5 Tips to Treat Back Pain For Office Workers

If you are working in an office and most part of your job requires sitting several hours at a time in front of a computer, you are at a high risk of being a back pain sufferer. The followings are 5 tips to get relieved from the back pain by yourself.

1) Correct Posture and Ergonomics Good posture and back support are crucial in reducing the occurrence and thresholds of back and neck pain. Back support is particularly important for sufferers who spend many hours sitting in front of a computer. Not maintaining good posture and sufficient back support can increase strain to muscles and put tension on the spine. Throughout time, the stress of bad posture may change the anatomical features of the spine, leading to the chance of constricted blood vessels and nerves, as well as difficulties with muscles, discs and joints. All of these can majorly contribute to back and neck pain, as well as headaches, fatigue, and perhaps even affects major organs and breathing.

Ergonomic office furniture and accessories will help considerably in controlling your posture. Once an ergonomic work station is in place, make sure the position of the screen and the chair are adjusted to the right height so your eyes are level with the screen and your knees are slightly lower than your hip joints. Let your wrists rest on the desk. Let your feet sit flat on the floor and not tucked under the chair. Keep your shoulders and back relaxed. Furthermore, accessories such as headrests, wrist rests, armrests and footrests will prevent specific parts of your body from being too strained.

2) In-Office Stretching Stretching tight muscles can keep the blood flowing and work out some of the kinks in your neck, back and shoulders. Once every 45 minutes or 1 hour, it is recommended to relax and perform muscle stretch especially for the problematic section of your body. General stretching positions such as chest stretch, shoulder shrug, upper back stretch, spinal twist, forearm stretch, neck stretch, hip flexor stretch, seated hip stretch, and inner thigh stretch can be done in your office. Make sure you breathe easily while doing these.

3) Swimming In many cases, swimming can be a very helpful exercise for back pain sufferers. However, sometimes swimming can cause back pain as well. To prevent that from happening, it is essential that you apply proper form and techniques. Unnatural or awkward movements while swimming can simply damage tissue through the back, so it is important to keep the correct stokes and movements. Additionally, swimming with sidestrokes or backstrokes can reduce stress on the back when compared with frontward strokes. When performing the front crawl or other forward strokes, try to roll your body when taking a breath and avoid jerking the head backwards so that you can avoid strain on the neck.

4) Yoga There are a range of yoga styles out there, ranging from gentle to vigorous. Some styles emphasize spirituality and emotions, while others, most notably Hatha yoga, focus more on the physical postures. For individuals with back pain, a Hatha yoga style is a good place to start, especially rest and restoration classes. Yoga styles such as Kundalini, Ashtanga and Bikram are professional and challenging, not a good choice for back pain sufferers. Keep in mind that gentle is better.

5) Heating Pad and Infrared Light A heating pad can be used in order to manage the pain. Localized application of heat helps the blood vessels in the applied area to dilate, improving perfusion to the specific tissue. Types of heating pads include electrical, chemical and hot water bottles.

There are a few infrared lamp products in the market. Infrared light has been confirmed to successfully reduce aches and pains caused by muscular pains and stiff joints. The heat created in infrared light penetrates deeply into the skin, boosting blood circulation and warming up your muscles. Since your muscles are soothed, they would loosen up. Meanwhile, the improved blood circulation allows your body to eliminate impurities and send oxygen-rich blood to stressed or aching muscles, bringing effectively pain relief.

Exercise Is Simply the Best Remedy for Your Back Pain

A majority of people are afflicted with Back Pain, from periodic pain to constant and long-lasting pain resulting in disability.

Not treating your back properly, will lead to back pain, Sciatica and bulging disc (herniation).

Causes of Back Pain:-

- Diseases like Appendicitis, kidney diseases, Pelvic infection and Osteomyelitis (bone infection).

- Trauma to the muscles, spine, ligaments and nerves of the spine.

- Abnormalities of abdominal organs or chest, may be linked to the back.

- Stress on our bodies, eventually results in compression of the spine, causing back problems.

- Herniated or bulging discs due to degeneration, as the spinal discs progressively become thinner and worn out.

- Occurrence of Spondylosis due to loss of moisture and volume, in the intervertebral discs, thus decreasing disc height. This in turn causes inflammation and Sciatica.

- Tumours and cancerous growths in the spine, are a source of spinal pain.

- Herpes Zoster or Shingles, develop due to spinal nerves infection, thus causing back pain.

Since our bodies know how to naturally heal wounds, lacerations and trauma--it does likewise for our discs, Sciatica and back pain. All it requires, is our co-operation with our bodies natural healing and not Resistance.

Our spine and vertebrae must be in the S- shape to stay healthy. Alignment of the pelvis is absolutely necessary as the pelvis is the back's foundation.

Do you know that gravity compresses our spine? On the other hand, strange as it seems--Orbiting in space, as discovered by NASA, actually decompresses our spine and possibly cause increase in growth.

Mobilization like Exercise is simply the Best remedy, for the prevention of the occurrence of Back Pain.

Mobilize your back, as it is vital, to ensure your back is flexible and not stiff. You can do this with the slow Rotation Exercises of the body.

Stand with your feet slightly apart, and place both your hands on each side of your hips. Slowly turn the right side of your body, from the front to the back, then rotate it back to the front.

Next, turn the left side of your body slowly from the front to the back, and then rotate it back to the front. Repeat this exercise to the count of ten, with both your hands still on your hips as you rotate.

This will really help to strengthen the muscles around your spine, and improve circulation around your back.

How a bad posture can contribute to your backache and compress the spinal vertebrae, when you hunch. So, correct your posture by sitting upright or stand straight, with both your shoulders pulling slightly backwards when you walk.

Learn to lengthen and strengthen your lower back muscles: Align your pelvis with your back straightened up, then lower your body by bending your knees with out-stretched hands. Hold this position for a few seconds, then return back to your normal position of standing up--your hands still stretching out.

Repeat this work-out several times as you are able to. Inhale when you bend your knees down, and exhale when you straighten up. Know that you never bend your back over in front, to lift up any weight, by picking up heavy objects as this causes strain or injury to your spine and back muscles.

Always bend your knees to lower your body down, and not your body, to bend over.

Are you aware that stretching exercise can benefit your back too? Just lie on your back with your legs stretched out together. Slowly raise your right leg up as high as you are able, hold it for a few seconds, then lower your right leg to a count of ten. Do this same exercise with your left leg alternately.

When you sleep, try lying on your side laterally, then curl your body in a foetal position with your head bent slightly. Clasp both your hands together round your bended knees. You will be surprised that this will definitely help to align your spinal column, and will relieve your back pain.

For sure I know, it takes time to get accustomed to sleeping in this odd, yet natural position. Can you recall, that this is the natural position a foetus, or unborn baby lie in the Uterus?

On getting up from the bed, always turn to your side or roll on your side, then lower your legs down and get up from your side of the bed.

By bending your upper torso to a sitting up position and get up from bed, can be straining--especially if you have a stiff and painful back!

Know that diet too, can relate to your body's power and capability to heal pain, and these are essentially the food rich in calcium and vitamins.

Sitting Can Reduce Hip Mobility and Cause Back Pain

Over the course of their lives, nearly eighty percent of Americans will experience some sort of back pain. Many of them will experience pain so debilitating that they actually miss work because of it. These are extraordinarily high numbers of people with discomfort in this region of the body. While many causes of back pain can be prevented, it is only by understanding two of the most important reasons leading to soreness and injury that people can take preventative action and reduce their chances of experiencing pain. These two causes are sitting for long periods of time and lack of hip flexibility.

However, people should also realize that these two causes of back pain also work together to increase injury and soreness. Sitting for hours and hours every day in front of a computer or at a workstation leads to a cramming of the spinal discs, as well as a reduction of mobility in the hips. The hips are designed to be extremely mobile with a large range of motion, But sitting down causes the lower back to take over when movements are required. In essence, the hips tend to "turn off" and the low back takes up the slack when sitting. And when the person gets up, this habitual use of muscles continues unless corrected.

Sitting down puts increased pressure on the vertebrae of the back, especially compared to standing up. When standing, the loads placed on the spine are reduced because the abdominal muscles are more activated and the hips and leg muscles are also working to support the body. But when sitting in a chair, all of the weight of the upper body comes to rest on the pelvis directly, with no transfer of the force through the hips to the legs and feet. This results in higher loads being placed on the joints of the lower back where the lumbar (lower) spine meets the pelvis. Over time, the tissues supporting this area of the body tend to weaken and break down.

While many people feel that standing for long periods of time causes soreness and discomfort, this is usually the feeling of sore muscles. The back extensors, hips, and legs may get sore from spending too much time standing up, but usually the pressures on the tissues such as the ligaments and the spinal discs are reduced. But when sitting down for too long, the muscles may be saved from working to support the spine, but the loads are then directed to the ligaments, discs, bones, and other connective tissues. Muscles soreness can be recovered from much more quickly than damage to the discs.

Sitting also places the hips in a position where they are not allowed to expand, move, or activate muscles to support the body. This can lead to reduced flexibility and range of motion in the hips. When this happens, additional stress is placed on the low back, as the body seeks necessary mobility from the tower back that is missing in the hips. The lumbar spine, however, is not meant to have a large range of motion -- it is built to be very stable and supportive of the joints directly above and below it. When the body is lacking in mobility at the hips, back injuries occur.

Thus, sitting down for long periods of time and reduced mobility in the hip joints can lead to back injuries. The longer one sits in a chair and the less flexibility in the hips, the greater the chance of lower back pain and the worse that soreness can be. People who are seriously concerned about the health of their back must learn to reduce or mitigate the compressive forces on their spines and use their bodies as they were designed -- to keep the loads off of the discs and ligaments of the lumbar spine and utilize the natural mobility of the hips for movement and activity.

Generally There Are Six Major Sciatica Causes

Sciatica applies to a group of symptoms that are generally caused by an ache in the lower back called a radiculopathy which occurs when a nerve root that is adjacent to the sciatic nerve is irritated or pressed together. A few different low back disorders can lead to sciatica. There are six major sciatica causes that you may come across such as lumbar herniated disc. A lumbar herniated disc takes place when the nucleus breaks through the fibrous outer core of the herniated disc and annoys the contiguous nerve root as it goes out of the spine. Normally, people would think that a sudden twisting motion can lead to disc herniation or sciatica but most discs weaken in due time because of the repetitive stress. Herniated disc is also known as slipped disc, bulging disk, or pinched nerve, and sciatica is the most common symptom of lumbar herniated disc.

Most sciatica causes are easily eradicated. One other common cause of sciatica is lumbar spinal stenosis. Spinal stenosis is a nerve compression disorder which habitually affects mature people over the age of 60. Pain in the leg area similar to sciatica may happen as a result of lumbar spinal stenosis. Lumbar spinal stenosis is associated with natural ageing in the spine which more often than not results from a mixture of one or more of the following medical conditions - overgrowth of soft issue, enlarged facet joints and bulging disc which annoys the nerve roots as they flow out of the spine causing sciatic nerve pain.

Spondylolisthesis is one of the sciatica causes that most often happen in the lumbar spine. It is distinguished by one vertebra slipping forward over adjoining vertebra. When the vertebra slips and is dislocated, spinal nerve root compactness happens and often causes the sciatic nerve leg pain. Spondylolisthesis is classified as a case that is found at birth and develops during childhood, trauma or physical stress.

Despite the fact that disc degeneration is a normal procedure that happens throughout ageing, for some people one or more degenerated discs in the lower back can annoy a nerve root and produce sciatica. Such a disc is identified when a weakened disc effects in excessive micro-motion at the spinal level and the inflammation from inside the disc become bare and annoys the nerve roots.

Many sciatica causes are through past motor vehicle accidents, rugby or any other sports, a fall down the stairs can trigger sciatica pain as direct nerve compression causes exterior forces to the sacral spinal nerve roots. The impact from the accident or sports injury may injure the nerves or fragments of broken bone may apply pressure to the nerves.

Other sciatica causes such as piriformis syndrome can cause the sciatic nerve to be irritated as it is situated under the piriformis muscle. If the muscle pinches or annoys a nerve root that consists of the sciatic nerve, it can lead to a pain akin to sciatica causes. However, this may not be a true sciatica symptom but the pain felt in the leg is the same as caused by the nerve irritation.

Spinal tumours may also be one of the sciatica causes which are less common. Even though spinal tumours are rare, when the tumour develops in the lumbar region, there is a threat of sciatica occurring as a result of nerve compression. If you feel that you have one or two of these sciatica symptoms then it is best to make a doctor's appointment to get the underlying problem checked.

Spinal Fractures: Common Cause of Teen Back Pain

In 2003 the journal Pain published a study confirming that the incidence of back pain increases significantly between ages 13 and 15. A number of factors can cause back pain in teens, much to their surprise. Though we normally think of younger bodies as more resilient, the stress many growing bodies are subjected to today proves too much.

Injuries to the spine, particularly fractures, are a common cause of back pain among teens who participate in competitive sports. There are a different types of fractures the spine can undergo, the most common being spondyolysis, which is a stress fracture. Teens who regularly hyperextend their spines, meaning they bend backward, are especially at risk of spondylolysis; this includes gymnasts and wrestlers. Impact is also a risk factor of spondylolysis, so football players are at risk as well.

The fracture associated with spondylolysis occurs at the back of the vertebra at the section called pars interarticularis. This component helps to stabilize the spine and maintain alignment. When one or both sides of the pars interarticularis experiences a fracture, prompt diagnosis and recuperation is needed to prevent spondylolisthesis, or the misplacement of a vertebra. Spondylolisthesis may lead to spinal nerve compression by the moved vertebra or a nearby spinal disc that has protruded due to vertebral misplacement.

Spondylolysis often manifests as pain that feels like muscle strain. It almost always occurs at the bottom vertebra of the lumbar spine; aching across the lower back, accompanied by muscle spasms felt in the lower back and possibly the back of the leg, are indicators of spondylolysis in people who participate in rigorous physical activity. An X-ray confirms the condition, and a short period of rest with gradual return to activity usually suffices to heal the vertebra. Core exercises to support the spine may be desirable to prevent a recurrence of the condition, and supplementation of vitamin D and calcium may help to speed up the recovery process.

Fractures to the vertebra can occur in other places besides the pars interarticularis. When the main body of a vertebra suffers a fracture called a compression fracture, its height changes. Depending on the cause and location of the fracture, one side of the vertebra may lose height creating a wedge-shaped bone, or both sides may lose height. Wedge-shaped spinal bones distort posture and create uneven pressure on spinal discs. A bone that is shorter all around also changes the mechanics of the spine and the pressure placed on surrounding discs. As discs experience uneven or increased pressure, they may bulge and herniate. This can lead to nerve compression that causes tingling, weakness and pain along the nerve's pathway.

While these types of fractures are commonly associated with osteoporosis affecting older people, teens who participate in high-impact activities like skateboarding, gymnastics and football can experience them. Direct blows to the back and landing hard from a fall are common causes.

Spinal fractures often signal themselves by sudden and severe pain. Standing and walking are difficult, and lying down may provide some relief. Bending and twisting will be especially painful. If you or a teen you know has these signs, it is important to seek medical attention. One vertebral fracture increases the risk of another one, and if healing is not prompted, a chain reaction can be set off that permanently distorts the spine.

Treatments for spinal fractures are similar to the treatment of spondylolysis. A back brace may be needed to minimize movement of the spine as the bone heals.

It is important for teens to understand that the injuries they acquire when young can lead to chronic back pain as an adult. While they may be tempted to push through the pain so as not to miss games and competitions, a short period of recovery now could mean the difference between health as an adult and disability. There are natural, safe treatments for teen back pain. The faster you deal with the problem, the faster you can return to the activities you love.

Bulging Disk - Symptoms, Treatment and Pain Relief Options

How is your lower back holding up?

Do you have a bulging disk that is causing you problems?

1.) Introduction to This Article

Bulging disks can cause you a lot of problems, both emotionally and physically. Not only do you have to wince in pain when the disk problem flares up, but you will then have the let down of having an injured back. It is no secret that a bulging disk can bring your lifestyle to a grinding halt, unless you face your problem and do something about it.

2.) Definition of a Herniated Disk / Bulging Disk

Herniated Disk: Displacement of at least part of the nucleus, of an intervertebral disk. This displacement of part of the rubbery centre of an intervertebral disk can then place pressure upon the spinal cord. This can cause pain down one (or both) of your legs, including the possibility of feeling numbness as well.

3.) Treatment Options

Treatment depends on the severity of the bulging disk. Sometimes for a minor instance, rest can be all it takes to help you get better. However, if your problem is more common than this, then bed rest and a variety of other options should be considered. This includes orthopedic support and physical therapy. Surgical removal of the protruding aspect of disk can help reduce symptoms as well.

4.) Braces For Support

Surgery for a disk problem is possible, but your physician will most likely tell you that they would like to try conservative treatment options first. Rushing into the surgery is not what a quality physician would like to do, unless they think it is your best option.

Many physicians will recommend that their patients use a low profile, light weight back support to help reduce pain and promote healing. They are aware of back braces for the lower spine because they are medically documented in the health field. They can help reduce pain because they will off load your spinal structures by using biomechanical principles, like increasing intercavitary pressure. This slight increase can help alleviate the pain caused by a bulging disk.

If the pain is not totally alleviated, a well designed back support can also help to stop you from making certain movements that will further your lower back injury. The other good thing about back supports is that they will be easily hidden by the use of a t-shirt as well. So this is not really a problem at all. - If you have back pain problems due to a bulging disk, you should consider using one today.

*This is health information. Speak to your physician about medical advice for your particular situation. We believe in the benefits of lower back support, but you should speak to your doctor for medical advice.

Upper Back Pain - Various Causes Revealed

A person's upper back is also known as the thoracic back. It is the area between the neck and the lower back or lumbar back. The ribs or vertebrae are attached to the upper or thoracic back. It is the part of the spine which corresponds with the chest area. It is well established and strong for it serves to bear the burden of protecting the upper body. Thoracic back pain or upper back pain is not as widespread compared with lumbar back pain. The effect though of the thoracic back pain or upper back pain is also no less agonizing as that in other much more common spinal disorders.

The upper thoracic area is quite strong for it secures the internal chest organs and aids a person to stand erect. The restricted movements in this specific part of the body make it less likely to suffer from deterioration and less prone to injury or damage. The lumbar area as well as the neck on the other hand is more active since it facilitates movements thus it is more liable to suffer from impairment. The lower back is also predisposed to acquire common spinal disorders. This may be in the form of a degenerative disc disease, herniated disc, spinal instability, or spinal stenosis.

In the eventuality that a patient suffers from upper back pain, one should know the cause as well as the intent of injury. Usually thoracic back pain is brought about by strain and irritation in the muscles, dysfunction or abnormalities in the joints and trauma. Even a simple incorrect posture over an extended period of time might cause upper back pain. This often manifests with shoulder pain and/or pain in the neck area.

Another common cause of thoracic back or upper back pain is muscular irritation. This usually emanates from repetitive movements. Overworking the same set of muscles, especially the ones connecting the shoulder girdle to the shoulder blade and the thoracic rib cage bag, can also be strenuous thus causing upper back pain. De-conditioning or lack of strength in those cases can also be another reason of this agonizing condition. These are frequently found in injuries resulting from sports, accidents, etc.

Back pains, both thoracic and upper back pains and lumbar or lower back pains, and back injuries will affect a big percentage of Americans. It might even be chronic for some. The gravity of such injury in upper back pain would vary. Some might have more serious conditions compared with others. It might be minor for some but it nevertheless affects the everyday life of those suffering from it. It keeps them from enjoying even the simplest pleasures in life such as romping with their kids, dancing, playing basketball or volleyball, jogging, gardening or doing carpentry works. Even surfing the net might even cause a strain in the back. Extended computer use is a very common cause of back pain. Back pains, upper back pain, and back injuries are usually not brought about by just a single incident but rather a product of long term abuse of our body and poor habits.

Different Back Pain Relief Options

Back twinge is the most frustrating problem for every second person in the world. This is somewhat a disease that people face anytime and anywhere. The twinge caused by an excess use of the back muscles or an injury. At times, the tendons, ligaments and even bones are affected in cases of chronic back pain. Other times kidney problems are causing pain in a back, as well as pelvic disorders in females, and prostate problem in males.

In several cases, medical condition is a big indication of a more serious one. Usually, pain in a back can stop within few hours but because of some underlying syndromes it can last longer.

There are primarily two types of backache, on the basis of etiology that includes secondary and non-specific ache. There is no severe underlying condition in case of non-specific ache, but secondary pain springs from critical conditions such as epidural abscess and metastatic. Thus, if the ache is constant, does not allow a person to sleep, and is associated with sweat, fever and fatigue, one must immediately choose effective treatments for back pain relief.

For most of the people back pain is horrific news, but particularly this pain is good news for pregnant women. It is a sign that baby is growing normally. However it is extremely complicated for pregnant women to go along the regular schedule of life with a chronic backache. One can completely cure it in a home so some important steps can be taken in order to consider pregnancy back pain relief. The most prominent step is daily exercise such as walking. Regular exercise makes the body muscles stronger and develops flexibility and also fights one of its triggering factors; that is fatness. Another relief giving formula can be the application of cold and heat to the irritating area of the back for up to 10-15 minutes. Pregnant women should not apply heat as this can bring negative effect to the body. Whether you are at work, sleeping or walking adopting a proper body posture is another important thing to consider.

Even though, regular exercises are proven to aid people cope with back aches, one must also remember if exercises are not done properly, it can worsen the ache and cause much more problems at the same time.

Different water therapies can be implemented to treat back pain quickly
• A nice soak bath tub or a hot shower can be a better option to relax the body muscles.
• Drinking 8 glasses of water every day can help to flush toxins in the kidneys.
• Ice packs or heat pads with hot water can also cure the pain.

If you have been tried and worked out with several methods, but they are still not helpful, find a suitable solution online. There are numerous websites that offer effective DVD's, E-books, email coaching and other health related articles, natural pain relief tips, etc to patients.

Lower Back Pain - Common Causes and Treatment Options

Do you know that lower back pain is the most common ailment these days? Large number of people suffers from this painful condition at some point or the other in their life. It is indeed a matter of great concern and it should not be neglected in any manner.

If you are suffering from mild or severe lower back pain, you should certainly rush to doctor for getting relief and to lead healthy and fit life. You all would be surprised to read that back problems are on steady rise and have become as common as headache or cough but its cure is must for everyone. Before taking steps for prevention of low back pain, it is important to know about root cause of this ailment. Some of such causes are written below- have a look!

• Injury in bone, nerves of spinal cord or muscle
• Infection in lower body parts like bladder, kidney, hips and abdomen etc.
• Pregnancy
• Arthritis
• Osteoporosis
• Broken vertebrae

It is important to know about the exact cause of lower back pain before undergoing for its treatment. Doctors can offer you various pain relief ointments and creams to give you complete relief from pain.

If your pain has occurred due to deficiency in nutrients, then ask doctors to prescribe you healthy diet full of vitamin D. Moreover enriching diet with calcium rich food sources too helps in getting relief from lower back pain. You would be happy to know that certain exercises are also advised by doctors to be done on regular basis that can help in keeping the pain at bay.

You would be surprised to know that acupuncture also plays a big role in curing lower back pain along with some dietary change in your lifestyle. Yoga is again a good option to treat lower back pain. Doctors also advices hot compression technique for getting relief from pain. Apart from this, doctors may advice you with best option that suits you to treat your pain.

You can even pull out some food items from your kitchen to cure pain associated with lower back. Application of garlic oil is an amazing way to cure pain. Mix 5 tbsp of garlic oil and sesame oil with mustard or coconut oil in a pan. Now heat it over low flame with fresh cloves of garlic. Apply over your back and leave for few hours.

Take some peeled and boiled potatoes. Mash them nicely. Spread mashed potatoes on piece of gauge and cover them with other pieces. Now place them over lower back for getting relief from terrible pain.

Lazer Surgery for the Spine! What You Need to Know

"Laser" is an acronym for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation, a unique type of light energy produced by man. Laser light is different than visible light in its characteristics of collimation (all emitted light is almost perfectly parallel), coherent (light waves are all in phase in both time and space) and monochromatic (one specific wave length).

The principle of lasing phenomena is the ability of photons to stimulate the emission of other photons, each having the same wave length and direction of travel. When a photon passes close to an excited electron, the electron will become stimulated to emit a photon that is identical in both wave length, phase and spatial coherence to the impinging photon.

The laser that's often employed in Lazer Surgery for the Spine is a 2.1 Holmium YAG Laser which remains today the most effective laser in orthopaedic surgery and specifically in arthroscopic and endoscopic surgery.

Here are some of the conditions that Lazer Surgery for the Spine may help with:

Spinal fusion - the surgical joining of two more vertebrae together, usually with bone grafts and hardware. The resulting fused vertebrae are stable but immobile. Spinal fusion is used as a treatment for spondylolisthesis, scoliosis, herniated discs, and spinal stenosis.

Spinal stenosis - the narrowing of the spinal canal (through which the spinal cord runs), often by the overgrowth of bone caused by osteoarthritis of the spine.

Herniated Disc With age, the center of vertebral discs may start to lose water content, making the disc less effective as a cushion, causing displacement of the disc's center (herniated or ruptured disc) through a crack in the outer layer. Most disc herniations occur in the bottom two discs of the lumbar spine, at and just below the waist. A herniated disc can press on a nerve root in the spine and may cause back pain or pain, numbness, tingling or weakness of the leg called "sciatica." Also known as a slipped or ruptured disc, or herniated nucleus pulposus (HNP). Can also occur in the neck and rarely in the thoracic portion of the spine.

Spinal Stenosis The narrowing of the spinal canal (through which the spinal cord runs), often by the overgrowth of bone caused by osteoarthritis of the spine

Degenerative Disc Disease A catch-all term to describe degenerative changes in the disc(s) due to aging or wear and tear.

Failed Open Back Surgery Self Explanatory

Radiculopathy Impairment of a nerve root, usually causing radiating pain, numbness, tingling or muscle weakness that correspond to a specific nerve root.

Sciatica Pain, numbness, tingling in the distribution of the sciatic nerve, which travels from deep in the buttock down to the foot.

Spondylosis A fracture (crack) in the "pars interarticularis" where the vertebral body and the posterior elements, protecting the nerves are joined, In about 5 percent of the adult population, there is a developmental crack in one of the vertebrae, usually at the point at which the lower (lumbar) part of the spine (L5) joins the tailbone (sacrum).

Spondylolisthesis Degenerative When a vertebra slips forward over the vertebra below it as a result of arthritis of the small joints of the spine and degeneration of the discs.

Spondylolisthesis Isthmic When a vertebra with a crack in the "pars interarticularis" where the vertebral body and the posterior elements, protecting the nerves are joined, slips forward over the vertebra below it. Spondylolisthesis can be graded as I, II, III or IV based on how far forward the vertebra has slipped.

Lazer Surgery for the Spine has shown to be effective in treating pain from sciatica, spinal fusion, headache, pinched nerve, back pain, neck pain, degenerative disc disease, sciatica, spinal instability, lumbar arthritis, degenerative disc disease, spondylosis, spondylolisthesis, failed back surgery syndrome, chronic back pain, radiculopathy and many other conditions that can cause severe back pain.

Facts About a Sacroiliac Belt

Before you start searching for a back support belt to ease your pelvis pain it is always best to go over some reviews for reference.

It is not practical to search stores online and order a sacroiliac belt from the first store you visit rather there is a lot of looking into involved in this purchase. You would want to know what your options are and narrow them down to decide on the best buy. This is where review of belts for your back pain comes in handy.

However before checking on a sacroiliac belt review it is also necessary that you first confirm on a genuine or a bad review. You will find hundreds of reviews however only a few may be worth reading. There are some ways through which you can judge that a review is bad or a genuine one.

A bad review would generally be barred of any solid information and would be quite vague on the information point. It would lack any description of the product. Also don't bother to read a review that initially states that the product or a particular model is very good or works well but no description further on of what is good and what works well is present.

Similarly any review that states "I love this" or "It's worth it" but does not discuss what exactly is loved or liked is most likely to be a misleading piece of information. In a belt review you would want to know what the material is, is it breathable, comments on the support cushion that helps in aligning the spine, etc.

Opposing to the above mentioned facts a genuine review describes in detail what is good and worth the purchase in a particular belt or model. A good review will explain personal experiences of its everyday use, the period in which it delivers significant results, how durable it is, its investment worth, etc.

It is also not about all good but the negative points are discussed too and which models should be avoided is also discussed.

Reading several sacroiliac belt reviews will give you a clear idea on which brand or model is the best buy and which one should be opted for. Also which model suits what type of individual will also be known and you can decide on the best one for you. So to end up acquiring the best sacroiliac belt with a good purchase price spend some time on reading sacroiliac belt reviews.

Natural Back Pain Treatment That Removes Scar Tissue on the Injured Disk

To find an effective back pain treatment is important to understand how the pain is produced in the body. The spinal chord is the portion of the central nerve system that connects the brain to almost the whole body and most sensory nerves. It is traditionally divided in 4 levels; each of the 4 levels controls the function of a particular region of the body toward the spinal nerve roots that enters and exits particular openings in the vertebra.

There are 31 pairs of spinal nerve roots arisen from the spinal chord divided in to anterior and posterior roots: 8 Cervical, 12 Thoracic, 5 Lumbar, 5 Sacral and 1 coccygeal nerve.

There are 24 separated vertebrae: 7 cervical, 12 thoracic, 5 lumbar and 5 are fused together to form the sacrum. Then another 4, the smallest vertebrae, are fused to form the coccyx. The largest are the lumbar vertebrae, which bear the most weight. It is the fifth lumbar vertebra that carries the weight of the whole upper body and transfers it to the sacrum. The main cause of back pain will occur at the fourth or fifth lumbar vertebrae.

Twenty three intervertebral discs unite the vertebral bodies from the second cervical to the first sacral vertebrae. No intervertebral disc is present between the cranium, the first and the second cervical vertebrae. These discs are specialized connective tissue structures evolved to absorb and redistribute forces applied to the spine.

The intervertebral disk is a complex structure consisting of 4 distinct tissues: the nucleus pulposus, the annulus fibrosus, the cartilaginous end plates and the adjacent vertebral bodies. The nucleus pulposus is in the center region of the disk and is comprised of a gelatinous mixture of water, collagen and proteoglycans. The nucleus pulposus is able to hold fluid pressure largely because of the presence of negatively charge groups of glycosaminoglicans chains. For the other side the annulus fibrosus is comprised of collagen fibers arranged in layers and the cartilaginous end plates are composed predominantly of hyaline cartilage.

Since the Intervertebral Disk lacks the blood supply which is essential for any normal reparative process in the body another kind of reparative mechanism is necessary to occur. Although the disk is the largest avascular structure in the human body there is considerable chemical interchange and activity there. The repaired of the injured disk is as a consequence slow because the avascular disk is always completely dependent on diffusion to adjacent vertebrae for nutrition. The cellular elements of the disc cannot receive blood nutrients thorough the mediation of the synovial fluid but must rely on a diffusion system that provides a metabolic exchange with the vessels that lie within the vertebral bodies. The cells of the disc must therefore derive their nutrients and dispose their waste metabolic products by diffusion from and to blood vessels at the disc margins.

The nucleus pulposus because of its polar properties has a great capacity to absorb and bind water. It is the nucleus, the most highly hydrated part of the disc, which contributes to the majority of the internal pressure needed to balance the applied pressure.

The intervertebral disk is a hydraulic system composed of a fibroelastic envelope containing a gel in its center. The hydrodynamics of the disk depends of the nucleus pulposus possessing a gel that contains cartilaginous cells, fibroblasts, collagen, mucopolysaccharides and proteins. The nucleus pulposus is located in an area composed of fine fiber strands that lie in a mucoprotein gel containing water, collagen and proteoglycans.

The fluid contained within the annulus is a colloidal gel that behaves as a hydraulic system. When there is an increase in pressure the fluid inside the disk moves out and when the pressure is decreased the fluid returns into the disk by absorption. Compression of the disk takes place in the annulus; if the vertebral disk is subjected to great compression the fluid leaves the nucleus. The disk has the ability to absorb large amounts of water, and the main compound involved in this process is a gel that can adhere almost many times its own volume of water. The water is attracted to the ground substance because it contains glycosaminoglycans to high osmotic pressure which can support a load just as the pressure of air supports the weight of a car. The nucleus in this way can balance the average compression forces when fully hydrated.

With aging the nucleus pulposus undergoes degeneration and dehydration, and ultimately is transformed into fibro cartilage and becomes indistinct from the inner layers of the annulus fibrosus. The disk becomes dehydrated, loses part of its mucopolysaccharides content, and shows and increase in collagen. As the nucleus pulposus degenerates is unable to distribute pressure equally over the annulus and the vertebrae. When degeneration of the nucleus is produced a major change occurs in the transmission forces along the vertical axis of the spine.

The most consist chemical modification related with aging include lost of proteoglycans and water. Disk bulge can occur when loss of water causes the disk to flatten bulge beyond its normal margin and place pressure on the nerves exiting from the spine. Cell function is damage by extreme water content either to high or too low induced by fluctuation of disk compression. Tissue volume lost from dehydration produce an increase in disk bulging and a decrease in disk height. The normal disk height is greatly reduced because of loss of proteoglycans and water content from the nucleus.

When degenerative change occurs in the disk the nucleus pulposus tends to move out usually to the weakest area of the annulus producing compression of the nerve roots and spinal canal. Degeneration leads to tissue dehydration and the breakdown of the nucleus structure resulting in a reduction of osmotic properties because the fluid exchange in the disk is control by osmotic pressure.

The effects of disk degeneration include loss of cellularity, disorganization of the extracellular matrix, morphological changes and alteration in biomechanical properties. Dehydration is also correlated with decrease in disk cellularity, disorganization of the annular layers and alteration in the density of adjacent vertebra. Damage to cells produce at the same time disruption of blood vessels that deprives nerve cells for oxygen and expose them to toxic substances.

Spinal loading can alter tissue, water content and tissue shape in the nucleus and annulus producing change in cell metabolism. Change in water content produce modification in tissue permeability, density, oxygen tension and cell shape. As a consequence the disk loses its ability to attract and retain water.

Disk stress distribution is dependent on the type of loading such as compression, flexion, lateral bending or torsion and the degree of loading. Tissue stress developed through to the spinal loading can influence its biology. Within vertebrae strength can stimulate cells to develop more bone in areas of high stress or remove bone in areas of low stress. This process is the body mechanism to optimize the density and shape of bone for a particular mechanical exposure.

Weight is transmitted to the nucleus through the hyaline cartilage plate. This structure is ideally located to this function because it is avascular. If weight were transmitted through a vascularized structure, such as bone, the local pressure would block the blood supply and progressive areas of bone would die. The intervertebral discs have a blood supply at birth but later their nutrition is taken place by diffusion from tissue fluids. The fluid shift is in both directions from the vertebral body to the disk and from the disk to the vertebral body. This ability to transfer fluid from the discs to the adjacent vertebral bodies minimizes the rise in disk pressure on sudden compression loading.

During the early years of life the nucleus has sufficient moisture to act like a gelatinous mass. With advance degeneration of the nucleus pulposus the distribution forces to the annulus are completely lost since the nucleus now has a solid structure rather than a liquid state. The forces of degeneration makes the disk less elastic and this implies that as the disk degenerates, it loses the capacity to alternate shocks and distribute the load uniformly over the entire end plate.

The distribution of forces in the abnormal and normal disk can be explained when the disk function normally as in the early decades of life the nucleus distribute the forces of compression and tension equally to all parts of the annulus, when degeneration occurs the nucleus no longer function as a perfect gel and the forces transmitted to the annulus are unequal.

Spinal Fusion Procedure

A spinal fusion procedure is one of the most universal approaches to back surgery, regardless of the diagnosed source of symptoms. Fusion is used to treat abnormal spinal curvatures, vertebral alignment issues, advanced arthritic changes, extreme disc desiccation and a variety of bulging and ruptured disc concerns. If a condition is theorized to cause chronic back pain, it is likely to be a candidate for fusion surgery!

Fusion is one of the oldest forms of modern spinal surgery and is also one of the most common. Ironically, fusion is also one of the procedures which offers the absolute worst results when it comes to pain relief results. Statistically, surgeons view the fusion procedure as a success as long as the spine actually fuses. They do not consider pain relief to be a criterion for success or failure, but most patients do not know this fact when researching the operation. If patients knew what little hope they had of becoming and staying pain free after a spinal fusion procedure, the vast majority would turn and run...

Now, if this was the worst of the downside, it would be bad enough. However, the negative aspects of spinal fusion are just beginning to show themselves! Fusion, by nature, is against the natural law and design of the spine. The spinal column is a result of countless millions of years of evolutionary trial and error. It came to being since it proved itself the best way to support and protect a human (or other vertebrate animal), while still allowing mobility and flexibility. The spine is a jointed structure with each vertebrae allowed independent movement compared to surrounding levels. This is one of the main strengths of the design...

Spinal fusion procedures end this flexibility by inserting bone grafts and reinforcing metal hardware to prevent the movement between vertebral levels. Not only is this against the basic nature of the spine, but it has also been decisively proven to begin a destructive process as soon as the fusion bonds tightly... When vertebrae are fused, they impart an exponentially higher degree of stress to the vertebrae above (especially) and below the fusion. This stress causes the natural degenerative processes to speed up and intensify dramatically. The result is a domino effect of damage which multiplies throughout the spine, often resulting in additional fusions, which in turn continue to multiply the stress, ad nauseum, until the patient is utterly incapacitated.

Far worse still is the fact that there is NO PROOF at all that preventing vertebral movement helps in any way to stop pain. This fact is obvious to the millions of patients who have endured this invasive and barbaric operation only to feel worse. In fairness, I must tell the whole story, so here it is when it comes to statistics governing pain relief via spinal fusion procedure:

* Up to half of operated patients do not see marked relief or are worsened by the procedure. Some are damaged beyond repair.

* Many patients feel temporary relief for a few weeks to a few months, most likely due to surgical placebo or the powerful post-operative drugs used immediately after the surgery.

* A great majority of patients who do enjoy relief for a year or more will face a recurrence of pain, most often worse than the original condition, and many will undergo 2nd or 3rd spinal fusion procedures within 2 to 7 years time.

* A small minority of operated patients actually enjoy what could be called a cure for their pain, lasting more than 10 years.

* Spinal fusion procedures are the most common cause of failed back surgery syndrome and post-fusion patients have the fewest options for ever finding relief from their chronic symptoms.

* Fusion patients have the highest incidence of being "abandoned" by their surgeons after the procedure. Many doctors simply refuse to answer the continuing calls...

* Fusion patients are far less likely to be accepted as candidates for any other type of treatment, surgical or non-surgical, after a failed procedure.

Of all the many letters I receive every week, the most heartbreaking come from spinal fusion patients who are begging for advice on what to do now that they still have pain and have already gone to hell and back... As much as I wish to be able to answer these queries with some hope, I have yet to find it. The only positive advice I can give to anyone out there is to research the facts about fusion for yourself and understand the very great risks. Do not be misled into thinking this will be the end-all cure-all for your pain, since statistics clearly prove otherwise. Personally, I say to leave fusion as a completely last resort, for only extreme varieties of certain spinal conditions which would otherwise result in death due to organ failure or spinal instability.

Good Posture and Cervical Spondylosis

Having a good posture has always been, if not helpful, a necessary thing in a person's life. It may not have been a major issue when one was still a kid, but as one ages, the need for this to develop increases. The earlier the better, for bad posture habits might affect how one acts and looks to other people.

There are many ways which might help in developing a good posture. First, balancing a book (or books, if you will, but a book will do - might as well practise on one before trying two) by walking from one point to another. If you have tried this, you will certainly know that it was a little hard from the beginning, but as you practise, it will eventually be a lot easier. The better your balance, the more the book stays on top. Flexibility will also be developed in doing this. Aside from this trick, the "chest out, stomach in, chin up" technique has also been used to curb one's body posture. This does not mean that you just strike this pose; rather, it should also be done when walking or sitting down. This may seem like one is training and preparing for a beauty contest (all it lacks may be the winning smile and the swaying hips for the winning walk), but doing these might prove to be helpful in the long run. Walking and sitting with a straight back really does wonders on the posture. The main goal in doing all of these is to have a straight back and curb one's posture and spine besides. Doing this might prevent sickness and difficulties in the future.

Maintaining good posture is a way to prevent neck pains, which might eventually lead to cervical spondylosis. This is a condition in which segments of the neck slowly degenerate, thereby making this area weak and vulnerable. Neck pains may be accompanied by stiffness in the neck, headaches, some pain in the hands which may spread to other parts of the body as well. It also comes with age, though people as young as 30 might experience this. As said earlier, good posture must be exercised from childhood on, so that this might lessen the effect of the said condition.

Slouching when sitting and walking might make this come earlier than expected (other factors must be considered though, to know whether this is the case or not). Carrying a lot, most especially those in backpacks, might also contribute to this condition. Lessening what you a re carrying might help, and might not strain your neck and back.

Back Suffering - What Is Osteophyte?

Osteophytes are little round swelling of more bone that grows around the joints. They are sometimes called bone spurs. They are the effort of the body to recompense for the existing bone and also degeneration of ligament due to aging or injury. Unluckily, the attempt of the body to cure itself through this way is ineffective. They are created by the human body in order to limit or stop the motion in weakening joints that become too loose.

Since the gradual worsening of joint conditions are some features of the aged and athletes, this is disorder is very common in sports related damages or arthritis. In reality, they frequently lead to arthritis, and also a situation identified as spinal stenosis. Other features in the growth of bone spurs include fractures, bone deformations, poor posture and hereditary factors.

Majority of osteophytes are mostly seen along the backbone, but they can be seen in any bone in the human body. Even though they are not sources of pains themselves, they can form pressure in any nerves that stem out from spinal column and result in hurting and occasionally weakening medical situations. In several cases, anybody with bone spurs may not suffer any signs. When symptoms exist, they generally are due to stress on some numbers of nerves of the human body.

Numbness or tingling feelings in the legs, hands, and arms or feet may indicate presence of osteophytes along the spinal column. It is a normal experience also to suffer muscle spasms, cramping or weakness. Sufferers may possibly lose their capacity to move portions of the body; when the disorder is present in the higher portion of the vertebral column of the neckline area, symptoms may include dizziness, headache and general pain in the neck.

Some signs of the disorder depend on the location and size and it is possible that the ability of the patient to move other parts of his/her body will be lost. Some of the signs that are the outcomes from osteophytes are the characteristics also of some other medical illnesses or disorders. In order to be sure that the symptoms are really caused by the said illness, the doctor will advice the patient be examined through x-rays, computed tomography (CT) scans, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and electro conductive examinations to evaluate the actual functions of the nerves.

Treatment for this ailment may comprise of anti-inflammatory medicines like cortisone, physical therapy, rest, and ultimately surgery for severe cases. The advice of a physician is really needed before you take any medication.

Ambulatory Spinal Unloading - A New Treatment For Low Back Pain

"Ambulatory spinal unloading" is the "new kid on the block" when it comes to treatment of acute and chronic low back pain. It is so new that many care givers are not yet fully aware of it.

Anecdotally we know that relieving pressure on the discs via traction, non-surgical spinal decompression or inversion tables etc relieves the pain, we also know that continued activity opposed to inactivity is beneficial and everyone knows that stabilizing the spine and allowing strained muscles to relax and heal are critical to the healing process.

But until ambulatory spinal unloading came along there was no way to offer a low back pain suffer the full treatment. This new treatment modality for low back pain allows sufferers the ability to regain mobility, flexibility and activity in a pain free or pain reduced environment, allowing discs to rehabilitate, muscles to realign and mend and damaged nerves to heal.

Ambulatory spinal unloading dramatically reduces the degenerative cycle and dramatically increases the rejuvenative cycle of the spine and is without a doubt one of the most beneficial and cost effective, non-invasive treatment modalities for acute and chronic low back pain available today.

Ambulatory spinal unloading can be used to extend the benefits offered by stationary treatments as well as chiropractic and physiotherapy treatments or can be used as a pre surgery bridge or a post surgery protection/prevention tool.

Typical indications for this new treatment modality are most forms of low back pain that have been caused by; degenerative disc decease, herniated or bulging disc, nerve impingement, stenosis, facet syndrome, spondylolisthesis, lumbar vertebrae compression fracture, sciatica, lordosis etc and for many "undiagnosable" causes of low back pain.

Do Chiropractors Really Work?

Lisa said, "All I did was bend over to pick my baby girl up from the floor. Immediately I felt a spike of lower back pain. It was so bad that I couldn't even stand up straight. I just wanted to cry!"

I too have been suffering from lower back pain for quite some time now. It is because of this lower back pain that I started to learn about my options. I live in Owings Mills, Maryland so I have plenty of options when it comes to Chiropractors in my area. A quick Google search for 'Baltimore chiropractic', 'Owings Mills chiropractic', or 'Pikesville chiropractor' reveals lots of chiropractic clinics in the area.

Baltimore Maryland Chiropractors and chiropractors all over the world hear stories just like Lisa's and mine. Sudden back pain brings lots of people every day into Chiropractic clinics across the world.

Why is it that trained weight lifters are able to pick up hundreds of pounds and not experience any lower back pain, yet without any previous signs of problems, someone like Lisa has a sudden onset of pain from just bending over?

If the lower back muscles have weakened or the spine is out of alignment, something as simple as picking up you baby, reaching for laundry, or bending down to feed the cat can cause a lower back injury.

Chiropractic clinics don't just work with sports injuries, and victims of auto accidents. People from all walks of life who suffer with back pain from everyday common events are flocking to Chiropractic centers for Spinal Adjustments and relief from back pain. Many techniques are used including Spinal decompression to stabilize the spine and reduce nerve pressure from joint degeneration and disc injuries.

The medical term for the most common and widespread cause of mechanical lower back pain is subluxation. I spoke with an Owings Mills Chiropractor who defined subluxation as "a condition where adjacent spinal bones are out of alignment with each other." Nerve fibers run between each of the vertebrae. A subluxation can cause a pinched nerve producing pain and reduced function of our bodies.

What causes subluxation to occur? In one word, the answer is stress. This could be emotional stress, physical stress, or chemical stress. Sometimes the stress is physical as in an injury or trauma. Often however, the stress is a result of everyday bending, lifting or stooping. Poor posture, poor support when sitting at work, and other daily activities can cause subluxation. Even emotional stress and tension and cause the muscles to pull on the vertebra.

Your local Baltimore Maryland Chiropractic Center can teach you more about the causes of lower back pain and how to avoid them in the future.

So anyways, back to my own back pain. What I learned from talking to local family chiropractors is that I should have what is called a chiropractic adjustment. This is also known as a spinal adjustment. This is exactly what it sounds like. The chiropractor uses various techniques, depending on the patient, to adjust the spine. Typically it is a gentle force or thrusting movement that moves the spine or joint within its normal range of motion. This will increase the range of motion and help to ease the pain.

I will soon be contacting my local Baltimore Maryland Chiropractor to set up an appointment. I will be sure to write a follow-up article telling you how it goes. From what I am learning a Chiropractor is just what I need to get rid of this annoying lower back pain.

What Are the Contraindications for Spinal Decompression Therapy?

Contraindications to Spinal Decompression Therapy

Spinal Decompression Therapy is a revolutionary treatment involving intermittent traction which can help relieve, back pain, neck pain, arm and leg pain. Developed in the 1990's, it has grown tremendously in popularity as more and more patients realize the benefits of pain relief and surgery avoidance. It is highly effective (over 80%), low cost (less than 5% the cost of surgery), FDA cleared, and very safe with an extremely low risk profile.

There are some patients who are not candidates for spinal decompression however. Patients with chronic back pain or chronic neck pain who have sciatica or radiculopathy may benefit tremendously. Common problems that benefit include lumbar disc herniation, cervical disc herniation, facet syndrome, failed spine surgery, ruptured discs, degenerative disc disease, sciatica, and spinal stenosis.

Spinal decompression therapy has saved many people from spinal surgery. According to a recent study in the Journal of the American Medical Association, surgery is no more effective than non-invasive treatments, including chiropractic care, for patients with lumbar disc herniation causing sciatica.

However, if a patient has had a previous spinal fusion with instrumentation then spinal decompression is contraindicated. The key here is instrumentation. Spinal fusions without instrumentation are okay for the treatment. The concern is the unlikely event that the instrumentation may shift. For instance if a patient had a neck fusion with a plate the end result is typically no more radiculopathy and a solid fusion. However, at times the end result is no pain even though the fusion did not occur and the instrumentation is holding the bones together. The intermittent traction from the neck decompression, even though slight, could cause a screw to shift and the plate to move.

Another contraindication is pregnancy. Back pain and sciatica are very common during pregnancy. Chiropractic treatment and massage can be very helpful if done safely during pregnancy for back pain. Spinal decompression involves slight intermittent traction and there is a need to put a harness over the pelvis and abdomen region. In order to ensure the effectiveness of the treatment, the harness is secured snugly and therefore in pregnant women the treatment is not allowed because of the resultant pressure on the uterus.

Patients with significant spinal osteoporosis should not undergo lumbar decompression or cervical decompression. Since there is a baseline increased risk of vertebral compression fractures from the decreased bone density, spinal decompression may add to that risk. Patients who have severe osteoporosis may sustain fractures from simply getting up out of a chair or out of bed or sneezing. Patients with osteopenia, which is a slight decrease in bone density less severe than osteoporosis, are okay for neck decompression or back decompression in that regard.

These conditions are not indicated for spinal decompression. A comprehensive pain management center will have other options for pain relief in those patients which may include pain medications, interventional pain management, physical therapy, chiropractor treatment, acupuncture, or massage.

Degenerative Discs Are Reversible

Degenerative Disc Disease is the deterioration of the fragile and thin cartilage between the vertebrae of the spine. Degeneration of the disc, medically referred to as spondylosis, can be notes on x-ray tests by the narrowing of the normal disc space between adjacent vertebrae, thereby causing pain (from mild to severe depending on the amount of degeneration) by the rubbing or touching of the vertebrae bones. This loss of cartilage can be caused by loss of water in the cartilage and usually, but not always, occurs with aging.

However, degenerative discs are reversible. You will probably not hear that from your health care professional. When degenerative discs are detected, the doctors immediately prescribe pain medication and cortisone to reduce the inflammation. However, continued use of cortisone has many serious side effects such as increased appetite and weight gain, water and salt retention, high blood pressure, diabetes, osteoporosis, cataracts, and/or stomach ulcers, just to name a few.

The next step following the cortisone is spinal fusion. The goal of spinal fusion is to eliminate the motion of the vertebrae at a spinal segment, thus reducing pain caused by the motion. This is done by one of two ways, either by using metallic screws and rods/plates or inter-body cages to immobilize the spine, which can loosen, break or pull out of the bone. Plus, more pain could result if the operation is unsuccessful, thereby leading to additional procedures and subsequent pressure placed on the neighboring discs, and the progression is repeated.

I suffered from degenerative discs and through exercise was able to reverse it. The bones that were degenerative were at my waist and developed because I did not have curvature in my lower spine, thereby making the cartilage between the bones in the lumbar region degenerate. By exercising to open up the degenerative discs, I was able to build up the discs and even lost ½ inch in height because the curvature was put back into my spine. By working with my chiropractor on a regular basis to keep my spinal cord aligned and in correct adjustment, exercising my back by specific exercises targeting the area of disc degeneration, and wearing either a back belt and/or using special seat cushions and pillows, the degenerative discs were reversed.

The exercise the worked for me because of the specific area of my spine (the lumbar area) that degenerated was the yoga cobra pose. This exercise is great for people with lower back pain and decreases stiffness in the lower back, enlarges the chest and strengthens the arms and shoulders.

To perform the cobra pose:

Step 1: Lie on your belly while your head rests on your lower arms.

Step 2: Raise your forehead, look upwards and stretch your hands backwards. Let your weight rest on your chest.

Step 3: The head falls a little backwards towards your back and the backward movement proceeds from the neck and the chin. Move your belly further backward as if someone is pulling your arms. The weight is more and more shifted towards the belly and the lower back does the real work.

This exercise opens up the space between the vertebrae, thereby building up the cartilage between the discs. Also, drink a lot of water to hydrate the body, but more specifically the cartilage.

The reversal of the degenerative discs does not happen overnight but takes time and consistency. However, the result is pain free with no adverse side effects.

Indications and Advantages of Cervical Artificial Disk Replacement

It is when an intervertebral disc has been surgically removed to decompress the spinal cord or nerve root that disk replacement may be considered. Here, a device is inserted between two cervical vertebrae in a bid to preserve motion at the disc space.

Cervical disk replacement is usually used as an alternative to bone grafts, plates and screws that are usually used after a disc removal. However these surgical options usually eliminate motion at the operated neck disc space

Sometimes, cervical disc replacement is performed on patients suffering from cervical disc herniations that don't respond to non-surgical treatment options, and whose quality of life and ability to function are hampered.

Indications for cervical disc replacement

Cervical replacement is usually indicated in people suffering from symptomatic cervical disc that causes arm pain or weakness, or numbness and neck pain.

These symptoms usually arise because of herniated discs and osteophytes that compress the adjacent nerves of the spinal cord. All this usually occurs at cervical spine levels C4, C5-6 or C6-7.

For any candidate to be admitted into a clinical trial for cervical disc replacement, he or she should meet certain strictly defined criteria. These include:

1. Trying some non-operative treatment for a minimum of 4-6 weeks. This usually consists of anti-inflammatory medication and physical therapies for relief from cervical pain.

2. They should not have undergone any prior neck surgery.

3. The candidate should lastly, be considered a good surgical candidate for cervical disc replacement.

Advantages of artificial disc replacement

The greatest advantage of undergoing cervical disk replacement is that it reduces the biomechanical stress on adjacent discs. It also entails faster recovery wherein you can quickly return to normal activities.

In fact, most patients return to work within a fortnight, and can resume normal activities (not sport activities) after 2-3 months. In contrast, patients who undergo disc fusion cannot resume their normal activities for at least 6 months or more after their surgery.

Sciatica, Sciatica Pain And Its Management

It is important for a person to understand about physical changes that they are experiencing. There is chance that one may experience pinching and irritation at their lower back portion, legs and toes. The reason behind this is compression of the sciatica nerve. Sciatica is the largest and longest nerve in human anatomy. It is good to have knowledge on sciatica pain management techniques to stay away from the severe and acute pain it causes. To understand this one must be in a position to learn the different symptoms, causes and reasons for its occurrence.

Sciatica pain management will help a person overcome the situation of acute pain. Provided below are few of the common symptoms that may point at presence of sciatica in a person.

1. Pain in rear lower portion of the back. This is elevated during sitting and becomes worse.
2. Tingling sensation, pins and needles sensation, burning and irritation in legs and toes.
3. Weakness and numbness. Makes it difficult to move legs freely.
4. Constant pain experienced in the rear end to one side.
5. The pain is shooting and searing.

Depending on the symptoms one will be in a position to understand the origination of the source for sciatica. Sciatica pain is devastating and upsets normal life. Understanding the origination will be helpful in treating it with proper medication and exercises. There are different exercises which target at different muscles depending on the root cause of the ailment. For some people, the pain is temporary and irritating. This can be due to stress developed in the muscles and can be easily cured with right kind of exercises. Due to this sole reason, all the exercises are tailor made and provided by experienced spinal therapist who has gained good expertise over the years.

The main source for sciatica pain is compression of nerve roots present at the end of the spinal canal. If the pain does not subdue with regular exercises and medication, one will have to look for surgical treatment to overcome the situation. Exercises prescribed target at improvement in strength and flexibility in the affected region. This will help reduce sciatica in few weeks or months that include constant sessions with the therapist. Overweight is another factor that adds to the ailment. Maintaining good health is the key and plays a vital role in preventing occurrence of sciatica. Pain management will be helpful to follow a schedule of exercises that prevent sciatica.

Overweight Means Back Pain

Lots of people struggle with weight loss on a regular basis but the fact of the matter is, it may be more than a simple beauty issue. Many people who find themselves overweight experience low back pain and are hurting needlessly, simply because they are having a difficult time in losing the weight that they are carrying. The fact of the matter is, if you are carrying around an additional weight in the front of your body, your back is going to suffer as a result.

The main reason why this is the case is because the spine was not developed in order to carry a load that is heavier than our body at its normal, lean weight. As you put on additional pounds, the spine begins to distort and to compress, causing a lot of pain that you are experiencing. This may also have an effect on your pelvis, tilting it forward and perhaps making it pinch your sciatic nerve. That is one of the main reasons why people who are overweight tend to have problems with their lower back, either because of sciatica or because of the distorting of the spinal column.

For anyone who is experiencing this problem then there is really only one thing that you can do in order to overcome it. You should get rid of some of the additional weight that you have been carrying around and your spine will quickly ease up and go back into its regular position. Unfortunately, losing weight is not something that is simple and it is a bit time consuming but the benefits of losing weight far outweigh any inconvenience that you may experience from the effort.

Two things that you can do in order to slim down naturally are to get a little bit more active and to modify your diet so that you are taking in fewer calories than what you are using throughout the day. Become more physically active slowly, especially if you're having problems with low back pain. It's also wise to do stretching exercises as well as concentrating on your core body muscles so that it will help to strengthen this area of your body, further reducing the amount of pain that you are experiencing. Within just a week or two of being on this weight reduction program, you should begin to notice differences in the way that you feel.

Stabbing Lower Back Pain on Side - What is Causing It?

If you have a stabbing lower back pain on the side whether on the right side or the left side of your back and don't know what is causing it then, the first thing you should do, is to look at your symptoms. Is the pain a stabbing pain that runs or radiates downward through the buttocks and down the back of the leg or is more of a stiff or sore muscle ache kind of pain?

If it stiffness and/or soreness then this is just a sore or bruised muscle and a heating pad can help to ease the pain. If however, the pain is stabbing like pain and runs down the back of the leg then, chances are you are suffering from what is commonly known and referred to as sciatica.

Now the question is "What is sciatica?" Sciatica is the word used when referring to pain caused by a damaged sciatic nerve or a sciatic nerve that is being irritated by having pressure placed on it, which brings up the next question, "What is the sciatic nerve?"

The sciatic nerve (there are actual two, one on each side of the body) is the nerve that begins in the lower back, extends out of the spinal column in five places, and runs downward through the buttocks under a muscle called the Piriformis muscle, and down the leg all the way to your feet. They are the longest nerves in the body.

When this nerve, the sciatic nerve, has pressure placed on it, it becomes irritated and inflamed which is, what causes the stabbing lower back pain on one side or the other that you feel. The most common cause of this pressure is Piriformis syndrome, which is the term used to describe a bruised or damaged Piriformis muscle that has swollen due to inflammation.

The Piriformis muscle is the muscle that attaches the lower part of the spinal column to the upper part of the thighbone. As stated above the sciatic nerve run under this muscle so, when the muscle swells due to inflammation it places pressure on the sciatic nerve thus, causing the severe lower back pain that is felt on one side or the other. To ease the pain you must reduce the swelling, just as you would with any kind of inflammation, use ice packs for thirty minutes at a time, every two hours. (Be sure to place a cloth between the ice pack and skin to avoid skin damage.)

The second most common cause, is a slipped or herniated disc, If this were the case, to ease the pain immediately after it first occurs, you would do the same as above. When the sciatic nerve gets squeezes between the discs and vertebrae, it becomes irritated and inflamed and once again, just as with any type of inflammation, you treat it with cold. (Ice)

Thoracic Spine Pain - Five Tips to Beat It!

Thoracic spine pain affects so many of us, and with an increasingly sedentary lifestyle this can only get worse. So often, back pain solutions and exercises are aimed at the more easily mobilized lower back, but this article is specifically about ways to relieve upper back pain.

Hunched over a desk or in front of a computer, or hours spent driving can all contribute to that stabbing discomfort between the shoulder blades. Thoracic spine pain is very often caused by bad posture, especially while seated, leading to imbalances in the complex muscle, joint and ligament structures in that area. Paying attention to correct posture is helpful, but making sure all the muscles are toned and the vertebrae correctly aligned should bring about better posture automatically. Here are five of the best approaches to beating this limiting condition for good...

1. Chiropractic. If the thoracic pain is severe or chronic and you need a kick-start, chiropractors can sometimes offer instant relief in this area. However, chiropractic should be used like a service for your car - it needs to be done, but in between services, you need to take responsibility and keep your spine in good condition yourself.

2. Light weight training. The thoracic spine is harder to mobilize than the lumbar spine, so certain specific exercises need to be done. I have found that a one-arm row using a dumbbell or other improvised weight works wonders for getting the muscles loosened and improving blood flow to the area. Do a couple of sets in the mornings as a warm up before stretching.

3. Yoga. Many of the yoga postures help to relieve thoracic pain. The simple seated forward bend can be a great relief, as can the shoulder stand and plough positions, which extend the thoracic area in a way that's hard to do with any other method.

4. Inversion tables. These wonderful inventions are a godsend for the lower back, but can be just as good for the thoracic spine too, reversing the crushing strain of gravity that can contribute to all these conditions. Go get one!

5. Hanna Somatic Movement Education. This fantastic way of balancing the entire body is so incredibly gentle you might think it's not doing much, but it is perhaps the most complete system for keeping the body pain-free. Find out more about it at the link below.

Of course diet is also a contributing factor, and to learn about foods that cause inflammation and alkalising foods that reduce inflammation is one of the best things we can do in our search for perfect health. Add to that the knowledge of your Ayurvedic body type and how the Ayurvedic doshas relate to food choices, and you will be well on the way to super health!

Five of the Most Common Causes of Back Pain

Back pain is a symptom of several conditions, and most people experience it at some point in life. In some cases, back pain occurs due to injury, but it can also be a result of age-related degeneration or disease. Below is a look at five of the most common causes of back pain.

Arthritis

Approximately one in six adults suffers from spinal arthritis, which is most often caused by the breakdown of cartilage on facet joints, which then become inflamed and cause friction-related pain that may be severe. Many cases of arthritic back pain are related to osteoarthritis brought on by long-term wear, but some patients have back pain due to rheumatoid arthritis. Whereas osteoarthritis most commonly affects the lumbar region, rheumatoid arthritis tends to cause pain in the upper back and neck.

Osteoporosis

When bones become fragile due to osteoporosis, the vertebrae become vulnerable to breakage. While spinal fractures most commonly affect elderly individuals, younger people can also suffer spinal damage due to osteoporosis. In most causes of osteoporosis-related back pain, everyday spinal pressure is the culprit. Mild falls or incorrect lifting posture are often to blame, but severe osteoporosis can put patients at risk for spinal fracture from even coughing or sneezing.

Scoliosis

The spinal curvature seen in scoliosis often affects people from birth, but it can also arise in adulthood due to osteoporosis, degenerative disc disease, compression fractures and spinal stenosis. Occasionally, adult scoliosis occurs for no apparent reason. Pain can emerge after years of asymmetrical loading of vertebrae, which results in uneven wear. The affected area, most often the lower or middle back, usually becomes painful only after major degeneration has taken place. Adults with scoliotic back pain have often had scoliosis since childhood but only developed symptoms after years of wear and tear.

Spinal Stenosis

In spinal stenosis, pain and other neurological symptoms develop after the spinal canal narrows. Most commonly affecting the lower back, spinal stenosis can arise from arthritis, spinal tumors, heredity and trauma. Everyday activities, such as walking, can become severely painful as the condition progresses. In addition to pain, sufferers may experience clumsiness, problems walking and neuropathies, such as cold feelings, tingling and numbness.

Degenerative Disc Disease

Most people over age 60 have some level of disc degeneration, but some suffer from severe degeneration that causes pain in a few ways. Degenerative disc disease can result in osteoarthritis over time due to constant friction between discs that are no longer well-padded. Without cushioning, the discs bear weight they aren't designed to handle, leaving them open to osteoarthritis. Although discs don't normally contain nerves, some doctors believe that when disc degeneration becomes severe, nerves from outside the spine can grow into the discs and cause pain.

Back pain often is often a symptom of long-term deterioration related to trauma, lifestyle and disease. Patients have plenty of options for treatment in most cases. Between medication, rehabilitation and surgery, many patients are able to reduce or eliminate their back pain and lead a normal life.

Leg Numbness

Leg numbness is one of the neurological symptoms often associated with sciatica. There are many possible sources of numbness in the legs and all conditions should be thoroughly investigated by a qualified physician to insure that the patient is not suffering from some potentially serious health crisis, such as a circulatory disorder or diabetic condition. Unfortunately, many numbness conditions tend to either defy diagnosis or are misidentified as to the actual causative condition sourcing the symptoms. This is par for the course when discussing any of the usual symptoms of sciatica...

Leg numbness comes in 2 distinct symptomatic expressions. The first and less common is objective numbness. This type of symptom is defined as a numb feeling which can be verified medically and proven through diagnostic testing. The leg will not only feel numb; it will actually be sensory deprived, as well. The more common type of sciatica numbness is called subjective numbness. In this expression, the leg will feel numb, but testing will reveal no actual numbness in the skin, nerves or muscles involved. This objective versus subjective symptomatic comparison is very important in many sciatica conditions and can also be applied to weakness conditions, as well.

Objective numbness will usually be indicative of a structural issue in the lower back, or sciatic nerve anatomy, which has affected nerve activity, leading to decreased functionality. The most common cause of this phenomenon is a herniated lumbar or lumbosacral disc which compresses a spinal nerve root or the entire cauda equina structure. The second most common cause is an identical compression issue enacted by an arthritic osteophyte complex enacting foraminal or spinal stenosis in the lumbar spine. Other possible spinal reasons for weakness in the legs can include extreme spondylolisthesis or scoliosis, as well as failed back surgery syndrome. Non-spinal reasons for numbness are usually linked to a condition known as piriformis syndrome, in which the sciatic nerve is theorized to be compressed by the powerful piriformis muscle deep within the buttocks anatomy.

Subjective numbness is most often the result of a non-structural process, such as regional ischemia. This oxygen deprivation syndrome is at the heart of many chronic back pain conditions and is certainly the root source of many sciatica nightmares. Ischemia can be anatomical and linked to circulatory issues, but is usually enacted by the mind-body processes. In my experience, the majority of treatment-resistant sciatica syndromes are caused by oxygen deprivation, which helps explain why they do not respond well to medical care, complementary medical care or virtually any accepted treatment option, except knowledge therapy.

While this objective versus subjective symptom guideline is helpful to remember when diagnosing the source of numbness, it is not absolute. There are some structural issues which may only enact subjective numbness, although these conditions are usually transitional and typically improve without any dedicated treatment. There are also extreme cases of objective numbness caused completely by a powerful psychogenic process. In the case of both subjective and objective numbness caused by a mind-body issue, structural scapegoats are often located via diagnostic testing and usually take the blame for pain. It may take the patient year's worth of failed therapies and maybe an unsuccessful surgery or two to repudiate the diagnosis and finally realize the reason for their pain, tingling, numbness or weakness all along... This is the saddest aspect of life as a sciatica sufferer. The fact remains that despite advances in medical care, the present back pain industry is still burdened by misinformation, antiquated theories of pain and the illogical Cartesian medical philosophy which has proven itself to be so incredibly ineffective at dealing with chronic pain of any type or location.

Treating Sciatica With Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine

Sciatica is a condition that is characterized by the compression of the sciatic nerve, the longest nerve in the body. It begins in the lower back and extends down the back of the leg on both sides. Sciatica is just a symptom of another medical problem. The pain can be very debilitating and possibly even leave someone unable to move. Sciatica is usually felt down one leg and on one side of the hips and buttock, and it can progress slowly over time.
Sciatica pain symptoms are usually felt in the buttock, hip, and down the leg possibly even in the foot. The pain may be described as:

• Sharp or stabbing
• Dull or ache
• Tingling
• Burning
• Numbness
• Weakness

The symptoms of sciatica may get worse with:
• Standing or sitting
• Sneezing, coughing, or laughing
• Bending backwards
• Walking (even short distances)
• Exercise

The western treatment of sciatica includes:
• Letting it resolve on its own with lots of rest
• Applying heat or ice to the affected area
• Over the counter pain medications or anti-inflammatory and muscle relaxant prescription medications
• Sleeping on your side with a pillow between your knees to alleviate the pressure on the nerve
• If sleeping on your back, placing a pillow underneath your knees to alleviate pressure on the lower back
• Physical therapy, exercises, and stretching
• Surgery

As mentioned earlier, sciatica is just a symptom of another medical problem. Those may include:
• Spinal stenosis
• Spondylolisthesis, or "slipped disk"
• Piriformis syndrome
• Trauma - such as a car accident or fall
• Herniated disk in the spine

In Chinese medicine, sciatica may be caused by one or a combination of several different patterns, including:
• Qi and blood stagnation
• Liver-Kidney Yin Deficiency
• Liver Depression
• Wind-Cold Damp Bi Syndrome

These patterns may be caused by trauma to the lower back area, due to a normal decline in Qi with aging, the body responding to stress, one of the problems in the spine mentioned earlier, or another cause. It is recommended that the underlying cause of the sciatica be diagnosed with a doctor in order to ensure that the cause is also treated, not just the pain.

Sciatica pain can be treated with acupuncture. There are acupuncture points in the back, hip, leg, and hands that can help alleviate the pain, increase blood flow and Qi flow to the affected area, and decrease the compression on the nerve. There are also ear acupuncture points that may be used also to help decrease the pain signals to the brain as well as supplement the therapeutic effect of the body needles.

Additionally, there are liniments (oils) that may be prescribed that help increase Qi flow along the affected meridian as well as decrease pain. They can be rubbed into the affected area by the patient at home after the acupuncture treatment. Customized herbal formulas may also help in the case of complex or deeply rooted patterns. Both liniments and herbal formulas may be used to help continue treatment between acupuncture sessions.

Back Pain: Cancer, Stones and Tumors

Although not as common, prostate cancer, kidney disorders (stones) and spinal tumors represent a small percentage of back pain. Since low back pain is a common condition, many people ignore it and do not realize that there may be a more serious underlying problem that is causing the pain. All three should be considered as a differential diagnosis in order to treat it properly and effectively. Luckily, the majority of back pain is benign and self limiting.

The good news is that most low back pain is due to mechanical causes (muscles, joints) that can be treated and resolved within weeks to months.

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men, excluding skin cancer. After lung cancer it is the leading cause of cancer death in Canada. One in eight men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer and about one third of them will die from it. Men over the age of 50 have an increased risk. The cause of prostate cancer is both hereditary and environmental. Diets low in selenium, high in red meat fat, and/or smoke, increase the risk of prostate cancer.

Although there are no symptoms of early prostate cancer, symptoms such as chronic low back pain (months), difficulty with urination (starting and stopping), a poor stream during urination, a burning sensation while urinating or excessive urination at night should not be ignored.

These symptoms are not specific to prostate cancer, but can also indicate other urinary problems. Early detection is very important in order to treat it successfully. Yearly physical examinations are necessary for all men over the age of 50. Along with the examination of the prostate, be sure that your physician also orders blood tests, to measure the levels of prostate specific antigen (PSA). PSA is a substance that is produced in the prostate. Once the prostate is enlarged, there are higher levels of PSA found in your blood. An increased level of PSA in your blood, is one of the earliest signs of prostate cancer.

If prostate cancer is detected early, it can be treated. Surgery and/or radiation therapy are the primary methods of care. A proper diet is critical in reducing the risk of prostate cancer. Vitamin D and E supplements along with a reduction in overall dietary fat will decrease the risk of prostatic cancer.

Another rare source of back pain comes from the kidney. There are many conditions that can affect the kidney, which can refer pain to the low back. Any type of inflammation/infection in the kidney or an obstruction in the ureter can cause low back pain. Since kidney stones are probably one of the most prevalent kidney conditions, special attention should be directed to it.

The kidneys are the body's filtering system. The blood in your body passes through them and any unwanted substances are excreted in the urine. Unfortunately, if there is a build-up of certain chemicals or minerals, kidney stones are formed. There are many factors that play a role in the formation of these stones. Age, sex, a family history of kidney stones, the amount of water consumed, climate, and dietary factors are just a few things that contribute to their formation. Calcium oxalate (most common), calcium phosphate and uric acid are three different types of kidney stones.

The pain that is caused by kidney stones is due to an obstruction of the ureter, the organ which connects the kidney to the bladder. The bladder stores the urine until it's time to get rid of it. Kidney stones are not always smooth and round; they can have jagged edges. As these kidney stones pass through the ureter they scrape the inside of it, causing severe pain. Symptoms include blood in urine, a burning sensation while urinating, difficulty urinating, nausea/vomiting and/or excruciating back, abdominal or groin pain.

If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, you may have kidney stones and it's important to visit your doctor immediately.

Drinking a lot of water and keeping well hydrated is one of the best ways to decrease your risk of having kidney stones. The stones are usually small enough that you will pass them in due time. If the stones are too large to pass, shock wave lithotripsy and various types of surgical procedures are done.

Spinal tumors are probably the rarest of the three conditions that we are discussing. These tumors are uncommon but still represent a small percentage of causes of low back pain.

Spinal tumours can either be benign or malignant. Benign tumors of the spine grow slowly and are less aggressive. These tumors can become a problem when they get too large and compress or impinge the spinal cord or peripheral nerves. There are several benign tumors that originate in the spine, including hemangiomas, osteoblastomas and osteochondromas. Depending on the type of tumor and its characteristics it may be left alone or removed. Chemotherapy and radiation therapy may also be used

New Advance in Back Pain Treatment: Stem Cell Therapy

If you have chronic back pain, it is important to be aware of all your treatment options before considering surgery. A new technique to heal structures of the back uses a component of the patient's body: stem cells.

Stem cells are the blank slate of cells: They can become other cells in the body. The cells used to treat back pain and other chronic pain conditions are called mesenchymal, and they can become bone, cartilage or fat cells depending on the environment they are put in. Adult cells are used, which differ from embryonic cells that can become any other type of cell. Taking the cells from an adult eliminates the controversy surrounding embryonic stem cell research from this form of treatment.

Stem cells may be able to treat a range of conditions due to their versatility, including degenerative disc disease, vertebral fracture, ligament damage and facet joint syndrome. Research is underway to determine the efficacy of this new therapy in treating various types of back pain causes.

The Procedure

Mesenchymal cells are taken from bone marrow, usually from the patient's hip. This may be painful depending on the technique used. The company Regenexx uses a small needle to take a sample from the hip marrow and claims that this is a relatively painless procedure. After the cells have been isolated from the marrow, they are generally combined with platelets from your blood which contain growth factors. To make the procedure a fast one, many practitioners combine the cell and platelet mixture with platelet-rich plasma or another substance to encourage the speedy reproduction of stem cells. The cells and their growth factors are then injected into the area of the body that needs repair. If injected in a joint, cartilage will form; if in a disc, new disc material will grow; if in bone, new bone will form.

Stem cells have also been used to perform spinal fusion surgery, in which case a damaged disc is removed and the cell mixture is placed between two vertebrae to grow into bone and fuse them. Unlike the injection procedure, this is an invasive surgical procedure. Trials are underway to test stem cells' ability to regrow damaged discs. See the case study at http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/721921 to learn more about the potentials of disc regeneration.

Currently, this therapy is new and not the most accessible treatment. It is only offered to those participating in clinical trials or by a couple of companies, such as Regenexx. An exact cost of stem cell therapy is not available and likely depends on your location, condition and the procedure selected to treat it. Non-surgical techniques such as the injection of cells is likely much cheaper than common surgeries like spinal fusion.

It will probably be a couple of years before stem cell therapy is widely available to those with back pain. It is best to undergo available conservative treatments like physical therapy and decompression treatments first. In the coming years, we may see the procedure become commonplace for those looking to avoid surgery.

New advances in back pain treatment offer hope to those who feel they've tried everything. There are many options for ending your pain, and stem cell therapy may be one of them.

Sciatica and Its Treatment

After suffering from sciatica for many years I found that the pain associated with sciatic nerve damage can be prevented by doing the right kind of exercises.  These exercises come from a physical therapist by the name of Robin McKenzie and are known as the McKenzie Method.

These exercises are not only good for preventing sciatica but can also be very beneficial in relieving the pain during time when you are suffering from sciatica.  These exercises can be used for sciatica treatment and are associated with extension of the spine or backward bending. What they really do is help you test for, and then exercise in, positions and stretches that relieve the pain in the legs and feet and centralize it in the lower back or produce "centralization of symptoms."

All this means is that the symptoms are centralized in the butt or lower back, if you have lower back pain that is running down the leg (sciatica) then centralization would be where the pain lessens or leaves the leg or legs, even though the pain in the butt and lower back stays the same or worsens.  In time, if you can centralize the pain in the butt and lower back, the pain in the butt and lower back will also start to see improvement.

McKenzie exercises most often involve extension of the spine but, they can also involve flexion or forward bending, side bending, and rotation, it all depends on what positions centralize or reduces the pain.  When preforming these exercises, as a sciatica treatment, the thing to remember is that you are looking for positions that reduce the pain furthest away from the spine and centralize it in the lower back.  Any positions you try that worsens the pain furthest from the spine should be avoided.

You will need to keep testing different positions until you find the ones that do the best job of centralizing the pain.  When testing positions you will need to stay in the position for thirty seconds to a minute to see if they are working then, repeat doing them throughout the day.

Following are the most common helpful exercises for sciatica treatment:

1. Lie on the floor or another firm surface on your stomach propping up your upper body with your elbows while keeping your hips or pelvis down on the floor.  Hold this position for thirty seconds to a minute or more.  Try bending your upper body to the left, then the right, to see which position centralizes the pain the best.  This can be done throughout the day during times of sciatica flare ups.

2. This next one is sometimes called "The Cat Stretch" and is an alternate to the exercise above.  Get on your hands and knees and then slowly relax your back and stomach muscles so that your stomach hangs down and the lower back curves downward. Keep your head up and look forward, hold this position for thirty seconds to a minute and again, this can be done throughout the day during sciatica flare ups.

The next two exercises for sciatica treatment will require an exercise ball, if you don't have one, you may be able to use several pillows under the low back to achieve extension.

3. Lie on the exercise ball or pillows on your back allowing your back to curve backwards (if you have difficulty balancing the ball have someone help you hold the ball) and maintain this position for several minutes, make sure you raise your head periodically to avoid getting light headed.

4. As I said earlier, McKenzie exercises are normally associated with spinal extension or backwards bending but, they also include flexion or forward bending to centralize the pain of the sciatic nerve.  Forward stretching can be done on an exercise ball or by lying on a pile of pillows or even the arm of a sofa.  Since forward bending can worsen the problems with the discs in the lower back, you should only use this position for short periods of time, one minute or less unless advised otherwise by a doctor or qualified therapist.