Your Psoas Muscles - Understanding Them, Freeing Them and Integrating Them

To begin, let's say that an essential understanding of your psoas muscles means understanding what they do for you and, when too tight, what they do to you. That understanding points you to an effective way to free them, if they're tight and painful.

What your psoas muscles do for you is maintain your uprightness in sitting, your spinal alignment and balanced equilibrium when standing, and your efficiency of movement bending, twisting, walking and running. Your psoas muscles are initiators of movement and dynamic stabilizers.

To get your psoas muscles to function well, we first free them (which can be done a number of ways -- and there's hard way and an easy way). Then, we integrate their movement functions with other movers and stabilizers of the body, and so normalize psoas functioning. That's a matter of movement training, which also involves awakening our ability to sense our psoas muscles. Without the integration step, your psoas muscles are likely to revert to their tight state. I'll say more, as we go on.

Understanding how psoas muscles play in movement simplifies our approach to setting things right. Having made such a statement, I will, of course support it. But first, I have to lay some groundwork.

"PSOAS" OR "ILIOPSOAS"?

Sometimes, one name is used, and sometimes, the other. The psoas muscles share a common tendon and end-point with the iliacus muscles, which line the inside of the pelvis, so the combination is called, the "iliopsoas" muscle. For brevity, I use the term, "psoas muscle".

ECONOMICAL MOVEMENT

"Economical", in this sense means, "getting the intended (not necessarily the most) result with the least effort." Where tension and movement are concerned, more is obviously not necessarily better; more efficient is better. The word, "graceful", applies, here. Graceful movement is economical movement; awkward movement is uneconomical or ungainly movement. Graceful movement conserves effort; ungainly movement wastes effort. For movement to be economical, it must be well-balanced and well-coordinated -- a matter of integration.

The psoas muscles, being most centrally located as the deepest muscles in the body, help control the shape of the spine. By controlling the shape of the spine, they control our balance -- how the centers of gravity of our major segments - head, thorax (or chest), abdomen and legs - line up.

To the degree that our movements cause these centers of gravity to line up vertically (when standing), to that degree, we have balance. To the degree that we have accurate, balanced movement and good timing, we have economical movement.

Tight psoas muscles distort the spinal curves, shorten the spine, change pelvic balance and cause ungainly (chunky, heavy, labored, awkward) movement. To the degree that the spinal curves are distorted, our alignment is distorted and to that degree, we are out of balance and our movement is un-economical/wasteful of effort.

ACTIVITY AND REST: MUSCLE TONE

The term, "tone", refers to the level of muscle tension: complete rest means zero muscle tone; complete activation means maximum muscle tone. Some people believe that the higher the tone, the better; others believe that complete relaxation is better. As you will see, where tone is concerned, it's neither; better-integrated is better, and better-integrated means more freedom to adjust accurately to changing conditions -- freedom and balance.

Here's the key to understanding your psoas muscles and freeing them: Psoas muscles help regulate our changes of position as we move from rest into activity and from activity into rest by changes in their tone. They help maintain our balance and stability in those positions. They are central to movements from lying to sitting, from sitting to standing, and from standing to walking and running. If their tone is too high, they interfere with balance and stability as we move into different positions; their tone is almost never too low, and if so, usually indicates either neurological damage or a need to learn basic control.

With changes of position, the activity level of your psoas muscles changes, as follows.

• From Lying to Sitting - At rest or in repose, your psoas muscles have no job to do and should be at rest -- which means relaxed and comfortable.

Your psoas muscles connect your legs to your trunk. When you move from lying to sitting, they help hold and move your legs as counterbalances, plus they help provide a sufficiently stable core as you move to the upright position. Overly tight psoas muscles create groin pain or deep low back (lumbopelvic) pain when changing position from lying to sitting. You may have the experience of a groin pull or of muscles seizing up in your pelvis or low back.

• When Sitting - Your psoas muscles connect your groin to your pelvis and low back and stabilize your balance in the front-to-back direction; your brain adjusts their tone for the right amount of front-to-back stability under the pull of gravity.

Overly tight psoas muscles that create too deep a fold at your groin and too much back arch contribute to groin pain and back muscle fatigue and soreness.

• From Sitting to Standing - As you move from sitting to upright standing, your psoas muscles must relax and lengthen to permit movement to a larger hip joint angle between legs and trunk.

Overly tight psoas muscles, which connect your groin to your spine, prevent you from coming to a fully erect, balanced stand. They hold you in a subtle crouch at less than your full stature, which you may not recognize because you're used to it - except that you hurt in certain movements or positions!

• When Standing - Your psoas muscles' well-regulated tone helps your back muscles to erect you to your full stature, with minimal lumbar curve. Through your psoas muscles, your brain adjusts your spinal curves (and balance) as you bend forward, lean back, move side-to-side, and twist and turn.

Overly tight psoas muscles don't lengthen enough as you stand straight; they pull from your groin to your low back, causing lumbopelvic or lumbosacral pain, a "pubes back" position, and excessive lower back curve. Your butt sticks out.

• From Standing to Walking - As you move step into walking, you first shift your weight onto one foot to free the other leg; the psoas muscles on the standing side relax and those on the walking side tighten to help you step forward. (For therapists, a detailed description exists in the ezine article, "The Psoas Muscles and Abdominal Exercises For Back Pain".) In healthy walking, your psoas muscles freely alternate, side-to-side, between higher and lower tone as you walk or run.

Overly tight psoas muscles shorten your stride and require your hamstrings and gluteus medius muscles to work harder to bring your "standing" leg back as you step forward. You end up with tight hamstrings and tight gluteus medius muscles (hip pain in back). In other words, your brain has learned to hold your psoas muscles at a level of tension that's related to the tension of other muscles.

You can't make a lasting change in one without changing the other because your brain maintains habitual patterns of movement among muscles (pattern of coordination); to change one, you have to change your entire pattern, or at least enough of it to reorganize your movement pattern. That kind of change doesn't occur "by deciding to move differently"; when you're walking, you can't conveniently put that kind of attention into your movements; you have to make it automatic, and there's a process for that, mentioned below.

In actuality, most people never experience complete relaxation or complete activation; they're stuck with elevated muscle tone somewhere in between, stuck with limitations of movement and posture, stuck with ungainly movement (taken as normal "individual differences"), stuck with some degree of muscle fatigue (often mistaken for weakness).

The reason: muscle memory.

MUSCLE MEMORY

People may attribute consistent tight psoas muscles to muscle memory. But neither the psoas muscles nor any other muscle in the body has a memory. Muscles have no control of their own. Memory resides in the nervous system; the nervous system controls the muscular system to coordinate movement and maintain balance, something no muscle can do on its own. No muscle controls any other muscle; the nervous system does that. To do that, it remembers (or we remember, both at a conscious and at a subconscious level) what movement and balance feel like and our nervous system coordinates (we coordinate) our movements to recreate and maintain those familiar sensations of movement and balance.

COORDINATION

Muscles never work alone; they always work in concert with other muscles. What any muscle does affects our entire balance. Other muscles have to compensate for those effects on balance by tightening or relaxing. Your brain controls these entire patterns of movement and compensation with memories of movement ("muscle memory"). To be more accurate, the term, "muscle memory" should be "movement memory".

Because your nervous system and muscular system cooperate as a whole, to try to change the movement and tension behavior of tight psoas muscles without changing the larger movement pattern of which they are a part is to work against the rest of the system and its (our) memory of how movements go and feel. That's why methods of muscle manipulation (e.g., massage, myofascial release, stretching) produce changes that are either temporary or slow in coming - and why psoas release by manipulation is painful: it works directly on sore, contracted psoas muscles against the conditioning of the entire movement system.

THE CORE

The psoas muscles are our deepest core muscles.

When people speak of the "core", they usually mean the muscles of the abdominal wall. But how is that the "core"? The core of anything, such as the Earth or an apple, is its centermost part. The psoas is a core muscle (as are the diaphragm, quadratus lumborum, iliacus and other muscles closest to bone); the abdominal muscles are "sleeve", to use terms used by rolfers.

Your brain coordinates the movements and tone of muscles; tone changes as position changes in movement. That's what is meant by "supple." Supple psoas muscles have the sensation of spaciousness, support, freedom and length at your body core. The term rolfers use is, "open core." When psoas muscles do their job of stabilizing the spine, they relieve the abdominal wall muscles of some of that task; your abdominal muscles have the sensation of relaxation and free breathing. The term rolfers use is, "free sleeve." Healthy psoas functioning gives the experience of "open core, free sleeve." Open core/free sleeve is the feeling of trunk/spine length, flexibility and stability.

SUMMARY

So, we can see that efforts to free the psoas muscles without also improving their coordination with the rest of the musculature are grounded in, let's say, a partial understanding of how they function. That means that "psoas release" techniques, "psoas stretches", and psoas strengthening approaches need movement education (known as "somatic education," which involves brain-muscle training) to produce the result they seek - a stable shift to healthy psoas functioning.

Economical movement (least effort, good result) and easy balance are the goal -- attributes you can develop by movement training that first frees the psoas muscles and then integrates them into economical movement patterns. First free, then integrate.

It's convenient to use the movements and positions in which the psoas muscles participate -- from repose to sitting, from sitting to standing, from standing to walking (and by extension, to bending, twisting, running and other actions) -- to evaluate their functioning and to free and integrate them.

Then, it's a brain-level training process that changes the brain's sense of movement and coordination. Beyond saying that we free and integrate movement, a description of the training process is quite beyond the scope of an article, but you can see steps in that process in video through the link, below.

There's an easier way and a harder way. This is the easier way.

Treatment for Spondylolisthesis

Have you been diagnosed with spondylolisthesis?

Spondylolisthesis is a low back condition which often begins in adolescence. It starts with a stress fracture of one of the vertebrae of your low back.

One of my cases involved a 16-year old boy who played baseball. Every time he swung the bat and missed (which, of course, happens a lot of the time) his low back would end up in an extreme twisted position. Over the months, his bones couldn't take it, and a stress fracture resulted.

Spondylolisthesis is also relatively more common in young dancers and gymnasts who repeatedly bend backward.

Sometimes the fracture of spondylolisthesis will cause pain, but often the discomfort will go away fairly quickly without treatment. If it does, you may not even know you have spondylolisthesis.

Unfortunately, the stress fracture allows for instability of spinal alignment. Over the years, with further deterioration of the discs and other supporting ligaments, the vertebra can slide forward relative to the bone below. Then symptoms of pain, movement restriction, and nerve impingement can occur.

One of the standard ways to diagnose spondylolisthesis is with conventional low back Xrays. In addition to side and front-back views, a diagonal (oblique) X-ray view can zero in on the exact location of the vertebral arch fracture.

MRI's can also be used in diagnosis.

If your forward slippage continues to get worse, or you begin to experience nerve impingement as a result of spondylolisthesis, you may even require surgery to stabilize your low back.

But it need not be that way. Many adults with spondylolisthesis have no symptoms whatever, and their condition is only diagnosed by chance.

What's the secret to avoiding spondylolisthesis-related problems?

Proper exercise and postural awareness are key.

The problem is that the wrong exercises - or even the right exercise done the wrong way - can make your problem worse.

Abdominal support of the spine to maintain a neutral spinal alignment is all-important. The simplest exercise to strengthen your abdominal support is the plank pose. Begin by holding the pose for 30 seconds, making sure your back is straight.

If your abdominals ae out of shape and holding for 30 seconds is a challenge, begin with 10 seconds repeated three times. Ultimately you'll develop the strength to hold the pose for 30 seconds.

Once you can maintain straight alignment in the plank pose for 30-90 seconds, you can advance to a more difficult variation, such as placing your feet on a low bench so that your trunk is angle downward.

Avoid sit-ups, curl-ups or crunches - they can actually put more stress on your discs and make your condition worse.

You do want to maintain full range of motion of the spine. You can do this with variations of the cat or dog pose. But avoid prolonged or extreme forward bending, such as in bending forward to touch your toes. And too many downward-facing dogs in yoga class could backfire.

Similarly, extreme or prolonged backward bending could also create problems. Even the simple cobra pose might allow an opportunity for forward vertebral slippage. Instead, perform a backward bending pose while lying on your back. That way, gravity will tend to pull the offending bone backward, instead of allowing it to slip further forward.

If you have tight hip flexors, they might tend to drag your low back forward, making your spondylolisthesis worse. It's important to stretch your hip flexors, but you have to perform the stretch while avoiding backward-arching (extension) of your low back. That's hard to describe briefly - but I've got specific pictures of a safe way to stretch your hip flexors available in my downloadable Doctors' Guide to Spondylolisthesis.

Many people with spondylolisthesis leave a fully active life without pain or other limitation. By following a few simple precautions you can join them.

All About Cervical Spine Surgery and Recovery

Cervical spinal problem affects the neck and arms, so it brings along symptoms like pain and other abnormalities in the neck and arms, weakness in the shoulders and difficulty in grasping things. Most cervical problems occur due to changes in the discs and neck joints. These problems can be solved, and serious damage can be avoided by undergoing a cervical spine surgery.

When discs herniate or get hard, pressure is exerted on the nerve roots and spinal cord. This pressure on the spinal cord can impair hand use, normal walking, and bowel and bladder function. These symptoms are taken very seriously because if the problem persists for a long time, it may lead to permanent damage to the spine.

The result of pressure on surrounded nerve roots can cause radiculopathy and will produce in addition to the cervical spine pain, weakness and sensory changes in the area that goes from the cervical spine to the shoulder, arm, or hand.

In this case of a cervical spine problem, cervical spine surgery is performed. it helps in relieving pain and ensures quick recovery.

The cervical spine surgery relieves pain, tingling sensation, numbness in the body, and weakness. It also aids in restoring the function of the nerve, and stops any kind of abnormal motion of the spine. Cervical spine treatment is done by removing a disc or a bone and fusing the two vertebrae together by using a graft on either side, front or behind the spine.

The bone graft that is used can be of two types: the autograft, which is the bone taken from your body; or an allograft, which is the bone taken from a bone bank. Sometimes, other options are also used such as screws, metal plates or wires, in order to stabilize the spine. The technique of putting these materials in the body to provide support is called as instrumentation.

The abnormal motion of the spine stops when the surgery is performed over the affected vertebrae. The cervical spine surgery is performed on degenerated disc disorders, instability or trauma, since these conditions cause pressure on the spinal cord or on the nerves around the spine. There are certain other conditions as well under which this surgery could be performed. These include the degenerative disorder in which the cushion pads between the vertebrae shrink further, causing further wear and tear of the disc which may lead to a herniated disc. This degeneration causes pain, burning in extreme cases and tingling. Patients who have a deformity in the spine can also gain relief by this surgery.

There are certain complications associated with the cervical spine surgery, such as an injury may be caused to the spinal cord, nerves, esophagus, and vocal cords. Sometimes, the fusion of the bones does not heal, and it causes infection and pain in the grafted part. Other more serious complications can be blood clots in the lungs or urinary problems, and also paralysis.

Common Chiropractic Equipment

Ever wonder what that machine you see in the chiropractor's office is? How about what the table you lie on is called? The machines in the chiropractor's office are all designed to solve your many back ailments. As high tech and intimidating as the machines seem, they are really quite fascinating to understand. In this article there will be several machines listed that are common in chiropractic office. We will also tell you what they do and how they work. Hopefully next time you go into the chiropractic office you will have a better feel for what is being done to your back.

Computerized Traction Tables

Computerized Traction Tables are non-surgical devices that relieve back and neck pain that is caused by pressure put on the spine. The table stretches, pulls, and relaxes the different parts of the spine. Older traction machines would sometimes pull too quickly and cause uncomfortable or ineffective pain relief. The computerized table, however, is slow and can be controlled much easier than its ancestors. So what is it doing to you? The patient is strapped in to this machine and it will slowly reach enough tension or "pull" that the pressure on the disc will be released. The machine decreases the pull in smaller and smaller increments to release all of the pressure without harming the patient. The reasons for spinal decompression include regaining normal length and alignment of the spinal cord, to lessen or eliminate muscle spasms, and to relieve pressure on nerves (especially spinal).

BioDex Balance System

The BioDex Balance System is designed to improve balance, increase agility, and develop muscle tone. This system allows for patients to do training in both static and dynamic formats. Among the wide variety of training methods this system offers are, postural stability training, maze control training, weight shifting training, random control training, limits of stability training, and percentage weight bearing training. The machine features a moving plate that patients stand on. The plate shuffles in different ways depending on the training needed. Through repeated exposure, muscles and coordination are built. With focus on the knees, ankles, hips, and lower back this machine will improve coordination, balance and muscle within 6 to 8 weeks for most patients.

Free Motion Dual Cable Cross

The Free Motion Dual Cable Cross might be a mouthful to say but is a machine you are likely familiar with if you have been in a gym. This machine has two cables that can be positioned in a variety of directions depending on what you want to work out. You then assign weight to the cables and pull away. With twelve vertical and nine horizontal settings, this machine can essentially cover any movement pattern. While common in gyms for simple weight-lifting, a skilled chiropractor uses these for rehabilitation and movement training.

Power Plate

The Power Plate is a vibration machine used at some chiropractic practices. By using unique acceleration technology it stimulates the brain's natural response to vibration. If you remember the 80s there were vibration machines that used bands to "rub away the fat". Power Plates use the vibration in a different way. By standing on the plate, doing regular exercises, the vibration intensifies the muscle strain and creates a stronger workout in less time. Additionally, the unstable feel of standing on the plate generates coordination and balance benefits. This can also be accomplished by the much less safe method of working out in an earthquake.

Medical machinery includes many of the most intimidating machines we regular folk ever have to interact with. Having an understanding of what these devices do makes it easier to step into/on/around them and start reaping the benefits of human ingenuity. So, when you next walk into your chiropractor's office, take a look around and see if there are any machines you might recognize. Hopefully knowing how it works will make it a little less creepy.

Spinal Stenosis - Finally a Non-Surgical Solution

What is Stenosis?

Spinal Stenosis is a medical condition in which the spinal canal narrows and compresses the spinal cord and/or exiting nerve roots. Stenosis is from the Greek word meaning "a narrowing". Central canal stenosis is a narrowing of the channel in the center of each vertebra through which passes the spinal cord on its way down the spine. Foraminal stenosis is a narrowing of the channel on either side of the vertebra where the spinal nerve roots exit on their way to various parts of the body such as down the arms or legs. The vertebral foramen is a small opening or hole for the exiting spinal nerve root that is formed where the downward notch in the bone of a vertebra meets the upward notch of the vertebra below it. Spinal stenosis may affect the cervical, thoracic or lumbar spine. Lumbar spinal stenosis results in low back pain and can radiate down the nerves into the buttocks, hips, thighs, legs, or feet. Cervical spinal stenosis results in neck pain and can radiate down the nerves into the shoulders, arms, wrists, and hands.

What Causes it?

Although it is true that some individuals congenitally have larger or smaller canals than do others, the cause of the narrowing is usually a combination of 3 different degenerative factors present in varying degrees in different patients. First, when a disc herniates the bulge takes up space narrowing the nerve channel. Second, as the involved disc dries out and loses height (a process known as desiccation) it causes the vertebra to become closer together further narrowing the nerve channel. Third, as the stress on the joint compounds and osteoarthritis begins to result, bone spurs (osteophytes) form and ligaments thicken (hypertrophy) gradually narrowing the channel even further. These 3 factors in various combinations and degrees of severity compromise the space in the channel and conspire to compress (pinch) the spinal cord or nerve root. These 3 factors may also be referred to as Degenerative Disc Disease, the most common cause of spinal stenosis.

Spondylolisthesis and scar tissue formation as a result of prior surgical fusion are other factors that can contribute to spinal stenosis. Spondylolisthesis describes the anterior displacement of a vertebra or the vertebral column in relation to the vertebra below. Also, rarely, various bone diseases such as Paget's Disease or tumors in the spine are responsible for the narrowing. An MRI can rule in or rule out a wide range of possibilities rare though they may be.

A Non-surgical Solution

Spinal Decompression Therapy, first approved by the FDA in 2001, has since evolved into a cost-effective treatment for herniated and degenerative spinal discs, and the resultant spinal stenosis; one of the major causes of back pain and neck pain. It works on the affected spinal segment by significantly reducing intradiscal pressures. The vacuum thus created retracts the extruded disc material allowing more room for the pinched nerve, and will many times additionally increase the spacing between the vertebra as the involved discs are rehydrated, allowing even more room for the nerve. Furthermore, as the disc rehydrates its shock absorbing capabilities are restored reducing mechanical stress on the related structures (facet joints and supporting ligamentous tissues) slowing or halting the osteoarthritc damage. This is a non-surgical conservative procedure for patients suffering with bulging or herniated discs, degenerative disc disease, posterior facet syndrome, sciatica, failed back surgery syndrome, and non-specified mechanical low back or neck pain resulting in spinal stenosis.

Treat Back Pain Through Spinal Stabilization

Have you injured your back, gone through rehabilitation but still experience stiffness, weakness, or chronic back pain which limit you from participating in the activities you once enjoyed doing?

Many rehabilitation programs address acute stages of the injury, to decrease swelling and pain in the injured area and to restore range of motion but they fail to provide a proper treatment program to prevent further injury and to improve any remaining symptoms like chronic pain, muscle stiffness, weakness in the mid section and the lower extremities, muscle imbalances, bad posture, and weakness and instability experienced when trying to perform certain activities that require core stability like skiing, shoveling snow, lifting, moving and carrying heavier objects etc., other traditional treatments like manual therapy, spinal manipulation and EMS relieve the symptoms but do not treat the cause.

The core or mid section of a person (below the pelvis up to the nipples) is the very foundation for virtually any activity that requires standing upright and performing a movement. The muscles of the core work together to stabilize the spine, protect it from injury and to coordinate and execute movements. The deeper muscles like the multifidus, quadratus lumborum and transverse abdominis primarily function to stabilize the spine and give it structural integrity to prevent injury during movement. The more superficial muscles like the abdominals, spinal erectors, obliques, iliopsoas and gluteals function more to initiate and execute movements of the limbs and trunk (although they can also function as stabilizers when contracting isometrically).

If the deep stabilizer muscles are weak then the spine is unstable and susceptible to injury. Once an injury occurs these muscles become even weaker because they are the closest to the site of injury and this makes the spine even more unstable and more susceptible to injury. The larger more superficial muscles have to work harder to compensate for the lack of stability. This causes a muscle imbalance: some muscles become tight and some muscles become weak.

If there is any structural abnormality such as a deformed spine, scar tissue, muscle imbalance, or compression of the vertebrae then a client's functional capacity (the ability to perform certain activities) will be significantly affected and there will be residual symptoms such as chronic back pain, stiffness, and weakness. You may not be able to restore the spine to its previous uninjured condition but you can strengthen the stabilizer muscles to give the spine more stability which reduces compression and shear forces, protects against further injury and unburdens the more superficial muscles thus restoring balance to the system. Strengthening these stabilizer muscles should improve the residual symptoms because weak stabilizer muscles are the broken links in the chain and are essential for keeping a healthy back.

To illustrate this with an example, a client of mine herniated a disc 10 years ago shoveling snow. He underwent traditional rehabilitation but continued to suffer from low back pain, weakness in the core and lower extremities, as well as stiff muscles in the lower back. His lower back posture was flat with little lordosis (spinal curvature) and he had a limited ability to hyperextend. He made regular visits to his chiropractor for traditional treatments such as adjustments, interference current and soft tissue work. This offered some relief but the relief was temporary and his symptoms persisted. He also engaged in a rigorous stretching regiment because his lower back was always tight but this also failed to provide proper relief. I tried my best to strengthen his core using various traditional exercises that target the superficial muscle like the abdominals, spinal erectors and the obliques. Although he did make some progress in functional strength (i.e being able to push pull and carry) his symptoms persisted.

Another client of mine also herniated a disc although not as severely (only a slight bulge) and he developed chronic pain on the left side of his hip which spread to his lower back. When I did an assessment on him I discovered that he had lower crossed syndrome (a common muscle imbalance).

Each person's symptoms, the cause of those symptoms, and any currently present structural abnormalities depend on several factors like site of injury, nature of injury, posture, preexisting muscle imbalance, weight and age. These factors interact in complex ways to produce symptoms and structural abnormalities that are unique to each person. For example a person with a posterior lumbar disc herniation can either have lordosis (a hyper-extended spine) or a flat back with minimal lumbar extension (as in the case of my first example). The etiology of any musculoskeletal disorder is very complex because it is dependent on many factors. However, whatever the cause is, chronic back pain can be significantly reduced and re-injury can be prevented by a properly designed spinal stabilization program because spinal instability is at the root.

Dr. Phil Jelinowski DO., CSCS., MES

Back Pain Products to Help My Back Pain

If you suffer lower back pain, you are not on your own. Probably nearly all adults at some point in their lives will experience this condition that interferes with their work eg there is a high incidence of lumbar pain in drivers, everyday activities, sports (eg lumbar pain in golfers) or hobbies. Lower back pain or sciatica is considered the most common cause of job-related disability and the highest contributor to absenteeism in the western world. For example, it is second to headaches as the most common neurological ailment in the United States. Generally, most occurrences of lower back pain or lumbar pain subside after a few days, although some instances may take much longer to resolve or very occasionally lead to more serious conditions.

Short-term pain (Acute) generally lasts from a few days to a few weeks, and this condition tends to be mechanical in nature, the consequence of trauma to the lower back or a condition such as arthritis. Back pain from trauma may be caused by an injury sustained through sports activity, household jobs or working in the garden.

Sometimes, sudden jarring from a minor fall, or other stress on the lower back bones and tissues could be the root cause of low lumbar pain or sciatica. Symptoms of lumbar pain may range from aching muscles to shooting or sharp stabbing pain, limited flexibility and/or range of motion, or an inability to stand straight. Sometimes, pain felt in one part of the body may stem from a disorder or injury incurred in other parts of the body. Very occasionally acute low back pain syndromes could become more serious if untreated.

Definitions of what period or duration constitutes chronic back pain vary but pain that persists for over 12 weeks would generally be described as chronic.

Often the initial cause of the back problem is not known and this condition can sometimes be progressive The good news is that the vast majority of occurrences can be treated without surgery. Back pain treatments include analgesics, to reduce inflammation, to restoring proper mobility and strength to the back, by a variety of back pain products and therapies, to strategies for the avoidance of recurrence of the injury.

Usually patients suffering lumbar pain recover fully and don't incur continuing loss of functionality. It's advisable to contact your GP if there is no improvement or reduction in the back pain and inflammation after 3 days There is a plethora of exercises, medication, or therapy products and gadgets available to sufferers, designed to provide either, relief, prevention or both.

Although some of these back pain products (such as Magnatherapy or aromatherapy) would be described as 'alternative' or pseudoscientific ie they have few empirically or scientifically proven benefits, many are developed through the application of sound medical principle and theory. It's worthwhile asking your GP for recommendations on any therapies as well as making sure that the cause is not more serious

Back pain therapy devices PGAT devices

Inversion Tables

Inversion is a natural form of passive gravity assisted traction (PGAT) that uses the patient's body weight in conjunction with gravity to decompress weight-bearing joints. While the patient is rotated and suspended, gravity effectively creates a traction, resulting in a customized stretch that extends the spine, from the sacroiliac to the cervical joints of the neck, increasing the space between the vertebrae, which relieves the pressure on the discs and nerve roots. By reducing this pressure there is less interference with the spinal nerves thus reducing lower lumbar pain. Inversion is considered to be an effective therapy This is typically performed on what's called an inversion table.

The table allows you to lie on your back relaxed, in an inverted position. This position eliminates some or all gravitational compression, depending upon how far back you position your body. Inversion therapy relieves back pain, and it works even better when it's part of a well-rounded therapy plan that addresses the specific muscle imbalances you have. But even by itself it is highly effective. A recent study done at Newcastle University found that over 70% of patients who performed inversion therapy were able to cancel their scheduled back surgeries.

CPM Mobilisers

Backlife

Backlife is designed to apply a Continuous Passive Movement (CPM) to the lower back pain sufferer in a similar way to how a healthcare professional, as part of his back pain therapy, would apply in order to help relieve pressure between the vertebrae, and therefore relieve pain in the lumbar region. In order to apply CPM the user would lie on the floor bending their knees over the upper section of the machine. As the upper section moves, it gently rotates the pelvis in a circular fashion, allowing the joints to move, whilst the joints remain relaxed. The advertised benefits of Backlife for pain relief are that it reduces the stress and pressure on the lower back, restores back mobility and improves stability. In addition it reduces lumbar pain with regular use, improves posture, and reduces muscle tension.

Back in action Mobiliser

The Back in Action Mobiliser is an extremely powerful medical grade spinal joint mobilisation system, available for home or professional use for back pain relief. It's described as usually very effective at decreasing the symptoms of long term and chronic musculo-skeletal problems. The system applies very localised pressure to the muscles either side of the spine, simulating a practitioners 'thumbing technique,whilst mobilising the spine, flexing and extending the spine, freeing up stubborn vertebrae. In addition to this the mobilise provides a continuous passive motion (CPM) considered to be beneficial to health and aid healing The mobilise has been used to treat conditions such as: lumbago; prolapse /slipped disc, sciatica; scoliosis, arthritic hips, sacro-iliac dysfunction, whiplash injuries; fibromyalgia and many other disabling conditions. It is also comprehensively tested and endorsed by medics, so that it is probably the most commended back pain therapy care system available. Its most significant disadvantage is that it is made in small numbers and is expensive to buy however they are available to hire.

Backstretcher

The Backstretcher, also known as the Rolastretcher provides relief with a combination of massage and stretching movements, allowing the user to move and stretch different parts of the spine by moving up and down the frame. The rollers also provide pressure (acupressure) on the back muscles either side of the spine where dysfunctional trigger points (knots) often occur. It provides back pain sufferers the opportunity to complement their therapeutic treatment with a device, which is portable, The effectiveness of this device has been confirmed by scientific study by the University of Iowa's Spine Centre.

Flexibak

Flexibak is back support cradle that is designed to ease lower back pain problems, reduce discomfort, and promote relief, by decompression of key joints, allowing natural movement to return to the user. Flexibak, developed by 2 leading British osteopaths, is designed to encourage the lumbar and sacroiliac joints to open up, and encourage the return of natural movement as pressure on inflamed muscles is relieved.

Back cushions and wedges and Supports Cushions

Back cushions

These are custom shaped soft cushions which are tailored to the natural shape of the user's lower back and designed to offer support whilst maintaining an ergonomic and comfortable posture whilst sat on a chair or in the car, thus providing an element of relief for low back pain.

Seat wedges

Seat wedges provide lumbar pain relief in a natural passive manner. Sitting on a seat wedge has the effect of moving forward the pelvis which has the effect of causing the users spine to adopt a more ergonomically correct upright posture. Seat wedges maybe useful for lumbar pain suffering car drivers by angling their backs into more comfortable driving positions, or in sedentary workplace situations where the back pain sufferer may be adopting a suiting position for several hours, for example call centre workers. Ideal for everybody working in a sitting position, especially PC users. A variant of the seat wedge is the coccyx wedge which incorporates a cut away section to reduce or avoid pressure on the sacrum or coccyx which could be causing lower back pain or tail bone pain.

Back Braces

These aim to constrict the affected area of low back pain low afflicted area, these strap-on body braces help reduce lower back pain and help to correct poor posture.

TENS units

TENS (Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation) is the application of electric current produced by a device to stimulate the nerves for therapeutic purposes. In this case we are referring to portable stimulators used to help with back pain. The unit is usually connected to the skin using two or more electrodes or semi adhesive pads. Although the first units developed in the US for testing tolerance of chronic back pain sufferers to electrical stimulation in preparation for surgically invasive implants, many patients reported deriving relief from the TENS itself. A number of companies began manufacturing TENS units after the commercial success of the Meditronic device became known TENS is regarded as a non-invasive, safe nerve stimulation intended to reduce pain, both acute and chronic. Controversy does exist over its effectiveness in treating of chronic back pain. In 2007 a feature in the Pain Journal concluded that ENS was effective for chronic musculoskeletal pain whereas the journal Neurology advised against recommending TENS for chronic lower back pain,but other neurologists in the same journal suggested that in some patients TENS is useful. TENS units available from high street retailers Baxolve offers immediate relief for lower back pain through a combination of TENS therapy and lumbar support in one easy to use convenient belt.

Heat and cold back pain products

There is little empirical evidence that the application of hot and cold compresses actually effectively relieve back pain conditions, although the use of hot and cold compresses may provide relief by helping to reduce the lower back pain, spasms, and inflammation, in turn allowing for improved mobility for some back pain sufferers. Immediately after the trauma, the sufferer would apply a cold compress (generally ice packs or refrigerant gel) to the affected area of the lower back pain, maybe after a strain, for up to about 20 minutes a few time a day, for a couple of days to help reduce tissue inflammation. After a couple of days the back pain sufferer would then apply heat to the affected area, using a variety of methods such as heat pads, heat lamps etc for short durations. This has the effect of dilating the blood vessels which increase blood flow to the affected tissues, and encouraging the healing process. It also has the effect of relaxing the muscles similar to having a warm bath after exertion. As with any back pain treatment it's advisable to consult your GP before commencing a treatment.

Magnet therapy

Magnet therapy can be described as an alternative or pseudoscientific method of back pain treatment, using magnetic fields on the body to promote back pain relief and healing, with a perceived, though not understood positive effect on blood oxygen content. There is no scientific basis to conclude that small, static magnets can relieve pain It has its origins in Traditional Oriental Medicine (TOM) dating back some 2000 years, centered around 'Chi'or 'energy flows' around the body and instrumental in health and wellbeing, with magnetic wave therapy having associations with acupuncture or and acupressure. Although it is regarded with an element of scepticism due to seemingly physical and biological implausibility, in Eastern countries, therapeutic magnets are licensed as medical devices, and it does appear to be gaining some recognition within the US medical community, with an example of affirmative research of published in the MDBR Journal of Rheumatology. The downside to this is the difficulty associated with establishing true blind testing of magnets and associated 'placebo or Hawthorne' effects within test groups. By all means have a look at what's available but remain sceptical.

Ultrasound

Ultrasound is often used as a method of pain relief by physios and therapists in combination with other pain treatments, such as manipulation, massage, ice treatment and interferential (electrotherapy). The ultrasound device causes millions of sound waves to penetrate deep into tissue in order to promote healing of inflamed or damaged muscles, tendons and ligaments. It's claimed that ultrasound can reduce tissue inflammation by stimulating blood flow, promote healing by stimulating soft tissue, and assist in the absorption uf analgesics, and reduce pain. Again there is conflict over the effectiveness for lower back pain treatment with both positive user testimonials offset by inconclusive meta analysis. See Physical Therapy article Jul 2001 and New Zealand Journal of Physiotherapy Jul 2008

Ultralieve

Ultralieve Pro is a mains operated or portable hand held medical grade device designed for home use to help with pain and promote healing by conducting ultrasound waves into the damaged tissue. Although the device is easy its perhaps best if the user has received ultrasound treatment previously from a physio or healthcare professional, and again it's advisable to check with your GP or physio before using one to derive pain relief It should not be used as a replacement for conventional help with back pain but in conjunction with it in between sessions. Again there is conflict over the effectiveness to help with back pain with both positive user testimonials offset by inconclusive meta analysis.

4 Tips to Reduce Lower Back Pain

I often get the question "Jeff, how can I get rid of this back pain in my lower back?" The more I get this question the more I realize how much of a problem this is really becoming especially in the overweight and middle aged population.

Before I go any further with this article I want to remind everybody of the two different types of injuries/pain. The first one is Acute pain, which is generally an injury that just occurred recently and the pain associated with it is do this recent injury and it is not a condition that has been on-going for many months or even years. The second type is chronic pain, usually resulting from an injury or trauma from many months ago or sometimes years ago.

In my humble opinion there are four main factors that contribute to lower back pain. So here are my 4 Tips to reduce lower back pain.

Flexibility: The Spinal column is the most crucial aspect of our everyday existence and anyone experiencing low back pain can tell you how painful the most common tasks become when the back is out of whack. So to attack one problem would be to begin with some basic stretches 2-3 times weekly and eventually working your way up to 5-7 days per week. Hold each stretch for approximately 10-30 seconds and remember to take deep breaths as well to ensure the complete relaxation of the mind and body.

Core Strength: The entire lower back is is attached to the hip girdle and wraps around to the connecting abdominal muscles on the front side of your body. Here is a quick simple exercise that can be done at your desk to strengthen your transverse abdominal muscles. Sit upright and inhale as deep as possible, then when exhaling flex those abdominal muscles and imagine sucking your belly button in towards your spine. Then hold that for about 20-30 seconds while breathing lightly in and out. Do this often and you will begin to notice much greater control of your abdominal muscles, this alone will help you greatly with alleviating the back pain in addition to preventing future injury.

Lifting habits: Whenever you lift things for now on whether at the gym, moving, groceries, whatever it may be keep the back straight and control the abdominal muscles like we just did and lower your body by bending at your hips first and then knees. This will allow your very strong leg muscles to do the work and your abs will help maintain the postural integrity of your back when lifting things.

Posture: This one is tough especially for those who work at a computer most of the day. But here is a quick exercise to do that will help maintain good posture. Sit down in your chair with legs at a 90 degree angle; sit with your upper body perfectly straight and your head straight forward as well. Now pull your shoulder blades down and back toward each other, this should pull your shoulders back naturally and then control the abdominal muscles like we did earlier. Do these every so often throughout the day and you will begin to notice the control that you can have over your posture. Say goodbye to the lower back pain please.

MELT: Natural Movement Therapy For Back Pain

As knowledge concerning the human body and its many interconnected systems increases, new forms of pain treatment develop. On a regular basis, new methods of back pain treatment emerge that encompass the evolving understanding scientists, researchers and students of rehabilitative science have of the body. The number of these treatment options likely comes as a surprise -- and a relief -- to people struggling with chronic pain who've found themselves at a dead end on the conventional treatment path.

Movement and manipulation therapies have proven largely effective in relieving many back pain causes, from chronic muscle tension to misaligned joints. Some of these treatments are fairly straightforward: in exercise therapy, you strengthen muscles that support the spine; myofascial release targets knots in muscle and connective tissue and restores elasticity. There are some treatments that invoke a more multidisciplinary approach; these may do a better job of addressing the whole body rather than specific problem areas. One such treatment method is called MELT.

Sue Hitzmann is a Craniosacral and Neuromuscular Therapist whose multidisciplinary approach led her to develop the MELT system. It integrates her learning in neuromuscular communication and fascia, the connective tissue that surrounds and supports all of the body's structures. Hitzmann's goal is to rehydrate connective tissue, thereby increasing effective neuromuscular communication through functional fascia and keeping the body stronger overall.

The MELT method employs a number of principles and devices from other treatments, including foam rollers, an emphasis on body awareness and conscious muscle engagement. Unlike self-myofascial release, MELT doesn't advocate the use of heavy compression of fascia; the roller used is very soft. A MELT session has four purposes: to reconnect (increase mind-body connection through body awareness), to rebalance (the diaphragm and the core/nerve communication system), to rehydrate (connective tissue) and to release (by decompressing the body's joints). See http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zzv2qIbklqI for a video of a MELT session for the lower back.

MELT is a whole-body approach to maintaining health and recovering from injury. This has certain benefits; a mechanical problem in one part of the body is often related to a problem in a different part. Also worth noting is that MELT seeks to train the body's neurocommunication system to send the right messages to muscles at the right time, thereby helping prevent further injury.

As a gentle, whole-body treatment system, MELT may not be sufficient for targeting problem areas like trigger points. Sue Hitzmann promotes practicing MELT along with professionally-administered myofascial release, but not self-myofascial release, which she believes comes with too great a risk of injury. MELT may be a good supplement to rehabilitation or a method of maintaining good health, but may not be a treatment plan in itself. Due to the lack of research studies into the effectiveness of many alternative treatments, the best we can do is to be informed about options and to judge the potential effectiveness of a treatment based on the soundness of its theory and its applicability to our situation.

If you're interested in attending a MELT session, use the locator at http://www.meltmethod.com/finder to find a class near you. You may also wish to watch more videos online like the one above. Pursuing a treatment is always best when done with a trained instructor. However, if money is a barrier, then self-treatment is an option. Proceed carefully, especially if you have back pain or any other health condition.

Myofascia is increasingly becoming acknowledged as a back pain cause. MELT is yet another treatment option available to people looking to reduce pain and increase overall health.

Discitis - Symptoms and Treatments

Our spine is made up of a number of vertebrae stacked on top of each other. There are discs, plate like structures made up of cartilage, between vertebrae. They separate the vertebrae from each other and also act as shock absorbing cushions.

Discitis is a disease that occurs in children as well as in adults. It causes inflammation of the intervertebral discs. It may happen when there is an infection in any other part of the body, especially the pelvic region but spreads to the spine via the blood stream. The infection may then spread from the disc to the vertebral bones.

Signs and Symptoms

The first indication of discitis may be too much pain in the back, especially the lower back. Children may refuse to even walk because of the pain. Patients might also show signs like leaning and supporting the back while walking. It might be difficult for them to get up from the floor.

Other signs include mild fever, depending upon the type and degree of infection. Patients find it difficult to raise a leg up while lying on their back. They also feel tired and can experience sudden sweats or chills. Loss of appetite is also common. The pain may spread from the back to the abdomen, hip, leg or groin.

If the infection spreads to a considerable extent, the spine may suffer chronic inflammation. In some cases, the infection may cause the vertebrae to fuse together. If this occurs in a young child, the fused vertebrae grow together. So when the spine grows, it tilts forward. This is known as Kyphosis.

Diagnosis

Diagnosing Discitis is not simple. Blood tests showing infection are not enough to indicate the disease. The abnormalities of the vertebrae or constriction of disc space may be visible in an X-ray but not before 2- 3 weeks have passed since the disease sets in. Bone scans and MRI are helpful in identifying the spread of infection.

Treatment

Depending on the severity of the infection, the treatment may comprise of medicines or surgery. If the infection is because of some bacteria, oral and intravenous antibiotics for a month or so may be prescribed by the doctor.

Rest is very important. Only when there is no pain should you try moving around slowly at first. You may also need a brace or a cast to support the spine. Acupuncture is also an option to ease the pain.

Disc Surgery, though rarely suggested, is needed to clean out severe infections. A fusion plug or metallic insertions can help in movement.

Discitis is not contagious. Also there is no specific diet that helps improve the condition of the patients.

With time, too much of antibiotics can cause diarrhea or allergies. It is important to keep a check on pain levels and temperature. Periodic x-rays and scans must be carried out. Continuous negative cultures might indicate tuberculosis.

Worsening of pain or any new symptoms must be reported to the doctor. Any other infection in any part of the body must be promptly treated.

Bulging Disc Treatment - Surgery is the Last Option

Most people do not really understand what a bulging disc is all about, even when talking about the bulging disc treatment that is needed to address the pain. This is simply because not a whole lot of people know that there are discs in our bodies. Most simply think that discs are in connection to DVDs and computer storage.

Biology 101 will inform us that all mammals are vertebrates. That is the spinal column or our back bone. The flexibility of the human species is far more advanced compared to other mammals. This is because the human spine is constructed of several interconnecting segments that are cushioned from friction by a gelatinous material that is called the spinal disc. This gel-like disc acts to absorb whatever shock or trauma a back has to endure, especially if the activities done mostly involve the back. When the discs get inflamed due to age or even spinal arthritis, the core of the disc will bulge outward causing a thinning on its outer wall. When this happens, sometimes there is no pain, other times the pain can be uncomfortable and debilitating and this can call for a good bulging disc treatment.

Other people may say the bulging disc is not the proper term. Well, actually, bulging disc can also called herniated disc, herniated being a bulge, so the term is still correct. Whatever the term may be one thing for certain, there is painful sensation, there is a tingling on the extremities, there is discomfort. For some it is so severe that even the most macho of men can cry crocodile tears without feeling shame. And the only way for a proper diagnosis is through a scan: MRI, CT or X-ray.

With the proper scanning, the physician will be able to properly diagnose the extent of the damage on the discs and be able to rule out simple back pain as sometimes the symptoms can be mistaken for. Surprisingly, mild anti inflammatory medications may be all that are needed for a successful treatment. That and proper rest and exercise should be effective. When people hear exercise they usually look at the doctor in curiosity until the doctor explains to them that immobilization will only worsen the condition.

Some people do not like taking the drugs for a bulging disc treatment. This is understandable as pain killers can be addicting, but if the patient is conscious of this and is under supervision of the doctors then the risks are few. That and the full awareness that they should not fall into dependence is the only way to consider medications. There are very few who get addicted and those who do probably did not follow the doctor's instructions faithfully.

Surgery would be the last course of action to take when discussing bulging disc treatment with the doctor, however, sometimes cases of the condition can be so severe and the disc ruptures that surgery may be the only curative treatment here. It should also be pointed out that there are a lot of people who dislike the knife actually beg to be put under it just to get over the pain. Whatever alternatives are out there, it is optimum that a good and thorough bulging disc treatment should be utilized just to get rid of the pain.

Exercise Routines That Work For Lower Back Pain

Low back pain is one of the most common complaints in those over the age of 21. A number of different conditions can cause low back pain, though muscle irritation is one of the most common causes. Other causes of pain in the lower back are spinal stenosis and disc herniation, otherwise known as a "slipped disc." While severe cases of lower back pain may require frightening surgical treatment, such as spinal fusion or disc replacement surgery, most cases can be treated through at-home methods (thankfully!)

Doctors recommend a number of different remedies that can help you alleviate that aggravating pain in your lower back. For instance, losing weight can have obvious benefits, not just for your back, but for your overall health, as well. Proper ergonomics is also vital. That means no more sitting down in the recliner slouched over or working in a desk chair without proper back and arm support. However, the best method for dealing with lower back pain is exercise. Most sufferers of back pain believe that physical exertion will actually make the problem worse, but the truth is a different matter.

In fact, core strengthening is one of the most frequently recommended options to deal with spinal stenosis or a slipped disc. Why do you need to work out to help ease that nagging pain in your lower spine? Won't exercise just intensify that feeling of pressure and discomfort?

Actually, core strengthening is capable of reducing low back pain by a considerable degree. Many sufferers report that their symptoms are almost completely gone within just a few weeks of starting a workout routine. These exercises help strengthen the muscles in your abdomen, sides and in your lower back. Additionally, they seem to be an excellent way to relieve tension in those taut back muscles, as well. What constitutes a good workout for back pain sufferers?

First, you'll need to find a low-impact workout. Do not attempt jogging, running or other forms of exercise that jar the entire body. This is a quick way to exacerbate your back pain. You'll need to find a different option to attain the pain relief you seek. Thankfully, there are numerous options available that offer very real benefits. What's the lineup, you ask? The first step should actually be a visit to your doctor, who will diagnose your condition and recommend a series of exercises. If you have already been to the doctor and are still searching for the best exercise routine, you have several options.

Yoga offers very real benefits and can strengthen those core muscles. However, if flexing and stretching while meditating does not appeal to you, there are other options, as well. An exercise ball can give you access to tremendous exercise options, as well as the reduced impact that you need to save your back extra aggravation. Abdominal workouts, such as sit-ups and crunches will also help strengthen those ailing core muscles.

Regardless of the type of exercise you choose, the key is to get up and get active. Sitting still does nothing to improve your level of discomfort.

When choosing a workout routine, make sure that you have the tools necessary for the task at hand. You won't need a weight bench or even free weights (weight training can further harm your back, so don't do it!). However, an exercise ball can be found for only a few dollars, while yoga requires little more than a foam mat and a spot on the floor. More exotic options exist, of course, but simple is usually better.

Do you suffer from low back pain? If so, what exercises have you tried? Did your doctor recommend a specific workout?

The Skinny On Lumbar Artificial Disc Replacement

Effective treatment for recalcitrant degenerative disc disease (DDD) has been the holy grail of low back pain. It's not an easy problem to deal with. Replacing the degenerative intervertebral lumbar disc achieved FDA approval in 2004 with the SB Charite implant as the first one, and it was expected to be the holy grail for low back pain from DDD.

The theory was to replace the diseased or damaged disc with a prosthetic implant which would not only take away back pain, but also increase the height of the damaged disc area back to normal. This would then open up the areas where the nerve roots were coming out and potentially being pinched from the disc height being gone and subsequently indirectly causing a pinched nerve(s).

The implant is made of metal and polyethylene. The approach used to place the implant is done through the abdomen, and typically it's done in a retroperitoneal manner. This means the surgeon goes outside of the bowel cavity and just shifts it over during the approach. Once the front of the spine is reached, the big vessels are pulled out of the way so the spine surgeon may remove the damaged disc.

Once the disc is completely removed, the artificial disc is carefully placed, making sure to place it directly centered so that normal range of motion and loading can be achieved to try and replicate normal physiology and kinesiology of the new disc to what it's supposed to be with a native disc.

It's crucial to size the implants properly so they don't shift and "spit out". There are numerous styles of artificial discs now approved by the FDA, and there's also approval on one to implant at more than one level. So if there's degeneration at both L4-5 and L5-S1, the surgeon may work on both at the same time.

The results for artificial disc replacement have been so far the same as spinal fusion. All the FDA required is that the implant work just as well as the gold standard (spinal fusion) and not be inferior, and that's exactly what the artificial disc replacement did. It has not turned out to be the holy grail of spine surgery as hoped, but it does have its place in the treatment of degenerative disc disease.

As with any elective spine surgery, proper nonsurgical treatment should be attempted prior including physical therapy, pain management,and maybe chiropractic and/or spinal decompression treatment.

What Is Spinal Decompression And Can It Work For You?

If you regularly suffer from neck and back pain, or have numbness and weakness in your arms or legs, you may benefit from the chiropractic procedure known as spinal decompression. Your pain and numbness may be caused by damaged discs in your back, or from a pinched nerve in the spinal area. If so, this procedure may be your best bet to not only alleviate the pain, but also keep you from having painful surgery later on to correct the problem.

What Causes Disc Problems?

The discs in the spine are very durable for the purpose they were intended for, which is cushioning the spine, and absorbing the physical shock of walking and running through our daily lives. Accidents and injuries to the back or neck can damage the outer protective sheath of the discs, and they will also deteriorate over time through aging. Once that sheath begins to break down, the disc will begin to protrude, or even get caught between the vertebrae in the spine.

This event is what causes medical conditions like a herniated disc or bulging discs, which cause chronic back pain. The pressure these discs go through can also cause them to shift, and press upon sensitive nerves that reside along the spinal column. This is the root cause of a condition known as a pinched nerve, which can cause pain to radiate down through your lower back and into your legs. If you begin to lose feeling in your posterior and legs, or experience weakness, a pinched nerve is most likely the cause.

The good news is that all of these conditions can be improved through spinal decompression.

What to Expect From the Procedure

Unlike the roller table kind of traction commonly used in chiropractic therapy, this kind of vertebral decompression elongates the spine by gently pulling each section apart, through the aid of a computerized traction system. It charts the spine as an axis, and will systematically apply continuous, gentle pressure to encourage each section to separate naturally.

While the traction is working, it is also creating negative pressure within each disc, allowing any that are bulging or shifted to be gently pulled back into its natural alignment. If the discs were crowding nerves or slipping out of their protective sheaths, the negative pressure will help them to go back to their original position, as well as slide them back into the sheaths, if possible. This will result in a reduction of pain and numbness, and will encourage the discs to heal themselves naturally, without having to resort to surgery.

Cautions and Advice

As always, you must consult with your doctor before undergoing any kind of spinal decompression. The final decision is yours, of course, but your doctor will know best if what is causing your chronic back pain or numbness can be helped by this procedure. You should also keep in mind that just one session may not fix everything. Some patients may require several sessions, depending upon the severity of your condition.

Failed Open Back Surgery for Spinal Stenosis - What Next?

While no area in spinal surgery seems to exist without controversy, laminectomies continue to be one of the most controversial. By definition, a laminectomy is a surgical procedure in which a portion of a vertebra is removed to relieve pressure on the spinal cord on the nerve roots that emerge from the spinal canal. The procedure is often used to treat spinal stenosis, a progressive narrowing of the opening in the spinal canal.

According to the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, there are approximately 200,000 laminectomies performed every year. An estimated 20% -30% are reported to be unsuccessful, with a reoperation rate of 10%-25%. Even though these statistics include surgeries for a wide variety of conditions in addition to stenosis, it is easy to see that the problems of "failed back surgery" are enormous.

There is nothing more distressing to the physician or the patient than to be faced with this unhappy dilemma. There are over l5 billion dollars spent on low back care every year in this country. We can no longer afford anything less than a good outcome. Can the failed back surgery syndrome be avoided? What is going wrong? Why are there so many failed back surgeries? Is it the patient's fault? Is it the surgeon's fault? Or is it just the natural history of the disease? There are biologic variables doctors cannot control such as bone healing, cartilage degeneration, and patient behavior, all of which can affect outcome.

Should patients with stenosis who are experiencing failed open back surgery give up? No. Patients with stenosis should consider the following:

Diagnosis

The physician must determine that the symptoms are caused by spinal stenosis. Conditions that can cause similar symptoms include a slipped (herniated) intervertebral disc, spinal tumors, and disorders of the blood flow (circulatory disorders). Spinal stenosis causes back and leg pain. The leg pain is usually worse when the patient is standing or walking. Some forms of spinal stenosis are less painful when the patient is riding an exercise bike because the forward tilt of the body changes the pressure in the spinal column. Doppler scanning can trace the flow of blood to determine whether the pain is caused by circulatory problems. X-ray images, computed tomography scans (CT scans), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans can reveal any narrowing of the spinal canal. Electromyography, nerve conduction velocity, or evoked potential studies can locate problems in the muscles indicating areas of spinal cord compression.

How Stenosis is Diagnosed

Before making a diagnosis of stenosis, it is important for the doctor to rule out other conditions that may have similar symptoms. In order to do this, most doctors use a combination of tools, including:

History: The doctor will begin by asking the patient to describe any symptoms he or she is having and how the symptoms have changed over time. The doctor will also need to know how the patient has been treating these symptoms including what medications the patient has tried.

Physical Examination: The doctor will then examine the patient by checking for any limitations of movement in the spine, problems with balance and signs of pain. The doctor will also look for any loss of extremity reflexes, muscle weakness, sensory loss, or abnormal reflexes which may suggest spinal cord involvement.

Tests

After examining the patient, the doctor can use a variety of tests to look at the inside of the body. Examples of these tests include:

X-rays - these tests can show the structure of the vertebrae and the outlines of joints and can detect calcification.

MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) - this test gives a three-dimensional view of parts of the back and can show the spinal cord, nerve roots, and surrounding spaces, as well as enlargement, degeneration, tumors or infection.

Computerized axial tomography (CAT scan) - this test shows the shape and size of the spinal canal, its contents and structures surrounding it. It shows bone better than nerve tissue.

Myelogram - a liquid dye is injected into the spinal column and appears white against bone on an x-ray film. A myelogram can show pressure on the spinal cord or nerves from herniated discs, bone spurs or tumors.

Bone scan - This test uses injected radioactive material that attaches itself to bone. A bone scan can detect fractures, tumors, infections, and arthritis, but may not tell one disorder from another. Therefore, a bone scan is usually performed along with other tests.

Treatment

Mild cases of spinal stenosis may be treated with rest, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (such as aspirin), and muscle relaxants. Spinal stenosis can be a progressive disease, however, and the source of pressure may have to be surgically removed.

Surgical Treatment

In many cases, non-surgical treatments do not treat the conditions that cause spinal stenosis, however they might temporarily relieve pain. Severe cases of stenosis often require surgery. The goal of the surgery is to relieve pressure on the spinal cord or spinal nerve by widening the spinal canal. This is done by removing, trimming, or realigning involved parts that are contributing to the pressure.

The most common surgery in the lumbar spine to treat stenosis is the laminectomy. A surgeon may perform a laminectomy with or without fusing vertebrae or removing part of a disc. Various devices (like screws or rods) may be used to enhance fusion and support unstable areas of the spine.

A laminectomy is considered open back surgery. Many people have endured the long recovery process of such a procedure, only to learn that the outcome is poor. Not only is this a physically painful experience, it is also very difficult to deal with emotionally.

With advances in science and technology, there are alternatives. A proven alternative for helping to alleviate the pain of a failed laminectomy is The Bonati Procedures(sm).

The Bonati Procedures are advanced spine surgeries developed and perfected by The Bonati Institute(sm). The procedures employ the smallest incision possible to correct problems of the lumbar, cervical and thoracic spine with patented instrumentation and methods. The Bonati Procedures are performed sequentially as outpatient surgeries with the patient under local anesthesia and alert and able to communicate with the surgeon throughout the procedure. The result of this approach is far less trauma to the muscles and tissues, minimal blood loss and faster recovery. The Bonati Procedures are performed only at The Bonati Institute.

Consider all options

Before you agree to undergo any back surgery, consider getting a second opinion from a qualified spine specialist.

Scoliosis Surgery - Risks of Refusing Fusion Surgery for Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis Overstated

Severe scoliosis can present problems with cardiopulmonary function. The definition of severe scoliosis varies depending on sources. Most authors consider 60 degrees the benchmark for a scoliosis to be called severe. As far as crushing internal organs most of the current literature states that it is very rare less than 1% and only in cases over 100 degrees. There are two main factors that go into deciding whether or not to have your child undergo a major spinal fusion surgery. The first is the cosmetic appearance which most orthopedic surgeons say is the number one concern of the patients and parents prior to learning of the potential cardiopulmonary effect. The second is the fear of health problems not only in the immediate future but also down the road.

This fear is most likely based on the discussion with their orthopedic doctor regarding scoliosis and its harmful affect on the cardiopulmonary system. Most often from my experience in consultations with parents of kids that have progressing scoliosis is that their understanding of "risk" is that if they don't have surgery they are placing their child at a significant risk of health problems and potentially death. I think it is extremely important to discuss this particular mindset before entering into something that will alter your child's life forever.

There are several parameters that are often not discussed with parents that would indicate a higher risk versus almost no risk. The studies conclusively show that increased risk of pulmonary function loss stems from thoracic structural scoliosis with a cobb measurement greater than 60 degrees in the frontal plane and a significant loss normal kyphosis in the sagital plane of 50% or more. According to Lenke classification this would be a subcategory of about 18% of AIS patients that reach surgical threshold of 50 degrees.

Curves with apexes below T9 generally do not have any restrictive pulmonary issues because there is no rib cage deformity and much less spinal rigidity. Thoracic curves with apexes higher than T7 are also excluded. Thoracic primary structural scoliosis with normal to slightly reduced kyphosis are also questionable. So it would be highly unlikely that we could say that "all" kids with big curves will have any form of damaging pulmonary function loss.

Therefore any child not showing measurable decline in pulmonary function should not be subjected to scoliosis surgery using medical necessity rationale and should be thoroughly aware that the procedure is for cosmetic appearance only since the procedure is not correcting an existing loss of function but rather a medical assumption that they are correcting a potential problem. So I should have my kidney removed because it looks abnormal on ultrasound and MRI but all my kidney function tests are normal hmmm.

The other question that is currently being debated is whether or not scoliosis surgery actually improves pulmonary function in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis. They have agreed conclusively that short term effects significantly decreases pulmonary function but the long term studies are most definitely inconclusive.

Conclusions. Pulmonary function following thoracotomy with ASF with instrumentation demonstrated a significant decline of 3-month postoperative PFT values, but returned to preoperative baseline absolute values by the 2-year follow-up visit. The percent predicted values returned to within 95% of baseline 2 years postoperatively. Scoliosis surgeons should be aware of these findings when deciding upon the approach. Spine 2000;25:2319-2325

Notice the pulmonary function returned to preoperative levels after two years but the scoliosis surgery did not improve pulmonary function.

Conclusions - Forced vital capacity is reduced at long term follow up in adult patients with idiopathic scoliosis who undergo anterior spinal surgery. The fall in FVC is small and is unlikely to be of clinical significance in patients with reasonable lung function in whom surgery is planned for prevention of curve progression or improvement of cosmetic appearance and pain. However, surgical intervention should not be undertaken in an attempt to improve pulmonary function. (Thorax 1996;51:534-536)

If the only medical reason to perform scoliosis fusion surgery is for pulmonary function then the patient should have measurable dysfunction at the time of surgery and increased pulmonary function post surgery for the surgery to be considered necessary from a medical procedural standpoint, NO?

This isn't a matter of trusting a doctor's opinion but rather a message to all patients and parents to learn all the facts, study the research, and get informed before agreeing to highly invasive procedures that alter the body structurally and can never be undone.

Dr. Brian T. Dovorany

Remedies for Sciatic Nerve Pain

Having constant pain due to sciatica can drive anyone up the wall. Most people will do anything just to get rid of the pain. There are a few options that one can utilize to get reel relief from sciatica pain. There are pain killers, anti inflammatory medicine, muscle relaxer medicine, exercise, surgical procedures and non surgical procedures that can be used.

Surgery is the most radical and invasive procedure that can be done but it is seldom necessary to perform surgery to cure sciatica pain. In milder cases you can relief the pain with over the counter medicine like Ibuprofen or Aspirin. Mostly doctors will prescribe anti-inflammatory medicine for a start.

When no results are apparent with above mentioned medicine stronger medication such as Codeine will be prescribed. It is important to note that such medicine should be taken with care as it can lead to addiction.

Another form of pain relief comes with muscle relaxers. This form of medicine can make you drowsy and therefore should not be taken while driving for obvious reasons.

Exercise is another form of pain relief and has a positive effect in the long term on sciatica pain. Exercise causes the muscles to get stronger and to relax more. This in effect reduces the pressure that the muscle exerts on the sciatic nerve, causing a long term cure from sciatica pain. This is why it is commonly believed that exercise is the best way to alleviate sciatica pain.

After exhausting all other options a doctor may suggest surgery. This is a last resort option and should only be considered after all other avenues have failed. There are a few different surgeries' that might be considered depending on the type of sciatica pain that is experienced.

1. Microdiscectomy is done by removing material from a herniated disc to remove pressure from the root of the sciatic nerve that is being compressed thereby relieving the patient of pain.

2. A Lumber laminectomy is done by removing material from the "lamina" area of a vertebra creating more space for the nerve bundle in the spinal column.

3. An Open discectomy or commonly known as a Discectomy is a very invasive and old procedure which involves removal of muscle bone and other tissue to alleviate the pain caused by compression of the sciatica nerve. This procedure is not recommended because there are better options to consider. Options like Microdiscectomy, Endoscopic Discectomy, and Laser Discectomy. These are all procedures done creating the same result with different instruments and methods.

4. The last option and not so commonly used is Spinal fusion. It involves binding together some of the vertebrae to stop chafing like movement on the sciatica nerve. The disadvantage is that it severely reduces a person's movement within the spinal column. This is only done as a last resort after osteoporosis set in and nothing else can be done to stop the back pain caused by the sciatic nerve being irritated.

It is important to note that although there are a lot of options not everyone will experience the same results from using them.The best is to consult with your medical practitioner and together decide on the best course of action for your case.

What is Spondylolisthesis and Do You Have It?

The spine has many vertebrae and spondylolisthesis is a degeneration of a articulating (exterior) part of the vertabrae that reduces its integrity, strength, support and flexibility. The articulating part that is affected is in the rear of the vertabrae and tends to be located in L5 or L4 of the lumbar (lower back). It can range from a rating of 1-5, 5 being the most severe and 1 the least.

Spondylolisthesis affects athletes in sports that require a wide range of movement and flexibility. Adolescents may have this condition and not exhibit any symptoms. Whether the condition is a rating of 1 or 5, the patient may exhibit extreme discomfort, lack of mobility, even loss of sensation in an extremity (usually the left leg).

In cases of high levels of discomfort spinal fusion is the best course of treatment. Usually the lower vertebrae is fused to the affected vertebrae and held in place with titanium screws and either rods or a plate. The spinal fusion can take 6-12 months for recovery. The pain associated with the 1st month of recovery is quite extreme and will require mobility assistance, physical therapy and the use of a walker. It is important to note that no surgical procedure is 100% successful in relieving all of the patients symptoms. This fusion procedure is documented to have an 80% success rate in alleviating all of the patients complaints and symptoms.

Spondylolisthesis can cause great discomfort and tends to be brought on by physical accidents - falls, automotive accidents, etc... It can be a preexisting condition but is usually worsened due to the physical accident. Spinal fusion, therapy, and special exercises along with changes in routine can help to alleviate this condition.

Reduce Back Pain Effectively by Using a Heat Therapy Wheat Bag or Heat Pad

History has shown that more than 80% of the people living today will go through back pain during their lives. Even though many will make a complete recovery, it is a long and arduous journey to get there, and the pain at times can become unbearable. It has been found that one of the most effective ways to treat back pain is not a new form of modern medical science or technology, but a simple and ancient remedy. Heat therapy has been the treatment of choice used in taking care of the person suffering from inflammation, stiffness and back pain for the last several centuries. Many people turn to microwave wheat bags or heat pads as a method of providing therapy for back pain.

Because of its very complex nature, the human back has many causes and potential causes of back injury. This can happen in any one of the 77 muscles or 33 vertebrae, as well as the unending joints, discs and ligaments crisscrossing the area. It only takes a single mishap to take you down in painful flames.

Muscle strain, or a tiny tear in the muscle tissue, is the most common way leading to back pain. This happens when a person goes through a sudden twist or pull of the back muscles, typically by an unexpected outside force.

Another common cause of back pain is a sprain in a ligament. Ligaments can only stretch so far. When they are stretched beyond that, back pain will result. Many ligament sprains can be tied in with a muscle strain.

Herniated discs will happen when motion that is repeated much too often, or lifting procedures aren't followed and the spinal nerves become compressed right at the base of the spine where the nerves leave the column. The pains in the nerves are called sciatica, and along with back pain in the area around the nerve, are usually caused by a disc becoming herniated.

Spinal stenosis and osteoporosis are two back pain causes, but these are usually discovered in people fifty and older. Osteoporosis takes time to develop, and means that a person's bones are losing their density, becoming thin and brittle. This bone loss includes the vertebrae along the spine, so compression fractures along the spinal column are not uncommon. Spinal stenosis is when the spinal canal narrows, and if someone suffering from it spends a long time walking, the pain they suffer from will only get worse.

Another chronic back pain cause is fibromyalgia, which can be diagnosed from its extreme pain in the muscles. Because of this pain, doing everyday tasks become virtually impossible.

The above discussed causes are just some of the more common causes of back pain. Next a discussion of how wheat bags and heat pads for heat therapy can bring relief to those with back pain.

What heat therapy does is cause the blood vessels to dilate, and this enlargement of the vessels means more flow of blood through them. As the very nature of back pain usually means torn or tense muscles, more blood means more help in healing the muscles. Blood is like a first aid ambulance, bringing with it all the nutrients, oxygen and protein the damaged muscles need, thereby quickening the healing process. Another advantage to using heat is that it helps to reduce the pain messages to the brain, bringing relief for the pain. Stiffness is lessened through heat therapy, and flexibility in the affected muscles is improved. With improved flexibility comes less risk of another injury.

Heat therapy is good for up to 45 minutes every time you utilize it, but the first quarter of an hour, according to doctors, is the most beneficial use of it. Based on the inaccessibility of several areas along the back, there are some heat therapy treatments that will be more effective than others. Microwaving a wheat bag provides a convenient and simple method of providing heat therapy for back pain, shaping it to conform to any part of the back. So a heat pad or wheat bag it is one of the most useful and effective heat therapy treatments for just about any category of back trouble.

Back Surgery - A Need Or Not a Need?

Ever experienced severe back pain? Sometimes, we perceive back pain as a form of illness that is being experienced by old people when in fact it is not. Anyone can suffer from back pain, the young and old, men and women, even individuals who have large muscles and strong body build. There is no exception.

Experiencing back pain can be very disturbing especially when we are working or when we are resting. Sitting for more than eight hours can bring about back pain and so does lying in bed for how many hours. It is important for us to spend five minutes of stretching especially when our work entails excessive hours of sitting and facing on computers. A five minute break every two hours would probably be enough to strengthen the muscles and stretch the bones. This exercise will not only benefit our bodies but it will also allow us to become awake when we feel dizzy or tired.

When the pain in our back still persists and pain medications no longer respond, it is best to consult your health care provider that way we will know if we are suffering from bone disorders. There are so many disorders that have back pain as a common symptom. We should be very careful though because we might think that the pain in our back is just ordinary and that it is just a normal occurrence after sitting or overdoing some exercises.

Other causes of back pain are improper body mechanics, trauma, aging and any damage that affect the nerves in our back. This can contribute to having pain in our back and other symptoms of a particular disease. There are some back problems that can be treated with pain or anti-inflammatory medications and some therapeutic techniques like gentle massage, physical therapy and cold compression. If the therapeutic techniques will not work, then a surgery to correct back problem might be necessary. However, surgery may not at all be the solution to all back problems therefore it is wise to consult first your health care provider for specific instructions.

Most people tend to become aggressive and will really undergo surgery in order to get rid of the back pain. There are occurrences where the surgery will only aggravate the pain and thus bring a lot of complication and worse, infections. Back pains are usually found in the spine, the lumbar and the sacral bones. The nerves are affected once there is a problem in those areas making the individual to experience back pain. Surgery may be needed in this life circumstances. Like if the problem is on the spine, spinal fusion may be required. Successful spinal fusion surgery recovery is possible when the doctors and other health care team are really doing their best to correct the problem.

Doctors will always give their patient advice on back surgery based on the presenting symptoms. The experts will know whether or not surgery is recommended or if non-invasive procedures will cure the problem. It is very wise to consider all options that are available that will prevent you from undergoing painful surgeries. To prevent any back problems, it is best to maintain a healthy lifestyle, proper use of body mechanics and daily exercise.

What Is The Sciatic Nerve?

The sciatic nerve is a nerve that is formed. It's the largest single nerve in the human body. The location is at the base of the spinal cord, or your lower back right above your buttock. The sciatic nerve is made up of the lumbar and sacral nerve roots from the spine. It leaves the lower part of the spinal cord and runs behind the hip join, and down the back of the thigh.

When this nerve flares up it is call sciatica. A very annoying and painful condition. Pains can run from the buttock down the legs to the feet, or in the thigh or just in the buttock, depending on which nerve area has flared up.

One of the most common forms of pain when the spinal nerves get compressed results in sciatica. The back pain is bad, but typically the leg pain is much worse. I've asked if foot cramps can be from sciatica and the answer was no, foot cramps are typically from wearing shoes too tight or loose and not taking care of your feet. In the foot, Sciatica pain is on the top of the foot and has a different pain than a regular cramp.

There are a few different nerve roots when talking about sciatica in the foot area, which is why you should see a doctor to diagnose sciatica.

Sciatica in the L4 nerve root area will occur in the medial lower leg and foot. You will experience a weakness or inablity to bring the foot up while walking. You can test this by trying to walk on your heels, and you will not be able too.

The L5 nerve root affects your big toe and ankle. This is typically called "foot drop". If you try to extend your toe, you will experience weakness in doing so. Typically this pain will be located in the web of the foot, between the big toe and the second toe.

One last nerve root is the S1 nerve root which when affected can cause pain or numbness to the outer foot area. Difficulty in walking on tip toes or taking your heel off the ground it the normal result. The person may also show a reduced reflex in the ankle-jerk.

The other common problems are numbness or pain shooting all the way down your leg and buttock pain, like constant squeezing.

The good news about sciatica is that most people will recover fully without having any surgery. About 80 to 90% recover from sciatica without spinal surgery and this is because usually the sciatic nerve is not damaged and can heal itself typically within a 21 to 90 day duration.

Lastly, it's good to know that sciatica is not a medical emergency, however if you are constantly having pain or difficulty with your bowels or bladder function and notice a decreased sensation around the genitals, or a progressive weakness in your legs, this may be the sign of cauda equina syndrome, which is significant narrowing of the spinal canal and this is a medical emergency.

If you have these symptoms, contact your doctor or even emergency medical care right away.

Back Pain Symptoms - First Look For The Underlying Cause Of The Problem

Back pain is a symptom of a body that's out of alignment. It's a symptom that weak and tight muscles somewhere in your body have allowed those bones to move out of alignment.

The pain is telling people to do something to get the bones in their lower back into better alignment.

What most people are not aware of is the principle that says, 'The cause of the pain is rarely at the site where it's painful.'

Their therapist probably hasn't heard of this principle either. You'll know this is the case if the therapist starts heating, rubbing, crunching or vibrating the spot where it hurts.

So if back pain is a symptom of a body that's out of alignment what is it that's caused the bones of the lower back to move out of alignment?

It's usually tight muscles attached you your pelvis - front, back and sides. If they're tight they'll pull the pelvis down and back and cause it to twist. If that's the case people won't be able to sit up straight with a nice hollow in their lumber spine.

When the pelvis moves out of alignment, the bones up above also move out of alignment. The natural 'S' shaped curve of the spine will have turned into a 'C' shape.

The usual cause of this happening is sitting down all day in the 'slump dog' position and not having a flexibility training program to loosen off the calf, hamstring and buttock muscles.

Flexibility is the first problem.

The second contributing factor is a lack of overall body strength. How can you expect the bones of your back to stay in alignment if the muscles supporting those bones are weak? Well you can't.

I recently had a bloke come to see me with lower back pain. He'd done the rounds and spent thousands of dollars on therapists who thought the cause of his problem was in his lower back. They didn't understand that his lower back pain symptoms were caused by weak and tight muscles attached to his pelvis.

No-none had checked to see which muscles were tight and no-one had checked to see how strong he was.

He could hardly do a situp. He could hardly do a pressup. He'd never done a Superman back arch or a squat. He didn't have a strength training program at the gym.

It beggars belief that no-one had made an effort to search for the underlying cause of his pain. Maybe it's too simple to ask people to see if they can sit up straight in a few simple yoga-type postures or watch to see if they can do the most popular strength exercises.

It just reinforces my belief that it's a waste of time going to see anyone who doesn't tell you the likely cause of your problem and/or doesn't give you a good suite of strength and flexibility exercises to restore poor function to good. Just treat any therapy as complementary health care. The primary health care for joint and muscle pain is the strength and flexibility exercises you do yourself.

In a nutshell the symptoms of back pain are weak and tight muscles somewhere in your body. Often it's tight and weak muscles right throughout your body.

In the meantime stay tuned highly tuned and embark on a regular and systematic strength and flexibility training program. Any therapy on top of that will speed up the rehab process.

The Symptoms Of Spondylolisthesis

The word "Spondylolisthesis" has been derived from the Greek words "spondylos" means "Spine" and "Listhesis" means "Slippage". Spondylolisthesis is a condition of forward dislocation of one vertebra over the one beneath it. If this dislocation is very much, it produces pressure on spinal nerves. Forward movement of vertebra is called "Anterolisthesis" while backward movement is said to be "Retrolisthesis". Thus the backbone deforms and the spinal stenosis becomes narrow.

This disease is generally seen in teenagers, however, the degenerative Spondylolisthesis is observed in people above 40 years. Youngsters who play gymnastics, lift heavy weights and take part in athletic competitions indulge in this disease because it puts a high pressure on the backside.

The symptoms of Spondylolisthesis are not obvious, when this condition happens; the patient feels pain in his lower back. He may have to use sticks due to tightness of the hamstring tendon or the pain may spread to the lower parts of the body. Initially, the patient feels it difficult to walk and run or he may lose the bladder control.

With respect to the slippage, the radiologists have categorized this condition into four degrees, i.e.

Grade I = (1-25) % slippage
Grade II = (26-50) % slippage
Grade III = (51-75) % slippage
Grade IV = (76-100) % slippage

Grade I and II are not so severe, so there is no need for surgery. The patient can be treated by physiotherapy, using braces, taking regular exercise, painkillers or home remedies, but the Grade III and IV are severe and the patient has to go through a surgical treatment. The doctor gets the X-Ray report, CT scans or MRIs and these degrees are measured to diagnose the extent to which the state of the patient is.

The surgery involves two steps:

First one is called decompressive laminectomy in which the affected part of the body is removed that is causing nerve pressure. This helps in pain reduction, but there is a chance of spine to be unstable after this step. At the second step that is said to be the spinal fusion, the un-stability is overcome by the bone transplant. Thus, the process of fusion provides the spine a solid support and keeps it firm at its place.

General causes of Spondylolisthesis are weak joints, genetic problems, infection, spinal extension, degeneration, etc. A fracture, misplacement of disc or joint damage may lead to Spondylolisthesis as a result of some accident.

For pain relief, anti-inflammatory drugs are suggested by the medical practitioner such as aspirin, naproxen, acetaminophen, etc. In mild cases, general treatments are considered enough to provide relief.