It’s always great to find practical tips that cost nothing, using items that every home will have, and that actually work.
As I have mentioned before I do suffer occasional neck pain. So when I found this article by chiropractor Diana Doty on the naples news.com website I had to try it out. Guess what? It’s great.
It’s also really simple, involving rolling up a bath towel and placing it behind your neck when you sleep. As I say I have tried this and it works a treat.
You can also do the same thing, placing a rolled up towel in the small of your back which apparently is good for back pain. I can’t vouch for this one, not having tried it yet, but I’m sure it could prove very useful.
To read about the principles behind this, and how to get the size correct for you, positioning etc. you should read the short article at this link.
Sunday, 28 October 2012
Monday, 22 October 2012
Cymbalta for Back Pain
I have read before about the possibility of certain anti depressant drugs having the potential to be used in the relief of back pain.
According to a story by Jane Demerica on helium.com apparently the anti-depressant drug called Cymbalta (Duloxetine) has been found to be very effective in treating chronic low back pain. It is also useful in treatment of Fibromyalgia and Diabetic nerve pain as well.
This seems quite an exciting development. Although this study is U.S. based I believe that Cymbalta is available as an anti depressant in the UK also, so we may soon have another weapon in the arsenal against back pain.
If you want to find out more you can find the full story here.
How a towel can help your neck and back pain.
It’s always great to find practical tips that cost nothing, using items that every home will have, and that actually work.
As I have mentioned before I do suffer occasional neck pain. So when I found this article by chiropractor Diana Doty on the naples news.com website I had to try it out. Guess what? It’s great.
It’s also really simple, involving rolling up a bath towel and placing it behind your neck when you sleep. As I say I have tried this and it works a treat.
You can also do the same thing, placing a rolled up towel in the small of your back which apparently is good for low back pain. I can’t vouch for this one, not having tried it yet, but I’m sure it could prove very useful.
To read about the principles behind this, and how to get the size correct for you, positioning etc. you should read the short article at this link.
According to a story by Jane Demerica on helium.com apparently the anti-depressant drug called Cymbalta (Duloxetine) has been found to be very effective in treating chronic low back pain. It is also useful in treatment of Fibromyalgia and Diabetic nerve pain as well.
This seems quite an exciting development. Although this study is U.S. based I believe that Cymbalta is available as an anti depressant in the UK also, so we may soon have another weapon in the arsenal against back pain.
If you want to find out more you can find the full story here.
How a towel can help your neck and back pain.
It’s always great to find practical tips that cost nothing, using items that every home will have, and that actually work.
As I have mentioned before I do suffer occasional neck pain. So when I found this article by chiropractor Diana Doty on the naples news.com website I had to try it out. Guess what? It’s great.
It’s also really simple, involving rolling up a bath towel and placing it behind your neck when you sleep. As I say I have tried this and it works a treat.
You can also do the same thing, placing a rolled up towel in the small of your back which apparently is good for low back pain. I can’t vouch for this one, not having tried it yet, but I’m sure it could prove very useful.
To read about the principles behind this, and how to get the size correct for you, positioning etc. you should read the short article at this link.
Saturday, 20 October 2012
APOS Therapy for Back Pain and Knee Pain
Don’t you just hate acronyms? They are trotted out at every opportunity and we are made to feel stupid if we don’t immediately know what they stand for.
So, sufferers of back pain and knee pain will know all about APOS therapy won’t you? No, neither did I, but you may well be hearing more about it in the future as the therapy has been licenced exclusively to Bupa in the UK for the past two years or so.
To put you out of your misery it stands for ‘All Phases of Step’ therapy, and was developed by two Israeli doctors following seven years of research.
In a very basic form it involves having a couple of lumps of rubber stuck to the bottom of your shoes. OK it’s a little more technical than that. The principal is that by changing the shape of the sole of your footwear, you can change the muscles you use to walk. This in turn can reduce or even eliminate much pain.
Bupa are now treating around 3,000 patients with backpain and knee pain from their centres at Solihull and Reading, with a very high success rate.
To learn more about APOS, together with a case study, you can access a report posted on Running Free Online here.
Just putting apos therapy into your search engine brings up lots of stuff you can check out. Looks very promising.
So, sufferers of back pain and knee pain will know all about APOS therapy won’t you? No, neither did I, but you may well be hearing more about it in the future as the therapy has been licenced exclusively to Bupa in the UK for the past two years or so.
To put you out of your misery it stands for ‘All Phases of Step’ therapy, and was developed by two Israeli doctors following seven years of research.
In a very basic form it involves having a couple of lumps of rubber stuck to the bottom of your shoes. OK it’s a little more technical than that. The principal is that by changing the shape of the sole of your footwear, you can change the muscles you use to walk. This in turn can reduce or even eliminate much pain.
Bupa are now treating around 3,000 patients with backpain and knee pain from their centres at Solihull and Reading, with a very high success rate.
To learn more about APOS, together with a case study, you can access a report posted on Running Free Online here.
Just putting apos therapy into your search engine brings up lots of stuff you can check out. Looks very promising.
Wednesday, 17 October 2012
The School of Hard Knocks is Good for Your Back Pain
According to a story on science daily.com a recent study by researchers at the University at Buffalo and the University of California, reveals that, for people with chronic back pain, having a little adversity in your life can be protective and beneficial.
A study of nearly 400 adults suffering with chronic back pain, who also had experienced some lifetime adversity, reported less physical impairment, disability and heavy utilization of health care than those who had experienced either no adversity or a high level of adversity.
So says the author of the study, Mark Seery, PhD, assistant professor of psychology at Buffalo University. He does however emphasise that the key to the benefit is the experience of "some" prior adverse events as opposed to many or none at all. So don’t all go rushing out trying to get some hardship into your lives.
This is a fascinating study, and although it may seem a little way out there, the results do seem to prove the point. Although I’m not too sure of the practical applications.
If you want to read the whole thing, and it does make interesting reading, go here.
A study of nearly 400 adults suffering with chronic back pain, who also had experienced some lifetime adversity, reported less physical impairment, disability and heavy utilization of health care than those who had experienced either no adversity or a high level of adversity.
So says the author of the study, Mark Seery, PhD, assistant professor of psychology at Buffalo University. He does however emphasise that the key to the benefit is the experience of "some" prior adverse events as opposed to many or none at all. So don’t all go rushing out trying to get some hardship into your lives.
This is a fascinating study, and although it may seem a little way out there, the results do seem to prove the point. Although I’m not too sure of the practical applications.
If you want to read the whole thing, and it does make interesting reading, go here.
Monday, 15 October 2012
The Bowen Technique for Chronic Back Pain.
It is a constant wonder to me that after a long time researching back, knee,neck and shoulder pain I still come across methods and techniques that are new to me.
The Bowen technique is one of those. I found this article by Brian Murphy on the healthyway magazine website. Apparently it is a natural, holistic therapy pioneered by Thomas Bowen (1916 –1982), who devoted his life to developing and refining the method in Geelong, Australia after the Second World War.
The therapy consists of a series of rolling ‘moves’ over muscle and connective tissue using light touch. It is different from massage and is only applied briefly at precise points on the body. With periods of rest between each series of “moves.”
The body can respond quickly to this therapy and some long standing complaints have disappeared after just one treatment. Making it very cost effective.
The world over, Bowen Practitioners have found an ever-increasing number of conditions that respond extremely well to the treatment, including: acute/chronic back pain, shoulder pain/frozen shoulder, whiplash, stiff neck, sports injuries, sciatica, migraine, infant colic, fibromyalgia, ME, stress, MS, digestive problems, hayfever, sinusitis, facial pain, menstrual problems, knee/ankle problems, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and Repetitive Strain Injury.
This sounds really interesting. I have found that by entering bowen therapy practitioners along with your area you can find lots of places who provide this therapy if you want to give it a go.
The Bowen technique is one of those. I found this article by Brian Murphy on the healthyway magazine website. Apparently it is a natural, holistic therapy pioneered by Thomas Bowen (1916 –1982), who devoted his life to developing and refining the method in Geelong, Australia after the Second World War.
The therapy consists of a series of rolling ‘moves’ over muscle and connective tissue using light touch. It is different from massage and is only applied briefly at precise points on the body. With periods of rest between each series of “moves.”
The body can respond quickly to this therapy and some long standing complaints have disappeared after just one treatment. Making it very cost effective.
The world over, Bowen Practitioners have found an ever-increasing number of conditions that respond extremely well to the treatment, including: acute/chronic back pain, shoulder pain/frozen shoulder, whiplash, stiff neck, sports injuries, sciatica, migraine, infant colic, fibromyalgia, ME, stress, MS, digestive problems, hayfever, sinusitis, facial pain, menstrual problems, knee/ankle problems, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and Repetitive Strain Injury.
This sounds really interesting. I have found that by entering bowen therapy practitioners along with your area you can find lots of places who provide this therapy if you want to give it a go.
Sunday, 14 October 2012
Quick Tip to Combat Deskbound Back Pain
Lots of backpain endured by people today is a direct result of enforced lack of movement due to having to work at a desk all working day. Fortunately there is a very simple and cost effective answer.
You are probably aware of the ergonomic “ball chairs" available which can cost anything from £70 and upwards. Well you can simply use an ordinary exercise ball costing from as little as £15.
Many people swear by them, and todays employers are increasingly sympathetic to you bringing your own chair into the office, especially as it usually results in an increase in productivity.
Here is an excellent article by Geoff Ruddock on gearfire.net giving ten reasons to use an exercise ball as a chair. I have just done a quick search and found many exercise balls from as little as £12.60 for a 55cm one. I just might get one myself.
You are probably aware of the ergonomic “ball chairs" available which can cost anything from £70 and upwards. Well you can simply use an ordinary exercise ball costing from as little as £15.
Many people swear by them, and todays employers are increasingly sympathetic to you bringing your own chair into the office, especially as it usually results in an increase in productivity.
Here is an excellent article by Geoff Ruddock on gearfire.net giving ten reasons to use an exercise ball as a chair. I have just done a quick search and found many exercise balls from as little as £12.60 for a 55cm one. I just might get one myself.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)