Back Pain When Bending Forward

January 16th, 2012 AmeeL

Finding effective treatment for back pain is much easier when you know its cause. Finding the root of your pain can be a difficult task, given the plethora of potential back pain causes. One step you can take to find the cause is to describe your pain fully. Knowing what type of pain, where it is and when it is worst will help you determine the root of the problem.

Many people experience sharp lower back pain when bending forward. The pain may also accompany other movements, or be limited to the forward bend. This motion gives a clue to what could be causing the pain. When bending forward, the mechanical loading of the spine changes. There are spinal discs between vertebrae that act as shock absorbers. Each disc consists of a tough exterior and fluid-filled center. When the forward-most (anterior) side of the vertebrae come closer together during a forward bend, the disc fluids are pushed to the back (posterior) of the vertebrae.

While most people can bend forward without pain, those that experience pain during this motion have reason to suspect a disc problem in the spine. If the outer edge of a disc weakens, its inner fluids will not be held steady; they will be pushed to one edge of the disc or another depending on the movement of the vertebrae. The bulge created can compress nerves that exit the spine and irritate ligaments that support the spine by causing them to stretch over the bulge. If the exterior of the disc cracks and fluids leak out, these fluids can irritate nerves while the disc loses its capacity as a shock absorber.

Disc problems are made more likely if the pain experienced is sharp, as this indicates nerve pain. In the lower back, the sciatic nerve is most at risk of impingement. This is due to the fact that it exits the spine at its most mobile segments. The sciatic nerve allows the lower body, bowels and bladder to function. When the sciatic nerve root is compressed, sharp pain, tingling, numbness and weakness may be experienced from the lower back down the leg as far as the foot. In severe cases, bladder and bowel control may begin to suffer. This indicates a medical emergency.

Natural Treatments For Disc Pain

It is important to understand that drugs and surgery will not likely be necessary. For some people, disc problems actually heal themselves. That doesn’t mean, however, that you should simply ignore the pain. There are exercises you can do to help your spine recover.

Exercise will tone your core muscles to support your spine better, reducing the amount of pressure on your discs. Exercises for people with disc problems and sciatica tend to emphasize back extension rather than flexion (forward bending). See http://www.youtube.com to learn 3 sciatica exercises.

Remember that something caused your discs to weaken in the first place. While strengthening your core muscles will help to prevent sciatica in the future, it is important to be aware of your body mechanics. Improper body mechanics can cause discs to wear prematurely by placing more pressure on them than necessary. An example of this is the way that you bend. When bending or leaning forward, the movement should originate at the hips, not the lower back. Continuously rounding out your lumbar spine will cause the outer rings of your lumbar discs to wear faster than they should.

If your pain is severe and home exercise or physical therapy has not provided relief, there is still another step to try before discectomy. Many chiropractors have spinal decompression machines in their offices that increase disc space between vertebrae. The goal of these treatments is to give discs the room to reabsorb their fluids. A simpler version of this form of treatment is the inversion table.

If you have back pain when bending forward, you may have a disc problem. If the pain is sharp and travels downward, you likely have sciatica. Learning safe and natural treatment options will help you manage your pain and avoid being fooled into expensive medications and operations.

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Kettlebell Exercise Good For Lower Back Pain Relief

January 15th, 2012 AmeeL

Whether you lead a sedentary life or work out without an understanding of muscle balance, you will likely experience lower back pain. Lower back pain is often caused by weak or imbalanced muscles.

Common Muscular Causes of Back Pain

Weak Glutes: The gluteus maximus, medius and minimus muscles in the buttocks work together to facilitate a number of motions, such as rising from a chair or lifting the legs to step forward or climb stairs. These muscles are often weak due to prolonged periods of sitting, which leaves them compressed and unused. Lower back muscles often compensate for weak gluteal muscles, which causes muscle strain in the back.

Tight Hip Muscles: Whether you sit a lot or participate in sports like cycling, you likely have tight hip muscles, namely the psoas and iliacus muscles. These stretch from the lower back to the upper thigh and are used whenever the lower and upper body are brought closer together. The hip flexors are not stretched by any normal daily movements, but are shortened and tensed by most of them. Tight hip muscles pull the pelvis down in the front, increasing the lumbar arch; this causes uneven disc pressure and tension in the lower back muscles.

Weak Abdominal Muscles: Abdominal muscles, along with glutes, lower back muscles and hip flexors, are part of the core group. These muscles need to be strong and balanced in order to support the spine and keep the pelvis aligned properly. Weak abs leave the lower back muscles alone to support the upper body’s weight and offer no balancing pull on the front of the pelvis to keep it neutral. Along with tight hip muscles, weak abs contribute to pelvic instability.

Chest/Shoulder Imbalance: Either from slouching throughout the day or focusing too much on your pectorals at the gym, the muscles in the chest are often shorter than those in the upper back and shoulders. This pulls the shoulders down and the head forward, pulling on the muscles of the upper back. These muscles attempt to return to normal length and become strained. As the upper body slumps forward, the lower back may flatten out, pulling on lower back muscles and causing uneven pressure on spinal discs.

Kettlebell Training

While weight lifting is a great way to build bulging muscles fast, it is all too easy to cause postural dysfunction and muscle imbalances this way. Weight lifting generally involves the isolation of muscle groups, which is unnatural. Muscles of the body work together to perform movements and work, and require balanced development and flexibility. A workout regimen that builds strength in many muscle groups in one motion is called functional training.

Kettlebell training is functional training. A kettlebell is a weight fitted with a handle. The movements of kettlebell training engage numerous muscle groups, which encourages balanced strength and flexibility. Muscle memory is developed throughout the course of kettlebell sessions, training the brain to activate the appropriate muscles required for a movement to be performed with maximum efficiency. This is what makes kettlebell training a great form of back pain exercise.

Kettlebell training can provide lower back pain relief by strengthening gluteal, shoulder and abdominal muscles while restoring flexibility to tight hip flexors. It also encourages both strength and endurance of the erector spinae muscles that support the spine.

If you have lower back pain and are considering kettlebell training as part of your treatment plan, consult with a trained exercise therapist or physical therapist first to make sure your condition doesn’t contraindicate the exercise. Also, as with any exercise, proper form is key. If your form is off, you could cause further back pain. It is best to begin a new exercise program with the guidance of a trained therapist.

For videos on kettlebell exercises for lower back pain, see http://www.liftkettlebells.com. Training your muscles to work together is better for your health than building bulging muscles that work inefficiently. Make sure your workouts are well-rounded to prevent lower back pain.

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Can An Acupressure Mat Relieve Your Back Pain?

January 11th, 2012 AmeeL

When searching for products to help relieve back pain, it is important to separate the good ones from the scams. While some manufacturers are out to make a buck off your misfortune, there are affordable and reliable back pain products on the market that can help you find relief.

Acupressure mats are becoming more popular. These mats span from the buttocks to the shoulders on an average-sized person, and some manufacturers offer a separate cushioned mat designed for the neck. One side the mat is covered in disks, each of which contains a number of spikes. The mats can be laid on in a number of positions, or they can be stood upon.

Acupressure and acupuncture have been around for thousands of years. Acupuncture makes use of needles to stimulate targeted points on the body, whereas acupressure uses pressure applied by the fingers as in massage. Acupoints are described by Traditional Chinese Medicine as points on the body that fall along channels called meridians through which the body’s energy flows. If this energy becomes blocked in any of the channels, dysfunction, illness and disease follow. Stimulating the points through acupressure or acupuncture is thought to unblock the meridian and restore normal energy flow.

Even if you don’t subscribe to the tenets of Ancient Chinese Medicine, acupressure can still be seen as a credible form of treatment. Stimulation of the skin and tissues of the body increases blood flow and the release of endorphins. Blood flow delivers oxygen and nutrients throughout the body and flushes out toxins that may be stored in injured or painful areas. Endorphins fight pain in the body.

The acupressure mat relies on the point stimulation principle of acupressure and acupuncture, but with less accuracy. Whereas the latter forms of treatent work with very specific points in the body, the spikes of an acupressure mat fall on areas of the body rather indiscriminately. The spikes do not penetrate the skin, and most people are comfortable on them with a thin layer of clothing, although some may require a thicker layer. The purpose of the mat is to help the body heal.

It is wise to have a healthy skepticism concerning “quick fix” back pain products. Laying on a spiky mat for pain relief may sound odd today, but customer reviews from Amazon.com show that some mats have brought a surprising amount of relief to their users. The Nayoya wellness mat has over 80 customer reviews, and almost all of the reviewers gave the mat a 5-star rating. This particular mat costs just over $30.00, whereas some others are over $50.00.

Customers who use this mat report relief from muscle tension, insomnia, stress, headaches and migraines, as well as the elimination of muscle knots. One reviewer writes:

“I’ve used [the mat] for a little over 3 months and can tell you it has [worked] wonders on my back after my car accident. After suffering from severe upper back pain, I was recommended this product and absolutely loved it from the first week. Even though the pain is now gone, I still use it to massage my back and relieve tension. A+ product.”

To see more on this and other acupressure mats available on the market, go to http://www.amazon.com.

If you suffer from chronic back pain and want to try something new, inexpensive and safe, consider purchasing an acupressure mat. As with any product, always read customer reviews and compare prices.

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Back Pain Prevention Tips For New Runners

January 9th, 2012 AmeeL

Running is a sport that many people practice to increase fitness. Unfortunately, those who run without a thorough understanding of body mechanics often end up with lower back pain. Learn what causes back pain when running and how to prevent it.

Before Running: Preparation

Everyone knows you’re supposed to warm up by stretching before physical activity, but not many think to research their sport and train ahead of time. Since running is the kind of sport you can do simply by putting on some good sneakers and heading out the door, it is all too common that the new runner’s body is unprepared for the work ahead of it.

One main factor that predisposes a person to pain when pursuing a sport is muscle imbalance. Sports players and fitness enthusiasts are particularly susceptible to muscle imbalances, but even those who lead sedentary lives tend to have them to some extent. Imbalance occurs when opposing muscle groups, or those that are positioned opposite one another on the body and perform opposite functions, are not developed equally. The stronger muscle shortens in length, creating a pull on the weaker muscle. The weaker muscle becomes overstretched and naturally attempts to pull itself back to normal length, which further strains the muscle. The stronger muscle, as well as surrounding muscles, will naturally attempt to compensate for the weaker one by working at inappropriate times. Pain may be felt from postural distortion, muscle strain and joint strain.

Common Imbalances

Most people, whether athletes or office workers, tend to have weaker hamstrings than quadriceps. This imbalance causes the pelvis to be pulled down in front and increases the lumbar arch. If a person with this imbalance attempts to run, the imbalance will likely be exacerbated. As the back arches in more, the discs in between vertebrae are compressed unevenly and the spinal joints are strained. Combined with the jolting force your body experiences as your feet pound against the ground, joint and disc problems become likely.

Another very common imbalance occurs between the abdominal and lower back muscles. If you don’t practice proper posture throughout the day, which many people don’t, you likely have this imbalance. When you slouch, your stomach muscles are disengaged and the weight of the upper body rests solely on the lower back muscles, which become strained. Sitting up straight and consciously engaging your abdomen, along with practicing core exercises, will help to relax the lower back muscles and tone the deep abdominal muscles. See http://backpainsolutionsonline.com/back-pain-exercise/lower-back-pain-exercises/four-back-pain-relief-exercises to learn 4 core-balancing exercises.

Another muscle group to be aware of before running is the hip flexor group, particularly the psoas. This muscle is used when bringing the thigh and upper body closer together, either lifting the leg to take a step while standing or lifting the upper body or legs when lying down. The psoas connects the lumbar spine to the femur. This muscle is tightened by prolonged sitting, something that is common today. Tight, inflexible psoas muscles pull down on the pelvis and create the exaggerated lumbar arch that tight quads create. Running without regaining flexibility of the psoas will likely worsen its rigidity and exacerbate pelvic misalignment, which in turn causes lower back pain.

The strength and flexibility of our muscles determines how we move our bodies. If your strengths are imbalanced, the stronger muscles will attempt to compensate for the weaker ones; this improper muscle usage causes muscle strain and changes joint angles, all of which can lead to serious back pain. Chronically tight muscles lose their flexibility, making it difficult to restore proper length.

Foot Position

Another important consideration for new runners is foot position. For a number of reasons, you may tend to turn your feet inward or outward when running. This could mean that your toes point outward or inward, or that your ankle rolls inward (over-pronation) or outward (supination). Either way, the unnatural ankle joint position causes the knee, hip and sacroiliac joints to change position as well. When joints are not in their normal position, they tend to wear faster. They also can’t take on as much weight as when aligned. When the lower body and the pelvis (which is the base of the spine) become inefficient, the lower back must suffer an even greater burden, taking on the upper body’s weight without a stable foundation.

To assess your foot positioning, take an old pair of sneakers and place them on a table. Are they level, or does the shoe tilt inward or outward? Flip them upside down and visually inspect the tread. If the wear is uneven, you may need to consult with a doctor about special footwear.

Muscle imbalances and foot positioning problems may require treatment with a physical therapist. If your imbalances are severe, retraining your body mechanics will require work. Tight, rigid muscles must be forced to relax and regain flexibility with a technique called self-myofascial release (SMR). Weaker muscles must be activated with targeted exercises without activating the stronger of the group. Tackle these obstacles early on so that they don’t become worse when pursuing your sport. Lower back pain and running don’t have to go hand-in-hand. These tips, combined with an understanding of proper running form, can help you run pain-free.

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