting on a comfortable chair. It should have a back high enough to support your lower back as well as shoulders. Anything higher or lower could result in damage to your back.

Tip 8: Sleep in a Correct Posture
Sleeping on your chest is an awkward position to sleep in. It can also cause back pain. The best position to sleep in is the sideways position. Sleeping on your back is also good but do maintain a comfortable level of your head.

Tip 9: Avoid Indiscriminate use of Pain-killers
Do swallow pills like food if you have a back ache. Use them judiciously. First address the root cause of the problem and only then go on to medications.

Tip 10: Refer to a Chiropractor
When the situation goes out of hand, know that it is time to consult a chiropractor.

Back Surgery

Herniated disk or ruptured disc or bulging disc is recommended for surgery if the condition of the patient has worsened.  In severe herniated disc, the bulged disc presses the nerves or muscles exaggeratively and the pain troubles the patient a lot. A slight movement or motion of the body causes  a lot of pain. In condition, the person almost becomes disabled and cannot make the slightest movements.

Before the herniated disk surgery is carried out the doctor would first confirm the position of the bulging disc and its severity. Magnetic resonance imaging is done to get the exact location of the herniated disk and its protruding nerves. If the images taken don’t convince the doctor of a severe condition, he may not carry out the surgery. Surgery is the last option of treatment.

There are many advanced steps in the surgery for this sort of herniated disk of the spine. But, blades are not the first choice of many doctors. The surgery of herniated disc is called Microdiscectomy or microdecompression spinal surgery.

In carrying out the surgery, the small portion of the cartilage or the bone is removed under the nerve root. This relieves the neural impingement and more room for the nerve is thus provided. The nerve not only gets free from the thrust but also gets space for healing soon.

Another form of surgery for herniated disk is called Percutaneous Microdecompression or Endoscopic Discectomy. In this form of surgery, lasers are used for shrinking the herniated disc. This is the most advanced form of spinal surgery that treats the patient without any cut or tear.

After the surgery, the patient needs to follow certain restrictions and maintain proper postures for sleeping as well as sitting and walking. After two to three weeks, he or she is recommended some physiotherapy sessions for continuing for as long as possible.

Asprin For Pain?

Amidst various other OTC medications used to treat back pain, Aspirin is the most common. But, is this medicine really a good enough solution to the problem? Let us find out by understanding how aspirin works and affects your body.

What is Aspirin?
Aspirin is an over the counter anti inflammatory drug that is used to relieve pain and inflammation. This medication is classified as an analgesic and falls under the category of NSAIDs (Non Steroidal Anti Inflammatory Drugs).

It is one of the oldest medications in use. The medicine was developed in 1800 by the Bayer Company. Of late, aspirin is also being used as a therapy to prevent cardiovascular diseases.

How does it treat back pain?
Aspirin helps treat back pain by blocking a chemical inside the body known as prostaglandins. This chemical is produced wherever there is inflammation. It also sends out pain signals which make you experience pain. By blocking these chemicals, aspirin prevents the inflammation and the pain they would have otherwise caused.

Should I use aspirin for back pain?
While aspirin is effective in treating back pain, it is not really advised as an effective treatment to the problem. The reason for the same being the numerous side affects this medication brings along. When you consume this medication, it affects the whole body. Aspirin does not have a target location. So, as a result even the body parts that are not in pain tend to get affected by this medication.

Further on, prostaglandins may cause inflammation but they are also responsible to maintain the lining of the stomach. In addition, they also prevent clotting of the blood. Thus, complete blocking of prostaglandins is not a good thing for the body. Instead, blocking this chemical could result in to side effects in the GI tract such as ulcers or irritation.

Some people may also develop allergies on using Aspirin. Facial swelling, wheezing or hives are some of the commonly caused allergic reactions on using this medication.

How to use?
Considering that there are numerous side effects of using aspirin for back pain, it is always best to speak to your doctor before you use the medicine. If you do not feel the need to consult a doctor, make sure that you take the medication as per the instructions given on the box.

Aspirin is available in different forms such as plain aspirin, enteric-coated, extended release, buffered or chewable. Out of all the forms mentioned above, the enteric coated one is the best option as it minimizes the side effects caused to the GI tract. If you take extended release or enteric-coated tablets, take them whole- do not crush or chew.

Pilates Relieve Back Tension

1. Pilates is intended for women.  Wrong!

Though it is quite popular amongst women, many males also practice Pilates. Even professional athletes have used Pilates to achieve results that other types of exercise have failed to deliver.

In fact, Pilates was developed by man named Joseph Pilates who was an athlete and a boxer. Baseball pitcher Curt Shilling, Golfer – Tiger Woods, and Basketball Player Jason Kidd all incorporate Pilates into their workouts.

2. Pilates is for people that are already in shape!  Wrong!

In fact people that are overweight or out of shape should definitely start with Pilates. They will be able to strengthen their core muscle groups and stretch muscles to prevent injury when they do begin a strength training and cardiovascular workout.

3. Pilates has to be performed with equipment.  Wrong Again!

Some Pilates methods do involve pieces of equipment, however you can also do authentic Pilates workouts from the comfort of your home with only a simple floor mat. The advantage of starting with mat Pilates is that you can focus on improving your Pilates technique without having to worry about the complexity of equipment… plus it can be done anywhere!

4. Pilates is just like Yoga.  Myth!

Pilates does involve learning to breathe properly and using controlled movements to improve the body. Yoga dwells deeper on harmonizing the mind, body and spirit where as Pilates is a better choice for those whom are looking for a longer, leaner, dancer-like body.

5. Pilates is not challenging.  Wrong!

Like anything, the effort you put in will reflect the results you achieve. You can do the exercises at a beginner level if you need to or you can do advanced variations and exercises that will kick your butt!

There plenty of other myths and misconceptions about Pilates out there. You have likely heard one or more of them already, we suggest you try it for your self and come to your own conclusions.

Ok, now time for my “uncensored” opinion of pilates…

First of all, let me start by saying any exercise is better than none.

Second, one of the things I really like about pilates is that it builds strength and improves flexibility at the same time and most importantly, it does it without the damage and wear and tear that traditional weight lifting causes.

Another thing I like about pilates is that you can do it anywhere so you have no excuses whereas if you rely on dozens of machines to workout, it’s easy to have things “come up” and get in the way.

Is pilates the only exercise you need to do, maybe, but maybe not… it all depends on what your goals are. But I can say that everyone can benefit from adding some pilates into their fitness program, even if it’s only done once in a while.

Herniated Disc, Pinched Nerve.

There are many different terms used to describe spinal disc pathology and associated pain, such as “herniated disc”, “pinched nerve”, and “bulging disc”, and all are used differently by doctors.

Unfortunately, there is no agreement in the health care field as to the precise definition of any of these terms, and patients are often frustrated when they hear their diagnosis referred to in different terms by health care practitioners. A variety of additional terms such as ruptured disc, torn disc (or disc tear), slipped disc, collapsed disc, disc protrusion, disc disease, and black disc often add to a patient’s confusion.

Rather than try to reconcile the terminology used to refer to a herniated disc or other disc problems, it’s generally more useful for patients to gain a clear understanding of the precise medical diagnosis, in other words, to gain an understanding of the actual cause of the upper or lower back pain, leg pain, neck pain or other symptoms.

The spine care professional arrives at a clinical diagnosis of the cause of the patient’s pain through a combination of a review of the patient’s medical history, a complete physical exam, and, if appropriate, the results of one or more diagnostic tests.

Two Causes of Pain: Pinched Nerve vs. Disc Pain

In identifying the cause of the patient’s pain, there are two general types of spinal disc problems physicians classify as the cause of the pain:

• Pinched nerve – When a patient has a symptomatic herniated disc, it is not the disc space itself that hurts, but rather the disc herniation is pinching a nerve in the spine. This produces pain that is called radicular pain or radiculopathy (e.g., nerve root pain) leading to pain that may be referred to other parts of the body, such as from the low back down the leg or from the neck down the arm. Leg pain stemming from a pinched nerve in the lower spine is usually described as sciatica. On Spine-health, this type of condition where there is nerve root pain is referred to as a herniated disc. Other causes of a pinched nerve may include spinal stenosis and bone spurs from spinal arthritis.
• Disc pain – When a patient has a symptomatic degenerated disc (one that causes low back pain and/or leg pain), it is the disc space itself that is painful and the source of pain. This type of pain is typically called axial pain. On Spine-health, this type of condition where there is actual disc space pain is referred to as degenerative disc disease.

What is Sciatica?

The term sciatica describes the symptoms of leg pain and possibly tingling, numbness or weakness that travels from the low back through the buttock and down the large sciatic nerve in the back of the leg.

The vast majority of people who experience sciatica get better with time (usually a few weeks or months) and find pain relief with non-surgical sciatica treatment. For others, however, sciatica can be severe and debilitating.

The clinical diagnosis of sciatica is referred to as a “radiculopathy“, which means simply that a disc has protruded from its normal position in the vertebral column and is putting pressure on the radicular nerve (nerve root) in the lower back, which forms part of the sciatic nerve.

An important thing to understand is that sciatica is a symptom of a problem — of something compressing or irritating the nerve roots that comprise the sciatic nerve — rather than a medical diagnosis or medical disorder in and of itself. This is an important distinction because it is the underlying diagnosis (vs. the symptoms of sciatica) that often needs to be treated in order to relieve sciatic nerve pain.

Sciatica occurs most frequently in people between 30 and 50 years of age. Often a particular event or injury does not cause sciatica, but rather it tends to develop as a result of general wear and tear on the structures of the lower spine.

Sciatica treatment

Sciatica nerve pain is caused by a combination of pressure and inflammation on the nerve root, and treatment is centered on relieving both of these factors. Typical sciatica treatment include:

• Non-surgical sciatica treatments, which may include one or a combination of medical treatments and alternative (non-medical) treatments, and almost always includes some form of back exercises and stretching. The goals of non-surgical sciatica treatment like sciatica exercises should include both relief of sciatica pain and prevention of future sciatica symptoms.
• Sciatica surgery, such as microdiscectomy or lumbar laminectomy and discectomy, to remove the portion of the disc that is irritating the nerve root. This surgery is designed to help relieve both the pressure and inflammation and may be warranted if the sciatic nerve pain is severe and has not been relieved with appropriate manual or medical treatments.

Pregnancy Back Pain

While there is always that feeling of discomfort when you are carrying a child in your uterus, pregnancy back pain is something that you can reduce, perhaps even prevent, with the use of certain techniques. Additionally, consider these pregnancy back pain techniques as early training when your back bears the strain of constantly lifting your 7 to 10 pound baby or your 20 pound toddler.

Causes
Pregnancy back pain affects 50 percent of women. The cause could be any of the following:Extra weight – You’ll obviously be gaining weight during your pregnancy since you have two mouths to feed. But while the extra weight is good for your baby, it can be bad for your back.

Change in weight bearing
Your spine is responsible for keeping your body upright. It supports your weight, making sure that majority of it is distributed in the center for better balance. When you are with child, the weight shifts to your uterus, thus disrupting normal weight bearing. This change could lead to back pains and various other aches.

Hormonal change
During pregnancy, your body produces hormones that cause your pelvic bones and joints to soften, loosening the muscles around them in preparation for your baby’s passage. This causes pliancy in your pelvic organs, leading to discomfort as you walk, especially up and down the stairs.

Techniques to Overcome Pregnancy Back Pain

There are a number of self-care strategies that will reduce pregnancy back pain. First is posture. You know already what the healthy posture is: back straight, shoulders level and parallel to the ground. Granted that it can’t be helped if your posture is affected as your body weight is gradually transferred to your uterus, try to assume this healthy posture in early pregnancy.

As much as possible do not pull your shoulders too far back in an effort to offset the weight of your uterus. This will lead to pregnancy back pain. Instead, talk to your doctor about how to adjust your posture in order to accommodate your growing belly.

Another strategy to help you manage pregnancy back pain is to sit with your feet slightly elevated. This will ease off the strain on your back by allowing you to relax your shoulders. Also, don’t cross your legs and change positions often. Avoid standing for long periods of time.

When you sleep, sleep on your side. Bend both of your knees with a pillow between them and another one under your abdomen. Relief for pregnancy back pain can be achieved by placing a specially shaped total body pillow under your abdomen.