Can Vitamin D and Sunshine Relieve Back Pain?

When people complain of back pain in the winter, many of us feel that it must be the cold weather. But some think that it is the lack of adequate amounts of sunshine and therefore low Vitamin D being produced.

Musculoskeletal disorders have been linked to Vitamin D3 deficiency in a number of studies. One of the most recent studies[1] looks at the role that very low Vitamin D3 levels play in the increase of chronic low back pain in women.

In this study 60 women that were complaining of low back pain lasting more than three months were studied. Researchers measured levels of Vitamin D3 in the women with low back pain and compared those levels to those of 20 women considered to be healthy controls.

The study revealed that patients with low back pain had significantly lower Vitamin D3 levels than controls. Low Vitamin D3 levels (25 OHD < 40 ng/ml) were found in 49/60 patients (81 percent) and 12/20 (60 percent) of controls.

With as many as 8 out of 10 people likely to experience back pain in their lifetime and often no evidence of any injury, disease, or bone problem like a slipped disc we must consider if the findings of such studies can play a significant role in our health. According to Stewart B. Leavitt, MA, PhD, Executive Director of Pain Treatment Topics found that pain relief may be available from Vitamin D.

We found a 6 page brochure on the Pain-Topics.org website that goes into more detail regarding the pain relieving value of Vitamin D. Click here to read the file: http://pain-topics.org/pdf/vitamind-brochure.pdf

So tell us what you think;

1. Can the summer sunshine really benefit your back pain?

2. Is Vitamin D part of your Pain relief plan?

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[1] Lotfi A, Abdel-Nasser AM, Hamdy A, Omran AA, El-Rehany MA. HypoVitaminosis D in female patients with chronic low back pain. Clin Rheumatol. 2007 Mar 22; [Epub ahead of print].

When Does Alternative Medicine Become Considered Mainstream?

Health dominates the news right now. Insurance concerns, main stream medical practices being put on the news for blatant disregard for basic “health standards”, and whatever the latest scare is (swine flu is currently the daily discussion as of this writing).

Massage is considered Alternative Medicine. Image by © Royalty-Free/Corbis

A recent article from the website www.healthnews.com states: American Spending on Alternative Medicine Continues to Skyrocket.

The term “Alternative Medicine” always makes me question, why is it Alternative Medicine?

Was everything once considered alternative medicine?

Did chanting and leeches from centuries ago become classified as main stream medicine or were they alternative medicine?

Here’s part of the problem; Alternative Medicine, according to this article includes Chiropractic, massage, acupuncture, herbal medicine, naturopathy, biofeedback, diet therapy, and even hypnosis.

Now correct me if I’m wrong, but a chiropractor goes to school and puts in as many hours as a physician. A diet therapy, biofeedback, or hypnosis professional has varying degrees of education not regulated on a large scale.

Yet all are considered “Alternative Medicine”.

So if hormone therapy is practiced by a physician that shows up on The Oprah show with Suzanne Somers that is considered “non-alternative medicine” and is accepted as standard practice, even though they may claim to just give a shot of this or that, without testing to see what a patient may actually need. You know, the old, “let’s just treat the symptom with a synthetic drug and bill their insurance” system of medicine.

Yet a Chiropractor, like the Las Vegas based Dr. Mark Baxter (www.BaxterHealthCenter.com ) actually spends time discovering the pathways that may be blocked, and finding a “Natural Way” of balancing the patients’ hormones with vitamins or supplements he is considered an alternative medicine practitioner.

Let me give you another example. For a company like Spinal Rehab Solutions, www.SpinalRehabSolutions.com, that provides the most advanced back braces available to durable medical equipment suppliers, orthotic and prosthetic facilities, physical therapists, surgeons, and Chiropractors alike, are they considered alternative some days and standard medical suppliers the next?

From the same article mentioned above: According to Dr. Josephine Briggs, director of the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, “We are talking about a very wide range of health practices that range from promising and sensible to potentially harmful.” She further explained that there is a critical need for more research into which therapies are effective due to the substantial amount of money consumers are spending on them.

What kind of money are we spending on alternative medicine? In 1997 Americans spent $27 billion on unconventional medicine and by 2007 we spent $34 billion.

In December of 2008 a report from The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) was released. They surveyed over 23,000 adults around the country and discovered that over one-third of American adults use alternative medicine.

That same report apparently revealed that pain was the major reason people sought massages and chiropractic care as well as other alternative therapies. In fact, roughly 35 cents of each dollar spent on alternative treatments was with chiropractors, massage therapists, acupuncturists, and other practitioners. That equals about $12 billion and represents about one-fourth of what is spent on mainstream physicians.

So when does alternative become mainstream?

Does that mean that the cynical, conspiracy theorists among us that state that current alternative medicine can’t be called mainstream because it cuts out the drug companies (or any other political/business point of view) is touching on the truth?

Will a massage from a massage therapist stay alternative and a massage from a physical therapist be considered conventional for the rest of this century?

Just questions I ask myself as I shake my head at the systems that have been shaken by greed, lack of understanding, political influence and even marketing to the masses.

What do you think about the term alternative medicine and the future of health care in America or around the world for that matter?

This article was contributed by Jim Chianese, a small business marketing expert with a degree in Exercise and Sport Science.

Back Pain Interventions

There are many different causes of back pain.

It is of utmost importance to choose the most appropriate treatment for your back pain, as much as possible choosing the least invasive (least risky) treatment.  For example, unless the pain is severe or debilitating, obviously due to fracture, bone cancer or something else of a severe nature, or causing impairment of organ function such as loss of bowel or bladder control, one should try home ice therapy first, followed by treatment with your chiropractor or physical therapist.

Only if such conservative approaches fail to elicit a favorable response should you consider evaluation and treatment by a pain control specialist.  And only after pain control techniques fail should you consider surgery.

Of course, there are always exceptions to the rule and you should always be under the care and supervision of a professional who specializes in managing such conditions so that they can assist you in choosing the most appropriate and least invasive treatment options.

Doctors often prescribe a variety of exercises, diets, stretching exercises, etc. to relieve back pain. According to statistics, more than 200 million Americans suffer from back pain. Some patients endure surgery, while others find ways to minimize the pain through non surgical means.

Although short-term use of pain medication can be appropriate, and result in minimal risk, chronic use of pain medication often leads to damage to the gastrointestinal tract, the liver or the kidneys.  If medication doesn’t alleviate the back pain within a few days, it is usually best to consult an expert such as your chiropractor or other back pain specialist.

Many people don’t realize that when they feel unready or unwilling to make a decision to seek alternative forms of care, they are actually making a decision to continue on their current path.  Continuing to treat with drugs can lead to adverse drug reactions.  Every year in this country 16,000 people die from taking non-prescription over the counter pain medications properly.  This does not include drug overdoses or drug interactions.  These 16,000 people die from gastrointestinal bleeding, which is a common side effect of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS).  Over the counter medications are not without risk.

Even non-treatment is not without risk.  Even assuming that your back pain is not caused by something serious and life-threatening, chronic pain results in three different types of depression.  It also results in decreased physical activity, which can lead to weight gain, which in turn can lead to increased risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease in addition to other diseases.  Choosing to not seek appropriate care is still making a choice; and it is a choice that carries its own risks.

Back pain is one of the prime reasons that employees call in to work sick. Back pain related conditions cost approximately $60 billion dollars annually for treatment and time lost at work. Perhaps more importantly however, consider the costs of a life not fully lived.  Consider the costs of not being able to do things with the ones you love as a result of chronic back pain.

While a considerable number of people recover fairly quickly from back pain without treatment, most recover much faster with appropriate treatment.  Virtually all back pain sufferers find that they will continue to have recurrent episodes of back pain if they do not loose excess weight, engage in a regular routine of strengthening and stretching back exercises, modify their posture and work environment ergonomics and improve their posture while in bed.

When engaging in any “weight loss” program, keep in mind that what you are really after is not just weight loss, but fat loss.  In order for such a program to be effective, your body composition must be regularly assessed throughout the program in order to insure that you are losing fat weight and not muscle weight.

The best programs are conducted by physicians certified in body composition management such as FirstLine Therapy™ certified practitioners, and assist the patient not only in loosing fat weight, but also excess water weight, and in addition assist the patient in gaining additional muscle mass.

Our culture tends to focus a lot of attention of “quick fixes”, so that is why most people attempt weight loss instead of fat loss and healthy body composition.  That is also why so many professionals and non-professionals alike think that over the counter pain medication is the only appropriate treatment of chronic back pain.  Patients adhering to this type of advice never get the quality of care for their back pain that they truly deserve and sadly, often live a life of chronic pain, decreased vitality and lost opportunities due to the lack of appropriate treatment.

A life of chronic pain often leads to drug addiction and alcoholism, as the victims of chronic pain self medicate the depression caused by chronic pain.  This of course just leads to more problems.

If you have back pain that does not respond well to self care within a few days, seek professional help, choose a course of care that is at first minimally invasive, and refuse to settle for a life of chronic pain.  You deserve better than that.  Accept responsibility for your own health by optimizing your body composition, engage in back stretching and strengthening exercises, and be attentive to your waking and sleeping posture.  And perhaps most importantly, work with a doctor that supports you in these efforts.

The Effects of Being Overweight on Back Pain

Chronic back pain often results from carrying too much body fat. Not only does the weight add increased pressure to your spine, it also changes the dynamics of how the spine functions. Although considerable excess weight can be carried in the buttocks and thighs, the majority of excess weight in most individuals is carried in the abdomen.

In order to keep abdominal fat from pulling you forward, causing you to fall flat on your face, your body automatically compensates for this excess weight by bending your body backwards at the waist. This change in posture dramatically affects how your weight is carried in such a way that it substantially increases the mechanical stress to the cushions between the vertebrae in your spine (called discs), as well as to the joints along the back part of your spine (called facet joints) which control the movement of the bones in your spine (vertebrae).

This extra stress on the discs accelerates the process of aging and can result in disc dehydration, disc bulge and disc herniation, which in their more severe manifestations can press on nerves and require pain control procedures (such as steroid injections, epidural blocks, selective nerve root blocks, etc.) or even spinal surgery.

The extra stress on the facet joints can cause these delicate joints to break down, and suffer from arthritis which can cause severe, debilitating back pain in and of itself, or even grow to the point where it puts pressure directly on the delicate nerve roots as they exit the spine, which of course can also cause severe back pain.

Treatment for severe facet joint arthritis that impinges upon nerve roots may require surgery. Treatment for facet joint syndrome, which in its early stages consists only of arthritic changes to the facet joint without nerve root pressure, can sometimes be treated effectively with injections directly into the facet joints (called facet joint blocks).

When that does not provide enough relief, then another surgical procedure called facet joint rhizotomy is often utilized. The rhizotomy procedure utilizes a very small microwave transmitter at the end of a very large gauge needle, which is placed within the facet joint. Power to the microwave transmitter is then turned on which fries the nerve tissue adjacent to the transmitter. This eliminates pain from those nerves for about a year, after which time the procedure will need to be repeated again, and again approximately each year thereafter.

As you can see, the treatment options for back pain conditions caused by overweight and obesity are not attractive. It is much preferable to loose your excess weight now, before it results in disc or facet joint disease.

No matter how difficult you think loosing your excess fat will be, such difficulty PALES in comparison to the misery possibly awaiting you should you choose not to loose the weight and achieve healthy body composition. And here we’re looking only at the back pain reasons to loose weight.

There are many other equally compelling reasons to loose your excess weight including reducing your risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hormone imbalance, auto-immune disease, and many other diseases of aging. Do yourself a favor and find a doctor NOW that specializes in healthy, natural weight loss and healthy body composition. You, your spouse and your children will be glad you did.

Greater Trochanteric Bursitis may be the cause of Your Back Pain

Much effort is devoted to determining the cause of back pain so that appropriate treatment can be prescribed.  We have many excellent diagnostic tools at our disposal to assist us in this effort.  Tools such as x-rays, CT scans and MRI’s are usually able to identify causes of back pain such as disc bulge, disc herniation, lateral recess stenosis, lumbar facet joint syndrome, spinal cord tumor, meningeocele, bone cancer and other serious conditions as well as much less serious conditions such as bone misalignment, which although less serious, is not necessarily any less painful.

But what if after having undergone all the appropriate diagnostic tests, the cause of your back pain has still not been established?  Assuming your back pain is not due to a simple sprain/strain (which will generally heal with minimal treatment within six to eight weeks,) and assuming it is not due to a spinal misalignment, which usually respond very favorably to chiropractic treatment, what could possibly be the cause?

Many such cases of back pain can be caused by a condition called “Greater Trochanteric Bursitis”.  The Greater Trochanter is the bony bump on the outside of your upper thigh at about the same level or a little above the level of your groin.  There is a fluid filled sack (also called a bursa) overlying this bump which cushions this bony formation from any impacts it might sustain.  When this bursa gets inflamed, it is referred to as “bursitis”, which can be quite painful and result in pain not only directly over and around this bump, but also pain referred to the buttock, hip and low back.

There are several potential causes of Greater Trochanteric Bursitis, including chronic Piriformis Syndrome, a blow or other traumatic injury such as a fall onto the Greater Trochanter, or chronic irritation to the bursa such as by laying on your side on a hard surface or laying on one side substantially more than the other.

Effective treatment of Greater Trochanteric Bursitis consists of Ultrasonic Sonation Therapy provided by your chiropractor or physical therapist in conjunction with home ice massage therapy.

Ice massage therapy is easily performed by yourself by taking an ice cube and holding onto it with a towel so you don’t freeze your fingers.  Place the exposed portion of the ice cube below the Greater Trochanter as you are standing erect.  Slowly pull the ice cube upwards right on top of the Greater Trochanter.  Continue stroking upwards only, not up and down, not around and around, and not back and forth.  Just stroke upwards first right on top of the Greater Trochanter, then a little behind it, then a little in front of it.  Continue with this ice massage until the ice cube has completely melted, which will take approximately fifteen minutes.  This therapy in conjunction with the therapy from your chiropractor or physical therapist usually works exceedingly well on this often overlooked and misdiagnosed cause of back pain buttock pain and hip pain.  Only rarely does this condition require intervention by a pain control specialist.

Piriformis Syndrome, The Piriformis Muscle and Back Pain

Much effort is devoted to determining the cause of back pain so that appropriate treatment can be prescribed.  We have many excellent diagnostic tools at our disposal to assist us in this effort.  Tools such as x-rays, CT scans and MRI’s are usually able to identify causes of back pain such as disc bulge, disc herniation, lateral recess stenosis, lumbar facet joint syndrome, spinal cord tumor, meningeocele, bone cancer and other serious conditions as well as much less serious conditions such as bone misalignment, which although less serious, is not necessarily any less painful.

But what if after having undergone all the appropriate diagnostic tests, the cause of your back pain has still not been established?  Assuming your back pain is not due to a simple sprain/strain (which will generally heal with minimal treatment within six to eight weeks,) and assuming it is not due to a spinal misalignment, which usually respond very favorably to chiropractic treatment, what could possibly be the cause?

Many such cases of back pain can be caused by a condition called “Piriformis Syndrome”.  Piriformis Syndrome involves the Piriformis muscle (which lies directly underneath the upper portion of the Gluteus Maximus (or buttock) muscle).  The Piriformis muscle originates along the outer edge of the sacro-iliac joint and inserts into the upper thigh bone.

The Piriformis muscle is situated in a very unique location, directly next to a portion of the sciatic nerve.  There are actually two parts of the Piriformis muscle, an upper part called the superior head, and a lower part called the inferior head.  In most people the sciatic nerve passes either directly in front of or directly behind the Piriformis muscle.  However, in some individuals the sciatic nerve passes between the superior and inferior heads of the Piriformis muscle.  In such situations the individual is considerably more vulnerable to development of “Piriformis Syndrome”.

Image: www.realbodywork.com

So what exactly is Piriformis Syndrome?  Piriformis Syndrome arises when the Piriformis muscle becomes “hypertonic” (overly tight).  This hypertonicity may be in the form of a frank spasm of the muscle, but is more often not that tight, yet still tight enough to irritate the adjacent sciatic nerve as a result of accumulated lactic acid and other irritating metabolites that build up in muscles that remain chronically too tight.  When this occurs it can cause mild, moderate or even severe pain in the low back, buttock and hip regions.

Such a condition does not show up on any x-ray, CT scan or MRI and does not make itself readily apparent with any other diagnostic imaging study currently available.  However, the easiest way to establish whether or not this condition is likely the cause of your pain is to have someone deeply probe the upper part of your buttock with their thumb and see if it’s tender or not.  If it is tender, then the odds are quite high that you are suffering from Piriformis Syndrome.

Effective treatment usually consists of a chiropractor or physical therapist performing ultrasonic sonation therapy with or without electrical muscle stimulation therapy over the involved Piriformis muscle for approximately eight minutes.  Some degree of relief is often immediately noticeable after therapy.  Therapy often has to be performed several times before the condition fully resolves.

Effective home therapy consists of lying on your back on the floor with a tennis ball or racquetball under the tender parts of the involved buttock.  Place the ball under a tender spot and lay on the ball for one to two minutes during which time you will observe the pain gradually decreasing.  The leg on that side needs to be positioned such that the ball “hurts good”.  In other words, the pain should not be excruciating.  The pain should be at an intensity that is kind of half-way between pleasure and pain;  kind of like good Cajun food!

After laying on the ball for a minute or two, by which time the pain will either be gone or else it will be as good as it’s going to get, then roll off the ball and move the ball a little up, down, in or out until the ball is under another tender spot and lay on it again for a minute or two until the tenderness is as good as it’s going to get.  Continue to repeat this process until you’ve covered every square inch of your buttock that is tender.  Do this self therapy daily until there is no more tenderness.  When combined with appropriate care by a health care provider, this home therapy technique is usually very effective.  On those rare occasions when such a course of care is not effective, it may be necessary for a pain control specialist to perform a Piriformis muscle block, which invariably interrupts the spasm and pain cycle and eliminates the buttock, hip and back pain in short order.

Piriformis syndrome often occurs as a result of an unresolved or untreated sacroiliac joint misalignment.  If this is the ultimate cause, the Piriformis syndrome will not fully resolve until the sacroiliac joint misalignment is corrected by your chiropractor.  Piriformis syndrome can also occur as a result of altered biomechanics resulting from a foot and ankle condition called “foot pronation”.  If this is the ultimate cause of the Piriformis syndrome, the syndrome will not fully resolve until the foot pronation is treated with effective foot orthotics, often available from your chiropractor or podiatrist.

Back Pain and Fractures

We tend to think of bone fractures as always being caused by some sort of trauma.  Although that is usually the case, many fractures arise without any obvious source of trauma at all.  Other causative factors may include for example a repetitive injury syndrome caused by running and leading to one or more stress fractures of the foot.  Certain bone diseases such as bone cancer, bone infection, and aseptic necrosis of the bone can also lead to bone pain and eventual fracture.

Fractures and Back Pain

Such developing lesions (bone cancer, bone infection, and aseptic necrosis) can, if situated on or near the spine, also cause back pain that may initially seem to be a candidate for (and may even initially respond favorably to) more conservative forms of care such as chiropractic care and physical therapy.  When dealing with such conditions however, it is always wise to maintain an awareness of the possible involvement of pathological processes, particularly if the condition does not respond readily to care.

Back pain can also develop secondarily to the altered gait that results from fractures to any of the bones of the lower extremity.  Such fractures do not only alter the individual’s gait as they are healing from a fracture; they can also continue to alter the gait even after the fracture is healed, particularly if the fracture results in shortening of one limb.  In such situations, prescription of an appropriately sized heel lift may well normalize a previously altered gait.

It should also be born in mind that the same force from a fall that resulted in a fracture, could very well have also resulted in misalignment to a joint not only in that extremity, but also elsewhere in the body.  Such misalignments may not make their presence known initially, because of the overshadowing much more severe pain due to the fracture.  As the pain of the fracture subsides, often other pains come to the forefront where they must be properly evaluated by a physician, such as a chiropractor that specializes is care of structural problems.

Osteoporosis can not only result in fractures to the long bones of the arms and legs, but can also lead to spontaneous compression fractures of the vertebral bodies (often of a relatively minor nature and sometimes difficult to visualize on x-ray films).  It can also be difficult to differentiate between old and new vertebral body compression fractures and even between compression fractures and compression deformities, which develop gradually over a number of years due to recurrent, repetitive postural stress. Additional testing, such as with CT scans and/or bone scans, can be very helpful to the radiologist for making the appropriate differential diagnosis.

Hip fractures are fairly common in the elderly as a result of osteoporosis and deteriorating balance.  We usually think in terms of an individual “falling and breaking their hip”, whereas considerable evidence supports an alternative scenario whereby the individual “breaks their hip and falls”.  In other words, osteoporosis can be so severe as to lead to spontaneous fractures with no more stress than gravitational weight bearing.

I had a patient many years ago who developed a spontaneous hip fracture while hospitalized for an appendectomy.  He had been medicated for years with prednisone, a very potent corticosteroid, which has a side-effect of causing osteoporosis.  He was prescribed this medication as treatment for symptoms of severe gastrointestinal discomfort that had been diagnosed as Crone’s disease.  As it turned out, he never had Crone’s disease.  All symptoms of Crone’s disease disappeared with the removal of his appendix.  The misdiagnosis of his chronic appendicitis resulted in prescription of Prednisone, which he didn’t need and which caused the osteoporosis that led to his spontaneous hip fracture.  He had been discharged from the hospital without having received any x-rays of the hip and instructed to seek physical therapy for his hip pain.  Every condition should be evaluated thoroughly by every physician.

As patients get older they and their doctors should pay particular attention to treating the nutritional factors relating to osteoporosis as well as physical activity and exercise, which not only helps to prevent osteoporosis but also balance problems.  Various clinics now specialize in treating balance disorders.  Home exercises can also help the patient effectively treat their balance disorders.  These same techniques if employed early enough also help to prevent such balance disorders from developing in the first place.

Addressing the causes of osteoporosis not only helps to prevent fractures of the long bones and back pain due to compression fractures of the vertebral bodies, it also effectively addresses many of the causative factors to many other diseases of aging such as diabetes, arthritis, auto-immune disease and hormonal imbalances.

All of these conditions are related to inflammation and inflammation plays a very strong causative role in the development of most if not all of the diseases of aging.  So when one addresses inflammation in order to decrease the risk of osteoporosis, one is also decreasing the risk of other diseases of aging.

Factors that contribute to inflammatory processes in the body include consuming the Standard American Diet (S.A.D.), a diet with high amounts of processed foods, particularly refined and concentrated simple carbohydrates such as white sugar, white flour, white rice, white pasta, white bread, fruit juice, soda pop, white potatoes, etc.

All of these foods cause a spike in blood sugar, which results in a spike in insulin, which is an inflammatory hormone.  High insulin levels then lead to insulin resistance and also to deposition of increased body fat, which in turn creates increased levels of estrogen (in both men and women); and estrogen is also an inflammatory hormone.  When not metabolized properly, excess estrogen levels contribute to the risk of prostate cancer in men and uterine, breast and other cancers in women.  There are many other mechanisms involved, however this brief discussion will hopefully serve as an incentive to learn more about the connection between inflammation and the diseases of aging, so these conditions can be prevented.

The Standard American Diet also has an abundance of omega-6 fatty acids (oils primarily from grain products) in conjunction with a deficiency of omega-3 fatty acids (oils primarily from cold water wild fish).  In the ancient Paleolithic diet we evolved with, the ratio of these two types of oil was approximately 1:1.  In the S.A.D. diet so prevalent today, the ratio of Omega-3 to Omega-6 oils is approximately 1:25 to 1:50!  This is tremendously important because an excess of Omega-6 oils results in increased inflammation throughout the body, which contributes to the development of the diseases of aging and also enhances the severity of pain syndromes throughout the body including neck pain and back pain.

Excessive Omega-6 oils and other unhealthy oils are not that obvious in our diet. Unhealthy oils are prevalent in fried foods and processed foods (in the form of saturated fats, hydrogenated fats, trans fats, shortening, palm oil, lard, etc.).  Grain products, which dominate our agribusiness-dominated food economy contain excessive amounts of Omega-6 oils.  It’s not just in the grain products we eat; it’s also in the beef, pork, chicken and farm-raised fish products that are fed primarily grain.

The solution is to eat a “Mediterranean Diet”. Such a diet is high in fresh organic vegetables, fresh fruit, and lean, naturally raised meat such as grass fed beef or buffalo, free range chicken and eggs, and wild (not farm-raised) fish.  Lesser amounts of whole grain, multi grain foods as well as raw nuts, natural hormone-free milk, cheese and dairy products are also included as well as an abundant amount of olive oil.

Such a diet will lead to minimizing many of the primary risk factors for cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and auto-immune disease and well as many other diseases of aging.  It will also lead to less back pain, neck pain, headaches, and joint pain.  Such pain and such conditions do not have to be a way of life.  They are in the way of life and can be easily prevented or greatly minimized by incorporating these diet and lifestyle changes into your life right now.

Chronic Back Pain from Your Emotions?

Did you know that chronic pain alters your emotions as well as your perception of the people and circumstances around you? Such altered perceptions and emotions can lead you to engage in thoughts and actions that you would not otherwise engage in. Pain can essentially change you into a different person, often becoming someone that you yourself don’t even like.

These emotional and perceptual changes occur because chronic pain increases the levels of stress hormones, primarily cortisol; and elevated cortisol causes the delicate balance of your hormones and your neurotransmitters (the chemicals in your brain that affect mood, emotions and brain function) to become unbalanced. Chronic pain often affects three different primary neurotransmitters, which when unbalanced result in three different types of depression.

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Most people think of sadness when the word “depression” is used. And sadness is certainly one of the types of depression those suffering from chronic pain can often experience. In addition, those with chronic pain can also suffer from a lack of motivation “couch potato” type of depression as well as a type of depression characterized primarily by anxiety.

Those with chronic pain can suffer from any one of these types of depression, any combination of them, or all three types at once. Such emotional changes in how they feel are also accompanied by changes in their perception of and actions toward others around them. They may feel totally justified in their feelings and their actions, yet such feelings and actions are rooted in their altered perceptions, which are often very different from the more realistic perceptions of those around them not suffering from chronic pain. In short, chronic pain can change not only how people feel, it can change who they are.

Sometimes those with chronic pain feel like they’ve lost themselves and they don’t have a clue about how to once more become the person they remember they used to be. Pain seems like it has become a way of life for them, whereas it has actually gotten in the way of life. Their life with chronic pain often seems to be a life of hopelessness, whereas in truth, solutions for their pain may be right in front of them and a life free of pain or with much less pain may well be right around the corner.

The rule of thumb for dealing with all of life’s challenges is to listen, learn, and take action. Understanding your condition is the first step to taking action. In addition, understanding your condition reduces your stress and anxiety. When you learn all you can about your condition, you can move to accept its symptoms and take action to resolve your problem. In fact, the information you gain can work in your favor, since you may learn strategies that relieve your pain without costing you a fortune.

Most musculo-skeletal conditions are treated with Rest, Ice Packs, Compression, and Elevation. (R.I.C.E.) Remember this rule and apply it as needed. Since it is difficult to elevate the low back, rest, ice packs and compression are often very beneficial. For low back pain, ice should be placed in a light dishcloth or pillow case so it does not diretly contact the skin and used only twenty minutes out of each hour. Unless your back is broken, most back conditions are treated with basic common sense and non-costly remedies. Take action!

Get a sense of who you are as a personality and a spirit outside of your body and away from your emotions. YOU are not your body and you are not your emotions. Your body and emotions you carry with you, yet they are not who you are. They can however greatly affect who you allow yourself to become, if you allow yourself to. In order to change your current circumstances however, it is most helpful to get a sense of yourself outside of your body and away from your emotions. Doing so makes it easier to “think outside the box” and find solutions to your condition that you may not have considered before. Tell your pain-riddled and emotionally depressed self to move it on over, since YOU have come back to take control of your life once again.

Fact: About 33% of the patients who visit common medical practitioners do not receive relief from back pain. Back surgeries can lead to further complications.

Fact: Chiropractors specialize in back pain. Many scientific studies have shown that overall, Chiropractors treat most common types of back pain more effectively than ordinary physicians do. Acupuncture, physical therapy and massage therapy are also of substantial benefit when used appropriately.

Over the counter Non-steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAID’s) such as aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxyn sodium, etc. can be used by most patients on a short-term basis for back pain that is due only to a simple sprain/strain. However, in cases of sprain/strain there is always a precipitating cause, some activity that you engaged in that overworked the muscles that are now in pain. If you didn’t engage in any such activity, then your back pain is not caused by a sprain/strain and you should be seen by a physician that specializes in treating back pain, such as your chiropractor, for immediate evaluation.

If your condition appears to be caused by a simple sprain/strain and NSAID’s don’t alleviate your pain within one to three days, chances are that other factors are involved and for that reason you should undergo further evaluation by your chiropractor without further delay.

Although over-the-counter medications are generally considered to be safe for short-term use, you need to be aware that every year approximately 16,000 people die in the United States as a result of taking NSAID’s properly according to the directions. This does not include those that take the medicine improperly, not in accordance to the directions and does not include those that died as a result of drug interactions or from suicide. So long-term use of NSAIDS is not recommended!

Safer, natural alternatives to over-the-counter pain medications are readily available from your natural health care practitioner or local health food store. Calcium, magnesium, valerian root, passiflora, hops and lemon balm are all natural muscle relaxants and provide very effective relief for muscle spasm.

Vitamin C, bioflavinoids, turmeric, ginger, boswelia, cayenne pepper and quercitin are all natural substances that decrease inflammation. Several companies make single purpose products with multiple ingredients so you don’t have to buy a lot of different products and take a lot of different pills. So they are very convenient as well as safe and effective.

After the first three days after an injury such as a simple sprain/strain gentle stretches can often be very helpful as well. Just using common sense it is easy to figure out what you have to do to stretch the appropriate muscles. Do all stretches slowly and while lying down. Don’t force any stretches!

When you have recovered enough to do more than just stretching and are ready to strengthen your core and back muscles, make sure you start off slowly, doing less than you think you can. As long as you have little or no discomfort, you should do a little more each day than you did the previous day, but do less than you think you can.

Never exercise the same muscles two days in a row. Make sure you give your muscles at least one day without exercise to recover from the exercise. Pushing the muscles to do more than this is overexertion and may lead to a recurrence of your original pain, or even worse! If you are weight training or performing other exercises and notice pain in the back, change your actions and perform other types of exercises.

Even More SR 500 Back Brace Questions

QUESTION: How much air should I inflate into the SR 500 Belt?

ANSWER: Inflate the SR 500 Belt until the needle within the air pressure gauge of the hand air pump moves into the green-orange areas (10-14 psi). Only use the hand air pump that is provided with the SR 500 belt. Do not use other pumps or methods to inflate the SR 500 Belt. Doing so may damage the air valve and will void the warranty of the SR 500 belt.

QUESTION: My SR 500 Belt won’t stay inflated. What do I do?

ANSWER: First, close the valve on the SR 500 Belt all the way by rotating it clockwise. With the valve in the closed position, attach the air pump and inflate to the desired pressure. Disconnect the air pump. If the SR 500 belt is still not holding air then contact Spinal Rehab Solutions, Inc. Phone: 702-586-5107 regarding warranty information.

QUESTION: How long will the SR 500 Belt last?

ANSWER: With proper use and care the SR 500 Belt will last for many years before it wears out and needs to be replaced.

QUESTION: What if I loose or gain weight?

ANSWER: If you gain or lose more than several pounds, you may need to buy the next size larger or smaller SR 500 Belt in order for the SR 500 Belt to fit properly.

How should I position the SR 500 Back Brace on my body?

QUESTION: How should I position the SR 500 Back Brace on my body?

ANSWER: Your physician is the best one to advise you of the exact positioning of the SR 500 Belt.

However, in general terms, the SR 500 Belt should be positioned so that the SPINAL REHAB SOLUTIONS patch is centered and lined up with your navel, and that the lower edge of the SR 500 Belt is as far above the upper part of the hip bones as the upper edge of the SR 500 Belt is below the lowest part of the ribs.

As the SR 500 Belt is inflated, the lower edge expands downward to anchor itself against the upper part of the hip bones and the upper edge expands upwards to anchor itself against the lower portion of the ribs. Once this anchoring occurs, further expansion of the SR 500 Belt results in positive traction to the lumbar spine.