Back & Neck Pain Relief, Treatments, Tips, Exercises, and Resources » Joints

Three Things You Can Do TODAY to Prevent Back Pain

Back & Neck Pain Resources — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 15:28:29 +0000

Many people are suffering from chronic back pain. For some people, it is such a common experience that they have just decided to live with it and not do anything about it. They have resigned themselves to it, and are just considering it as a minor thing.

Of course, the problem with this is that as you keep on ignoring it or accepting it, the back pain could worsen. It could lead from being a minor discomfort into something that would give your crippling pain that would hinder you from doing your normal day to day activities.

To be able to avoid this fate, here are three things that you can do today that would help prevent you from having back pains:

1. Try to find some time for exercise:

One of the ways to avoid back pain would be to strengthen your muscles. To do this, you should be able to find some time to do some basic exercises, especially those that are focused on stretching your back muscles. It does not even need to take too much of your time. A simple 5 or 10 minute exercise everyday would do wonders for your back.

As for what kind of exercise to do; well there are plenty of various back stretching exercises that you can find online. You could use them as a guide for your own exercise regimen.

2. Start eating a Proper Diet:

If you are not eating a proper diet, then the chances are you would become more susceptible to feeling back pain. This is because of two reasons.

The first is that not having a proper diet may make you lack the necessary nutrients and minerals that help in strengthening your joints, muscles and even your bones. The second reason is that an improper diet can make you gain weight. As you may have already surmised, an increase in your weight would also mean an increase in the mass that your body needs to support.

If you start eating a proper diet, you would be able to control your weight to levels that your frame can easily support, as well as know that your body is getting the proper nutrients that it needs to remain healthy.

To ensure you’re getting all the nutrients your body needs, start taking a supplement such as Baseline Nutritionals’ ® Private Reserve Superfood ™.

3. Use ergonomic items:

What you may not know is that even doing regular activities can actually increase your back pain. This is because what you are using may not be ergonomically designed. Ergonomic means it is designed in such a way that you would be able to use these items without worry about repetitive strain injuries.

One of the primary culprits for back pain is your chair. Check if it is designed to fully support your rear end and your back so that your body would be able to sit comfortably without adding the strain on the joints and muscles on these areas.

If you don’t have access to an ergonomic chair at work, or if you don’t want to pay hundreds of dollars for one at home, I strongly recommend getting the Back Joy Core. The Back Joy Core turns any seat into a perfect ergonomic item. It fully supports your spinal column, and it’s small and light so you can take it anywhere!

While these may tips may seem quite simple, you would be amazed at how they could really help in alleviating and preventing back pain.

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The Right Temperature for Pain Relief

Back & Neck Pain Resources — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 19:57:49 +0000

When people feel pain in any part of their bodies, the two most common pieces of advice are to either put heat or ice packs on the area.

However, depending on the type of pain, heat or cold can actually cause the pain to worsen. How can you tell which temperature will offer the most relief? Here are some tips!

When to use heat packs as treatment:

Heat therapy is great for chronic injuries as well as if you suddenly experience back pain without any inflammation or swelling. Heat is great for sore, stiff muscles and joints as well.

Using heat packs, like the Far Infrared Healing Heat Pad helps by increasing the elasticity of joints and stimulating blood flow. Doing this makes the muscles more relaxed and increases the blood circulation.

As mentioned above, the thing to remember about using the right temperature for back pain relief depends on the kind of pain that you are experiencing.

If it’s swelling and inflammation then ice packs would be the best choice. If it is more of a chronic case that is not accompanied by the swollen parts, then you should probably try heat packs.

Always remember though that ice packs or heat packs are just first aid solutions. If the injury does not improve, or gets worse after a few days, then you should see a doctor.

When to use Cold packs or Ice:

Ice works very well for muscle strains, sprains, or pain due to external physical damage (such as hits or bumps). This is because ice reduces swelling on the affected area.

It also provides minor pain relief by numbing the local tissues, as well as slowing down the neurological impulses that trigger that pain response.

Also know that treatment using cold packs is quite effective if applied within 48 hours after the pain is felt. This is because it is in this time period when the muscles are still very swollen and tight.

A quick note though- you should never apply ice directly on the skin. Doing this for a long time can cause frostbite damage. Always have something to put between the ice and your skin.

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Understanding the Alexander Technique

Back & Neck Pain Resources — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 18:42:15 +0000

Millions of people all over the world suffer from back pain. Unfortunately, most of them simply try to mask that pain with medication. The problem with this is that if used too frequently, medications can negatively affect organs like your liver and kidneys.

Luckily, there are other ways to relieve and eliminate back pain. One of the safest and most successful of these ways is the Alexander Technique.

What is the Alexander Technique?

The Alexander Technique is a method that teaches people to move in a more comfortable and relaxed manner. These kinds of movements are done to correct bad habits and posture that put strain on the muscles. The eventual goal of the Alexander Technique is a pain free body.

Benefits:

The benefits of using the Alexander technique come in two forms, the short and the long term. The first is that it helps alleviate some of the pain that you’re already feeling. This is because your movements now take into consideration the things that add stress (and consequently pain) to your back.

The long term solution is that you are able to rid yourself of the bad habits that caused this pain to begin with

Why Choose the Alexander Technique?

You should choose the Alexander technique if you want to regain the freedom of movement that you used to have in your joints and muscles, without resorting to ingesting pills.

It’s a great technique that promotes physical awareness which helps you to adjust your body when you do strenuous activities. Through this kind of treatment you are able to do away with the bad habits that lead to pain in the body.

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Recovering from Back Surgery

Back & Neck Pain Resources — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 18:23:27 +0000

One of the biggest complaints of people who have had back surgery is the recovery period. The recovery period after undergoing such an operation seems to take a very long time. Many people have aches and pains that they attribute to surgery long after their bodies should have healed.

Here are some tips to aide you in a speedy recovery:

Pre-surgery planning:

Have everything you need taken care of ahead of time so that your recovery time can be relaxing

Remember that the days after surgery can be difficult as you are still adjusting to the effects of the operation.

Physical Therapy:

Because of the pains that are commonly associated with back surgery, many are prone to just lie down in their bed and relax.

The problem with that is being sedentary is not in the best interest of recovery. You need to have movement in order for your back muscles and joints to regain their strength and mobility. That is why it is important to engage in some physical activity, such as physical therapy.

During physical therapy sessions, you will be provided with various exercises that would help ease your back into a good working condition.

Continued checkups:

The thing with back surgery is that it can be quite unpredictable. Yes, you may already be feeling great after a few months, but back pain may suddenly flair up again. That is why it’s important for you to have continued checkups with your doctor to ensure that your back is healing properly.

Change in Lifestyle:

Remember that your back was injured and is on its second life. You should not risk re-injuring it.

It is important that you try and change your lifestyle after surgery. You should start eating a healthier diet and try to avoid engaging in highly strenuous activities that may further damage your back.

By following these tips, you will be well on your way into having a great recovery!

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Chronic Neck Pain: Key Causes You Need to Know for Neck and Back Pain Relief

Back & Neck Pain Resources — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 16:16:03 +0000

In the United States alone, an estimated 31 million people suffer from back or neck pain at any given time, and better than 50% of Americans report at least some back pain each and every year! Statistics indicate that around one third of Americans over the age of 18 have visited the doctor with back pain complaints within the last five years!

These statistics beg the question:

“Why do our necks and backs hurt all the time”?

The answer proves to be multifaceted. We suffer from chronic neck and back pain for a plethora of reasons; not the least of which is the fact that we spend most of our time sitting on our rear ends!

When you lead a sedentary lifestyle, your muscles and surrounding tissues begin to disintegrate and can actually atrophy. When this occurs, any kind of activity can create strain that causes chronic back pain.

Your body depends on activity to remain healthy, but not just any activity, the right activity. You see, exercise helps to keep all the systems of your body working smoothly. That fact holds true for, not only your joints and muscles, but for your neurological and lymphatic systems as well.

Let’s take a look at some other contributing causes for your chronic back and neck pain. Secondary to injury comes nutritional forces that affect back pain.

That’s right, the foods you eat (and don’t eat) have a direct effect on your pain. Many people try to eliminate all fats from their diet, but you body actually needs some fat to work properly. Too little fat in your diet will manifest itself as chronic pain in various areas of the body, including the back and neck.

One of the supplements that we like that’s not only high in Omega 3 fatty acides – it provides amazing “goodness” to your body – is Baseline Nutritional’s “Private Reserve SuperFood.”

In addition to that, many people do their best to pack as much protein into their diet as possible. But did you know that consuming too much protein can contribute to the development of ketoacidosis, which is a harmful physiological process that breaks down tissue and contributes to arthritis and, you guessed it, chronic back and neck pain?!

Emotional strain can wreak havoc on your spine as well. Many people carry tension in their neck and back. If you’re among this group, you’re well aware of the fact that stress can manifest itself into chronic back pain.

The problems mentioned here are just drops in the bucket compared to the compiled list of factors that may be contributing to your pain. Essentially, your chronic back pain, your neck pain, your upper, lower, and middle back tension, your sciatica, and your aches in general can be directly contributed to a sedentary lifestyle, emotional strain, injury, and nutritional voids.

In short, everything you do can potentially contribute to your pain – on the flipside, everything you do can also contribute to your healing!

The good news is that there is hope for finding relief and help to get rid of your chronic back pain. So, if you’re interested in learning more about the exact causes your chronic back pain, and the best ways to eliminate that pain, a little time and effort can produce some awesome results.

It all starts with making sure your body is getting all the nutrients it needs. A great way to ensure that you’re always getting the right amount of nutrients is to take an awesome suppliment such as Baseline’s “Private Reserve SuperFood.” It’s loaded with the nutrients your body needs to heal itself!

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Reasons Your Back Pain Exercises Don’t Work and What You Can Do About It

Back & Neck Pain Resources — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 17:55:43 +0000

If you suffer from chronic back pain, chances are you have a long list of cookie-cutter exercises that are supposed to provide pain relief, strengthen your back, and build the muscles that support the spine.

If you’re sticking to these exercises, you may very well see some pain relief, BUT if you’re not getting results from your back exercise routine, there’s a good explanation.

Here’s the deal, cookie-cutter back pain exercises fall short because they aren’t geared to your specific cause. In order to get rid of your chronic back problem, you need to focus on back pain exercises that target your unique circumstance. For example, If you’re suffering from sciatica, and you have pain shooting down your legs, a back pain exercise that is targeted toward the upper back may be futile for you.

You may find it difficult to pinpoint your specific back pain exercise needs. Your best bet is to first examine the balance of your body.

Believe it or not, most back pain and tension is caused by living with a body that is ‘out of balance’.

It only makes sense that the load bearing integrity of your body will be compromised if the foundation of your body is out of balance.

Your spine has a natural curve, and consists of a series of consecutive discs. If the natural curve of your spine extends beyond a certain point, or just one of those discs slips out of alignment, the strength of your spine becomes significantly weaker. Imagine your spine as a spring, as long as the coils are aligned as they should, the spring will flex and bend with ease. But, if just one coil is kinked or pulled, suddenly the spring becomes useless. The same goes for your skeletal structure.

Your skeletal structure isdesigned to work smoothly in a specific manner.

Typically, when we’re born our spine is flawlessly curved, our joints work smoothly, and the balance of our skeletal structure is perfect. But, as time goes by we spend more and more time sitting, we develop poor posture, we suffer trauma, we develop poor stress management habits, and the list goes on.

As a result of these developments, our once balanced physique becomes contorted, and when the pain starts, as it inevitably will, we neglect to take steps toward correcting our balance issues, and instead we be begin doing cookie-cutter back pain exercises.

For this reason alone, it is imperative that you practice back pain exercises that are designed to eliminate your specific issue. In many cases, this will mean addressing your posture, your alignment, and your overall physical stature.

So, where do you begin?

Start by examining your current needs. Where is your pain, do you slouch when you stand, what about when you sit, is one shoulder higher than the other, are your legs at even length, etc.?

Once you’ve assessed your specific problems, be they upper back pain, middle back tension, or sciatica associated with the lower back, with the right instruction (guided by a uniquely qualified practitioner or therapist) you CAN pinpoint the exact exercise and pain relief techniques that will eliminate your pain and heal your back.

If your current back pain exercises are bearing no fruit, consider exploring other, more successful and beneficial options. You have nothing to lose but pain, and there’s no time like the present.

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Improve Your Posture for Neck and Back Pain Relief

Back & Neck Pain Resources — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 16:11:52 +0000

Although it’s common knowledge that correct posture is a good way to avoid pains and aches in the back and neck, most people don’t realize how important the connection really is. In fact, improving posture doesn’t just correct minor problems in the back and neck but often drastically reduces or even provides complete neck and back pain relief.

Poor posture can cause many problems.

It strains muscles, puts too much stress on the spine, and over time can change the anatomical structure of the spine leading to constricted blood vessels and nerves, as well as muscle problems and issues with the discs and joints. All these factors have the potential to contribute to neck and back pain, which is why establishing correct posture is so important.

What is correct posture?

Correct posture involves keeping each part of the body in alignment with all its parts, so that everything is properly balanced and supported. If you have good posture you should be able to draw a straight line from the earlobe through the shoulder, hip, knee, and middle of the ankle (while standing).

In addition, it’s a good idea to ensure good posture in all positions, including sitting, bending, and lying down.

How to improve posture…

The first step in correcting bad posture is to identify what aspects of your posture need improvement. Examine your posture at various times of day – sitting in a chair, carrying items, and standing. This will help you figure out when and where your posture is at its worst.

You can also ask someone else to pay attention for you. Some common signs of bad posture include:

Slouching with shoulders hunched forward
Lordosis or “swayback,” which involves a large inward curve in the lower back
Head held either too high or too low
Slumping forward (this is most common when sitting in an office chair)
Sliding forward on an office chair

Once you’ve identified that you have poor posture, it’s time to change daily habits and implement certain exercises for posture improvement. This will take time and effort, but if you want back pain relief and neck pain relief it will be necessary to make some changes.

Poor posture can be a result of bad habits, depression, muscle tension, illness/disease or muscle atrophy due to a sedentary lifestyle.

For posture related to bad habits, muscle tension and muscle atrophy due to a sedentary lifestyle – neck and back pain exercises are a viable solution.

Most exercise can be an effective way to improve posture and help you achieve back pain relief and neck pain relief. Forms of meditation and mental relaxation can help relieve tense muscles and make it easier to undertake the posture-correcting exercises. Yoga and Pilates work for some people as a way to relax, stretch, and strengthen the muscles in better positions.

That said, it’s important to note that the most effective neck and back pain exercises are those that are custom designed to work with your own postural deficiencies due to the uniqueness of every person and cause.

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