Stress as a Cause Of Back Pain

As most backpain sufferers will be aware, there are many causes of this problem, but one of the less well known triggers is stress.

Stress is something we all go through to some degree or other at some point in our lives. Some of us are more prone to it than others and have to deal with it on a regular basis. 

For many it is an emotional problem with no physical pain involved. For others however stress can be responsible for a whole range of physical troubles, ranging from colds and flu to, of course, chronic back pain.

Stress related backpain, although feeling perfectly real to the sufferer, is actually psychosomatic. You feel the pain and aching although there is not an actual physical problem in itself.

Of course it can be argued that if you are feeling the pain then it's perfectly real (to you at least) and that's what counts. Good point. The problem is that this type of backache is not relieved by the more usual natural treatments. We need to go a bit deeper.

One of the first things to do if you are stressed and experiencing a bad back is to try to calm yourself down. Easier said than done, however, with a bit of adjustment to your way of thinking it can be done.

One of the best ways to achieve this is by meditation. Don't worry, you don't have to get involved in mysterious spiritual techniques to do this. Simple reflection on the more positive things in your life for a few minutes up to half an hour can do the trick.

If you want a bit of help on getting started with basic meditation I can recommend the excellent free guide by Elizabeth Scott, M.S. on about.com which you can find here.

At the same time look at your diet. Try to avoid the intake of stimulants like caffeine, too much sugar etc.

Just these two tips could help free you from the misery of stress related back pain.

Manipulation for Back Pain 'Carries Stroke Risk'

This somewhat controversial article by health editor Jeremy Laurance was first aired on the independent.co.uk website some years ago. However, many of us use or have used, or may be considering visiting a chiropractor or osteopath as a treatment for chronic back pain, and we should certainly be aware of any risk before submitting to any intervention.

The premise is that people seeking treatment for neck and/or back pain from a chiropractor, osteopath or physiotherapist offering spinal manipulation may be putting themselves at risk of a stroke or other serious injury.

 This view is supported by the results of a pilot survey of 239 consultant neurologists, which found 24 who recalled at least one case of a serious neurological complication after manipulation of the cervical spine (the neck) occurring in the 12 months from August 1998 to July 1999. The commonest injury was a stroke caused by damage to the arteries in the neck or the blood vessels in the brain.

This included one woman admitted to hospital four hours after having her neck manipulated, who was found with damage to her vertebral artery, which was blocked by a blood clot. Next morning she was barely conscious and had to have surgery to reduce the swelling in her brain. She was left with problems walking.

Now it is certainly not my intention to discourage anyone from using manipulation for their problems, (I have used both chiropractors and osteopaths myself, with good results) and there are some risks involved with almost any treatment, but a stroke is a significant thing and we should be aware. The risk is admittedly very small, but it is there.

You can read the full article here, and there is even more information at this link.

Shoes for Back Pain and Knee Pain.

I suppose it’s pretty much a given that we have known for some time that bad (incorrectly fitting) shoes can cause us problems. Aggravating existing conditions, and making us prone to them if we don’t already have them.

In this story on express.co.uk by Cheryl Stonehouse it is reported that a 48 year old supermarket manager from Warwickshire has been wearing a particular brand called FitFlops, an Italian Ciabasan half-shoe slipper that is said to boost circulation, for around a year.

She says they have contributed to a weight loss of two stone (28lb) as well as curing her painful feet.

She is quoted as saying "My doctor diagnosed plantar fasciitis 18 months ago and said there was very little that could be done. Since I started wearing the FitFlop sandals and a pair of their boots for the winter the pain has almost disappeared. "  I wonder if they’d work for gout?

Medical opinion is divided, but there is no doubt that anything that encourages a decent posture can do nothing but good for our backs and knees.

To read the full story click here, where you can also find reviews on four different brands.

Chronic/Acute Back Pain and The Feldenkrais Method.

A little while ago I was e-mailed by a reader who asked if I knew anything about the Feldenkrais method for coping with back pain.

I had to confess to my ignorance, never having heard of it. However I have now had the chance to do a little research and came up with a good brief description of what it is and what it can do for you on wikipedia.

Apparently this method was developed by Russian-born Moshe Feldenkrais, DSc, in the mid-20th century after he suffered a devastating knee injury.

Today's findings on neuroplastcity appear to support his theory, and today followers include professional athletes and dancers as well as people suffering from medical conditions that cause loss of function and/or chronic or acute pain in the back, neck, shoulder, arm, hip, leg or knee.

To learn more about the Feldenkrais method click here.

If you think it might be something you could benefit from you can find classes simply by entering “Feldenkrais method classes” into your search engine, together with your local area. If you do, as always I would love to hear of your experiences.

Back Pain Killed in Five Days with Comfrey Root Extract.

This article by Fiona Macrae originally appeared on dailymail.co.uk in 2009, and it may be old news to some of you, but then again it might be new and of interest to others.

It quotes a study by academics at the German Sport University in Cologne, subsequently published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.

120 people with upper back pain or lower back pain were involved. Half of them were given an ointment made from extract of the comfrey plant to rub on the affected area, and half were given a dummy ointment. They were obviously not told who got what.

After only five days the subjects who had used the comfrey ointment reported an average incredible 95% in the reduction of pain. That’s pretty amazing.

The other interesting fact was that the subjects who got the dummy ointment also reported a reduction in pain, but only an average of 35%. As I’m always saying, the power of the human mind should not be underestimated.

The academics concluded: 'Comfrey root extract showed a
remarkably potent and clinically-relevant effect in reducing acute pain.'

If you’d like to read the full article, use this link, and if you think you’d like to try it for yourself just put “comfrey ointment” into your search engine, there are several suppliers. If you do, please let me know how you get on.

Back Pain Relief with Wii Technology

Well, here we are in September already, and the paralympics are well under way. It's very difficult to say what I feel about these games without sounding patronising, which I am most certainly not. 

However, I watch these competitors and cannot help feeling awed and inspired. The situations they have been through and overcome to be here is indeed a lesson to us all. Certainly puts my problems into perspective.

Anyway, back to backpain, and I thought readers would be interested in this fascinating item, reported on bbc.co.uk by Fergus Walsh, where the use of a motion sensor, similar to the type of thing used in the Wii and other game controllers, is linked to a pain blocking implant.

The sensor can tell when a person is standing, sitting, lying etc. and adjusts the implant accordingly for maximum effect relating to the position of that person.

It’s not as complicated as I seem to have made it sound and it’s well explained in the short video on one particular case study which you can find here.

For those of us who suffer with neck pain I have found three simple exercises  on associated content.com by Rose Twain. These exercises can be done at your desk any time you have a few moments. Simple but effective, I shall be using these myself.

If you want to have a look and try them out for yourself use this link.