Best Treatments for Your Lower Back by Dr. Oz

This week, I want to post an article that was presented by Dr. Oz: Treatments for Your Lower Back Pain

Defining low back pain: About 80 percent of Americans will experience back pain at some point in their life. The connection to a physical source isn't always clear, since some people show no spinal abnormalities on an X-ray yet suffer excruciating pain. Here are the treatment options:

Chiropractic treatment: Even when the pain is in the lower back, the problem tends to be with the entire spine, says Victor Meir Nazarian, a Los Angeles–based chiropractor. Chiropractors employ manipulation—adjustment of the vertebrae— to help align a patient's spine, and often prescribe regular visits. "People come in only when they're in pain," Nazarian says. "But we need to think of our spine the way we do our teeth, using preventive care to stay healthy."

Physical therapy: The lower back must flex, extend, and rotate, says physical therapist Peggy Brill, author of two books on managing pain through exercise. Yet most of us sit immobile for hours at a time. That's why physical therapists prescribe walking and other gentle exercise, such as stretching and core strengthening, following a flare-up of back pain. Usually, after 72 hours patients will begin to feel better, says Brill.

Stress relief: Stress is the source of most low back pain, according to John Sarno, MD, professor of clinical rehabilitation medicine at New York University. Though Sarno doesn't dispute that the pain is real, he believes it stems from buried emotional issues that trigger tension in the body and ultimately deprive nerves and muscles of oxygen; relief comes through understanding this link and by learning to deal with negative emotions constructively.

Surgery: "Think of this as the last resort," says Paul McCormick, MD, a professor of neurological surgery at Columbia University. Surgery may be necessary in some cases of curvature of the spine, narrowing of the cavity that surrounds spinal nerves, and nerve inflammation or disk degeneration—but these conditions are rare, McCormick says: "Ninety-nine out of one hundred patients will recover without surgery."

My Recommendation: The research is positive on chiropractic treatment, physical therapy, and stress relief—they all help ease back pain. (As Paul McCormick says, with rare exceptions, surgery is unnecessary.) The key is to get moving again as soon as possible after the pain hits, and then make sure you take steps to prevent a return. I see low back pain as a warning about overall fitness: If you're active, your hips and back are flexible, your core strength is good, and you're coping well with the emotional challenges in your life, your back probably won't bother you. Overlook one of those areas, however, and your back will let you know. And while the emotional link to back pain is controversial, there's no question that stress can play a part in muscle tension, especially in the lower back and hips, leading to trouble.

Source: Treatments for Low Back Pain by Dr. Mehmet Oz

Additional Resources

• One of the Most Overlooked Sources of Back Pain
  
• Unexpected Positive Side Effects of Chiropractic Care and Spinal Decompression
  
• What is Causing My Sciatica?
  
• Lower Back Pain Relief Products
  
• Arc4life's Spine-Worx helps maintain Postural Alignment
  

Visit Arc4life.com for your online selection of cervical support neck pillows, orthopedic pain relief products and Home traction units. Products for pain relief.


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Arc4life’s Spine-Worx Posture system helps maintain spinal alignment!

Your pillows have helped my neck but I still get some mid and lower back pain, what can I do?

A lot of the time fixing the neck will help the mid and lower back. Our spine all works together; our bodies are one big kinetic chain because. You know – our leg bone connects to our hip bone, our hip bone connects to our… I forget the actual rhyme but basically we are connected from our head to our toes.

It helps to correct the whole spine for faster recovery from pain. Correcting neck posture will often times help fix mid and lower back posture too. But it works in the reverse as well; correct the mid or low back alignment and it will help fix neck alignment issues.

For example, someone with sway back posture or a hyperlordosis (extra curve, individual looks like he or she lead with their belly) in the lumbar spine may develop forward head posture to compensate. Then the anterior head carriage cause the upper and mid back to hunch up.

The spine-worx posture align device is a great tool to help correct the low back and mid back issues that can lead to additional spine misalignments such as forward head. These misalignments are what cause neck and back pain by putting stress on our nerves.

Having optimal posture cannot be overstated- It allows your body to have the proper mobility, function and not to mention that it is healthy for your nervous system. In addition to getting regular chiropractic adjustments, doing exercise and using common sense during physical activity is important to maintain good posture. Arc 4 Life Is proud to introduce another posture tool that you can to realign your spine into its most natural position. Designed by a chiropractor, the Spine Worx Posture Align uses your body's own weight to apply controlled pressure to the spinal bones:

The Spine Worx Posture Align is only for the mid back and lower back area. The postural device works by gently aligning the bones in your midback or lower back into their natural positions. This helps to relieve back pain and improve your range of motion. With this back support system, you simply lie on Spine-Worx™ (see diagram below) your spine is pressed firmly against the length of its two unique padded and contoured rails, injection-molded to fit the natural shape of the thoracic and lumbar spine. Use just for one level or multiple levels.

The vertebrae in the spine are gradually and gently encouraged to realign into their natural positions, which helps to relieve mid back pain and lower back , while improving overall mobility.

Having Optimal Posture is the key to having good health. The Spine Worx Posture Align can help you do that.

Additional Reading Resources

• The Posture Worx Posture Align
  
• The Normal Cervical Curve in the Neck
  
• Why Posture Is the Window to your Health
  
• Why is Slouching so Bad for you
  
• The Dreaded Hunchback: How to Correct the Upper Back Area that pops out and looks funny
  

Visit Arc 4 Life for your online selection of cervical support neck pillows, orthopedic pain relief products, lower back supports and cushions.



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Back Pain and Neck Pain Due to Fibromyalgia: Can Diet Make A Difference?

Fibromyalgia (FM) is a complex condition that includes widespread symptoms of muscle and joint pain, where everything seems to ache and is associated with severe exhaustion and fatigue. It can cause pain in the shoulders, neck, low back, hips, or other areas. Other symptoms such as sleep disturbances, sensitivity to touch, genitourinary symptoms are common as well. It affects up to 4% of the population, woman greater than men, with no known cause or known cure. With these facts, it’s not surprising that many sufferers have turned to diet as a means of trying to improve their quality of life. Unfortunately, there are many conflicting dietary recommendations for FM, some completely contradicting the other, leaving the patient and doctor confused as to who or what to believe.

FM can be primary (of unknown cause) or secondary (caused by a different specific condition). Because many conditions can give rise to FM, it’s not surprising that there is no one diet that works universally for all FM patients. However, many FM sufferers respond from eliminating one or more of several types of foods according to experts interviewed by WebMD, and utilizing these recommendations can prove highly effective. They specifically identified 7 foods to avoid in the management of FM, which include the following:

1. Aspartame (NutraSweet): All of the experts interviewed by WebMD agreed a large majority of FM patients could worsen by eating or drinking foods sweetened by aspartame.
   
2. MSG (monosodium glutamine) and nitrates: MSG is a common additive to enhance flavor in many processed and frozen foods as well as in some Asian (eg., Chinese) foods. Hence, lunchmeats like ham, bologna and bacon should be avoided.
   
3. Sugar, fructose, and simple carbohydrates: Though no study has clearly identified that these foods directly worsen the symptoms in FM patients, eliminating foods like cake, white bread and sugar in general, will decrease the risk of developing secondary conditions such as yeast infections that can give rise to FM. Eliminating foods with high levels of fructose corn syrup has been reported to help some FM patients.
   
4. Caffeine (coffee, tea, colas/soda, chocolate): After a brief stimulating effect (energy boost), there is a longer lasting sedative affect, which is amplified in FM patients. The good news is that most of the caffeine is out of the body within a week of discontinuing use.
   
5. Yeast and glutens: These two are not related but are frequently used together in foods like cake, donuts and bread and both contribute to FM symptoms. Yeast gives rise to yeast fungus where an overgrowth may cause or exacerbate FM symptoms resulting in joint and muscle pain. Glutens can cause stomach and other GI problems, which in turn can give rise to fatigue.
   
6. Dairy: Regardless if its low or high fat, some reports indicate that dairy products, particularly milk can increase the symptoms of FM and avoiding these can help.
   
7. Nightshade plants: Tomatoes, chili and bell peppers, potatoes and eggplant can trigger flare-ups of FM and various forms of arthritis.
   

Some GOOD diet approaches include a heart-healthy diet – that is, one that is low in saturated fat and includes lean meats; poultry, fresh fruits and vegetables. This diet improves one’s overall health, thus reducing the risk of secondary FM and allowing the body to better fight off other disease processes. This diet is also anti-inflammatory, the common link found in many health conditions. A vegetarian diet comprised of mostly whole foods was also reported as helpful. High potency vitamin supplement and specifically Omega 3 fatty acids (main ingredients – EPA & DHA) included in fish oil, flax seed, walnuts, some fortified cereals, and eggs also help reduce inflammation.

Additional Reading Resources

• Choosing the Right Neck Pillow for Sleeping
  
• Exercise for Neck Pain Works, Study Shows
  
• The Emotional Impact of Neck Pain: Study Shows that Depression and Anxiety Play a Role
  
• Chronic Pain Causes Shrinkage in the Brain
  
• Review For the Cervical Traction Neck Pillow (Cervical Traction)
  

Visit Arc4life.com for your online selection of cervical support neck pillows, orthopedic pain relief products and Home traction units. Products for pain relief.


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