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3 Uncanny Ways to Get Rid of Your Back Pain for Good

Back Pain

About 36 million American’s suffer from back pain year after year. Whether you get it from working out, playing with your kids or by slouching at your desk while you sit at work back pain has become so common that it has become a sort of rite of passage for getting older.

 

The pain it causes is certainly no joke and the limited range of movement can really get in the way of your daily activities. If you are like the rest of us, you’ve had nearly enough of chronic back pain. But how do you get rid of it? Below are some unusual tips to saying goodbye to the back pain forever…or until your 90 years old anyways.

 

Stick To an Anti-Inflammatory Diet

 

A majority of the types of pain we feel everyday are inflammatory. Certainly the back pain you are feeling right now is. Did you know that you could be creating a state of permanent inflammation in your body by eating certain kinds of food? Food high in sugar like sweets, junk food and even some fruits and vegetables can cause inflammation. Other culprits are dairy products, fatty meats and margarine.

 

You may not know it but your diet could be making you more susceptible to back pain. To ease the pain for good, stick to an anti-inflammatory diet. Avoid excess sugar at all cost and go easy on the salt.

 

Work Out

 

If your back pain is caused by injury, chances are you either over exerted yourself or you have weak back and core muscles. Did you know that as we grow older, having weak bones and muscles makes us more prone to injury?

 

Look into low impact but weight bearing exercises like yoga and Pilates to strengthen your muscles. You could also try swimming which is also great for scoliosis and joint pain.

 

Keep Your Body Warm

 

A majority of your body heat, about 80%, comes from muscle contraction. So when it’s a little chilly when you sleep your muscles have to contract twice as hard to keep you warm through the night. Help your muscles out a little bit by making sure that most of your body stays warm, or just turn up the thermostat already!

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Myth or not: Can back pain be caused by stress?

There have been multiple medical studies over the past 100 years that have identified that back pain may be related to stress, in addition to that there have been several news articles and tv specials that have also backed this claim. So how much of this is true?

The first factor to consider in back pain related to stress is that pain related to stress should be a primary factor. This means that the type of stress related to back pain has to be serious and in the chronic category. The stress related back pain diagnosis is medically called “psychosomatic” or a “psycho-physiological” one. A psycho-physiological is defined as an illness which is any illness in which physical symptoms are thought to be the direct result of psychological or emotional factors.

When we look back in time, the foundation of stress related back pain actually goes all the way back to the early 1820’s and was popularized by Dr. John Sarno who is a physician at the New York University. In most theories of stress related back pain, the pain cycle continues and is exacerbated as the pain leads to the patient becoming timid and anxious about daily activities. The pain cycle is characterized by:

  • The patient becomes unnecessarily limited in many functions of daily life, as well as leisure activities
  • This decrease in activities is due to the patient’s fear of the pain and injury
  • This fear may be made worse by admonitions from doctors (and/or family and friends) to “take it easy” due to some structural diagnosis (which may actually have nothing to do with the back pain)
  • The limitations in movement and activity lead to physical de-conditioning and muscle weakening, which in turn leads to more back pain

Dr. Sarno’s research is a proven medical theory that stress does indeed cause back pain and can be classified as a primary cause. So the next time your chiropractor or physician tells you that these symptoms are not real you can tell them to refer to Dr. Sarno’s research and many other articles online that outline it as being a primary back pain factor in cases. In conclusion it’s always good to remember that back pain is a multi-factor health issue and there can always be multiple primary causes for it, it’s never a good idea to rule out one cause over the other without carrying out prior research on your overall symptoms.

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5 Easy ways to manage stress

Let’s face it, stress is just a common phenomenon that almost everyone in the world goes through on a daily basis but depending on the type of personality you have there may be a different ways that you handle that stress. Handling stressful situations is a key factor in securing your wellbeing in the long run. So here are 5 easy ways that we think you can manage stress day to day:

  1. Talk to people and get social. Social engagement is very important is managing stress. We always need someone to talk to and get things off our chest. So confide in a friend, family member of significant other frequently to keep your problems at bay.

 

  1. Be active. Yes it may sound completely unrelated that being active would have something to do with stress, but its scientifically proven that it does. Don’t forget exercise releases endorphins, which boost your mood and make you feel good and can serve as great distractions for those worries.

 

  1. Accept that there are things you can’t change. There are many things in life that are unfortunately just unavoidable such as financial issues, political issues or even serious illness at times. If there are factors that you can’t control you must come to terms with it because hanging on to them will not benefit your health in anyway.

 

  1. Eat healthy, again many people think that diets have nothing to do with stress since it’s an emotional issue but trust us that healthy diets to make a big difference in driving away stressors. A well-nourished body is more capable of withstanding stress and can significantly help in decreasing acute stress.

 

  1. Be flexible and compromise. Some people self-inflict stress on themselves but being stubborn and rigid in situations that can be avoided. If you’re even in an argument you will understand what we’re talking about, therefore try to be reasonable and flexible.

 

Above are 5 some of the most common and easy ways to keep your stress at bay, improve your health and helping educate others about stress management. There are tens and hundreds of other ways that you may handle stressful situations and we’d love to hear your tips too, so feel free to add them to the comments section and help out other readers too.

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Understanding the 3 different types of stress

The word stress is too commonly used in our daily conversations to address frustrating situations, but were you aware that stress is actually categorized into 3 main types which are acute, episodic and chronic. In reality there is more to stress that what meets the eye and the mind.

 

Acute Stress

Acute stress is the first one and it’s also the most common one that psychologists identify in patients. It’s caused by the daily demands and pressures encountered by us. Whether is being struck in traffic or deadlines to meet at work, the stress related to these causes is acute stress. Some of the most common health complications related to acute stress are tension, headaches and vomiting. In addition it’s short term and usually tends to go away by itself in a very short period of time.

 

Episodic Stress

Episodic stress as the name suggests this is a type of stress that is irregular but long term. There are periods of time when this stress is active and is mainly self-inflicted by hanging on to issues that are unreasonably at most times. Another fact to note about those who suffer from episodic stress is that it is mostly seen in people with type A personalities. These personalities are usually aggressive, competitive or demanding.

 

Chronic Stress

The third and most harmful of all is chronic stress. It is a much more serious stress type with symptoms that directly affect all aspects of your health and life. As some psychologists describe “chronic stress tears the life of a person apart his mind, body or spirit.” This type of stress is brought forth by long term exposure to stressors such as traumatic experiences, financial burdens and chronic illnesses. It is a known leading cause for heart attacks, post-traumatic stress disorder and clinical depression. If you do identify its symptoms in time it can be treated through medicine prescribed by a licensed psychiatrist.

 

The ability to understand the different types of stress and being able to identify them can help you help your loved ones or your close friends get the right treatment if needed. Stress is a leading cause of several health complications and also tends to hinder healing for back, knee and neck pain in some cases. So the next time you do see that someone close to you is suffering from stress, remember to head to back to this post and try to classify their stress type so that they can get the help they need to live a long and healthy life.

 

 

 

 

 

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4 Foods that you never knew, fight pain naturally

It’s very clear that at some part of life we may suffer from some sort of muscle or join pain. Whether that pain is back, neck or knee pain it’s important to understand that eating the right foods can go a long way in mitigating the risks. While in most cases our diets may secretly contain some of the foods we are about to mention, some of you may also be surprised how eating these can actually decrease the risk of different chronic body pains.

 

Cherries:

 

Cherries are great for reducing the risk of Arthritis and muscle pain. There are compounds in cherries called anthocyanins which are also responsible of giving cherries their luscious color. These anthocyanins are very powerful antioxidants that work in two ways to cut down pain. One is that they block inflammation and they inhibit pain enzymes the same way drugs like asprin do. A study has also shown that having cherries for breakfast reduced a major maker of inflammation by 25%. So make sure you add some cherries to your first meal every morning.

 

Salmon and Sardines:

 

There’s usually no bar to eating fish but eating the right fish can have even more benefits to your health. Therefore Salmon and Sardines which are very low in mercury help in relieving pain in achy backs, necks and joints. These two fish species are the all-purpose cure to most of the common chronic pains. The omega 3 fatty acids help improve blood flow through vessels and nerves. Taking 1,200 mg or more of omega 3 is known to reduce both back and neck pain, these can almost always taken as supplements if not naturally due to the high amount required.

 

Edamame

 

Don’t be fooled by their tiny size. Edamame beans are a great pain reliever for those who suffer from Arthritis. The soy protein contained in Edamame help counter the wear and tear of cartilage tears and bones grinding against each other. Another alternative to Edamame is also soy based food such as tofu which can easily be substituted for meat in a lot of meals. Soy protein is not only healthy for the whole body but also knee pain and arthritis prevention.

 

Red hot peppers

 

This may be your worst enemy, the same red hot pepper that drive people to tears and send them running to the water fountain are a great preventer of Arthritis. An ingredient in hot peppers called capsaicin does the trick by stimulating nerve endings and depletes the chemical that relays pain signals. While you don’t necessary have to eat the pepper raw, there are creams that can be found at pharmacies which contain capsaicin which will save you the trouble of burning your tongue.

 

The other alternative is to add some crushed pepper to your daily meal intake, just enough so that you can bear, it’s never good to overdo chili peppers.

 

Eating healthy plays a major role in decreasing risk of chronic back, neck and knee pains. These 4 foods that we mentioned above can be easily substituted for unhealthy choices that we make every day. Making sure we eat right is the first step towards prevention of the most common body pains found in adults all over the world. So the next time you’re grabbing a meal from a restaurant, give it a think and consider cooking or purchasing something that is truly beneficial to your health.

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Four exercises to relieve your back pain

As we know that back pain is now a growing concern for those under the age of 40 due to the extensive use of technology, it’s essential to get some exercise to relieve that back pain before it reaches its chronic stages. Exercising daily with these 4 simple exercises can really help ease a lot of the pain that your body goes through by constantly sitting in one place or avoiding any movement at all from your chair at your workplace.

 

Not only will these exercises promote a healthy lifestyle but also lead to you becoming more active daily. The reason these exercises play a core role in helping you get more active and relieve that annoying back pain is that when you sit all day at a desk your hip flexors become tight as they remain in a shortened position. It only gets worse over time where the tightness of the hips cause further weakness and leads to chronic pain over time.

 

Simple hip exercises that are not only easy to do at home, can help prevent the muscles from tightening and decrease the risk of further injury. These 4 exercises in the below video should be done 2-3 times per week for best results.

 

  1. Standing hip abduction with or without band: Standing tall, raise your leg away from your body with a smooth and controlled motion and return to starting position.  Repeat for 12-15 repetitions
  2. Lying down double Leg Bridge or single leg bridge:  Lying down onto your back, knees bent, and feet flat lift your hips up while squeezing the glutes. Hold for 2-3 seconds, then lower the hips down to the floor.  Repeat for 12-15 repetitions.
  3. Lying down Hip abduction with band: Lying down onto your back while placing both legs into a circular band at the knee level, bend knees with feet flat onto the ground, begin to move the knees away from each other working against the tension provided by the band and then resist tension as you bring the knees back together while holding the band in place.  Repeat for 12-15 repetitions.
  4. Standing hip abduction with or without band: Standing tall, raise your leg away from your body with a smooth and controlled motion and return to starting position.  Repeat for 12-15 repetitions

 

Making sure that you spend at least 30 minutes every other day doing these exercises can insure that you have a healthy back and no movement issues throughout the week. Bundle all this with the TIMEZ5 prayer mat and we can certainly say that you would have a blissful week and steer clear from any chronic back pain in the long run.

 

WDRB 41 Louisville News

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Is lack of Vitamin D related to chronic knee pain?

A recent study conducted has shown some promise that the lack of Vitamin D might be one of the reasons people suffer from osteoarthritis or risk getting it. The U.S department of agriculture has stated that those who lack vitamin D in their diet are more likely to develop osteoarthritis, which affects over 28 million Americans alone.

 

The scientists who were responsible for carrying out the research took a sample set of 418 volunteers with knee osteoarthritis and their blood samples. It was found that volunteers who had low level of vitamin D in their blood serum had their risk of knee osteoarthritis doubled over the course of the study, which was 4 years long.

 

The scientists concluded that vitamin D deficiency is a risk factor for increased knee osteoarthritis progression and that increased, adequate dietary intake may be beneficial for those with knee osteoarthritis. Most patients who have low levels of vitamin D also suffer from inflammatory rheumatic conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA), osteoarthritis (OA) and fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS).

 

Therefore the correlation between vitamin D deficiency and osteoarthritis has come out to be very strong through this research. The Doctors who carried out the research suggest that those who do suffer from osteoarthritis maintain a healthy level of Vitamin D through the intake of either fatty fish like salmon and tuna, fortified milk, egg yolks or the most obvious form that’s completely free…sunlight.

 

If you do suffer from osteoarthritis it’s best to head over to a doctor to get a quick check on your vitamin D levels. If you are in fact deficient in vitamin D the aforementioned tips above will help you get them back up and also help in stalling the severity of osteoarthritis and additionally provide some level of pain relief naturally.