Back Pain Relief » Physical Therapy

?Enjoying the Benefits Of Physical Therapy

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 23:27:01 +0000

The benefits of physical therapy are undisputed. After all, the practice has been around since Ancient Greece. Physical therapy is used in multiple ways for multiple reasons all with the single desired result of restoring mobility and reducing pain in order for the patient to regain normalcy. There are several reasons that someone would seek out the aid of a physical therapist, ranging from stiff muscles to back pain, and even arthritis. Each of these conditions can benefit greatly from a trip to the physical therapist office.

Perhaps one of the most popular forms of physical therapy is the hands on treatment of massage. This massage differs greatly from the amateur massage of co-workers and friends; this massage actually does some good. A massage given by a physical therapist can help in any number of ways. For overall health, the benefits of the physical therapy massage can reduce the stress by unknotting muscles and causing the body to relax. It can also increase blood flow and circulation which will help in reducing toxins in the body. Massages will even improve range of motion and increase flexibility. Therapists do a lot more than hand out massages and everything they do and accomplish is a benefit of physical therapy.

Back pain is an increasing issue in today’s society and luckily patients can derive many benefits from physical therapy that will improve the back and reduce the pain. Back pain from daily stress and overuse, or from operations or other conditions can greatly decrease the quality of life. Physical therapist are to prescribe several treatments and procedures that will help the patient regain normal use of the back, improving reach, reducing pain, and restoring mobility. There are several ways that the physical therapists can improve the back and each of them has their own benefits.

Another benefit of physical therapy concerns joint pain such as arthritis. The therapist will assist the patient in a number of exercises and procedures aimed at regaining the range of motion that the joint once enjoyed. Usually, joints are stiff due to lack of use because of the pain that patients do not wish to endure. Therefore, the patient will perform actions to loosen up joints that will restore movement and ease any discomfort.

The general benefits of physical therapy can also include any manner of education, including the particular ailment and procedures, necessary exercises, and even diet plans. Physical therapy does not end when leaving the office and is a commitment and a lifestyle change. The benefits of physical therapy are innumerable as each case and each potential benefit are very different from one another.

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?Mystery of the Herniated Disc without Pain

Sun, 01 Nov 2009 21:27:02 +0000

A bulging disc is when the spongy material between vertebrae extends out. It’s usually caused by too much pressure that’s been put on the spine causing excessive compression. There are lots of nerves that run out from the disc, so when the disc bulges near one of the nerves, pain develops. The pain isn’t necessarily in the back though. The pain can run down the nerves and end up making your legs or even your arms hurt.

The fact is though, you can have a herniated disc and not have any pain. You can actually have a bulging disc that doesn’t affect a nerve and so there’s no pain. The indications you have a back problem include other things like tingling and numbness in the legs. So don’t think you have to have pain when you have a bulging or herniated disc.

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?I Finally Feel Relaxed

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 21:27:02 +0000

A common medication prescription given for back pain is for muscle relaxants. Muscle relaxants work well when your muscles are so tense they cause back pain. What I didn’t realize is that science doesn’t know for sure how muscle relaxants work on the muscles. They just know they can calm your nerves and make your brain send nice messages to your muscles instead of tense messages.

The problem with muscle relaxants is they can be addicting if you take them too long. In essence they make you feel good and who doesn’t like feeling good? If your back pain has been due to tense muscles causing muscle spasms, the muscle relaxants can help you learn to relax long enough for the muscles to calm down. But you shouldn’t take this medication for longer than 2 or 3 weeks. They don’t “cure” anything and you should learn to relax without drugs. Muscle relaxants are just a way to get some temporary relief.

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?How Come That Needle Doesn’t Hurt?

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 17:27:02 +0000

I like to try alternative forms of back pain treatment whenever possible. Sometimes, the familiar stand-bys like analgesics or ice packs just don’t do the job of relieving the back pain. Before I’d even consider having surgery, I’d look into all forms of treatment including acupuncture.

Acupuncture has been around for over 5,000 years. It’s a Chinese treatment that believes we all have qi in our bodies. This qi is a life force and it roams our body. Acupuncture operates on the principle that certain points on our bodies give access to qi. If you can access the life force, then you control the back pain. Acupuncture actually uses a combination of physical and mental factors to give relief. Needles are painlessly inserted at the qi points to stimulate healing. Some people absolutely refuse to consider such a treatment, but in my opinion, it’s worth a try. When you have chronic back pain even temporary relief can be a blessing.

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?Back Breaking Labor

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 15:27:02 +0000

When you have back pain it feels like anything you do is going to be the final straw. Even if it’s not back breaking labor, it still hurts. The best way to deal with back pain that persists but is obviously not due to vertebrae or disc problems is to exercise. If you don’t do at least regular light exercise, your back muscles get weak. Just try lifting a heavy box the wrong way and you’ll find out exactly how weak your back muscles have become over time.

There are several important back muscles. They include the latissimus dorsi which start at the middle of the spinal column and run up to the shoulders. Other fancy muscle names include the rhomboids, supraspinatus, thoracolumbar fascia and the obliques to name some of the major ones. Any of these muscles can be injured at any time. When you exercise regularly the muscles are strengthened so you can do your daily activities with ease. You’ll have better posture and lot less stress too.

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?What the X-Rays Show

Tue, 06 Oct 2009 14:27:02 +0000

Usually, if the doctor decides he or she needs to actually look at the bones of the spine, an X-ray is ordered. But even if you get an x-ray that doesn’t mean you’ll suddenly have all the answers. The x-ray can only show bones and not muscles, tendons or ligaments. So if your back pain is not due to broken bones, slipped vertebrae or other bone problems the x-ray is pretty much useless. Some doctors just skip right to the MRI or CAT scan instead.

Taking x-rays has been such a routine practice for so long now it’s probably ordered sometimes more out of habit. As the new procedures become more widely used I would expect the x-ray to be used less and less for back pain diagnosis purposes. Of course, x-rays are good from the viewpoint they are often done right in the doctors’ offices now, are painless and give speedy results. Just don’t be too disappointed when you don’t find out the first trip what’s causing your pain.

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?Using Pilates for Back Pain Relief

Fri, 18 Sep 2009 09:27:01 +0000

Pilates is a great exercise form that combines the best of both Eastern and Western techniques. Pilates uses exercises, breathing and stretching to keep the muscles strong and limber. If you’re battling back pain of any kind, a program of pilates may be exactly what you need to follow in order to build your muscle strength and flexibility while finding mental relief from anxiety. The big advantage of pilates as an exercise program is everyone can do it.

Pilates uses many moves that stretch the muscles. It includes a lot of exercises for the lower back and the abdomen muscles. Those are the exact muscles you want to strengthen in order to lessen or even eliminate back pain. There are plenty of floor exercises such as the plank, leg lifts and pelvic lifts. A common form of pilates found in gyms today use many yoga moves which promote emotional calm. You can do all these exercises at home to which is ideal for most people with back pain.

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?Did My Cholesterol Drug Cause the Problem?

Tue, 08 Sep 2009 07:27:03 +0000

There are plenty of wonder drugs on the market for every ailment. The new cholesterol preventing drugs are on the list of “great discoveries” – for now. Apparently drugs like Lipitor are statins, and statins can cause muscle weakness if used for long periods of time. In fact, some people are claiming they now have permanent muscle damage in their backs because of extreme weakness. Of course, the company that makes Lipitor denies their drug causes back pain.

Lipitor back pain is a raging debate right now. There are even lawsuits that have been filed against the drug company. But the problem is proving there is a direct connection between using Lipitor and developing back pain. If you are taking the drug and do begin to experience muscle weakness or back pain, you should report it to your doctor right away. There’s no sense taking a chance with your back.

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?Go Ahead and Shock Me

Sun, 06 Sep 2009 07:27:01 +0000

When I think of electrical stimulation I can’t help but think of the old Frankenstein movies. Yet electrical stimulation is used as one of the treatments for back therapy. Of course, it’s been given a long medical name which is Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation or TENS. It makes me want to ask which came first – the acronym or the name.

This is how TENS works. A physical therapist uses special medical equipment that can dish up low level electricity directed to the muscle through electrodes on the skin. The whole point of the treatment is to make your brain forget about pain for a while and think about the electrical stimulation. This can be a great temporary solution, but it won’t last. It’s good for those people who really need a break from the pain, but don’t consider it an answer to your back pain problems.

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?Snaking Bones

Fri, 04 Sep 2009 07:27:07 +0000

We all know we have a spine, and we know it has a long snakelike design. But not everyone knows what keeps it supple and able to survive all the tension and motion we expect it to handle. The spine itself is made of vertebrae which are bones. But in between the bones is a disc. It’s the disc that provides a cushion for your back bones. The disc is made up of mostly water.

Something holds all of this together and that something is ligaments and tendons. Inside the spine is the spinal cord. The spinal cord runs from the brain to the end of the spine. A lot of nerves run out from the spine discs. Now it’s easy to see how you can have so much back pain, isn’t it? There are bones, ligaments, tendons, discs and nerves in your back. Don’t forget the back muscles too. Any of these back components can be broken, sprained, injured, pulled, torn or bruised. It makes it really hard to find the source of back pain in many cases. In other words, be patient with your doctor when he or she has to run a lot of tests looking for answers to your back pain.