Archive for February, 2009

The Lowdown On Lower Back Pain

The Lowdown On Lower Back Pain

Almost everyone has suffered from lower back pain at some point in their lives. Occupation can also play a big role in contributing to lower back pain. People who work at a desk, and remain seated for the larger part of the day could experience back problems. Naturally, workers who are required to lift and carry heavy boxes will be more likely to suffer from lower back aches. Being overweight can also result in lower back pain.

Lower back pain can be the result of simple problems which can be solved easily, but it is also something that should never be ignored, as it can be a symptom of something more serious.

Occupational symptoms which cause lower back ache can be solved easily. In the instance of someone who suffers from lower back pain as a result of remaining seated during office hours, some solutions would be:

Assign yourself hourly intervals in between your work, where you stand up and stretch. A
short walk around the office will suffice in relieving your back.

Ensure that you always maintain the correct posture whilst sitting at your desk. Never underestimate the importance of a good chair, one which will encourage you to sit up straight. No matter how tired you are, be conscious of your posture. Slouching may feel more comfortable, but it will cause you more pain in the long run.

For those who suffer from lower back pain as a result of having to carry heavy loads at work, some relief symptoms would be:

Maintain good balance and posture whilst bending to lift your load. Perhaps you are going to be lifting a box? It might be quicker and seemingly more convenient to just bend over and lift the box up. This will contribute greatly to future back pain. To place less strain on your back, you should bend your knees and lift the box from the floor. This will distribute the strain between your legs and your back equally.

Share the load! If the box you need to carry is very heavy, ask someone else to help you lift it. Although this may take longer, and some employers may grumble and complain that you can do it on your own, you need to affirm that your health comes first.

For occupational and stress based lower back ache, in addition to these symptom relief tips there are other methods of eradicating back pain. For example, yoga is a very effective method of strengthening the back. Going for massages and exercising regularly will help too. The trick is to maintain a good posture all the time, and give your back the strength and exercise it needs.

Unfortunately, not all lower back pain can be cured by good posture and some exercise. Often lower back pain can be caused by more serious underlying issues. Disease in your spine can cause lower back pain, as can injuries and imbalances in the alignment of your spine or bones. There are many degenerative diseases and inflammatory conditions that can cause lower back pain.

When you suffer from lower back pain with a hidden cause, your doctor may conduct some or all of these routine tests:

Blood count tests
A regular urine examination
An MRI of the spine
CT scans of the abdomen and pelvic region
An Ultrasonography of the abdomen and pelvis
Examination of the rectum, ovaries, genital organs and urinary system

Only once the cause of your lower back pain has been targeted can you begin treatment. In most cases the treatments offered are very successful. Treatments will range from physiotherapy, surgery, homeopathy, exercise and medication.

By: John Thackeray

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

For more useful tips on weight loss and other health matters visit www.healthtips.co.za

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Back Pain In Pregnant Women–causes And Solutions

Back Pain In Pregnant Women–causes And Solutions

Back pain in pregnant women is a frequent problem. As many as three quarters of expectant mothers experience back pain during some phase of their pregnancy. So, why does your low back hurt during pregnancy?

Pretty much, it can be reduced to changes in your body posture due to the stretching abdomen, and hormonal shifts.

Hormones cause the ligaments and tendons in the body to loosen in preparation for childbirth. Postural changes occur as your center of gravity changes. The muscles that surround your spine must work harder.

This article will explore the causes of back pain during pregnancy, discuss the different types of back pain that occur, and provide information about what can be done to prevent and relieve prenatal back pain.

There are two common types of low back pain in pregnancy, lumbar pain and posterior pelvic pain.

Lumbar pain is similar to the kind of back pain you may have experienced before you became pregnant. Lumbar discomfort is felt in the lower spine, at the level of, or slightly higher than, your waist. It can also result in pain that radiates to your legs.

Lumbar discomfort can be triggered by sitting or standing for extended periods of time or by repetitive lifting.

Posterior pelvic pain is low back ache that is experienced behind the pelvis, below the waist, and/or across the tailbone or sacrum. It can also be felt in the buttocks, on one or both sides, or in the back of the thighs. You may also have pubic pain. Posterior pelvic pain occurs four times more frequently than lumbar pain during pregnancy.

Posterior pelvic discomfort can be aggravated by bending, twisting, rolling, climbing stairs, and prolonged leaning forward such as occurs when you sit at a computer for extended periods of time.

Posterior pelvic pain is often mistaken as sciatica. When you have sciatica, it causes discomfort not only in the low back, hips, buttocks, and thighs, but also in the legs. With sciatica, the leg pain is generally more severe than the spinal pain, and is accompanied by numbness, tingling, or pin-pricking sensations. This aching and numbness generally radiates all the way into the toes. Numbness may also extend to the groin and genital areas.

Sciatica is generally caused by a herniated or bulging disk.

Your risk of low back pain during pregnancy increases if you have had back aches before becoming pregnant or during a previous pregnancy. You also have an increased risk of prenatal back pain if you are carrying twins or are overweight.

In order to maintain a healthy back during pregnancy, it is essential to engage in a regular exercise regimen. Exercise is essential for controlling and avoiding back pain. When your muscles are weak and inflexible, you are more likely to hurt. Regular exercise will stretch and strengthen your muscles and ligaments to better support your spine and prevent pregnancy back ache from occurring.

Specific exercises to alleviate low back pain during pregnancy include pelvic tilt exercises, Kegel exercises, back stretches, hamstring stretches, chest stretches, and wall squats.

Take extra care to be aware of how you bend and move. That alone can help prevent discomfort before it begins.

Back pain in pregnant women can be frustrating, for sure, but you can find relief. Be sure you are getting adequate rest, nutrition, and exercise, and you will be on the way to eliminating backaches for good.

If your back pain if very intense, is rhythmic and feels like menstrual cramps, or is causing numbness, you should contact your health care provider.

By: Orit Cox

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

Orit Cox is a Holistic Health Practitioner and massage therapist in San Diego, CA and content writer for PregnancyMomandBaby.com, an information resource for pregnancy and mothers. Orit is also the author of The Pregnancy Pain Guide, featured at PregnancyPainRelief.com, where you can discover easy-to-implement techniques to relieve back pain from pregnancy.

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Sciatica Symptoms and Sciatic Nerve Pain

Sciatica Symptoms and Sciatic Nerve Pain

 sciatica symptoms nerve painThe sciatic nerve is formed from the lower segments of the spinal cord. Sciatic nerve pain occurs when there is damage to the sciatic nerve. Sciatica can be very frightening especially if you don’t realize what is wrong…

The sciatic nerve is formed from the lower segments of the spinal cord. Sciatic nerve pain occurs when there is damage to the sciatic nerve. It occurs due to a pinched nerve near a disc at the spinal cord or a bone. The pain runs from the buttocks down the back of the leg.

Sciatic nerve pain occurs where there is damage to the sciatic nerve located at the back of the leg. This nerve controls the muscles of the back of the knee and lower leg and provides sensation to the back of the thigh, part of the lower leg and the sole of the foot.

Common symptoms of sciatic nerve pain include:

  • Cramping sensation of the thigh
  • Shooting pains from the buttocks down the leg
  • Tingling or pins and needles sensations in the legs and thighs
  • Burning sensation in the thigh

Sciatica can develop in almost anyone with an age ranging from 30 to 50 year old patients. The sciatic nerve, like most other nerves, performs two basic functions, first it sends signals to your muscles from the brain, and second it collects sensory information from the legs and passes this back to your brain. When people normally refer to sciatica, it is not necessarily a problem of the sciatic nerve; it is a problem of the nerve when it is being pinched as it exits from the spine.

The sciatic nerve is commonly injured by the fractures of the pelvis or other trauma to the buttocks or to the thigh. . This pressure is created due to prolonged sitting or lying in a particular position, which gradually injures the sciatic nerve. The sciatic nerve may also be harmed by pressure from such as tumor or bleeding in the pelvis. Depending on where the sciatic nerve is affected, the pain may also radiate to the foot or toes. The following sensations may occur as a result of sciatica:

  • Pain at the back or leg that is worse when sitting.
  • Burning or tingling sensation down the leg
  • Difficulty moving the leg or foot due to weakness or numbness
  • A constant pain on one side of the rear that makes difficulty to stand up.

Precautions to be taken:
Sciatica can be very frightening especially if you don’t realize what is wrong. You begin to feel that you may become crippled, although most of the time sciatic nerve pain can be treated effectively. For the first few days it is very important to stay off your feet. Getting up and down repeatedly causes the nerve to become more irritated. Warm water soaking can be very soothing but prolonged heat draws the inflammation in, keeping the swelling high. Most doctors tell their patients to apply ice packs directly on to their lower back area for about twenty minutes, every couple of hours. Although this can feel like a torture, the cold pack reduces swelling.

Treatment:
Some doctors prescribe medicines but medications can be highly addictive. Surgery is not considered as a good alternative as it only helps about one in a hundred people. Surgery has also been known to cause even more damage in many cases. Only open back surgery can correct sciatica but it also may bring with it high risks and many complications. There is also another treatment that is the laser spine treatment where the protruded disc is removed with laser so that the spinal cord or the nerve root is no longer impinged.

By Jayashree Pakhare
Published: 1/11/2008

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