Back pain has emerged as the most common form of disability and the highest cause of missing work. What is more disturbing is the fact that unlike in the past when back pain was associated with old age, it is now to be commonly found in people under the age of 45. Blame it on the increasingly sedentary lifestyles of people and not only at leisure but also at work as more and more of our work becomes automated and people spend the entire day at their desks glued to the computer.

The spine is the bedrock of our bodily system and when it is abused, the result is either acute or chronic back pain. Acute pain which is more common is a sudden onset of pain usually due to some injury. This lasts usually for not more than 6 weeks. Chronic pain may be slow to start with but stays on for longer periods of three months or more. Some people may suffer from a lifetime of chronic back pain.

Contrary to popular misconception, back pain is not a diagnosis in itself but a symptom of some underlying problem. To get to the root cause of back pain we must first understand the mechanics of the spine which is actually a collection of 33 vertebrae or bones which is divided into five groups: cervical( upper back or neck), thoracic(middle back), lumbar(low back), sacrum and the coccyx or the tail bone.

Ligaments and muscles hold the vertebrae together with discs in-between them. These discs have jelly-like centers which enable them to act as shock absorbers and protectors of the spinal cord and the spinal nerves. When these discs get injured the result is back pain in any part of the spine.

The causes of back pain are mechanical causes, injuries, acquired disorders, infections or tumors. Mechanical causes include fractures, herniated discs, spinal degeneration, sciatica or slipped discs. Injuries to the spine due to improper lifting, exercising etc. or from accidents can lead to back pain.

Acquired disorders are either the ones which someone is born with like an abnormal curved spine or problems like arthritis, spinal stenosis or even pregnancy. Infection and inflammation of the vertebrae or the discs are some other uncommon causes for back pain as are tumors.

A visit to the physician is a must with the onset of back symptom however slight the pain maybe because if left undiagnosed or improperly treated it can turn into a lifetime problem. The physician may prescribe various diagnostic tests depending on the severity of the situation or over-the-counter medicines may be advised.

The most common form of treatment is total rest for a specific amount of time although long bed rests are now finding disfavor with many physicians claiming that it makes the recovery even more slow and may lead to other problems. 24-72 hours of rest is usually recommended before recommencing normal activities. A physical therapy program like ultrasound, heat, massage or customized exercise regimen may be advised by the physician.

In the past, massage therapy for back pain was looked upon with suspicion but it is now considered to be a valuable treatment albeit only in a complementary form. Massage helps in a non-invasive way in the alleviation of back pain. The primary aim of any massage is to increase the blood circulation which in turn rejuvenates and stimulates the muscles and tissues of the area.

Massage elongates, stretches and soothes the ligaments and muscles in a natural way. Both acute and chronic back trouble can benefit from a massage therapy but an approval from the physician is a must. This is because muscles and ligaments if pulled and massaged in the wrong way can do more harm than good and the person may end up with even more of a back pain.

Massage works best in cases of simple muscle pulls and a herniated or slipped disc will not respond as well to a massage therapy and may even worsen. The masseur also should be a trained and competent person with a thorough knowledge of the human body.

There is no denying that back pain has become the bane of modern lives and adopting the right precautions may go a long way in preventing or minimizing this pain.

By: Nanba Uehonmachi

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Nanba Uehonmachi is the co-owner of Pain Relief Massage Clinic. If you are looking for the best pain relief method, please visit www.painreliefmassage.com.au now.

If you have back pain, it commonly started with some symptoms. If you for example hurt your back, and after a short period of time it hurts again on the same place this could indicate back pain. So remember, the first symptom of back pain is that it hurts on a place, over and over again. It’s helpful to know how your pain started, because then your doctor can help you much quicker. Or even better, you could take the cause away and solve the problem on your own!

It’s also important to realize where the pain takes place, is it in your lower back? Is it higher on your back? Etc.. If you tell your doctor where the pain is, the treatment will be much more effective and quicker. Try to stop with intensive activities, if the pain goes away this might be the cause, if it doesn’t you’ll have to search for an other explanation.

Questioning yourself can help a lot, ask yourself for example how intensive your exercising is. Do you exercise combined with stretch exercises? If you know the cause of the problem, you know you have to be treated. This is important because a lot of people walk around without knowing that they have to be treated, which could cause permanent damage.

Point made? Don’t ignore any symptoms of back pain. Once your back starts to hurt, question yourself about the cause. Is it work related? Is it because you sit in a wrong way? Is it a result of your exercises? Once you’ve answered these questions: go see a doctor, as he’ll be the only one who truly can find out how you have to be treated!

Tim has been writing health related articles for a long time, however, he likes to write about technical items too. His latest project is about 5.1 speaker systems. On his website http://www.51speakerschoiche.info he tries to inform people about speaker systems, and why the 7.1 media hype is overrated!

The latest revolution is spine surgery is the artificial disc replacement. Several different types, by several different manufacturers, have been approved in the last few years. There has been much public hype about this latest innovation. A poll by Spine-Health.com showed that 49% of people, who are candidates for lumbar fusion, are postponing their surgery, hoping to receive the artificial disc. All of the excitement is because; this new device appears to solve two of the major problems that occur with fusion of the lumbar spine.

Well, at least in theory, it appears to solve it.

Historically, two of the major problems with lumbar fusion are limitations caused by the lack of motion, and accelerated degeneration at the adjacent levels. Increased wear and tear at the neighboring disc levels, often leads to additional surgeries over the next several years.

The new artificial disc seems to solve that problem. It allows normal, or near normal motion, while still replacing the painful or diseased disc. But, this new device presents some problems of its own, and some surgeons think that there may still be some questions that are unanswered.

The two major concerns about the artificial discs are durability, and problems with replacement. Because this appliance is new, data from long term studies is limited, and what information is available, is not great. Some studies show high failure rates, and some manufacturers are telling patients that their artificial disc may have to be replaced within 10 years.

This is really the point that some surgeons are concerned about. Replacing a worn out or failed device, is a very complex operation with many risks, and some of the risks are life threatening.

The artificial disc is implanted through an anterior approach to the spine. Surgeons make an abdominal incision, and the abdominal organs are moved aside. Then the great vessels must be mobilized, the aorta and the iliac arteries are most often affected. This involves ligating and severing the small feeder arteries that tether them in place, then gently retracting the vessels to expose the anterior lumbar spine.

This exposure is a difficult and complex procedure, in a young healthy patient, under the best of conditions. Repeat surgeries would be complicated by scar tissue, adhesions, and the age of the patient. This would make handling the great vessels increasingly dangerous with each surgery. For a patient in their 30s, this may mean four or more operations by the time they reach their 70s.

When considering any surgical procedure, you must always consider the risks and benefits. The potential benefits, of increased function and normal range of motion of the artificial disc are noteworthy, and certainly worth investigating. As time passes, surgeons will gain more experience, newer techniques will be developed, and the risks will become more manageable. But, with the current technology the critics appear to raise valid points.

David L. Stevens PA-C
Living with Back Pain.org

By: David L Stevens PA-C

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Most pain is felt in the joints or the point where a muscle attaches to the bone. With the back for example, although the upper back is by no means excluded, it is the lower joints that seem to be much more susceptible to pain because this is the centre of our core.

The joints are the one place where an imbalance can manifest because they can be put out of alignment with a tilt or twist. What happens to the nerve, ligament, a muscle or disc as a result of that joint moving, is the back pain or sciatica you normally feel.

If the muscles that set up the imbalances (usually the deeper structural muscles) are worked on correctly, the pressure that causes the twist, tilt or tightness is released, along with the pain.

When a back develops problems it is not normally something that has just happened but rather the result of a build up of tension and muscle problems over time. It tends to involve the whole body eventually and therefore requires a holistic approach and treating the whole body to get a lasting cure. This is especially true when dealing with conditions like back pain and sciatica.

Due to the repetitive nature of bodywork and the fact that the basic anatomy of the body never changes, a therapist is constantly learning how every different type of body feels, whether it be strong, healthy, weak, stressed, young or old. Believe it or not you can even get a clue to what a person eats and their personality from the feel of their tissue.

Any therapist who doesn’t get their hands onto the muscles and body regularly, which is most of them including, doctors, physiotherapists, chiropractors, acupuncturists, Pilates or yoga instructors and personal trainers etc, is severely handicapped right from the start when it comes to successfully treating back pain or sciatica. There is no way, without the vital information you get from the feel of the body, they could confidently develop a treatment plan that best approaches a particular person’s back pain or sciatica. Even diagnosing it accurately without feeling the muscles would be extremely difficult.

Working with my hands on the body has taught me things I have never seen in the text books, just as it has taught me that some things I have seen in books are not correct. As most text books are written by academics with science backgrounds that doesn’t surprise me, but it is also bad news for the poor sciatica or back pain sufferer who is looking for a cure, or the therapist who’s looking to learn the right way to deliver that cure.

Part of my training included learning the points in the body that stimulate and revitalise weak flaccid muscles so that they start to function properly again. Plus the way to work to release built up tension or stress by helping the muscles to completely let go, in contrast to relaxing them which is only a temporary change.

To find out more about what causes back pain and sciatica access the wealth of free information on Steve Lockhart’s back pain website. You can start with a free video demonstration of how you can get instant Back Pain or Sciatica Relief to in the comfort of your own home at anytime.

Back pain is one of the biggest problems in the western world and causes a large loss in working days every year. Conventional treatments can sometimes fall short and often recommend rest and medication. This may mean you want to look at alternative therapies to help you and Alexander Technique is one that could significantly help you. In this article we will consider the benefits of Alexander Technique and how it can help you with your back pain.

What is Alexander Technique?

Alexander Technique is something that is learnt with the help of a practitioner. It teaches a people how to sit, stand and go about their everyday activities with a reduction in unnecessary tension. The practitioner will use both verbal commands and guidance with their hands to help a patient to become aware of and release habits in their posture and movement that could be causing them problems. There are not specific exercises that are carried out but instead each person is taken separately and their specific movements and natural habits are examined. By doing this each person gets a unique treatment which enables them to get the maximum benefit out of the Alexander Technique.

Alexander Technique and Back Pain

When treating back pain it is important to look at the cause rather than the symptoms. This will allow a person to eliminate the cause and get better as well as preventing future reoccurrences. Some of the causes of back pain include injury, inactivity, poor posture or movement and emotional stress. There are a number of treatments that can be very valuable in treating the symptoms and they include massage, chiropractic and pain relievers. It is however now that the Alexander Technique comes into play.

The Alexander Technique can help you to analyse your posture and movements that could be causing your back pain. It can not only be valuable in reducing pain but also help you to refine your movements so that your back pain does not reoccur which can be a significant risk with other treatments.

The Alexander Technique is particularly beneficial as it is very safe and non-invasive. It is also something that you can easily practise at home once you have learnt the basics from your teacher. It will teach you to control your movements, like for instance not slumping when you sit. The things that you learn will teach you how to go about your everyday life without putting unnecessary pressure on your back which significantly reduces your chance of suffering from back pain.

In addition the Alexander Technique will also teach you to become aware of your body meaning that you will very quickly be able to refine your movements if your feel tension appearing when it should not. This means that you begin to have control over your body and how you use it. This will not only help with any existing problems but also prevent any different ones that may occur. Also as well as being useful for those that suffer from back pain it can be valuable for anyone to learn so that they can prevent any possible back pain that may occur in the future.

Conclusion

If you are suffering from back pain then the Alexander Technique can be something very valuable for you to try. However it is important to find a qualified teacher who has a good track record. You could look into any associations that monitor their members to ensure you get a reputable practitioner. In addition it is always a good idea to ask for references and speak to former patients to find out the quality of a teachers work.

This article has been supplied by Mercedes Aspland alternative therapies directory. You can also find more information on our Alexander Technique page.