I'm sure that most of us know that the Christmas and New Year period is a common time for back problems as we subject ourselves to stress, strain and unaccustomed physical exercise.
Here are some more excellent tips from Joe DiVincenzo on the Gloucester times.com website.
We usually concentrate on various methods of pain relief once we already have a bad back or other painful condition.
These tips are more preventative and aimed at trying to avoid back pain altogether.
That said, if you are already suffering from a bad back, or recovering from one, I’m sure you will find these strategies useful.
To read all about them go here.
Sunday, 30 December 2012
Friday, 28 December 2012
Can a Shakti Mat Help Your Back Pain?
If you are like me you are probably saying to yourself “What’s a shakti mat”? Well, apparently it’s a cushioned mat with thousands of plastic spikes on the top. And according to website abclocal.com is soon about to be the subject of a major marketing campaign.
As reported by Ali Gorman, the mat works for back pain (amongst other things) by using the principle of acupressure.
For back pain you lie on the mat either in a thin T shirt, or preferably nothing, then the 6,200 plastic points get to work.
The first 3-7 minutes can feel uncomfortable (surprise) then it feels good. Using the mat for 15 to 20 minutes a day can help relieve back pain, reduce stress, help you sleep better, give you more energy, plus other benefits. So says Jeff Schnoll of Shakti USA. Well, he would wouldn’t he?
Still, it does seem to have positive benefits for many people. I have checked and found that these are available in many places online. They seem to range from around £13.00 upwards in UK. So not too expensive to give it a try.
If you want to learn more, and watch a video demonstrating the mat in use, click this link. If anyone tries one, or already has tried one, let me know how you get on.
As reported by Ali Gorman, the mat works for back pain (amongst other things) by using the principle of acupressure.
For back pain you lie on the mat either in a thin T shirt, or preferably nothing, then the 6,200 plastic points get to work.
The first 3-7 minutes can feel uncomfortable (surprise) then it feels good. Using the mat for 15 to 20 minutes a day can help relieve back pain, reduce stress, help you sleep better, give you more energy, plus other benefits. So says Jeff Schnoll of Shakti USA. Well, he would wouldn’t he?
Still, it does seem to have positive benefits for many people. I have checked and found that these are available in many places online. They seem to range from around £13.00 upwards in UK. So not too expensive to give it a try.
If you want to learn more, and watch a video demonstrating the mat in use, click this link. If anyone tries one, or already has tried one, let me know how you get on.
Monday, 24 December 2012
6 Tips for Learning to Deal With Your Back Pain.
I have been told by readers that they like lists of hints and tips, as although they may already know many, they usually find something of interest that they can use.
Lets hope that some of you can find something here. This is an article by Mick Bates on the Register Herald.com website in which he gives us half a dozen tips on dealing with your back pain.
Something I learned from this article, not earth shattering to be sure, but I had no idea. Back pain is the second most common reason to visit a Doctor. What’s the first? Cold symptoms! I really didn’t think anyone went to their Doctor with a cold these days. Still, you live and learn.
You can find this list of good common sense tips here.
Finally a tip that I have used myself to good effect when suffering from muscular back pain. In fact my back played up yesterday for the first time in ages and this method came up trumps again.
Lie on the floor with a tennis ball under your back until you hit that tender spot. You’ll feel a sharp pain at first, but it will dissipate as the tension is released. Get moving. It really is a ‘use it or lose it’ proposition. There you go, give it a try.
And, it being Christmas eve and all, I'd like to wish all my readers a very happy, and hopefully pain-free, festive season. I shall no doubt be partaking of a bottle or two of my favourite remedy, red wine. Purely for medicinal purposes of course!
Lets hope that some of you can find something here. This is an article by Mick Bates on the Register Herald.com website in which he gives us half a dozen tips on dealing with your back pain.
Something I learned from this article, not earth shattering to be sure, but I had no idea. Back pain is the second most common reason to visit a Doctor. What’s the first? Cold symptoms! I really didn’t think anyone went to their Doctor with a cold these days. Still, you live and learn.
You can find this list of good common sense tips here.
Finally a tip that I have used myself to good effect when suffering from muscular back pain. In fact my back played up yesterday for the first time in ages and this method came up trumps again.
Lie on the floor with a tennis ball under your back until you hit that tender spot. You’ll feel a sharp pain at first, but it will dissipate as the tension is released. Get moving. It really is a ‘use it or lose it’ proposition. There you go, give it a try.
And, it being Christmas eve and all, I'd like to wish all my readers a very happy, and hopefully pain-free, festive season. I shall no doubt be partaking of a bottle or two of my favourite remedy, red wine. Purely for medicinal purposes of course!
Sunday, 23 December 2012
Lower Back Pain Could Indicate a Hip Problem.
It is not uncommon to hear the phrase, “My back went out!” The question is: Where did it go and when will it be back?
So says Dr. Dale Buchburger in an article on the auburn pub.com website.
He goes on to describe how between the ages of 30 and 50 our lifestyle often changes, together with a reduction in our activity levels, resulting in weight gain and a corresponding weakness of the trunk, back and hip muscles.
Key weakness areas are the hip flexors, hamstring, gluteal, and lower back muscles.
He tells us how we can test our risk of developing lower back pain ourselves at home, and what to do about it.
A very good article. To read it all go here.
So says Dr. Dale Buchburger in an article on the auburn pub.com website.
He goes on to describe how between the ages of 30 and 50 our lifestyle often changes, together with a reduction in our activity levels, resulting in weight gain and a corresponding weakness of the trunk, back and hip muscles.
Key weakness areas are the hip flexors, hamstring, gluteal, and lower back muscles.
He tells us how we can test our risk of developing lower back pain ourselves at home, and what to do about it.
A very good article. To read it all go here.
Saturday, 15 December 2012
Quadriceps Weakness Could be Causing Your Knee Pain.
According to Dr. Manish Patel, principal medical practitioner in the offices of Southampton Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Center, on the campus of Southampton Memorial Hospital, this could well be the case.
In an article on the tidewater news.com website he says that “If the quadriceps tendon is weak, this can cause the kneecap to have higher pressures when the knee bends. This in turn can cause pain in the front of the knee and can cause cartilage problems on the surface of the kneecap called chondromalacia of the patella.”
By strengthening the quadriceps we can help to reduce this pain. He suggests that instead of running, a stationary exercise bicycle or elliptical machine would be a better bet.
You can read the full article here.
In an article on the tidewater news.com website he says that “If the quadriceps tendon is weak, this can cause the kneecap to have higher pressures when the knee bends. This in turn can cause pain in the front of the knee and can cause cartilage problems on the surface of the kneecap called chondromalacia of the patella.”
By strengthening the quadriceps we can help to reduce this pain. He suggests that instead of running, a stationary exercise bicycle or elliptical machine would be a better bet.
You can read the full article here.
Thursday, 13 December 2012
8 Great Stretches to Counteract Back Pain Caused by "Computer Posture."
I found these great stretches by Derek Heintz on the sdgln.com website. Derek is one of the leading fitness experts in San Diego. Having received his formal training in Exercise Science at the University of California.
He developed these stretches in order to counteract the effects of sitting at computers for long periods and developing what he calls “computer posture”.
I know from personal experience, using the computer for quite long periods does aggravate my back pain, so anything to help relieve that has to be good.
The stretches, which are all illustrated and very simple and easy to do, will help neck, back, shoulder, elbow, knee and hip pain as well as headaches.
There are eight stretches in all and you only need to do them once a day (more if you wish) and hold each one for 30 seconds. So less than five minutes a day. I’m definitely going to try these. If you want to have a go yourself use this link.
He developed these stretches in order to counteract the effects of sitting at computers for long periods and developing what he calls “computer posture”.
I know from personal experience, using the computer for quite long periods does aggravate my back pain, so anything to help relieve that has to be good.
The stretches, which are all illustrated and very simple and easy to do, will help neck, back, shoulder, elbow, knee and hip pain as well as headaches.
There are eight stretches in all and you only need to do them once a day (more if you wish) and hold each one for 30 seconds. So less than five minutes a day. I’m definitely going to try these. If you want to have a go yourself use this link.
Sunday, 9 December 2012
Vertebroplasty Not Recommended for Back Pain.
This is quite an interesting story on the outpatient surgery.net website. In which the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons is strongly recommending against this previously popular procedure for treatment of spinal compression fracture to relieve chronic back pain.
For those of us who didn’t know (and I was one of them) here is the wikipedia definition of vertebroplasty:
“Vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty are medical spinal procedure where bone cement is injected through a small hole in the skin (percutaneously) into a fractured vertebra with the goal of relieving the pain of osteoporotic compression fractures.”
Although the evidence now suggests that the procedure has no real benefits, patients that have already undergone it should not be concerned as there are also no reported negative side-effects.
I’d be interested to hear if any of my readers have had this procedure and how they got on.
To read the story in full go here.
For those of us who didn’t know (and I was one of them) here is the wikipedia definition of vertebroplasty:
“Vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty are medical spinal procedure where bone cement is injected through a small hole in the skin (percutaneously) into a fractured vertebra with the goal of relieving the pain of osteoporotic compression fractures.”
Although the evidence now suggests that the procedure has no real benefits, patients that have already undergone it should not be concerned as there are also no reported negative side-effects.
I’d be interested to hear if any of my readers have had this procedure and how they got on.
To read the story in full go here.
Friday, 7 December 2012
The Beneficial Effects of Tai-Chi on Back Pain.
For this very short post I have a link for you that was kindly sent to me by a reader this week on the beneficial effects of Tai-Chi on Fibromyalgia.
Recent studies have shown benefits for sufferers of other chronic conditions also, including back pain. I thought it would be of interest to all my blog readers, so here is the link. Thanks Jane.
Recent studies have shown benefits for sufferers of other chronic conditions also, including back pain. I thought it would be of interest to all my blog readers, so here is the link. Thanks Jane.
Sunday, 2 December 2012
Potholes Cause Back Pain and Neck Pain.
Here’s something I’m sure many of us will have no problem relating to. Especially here in the UK where successive governments have managed to reduce spending on the roads to the point that in many places there are more potholes than there is road! (I ride a bicycle a lot, hence the mini rant.)
A recent article on the india times.com website quotes Professor and head of orthopaedics department of Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Dr Sajal Mitra, as saying a large number of people suffer from back and neck pain due to driving on bad roads.
Much of the pain would be temporary and go away after a while. However, prolonged exposure could cause spondylitis.
He went on to say "Rough roads send vibrations and jerks through the body that can cause damage. Driving on bad roads regularly can cause permanent spine damage.”
Food for thought as the roads continue to get worse. Read the full story here.
A recent article on the india times.com website quotes Professor and head of orthopaedics department of Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Dr Sajal Mitra, as saying a large number of people suffer from back and neck pain due to driving on bad roads.
Much of the pain would be temporary and go away after a while. However, prolonged exposure could cause spondylitis.
He went on to say "Rough roads send vibrations and jerks through the body that can cause damage. Driving on bad roads regularly can cause permanent spine damage.”
Food for thought as the roads continue to get worse. Read the full story here.
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