Back Pain Causes & Symptoms

Good Morning!

To learn more about Back Pain - check out what Wikipedia has to say:

Back pain - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: "Back pain can be a sign of a serious medical problem, although this is not most frequently the underlying cause:

• Typical warning signs of a potentially life-threatening problem are bowel and/or bladder incontinence or progressive weakness in the legs.
• Severe back pain (such as pain that is bad enough to interrupt sleep) that occurs with other signs of severe illness (e.g. fever, unexplained weight loss) may also indicate a serious underlying medical condition.
• Back pain that occurs after a trauma, such as a car accident or fall may indicate a bone fracture or other injury.
• Back pain in individuals with medical conditions that put them at high risk for a spinal fracture, such as osteoporosis or multiple myeloma, also warrants prompt medical attention.
• Back pain in individuals with a history of cancer (especially cancers known to spread to the spine like breast, lung and prostate cancer) should be evaluated to rule out metastatic disease of the spine.

Back pain does not usually require immediate medical intervention. The vast majority of episodes of back pain are self-limiting and non-progressive. Most back pain syndromes are due to inflammation, especially in the acute phase, which typically lasts for two weeks to three months.

A few observational studies suggest that two conditions to which back pain is often attributed, lumbar disc herniation and degenerative disc disease may not be more prevalent among those in pain than among the general population, and that the mechanisms by which these conditions might cause pain are not known.[2][3][4][5] Other studies suggest that for as many as 85% of cases, no physiological cause can be shown.[6][7]

A few studies suggest that psychosocial factors such as on-the-job stress and dysfunctional family relationships may correlate more closely with back pain than structural abnormalities revealed in x-rays and other medical imaging scans.[8][9][10][11]"

To your great health,

Charlie

PS Would you like to discover natural ways to help heal your back and neck pain? Click here to find out more!

Back Pain Exercises - Are They Useful?

I came across an article this morning that talked about the benefits of exercise for back and neck pain. Though my impression of WebMD is that they tend to focus moreso on the symptom (i.e. pain), I have found certain information interesting and useful ... for example, let's take a look at the following points:

Exercises to reduce low back pain:

"When you no longer have acute pain, you may be ready for gentle strengthening exercises for your stomach, back, and legs, and perhaps for some stretching exercises.

Exercise may not only help decrease low back pain, but it may also help you recover faster, prevent reinjury to your back, and reduce the risk of disability from back pain.

Exercises to reduce low back pain are not complicated and can be done at home without any special equipment.

It's important that you don't let fear of pain keep you from trying gentle activity. You should try to be active soon after noticing pain, and gradually increase your activity level.1 Too little activity can lead to loss of flexibility, strength, and endurance, and then to more pain."

Wishing you great health,
Charlie

Neck Pain | A Growing Problem

It was amazing to me when I read the following fact ....

Neck pain - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: "Neck pain (or cervicalgia) is a common problem, with two-thirds of the population having neck pain at some point in their lives.[1] It is increasing in both intensity, frequency and severity of episodes. As people are increasingly sedentary, live fast-paced and hectic lives, they place more stress and strain on the upper back and neck regions of their spines."

Certainly, we are aware that back and neck pain are a growing epedemic, but, every time I read about the severity of the problem - it still shocks me!

The definition of insanity is DOING THE SAME THINGS OVER AND OVER AGAIN WHILE EXPECTING A DIFFERENT OUTCOME.

Is what you're doing working? Should you consider a different approach?

Something to think about ....

To your great health,
Charlie

PS Would you be interested in learning about some natural and effective methods for back and neck pain relief? Click here for more information!

Back & Neck Pain Prevention | Postural Tips for Sleeping

Good Morning!

I found this information quite useful when asked the proper positioning for sleep ...

Maintaining a Healthy Spine - Posture: "...let's look at some good postural tips for sleeping.

1.) In lying, the spine will be most comfortable when a neutral spine is maintained. A sagging mattress or the use of more than one pillow will interfere with the neutral spine position. A firm mattress is recommended-a board placed between the mattress and box spring can provide a temporary fix to a sagging mattress.

2.) The best sleeping positions for someone with neck or back pain is either lying on the side or on the back. -When lying on the side, a pillow between the knees helps keep the spine neutral. People who lie on their side without a pillow between the knees sometimes draw one knee up high and in front. This asymmetry can result in pain over time.

Whether lying on the back or sides, rolls can be added to support the natural curves of the spine in the neck or low back. A 'cervical roll' can be used to support the neck. It is a foam roll, approximately 3 inches in diameter and 18 inches long that is placed inside the pillowcase along the lower border of a (preferably down or synthetic down) pillow. The roll is situated between the base of the head and the shoulders, supporting the curve of the neck and helping to maintain neutral alignment lying on the back or in side lying.

A lumbar sleeping roll can be purchased or fashioned for a trial at home. It is a long thin roll tied around the waist to help support the lumbar arch lying on the back or in side lying. The diameter is smaller than the sitting roll, approximately 3-4 inches. To make one at home for a trial:


1.) Roll a large bath towel lengthwise.

2.) Stuff the towel roll into one leg of an old pair of pantyhose or feed a rope through the center of the towel roll, securing the roll with masking tape.

3.) Tie the roll around your waist at the level of the small arch in your low back.

This roll may provide comfort by keeping your back from sagging off center to the right, for example, if you are lying on your right side. If lying on your back, it will help keep your from rounding out your low back."

To your great health,
Charlie

PS Are you making one of the 5 Critical Mistakes that's may actually be PREVENTING your body from HEALING? Check out this FREE Report by clicking here.

Health Tip: Back Pain in Children

In my research, I just came across an interested "Health Tip" - of course, we hope that you're toddler or young child never complains of any back or neck ache; however, should this happen - the following article might be worth reviewing.

Health Tip: Back Pain in Children - US News and World Report: "Health Tip: Back Pain in Children
Don't ignore symptoms

Posted June 12, 2008
(HealthDay News) -- In a child, back pain is different from back pain in adults. Particularly in children under age 4, it indicates a serious underlying problem, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons says.

You should see your doctor if your child has back pain, the academy says, especially if accompanied by any of these other symptoms:
- Fever.
- Weight loss.
- Feelings of weakness or numbness.
- Difficulty walking.
- Pain that extends through one or both legs, or if it prevents your child from sleeping.
- Issues with the bowels or bladder."

As stated in the article it's a good idea to have your child checked out by a professional for some tools, guidance, and information related to the diagnosis.

As always, regardless of the diagnosis, you want to support your child's ability to heal itself in combination with your professionals advice. This would mean proper nutrition and hydration (especially for a child under 4).

To you and your family's fantastic health,
Charlie

Neck Pain Prevention | Safe Driving Tips in the Car

Every wonder what's the best way to adjust your headrest in the car?

See this article below for great tips to avoid potential neck injury ....

For Safer Driving, Adjust Your Backrest Toward You: "Do you lean forward when you drive? Does your carseat live in a reclining position? A new study from the Medical College of Wisconsin suggests these positions may be the reasons why soft tissue injury is sustained during a whiplash event.
The study used computer modeling to simulate rear-end accidents. Measurements of the position of each spinal segment at the neck were taken. Investigators then compared that data to previously established measurements of healthy necks (of real people!) to identify exactly where the headrest -- or backrest, it's the same -- should be to avoid damage to soft tissue in the neck. The study's investigator, Dr. Brian Stemper, Ph.D. says your headrest should be no more than 6cm, or about 2.5' away from the back of your head, to keep soft tissue from being injured in the event of a rear-end collison.
For most of us this will mean we should adjust the seat back forward. The key to the adjustment is to not recline the seat, rather tilt it toward your body, so that it nearly touches the back of your head when you are positioned as you normally drive. So, taking your body back to meet the back of the seat doesn't count, because you are likely to be leaning forward during the driving process, and because posture problems such as kyphosis lift the upper torso and head away from the back rest.
For a safer holiday driving experience, take a few moments to figure out where your backrest should be and adjust it so that it is never more than 2.5' away from the back of your head."

To your great health,
Charlie

Back Pain | Is Surgery the Right Answer? Think Again.

Before you jump the gun and dive right into surgery, think again.

Research has shown that most back and neck pain can be cured without medication and without surgery!

Most Back Pain Could Be Cured Without Surgery Or Drugs If Doctors Treated Muscles Not The Spine Says Leading Pain Specialist: "Back pain is the most disabling pain experienced by Americans, and, according to the National Institutes of Health, eight out of ten people will suffer from it at some point. 'With nearly one million spine surgeries performed in the U.S. each year, and a failure rate as high as 50 percent, too many patients either undergo spinal surgery that is doomed to fail, or are put on mind-altering drugs to manage, but not end, their pain,' says Dr. Marcus.

'The reality is that muscles are the primary source of chronic back pain. And muscle pain can almost always be successfully treated without surgery or drugs,' says Dr. Marcus"

To your amazing health,
Charlie

PS Are you aware of the Critical Mistakes that can actually PREVENT your back and neck pain from healing? Click here for the free report!

Back Pain: Could Weight Be a Factor?

Healing back pain can often be as easy as dropping a few pounds. Certainly, this is not always the case; however, remaining lean and fit does have numerous benefits.

Back Pain and Obesity: Connection to Back Pain and Development of Obesity: "According to the American Obesity Association (AOA) 64.5 percent of adult Americans (about 127 million) are categorized as being overweight or obese (1). The unfortunate truth is that obesity is becoming a global epidemic affecting adults and children.

Connection to Back Pain

Most people know that obesity contributes to the development of coronary heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, and colon cancer. However, did you know that obesity is a contributing factor to back pain? It is true. Being overweight or obese can significantly contribute to symptoms associated with osteoporosis, osteoarthritis (OA), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), degenerative disc disease (DDD), spinal stenosis, and spondylolisthesis.

The spine is designed to carry the body's weight and distribute the loads encountered during rest and activity. When excess weight is carried, the spine is forced to assimilate the burden, which may lead to structural compromise and damage (e.g. injury, sciatica).

One region of the spine that is most vulnerable to the effects of obesity is the low back; the lumbar spine. Lack of exercise and bodily conditioning leads to poor flexibility and weak muscles in the back, pelvis, and thighs. This can increase the curve of the lower back causing the pelvis to tilt too far forward. Further, this is detrimental to proper posture and as posture weakens, other regions of the spine (neck) may become painful."

To your good health,
Charlie

New Strategy to Relieve Lower Back Pain

New Strategy to Relieve Back Pain - Prevention.com: "Specific back exercises are often prescribed for people with lower back pain. A study in the American Journal of Public Health (Oct. 2005) evaluated the effects of back exercises and recreational physical activity on the pain, disability, and psychological distress of 681 patients with lower back pain.

As part of a randomized trial on chiropractic vs. medical treatment, researchers measured physical activity levels and use of back exercises at the start of the study, then 6 weeks and 6, 12, and 18 months later. They found that increasing amounts of physical activity were associated with decreased pain and disability and increased psychological health, while increasing frequency of doing back exercises was associated with increased pain and disability.

The researchers suggest that people with lower back pain should refrain from doing specific back exercises and take part in recreational physical activities instead"

To your amazing health,
Charlie

Natural Back Pain Relief with Yoga?

There are many natural pain relief strategies for your neck, back and other areas of the body - and it's not uncommon to find many strategies that have been used (and successful) for thousands of years.

One of the more common strategies people often discuss is Yoga - but does it work?

Being the highly energetic person that I am, I never would have thought I would be a candidate for such slow moving exercise; however, encouraged my by wife's persistent encouragement - I decided to give it a shot.

After a few days of practice, I must say that I was suprised at my increased flexibility, strength and a betterment in my posture - needless to say, along with the many life-changing strategies in Powerful Strategies for Back and Neck Pain Relief this is one practice that I would like to continue.

You may find this article interesting ....

Yoga For Back Pain Relief Health Savvy: "Yoga has been practiced for centuries to promote both physical and mental well being. Yoga also has spiritual components that are not normally practiced by westerners. When we talk about the practice of yoga it is the physical poses and breathing exercises that come to mind. These physical exercises are extremely effective and take many years to perfect. But from beginners to professionals the results are extraordinary when yoga is used regularly to improve flexibility, increase strength, reduce stress, center the mind and even relieve physical pain.
Back pain is the most common ailment reported. Pain, in general, can be very hard to treat and back pain is especially difficult to ease. Using yoga for back pain can be very effective, but may require modification. Yoga poses may appear to be easy, but if done incorrectly can aggravate physical maladies."

To your great health,
Charlie

Can I heal a herniated disk?

As a former pain sufferer from herniated disks in my neck, I can certainly tell you that the question: "Can I heal a herniated disk?" was very close to my heart.

The short and sweet answer is YES! Herniated disks can be healed!

This is what one article states:

Neurology - Herniated Disc: "Herniated discs can occur anywhere in the spine, but most occur in the lower back. Most herniated discs heal on their own over time (one to six months). Many people who have a herniated disc are not aware of it because they have no symptoms of leg or back pain."

There are many natural strategies (with no drugs and no surgery) to help you in the healing process. This includes ridding the symptom (i.e. pain) and treating the cause.

To your health,
Charlie

For more information on natural and effective ways to heal back and neck pain, check out http://www.BackandNeckPainResources.com/!

All About Back Neck Pain Relief | The World of Medical Contradiction

Time and time again, we're inundated with advertisements and medical opinions encouraging the use of medicine.

For example, look at the article below ....

All About Back Neck Pain Relief The World Health Guide: "Medications For Back Neck Pain Relief
Medications are one of the most important methods that would give you back neck pain relief. These medications are proven to be safe and effective to use. However, these are administered only in controlled dosages set by the doctor. The physician himself will choose what drug to give you. There are certain medications meant to treat mild to moderate or severe pains. It is very essential to follow the proper regimen given by your physicians to avoid any problems from occurring."

On the other hand, proponents of natural healing therapies agree that medicine is effective in treating the "symptom" (in other words, treating 'pain') for the short-term; however, the scary truth is that there is a long term loss associated with the short term gain.

See what researchers have to say about such pain medication ....

Interesting Medical Information: "People who use aspirin and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDSs) have a hospitalization rate 5 times that of the general population. More than 20,000 people with bone/joint problems die each year because of NSAID-related gastrointestinal problems. (Researchers at University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center)"

To your good health,
Charlie

For an essential and free report on PAIN, visit: http://www.BackandNeckPainResources.com/

Back Pain: Put the 'Rest' to Rest

Alternative and natural healers for back pain have long been proponents of motion = healing (for most non-acute forms of lower back pain, upper back pain, and neck pain) ... and it appears that Modern Doctors are now agreeing ....

Low Back Pain: Many Options for Relief - Chronic Pain: Health and Medical Information Concerning Chronic Pain Management on MedicineNet.com: "Once upon a time, doctors told people with low back pain to stay in bed for three days -- perhaps with a board under their mattress. That very bad advice actually made back pain worse, Chou says.
'We don't want people lying in bed,' he says. 'Get out. Try a normal range of activities, but back off if your back hurts. But you won't hurt your back by doing regular stuff, and it may actually keep your back conditioned and strong.'"

To your health,
Charlie

Stop and Prevent Back Pain With a Healthy Spine

Most of the people who have shared testimonials based upon the information discussed in "Powerful Strategies for Back and Neck Pain Relief" have commented on a vast improvement of their overall health and well-being.

People have made such comments as "I've never felt better in my life!" or "I feel like a kid again!"

With all that said, we find this comment interesting and thought you might feel the same....

A Healthy Spine Equals A Healthy You: "It may surprise you to learn that taking good care of your back, or more importantly your spine, can help improve your overall health. The nervous system, your body's center for all mental activity, lies within your spinal cord. Over a decade ago, scientists discovered a relationship between your nervous system and your immune system. If you have curves or misalignments in your spine, they keep your nervous system from working normally, decreasing your immunity and increasing your susceptibility to disease."

(Kindly note: In our humble opinion, the comment is the most valuable content in the above article. We disagree on other comments made in the article, such as the recommended use of orthepedics for all back pain sufferers.)

To a Healthy Spine,
Charlie

Think Twice Before Taking Pain Medication for Your Back, Neck and Sciatica Pain

We can all relate to being in so much pain that we begin to crave a quick fix - but is pain medication our best solution? I think you might find the following statistic quite interesting.

Interesting Medical Information: "A 1998 report estimated that 106,000 Americans die each year as a result of adverse reactions to prescription medications. This figure represents three times the number of people killed by automobiles and is the fourth leading cause of death in the United States. Only heart disease, cancer, and stroke kill more Americans than adverse reactions to drugs. This staggering figure does not include drugs administered in error nor those taken as a suicide gesture.
If medication errors were included in this statistic, the death toll would probably be as high as 140,000 deaths per year. As a result of 39 separate studies nationwide, it was found that 3.2 out of every 1000 hospitalized patients die each year as the result of adverse reactions to prescription drugs in each and every hospital in this country.
Of the 106,000 people killed each year by an adverse reaction to a prescription drug, 43,000, or 41%, were initially admitted to the hospital because of the adverse drug reaction.The other 59%, or 63,000 patients, were hospitalized for some other cause but developed a fatal reaction to a prescription drug received while hospitalized.
(Montague, Peter. National Writers Union, UAW Local 1981/AFL-CIO. 1999. 'Another Kind of Drug Problem'. Rachel's Environment & Health Weekly' #632. January 7, 1999. [cited 2000 May 7])"

Just another reason to explore your treatment options for natural pain relief with no drugs and no surgery!

To your health,
Charlie

For more options, be sure to check out http://www.BackandNeckPainResources.com/!

Can insoles help to cure a back-ache?

Many insoles are designed for the purpose of reducing, relieving or eliminating back pain. Though you may experience temporary relief from your bad back, it's likely that the results will only be just that ... "temporary."

The relief comes from an attempt to put your body into proper alignment. This helps to take some of the pressure away from your spine giving you a sense of relief, but there are better ways (such as stretches, exercises and a number of other alternative practices that support the body's healing).

I'm sure you'll find the article below to be quite interesting ....

Claims that shoe insoles relieve back pain are unsupported - Los Angeles Times: "The bottom line: Cushioned insoles may give a break to tired feet, but the back is another matter entirely, says Dr. Nick Shamie, assistant clinical professor of orthopedic surgery and neurosurgery with the UCLA Comprehensive Spine Center. 'If a patient asked me about insoles, I would say, 'It won't hurt. Go ahead and try it,' ' he says. 'But there's no evidence to support the claims.'

A 2007 report in the influential Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews was a blow to anyone pinning their hopes on insoles. After pooling results of six published trials of insoles and back pain, the review authors concluded that there was 'strong evidence that insoles are not effective for the prevention of back pain.' They also said there aren't enough data to say if insoles help relieve back pain once it starts."

To your health,
Charlie

For more information on natural and effective ways to find neck, back and sciatica pain relief - check out www.Neck-and-Back-Pain-Resources.com!