Back Pain Is Common Today

By Nathan E Leavitt

Many people ask why back pain is so prevalent today. Back pain affects most everyone at some time in their life. Between 70 and 90 percent of all people will have pain in the back that they will have to manage through some kind of treatment in their life time. Of those that have an episode of pain, the likelihood that the pain will come back is high. Back pain can be extremely debilitating for some resulting in loss of work or inability to perform certain hobbies. It is a common reason for workers compensation. It is also a leading cause for a visit to the physician.

Part of the reason why back pain is so common for people is the vertical load on the spine. Most of the load is placed on the low back because it bears the weight of the entire upper body. Because of this, disc deterioration may begin in the low back before other areas of the spine. Heavy lifting or bad posture can cause even more stress on the low back.

People often lift with poor technique which may complicate the situation even further. Slouching and bad posture while standing, sitting or sleeping can also result in back pain and misaligned spinal bones. Misaligned spinal bones can cause pressure on the delicate nerves that exit out of the spine.

One of the reasons back pain is more common after childhood is because of the change of blood supply to the discs of the spine. After our adolescent years, blood supply to the discs becomes virtually non-existent. The discs then rely on joint motion to pump fluids and nutrients to the discs rather than through blood supply.

When bones become misplaced, the joints no longer glide properly. They become fixated or stuck. This lack of motion results in a loss of the pumping motion that pumps fluids and nutrients into the disc. The discs then become hard and brittle leading to degenerative disc disease.

Chiropractic is a very effective treatment option to both help and prevent this problem. Chiropractic treatments restore proper alignment of the bones and restore good motion to the joints. This is also effective in removing the nerve pressure that often results in back pain. Many people report excellent improvement with chiropractic. They report having better range of motion in their joints and significant reduction in pain that is lasting. Chiropractic is effective in removing the cause of the problem rather than just treating symptoms.

- Nathan Leavitt DC

Dr. Leavitt has been a licensed chiropractic physician since 2003. He currently resides in Knoxville, TN His deepest commitment is to help improve the health and quality of life of others. To learn more effective ways to improve your health naturally go here: chiropractic knoxville

You can also see patient reviews and see where Dr. Leavitt's clinic is located by clicking here: chiropractic knoxville

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The Many Causes Of Back Pain

By Usman Shahid

Back pain is a condition that affects many people. The severity can vary from subtle and temporary to sustained and long lasting and since there are many causes of this type of pain it is often hard to treat. The problem with back pain is that it doesn't only affect the spinal area; it can also affect other parts of the body due to this being the core area of the body. For instance, if a nerve is pinched, it can affect the legs and arms as well and if your back is hurting, you might favor one side and this can cause problems in other areas of your body.

So, what are the causes of back pain?

Sprains and strains can occur when one's spinal area is out of shape, due to overexertion or to pre-existing problems. Sprains are joint injuries that entail a stretching or tearing of ligaments. Stretching too fast can also result in this injury. Using excessive force or overt repetition can also damage one's muscles.

Another type of problem involves the discs that cushion one's vertebrae. These can dry and harden, making the discs more easily injured. Sometimes these discs will either bulge, result in a hernia, or they can even rupture. Many disc problems occur from trying to lift items that are too heavy for one to bear.

Another one of the causes of back pain is muscle imbalance and bad posture occurs when muscles have lost their functioning ability from over- or under-using. Stress and habits that occur for any lengthened amount of time can cause this. These two products of a bad back work together to result in sustained lower back pain and other bodily aches.

There are also emotional causes. Being overly stressed or traumatized emotionally causes tension in the muscles, and this can be held onto without the individual even knowing it. This is probably the number one cause of back pain and, as you can imagine, is very hard to pinpoint.

Back pain is not always caused by stress or something that the individual has physically done and some causes of back pain can be due to physical problems beyond your control. Sometimes it can have to do with the structural integrity of his or her body. For instance, scoliosis and kyphosis are curvatures of the spine that can result in pain that can leave a person feeling debilitated. Scoliosis involves a sideways curve of the individual's spine, and kyphosis is the technical term for hunchback, which is an outwardly curve of the upper to middle spinal area.

Diseases can also affect one's performance. Diseases affecting the spine can be arthritis, sciatica, and ankylosing spondylitis which can lead to the possible fusing of vertebrae. Arthritis involves the cartilage of one's body breaking down. Osteoporosis is similar to this in that the bones take on the same type of fight as in arthritis, only this affects one bones, not cartilage. Sciatica is a very painfully debilitating disease, which involves the pinching of the sciatic nerve. This can be caused by the bulging or protruding of a disc.

Your back is an integral part of your body and it's clear that taking care of the core of one's body can help keep your back strong which works to minimize many of the causes of back pain. Making sure that you do the proper exercises and take care not to strain your back will work wonders at keeping it healthy and pain free.

If you want to get rid of lower back pain then visit freeyourbackpain.com and get free tips related to back pain relief. There are a lot of useful low back pain exercises mentioned on the website which you can perform at your home.

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How to Ease Back Pain During Pregnancy

By Kelvin Bragg

Pregnancy brings along lot of physiological and psychological changes in you. Lot of hormones release, your weight increases, your walking style changes, and a lot more happens. In such a situation, back pain is very common. Pregnant women often complain about backache. No wonder, you are carrying extra weight and going through a lot of changes, back pain is bound to happen. However, there are ways you can relieve your back pain during pregnancy. Below are the methods you can resort to in order to get some relief from back pain.

Changing your posture can help you a great deal. Unnoticed, but your posture changes during the pregnancy. As the baby grows inside the womb, your center of gravity shifts a little forward. Hence, to avoid falling forward, you compensate by leaning backwards, which, in turn, puts strain on your lower-back muscles. This strain on the lower-back muscles causes pain during pregnancy. In order to avoid such a position, stand up straight and hold your chest high. Also, keep your shoulders back and relaxed and do not lock your knees. Whenever you sit or stand, use a comfortable and wide stance with enough support. Take frequent breaks if you need to stand for long time.

Your footwear contributes a lot to your body. Wearing high heels during pregnancy can cause backache. Therefore, it is suggested to wear low-heeled shoes with good arch support during pregnancy. Plus, you can wear maternity support belt in addition to maternity pants with low, supportive waistband.

Do not bend your back to lift something. Avoid lifting heavy weights, and ask for help, if required, anywhere. Know your limits and be ready to take help.

Do not sleep on your back. Instead, sleep on your side with one or both knees bent. Placing a pillow between your legs and under your abdomen while sleeping also helps to relieve back pain.

Use alternate ice packs with heat to massage your back. Rubbing the painful area using a pain balm can also prove to be helpful. Do not try to do anything yourself; ask for help.Therefore, it is suggested to wear low-heeled shoes with good arch support during pregnancy.

Include physical activity in your daily routine. It keeps your back strong and prepares it for the phase of pregnancy. Exercising on a regular basis also makes the back strong, and prepares you for pregnancy. With your healthcare provider's permission, you can go for physical activities like swimming or walking.

If you are looking for health tips. Follow the site which covers topics like Health, Fitness, Pregnancy and topics like Foods To Eat During Pregnancy. Read more about Back Pain During Pregnancy.

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Advances in Back Pain Relief

By Greg W Cowart

Advances in surgical techniques and technology in open back surgery is less invasive than it was in the 1990s. These advances being used today to relieve back pain are having amazing results in reducing the recovery time and scar tissue.

The disc between my L5-S1 vertebrae herniated back in 1995. During the next 10 months I tried to avoid surgery until I could no longer walk without help. Back in the 1990's open back surgery was an invasive surgery relying on cutting through muscle and tissue adding to the problem not solving it. My doctor cut 4 inches of muscle and tissue to get to my herniated disc. All this damage getting to the problem area greatly increased the scar tissue around my hernia. This scar tissue ended up replacing the herniated disc and I still had chronic numbness and pain in my foot and legs for five years after the surgery.

Three techniques used today have revolutionized the recovery time by reducing damage done by cutting muscle and tissue. I would have preferred either of these three techniques to help reduce my prolonged post-opt pain.

Three Advances for back pain relief:

1. Endoscopic Foraminotomy is an endoscopic procedure is used to relieve pressure on the nerves when a portion of the nerve root exits the spinal canal. (A pinched nerve). What makes this different from open back surgery is a small incision is made to place tubes, to push the muscle and tissue aside instead of cutting your way to the vertebrae. This reduces the damage around the affected area thus minimizing scar tissue that will develop after the surgery.

2. Facet Thermal Ablation is typically used around joints. A 5mm tube with a laser and suction irrigation tool inside. A 5mm incision is equal to 1/5th of an inch compared to my 4 inch scar. The pulse laser eliminates the cartilage around the joint to release pressure off the nerves and relieve pain. Post-opt recovery time is reduced because of the small incision and minimal cutting is done to your muscles and tissue.

3. Percutaneous Endoscopic Discetomy or laser discoplasty is typically a neck surgery. The best part about this technique is there is no cutting involved. A long hollow needle is used instead of a scalpel. A laser slides through the needle and pulses light at the problem area. This shrinks the bulging disc releasing pressure. All that is left is a needle prick instead of a large scar on your neck.

All three of these techniques are minimally invasive relieve back pain, eliminating the need to stay overnight at the hospital and reduce the cost involved. Since your muscles and tissue are not cut you are able to walk home after they wheel you to the front door. Your endoscopic incision even reduces the chances for infection.

In the past many people complained that their pain ended up being worse after surgery than before. This is largely due to post-opt scaring and inadequate techniques. With the advances today back surgery can relieve back pain better and faster than in years past. I wish I had these options when the doctor wanted to cut open my back. To learn more, follow this link: back pain relief.

Greg W Cowart

http://www.backpainrelief.net

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