Just occasionally one can find a site with some really reliable and genuine information on the subject of your choice. In our case back pain.
One such site is BUPA, the international private healthcare group with which I'm guessing most of us are familiar with.
They have an excellent set of pages with almost everything you want to know about backpain, with loads of up to date stuff, frequently asked questions, and resources.
Not quite sure why I haven't found this before, but I have now and thoroughly recommend it. You can find it here.
Wednesday, 25 June 2014
Tuesday, 10 June 2014
Fitness Shoes Could Damage Your Back
I have posted in the past about orthotic footwear which is supposed to help wearers with back problems by improving posture.
However, an article by Peta Bee on the mail online website seems to suggest that wearing the current trendy "fitness sandals" such as fitflops and skechers could in fact lead to ligament strain and muscle injuries, and even cause back pain rather than alleviate it.
This footwear, costing anything up to £150 a pair, usually have heels lower than the toe, creating an unstable rocking sole that is supposed to make your muscles work harder in the buttocks, calf and thigh. Rather like walking uphill permanently.
Problems have been highlighted by chartered physiotherapist Lucy Macdonald, who has seen an increase in problems, including back pain, at her musculo-skeletal clinic.
She warns that this type of footwear is not suitable for everyone, and if you are unfit or have existing problems with you back, knees or hips they are best avoided altogether.
Interesting. If you want to read the full article in detail go here.
However, an article by Peta Bee on the mail online website seems to suggest that wearing the current trendy "fitness sandals" such as fitflops and skechers could in fact lead to ligament strain and muscle injuries, and even cause back pain rather than alleviate it.
This footwear, costing anything up to £150 a pair, usually have heels lower than the toe, creating an unstable rocking sole that is supposed to make your muscles work harder in the buttocks, calf and thigh. Rather like walking uphill permanently.
Problems have been highlighted by chartered physiotherapist Lucy Macdonald, who has seen an increase in problems, including back pain, at her musculo-skeletal clinic.
She warns that this type of footwear is not suitable for everyone, and if you are unfit or have existing problems with you back, knees or hips they are best avoided altogether.
Interesting. If you want to read the full article in detail go here.
Friday, 6 June 2014
Your Back Pain Could Be Trying To Tell You Something Serious
Now I don't want to scare you all on such a lovely day (well, it is here anyway), but a very interesting article on the Mail Online website by Louise Atkinson certainly made me think.
It's not particularly new knowledge but body organs such as the kidneys and bladder, quite often refer their pain to the back when they are having problems .
This pain is naturally enough by many sufferers regarded as just that, back pain pure and simple. When in fact the underlying cause could be something more serious such as pancreatitis, kidney stones, or even cancer.
Now of course we are not all going to rush off to get tested when we get a back twinge, as the majority of back problems are indeed back related. However it may not hurt to bear this in mind if your back pain changes, or seems to move area.
This article is well worth a read as it lists back pain by certain areas which may relate to other areas which could be worth getting looked at. You can check out the full article at this link.
It's not particularly new knowledge but body organs such as the kidneys and bladder, quite often refer their pain to the back when they are having problems .
This pain is naturally enough by many sufferers regarded as just that, back pain pure and simple. When in fact the underlying cause could be something more serious such as pancreatitis, kidney stones, or even cancer.
Now of course we are not all going to rush off to get tested when we get a back twinge, as the majority of back problems are indeed back related. However it may not hurt to bear this in mind if your back pain changes, or seems to move area.
This article is well worth a read as it lists back pain by certain areas which may relate to other areas which could be worth getting looked at. You can check out the full article at this link.
Thursday, 5 June 2014
Check Your Feet If You Have Back Pain
Yes, I think we may have covered this in an early post but, as I am fond of saying, it never hurts to recap. There is now so much information available that it's easy to overlook or forget things.
The premise here, as outlined in an article on the trinidad express website, is that if your body is misaligned then you probably will be disposed toward back problems, probably shoulder and neck problems also.
Misalignment can occur through various causes, accidents, bad posture, stress, sporting activities, and yes, poor and/or ill fitting footwear. Many instances of misalignment start at the bottom (no not that bottom - the feet) and can be corrected by orthotics. Relatively inexpensive and very effective.
You can find out if you fall into this category by using a simple checklist in the article. Which then goes on to describe what orthotics are and how you can use them to fix your back pain.
One of the better articles I have seen on this subject. Keeps it simple and offers practical advice. Well worth a read, you can find it here.
The premise here, as outlined in an article on the trinidad express website, is that if your body is misaligned then you probably will be disposed toward back problems, probably shoulder and neck problems also.
Misalignment can occur through various causes, accidents, bad posture, stress, sporting activities, and yes, poor and/or ill fitting footwear. Many instances of misalignment start at the bottom (no not that bottom - the feet) and can be corrected by orthotics. Relatively inexpensive and very effective.
You can find out if you fall into this category by using a simple checklist in the article. Which then goes on to describe what orthotics are and how you can use them to fix your back pain.
One of the better articles I have seen on this subject. Keeps it simple and offers practical advice. Well worth a read, you can find it here.
Wednesday, 4 June 2014
Pneumatic Vest for Back Pain
I seem to recall finding information about pneumatic vests a while ago. These are very simple devices that appear to be aimed at those of us who suffer from middle/lower back pain.
The fact that many instances of back pain will get better on their own seems to be the basis for this device.
If you can get through the pain, moderate exercise will help a lot of lower back pain, as I can state from personal experience.
Of course there are some times when the pain is just too bad. This pneumatic vest can be inflated to varying degrees to support the back and keep you moving, whilst allowing nature to do its thing.
The key here as I see it is finding just the right level of support to enable you to keep moving, whilst allowing the muscles to work. The temptation I imagine would be to crank it up to minimise the pain, thus getting little or no benefit.
In various trials these vests have proved effective. I think these trials are funded by the manufacturer although being done in reputable institutes.
I'm not sure about this. Seems a good idea in principle, and you can wear the device as long as you feel it helpful, again perhaps the temptation would be to use it too much, not allowing your muscles to regain their strength.
Anyway if you want to read all about it you can find the full article, including results of trial to date on the spine health website at this link here.
The fact that many instances of back pain will get better on their own seems to be the basis for this device.
If you can get through the pain, moderate exercise will help a lot of lower back pain, as I can state from personal experience.
Of course there are some times when the pain is just too bad. This pneumatic vest can be inflated to varying degrees to support the back and keep you moving, whilst allowing nature to do its thing.
The key here as I see it is finding just the right level of support to enable you to keep moving, whilst allowing the muscles to work. The temptation I imagine would be to crank it up to minimise the pain, thus getting little or no benefit.
In various trials these vests have proved effective. I think these trials are funded by the manufacturer although being done in reputable institutes.
I'm not sure about this. Seems a good idea in principle, and you can wear the device as long as you feel it helpful, again perhaps the temptation would be to use it too much, not allowing your muscles to regain their strength.
Anyway if you want to read all about it you can find the full article, including results of trial to date on the spine health website at this link here.
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