Lower Back and Hip Pain, Sciatica and Herniated Disc.

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Manual Therapy to Release the Sciatic Nerve. Please excuse clicks in audio. See Marc Heller’s articles on the nerve, in lumbar spine articles, at www.marchellerdc.com
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Sam Visnic discusses what is sciatica, and shows you what the cause of sciatica is, and how it is commonly mis-diagnosed.
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www.reviveback.com is an FDA cleared lower back pain treatment and therapy. If you suffer from sciatica and low back pain, Revive Back provides immediate relief
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Keep your back healthy to avoid the pain. Learn how to commit to keep lower back fit in this free back pain relief video from a fitness expert. Expert: Kristie LaTray Contact: www.fitandfabuloustraining.com Bio: Kristie LaTray is the founder of Fit and Fabulous Personal Training. She is a certified personal trainer through World Instructor Training and a member of IDEA Health and Fitness Association. Filmmaker: Nili Nathan
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Low Back Pain Treatments: Alternative Therapy

A common condition that is found in persons of all ages and in all countries around the world, low back pain, for so many reasons, seems to come out of nowhere to reek havoc on our daily lives. The degree of pain experienced among low back pain sufferers runs the gamut from mild to increasingly severe levels.

Over time many experiments have been conducted to find out which treatments really work best at providing pain relief. Below I have listed a few ways that can be beneficial in finally finding relief.

Heat Wrap Therapy For Your Back Pain

One of the most popular low back pain treatments is exercise therapy. The problem with this type of therapy is that most who undergo this treatment experience pain. Some will complain of pain during the exercise, while others will feel some form of discomfort afterwards. To alleviate this problem and to help you get the most out of your exercise, the use of heat wrap therapy has been made to help make your activity comfortable for to benefit from. Using a heat therapy wrap will significantly lessen your pain during exercise.

The McKenzie Method

The McKenzie method is one latest low back pain treatments being used today. More than just a series of exercises, the McKenzie method is a combination of physical therapy and exercises used to lengthen the spine. The method is based on algorithms that are used to clarify the spinal problem so that adequate treatment can be obtained. Many pain centers today are utilizing this form of therapy in their treatment programs. Although doctors do recognize this as valuable form of treatment, further consultations must be made before starting this type of program.

Prolotherapy: A Non-Surgical Alternative

A medical techniques used for treating low back pain, Prolotherapy is a technique that helps to stimulate the bodies natural healing process. The treatment involves a series of injections that produces inflammation in the troubled area. Meant to provide permanent relief, if you are facing spinal surgery, this may be an alternative solution for your back pain. Prolotherapy would also be highly effective in combination with other types of pain management programs.

Electrotherapy Stimulation

Of all the low back pain treatments available today, electrotherapy is perhaps the most controversial. Not limited to it s on the back alone, electrotherapy stimulation produces significant results in other types of pain. How it works is endorphins, the natural pain killer of the body, are released through a series of electrical currents being passed on to the skin to block the nerve signals which transmit the pain. Controversial as it may be, many have found great relief through electrotherapy.

Finding alternative back pain treatments may be the key to finally finding relief from your troubling pain. Remember to always seek the advice of a doctor before starting any kind of pain management therapy.

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Physical Therapy for the Lower Back: How to Prevent and Treat Lower Back Pain

Lower back pain is one of the most common causes of job-related disability and why some people miss work. It is also the second most common neurological ailment in the United States, second only to headache. In fact, approximately 80% of adults in Western countries have, at some point, experienced lower back pain.

For some fortunate people, pain in the lower back may be resolved by itself or with the aid of medication within two to four weeks. However, there are some cases of lower back pain that may last for more than a few weeks, during which case the condition is termed as “chronic” and “progressive,” meaning it can only grow worse over time.

Moreover, 60-80% of those patients who suffer their first episode of lower back pain may experience recurring pain within one year.

According to current research, there are certain muscles in the back that work to stabilize the spine. When the spine or the back suffers an injury, these muscles are reflexively inhibited or shutdown. Worse still, these muscles do not spontaneously recover, and this is true even if patients do not feel pain and are able to return to normal activity levels.

As a result of the inhibition of these muscles, called lumbar multifidi and the transversus abdominus, lower back pain occurs. However, there are steps you can take to prevent the same thing from happening to you.

Lower Back Pain and Physical Therapy

One way to prevent the inhibition of the lumbar multifidi and transversus abdominus is through a series of physical therapy exercises.

Designed to strengthen the muscles of the lower back and keep the spine healthy, these physical therapy exercises may range from back stabilization exercises to muscle strength development and several wide variety of techniques.

In addition, a physical therapist may also recommend such methods as heat therapy, ultrasound, massage, mobilization, and education about posture and body mechanics in order to prevent lower back pain from recurring.

Some of these methods will be discussed later on. You will also find some practical self-help tips provided by experts to help you avoid lower back pain or prevent the condition from worsening.

However, before we head on to learning how lower back pain is treated through physical therapy, it is important that we first understand what causes lower back pain.

Lower Back Pain: CAUSES

There are actually many types of back pain, but the most common is pain in the lower back. Why? You might ask. The reason is simple: you carry most of your weight in the lower back. Thus, it is highly likely that a person would suffer pain in that area.

There is no definitive cause of lower back pain. Sometimes, the causes of the condition are so complex that it is difficult to pinpoint just a single one.

However, physical therapists and other healthcare professionals have observed that lower back pain is often a result of strained back muscles and ligaments due to any of the following activities:

Improper posture

Heavy lifting

Sudden awkward movement

Muscle spasm

Stress

We could all be guilty of the above activities. We may not suffer any back pains now, but it is likely that as we get older and the degree of inhibition of the back muscles as a result of these activities increases, back pain becomes a very distinct possibility.

In addition to these common activities, lower back pain may also result from specific conditions, such as:

Herniated disk (when the disk material presses on a nerve)

Sciatica (when a herniated disk presses on the sciatic nerve. The condition causes sharp, shooting pain through the buttocks and the back of the leg.)

Spinal stenosis (when the space around the spinal cord and nerve roots becomes narrow. This is caused by arthritis and bone overgrowth, the pain resulting from when a nerve gets pinched in the narrow space.)

Spondylosis (a type of arthritis affecting the spine due to degenerative changes brought on by aging)

Spondylolisthesis (when one vertebra in the spinal column slips forward over another)

Lower Back Pain: TREATMENT

The treatment of lower back pain depends on several factors, including the specific type of lower back pain (whether it is chronic or acute) and the purported cause.

For instance, acute lower back pain is commonly treated with pain relieving drugs, such as analgesics, or some forms of exercises that can help relax the muscles.

On the other hand, chronic back pain or one that lasts for more than two weeks and is progressive may be caused by some underlying condition, during which case the treatment plan may consist of resolving the underlying condition to treat the back pain.

Lower Back Pain and Physical Therapy Exercise

Physical therapy exercise is one of the most common methods of treating lower back pain. In fact, many home remedies for lower back pain consist of exercise, because the general theory is that if you remain active, you remain healthy. This is true in most cases.

However, for purposes of this article, the exercises featured here will be those that are practiced by physical therapists to treat patients with lower back pain.

Generally, in physical therapy exercises, the exercise program for back pain should encompass a set of stretching exercises, strengthening exercises, and low impact aerobics. Read below for more on these exercises:

-Stretching

The back of a person is composed of the spinal column and contiguous muscles, ligaments and tendons. All these are designed to move in consonance with each other so that any limitation in the range of motion in any of these components of the back result in back pain.

Stretching for lower back pain specifically targets soft tissues, such as muscles, ligaments and tendons, found in the back and around the spine. By stretching, the spine and soft tissues are mobilized, increasing motion and thus, relieving pain.

There are many kinds of stretching exercises employed by physical therapists. One is the Hamstring Stretching Exercise which works to relax tight hamstrings, a common symptom of lower back pain. This exercise is said to help decrease the intensity of lower back pain among sufferers.

-Strengthening

Physical therapists generally use two forms of strengthening and back pain relief exercises, usually depending on the specific condition of the patient. These are the McKenzie exercises and dynamic lumbar stabilization exercises. However, the two forms of strengthening exercises may also be combined should the therapist find it appropriate to do so.

-McKenzie Exercises

Named after a physical therapist in New Zealand, McKenzie exercises are primarily extension exercises that could help reduce pain generated from the disc space and also may help reduce the symptoms of herniated disc by reducing pressure on a nerve root.

For acute pain, the McKenzie exercises should be done frequently, at least once every two hours. In addition, patients are advised to avoid flexing their spine when exercising.

-Dynamic Lumbar Stabilization Exercises

Using this back exercise technique, the first thing that a physical therapist does is to look for the patient’s “neutral” spine. This refers to the position that allows the patient to feel the most comfortable.

Afterwards, when the patient is in that position, the back muscles are then exercised in order to “teach” the spine how to stay in this position.

Performing these exercises on a regular basis can help strengthen the back muscles and keep the spine well-positioned.

Low Impact Aerobic Exercises

The purpose of low impact aerobic exercise is to recondition the back. Patients who undergo reconditioning of the back through low impact aerobic exercise will have fewer episodes of lower back pain.

In addition, whenever an episode of lower back pain does occur, the pain is less intense and lasts only for a short period.

Another benefit of low impact aerobic exercise is that patients tend to stay functional that is, they can continue with their regular work and carry on with recreational activities. In contrast, patients who do not undergo low impact aerobic exercises typically experience the gradual loss of their functional abilities.

For low impact aerobic exercises to achieve their desired results, they should be continuous. This will increase the heart rate and keep it elevated as well as increase the production of endorphins, which are pain fighting hormones released by the body.

Here are some examples of low impact aerobic exercises that you may want to try in order to lessen or reduce lower back pain:

-Walking

One of the simplest forms of aerobic exercises, walking is generally considered as very gentle on the back. To get the maximum benefit from walking as a form of low impact aerobic exercise, walk two to three miles three times per week.

-Stationary Bicycling

This form of aerobic exercise is less painful on the back since there is lower impact produced. This is beneficial for patients with lower back pain who may find walking too painful.

-Water Therapy

Sometimes referred to as aquatherapy, water therapy is simply doing exercise in the water. The buoyancy works to provide effective conditioning at the same time stress on the back is reduced.

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During his presentation Boris explains and offers medical massage hands-on demonstration for various disorders of lower back, including sciatica, mayofascial pains, inter vertebral disc bulgings and herniations. During hands on presentation Boris explains different causes that produce pain, including pathological venous blood accumulations/stosis.
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Learn how to do the seated forward bend when using yoga poses for lower back pain relief in this free exercise video from a hatha yoga instructor. Expert: Elizabeth Rose Bio: Elizabeth Rose is a registered Hatha yoga teacher with a background in modern dance, gymnastics, martial arts, and circus arts. Filmmaker: randy primm
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Massage expert Susan G. Salvo demonstrates a brief and effective lower back routine. She targets muscles such as the quadratus lumborum, psoas, and paraspinals with massage and stretching techniques. Salvo also throws in a little PNF. Use these techniques to help your clients reduce their lower back pain.
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Visit: tinyurl.com for more pet stories — A new technique for fighting the crippling effects of severe hip dysplasia is catching the attention of many large breed dog owners. Anne Marie Ogle of Napanoch, the owner of Dasha, a 9 year-old German Shepherd, hopes stem cell therapy will improve her pet’s quality of life. Two vets from Rondout Valley Veterinary Associates in Kerhonkson studied up on the process offered by a California-based company called Vet-Stem.
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