Herniated Disc Treatments – Home Care Tips For Fast Relief

Posted on January 17, 2009
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Treatment for a herniated disc can be somewhat discouraging, because most of the therapies available through traditional medical methods only provide temporary relief, if that. This article will discuss the most common therapies available for a bulging disc, as well as 3 simple things you can use from home for relief.

But before we get into that, we need to discuss what a disc of the spine is, as well as what a bulging disc is, so you understand why the recommendations I will make in this article will provide relief.

The discs of the spine are cushions that are located between each set of bones in the spine. Their main purpose is to absorb shock, which protects the bones from too much force, which could lead to quite a bit of pain.

Each disc of the spine is made up of two main parts – a strong outer covering called the annulus, and a soft jelly center called the nucleus. The jelly in the center is very important, because this is where the disc keeps nutrition and oxygen in order for the disc to remain healthy, and heal if a problem ever occurs.

One of the things that complicates any disc condition is the fact that the discs of the spine do not have a very good blood supply. Normally, the body utilizes blood to transport oxygen and nutrients to injured areas of the body, so they can heal more quickly. One of the recommendations I give you later in this article will help bring new oxygen and nutrients to the jelly of the disc for faster healing.

In the case of a bulging disc, the outer covering tears, and the jelly in the center begins to move into the area of the injury. This causes the disc to bulge against the nerves of the spine, which causes quite a bit of pain. In addition to this, because the nerves are affected, this condition can also lead to quite a bit of disability, simply because the nerves of the spine control everything in the body.

In fact, one of the things you may not know about a spinal disc is that they can not feel pain, which sounds strange at first, but if you think about it, it makes sense considering the fact that they’re absorbing shock all day.

So, it’s significant to realize that all of the pain is actually coming from the pressure on the nerve. This is really the reason that most herniated disc treatments are not successful for the long term – they are all primarily designed to deal with the painful nerve, which sounds good at first, but they do not really get to the cause of the problem, which is the bulging disc.

For example, most doctors will begin by prescribing muscle relaxers and pain relieving medications, which are typically successful about 30% of the time. The reason for this is because they numb the nerve, but don’t do anything for the disc herniation.

Physical therapy is also usually prescribed, and although I’m a fan of physical therapy, with this problem, it often doesn’t provide a long term result. The same is true for pain injections (such as cortisone and epidurals), which usually provide relief about 50% of the time, but the pain usually returns.

Surgery has the lowest success rate of all (16% according to the medical journal Spine), which is why most doctors will do everything else before recommending surgery. Not only that, surgery is also temporary, and the pain usually returns within 5 years of having the surgery if you’re lucky enough to experience relief to begin with.

This is why many have a hard time finding a back disc treatment that will provide lasting relief. The good news is that there are actually a number of treatment of a herniated disc that are effective, and truthfully, it often requires a combination of specific treatments to lead to the end result you are hoping for.

In this article, I’m going to share 3 simple treatment of a herniated disc that can be done from home, but realize this is only part of the solution – I’ll share a helpful resource at the end of the article if you’d like to learn more. Each back disc treatment that I’m about to recommend needs to be followed as I outline for best results.

The first recommendation I’ll share with you is to use ice. Most people want to use heat with this problem, which is truly the worst thing you can do. Heat will aggravate the nerve more, and cause additional swelling in the injured area, which also causes more pain.

Ice will numb the aggravated nerve, and slow the inflammatory process, which will provide faster relief. In order to see the fastest results with ice, you should use real ice instead of a substitute (such as frozen vegetables), and you should place the ice directly on the skin over the painful area.

Leave the ice on for 15 minutes maximum, or until you experience numbness, whichever occurs first. Then, repeat the ice treatment every hour – it will take 3 to 4 treatments before you feel any relief, and it usually takes about 3 days to experience a noticeable difference in your pain level.

The next back disc treatment I will share with you is actually a simple exercise utilizing a therapy ball. A therapy ball is one of those large balls you see in health clubs or physical therapy clinics. People often use them for stomach exercises, however, the exercise I will recommend for you is actually very simple.

All you have to do is sit on the ball and gently bounce up and down for 5 minutes every day. Remember how we were discussing earlier how the jelly in the disc is where the oxygen and nutrients are stored for healing? This exercise will pump each spinal disc, which pumps new oxygen and nutrients into the disc for faster healing.

The final treatment of a herniated disc I will share today is another exercise utilizing a mini-trampoline. You can find a small trampoline (usually about 4 feet wide) at most sports stores, and you simply want to stand in the center of the trampoline and march in place for 5 minutes a day.

Don’t jump with this exercise – marching will force the body to re-balance the muscles in the entire back, which removes quite a bit of pressure off the injured disc. This exercise will go a long way for not only relieving the pain, but also for healing the bulging disc.

Want Sciatica Relief

Posted on October 17, 2008
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My friends, the causes of back pain are many – as are the ways in which you can treat them. And yet, given the increasing frequency with which this ailment claims its victims, discerning and diagnosing the accurate causes, and hence affording your back the appropriate form of treatment, is more important than ever before. While back pain is often, not an illness in itself, it can very well be the result of several other maladies, and misdiagnosing it can severely impact your recovery. The question is what is the best back pain solution for you.

Sciatica Relief
Most of us are out of shape and it wouldn’t hurt us to lose a few pounds. So step one would be to turn that television off and go for a walk or a jog. If that seems easy to you, start working on getting your core strong. Next our diets are terrible so we as Americans need to start eating better. I’m not talking about eating a piece of fruit here and there. That’s just the beginning. we need vitamins, fish oils, whole foods etc. The most recent studies show that we are lacking in fish oils. These fish oils have natural back pain relief properties to reduce inflammation and decrease back pain. A lot of back pain relief comes from these natural anti-inflammatory effects. This is similar to taking an Advil but completely natural. These fish oils have to be obtained from the diet since our bodies cannot make them.

back pain supplement
Now I have tried many things, being had on many occasions in my search of trying to find something to help manage my back pain. I almost gave up. However, I came across a product that was god send. Never did I think that such a product existed or would actually work! The name of the product is Back Fx . This product is an all natural product that provides relief from back pain and deals with the underlying issues that cause back pain, which is usually a lack of certain nutrients. What the makers of this product have done is find the finest natural anti – inflammatories and combine it with Omega 3 fatty acids (fish oil) and given us a product that attacks back pain in a number of ways. The fish oil provides the body with the essential nutrients which most people don’t get in their diets to prevent the underlying conditions which cause the back pain in many people to begin with. And best of all it’s easy to take, as all the wonderful ingredients are combined in 1 pill. And did I mention that all the ingredients are natural!

Ways To Cure Your Headache Without Medicine

Posted on October 4, 2008
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Are you taking over the counter medicine multiple times a day?

This is certainly not advisable for your health, however we understand that dealing with the frequent headaches is a difficult situation. Taking headache medicine will most likely lessen or stop the headache but this does not mean it should be taken every day and once you are taking it every day it can become a health risk. The FDA does not approve these drugs for daily use and the labels right on the medicine will tell you the same.

Are there other ways to relieve my headache?

There are an numerous ways to relieve a headache. However how effective each one is will vary from person to person. The key to these cures is simply to try them and to find the one that will work for you. First you need to identify the source of the pain, as the headache cures are different for a different causes of the for different people depending on their sources of pain. Different methods will work for different people because the source of their headaches are different from each other.

The most conventional remedy to relieve headaches is to apply a cold or a warm compress to the head. Again depending on the cause of the pain a cold compress may work for some, and not others and a warm compress may work for some and not others. Typically, a migraine headache can be cured by a cold compress. And a warm compress placed at the back of neck is effective in relaxing the muscles thereby relieving a tension headache. Also taking a good
nap in a dark room while using a compress is a good idea as it seems to work better in lessening the pain. Also keep away from music, TV, and physical activity and diving (even if you did just get a new Rolex Submariner Watch) as it will only aggravate your headache.

Keeping track of your eating and your drinking is important since dehydration can cause headaches, which would be easily avoided by simply drinking more water, so check your replica watch often (see now you get to use that new Rolex watch after all) to make sure you are drinking in appropriate intervals. Many people do not know this but a migraine headache can also be food related. A food diary should help you keep track of the food you eat and you may be able to find out what food is instigating your pain. We already know that drinks that are high in caffeine is not a wise decision if you get frequent headaches. By following these simple strategies perhaps you can lessen your pill intake and stay healthier.

Massage Chairs and Pain Relief

Posted on September 11, 2008
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If you’re looking for the best massage chair to provide you with pain relief, there are four basic functions you should look at when choosing a chair, before you make your final purchase. First look at the motors. They dictate what kind of touch the chair simulates and can be controlled with the remote. Second, look at the nodes and rollers; the more, the better, as the massage will be more detail-oriented. Next, see if there is computer-assisted adjustability, which control for size – weight, height, and width – of each user. This is especially important for those who deviate from the average height. Finally, check out stroke length – this is how far along the spine a massage chair massages.

The Key To Dealing With Lower Back Pain And Chronic Lower Back Health

Posted on September 11, 2008
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The muscles in the back are a very large group of muscles that are all connected to each other, and to the muscles of the legs, shoulders, neck, sides, and other areas of the body. Most people however experience lower back pain to one degree or another, and sometimes this pain leads to pain in other areas of the back and sides as well. There are ways of avoiding, eliminating, and dealing with low back pain if you know how, and if you understand what typically causes this pain in the first place.

The lower back has the largest grouping of muscles in the back and is the area that does the most work. These muscles are connected to the hips and leg muscles and also provide support for the upper body at all times, including when you’re at rest. With all this work the lower back does, no wonder many experience low back pain! It’s also true that most people don’t know how to protect these muscles and often overuse them or exert them in ways that actually cause injuries or stresses. Many people give little thought to how they lift their groceries or their children, and overexert themselves when playing golf, racquetball, tennis, or just when working out and lifting weights. By putting undue stress on this area of the body you’re absolutely assured of suffering low back pain.

Because the lower back works at all times even when you’re at rest, it’s important to give it some support in order for those muscles to get a break and have a chance to repair themselves. When you’re in bed, you can alleviate back pain by putting a pillow under your knees rather than under your feet. This takes pressure off the areas of the hips and lower back and transfers that pressure to the supported area under the knees. It’s usually best to try this when you’re on a soft but firm surface as being on the floor doesn’t offer any support and may just aggravate low back pain. Try this when you’re on your mattress or couch instead.

Simple solutions like a heating pad, good massage, and a supportive chair to sit in during the day can also help to alleviate chronic lower back pain. Many people ignore these types of fixes because they assume they’re too simple to actually work, but the key is to use these things on a continuous basis. You probably get low back pain every day so using a heating pad every night after work is recommended, as is a nice long hot shower or hot bath. Be careful of what and how you lift when it comes to groceries, your golf clubs, and your young children. Make sure that when you work out or lift weights that you’re watching your posture and are using the right muscles and not your back. If you do all these things every single day you should be able to find relief from your low back pain.

Simple Lower Back And Hip Pain Remedies That Work

Posted on September 8, 2008
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The simple act of exercising is a life enhancing tool for people looking for chronic back pain relief, that will have a much bigger benefit than lots of other methods for healing back pain – and in that I include the your favorite foods, the greatest sex, and even the most exhilarating fun. The only problem is that you have to actually do something to reap the benefits.

If you’re like me, you have very little time left over at the end of the day. There’s no window of opportunity for just one quarter of an hour of simple aerobic exercises, never mind the three quarters of an hour to an hour, several times a week you’d need to do for the aerobic exercise requisite of this program.

Right now I’m going to help you make the time in your day – someways – because, again, sufferers who have known back pain relief everywhere acknowledge that low impact exercise routines will be more rewarding to you in the end, for relieving your back pain, than any other approach you can try.

Let’s begin with the fact that there’s not enough time left over when your work day ends. Suppose for a minute that simply taking 15 to 20 minutes out of your day to do some dead easy exercises is probably even better than buying an insurance policy that’s better than protecting you against the next time you’ll have to take a few days sick leave owing to your chronic back pain?

If time is money for you, each time you invest in your exercise program, which doesn’t cost any money, it will definitely pay for itself when it saves you what you could conceivably spend on chiropractic, osteopathy, massage therapy, and so on – when your back muscles next seize up and bring your life to a grinding halt.

Not sure if it will work out for your situation? You’re saying that you’re so overloaded that sleeping barely fits on your to-do list, and your energy levels seem to be at an all time low? Well, sorry, but that’s no excuse either. Rest assured, if you make the time, you’ll see that, this type of exercise, particularly regular aerobic exercise, can and will help you feel a lot better and make a big difference in easing your back pain. If you take the plunge, you’ll be forgiven for thinking that your remaining energy will drain away, but, all forms of exercise actually boosts your energy levels. We know exercising burns off calories and cuts through fat on your body, it won’t make you lethargic. It’s not like that at all, keeping physically active makes you feel more alert and alive – and as exercise helps improve your sleep patterns, you’ll find that you need less sleep but feel even better.

What Causes Arthritis Condition

Posted on September 7, 2008
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Each type of arthritis disease (there are over 100), has a particular list of causes, symptoms, and intervention methods. Although each separate arthritic condition is very different, one of the most commonly reported symptoms is pain. This is why the issue of learning how to deal with arthritis pain is so very important.

What Causes Arthritis

There are many options available to you if you suffer with arthritis pain. It is recommended that you begin taking one of the milder forms of treatment and then move your medication up in strength if required. Medications which many of us already use on a regular basis such as Tylenol and Aspirin can be effective pain relievers. Sometimes, the painful symptoms caused by the disease can be treated successfully with this medication.

For more serious arthritis pain relief, you will want to try creams and gels, which are topical medications that are applied directly onto the skin, and which for the most part can just be purchased over-the-counter. Arthritic conditions such as tired, inflamed joints and muscles can be treated very capably with creams The active ingredients that are found in arthritic creams such as salicylate, capsaicin or menthol, make them very effective. Arthritis medication, which can only be prescribed to you by a medical professional is the most powerful pain relief available.

The type of drug most commonly prescribed is analgesics. Even those with allergies and stomach problems are safe to take these drugs and the pain relief they offer is effective. In the majority of cases the analgesic prescribed is acetaminophen, a fabulously effective and affordable drug. Very successful pain relief for patients in extreme pain could be treated with a combination of acetaminophen and codeine. However, this should only ever be taken under the authority of a medical professional.

It may take a bit of time to find the particular form of arthritis pain relief that works best for you, but once you do find it, it will all be worth it. Just make sure that you stick to your doctor’s dosage instructions and that you keep in close contact with them and keep them abreast of how the treatment is coming along.

For More Information…
treatment for rheumatoid arthritis

Using Yoga For Pain Relief

Posted on August 25, 2008
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There have been many things said about yoga and how beneficial it can be for the body and mind. Yoga for pain relief issomething that is becoming more recognized as a legitimate treatment for a range of problems that cause pain

Here’s something about yoga for pain relief

Benefits

The ability to address pain thru yoga makes one less dependent on medication. Having control often helps to ease stress and may even reduce pain itself.

Through yoga for pain relief a person is able to do something good for his or her body. Instead of treating symptoms – the pain – they are actually making their body stronger. Improving the body through yoga for pain relief is far more beneficial than any medication which simply masks the pain.

Reasons Why it Works

Yoga for pain relief is commonly used to help patients with arthritis, back pain and fibrmyalgia. The medical field duly recognized the benefits of yoga as pain reliever as explained by research studies such as the publication Annals of Internal Medicine.

More often vini yoga is employed as pain reliever. Viniyoga is a gentle form of yoga that avoids complex positions and straining on the muscles and body Iyengar yoga is another form used for pain treatment. It, too, is gentle and slow moving. Iyengar yoga also utilizes props to help those with limited mobility.

Yoga seems to be an effective pain relieving exercise because it is slow moving and gentle. The emphasis on the interrelationshipbetween mind and body also helps to give patients a sense of control over their pain. Many studies have proven the connection between pain and the patient’s way of thinking.

If there is one encouraging benefit from yoga, it can seem to respond to chronic pain It helps to build muscles, increase strength, reduce stress and increase flexibility and joint strength. All of these things are a great impact on major areas that are often inflicted by chronic pain.

Conclusion

Many doctors will approve yoga for pain relief and many even suggest it. Medical practitioners are open to the idea of yoga as a form of pain related treatment.

You want to ensure that you do it correctly, as well, since incorrect positioning can lead to injury and more pain. It can be a huge mistake to assume you know what you are doing and jump into yoga. The positions can take a while to learn and you can get hurt even though you are moving slowly so take classes or hire an instructor in the beginning.

Arthritis Therapy: Effective Or Not?

Posted on August 22, 2008
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Arthritis Treatment is a serious concern for many people. This article addresses Arthritis and some of the issues surrounding Arthritis Relief. We hope it will guide you to find an approach to reach your goals of arthritic pain relief.

Types of Arthritis

When we hear the word “arthritis”, we generally associate it with the elderly. This is not always the case, as arthritis can be found in people at any age, including children (juvenile arthritis). Most varieties of arthritis create aches and enlargement of your joints. Joints are simply locations where two different bones meet. Examples include your knee or elbow. Within time, a swollen joint can turn into extremely impaired. Particular forms of arthritis can even cause difficulties involving your organs including your heart or eyes. Among the various types of arthritis, some exclusively affect children, or are related to one’s immune system or aging.

Arthritis Relief
When consulting your doctor be sure to mention when you first started experiencing the pain and if there are any times the pains seems worse. Also knowing these common arthritis symptoms will make you realize when to make a doctor’s appointment or not. Generally, the earlier your doctor knows about your arthritis symptoms, the earlier you can be accurately diagnosed and get effective treatment.

Arthritis joint pain is an umbrella term for many different types of inflammations of the joints. Joints, in this case, do not refer to any herbal smokes, but to the natural hinges of your body. Joints and therefore, joint pain, are in your wrists, ankles, hips, neck, fingers, knees and shoulders. This is usually a pain you’ve never had before while performing tasks that you never before had any problems doing, such as opening a bottle or turning the pages of a book or walking up a flight of stairs.

Joint Stiffness

This is another of the major arthritis symptoms to look out for. Limbs and joints that previously not hurt while moving not only hurt, they refuse to move. This can be varied such as a hand refusing to uncurl from a fist position you made as you slept to not being able to move a leg. You move (or can’t move) more like the Tin Man in The Wizard of Oz before he gets his dose from the oil can. This can get better throughout the day, and often gets worse in the cold.

Arthritis Cures
Here are some ideas you help with your Arthritis Treatment. You might not be able to do the activities you once could, but you can still be active. The hardest part about arthritis therapy is beginning it. It gets easier and easier once you keep at it. You can help your joints and your arthritis therapy by not being too demanding of yourself and not comparing your results with others.

Jump In The Water

Non-aerobic exercise means low-impact exercise that still gives your body a work out, but at much less stress levels. A lot of people find swimming, water aerobics or water walking to be their arthritis therapy of choice. Not only is it fun, but pools are widely available all over the country.

Tai Chi

There are many gentle and interesting arthritis therapies that you can do on dry land. There are many non-aerobic exercise systems based on centuries old Oriental techniques. These include yoga, Pilates and the martial arts. They not only promote balance, coordination and physical strength, but a mental serenity and a chance to relax from your worries by going into a series of various positions. Tai chi is one of the most gentle and is often encouraged for arthritis therapies because there usually is not a lot of bending or lying down involved.

How Memory Foam Products Can Lower The Risk Of Acute Lower Back Pain

Posted on August 16, 2008
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Designed in the 60’s for NASA memory foam is now found in nemory foam mattresses and visco elastic toppers. They have been shown to be therapeutic in neck and back care where the spine or body needs extra protection

Poor posture or a poor mattress that doesn’t provide support or is to hard or soft can cause a back pain . Maintaining a good posture is very important as on average we spend around seven to eight hours in bed per night in a fixed position. If we are uncomfortable in the night we can often get restless and this will disturb the sleep pattern leaving you feeling tired and exhausted.

Maintaining the spine so that it is not under tension or being stressed is very important, a good mattress or topper should do this by conforming and supporting areas of high load. These areas shoulder hips neck and head all suffer from high pressure as the bone behind the skin is a hot spot for pressure formation.

A large number of people who suffer from back problems in their life time such as; low back pain, Sciatica, herniated disc (slipped disc), degenerative disc disease, and spinal stenosis. It is important that the mattress provides good support thereby relieving pressure on the joints and spine.

Memory foam mattresses can and help provide relief for painful conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, osteo arthritis and fibromyalgia.

Maintaining a neutral spinal position is important, memory foam mattresses do this by deforming under the high load, this neutral support allows the spine to be stable which reduces stresses, tensions and painful muskelotal skeletal conditions this also aids in a nice restful sleep and waking in the morning feeling refreshed.

The combination of foams used in the construction of memory foam products varies from company to company, a general rule of thumb to remember, each full depth mattress should have a layer of good supportive traditional foam which stops the user from bottoming out. The top layers of foam are usually memory foam, there are now many types of memory foam with varying densities each density has a specific purpose softer or lighter grades are usually used for memory foam pillows, or mattress pad top surface heavier grades are usual used in seating or items like a neck support pillow.

The memory foam itself can be cross cut or modulated to increase airflow and reduce softness.

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