80% Experience Back Problems: What to Know Before Your Spine Is Affected
According to the American Chiropractic Association, 80 percent experience back problems at some point in their lives. Because of the likelihood that this may happen to you, you need to know the major causes of back pain. It can be mechanical or stem from serious conditions. Here is what you need to know before your spine is affected:
Most Back Pain is Mechanical
Movement that causes back pain would be categorized as mechanical. It is not the only cause of back pain to fit in the mechanical category, though. A few other mechanical causes of back pain are sprains, strains, and herniated discs. Some of the causes can be avoided by taking preventative measures. Mechanical causes are serious, but back pain caused by more serious conditions could be life-threatening.
Your Back Pain May Come from Serious Conditions
A few examples of serious conditions that cause back pain are cancer, blood clots, and kidney infections. There is little difference, however, to how back pack pain is caused. Mechanical cause is associated with the spine’s movement. Yet, serious conditions can come from anywhere. Back pain caused by such conditions can be easily masked and mistaken for a mechanical cause without proper diagnosis by a doctor. If you feel back pain, make an effort to visit the doctor as this could be one of the most important preventative measures that you take.
You Can Minimize Your Back Pain
One of the best ways to minimize your back pain is through practicing good posture. You have most likely heard it before—maybe from a teacher or parent—but it’s important! Being active is also crucial. Make sure to stretch before doing a workout session, though. If you work in an environment where you’re pretty stationary, you can minimize the chances of getting back pain by using ergonomic chairs, desks, and workstations.
It’s Possible to Avoid the Chronic Pain That Results from a Back Injury
A back injury can happen at any time. Lifting with the wrong posture or a sports accident could cause a back injury. Unfortunately, it can lead to chronic pain that will need to be dealt with proper pain management techniques in order for you to function in life properly.
If you have yet to experience serious back pain, do what you can now to prevent it from happening in the future. Be like the 20 percent! If you do experience some pain, don’t put it off. Ask a doctor if it is mechanical or serious and what can be done to get your back feeling better again. Don’t let it get to the point where chronic pain becomes an issue for you.
Feeling Pain or Numbness? 4 Symptoms of a Herniated Disc
It’s easy to tell when you have a cut or a fever. A herniated disc can be more difficult to detect, as the symptoms can occasionally be vague. Sometimes they can be chalked up to simple aging. It’s important to pay attention to the signs, though, so you can seek one of the many herniated disc treatments quickly and feel better faster. Here are four symptoms of a herniated disc.
Arm or Leg Pain
Depending on the exact location of the herniated disc, you’ll feel pain in various locations. If the disc is in your lower back, the most intense pain will be in your buttocks, thighs, and calves. It may be only one leg or both. If the disc is in your neck, your shoulder and arm will feel the most intense pain. In either case, sneezing or coughing may cause the pain to shoot into your arm or leg, as can shifting your spine into certain positions.
Numbness or Tingling
Similar to the “pins and needles” feeling that you get when a body part has fallen asleep, you may feel numbness or tingling in the body part served by the nerves affected by the herniated disc. This numbness or tingling may not affect the entire body part. It may only affect a particular area, such as the thumb side of an arm, or the little toe and outside of a foot and leg.
Weak Muscles
The herniated disc affects the nerves that serve various muscles. Those muscles tend to weaken. Depending on the area of the disc, this can lead you to stumble or have trouble standing, or it could impair your ability to hold and lift items. Muscle weakness tends to be one of the more serious symptoms of a herniated disc and often requires surgical intervention as quickly as possible.
Back Pain
The back pain may be dull or throbbing, constant or intermittent, and possibly accompanied by stiffness. The disc may also cause muscle spasms, which might be alleviated by a couple of days of rest with ice and heat in a supportive recliner or lying flat with a pillow beneath the knees. Back pain is more likely to be present in the lower back than the neck.
A herniated disc can be a painful experience. If you suspect that your symptoms are caused by a herniated disc, it’s best to get it checked out quickly by a professional, like those at Southwest Florida Neurosurgical & Rehab Associates
Have a Bad Back? What It Takes to Manage Your Pain & Discomfort
Back aches and pains can negatively impact your life in many different ways. In addition to seeing your doctor, there are some extra steps that you can take to ease your pain and discomfort. Here are a few different methods that you can try to relieve bad back symptoms.
Perform Safe Exercises
Even though you may be inclined to sit a lot or climb into bed and rest to ease your aching back, exercising can actually be more beneficial. Staying active can relieve back pain more than just resting alone by keeping your tendons, ligaments and spinal discs flexible. Working out may also prevent your muscles from stiffening and weakening, which can lead to further back problems. Just be sure to do exercises that aren’t too strenuous and avoid things like lifting heavy weights or trying to do your own air conditioning repairs. Ideal exercises for relieving back pain include walking, swimming and stationary biking.
Adjust Your Chair
The way you sit might be contributing to your bad back without you even knowing it. You may have to adjust the height of your office chair so that you aren’t hunching or overreaching while working on your computer or performing other office tasks. Your office chair should support your natural spinal curvature. It is further important to make sure that your feet are touching the floor to reduce lower back strain. Adjusting your car seat so that you’re sitting closer to your steering wheel can also prevent back pain by keeping you from hunching, overreaching your arms or overstretching your legs.
Take the Right Supplements
Taking certain supplements can also help you manage your back pain and discomfort. Vitamin D helps with calcium absorption, and too little of this vitamin might make your back problems worse. Devils claw is great for reducing inflammation that contributes to low back pain. According to Everyday Health, turmeric is also known for its anti-inflammatory properties. Willow bark and magnesium are other useful supplements for relieving back aches.
Try Getting Acupuncture
This traditional Chinese form of medicine has the ability to provide fast relief for an aching back. A practitioner will lightly insert a series of small needles into different points on your back. This will allow energy to flow along meridians of your body. Your qi will be in better balance with acupuncture and provide further relief. Acupuncture can also stimulate the production of opioids in your body that act as natural pain killers.
You shouldn’t have to just live with a bad back. By getting the right medical care and making some simple changes to your life, you’ll have an easier time managing your back aches and pains. Of course, having a bad back can be tough. If you find that nothing that you’re doing is really working for you, consult the help of a professional and maybe even getting a surgery, like those done by the Surgery Center of Kenai.
Bouncing Back After an Injury at the Gym
There’s nothing much fun about suffering an injury at the gym. It’s natural that you’ll want to bounce back as quickly as possible.
Stop When the Pain Starts
As soon as you start to feel an abnormal pain in a particular part of your body, you should stop exercising. The old cliche of working out is is that there’s no gain without pain. But that kind of attitude is not at all helpful when it comes to keeping your body in good shape. In fact, it can cause you a lot of damage. You need to get to know your body over time. Sometimes, you will feel the burn, and it usually won’t be an injury. If you keep at it, you will learn when your body is hurt and when it is just tired. These small differences are very important to recognise.
Put Ice on the Injury and Rest
The next thing to do is to get ice on the area of your body that hurts. Do this as quickly as you possibly can because it might help to limit the size of the problem. It helps by reducing the level of inflammation and swelling that often occurs after an injury in the gym. Never begin your treatment with a heat pack; ice should always be what you start with. Get your hands on some ice packs and then use them as much as you can. This will at least keep your injury under control until you can get advice from a medical expert.
Follow All Medical Advice You Receive
If the initial rest and the ice haven’t fixed your problem for you, you will need to seek some medical attention. This will allow you to get to the bottom of the issue if you’re not sure what’s wrong. Most people who work out a lot know their bodies inside out. So, if you’re not sure what’s going on, it’s a sign that something needs to be done. When you get the advice from a doctor, make sure you listen to it. Don’t be tempted to think that you know better than the doctor because you probably don’t. If they tell you to not do any physical activity for a couple of months, you need to do that, however frustrating it might be.
Prevent the Injury Recurring When You Go Back to Normal
When you are finally coming to the end of your recovery, you will need to think about how you can return. This is one of the most important stages of the process, and it definitely should not be rushed. If you rush, the injury will recur, and you will be left on the sidelines for even longer, and that’s not what you want, is it? Make sure you get the all-clear from your doctor before you hit the gym again. And then make sure that you warm up very carefully and don’t overdo it to begin with. Ease yourself back into your old routine over a period of a couple of months. This is the most sensible approach to take.
The Guy's Five-Day All-Round Workout Routine For 2016
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Guys, it’s nearly 2016, and you know what that means. New goals, more effort, and better shape. The new year is the best time to get back into the gym, and back into your routine. Your fresh with motivation and ambition, so let’s take advantage of that.
We also know that working the same muscle groups day-in-day-out isn’t effective. Your muscles need a full day of recovery to rebuild and repair. Getting on the bench press every day isn’t going to help here. We need to break those muscle groups down, and focus on one each day. That gives them time to heal, while you’re working on the next group. Make sense? Here’s how it breaks down.
Monday - Chest and back day
Chest workouts are our favourites, so we like to put them right at the start of the week. We’re talking about flat-bench barbell presses, and incline bench presses. Remember to focus on slow movements, and get your technique just right. Otherwise you’re doing yourself no favours. Throw in a few cable crossovers, and try some bodyweight exercises like push ups. You can also add a few back workouts into the mix. Try some wide-grip pull ups, and a narrow-grip lat pull downs.
Tuesday - Core
Core workouts are one thing that a lot of guys skip. Many of us focus on arms and chest, but forget that most of your all-round strength is in your core muscle groups. These are your abdominals and side muscles. The best workouts here are bodyweight holds. Try a series of plank positions, and hold each for at least a minute. Do some slow movement crunches, and a powerful burpee workout (the hardest workout out there!)
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Wednesday - Fitness and cardio
It’s time to give the weights and muscle building a break, and focus on fitness and cardio. It’s a crucial part of your workout routine, and much better for your overall health. If you struggle with the running machine and cycling, enrol for some fitness classes. Try the notoriously difficult bootcamp classes, or join a spinning class for ultimate cycling!
Thursday - Leg day
Muscle building guys are always guilty of missing leg day. What you end up with is a stacked chest and arms, but tiny legs! You’ve got to balance out this routine, and get your lower half in prime condition. Start with a series of squats to engage the glutes and your primary leg muscles. Use the leg press, and do slow sets of leg extensions.
Friday - Arms and shoulder day
We like to finish the week on another powerful workout. The arms and shoulders are closely linked to chest and back. So it’s a good idea to spread them out, and leave plenty of rest days in between. This workout is all about biceps, triceps, and shoulders. We’re talking about curls, extensions, and military barbell presses. Yeah, you’re going to feel this one in the morning!
And that’s the week complete. Remember to take a full rest day on either Saturday or Sunday. You can fill the gap with some light cardio or sports, but don’t over-exert yourself. Let those muscles rebuild.
Massage Track and Neck Track - Review
Firstly the products were invited by a man named Eric (47) who has a rare illness (mercury and lead poisoning) which among many other nuisances causes tightness in the muscles and connective tissues. He created the patent pendingBody Track™ and Neck Track™ for relief when he was really depressed and desperate. He now uses them every day and on occasion several times during the course of the day.
For almost a year I (Alicia Bell of Train It Right) have been using the balls and the track for relief of tight/sore muscles from working out. They are great trigger point release balls and using them with the tracks helps keep them from slipping out of alignment and I am able to get them exactly where I want them placed. They come with a variety of light, medium and hard balls depending on your sensitivity or tightness. I highly recommend getting these if you are active in sports, the gym or suffer from any ailments such as what Eric has. We often all do the workout component of fitness and neglect the nutrition and recovery which are just as important. Thank you eric for helping me be able to focus more on the recovery component by creating this easy to use and great functional product!
Tech blog did a great video review that you should check out:
For more product information or how you can get your own set all of the info is listed on the Massage Track website:
COLUMBIA, Mo. (Sept. 28, 2015) ― Across the country, many employees are seated at desks for the majority of an eight-hour workday. As technology creates an increase in sedentary lifestyles, the impact of sitting on vascular health is a rising concern. Now, researchers from the University of Missouri School of Medicine have found that when a person sits for six straight hours, vascular function is impaired — but by walking for just 10 minutes after a prolonged period of sitting, vascular health can be restored.
“It’s easy for all of us to be consumed by work and lose track of time, subjecting ourselves to prolonged periods of inactivity,” said Jaume Padilla, Ph.D., an assistant professor of nutrition and exercise physiology at the MU School of Medicine and lead author of the study. “However, our study found that when you sit for six straight hours, or the majority of an eight-hour work day, blood flow to your legs is greatly reduced. We also found that just 10 minutes of walking after sitting for an extended time reversed the detrimental consequences.”
During the study, the researchers compared the vascular function of 11 healthy young men before and after a period of prolonged sitting. The findings indicated that blood flow in the popliteal — an artery in the lower leg — was greatly reduced after sitting at a desk for six hours. Researchers then had the participants take a short walk, and found that 10 minutes of self-paced walking could restore the impaired vascular function and improve blood flow.
“When you have decreased blood flow, the friction of the flowing blood on the artery wall, called shear stress, is also reduced,” Padilla said. “Moderate levels of shear stress are good for arterial health, whereas low levels of shear stress appear to be detrimental and reduce the ability of the artery to dilate. Dilation is a sign of vascular health. The more the artery can dilate and respond to stimuli, the healthier it is.”
Many workplaces are sedentary environments, and the researchers said it’s important that people understand the effects of sitting on their vascular health. By breaking up desk time with a short walk, workers can offset the harm caused to vascular blood vessels.
“Studies have shown that sitting less can lead to better metabolic and cardiovascular health,” Padilla said. “However, more research is needed to determine if repeated periods of reduced vascular function with prolonged sitting lead to long-term vascular complications.”
The study, “Impact of Prolonged Sitting on Lower and Upper Limb Micro- and Macrovascular Dilator Function,” recently was published in Experimental Physiology, the peer-reviewed scientific journal of The Physiological Society. In addition to Padilla, the research team includes Robert Restaino and Seth Holwerda, graduate students in the MU School of Medicine Department of Medical Pharmacology and Physiology; Daniel Credeur, Ph.D., assistant professor of exercise science at the University of Southern Mississippi School of Kinesiology; and Paul Fadel, Ph.D., professor of kinesiology and director of clinical translational science at the University of Texas at Arlington College of Nursing and Health Innovation.
Research reported in this publication was supported by the National Institutes of Health under the award number K01HL125503 and the American Physiological Society. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the funding agencies.
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