How To Treat a Pinched Nerve in Your Lower Back

A pinched nerve in your lower back is also called nerve entrapment, or nerve compression. In layman terms, it is a sore part of the body. A pinched nerve in the lower back may cause anywhere from mild pain and minor discomfort to severe soreness that makes any type of movement excruciatingly painful. Anyone who has experienced the ordeal knows that you would want it to go away, as soon as possible.

Factors Affecting Pinched Nerve

A pinched nerve in the body may be caused by a number of factors. Poor posture where weight is unevenly distributed may result in lower back pain as muscles tend to compensate for the imbalance. Same goes with wearing shoes that do not offer good arch support as the pressure of your body weight is transferred from the arches of the feet to your lower back. Stress is also a known cause of lower back pain. Other factors include obesity, Morton's toe and foot misalignment, uneven leg lengths, prolonged sitting, and in more extreme cases by slipped vertebrae or a concussion on the spinal cord.

Chronic vs Acute Pain

To treat a pinched nerve in your lower back, first you have to know whether it falls under the acute or the chronic categories. Acute pain is pain that lasts for less than 3 months. These cases may be treated with back pain home remedies. Meanwhile, chronic pain is pain that is longer than 3 months. This usually requires a more intensive treatment preferably by a nerve doctor or a rehabilitation therapist.

Chronic lower back pain can be treated by either pressing heat or ice pack (never both, for your sake) over the affected area, or taking mild pain relievers. A gentle back rub using mild liniment may also alleviate the pain. Note that bed rest is never recommended, it will aggravate the situation. If you suspect that your condition is caused by stress, do gentle movement side to side, sit back and take plenty of me-time.

Treatment for Pinched Nerve in Lower Back

Once you have recovered, it is important that you do not suffer a relapse. Study how you can acquire the correct posture so you can evenly distribute your body weight. Engage in back pain relief exercises such as pilates exercises. Use a pair of shoes that has arch support that hugs your feet's shape. Avoid sitting or standing in the same position too long. Take time to understand how you got your pinched nerve so you can give it proper solution.

Varieties of Herniated Discs

There are many varieties of herniated discs possible in the human spine and patients love to declare their diagnosis without even understanding what it means. I am bombarded daily by readers who go to great lengths to detail the specific variety of disc concern which has been blamed for causing them so much pain, but I find that virtually none of these patients really understand the difference between the many types of disc protrusions which are possible. It is for this reason that I advise all patients to spend some time educating themselves as to the exact nature of their diagnosed spinal abnormality in order to better their participation in treatment and increase their chances for better therapy results.

There are many terms used to diagnose disc pathologies, with some being used interchangeably by care providers and others being used to differentiate specific types of bulges and herniations. Some of the more common terminologies include bulging disc, slipped disc and prolapsed disc, among others. These simply identify a herniated disc condition in one form or another, but this is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to diagnostic terminology!

In addition to any of the above terms, certain other names may be applied to a herniated disc, signifying how or where it is abnormally affected. The first set of names which may be applied include anterior and posterior herniations. Anterior bulges are rare and are almost never considered symptomatic. Posterior herniations face into the spinal nerve structures and are therefore blamed for sourcing the majority of back pain concerns, even when no evidence of actual structural impingement or compression is noted.

Posterior herniations are further broken down into many subcategories, which detail more specifically how and where the bulge occurs. Diffuse herniated discs occur over a large portion of the disc structure. Broad based herniations account for bulges consisting of 25% to 50% of the total disc size, while focal disc protrusions involve less than 25% of the overall disc structure. All of these can occur in any of the following varieties:

Central herniated discs, are also known as median herniations, and have a tendency to bulge directly in the midline of the disc, facing directly into the middle of the thecal sac and possibly impinging upon or compressing the spinal cord or cauda equina, depending on the affected level.

Posterolateral herniated discs, also known as paramedian herniations, are the most common variety of posterior disc issue and bulge off center and into the lateral recess on one side of the central spinal canal or the other. In some cases, these bulges can enact asymmetrical central canal stenosis or may enter into the neuroforaminal space, possibly causing a pinched nerve root syndrome.

Foraminal herniated disc is the term used for a one sided herniation which also does indeed block the neuroforaminal space or even protrudes through it. These discs have the best chance of enacting nerve compression due to pressure on the nerve root as it attempts to exit the vertebral foramen.

Far lateral herniated discs, also called extraforaminal herniations, exist outside the spinal canal and may be difficult to accurately image and diagnose. Unlike most posterolateral and foraminal herniations which affect the nerve root at the same level as the disc condition, far lateral bulges may affect the nerve root above the herniation, making positive symptomatic correlation that much more difficult.

Luckily, research clearly demonstrates that the vast majority of disc herniations and bulges are not problematic and do not cause chronic back pain. For disc issues which are definitively sources of symptoms, most will respond well to appropriate treatment. If your disc issues have not resolved despite numerous therapy attempts, it may be wise to consider the very viable possibility that these structural findings are coincidental to the pain and therefore will never respond well to targeted treatment... For more information on any of these disc diagnoses, please visit the Cure Back Pain Network website detailed in the author resource section.

Does Scoliosis Surgery Correct Your Rib Hump?

The number one concern cosmetically for a person with scoliosis is the rib deformity that often accompanies a thoracic idiopathic scoliosis. The cause of this ribcage deformity is secondary to the spinal deformation. The reason ribcage deformity occurs is based on several biomechanical reasons. The main reason is that the spine and ribs are connected via joints, muscles, and ligaments so therefore changes in the spine will cause abnormal forces in the ribs leading to rib deformation. Scoliosis is a three dimensional deformity and is not merely a curved spine as opposed to a straight spine. The classic thoracic scoliosis with rib hump in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis occurs at a ratio of approximately seventy to eighty percent of cases leading to surgical intervention. Thoracolumbar and lumbar scoliosis curvatures most often do not exhibit enough abnormal forces upon the ribcage to create the cosmetic rib hump associated with primary structural thoracic curves.

The shape and size of the rib hump will vary depending on where the apex is and how many vertebral segments are involved with the overall thoracic curvature. Midlevel to lower apex locations from T8 through T10 will often cause a more noticeable rib hump deformity compared to thoracic apex locations that reside higher in the spine. In addition mid to lower apex locations often encompass more vertebrae in total that create the thoracic curvature thereby causing a more noticeable hump. It could be theoreticized that if scoliosis did not cause ribcage deformity that the attention placed on this condition would be substantially less and the rate of surgical intervention would drop significantly. There are only two symptoms that present with surgical level scoliosis, an increase in pain frequency as an adult, not pain intensity, and mild decreases in respiratory volume with scoliosis curvature greater than 60 degrees with anteriority.. So the so called "need" for surgery wouldn't be worth the potential risks. This being said the number reason patients and parents proceed is the rib hump deformity and its ability to create self image problems and the potential socioeconomic ramifications of not having a "normal" body form.

So does scoliosis fusion surgery correct the rib hump? The surgery itself without thoracoplasty where ribs are removed, will generally decrease ribcage deformity on an average of 30% often leading to a dissatisfaction in post surgery patients whose sole anticipation post surgery is cosmetic improvement. When thoracoplasty is performed in combination with posterior spinal fusion rib hump correction averages are 70% with patient satisfaction rates going up significantly. so why wouldn't all patients and surgeons agree to perform concomitant thoracoplasties to ensure rib hump reduction? The complications from surgeries performing both posterior spinal fusion and thoracoplasty are significantly higher and the rate of pulmonary deficiencies rises to levels equal to that of infused severe scoliosis curvatures which would defeat the entire argument to fuse because of potential pulmonary compromise if moderate 45-55 degree curves progress to severe levels at or near 80 degrees. Scoliosis Surgery with and without thoracoplasty is common practice in the treatment of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis and individuals considering this procedure need to understand the outcome and potential risks associated with achieving desired cosmetic improvement.

6 Easy Steps to Help Alleviate Back Pain

Nutrition

Good nutrition is essential for tissue growth and repair. Aches, pains, and inflamed joints can be caused, or exacerbated by poor diet, and nutritional deficits.
Diets low in good fats, such as those in olive oil, oily fish, nuts & seeds prevent the body from repairing quickly and effectively.

Vitamins B, C, D & K and the minerals calcium, magnesium, copper, zinc are also essential to the bodies repair process.

Diets poor in calcium can also cause osteoporosis, where the bones become weak & brittle, losing bone density.

Obesity, caused by poor diet, also puts the back under additional stress, putting supporting muscles and joints under additional strain.

Try cutting out calorie dense, nutritionally poor, foods such as sugars, and starchy carbs coming from refined white flour.

Enjoy a diet high in fresh fruit and vegetables, protein, and good fats such as those from fish, olive oil, nuts and seeds.

Water

Between each vertebra in the human spine is a cartilage disc with a fluid centre. These discs are the bodies' shock absorbers with every step we take. They cushion movement of the spine.

The inner fluid in each disc is predominately water. If the body is dehydrated, insufficient fluid in the discs will cause additional strain, leaving the body at risk of pain, swelling, even ruptured or herniated discs.
Some research has even found that pain can be reduced by as much as 50% through proper hydration.

Try drinking at least 1 litre of good quality water for every 50llbs of bodyweight.

Posture

Poor posture can create or exacerbate back pain, particularly in the lower back.

The ideal postural alignment should see ankle, knee, hip, shoulder & ear on top of each other. The more deviations away from this correct posture, the more the likelihood of pain syndromes developing up the spine.

Practice correct postural positioning in the mirror, till your body learns corrects positioning. Stand with feet hip width apart, and the knees "soft". Keep the front of the legs long, and the bum gently squeezed. Keep the torso tall, with the shoulder blades pulled back, to prevent you slumping forwards, making sure that the head does not migrate forwards.

Changing positions regularly when either sitting, standing or lying down can also help. As it prevents muscle groups straining and taking on too much load for lengthy periods of time, particularly when the body is in bad posture.

Stretch

Many postural issues can be caused by tightness in key muscles groups, which pull the body out of alignment.

Our sedentary lifestyles create imbalances between key muscle groups in the body.
For example, tight hip flexors at the front of the thighs, frequently caused by lengthy periods of sitting, can pull the body forwards. This can have a further detrimental effect on posture, as muscles in key groups such as the glutes may become weak, causing the back to take additional strain in key movements. Also, the pull of tight hip flexors pull down the front of the pelvis, bringing the body into anterior tilt, leading to lordosis, a common contributor to lower back pain.

Further up the spine, slumping forwards can cause tightness in the pectorals and other muscles such as the anterior deltoids, pulling the body to collapse forwards & inwards, weakening the muscles in the middle back.

In addition, the repetitive tasks of using mouse and/or keyboard, takes the upper back muscles (upper trapezius and levator scapulae) through small ranges of motion, this subsequently produces toxic waste products such as lactic acid and urea. Without sufficient circulation, stimulation and exercise in the middle and upper back, waste products can build up, causing knots, and general aches and pain. A massage will help, but is simply treating the symptom not the cause.

Try stretching out the pectorals and the quads & hip flexors on a daily basis, to help the body to progress into good posture.

Pec stretch - stand with one arm against a door frame or wall corner, step forwards till you feel a good stretch in the front of the shoulder/chest. Hold for 10 - 15 seconds.

Quad & hip flexors stretch - standing on one leg, the other leg bent from the knee, grab the foot behind. Keeping the knees in alignment, squeeze the bum to drive the pelvis forward to hit the hip flexors. Hold for 10 - 15 seconds.

Strengthen

Where muscles may have become tight through poor posture or lack of exercise, and a sedentary lifestyle, opposing muscles may become week, leaving parts of the back weak or taking too much strain.
For example, if tight hip flexors are pulling the pelvis into an anterior tilt, this can prevent the glute muscles from working, instead the lower back takes too much strain, becoming tight or over-facilitated, leaving it prone to strain and injury.

Try a simple glute activation exercise, lying down on your side, pushing the whole of the back of the body against a wall. Bend the knees in, whilst keeping the feet against the wall. Squeeze the bum to open out the top leg, the knee being pulled back towards the wall. Hold the position for 10 seconds before lowering the leg down, repeat 5 times. Then do ten repetitions, holding at the top for just one second each time. Note - If the lower back is overactive, then make sure that the back does not move away from the wall, thus preventing it from "interfering" or taking over in the movement. This exercise works extremely well, after the stretches above, giving the body space to achieve these movements.

For middle back weakness, lay face down with the forehead supported to inline with the rest of the spine with a pillow. Take the arms out to the side & away from the body in a "crucifix" position. Keeping the head still, lift the arms up behind you, squeezing the shoulder blades back. Repeat 20 - 30 times.

Mobilise

Increasing spinal mobility can help alleviate common back pains and aches, gentle spinal twists can provide some immediate relief, as well as long term benefits. Lack of spinal mobility in one area of the back, can lead to pain syndromes in other areas of the spine. Try yoga or Pilates lessons to help increase spinal mobility. Simple twists you can try at home are lying on your back with arms out to the side. Bend the knees in with the feet still in contact with the floor. Take both knees over to the right, and gently turn the head to the left. Rest here for a few moments, before repeating on the other side.

Note - It is always advisable to seek medical advice before embarking on a new exercise or diet regimen.

Signs and Symptoms of Cervical Spondylosis

Cervical is a medical term for the neck part of a certain organ. On the other hand, spondylosis is a term used to refer to the degeneration of joints between adjacent vertebrae. When combined together, cervical spondylosis simply means the abnormal wearing of the joints of the neck spine caused by old-age or consequent pressure. However, its effects are not simple. The joints between adjacent vertebrae degenerate narrowing and compressing the nerve roots from the spine and may result to problems in or disturbances of motor skills. Cervical spondylosis is also called neck arthritis, cervical osteoarthritis and chronic neck pain.

How to know if you have Cervical Spondylosis?

Usually, cervical spondylosis do not manifest any symptom at early stages. Also, most common causes are found in populations aged more than 60. But, when it gets worse, stiffness and pain in the neck area are commonly and constantly felt. This pain is caused by the thinning of joints between the vertebrae in the neck area. And because the nerves in these area are pinched and compressed, disturbances in motor skills like losing balance, lack of coordination and difficulty in walking may be experienced. This phenomenon is also called cervical spondylotic myelopathy.

Aside from myelopathy, paresthesia and radiculopathy or radicular symptoms may also be experienced. Paresthesia is a phenomenon of shocks in hands and legs because of pinched nerves and lack of blood flow which is a likely result of the compression. Radiculopathy or radicular symptoms can also be felt like tingling sensations, numbness and weakness in the arms, legs and hands or feet. Suboccipital pain is also prevalent with people having cervical spondylosis. This pain covers the area of the neck and the lower back of the head. Another symptom of a rather severe or worsening cervical spondylosis is lost bowel or lost bladder control.

If you feel the above-mentioned signs (any of paresthesia, myelopathy, radiculopathy or radicular symptoms and suboccipital pain) and lost bowel or bladder control, consult your physician immediately.

With busy schedules and deadlines to meet, people have a higher tendency of ignoring what they believe as simple pain which will eventually go away. But what if the assumed simple pain is an early manifestation of a sickness you will have when you get older? Cervical Spondylosis is rare to cause crippling or paralysis. But again, don't you want to have an at ease retirement which is without any complication? Visit your doctor frequently and not when all your organs have deteriorated. Having constant medical check-ups and maintaining a healthy lifestyle will be helpful to prevent future illness like cervical spondylosis.

Home Back Pain Relief - Simple Home Remedy For Back Pain Relief

Nearly all individuals will experience some form of back pain in their lives. This is a relatively common, but troubling experience. Many may experience in the upper section of the body. Then, there are some that will experience lower back discomfort. Many fail to realize that pain, in itself, is not a medical condition. It is generally a symptom of another medical condition that can prove to be exceptionally devastating if left untreated. In this article, you will learn some basic information, as well as some useful tips on how you can achieve home back pain relief.

Common Causes

There are many conditions and circumstances that can cause the pain. One of the most common occurrences results from difficulties in the way in which the spine experiences movement. There are certain conditions that can result in complications in spinal movement. These conditions include degeneration of the discs, tension in the muscles of the back, as well as discs that are herniated and/or bulging. Individuals who have experienced an injury to the back may experience some degree of discomfort. This may last a short period of time, but it may also be a long term condition that affects one on and off the rest of their life.

There are certain diseases and other types of medical conditions that may result in to this problem as well. Those that experience one of the many forms of arthritis, scoliosis, spinal stenosis, and other types of spinal deformities and complications also stand the chance of developing pain in some location on the back. If you have pain, and have not been diagnosed with a condition that may result in this discomfort, it is important that you talk to a medical doctor about your condition. This individual will work to uncover the cause of the pain that is being experienced. It is always important that you take this step prior to seeking out home back pain relief remedies.

Home Back Pain Relief

We all know that medical treatments can be quite expensive. This is why so many people seek out home pack pain relief remedies that can help them overcome the discomfort that they experience. Here, we will review some of the remedies that have been found to be effective when it comes to soothing the discomfort of a back that just will not give in. It is always important, when dealing with remedies for the back, that you take the time to discover treatments that will work for you as an individual. Not all treatments are appropriate for all people. In addition to this, many individuals will find that what works for one person may not work well for them.

Combining the elements of heat and cold has been very successful when it comes to home back pain relief for many. The hot packs assist in the area of maximizing the amount of oxygen that is carried throughout the blood. This helps to eliminate the common muscle spasms that many individuals experience. The cold packs assist in the area of reducing swelling and general pain that is commonly associated with pain over the back. The secret of success when it comes to this technique is to rotate the heat and cold to the area that hurts the most. It is best to rotate at least every fifteen minutes until relief is experienced.

The next remedy hat you can do at home is exercise. You should be especially careful with the exercises that you elect to participate in when experiencing pain. This is because there are many types that can be made worse by engaging in the wrong types of exercises. If you are interested in this remedy, you should contact a specialist to determine which ones are most appropriate for your situation. You may only be able to perform simple stretches, while someone you know with the problem is able to participate in high impact aerobics. It all depends on you, and your unique experience with this condition.

The last home remedy that we will discuss is that of massage. Massage is a very effective form of relief for all types of pain - especially pain that ends up in the back. This simple techniques works to soothe the tension that often resides in the muscles of the back, which helps to eliminate a lot of pain that may be occurring. You can elect to use a simple massager that you can often find in a local department store, or you can request that a friend or relative perform this step.

Conclusion

There are a number of home remedies that may be implemented to achieve relief. However, it is important that you seek the approval of a medical professional prior to engaging in these techniques. This will ensure that you do not cause further back problems.

Get Relief From Excruciating Back Pain

Study shows over 60% of the world population suffers from pain in the back region, at least once in their life time. However, for most people suffering with backache is a persistent and chronic problem. Some of the reasons for back pain are perennial bad postures, slip disc, injury, regularly sleeping on an uncomfortable bed or even using an improper chair. Pain in the spinal column region can be a major cause of inconvenience, to the extent of sometimes restricting free and natural movement.

Backaches can be either chronic or acute. Chronic backaches can last up to three months at a stretch. Acute pain is sporadic in nature and can occur any time. Chronic and acute backaches can cause excruciating pain or cause a continuous mild nagging pain. Nonetheless, both these aches disrupt our normal way of life.

Lower back pain can be very severe. The agonizing pain can almost cripple movement. In a human being, the back is built to be very strong and supple. It is meant to take a lot of stress, yet it sometimes suffers injury. Muscles in the region get strained or there could be a case of slip disc. In both these cases, there is backache in the lower region.

Avoiding Lower Backache-

Like the rest of the body the back needs to be exercised regularly. A good way of avoiding back related problem is to flex the back muscles by stretching and doing exercise to strengthen the back; this improves flexibility. Maintaining a correct posture goes a long way in keeping lower back pain, at bay. Lifting heavy items must be avoided as this can cause a lot of stress on the back. One of the main reasons for developing backache is lifting heavy items without using the proper technique.

Finding a Remedy for Severe Backache

There are remedies which can give back pain relief. The first thing to do is improve posture. A bad posture will give anyone backache. Standing and sitting erect keeps the spine straight and the lower back well supported. This should help in preventing backache to some extent.

There are certain other measures which can be taken to reduce the occurrence and intensity of pain. If backache has set in, the best solution is giving the back some rest. Sleeping on a firm bed supports the back and provides relief from the pain. Cold compression of the affected part helps to numb the pain.

Further Management for Severe Back Problems

A massage by an expert can relieve backache, but a doctor needs to be consulted at the earliest, thereafter. In some cases, a massage is not recommended and it will only aggravate the situation. If rest and ice compression do not help then a topical analgesic and anti-inflammatory spray especially devised for backache can be applied, provided there is no open wound.

Braces are ideal for unbearable pain in the lower back. Braces are especially designed to support the back and restrict movement. They are very comfortable to use and do not cause inconvenience. They are compact and when worn can easily be concealed under the clothes. In fact, these braces are being recommended by most doctors for low backache. With proper care, backache can be avoided.