Saturday 4 June 2011

Great Tips for Curing Back Pain


Many people experience back pain at one time or another during their lives. Some experience minor discomfort while others suffer excruciating pain. Many suffer in silence as they do not know of an effective solution to their problem. This can affect daily life and may even disrupt performance of simple daily tasks. There are many solutions for someone experiencing back pain: to treat it as it occurs or to get rid of the pain once and for all.

Back pain has affected many people over the ages. Not all who experience it visit the doctor every time they experience the pain. There is no official record of the number of people who experience back pain as the pain may be experienced in different degrees. Many people tend to self-medicate by resting at home or by easing their muscles and back bones with a gentle massage.

Treatments 

Exercise, as anyone would vouch, is a good activity for strengthening your body and keeping you in good health. Therefore it is not surprising that you should consider working up some kind of exercise program if you experience.

Exercise causes the different parts of the body to experience better blood flow, which nourishes the joints, muscles and discs. Spasms, the main cause of back pain, can be relieved with exercise. Even simple and easy exercises have proven to be beneficial for easing back pain.

Prolonged positions 

If you are constantly at the computer doing your work, you should be sitting with your feet flat on the floor for better posture and better blood circulation. Putting your feet on a foot rest helps to alleviate pain as well as getting up from your chair and moving about for just 5 minutes for every hour you are seated. If you have to stand for long periods of time, shift your weight from one foot to the other to relieve back pain and encourage better blood circulation.

Types of shoes 

Besides exercise, what you wear on your feet also plays an important role in the occurrence of back pain. You should opt for low-heeled shoes with soft soles for more comfort for your back. You can put inserts into your shoes to attain better posture and avoid back pain. If you feel you are overweight, losing the extra weight can help to ease the burden on your back.



Understanding Your Spine

Understanding how your spine looks can help you see the elements that make up our person, as well as give us the ability to perform daily. The spine at the top includes two vertebras and separates by the cervical vertebrae. Between the joining vertebrae are disks and the associating nerve roots. Down toward the center back is the thoracic vertebrae, which below it is the body of the spine. Joining these elements below is the neuroformen, which is slightly higher than the disk that separates the two spines. Below the disk are the nerve roots and to the other side are the lumbar vertebrae. Below the nerve roots is the facet joints and almost adjacent is the pelvis. Below the joints is the sacrum, which adjacent is the sacroiliac joint. The coccyx sits at the bottom of the second vertebrae and completes the spinal column.

Having an outline of the spine can help one appreciate how the back is structured and to see areas that could lead to back pain. As we look at the outline, it can help us to appreciate that the spine makes up elements that help us to move, bend, slope, and twist, which each movement can cause back injuries. Within the structure of the spine, we have separate bones. The total count is "34," which these bones connect with the spinal unit, facet joints, vertebral body, disks, spinal unit, and the facet joints at the lower section.

The coccyx alone makes up the fuse bones, which is around five or less. The bones rest at the base of the spine. The fuse bones are the tailbone in basic language and disable us, since the limb does not poise the spine. Rather the spine is our balance mechanism. Now, when we loose poise, it could cause falls. The coccyx is at risk, since it could break and lead to coccygodynia. Coccygodynia is a back condition that causes serious pain. The coccyx can be broke when a car accident occurs. In addition, trauma impacts can break the coccyx, as well as falling backwards.

How can I tell if I have coccygodynia?

A stabbing pain often occurs in the back, which sometimes the pain is sharp. This is a clear indication that potential damage has occurred to the coccyx. If you have difficulty sitting, you may have coccygodynia also. If sitting is difficult, likely you will feel pressure at the right side. Sometimes bowel movement is difficult as well.

What should I do if these symptoms arise? Ask your doctor to test you, using x-rays. If the x-ray is negative however, you may have only bruised your coccyx.

Additional fused bones climb the steps up the spine, making up another five bones. The sacrum meets in this area, which is a bone as well. The sacrum is a triangular-like bone at the lower back and joins with the hipbone on either side, forming the pelvis. The sacrum connects to the only area of the back limbs at the lower region. At the outer area of the pelvis rests the iliac bones. The larger bones connect to the joints known as sacroiliac. The joints are part of the hip ilium bones and the joints between the sacrum and the ilium.

The joints at this area shape similar to a horses saddle and interfaces the pelvis sides flanking between the pelvis and sacrum. Why are we discussing this area, since it really does not make up the spine? Because, this region is the single common section of the connective parts to the spine, where the lower back pain starts due to asymmetric, and deformity.

There are many things that can cause back pain… too many in fact! Use these 10 tips for back pain relief and keep your back healthy, strong and fit.

1. Stretch Often

Here are 3 reasons why stretching is really good for relieving back pain.

a) Improves your flexibility, which allows your back to move through its natural range of motion without any pain.

b) Sends essential nutrients to the tissues along your spine that keep your muscles from getting stiff and weak.

c) Helps to prevent further injury to your back.

2. Strengthen Often
Strengthening exercises are great for getting rid of back pain, as well as preventing injuries from happening in the future.

3. Lose Weight
Those extra pounds put a great deal of pressure on your back and strain both your back and abdominal muscles. This can weaken important muscles and help cause the problem. (check out the weight loss series for a step by step plan for losing the pounds)

4. Improve Your Posture
Having a bad posture means your body is out of balance. When it comes to your back only a small number of muscles and joints are doing the work.  Having a good posture will spread out the task to more muscles and relieve the intense pressure on small areas of your back.

5. Keep Moving
Simple actions, like using your leg strength, instead of back muscles to lift heavy objects can make a huge difference. Whether you’re at work, home, or working out, be aware of how you can modify your movements to avoid unnecessary stress on your back.

6. Cold and Hot Method
During the first 48 hours after a back injury ice slows down the swelling and acts to reduce the pain. But after 48 hours it stops working. This is when you should switch to heat – a simple heating pad will do the trick. This increases the blood flow to recovering tissue and relaxes your muscles.

7. Massage Your Sore Muscles
Massages will help you relax those strained muscles. But most importantly it can relieve a ton of stress from your mind and help you relax mentally.

8. Change Up Your Routine
Although movement can help reduce back pain, it’s also important to avoid things that result in putting too much stress on your back. Whether it’s improving your posture in a chair, not lifting heavy objects, or avoiding things that cause you aggravation, adapt your daily routine to not aggravate your back.

9. Stand With Less Stress
When standing upright, your chest should be forward, your head up, shoulders straight, and your weight should be evenly distributed between your feet with your hips tucked in. If you have to stand for long periods, avoid remaining in the same position for the entire time.  Be sure to move around and change positions often.  Another good idea is to rest one foot on a stool or curb, then switch to the other foot after a few minutes.

10. The Art Of Sleeping
Invest in a firm mattress and box spring that supports your body without sagging. You should sleep in a position where the natural curve in your back can be supported. Lying on your stomach on a soft mattress won’t help with back pain at all!  In fact avoid this situation altogether. The sleeping method that is recommended by many experts in order to support your body is to:

Have some sort of support in the space below your lower back.
Have some support below your knees to take strain off the lower back.
Have a pillow that supports your neck, keeps your spine aligned, and provides a natural curve for your neck to fit into.

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