The High Arch - Problems and Solutions

What is a High Arch?

The arch of the foot is that area between the ball of the foot (at the base of the toes) and the heel. In normal arches there is a gap between the ground and the foot along the mid-section at the inside part (big toe side) of the foot. This is known as your arch. When this gap is greater than the average space, you are said to have a high arch. The medical name for having high arches is pes cavus.

A lot of people who have a high arch have ankles that roll slightly outward when standing. This gives the appearance of being bow-legged and can cause stress elsewhere in your body due to an altered approach to walking.

What Problems Are Associated With a High Arch?

You may find you have pain in the arch of your foot, heel pain, ball of foot pain, knee pain, or even lower back pain. Feet with high arches typically do not absorb shock properly, which can cause problems in any of these areas. Some people with high arches never develop these problems, but many do.

There is a thick fibrous band that runs through the arch from your heel bone to your forefoot called the plantar fascia. With high arched feet, when you step, it may be strained and you can experience a great deal of pain through the arch and heel. This often happens first thing in the morning when you step down and stretch the plantar fascia. With high arches, the fascia usually tightens up too much, especially overnight.

People with a high arch are more susceptible to ankle sprains and may develop corns and calluses as well. They typically have an increased risk for stress fractures due to poor shock absorption when their feet hit the ground.

How Do I Know If I Have A High Arch?

For a simple test to see if you have a high arch, step on a dry surface with a wet foot. If the line connecting your heel to the ball of foot area is the same width as the rest of the foot, you most likely have flat feet. If the line is half of the area, your arch is in a normal range. If the line is very thin, mostly to the outside of the foot (or the ball of foot area and the heel are not connected at all) you have a high arch.

Check with your doctor, pedorthist, podiatrist or another foot professional for an evaluation if you think you have high arches that are causing pain or problems.

What Can I Do About A High Arch?

If you are having pain in your foot and think it may be due to a high arch, visit your doctor. They may prescribe arch supports (orthotic insoles) to wear in your shoes. For a high arch, your orthotic insoles will be designed to cushion the heel of your foot, help absorb shock, and to distribute your weight more evenly when walking.

If you have a high arch, your choice of footwear is very important. Make sure you look for a shoe with good shock absorbing capabilities. Shoes that don't jam your toes and that have a stable heel are important. Lace up shoes with lots of room in the instep (the area through the top of your foot under the tongue of a shoe) tend to be best for feet with high arches. A proper pair of running shoes would generally be the best option with all of these qualities.

Leg Tingling and Lower Back Pain - Reducing Discomfort - Braces For Support

Have you been experiencing a funny feeling of tingling in your legs?

Does this tingling also cause you pain sometimes?

1.) Introduction

There are a great number of people living with lower back pain. Lower back pain (LBP) can extend down to the upper thighs and beyond, down to your feet and toes. The pain may not give you any warning before coming on. The onset of pain can also be sudden. You may know this all to well! The pain can also follow an injury involving your back. Many times, you may not be able to pinpoint the reasons behind the pain.

- Lower back pain, leg tingling and numbness might precede, succeed or accompany the pain. You may not be able to turn over while laying in bed either, because if you do, this may result in sharp pain. Moreover, the seemingly unconnected activities like a sneeze will accentuate the pain and so will a cough.

2.) The Tingling Sensation You Get

The tingling may subside in a few minutes and the numbness may go away too after a flare up occurs. The pain, however, may remain. It may sometimes take some weeks to recover, but the pain, while it lasts, can be unbearable. A ruptured disc, a lumber muscle strain or a herniated disc could all be reasons behind lower back pain. Pain in the spine can bring on lower back pain and leg tingling. When the pain persists and does not go away after a regimen of treatment, you might experience weakness in your upper and lower legs. If the affected person is comparatively old, the pain will be acute and the lower back pain and leg tingling will keep recurring with increasing regularity.

While it is only irritating to some to have this tingling, to most people it is more than irritating. There are a number of people who had tried to get up and lost their balance and fallen down. Lower back and a tingling leg is the culprit.

3.) Treatment

Doctors treat the condition with data collected from blood tests, x-rays (sparingly used) and scans. Medications are fine, but physical exercises can do a lot to alleviate the pain. Aerobic exercises have proved to be effective in reducing the pain, but vigorous exercises should be avoided to avoid lower leg pain and leg tingling.

Another effective form of conservative treatment is the use of a low profile back support. Back braces can help promote good posture and can also promote the healing process. When it comes to getting the support you need, it is important to work with a local, licensed orthotist. These are brace professionals that can help take the pain away if you are currently suffering.

Back Pain Causes and Herbal Remedies for Backache Relief

Back pain is one of the most common complaints these days and nearly 80% of people are estimated to suffer from it once in their lifetime caused due to different reasons. Low back bears most of the weight of human body, muscles of this area are active even when person is sitting as they help in maintaining the balance of the body and avoid the person from falling over. Upper back muscles also remain active during the day, upper back muscles give support to arms and shoulders in all sorts of activities, these muscles also help and give support to neck for keeping head movement under control and bear the weight of the head. This makes them prone to wear and tear and also to injuries.

Muscular sprains are the most common causes for pain in upper or lower back. Repetitive movements, lifting heavy objects, wrong technique of lifting objects or exercises, sudden and jerky movements, accidents and infections can strain or stretch the muscles and ligaments beyond their limit which causes pain and sometimes inflammation. The muscular sprains of all sorts are treatable and can subside within few weeks.

Amongst other causes of back pain or backache is ruptured disc or herniated disc. The intervertebral discs situated between the vertebra of spinal disc to provide cushion and smooth movement bulges out due to age, arthritis and other reasons causing severe backache during the movement as well as in resting position. Discogenic back pain is caused due to damage of intervertebral disc but this situation does not occur due to herniated disc. This is also one of the most common causes of backache and need special diagnosing techniques to differentiate it from herniated disc.

Osteoarthritis can also cause back pain as it promotes degeneration of bones which misaligns the spinal skeletal system to cause pain in the lower back. Osteoarthritis can promote herniated disc and impingement of nerves which first causes back pain in the lumbar region which radiates down to legs to cause leg pain. Due to osteoarthritis or other medical conditions the spinal canal gets constricted which causes back pain, this situation is spinal stenosis. The rigidity of spinal canal can irritate sciatica nerve as well as root nerves to aggravate the pain in the lower back further.

Fractures or injuries in the low back which may make one or two vertebra unstable can also cause severe back pain. This situation is popularly known as slip disc. Impingement of nerves in the cervical spine can cause back pain in the upper back which may shoot towards arms and shoulders. Impingement of arteries and veins in the cervical region can also cause pain and restricted blood supply to arms and shoulders.

Herbs can relieve back pain caused due to any reason which helps in treating the root cause of the problem. There are many herbs which are excellent pain relievers as well as muscle relaxants to alleviate the situation quickly. Eucalyptus oil, mustard seed extract, rosemary, angelica plant roots, devil's claw are few widely used trusted herbs having history of providing safe and beneficial results.

Lower Back Ache - 2 Simple Cures

Lower back ache, you may have heard by now, is the second most common reason to see your doctor. There is a problem with this statistic...

It means that there are literally millions of people that do not know how to help them self. Frightening to think only a few people know how to ease their lower back ache and the simple ways to stop it returning. Sure you still need to see your doctor if you have had a serious fall or injury - but in over 97% of all lower back pain cases, specific injuries were not the cause.

Most lower backache is from doing so called "normal" daily activity. You may have been doing house-hold chores, doing gardening, shifting furniture or even making your bed. Others may have noticed that each day their back become more and more stiff and sore.

It is only ever a few people that have significant falls or injuries that started their back ache. For those - see your doctor to make sure you do not have anything serious to be concerned about. For the rest of you ...

There are many simple and quick ways you can use to help ease your lower back pain. Lower back pain is caused by 4 main issues - tight muscles, weak muscles, poor joint movement and pelvic imbalance. You need to correct these or your lower backache will return again ... and often worse as you age.

There are two exercises that help to strengthen the main muscular causes. Do these and your back ache will ease - if not then you need to use other techniques to address either the joints or pelvis that is obviously the bigger cause.

But onto what to do now...

Firstly you need to build strength in your lower abdominal muscles. This is achieved by doing lower abdominal exercise, however you may need to stimulate their nerve and blood supply first to maintain their strength over longer periods of time.

To exercise the muscle, lie on your back with your knees bent. You then rock your pelvis- this means pulling your pubic bone towards your belly button, by flattening your lower back against the floor. Hold this position for 6 seconds and then relax and take a deep breath in and out. Repeat this 3 times, 3 times each day.

If the nerve and blood supply to the muscle is strong, then this is enough exercise to gain strength in the muscle within a few days. Your lower back pain can ease very quickly.

The second exercise is to strengthen your lower back muscles. Again stimulate the nerve and blood supply and then lie on the floor face down. Raise your shoulders off the ground as far as you can comfortably, hold there for 6 seconds and then relax an take a deep breath in and out. Like with the lower abdominals, do this 3 times, 3 times each day to gain the strength you need to improve your lower back pain.

Although back ache is caused by the 4 main factors (tight muscles, weak muscles, joint movement, & pelvic balance), these exercises can help top ease you lower back pain. Even if they ease your lower back ache quickly you should still address the 4 main factors if you want long term permanent relief from your lower back ache.

Causes Of A Stabbing Lower Back Pain

A stabbing lower back pain may be induced by quite a list of things and this is why an appropriate diagnosis from a certified practitioner is essential prior to beginning some form of treatment.

Causes like ulcers, kidney stones, a pinched nerve or injury to the back may all lead to a stabbing lower back pain. You need to realize that the back is linked to your central nervous system and anything that takes place in that general area will be picked up and on the odd occasion, manifest itself as a stabbing lower back pain. The lesson of the story is that whenever you experience back pain, it doesn't mean that it is 100% related to your back. It could be just a prior condition just disguised as a lower back pain.

How To Fix A Stabbing Lower Back Pain

Everyone that suffers from back problems usually finds it hard to give a proper explanation to the doctor when asked certain questions. Start by keeping track of the pain. Keep a diary handy and whenever that pain raises its ugly head, take down a few notes on items such as the time of day that you usually feel the pain, the length of time that it lasts, did you feel the pain after a meal?, does the pain show itself when you do certain movements, if you were performing a physical task, what was it? Write down as many things that you think will help.

You will be very surprised what your little note book can reveal during your diagnosis and offer a better insight as to what the cause may be.

After tracking the symptoms for a few days, you can then pay a visit to your local physician and together decide which course of action to take.

Ulcers are generally the cause for this type of back trouble. There are numerous distinct types of ulcers. Peptic ulcers are normally the ulcers of choice for this type of back pain. This type of pain will likely happen straight after eating and be in the upper back.

Strained muscles and pinched nerves are rated very high when looking for the cause of lower back pain. However other conditions like gallstones, kidney stones and other types of blockages can also all trigger the pain. You should prepare yourself to undergo lots of tests starting generally with an x ray. The key is not to get frustrated, as the possible cause is generally hard to locate.

If you are prone to any of the conditions listed above, a quick visit to your doctor should be able to reveal the root of the problem. However, if this is not the case, your doctor should, by using an elimination process, be able to let you know what is not causing the stabbing lower back pain. Once the source is located, you should be able to start an appropriate treatment. It is also wise to ask you doctor whether he or she could recommend an alternate treatment program.

Causes of Lower Right Back Pain

People experiencing lower right back pain may be wondering how in the world this isolated pain occurred. While lower back pain is very common, pain isolated to just the lower right side of the back only affects a handful of people. Here are some common reasons you may be experiencing lower right back pain.

Note: This article will discuss possible causes of the pain, not the diagnosis. It is important to discuss all of your medical conditions and concerns with a licensed healthcare professional.

While your isolated back pain could be caused from a variety of activities, there are three common causes that should be discussed.

1. Overuse or Misuse of Body
2. Sleeping Habits
3. Lack of Exercise and Stretching

1. Overuse or Misuse of Body

Most people are right-handed and thus primarily use the right side of their body for most common activity. This consistent use can lead to overuse in the muscles and joints on your right side. Where do you carry your purse or carryon bags? If you are right-handed, you probably carry them over your right shoulder. Where do men carry their overstuffed wallets? Probably in their right back pocket. When they sit down this adds a lot of stress to their lower right back and unnecessary weight on their left side.

Even simple daily tasks like cleaning, sweeping, and carrying in groceries take part on the right side of the body, for most people. While one day of this activity, or even a few months, may not cause any discomfort, over time this could aggravate your lower back muscles (Quadratus Lumborum), and joints.

2. Sleeping Habits

Approximately one-third of your life will be spent sleeping. This means one-third of your life could be spent destroying your back! Poor sleep habits can cause major discomfort in the lower right back area.

When you sleep your spine should be aligned and your body supported from head to toe. A mattress that is too soft, or pillows that offer no lift, can be the culprit of poor sleeping posture. If you sleep on your side, sleeping with a pillow in between your knees can not only ease the pressure on your knees, but also help keep the spine from sloping.

3. Lack of Exercise and Stretching

As soon as you start to feel any soreness or aching pain, you should see a doctor and consider a light exercise and stretching routine. For years it was believed that the best treatment or prevention of back pain was to rest. And while rest is important, doing it too much can actually cause you back pain!

Muscles and joints that aren't moved and exercised daily become weak and inflexible. This means that when you do use them for a simple task, like washing the dog, it could cause you major discomfort in your lower right back.

The exercise and stretching you do, should not be too intense or difficult. They should not hurt or cause you discomfort, and you should never feel dizzy or nauseas. Taking a walk around your neighborhood, climbing stairs, touching your toes, and practicing yoga are all great ways to stay active and prevent this back pain.

For more detailed information on lower right back pain causes, prevention and treatment, please visit http://www.lowerrightbackpainhq.net.

What Causes Sharp Lower Right Back Pain?

Lower back pain is a really annoying and frustrating issue. It seems that no matter what you do, it simple does not go away and it also seriously affects your quality of life. The key to treating any disease or condition, is finding out the cause. If you want to get relief from sharp lower right back pain, then you need to know what causes it. This is the most important part and in this article I will tell you exactly what the cause is.

The causes sharp lower right back pain

• There are many treatments, products and techniques that are used to eliminate the pain. But the vast majority of these treatments provide only temporary relief, if that. The reason why this is so, is because they address the symptom, which is the pain, and don`t treat the cause. Logic will tell you that if the symptom is treated, then the cause will not go anywhere.
  
  


• The sharp lower right back pain you feel, has not happened overnight. You may have started to feel the pain suddenly, but the pain itself is the end result. The chain reaction that led to the sharp pain, may have started months or even years before you started to feel pain.
  
  


• Imbalances of the muscles is the hidden cause of different types of the pain. Muscle imbalancement happens if one muscle group is weaker and the other muscle group is tighter. At first the difference of the muscle groups might be very small and not cause any problems, but over time this gets worse and worse. This imbalancement over a long period, pulls your pelvis and spine out of position. The bigger the imbalancement, the more your spine, pelvis and joints are pulled out of positions. All of a sudden you start feeling sharp lower right back pain.
  
  Luckily the sharp pain you feel is treatable, if it is done correctly of course. One of the most trusted resource for back pain and sciatica sufferers online is the Healthy Back Institute. The reason why it has been so successful for over 10 years, is because they focus on the main causes of the problem and not on the symptom. So many medical or healthcare professionals are not doing this and that explains why so many people fail to get permanent relief for their pain.

Is My Pain From My Hip Joint Or From a Low Back Spine Problem?

Pain that is in or around one's hip joint may or may not be present secondary to a hip issue. The pain can also be coming from a low back spinal problem.

The potential generators of the pain can be:

1) Hip joint arthritis or a soft tissue problem inside the hip joint (labrum)

2) Intervertebral disc herniation

3) Spinal Stenosis

4) Soft tissue problem around the hip

5) Fracture in the spine

6) Hip Fracture

Hip arthritis pain or a labral tear may cause significant pain in the groin area on the affected side. Physical examination and x-rays will typically confirm the culprit as degenerative joint disease (DJD) in the hip. If the patient receives a hip injection as treatment and the pain is eliminated even for an hour, one can be certain the hip is in fact the problem with further treatments confined to the hip.

Groin pain can also be a result of a disc herniation. It's not something typically seen in a textbook and it is an atypical presentation, but an L5-S1 disc herniation can in fact cause groin pain on the affected side. So if the exam and radiologic studies of the hip are not definitive for a hip problem, potentially obtain and MRI of the lumbar spine for the answer.

Pain that is around the hip joint may be coming from the spine. It is called radiating pain if it emanates from a spinal problem and then travels down into the buttock area or hip region. One such problem is called spinal stenosis, which represents nerve root compression at one or multiple levels from an arthritic process.

Spinal stenosis typically occurs in older individuals that may also be experiencing pain in the hip from arthritis. So the hip pain can be a combination of radiating pain from spinal stenosis along with the direct pain from the DJD in the hip. How is the diagnosis then made.

The combination of a good history, physical examination, and imaging studies often elucidates the source of the pain. If there's still a question mark, injections can give the answer. Here's an example. Betty is 74 years old and experiences pain on the outside and front of her right hip area on a daily basis. Activity makes it worse, and at times it wakes her up at night. Also it radiates down the front of her thigh a bit.

She is convinced the pain is coming from her hip since she has no back pain at all. On physical examination while moving her right hip all over the place, however, she has minimal provocation of her pain. X-rays show moderate arthritis in her right hip, with the same degenerative joint disease existing on her left side as well.

The physician orders x-rays and an MRI of Betty's lumbar spine which shows numerous nerve roots being compressed as they are trying to get out from the spine on the right side. So she has spinal stenosis.

As a diagnostic test, the physician performs a right hip injection under x-ray guidance. Betty's pain only decreased 20% over the next three days. So the physician sent Betty to a pain doctor the following week who performed an interventional pain management procedure called an epidural injection.

And you know what happened? Betty's pain decreased another 50% after the first injection and another 20% with the second injection, adding up to a 90% pain reduction with the epidural injections. Both the spinal injections and the hip injection therefore served both a diagnostic and therapeutic purpose.

It is important to keep in mind that pain in and around the hip may in fact be coming either partly or completely from a problem in the spine. This can be the difference between a frustrated patient still in pain versus one who shows dramatic improvement.

Back Pain When Coughing

Coughing generally has the purpose of expelling mucus and other materials from the lungs and upper respiratory pathways, though sometimes it is a symptom of an allergic reaction and produces nothing. Whether your cough is related to a cold, flu, allergies or asthma, coughing can cause chest and back pain. There are two main types of coughing back pain.

Muscular Pain

When you cough, a number of muscles in your body contract. These are the normal respiratory and the accessory respiratory muscles. The muscles of the stomach and ribs are normal respiratory muscles. Accessory muscles are found in the back and chest.

You are most likely to suffer a muscle strain from coughing if your cough is prolonged or violent. The constant tensing of a muscle causes it to fatigue, at which point it is not receiving fresh blood flow or ridding waste properly. An overworked muscle can suffer small tears that normally heal within a couple of days, but only if allowed to rest. If you continue to cough, the tears may accumulate and the strain becomes a prolonged situation.

Muscular pain from a cough tends to be sharp. It can be felt especially when coughing, but the muscle will also be tender and sore when you aren't coughing. In order to repair the muscle, you need to get a handle on your cough. This may require prescription medications, over-the-counter medications or home remedies like apple cider vinegar and honey or steam-bathing your head over a pot of hot water infused with eucalyptus oil.

Ice is the best way to manage painful inflammation in and around the injured muscle. With your cough under control and frequent icing for 15 minutes at a time during the first two days of injury, your muscle strain should heal. If the strain has become exacerbated by an inability to stop coughing, talk to a doctor about your options.

Nerve and Disc Pain

When you cough, the pressure in your chest and abdomen increases. This is caused by the relaxation of the diaphragm combined with the tightening of your rib and stomach muscles when you cough. As pressure increases inside the body, it pushes outward on surrounding structures, including the spine.

If you have a bulging or herniated disc in your lower or upper back, coughing will likely be especially painful. A disc is comprised of a fluid center and a tough exterior ring. If the ring weakens, the fluid is pushed to the weaker side and a bulge forms. If the ring breaks and the fluid leaks out, the disc has herniated. Both of these situations can cause nerve impingement; spinal nerves run through a column in the spine positioned behind the discs. When a disc bulge or herniated fluid irritates a spinal nerve, sharp localized pain is felt as well as pain, numbness and/or tingling along the affected nerve's pathway.

The increase in pressure experienced during a cough affects the lower and upper back. If a bulging or herniated disc is present, the push it experiences from the stomach or chest will cause more fluid to be pushed into the bulge or out of the herniation, leading to the symptoms above. In rare cases, a chronic cough could cause disc damage due to the near-constant pressure on the spine, but it is more likely that the disc problem existed already and coughing has merely exacerbated it.

Disc problems are best treated with decompression treatments, chiropractic care or exercise therapy depending on the cause.

Coughing can strain muscles and place excess pressure on injured discs. Getting your cough under control is the first step to relieving these types of back pain.

Left Side Lower Back Pain Causes - Brace Yourself For Relief - Special Report

Is your lower back threatening to fall apart?

Do you feel like the pain is eating away at your lower back?

1.) Left Lower Back Pain

Yes, pain in the left side of the back can be annoying. The persistent pain puts you through some very uncomfortable moments and is an impediment to work and even relaxation. Sometimes it is like you can not shift your position without accentuating the pain. Middle-aged and old people are more prone to it. Young people get it too, in some cases.

2.) Back Pain

A.) Back Spasms / Cramping

A pain that is hard to ignore may be result of a sudden contraction or spasms in the back. This condition, called muscle cramping. It can be left to its own devices and will disappear even without your noticing it. Hopefully, this will be the case for you. If not, then read on...

B.) Injury

Injury to the area will, like any other body part, be source of pain. Children especially can injure themselves in ways unimaginable and left side lower back is not an exception. An accident, fall or a blow to the back may spread the pain to left side of the lower back. If you strain your back or caused a sprain to the ligaments, you will have pain.

C.) Herniated Disc

A herniated disc that has slipped from its position or ruptured can cause a nagging pain and, until it heals, you will keep experiencing pain.

D.) Kidney Issues

Kidneys play a large part in left side lower back pain. When stones form from excess calcium in the urine and refuse to be flushed out, they cause severe pain if the stone gets deposited in the left kidney.

E.) Pregnancy

Pregnancy essentially means that the lady is going to be putting on weight. The weight exerts pressure all over, including on the left side of the lower back. This causes pain. Diarrhea, bloating or constipation and all stomach ailments can also bring on the pain.

3.) Treatment Options To Consider - Braces For Support and Pain Relief

One of the best ways to help reduce lower back pain on either the right, or left side, is to use a low profile back support. You may have not ever tried one of these in the past, but they can be a great asset to those individuals that are haunted by back pain. Why should you believe that they work? - Many physicians use these braces to help secure a patient's lower back and be a reminder to them not to make certain movements that can hurt them, as they are healing. - When getting one of these supports, it is best to work with your local, licensed orthotist. These individuals are brace specialists and can help you get your brace for free if you have insurance.

What Causes Sharp Pain in the Lower Back on the Right Side?

On average of 4 out of 5 adults experience lower back pain at some point in their lives. It is also one of the most common reasons why people visit the doctor. It is extremely difficult for people to get long-term relief from the pain, not because it is impossible, but mainly because people don't know how to treat it. In order to treat lower back pain successfully, you need to know what causes sharp pain in lower back right side, that you feel?

The causes of sharp pain in lower back right side

It is very common for people to take some sort of a painkiller to ease the pain. This can be beneficial in the short-term, but if you want permanent relief, then eliminating the main cause is necessary. Most people have no idea why their back hurts and how it happens. This is not something that happens overnight.

The main cause of most pains is muscle imbalancement. When one muscle group overpowers another muscle group, then this causes an imbalance. Why is it so bad? When your muscles are out of balance, then this can have a serious effect on your entire body especially your spine, pelvis and joints.

When you have muscle imbalancement, then the muscles shift your joints, spine and pelvis out of their normal locations and this of course puts them under uneven and constant stress. The more your muscles are out of balance, the more stress and tension is applied to the joints, spine and pelvis. Usually this goes on for months or even years before you start feeling pain.

Even though you might be feeling sharp pain in lower back on the right side, then this does not necessarily mean the cause of the pain lies in the back. Very often out of balance muscle groups in your thighs, can cause pain in your back. In order to treat lower back pain, you need to know why and how your pain appeared. Then you know what treatments, cures and exercises you need to do.

The Many Causes Of Back Pain

Back pain is a condition that affects many people. The severity can vary from subtle and temporary to sustained and long lasting and since there are many causes of this type of pain it is often hard to treat. The problem with back pain is that it doesn't only affect the spinal area; it can also affect other parts of the body due to this being the core area of the body. For instance, if a nerve is pinched, it can affect the legs and arms as well and if your back is hurting, you might favor one side and this can cause problems in other areas of your body.

So, what are the causes of back pain?

Sprains and strains can occur when one's spinal area is out of shape, due to overexertion or to pre-existing problems. Sprains are joint injuries that entail a stretching or tearing of ligaments. Stretching too fast can also result in this injury. Using excessive force or overt repetition can also damage one's muscles.

Another type of problem involves the discs that cushion one's vertebrae. These can dry and harden, making the discs more easily injured. Sometimes these discs will either bulge, result in a hernia, or they can even rupture. Many disc problems occur from trying to lift items that are too heavy for one to bear.

Another one of the causes of back pain is muscle imbalance and bad posture occurs when muscles have lost their functioning ability from over- or under-using. Stress and habits that occur for any lengthened amount of time can cause this. These two products of a bad back work together to result in sustained lower back pain and other bodily aches.

There are also emotional causes. Being overly stressed or traumatized emotionally causes tension in the muscles, and this can be held onto without the individual even knowing it. This is probably the number one cause of back pain and, as you can imagine, is very hard to pinpoint.

Back pain is not always caused by stress or something that the individual has physically done and some causes of back pain can be due to physical problems beyond your control. Sometimes it can have to do with the structural integrity of his or her body. For instance, scoliosis and kyphosis are curvatures of the spine that can result in pain that can leave a person feeling debilitated. Scoliosis involves a sideways curve of the individual's spine, and kyphosis is the technical term for hunchback, which is an outwardly curve of the upper to middle spinal area.

Diseases can also affect one's performance. Diseases affecting the spine can be arthritis, sciatica, and ankylosing spondylitis which can lead to the possible fusing of vertebrae. Arthritis involves the cartilage of one's body breaking down. Osteoporosis is similar to this in that the bones take on the same type of fight as in arthritis, only this affects one bones, not cartilage. Sciatica is a very painfully debilitating disease, which involves the pinching of the sciatic nerve. This can be caused by the bulging or protruding of a disc.

Your back is an integral part of your body and it's clear that taking care of the core of one's body can help keep your back strong which works to minimize many of the causes of back pain. Making sure that you do the proper exercises and take care not to strain your back will work wonders at keeping it healthy and pain free.

Cure For Lower Back Pain - How You Can Go Medieval on Your Pain and Outmaneuver it Today!

The most common reason why lower back pain thrives is due to fact that many people ignore it until it is too late. I sincerely hope that this is not the case for you because you can actually access a fantastic cure for lower back pain today if you act quickly.

Lower back pain can be caused by many things. A few of these include; automobile injury to the back, a tensed muscle, a pinched sciatic nerve which results due to the inflammation of surrounding muscles, menstrual cramps, fibroid tumors, endometriosis, osteoporosis or osteoarthritis, excess weight, lack of exercise, infections, slipped discs, smoking, and so on.

So now that we know what the causes might be, how do we get rid of the pain already? Well, read on...

You can start by performing low impact exercise routines particularly yoga. Yoga is often mistaken to be only useful as a calming exercise; this is not the case at all. Performing yoga routines can help to relieve lower back pain and strengthen your bones and your spine. If you achieve these, then your spine and bones will become more pliant and more able to resist stress.

Did I hear you say; "but yoga is not medieval?" Well, I hope I did not because you can bet your farm on the fact that it is. And then there is more...

Calcium - "For strong bones and teeth" and also for strengthening your cartilage too. Make sure that you incorporate a lot of calcium into your daily diet so that you are fortified enough to counteract the pain.

And now for the real medieval stuff: Herbs...

If you think that herbs are new, then you really have another "think" coming. Herbs have been around since the Garden of Eden. For those who do not know what the Garden of Eden is (or where it is at), then allow me to state the previous statement in another way: Herbs have been around since the beginning of time...

They have been proven to be very effective in curing a lot of conditions and ailments since then so much so that they have formed the base compounds of many of today's effective drugs.

To cure lower back pain, you might want to opt for the following herbs; arthcare oil, lemon, turpentine Oil, potato, zanthoxylum clava herculis, German chamomile, burdock, devil's claw, etcetera.

Herbs work as a temporary remedy for this condition, but you need to access a permanent cure right? If so, you need to read on to the next page where you will get access an innovative cure which thousands of former back pain sufferers used to stop their pain completely once and for all. Read on...

FACT: Most conventional treatments for back trouble only work as a temporary band aid solution; they all fail to work in the long run!

Corrective Fitness Solution For Low Back Pain

As a Corrective Exercise Specialist one of the most common complaints I hear from new clients is of low back pain. If you have ever suffered from low back pain then you know what I am talking about and why it is such a big complaint. Low back pain is the number one cause for sick leave than any other medical condition. (Office of Communications and Public Liaison, 2003) If you work in an office and spend most of your day sitting then this article is for you! If you are like me and have suffered or are currently suffering from things like herniated discs, compressed vertebrae or sciatic nerve pain I suggest you consult with your physician before beginning this or any exercise routine. The methods that I discuss here have helped me personally and many of my clients to alleviate low back pain and to care for it daily.

When a joint is moved into any position then one muscle is shortened (contracted) and the opposing muscle is lengthened (stretched). When these positions are held for long periods of time, the contracted muscles get tighter and stay like that, while the stretched muscle becomes weaker, thus keeping the joint in an altered position and out of neutral. Over time this can cause joint dysfunction, pain, altered movement patterns and could even lead to serious injury eventually.

The primary joint we will be discussing here is the pelvis because this is where your spine connects via muscles and connective tissues. In order to keep this as simple as possible just imagine the pelvis like a box suspended in air by four cables (representing muscles). There are a 4 major muscle groups involved in the positioning of your pelvis; the abdominal muscles and hip flexors in the front. The gluteus, hamstrings, and low back muscles in the rear. If the low back muscles and hip flexors are tightened then the pelvis shifts up in the rear. The opposite happens if the gluteus, hamstrings and abs are tightened. If all are even then the pelvis would be square.

Now that you understand how the joint and muscular systems work together, let's discuss a major contributor to low back pain. The majority of people who suffer from this problem that I've met all have one thing in common: jobs that involve hours of sitting at a desk. When sitting, the hip flexors and the low back muscles are in a shortened state. This creates a pulling of your pelvis down in the front and up in the rear, called an anterior pelvic tilt, tilting your pelvis in such a way that your butt sticks out. The lengthened muscles in this dysfunction are the abdominals, hamstrings, and gluteus. These muscles, primarily the glutes and abdominals, are constantly in a weakened state and these are the very core muscles needed to support the lower back.

The process of treating this is based on Corrective Exercise. The first step towards correcting this is to inhibit the over-active hip flexors through self-myofascial release (aka foam rolling). The second step is to lengthen them by doing a static hip flexor stretch. You can also stretch the low back by lying over a fitness ball, this is also a great way to decompress your spine after a long day of sitting.

Once you have lengthened the tight muscles, then you can begin isolated strengthening of the abdominals and glutes. Some great exercises to accomplish this are hip extensions (aka bridges), planks, and sit ups or crunches. Another great exercise for strengthening the transverse abdominals is the standing or kneeling draw-in. You should also strengthen your hamstring muscles as these contradict the pulling of the hip flexors. This last one may not seem to make sense because most people with low back pain feel like they suffer from tight hamstrings and this is true. However, the reason the hamstrings feel tight is that they are being overly stretched because of the position of the pelvis and they actually need to be strengthened to counteract the hip flexors.

By doing these exercises you can bring your pelvis back to neutral and eliminate the pressure brought upon the lower back by sitting all day. I have used these exercises on myself and many of my clients with extreme success. If you have joint pain or issues feel free to comment or email me your questions, I would love to help you live and move pain free.

Dave C Smith CES.

Back Pain After A C-Section

About one-third of babies born in the U.S. are delivered by Cesarean section, or C-section. Many women experience back pain both during and after pregnancy, and those who have had C-sections often wonder if their postpartum pain is related to this form of delivery.

The changes a woman's body undergoes during pregnancy create a ripe situation for back pain. The muscles of the abdomen and pelvic floor are stretched, causing the lower back muscles to bear the burden of stabilizing the spine and supporting the upper body without adequate assistance. This burden is increased by the fact that your center of gravity shifts and you are carrying substantially more weight in your belly during pregnancy. While anyone may experience back pain after birth, there are a couple potential causes more likely among women who have delivered by C-section.

Anesthetic Complications

Epidural anesthesia is used in many births, but almost always for women who are having Cesarean sections. Complications associated with these injections are rare, but they have been known to occur.

The epidural space is located in your spine between the vertebrae and the spinal cord, the bundles of nerves that runs from your brain to the top of your lower back. The epidural space consists of blood vessels and fat. When you receive an epidural injection, the needle pierces the epidural space and a catheter is slipped through. Steroid solution runs through the catheter and bathes the spinal cord, numbing the nerves. The needle is removed while the catheter remains in place throughout delivery.

It is normal to experience soreness at your injection site after receiving an epidural, but pain that lasts more than a couple weeks may indicate a complication. One main concern associated with epidurals is infection which, in the epidural space, is called epidural abscess. This problem is characterized by the buildup of pus between the vertebrae and the spinal cord. It can cause nerve compression and severe, prolonged pain. Other than pain, nerve compression is usually associated with weakness, numbness and tingling along the affected nerve path. The cause of abscess is often not identified. It is important to treat infections of the spine; an MRI is sufficient to confirm or rule out epidural abscess.

Another epidural-related cause of back pain is nerve damage; this is a very rare occurrence and results from either administering an epidural to someone with a blood disorder, which can result in excess bleeding in the epidural space, or a careless injection.

Abdominal Muscle Weakness

All pregnant women experience a stretching and weakening of the abdominal muscles as their bellies stretch out. The muscles of the pelvic floor are also stretched as your baby grows. As mentioned above, these muscles are very important for proper posture and spinal stabilization. Back pain related to muscle weakness likely results from the combination of two factors: slackened posture and overburdened lower back muscles.

With less support from the front and base of the trunk, the body is more likely to slump forward. This changes spinal alignment and muscle length throughout the torso. The lower back muscles are left alone to support the upper body and spine, leading to chronic tension. Tense muscles are weak, as they do not get the rest and recuperation they need to take in nutrients and stay strong. As the whole core grows weaker, posture further suffers and the spine grows more unstable. This cycle can only be broken by exercise and postural awareness.

While core muscle rehabilitation is important for all women who have been pregnant, it is particularly important for those who have had C-sections. C-sections require extra trauma to the abdominal muscles; during the procedure, the muscles are pulled apart so that your surgeon can obtain access to your uterus. Pregnancy stretches the muscles outward, and the C-section procedure pulls them apart to the sides. This extra stretching may necessitate extra strengthening upon recovery.

It may be a couple months before you are able to start exercising. Start slow and make sure to obtain the okay from a health professional before exercising after delivery. See the post-C-section exercises at http://www.parents.com/pregnancy/giving-birth/cesarean/post-c-section-strengthening-exercises/.

Back pain after a C-section may indicate epidural complication or the need to recondition your core muscles. Eliminating pain and getting back into shape will help you enjoy your time with your new child.

How to Eliminate Dull, Lower Right Back Pain!

Majority of people suffer from lower back pain and most of these people never get any permanent relief. Taking painkillers is not the solution, because it does not eliminate the cause of the pain. Every person, who has back problems, can find relief but only a small number of people do. Why? How can you eliminate dull lower right back pain?

Eliminating dull lower right back pain

The biggest mistake that so many people make, is not getting help quickly enough. The longer you wait with the treatment, the more difficult it is. Also it is impossible to get rid of the pain in a few days completely. It takes time, effort and knowledge to get rid of your dull lower right back pain. Very often people get so frustrated, when they realise that they actually have to do something. Most people don`t like doing the necessary stretching and strengthening exercises, go along with various treatments, changing their habits and so on and that is why they keep on suffering.

Ultimately each person has to make their own choices. If you want to heal your back, then you need to make the right choices, but people instead of making the right choices, keep whining, complaining and blaming others. The attitude that people have is very important and if you have a very negative attitude, then it is very hard for anyone to heal your back.

One of the first things you need to do, is find out what causes the dull lower right back pain. Most of the time muscle imbalancement is to blame, meaning one muscle group might be tight, while another muscle group might be weak. This causes the spine and joints to go out of their normal positions and cause pain. Even finding out the causes of your pain, might be a very difficult task. But it has to be done.

The next step is finding the correct treatments for your dull lower right back pain. If you start doing some exercises you got from our friend, then you might hurt your back even more. So specific exercises and treatments are for a specific cause. There is no point in doing excessive back strengthening exercises, when the cause might actually be located in your thigh muscles.

Like I said before, it is essential to make the right choices.

When Back Pain Is The Sign Of A Kidney Problem

Any type of pain in the body is the sign of a problem. Back pain is a symptom of many different medical problems, not always isolated to the back itself. There are a number of organs nestled in the torso that can, when suffering dysfunction, result in back pain. The kidney is one such organ.

It is important to distinguish between back pain caused by a back problem and back pain caused by a kidney problem. Kidney conditions can be serious and warrant immediate medical attention. Fortunately, common types of kidney problems have other symptoms that can help you identify them.

The kidneys are located between the mid and lower back very close to the muscles of the back. They are each about the size of a fist. The top portion of the kidneys are protected by the ribcage, but not the bottom portion. The right kidney is lower than the left one, given its proximity to the liver. When pain is felt to the side of the spine between the mid and lower back, kidney problems must be ruled out.

Kidney Infection

Infection of the kidney causes inflammation; this is the body's attempt to isolate the threat and facilitate healing. Inflamed kidney tissue causes a significant amount of pain in the surrounding area, most notably in the back between the hip and ribcage (the flank) on the side of the infection. The pain associated with kidney infection is sharp and aching.

The best way to distinguish between regular back pain and kidney infection is to simply touch the area that hurts. If you have an infected kidney, your flank will be very tender and painful to the touch. You may also notice swelling of the flank. Infections also generally make people sick. Fever, nausea and vomiting frequently accompany a kidney infection.

If not treated quickly with antibiotics, the infection can spread to the bloodstream. If you have back pain with tenderness, fever and/or nausea, seek medical attention.

Kidney Stones

Kidney stones are solid deposits that can accumulate inside the kidneys. Stones may be large or small. The stones scrape against the lining of the urinary tract and, if large, can block the flow of urine. This causes the fluids to back up and enlarge the kidney.

Pain from kidney stones is referred to as colic, as it comes in waves rather than being steady. The pain is severe and has been likened to labor pains. The pain begins in the flank area, and may travel down the side and into the groin as the stone moves through the urinary tract. You may see blood in your urine if you have a kidney stone.

Kidney infections and stones are the most common associations between the kidneys and back pain. Very rarely does a kidney problem result in dull back pain. Cancer of the kidney can result in a tumor that, over time, causes dull pain in the back. Polycystic kidney disease (PKD), a hereditary disease, can result in gradual enlargement of the kidneys that is felt as pain mainly in the abdomen, and sometimes the back as well.

If you have sharp, severe pain in the flank area accompanied by urinary changes, fever, nausea and/or vomiting, there is good reason to expect a kidney problem as the cause. If not, there is still good reason to be concerned. While back pain is often not a reason to run to the emergency room, it is always the sign of a problem. Narrowing down the potential causes of your pain will bring you closer to resolving it.

Low Back Pain Causes and Treatment

Low back pain is unfortunately one of the most common maladies of modern man. I say modern man because it is doubtful that our primitive ancestors abused their backs in the ways that we do. Modern civilization has taken us out of the healthy exercise mode of wandering and gathering food, of cultivating food and made us into sedentary "couch potatoes".

The effect that this has had on our lower backs is obvious. Our sitting postures are generally quite unhealthy, slouching and allowing our lower backs to go into flexion puts a strain on the back which will eventually cause discomfort, sometimes mild but sometimes severe. Considering the number of people that spend many hours daily sitting with poor posture (especially for long periods), it is no wonder that lower back pain is so prevalent in our society.

Improper lifting is another cause of low back pain. The correct way to lift a heavy object is to place it between your feet, squat down; bending your knees, grasp the object and rise straight up using the powerful muscles of your legs to lift the weight. It is very important to lift straight up and to be careful to avoid any twisting during the lift. Your body just wasn't made to tolerate this type of force. Awkward lifting situations are a very common cause of low back pain and should definitely be avoided.

Although we can't avoid sitting, there are some ways we can avoid the resulting low back pain. First of all, try to break up your sitting periods; take a break, drink some water, go to the restroom, or any activity that will allow you to get up from your sitting position, even if only for a few minutes. Better yet do a few stretching exercises.

The very best one I know of is very simple and easy to do; just stand up straight, put both hands on your hips and lean backwards as far as you can, hold that for a couple of seconds, and return to your starting position. You only need to do a few of these several times a day to keep your low back healthy. Here's to your good health.

Obesity - A Known Cause of Low Back Pain

Obesity is one of the many causes of low back pain. The pain occurs because the spine which is responsible for carrying the entire weight of the upper body and distribute it evenly to the lower body, has come under an extraordinary amount of stress. When excess weight is being carried around over a period of time, the spine is forced to assimilate the burden; the consequence is often severe lower back pain. In both sexes, obesity have known to cause lordosis and low back pain, due to an increased weight of the abdominal contents(ex."potbelly').

Lordosis is often described as hollow back or sway back. Anatomically speaking, it's when ones hips are thrust forward, and the back is in an arch position, producing an abnormal increase of the lumbar curvature. This abnormal extension deformity is frequently associated with weakened abdominal muscles.

Muscular Weakness and Low back Pain

Many Orthopedists consider muscular weakness, particularly in the abdominal region, and poor joint flexibility in the back and legs, primary causes of back pain. Most obese individuals have not been physically active due to their severe overweight condition, which leads to the continued accumulation of additional body fat and poor range of motion around the joints. As the fat accumulates, especially around the abdominal area, muscles gradually continue to be replaced with fat cells.

Exercise Prescription

Strengthening of the muscles of the abdomen and back, along with joint flexibility exercises, are often prescribed for the prevention of and rehabilitation from severe lower back pain. According to many Orthopedists, maintaining normal daily activities of pain tolerance, often leads to a more rapid recovery from an episode of acute back pain as opposed to bed rest.

Conclusion

It is clear that obesity is one of the many causes of back pain. Bearing in mind that obesity has already been held responsible for one of the causes of diabetes, hypertension, cholelithiasis, cardiovascular issues and more, it's extremely important that the obese individuals see this as another reason to be concerned about their overweight condition. Consulting a physician should always be the first and the right thing to do.

Top Tips For the Treatment of Back Pain - Lose the Pain Now!

Back pain; most of us have had it at some point in our lives, with lower back problems the most prevalent. Treatment of back pain is very commonplace in the medical profession, but oftentimes, the treatment is ineffective at best and even harmful at worst. What can we do then to get effective treatment of back pain specifically addressing lower back pain causes,so that we can achieve permanent and long-lasting relief?

What's REALLY causing your pain?

When it comes to the treatment of back pain, too often, medical professionals don't even begin to address what's really causing the pain. The real and often hidden cause is simply that your spinal structure has been pulled out of alignment so that it becomes dysfunctional. Therefore, even though your doctor may treat you for something like a herniated disc, that herniated disc happened because your spine was out of alignment in the first place, and THAT began to happen long before any symptoms appeared.

Here's the thing; most of us don't even think about lower back pain causes, because we just go about our normal lives and put up with an occasional twinge here and there. It's only when it becomes debilitating that we seek medical treatment -- and by then, it can be very difficult if not impossible to completely and correctly address the treatment of the back through normal channels.

But again, this pain didn't just appear out of nowhere, and fixing something like a herniated disc is difficult to impossible. Even things like surgical intervention do not actually correct the problem permanently in some cases.

What if, then, you could actually address the treatment of these back issues by changing behaviours and following some protocols, so that lower back pain causes were actually eliminated WITHOUT medical intervention in the traditional sense -- and BEFORE physical problems like herniated discs could arise?

Your spine is out of alignment for a long, long time before you ever develop physical problems that cause you discomfort, pain, or even permanent physical disability. Getting your spine back into alignment will not only forestall any problems that might otherwise occur, but will keep you physically fit and healthier,too.

It's not just all in your back

The body is an immensely interconnected structure, and sometimes when we feel pain in one area, it's actually being caused by something in a completely different area. For example, if you're feeling pain in your back, what's happening could actually be because of dysfunction in your thighs. That is, if you have an imbalance in your thigh muscles, you can pull your spine unknowingly out of alignment, which can cause the back problems we've been talking about.

So you see, the treatment of back pain actually has to take a holistic approach. These types of muscle imbalances as described above are actually the root cause of most back issues, especially lower back pain causes. Rebalancing and getting everything back into alignment, and correcting muscle imbalances, can be the answer to your prayers. That's because this treatment of back pain is completely non-invasive, not painful -- and will make you feel better than you have in years.

Where do you start?

The first thing you need to do in the treatment of back pain is to find out where these muscle imbalances are. Then, you have to correct them appropriately, bring your spine back into alignment, and presto! Your lower back issues -- as well as any other back pain you might have -- could suddenly be magically gone!! (only it's not magic).

Lower Back Pain - Common Causes of Lumbar Pain

It is important to understand the causes of lower back pain so as to administer optimal treatment for the management of this pain. The lower back consists of the lumbar region of the spine. This region is made up of vertebrae (the bones that make up the spine), tendons, ligaments and the muscles that support these structures. This area plays various important roles in our day to day activities. These include offering structural support to our bodies, protection of internal organs and certain body tissues as well as facilitating movement. Activities such as standing, bending, twisting or extending the waist are all dependent on the lumbar region. Therefore injury to the lower back would result in limitations to many of our daily activities.

Back pain may be caused by the stretching of the ligaments, tendons or muscles in the lumbar region. This is commonly known as a lumbar strain. This stretching results in microscopic tears of varying degrees in these tissues. This is the cause of the pain. The stretching may result from trauma, overuse or improper use of the lower back.

Acute back pain resulting from a lumbar strain normally lasts a few days to a few weeks and normally results from tissue injury. If the pain lasts for a longer period, it is then classified as chronic pain. Although this type of injury is more common among people over the age of 40, it may occur in younger people. It is characterized by painful sensations in the lower back region that usually occur after a stressful physical activity. The injury is diagnosed through the patient's history, history of the injury and x-ray testing. Treatments for lower back pain caused by lumbar strain include medication, rest and reconditioning exercises to encourage healing and strengthen the back muscles.

Nerve irritation is also a cause of lower back pain. This results from mechanical pressure caused by the bones or tissues of this lower region. The pressure may also be caused by the development of a disease such as a viral infection along the path of the nerve roots within the lower back region. Treatments for lower back pain caused by nerve irritation will depend on the cause of the irritation. Mechanical pressure may be corrected through rest, physical therapy or surgical correction. Diseases affecting the nerves may be dealt with through medication.

There are several bone and joint conditions within this region that may result in back pain. These include congenital bone conditions. These are bone conditions that are present from birth. They may result in the unusual growth and development of the bones in that region. Unusual development may be exhibited as shorter bones in the lower extremities or development of larger bones. These may result in pressure on the spinal cord causing a great deal of pain.

Other conditions that may result in lower back pain include degenerative bone and joint conditions. These degenerative conditions are a result of the wear and tear of the bones and joints in the back, arthritis and injuries to this part of the body.

Running and Lower Back Pain - Causes, Treatment and Pain Relief Options

Running is an excellent way to overcome health problems and stay in a good shape. But due to its high impact nature, running can also increase the likelihood of pains and aches. Back pain-especially lower back pain-is the most common complaint among both elite and recreational runners. But there is something you can do to alleviate and prevent this enduring suffering.

You can enjoy a pain-free run by just making some simple tweaks on your running regime and taking some preventive steps.

Causes of back pain

This condition can be caused by many factors including:

- Improper running form.
- Running in the wrong shoes.
- Bouncy and unstable running stride.
- Weak abdominal, hamstring and back muscles
- Running with an existing injury...

These are just the most common causes. There can be other causes-just examine your running program and may uncover other foundations for your pain.

Do you keep running or do you stop?

This is the first question that pops into the runners mind when they start feeling back pain. Well the answer depends on the intensity of the pain and its root cause. If you are sure the pain is caused by running, then it's highly advisable to take some days off or to cross-train.

Pain should be an indicator that something is off, but it is good to remain active while your back heals and recovers itself from the supposed injury. Choose a cross-training activity where you won't have to use your back in a great deal.

How to prevent back pain?

Eliminating the root causes could be quite enough to prevent this pain from ever happening. In addition, here are few things you can do:

- Always warm-up before the workout; this prepares your muscles for the activity.
- Avoid stiffness and pressure on your back; you should run in relaxed manner, while keeping your back straight and aligned.
- Strengthen your abdominal and back muscles; strong muscles provide extra protection and support for your back
- Use back support if necessary; if the pain persists, then you should use this simple medical device, but if nothing you tried failed to eliminate the pain, you should visit a doctor and get professional treatment.

Pay Close Attention To This:

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Could This Be the Cause of Your Night Time Back Pain? Part 1

Many people plagued: Are you one of the many people that suffer from low back pain that hits you at night time when you are trying to sleep? There are many people that go through their usual day with little to no effort, but dread the prospect of going into their bedroom and lying down flat on their bed. They know that as soon as they lay their head on the pillow that the deep ache in their back will start its nightly routine and keep them tossing and turning until the wee hours of the morning.

Many people try to deaden their pain by taking sleeping pills. Others avoid the bed at all costs and sleep in a chair or otherwise in a sitting position that gives them little or no rest at all. They wake up almost as tired as they were just 5-6 hours before. Then they start their day again, just as the day before, and try not to think about the fact that they cannot get a good night's rest because of their back pain.

People who are suffering this way have frequently gone to see their physician for the problem. In fact, many have had x-rays, MRIs, lab tests, etc. only to hear the doctor say that "nothing appears to be wrong" with their backs. And so, they get another prescription and are told that "it's all in their heads," and off they go back to the same old thing.

So, what is actually going on with these people and why can't anyone find out what is wrong? You can't tell someone with back pain that "it's all in their head" and not expect to get an ear full. "No! It's not in my head! It's in my back!!" is what you will hear.

You would think that with so much discomfort and pill popping that there has to be something wrong. Well, if you are thinking this then I would say that you are absolutely right? There is something wrong and it's not going to show up on all the fancy high tech equipment for the simple fact that doctors don't measure muscle tightness.

That's right. You heard me. I am suggesting that many of those who have chronic back pain that increases especially when they lye down are suffering from tight muscles. More specifically the Iliopsoas, rectus femoris, and gluteus minimus and medius.

Yeah, yeah, I know. But please forgive me, I am a physical therapist. But, please, don't hold that against me! I didn't name these muscles, but that's what they are called. All of these muscles cross the hip joint connecting the pelvis to the thigh bone. When they are tight they tend to put more tension and pressure on the low back and pull it out of alignment. And this can be real painful.

How To - Avoid Lower Back Pain While Flying to Your Next Holiday Destination

We all look forward to a planned holiday away, whether it's inter-state, exotic Bali, or a lavish European trip. Not only do they give us a well deserved break from the hustle and bustle of life, but also forges lasting memories.

But nothing's worse than being sick or disabled while on holiday. That's why it's vital to take care of your health heading into the trip and while away. Lower back pain is prevalent among our society. Eighty per cent of the population will experience a debilitating episode of back pain sometime in their life, with the most common cause being mechanical (joint or muscle related). Your body faces daily stresses and can accumulate to the point where you develop symptoms i.e. pain! Hence, it's often the small things in life that trigger off back pain

Regular chiropractic care can help relieve daily stresses to the body and can serve as a preventative measure to back pain. But it helps too if we take precautionary measures especially while traveling. Dragging around heavy luggage, slouching in airport chairs and sitting for long flights can turn a trip into a pain. The spine was designed to move, not sit still for hours in planes or cars.

To prevent back pain from spoiling your trip, follow these tips:

- Use your entire body to turn when lifting heavy luggage. Pivot with your foot, not your back, so that the whole body moves rather than twisting your spine.

- Avoid heavy carry-ons. Lifting excessive weight overhead is a common cause of back injuries.

- Use good posture. Airplane seats often force the lower back into an unnatural, stressful position. Support the curves in your lower back by placing a rolled-up airline pillow, towel or blanket between your back and the seat. Try sitting in a slightly reclined position, which can be less stressful on the spine. While seated, your knees should be bent at a right angle.

- Feel free to move around. Stretch and move around every 20 to 30 minutes or at least every hour or two. Walk to the back of the plane, do heel raises, side-bend stretching and marching in place to reduce stiff muscles and help curb inflammation. Try to book an aisle seat to make movement easier.

- Drinking water can help ward off pain.

I've put my back out, what next?

Ice the site of injury as soon as possible. Apply it for 15-20 minutes. The reason that ice is better than heat is that it constricts the blood vessels and limits the amount of blood flowing into the site of the injury. This helps to reduce swelling and therefore pain at the site. Ice also helps by numbing the area and thereby reducing pain.

After some days of ice application, you can start to use heat to help heal the area. If pain persists, seek help from your Chiropractor.

So the next time you are about to travel keep the above points in mind. It will save your holiday. Happy traveling!

Causes of Back Pain After Using A Trampoline

Internet forums are full of questions concerning the connection between back pain and trampoline use. There are many different types of injuries that can occur from jumping on a trampoline, from pulled muscles to head trauma. The types of injury below may cause back pain.

Pulled Muscle

Back pain after trampolining may be caused by muscle strain. Jumping on a trampoline works muscles throughout the legs, pelvis and back, particularly stabilizer muscles. Stabilizer muscles work to protect the spine; they engage before you perform an activity, bracing the spine against harmful compression. Ideally, this bracing protects spinal discs and joints by keeping the spine aligned and absorbing some of the impact exerted on the body by movements like jumping up and down.

If your stabilizer muscles are weak, they will likely become strained (or "pulled") from trampolining. Strained muscles suffer small tears that normally heal within three days. Localized inflammation causes pain, swelling and tenderness to the touch. A pulled muscle also hurts when it is used. Since the muscles of the back are used in nearly every motion, they can cause a significant amount of pain when pulled and take a little extra time to heal.

It is particularly easy to strain stabilizer muscles if you have an awkward or uncontrolled movement on a trampoline. As mentioned above, stabilizers engage before movement to protect the spine. If a movement occurs unexpectedly, your body doesn't have time to prepare; the stabilizers will tense up suddenly in a last-second attempt to protect the spine. This sudden tensing can cause muscle strain.

Trampolining is generally viewed as a leisure activity, but it is also exercise. As such, it is important to warm up with dynamic stretches prior to jumping and to cool down with static stretches after jumping. It is a good idea to develop core strength before spending prolonged periods of time on a trampoline; stronger muscles suffer less strain.

Spinal Injury

It is also possible for a more severe injury to the spine to occur. This is mostly a concern if you fell off the trampoline, hit the side of it or already have a degenerative spinal issue.

If you fall off a trampoline, you may incur a dislocation of a spinal joint (subluxation) or a vertebral fracture. These may occur in spinal segments from the lower back to the neck, though subluxation is less common in the thoracic spine. Symptoms of subluxation are pain, tenderness and soreness surrounding the affected segment, muscles spasms, stiffness and weakness in the surrounding area, reduced spinal mobility and/or pain, weakness or numbness in the extremities. Vertebral fracture causes sudden and severe pain that is worsened by standing, walking, bending and twisting. If you or your child experiences any of these symptoms after an awkward landing or fall on the trampoline, seek examination by a medical professional.

The jarring associated with jumping on a trampoline can exacerbate preexisting disc degeneration. Discs work to absorb shock between vertebrae; when a disc is worn, bulging or herniated, it fails to cushion the bones around it. Herniated or bulging discs may compress nerves as they exit the spine, causing pain, numbness and weakness along the nerve pathway into an arm or leg. Jumping on a trampoline can cause asymptomatic disc abnormalities to become symptomatic or can make already-present symptoms worse. Though disc wear can occur in younger people, it is more of a concern for people over 30.

The above injuries are not the only concerns associated with trampolining. Statistics of severe injuries, mostly incurred by children, have spurred the American Academy of Pediatrics to call for a ban on trampolines for backyard use. For a list of statistics and other injury types, see http://physical-therapy.advanceweb.com/Article/Bouncing-Back-Treating-Trampoline-Injuries.aspx.

If you choose to assume the risks of trampolining, make sure any children using the trampoline are supervised and following basic safety guidelines provided at http://www.livestrong.com/article/134355-trampoline-safety-rules/.

Unending List Of Causes Of Lower Back Pain

There are countless different explanation why a person experiences lower back pain and among these are having muscle strains, as well as spasms and also joint problems, not to forget ligament strains and slipped discs. The backache can be caused when lifting heavy objects results in a sharp pain in the lower back. Causes of such pains are quite common. Some of the causes can be prevented and taken care of while others are hereditary and irresistible

Vast Investigation and exploration On Causes Of Lower Back Pain:

Every year more than 50 billion dollars are exhausted in discovering the causes of pains. A lot of factors have come forward in causing a backache but still the list seems to be never ending. Of course, what you really want to know is how you can get rid of that pain and those cramps. Well, for this talk to your doctor about correct diagnosis of your pain. Your doctor will definitely help you in getting rid of this problem.

Make sure that you aim to strike at the very root cause of back trouble, which might even mean having to lose weight, improving your muscles and also maintaining the correct posture especially when standing, sitting as well as when sleeping.

Back pain is a common occurrence, though when it does occur can cause immense pain. It is usually caused by muscular irritation as well as joint dysfunction. There are also instances when you may injure your disk that will cause you back issues, though such kind of injuries are not known to happen very often. Though not all types of back pain may warrant a visit to a physician, a persistent back ache most often will mean consulting a doctor

Common and Uncommon Causes Of Lower Back Pain:

Most common causes of lower back pain [http://www.backpainreliefhelp.com/Back_Pain_Treatment/] are arthritis, muscle twist, sprains, strains caused by stressful movements or by injury. These can be treated with simple medical treatments and these muscle pulls will get better. Sometimes, back injury may be severe enough for surgery or other treatments that might be needed. Some of the other common causes of low back troubles are poor posture and sitting in a single position for extended periods of time. If you also take to sitting in a chair of poor design you are definitely inviting back problems. Other causes include emotional worries that can result in stiffness in muscles and consequent pain in your back.

Some other uncommon causes include herniated disc, degenerated discs, spinal column diseases, any previous surgery of knee, shoulder or colon, and pregnancy. Depending upon the severity of cause of lower back troubles there are of course various degrees of back problems, and if you are unfortunate enough to experience acute back pain you would be well advised to check out correct treatment that will provide you with immediate relief.

For more information on causes of lower back pain, search the internet. There are a variety of reputable websites that you can choose from, which can give you full information.

Relationship Between Lower Back Pain and Kidney Pain

When you experience lower back pain, it may not be a problem with the back at all. Problems with the muscles in the back and the spine are common. Chiropractors suffer from no shortage of patients. When you experience chronic pain in the lower back where certain organs are located, you may wonder if the pain is in the back or somewhere else entirely.

Back Pain or a Kidney Infection?

A Kidney infection usually comes on suddenly. A person suffering from an infection will feel pain above the hips and to the side of the spine. The symptoms usually start with a tenderness that can get worse as the infection worsens. Pain in this area does not signify that a person has a kidney infection. The pain could have resulted from injury to the organ, injury to the back or a kidney stone. When the injury heals, the infection heals, or the kidney stone passes, the pain the person experiences in this area will disappear. The easiest way to tell if back pain results from a kidney problem or from a back injury is to press gently on the sore area. If the pain becomes worse, it indicates the problem is not in the back.

Because kidney pain can be experienced as lower back pain, it is a good idea to perform the test above as an early diagnostic tool. Problems with the kidneys can spread to other areas of the body and cause pain in unrelated areas. When you make a doctor's appointment to determine if you have a kidney problem, he or she will ask you for your family history or if you have a history of kidney problems. A family history of kidney problems makes it more likely that a patient will suffer from infections in this area.

Some Home Remedies for Kidney Pain

A doctor will recommend the best course of action to ease kidney pain, but there are a few remedies a patient can try. Juniper Berries filter out waste and can lower the blood pressure. Kelp and cayenne can replenish nutrients that get depleted from a kidney infection. Increasing Vitamins B, C and E can also help ease the pain of kidney infection.

Why Your Lower Back Pain Won't Go Away - Unless You Try This

Did you know that over 65 million Americans suffer with lower back pain? This number is staggering to the imagination that so many people are really having a bad go of it. You'd like to be able to get rid of the pain and tension this causes in your life. Some people cannot sleep with their spouses and maintain separate quarters.

Is this you?

Some causes for lower back pain is simply do to pregnancy. The pregnancy back pain is no different than any other pain you feel. Your body gets an alarm that "something" is not right. You are so restricted from taking any type of pain reliever because of fear of harming the baby growing inside of you.

Here are a few things you can try...now keep in mind that before you do any of these things you NEED to talk with YOUR doctor before engaging in these tips.

* The first option to consider is a natural medicine. These remedies have been around for generations and have proven themselves over time. Why not give it a shot? If you go to any online store like a Whole Foods Market you should be able to read up on the products before ordering. The beauty of the internet is that you can pretty much order anything online and have it delivered right to your door. This is great news because the second most searched for pain reliever online is that of foot pain. Foot pain is a topic we'll discuss another time but suffice it to say that with the added weight of the baby plus the stress of being on your feet all day. Compounded with very "unfriendly shoes" that do not yield one iota of support - your feet are taking a pounding. Literally.

*Lower back pain stretching is another alternative to taking the pills. But really I'd suggest that you try more than one treatment at a time. Sure you can take the all natural pain reliever. But do so only after you've consulted with your doctor and have yourself read up on the ingredients. Do the stretches we are outlining here and take the pain reliever. Many patients seem to think that they can only do one or the other but that is just not try. Compound these options revealed here. If you do stretch your lower back you'll be working with the soft tissues. These muscles, ligaments and tendons are essential to your lower back pain relief.

*Right now try this simple flexion stretch. You do it by standing or sitting whichever you prefer. If you ride the subway train or drive along you may be able to modify it just a bit and still get some relief on the go. So, if you are sitting or standing, softly bend your head forward and strive to bring the chin in towards the chest. You will feel a slight stretch in the rear of your neck. If you experience any pain you must stop this movement. So go slow and be very gentle. Hold that position for say four counts. It also helps if you breath in and out to calm your body down to.

*The lateral flexion stretch can work wonders for your low back pain. In this movement you are standing upright. With your hands held close to your sides (like a soldier posing) slightly bend to your right. Think to yourself that you are trying to touch your knee. Hold that tension for say 4 counts. Then return to center. Next, you'll do the same thing but in the opposite direction. Which either one, be sure to keep your breathing in and out steadily. This supplies just the right amount of oxygen and is also great for calming your pain down. Check out this video first...it shows some great Lower Back Pain Exercises.

* Lastly, you can do these back exercises on a mat or a carpeted floor in your office. You can lie down on your back of course. Your knees are bent with your hands resting on them. In this exercise you are going to try to bring your knees into your chest. Depending on how many months you are along you may find this not so easy to do. If that is the case be sure to look for other articles on this subject on this website for alternatives.

Lower Back Pain and Hip Pain Causes

During a person's lifetime one thing that is common is that people will suffer from lower back pain. Most of the time the cause of low back pain is a bump or even an accident. When this happens it is usually a mild case and treatment is usually easy.

Others will find they have back pain and don't know what caused the pain and there is no way to control the occurrence of the pain. Spinal conditions are a reason for back pain and many are born with this condition. The sooner you can find the source of the pain, the sooner you and your doctor can treat that back pain and hopefully reduce or eliminate the back pain for good.

Things to consider for the Under 60 population As we all know age can play a role in the causes of low back pain. Older people are usually grouped into a separate category. The reason for this is they sometimes are prone to degenerative conditions, like arthritis.

If you are under sixty years old with back pain there are 3 main categories that you may fall into. These are grouped by common symptoms:

Herniated Discs - Numbness and pain that shoots down the legs from the low back. Pain increases with long periods of sitting or standing. Degenerative Disc Disease - Making certain moves and being in specific positions can cause the onset of back pain. This pain can become chronic and extremely painful. Stress Fractures - Can be very painful and caused when walking or standing. If you are older: A cause of back pain common for those that are older is Osteoarthritis. This can stiffen your back and cause pain. The onset of this pain is usually in the morning or late at night.

Lumbar spinal stenosis is also an cause for back pain in the elderly. Pressure is put on the nerves connected to the spine and causes pain down the legs. Another common reason for pain in the back is by disc degeneration.

Muscles around and supporting the discs go into a spasm causing chronic back pain. Mechanical pain is common because the disc that is degenerating is becoming inflamed. By replacing the bad disc with an artificial one you help relieve the pain associated with degenerative disc disease.

Other less known conditions for low back pain There are some lesser known conditions for lower back pain causes and treatments. These lesser known conditions can make it difficult to diagnose a lower back pain cause as well as to figure out a treatment.

Causes of lower back pain:

Infection Spinal tumor Fibromygalia Sacroiliac joint syndrome Piriformis syndrome Sciatica Poly neuropathy All of these can be causes of low back pain, even though they are more uncommon. They still can be treated, when diagnosed correctly.

Some good news If you can determine the cause of lower back and hip pain, it is easier to find a treatment for the pain. By treating the back pain correctly you will be better off.

Lower Right Back Pain Causes And Treatment

Lower right back pain is one of the more common forms of low back discomfort, due to the fact that the sacro-iliac joint is one of the more commonly used joints. Because of the large amount of usage, the Sacro-Illiac joint tends to receive more abuse and lower right back pain is symptomatic of this abuse.

The muscle that runs up from your pelvis to your rib cage may also be the cause of a lower right back injury condition, and the Quadratus Lumborum muscle can be a cause of serious lower back discomfort. It is important to know how to deal with lower right back pain aches if you suffer from them.

The majority of the backache symptoms will be centered on your lumbar spine, but the hurting in your lower right back is caused by the connection between the Sacrum and the Pelvis. The joint that connects the two has no disc to protect it, and when it doesn't move properly the lower right back and hip pain can be intense. You WILL want to get severe back pain relief as soon as possible!

The muscles alongside the vertebra are to support your spinal cord, and these muscles often tighten when mistreated. That tightening of the muscles is one of the causes of pain, which are also known as Trigger Points.

Many times you will feel discomfort radiating from the trigger points in your tightened muscles, but the radiating ache is not the problem. It is just a symptom. To resolve your issues and get lower back discomfort relief, you need to ensure that the joint is moving properly, your pelvic balance is correct, and your muscles are strong.

If you don't take care of your lower right back pain soon after getting it, you may find that you will end up permanently suffering from lower right back pain. You may actually end up spraining the Sacro-Illiac joint, and you will feel that the pain in your hip and lower back area is much more intense than it should be.

There are a number of pain medications and treatments to help bring about back pain relief. You can reduce or eliminate right lower back pain by taking anti-inflammatory medicine to reduce the swelling of the muscles. Injections of cortisone and electric stimulation therapy are also common treatments for sacro-iliac pain.

Chiropractors are also an excellent choice for those who are suffering from lower right pain. Chiropractors are trained to manipulate joints in order to reduce pain and bring about almost immediate relief. You may find that a few visits to your chiropractor may be more than enough to completely rid yourself of your lower right back dis-ease.

Left untreated it can turn into chronic pain. It is important that you take a few simple steps to help your body eliminate and prevent the pain from plaguing you in the future.

Before starting any program of medication or exercise - for this or any other disease or disorder - it is best contact a doctor. AND be sure to follow your doctors advice. That said, you can often heal and relieve your ache with the following:

For longer term relief, strengthen your low back muscles by doing back stretches and exercises that focus on the core and upper thighs.

Avoid any movements that would put undue strain or pressure on the lower right back and the joint movement.

Use ice and hot packs alternately to apply heat and cold to the lower right back to help eliminate the back ache.

Pay diligent attention to the causes and risk factors and not only can you return to health, but avoid lower right back pain disorders in the future.

Lower Back Pain and Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Is there a correlation between lower back pain and Irritable Bowel Syndrome? Researchers have long argued that IBS may be caused by abnormal functioning of the nerves and muscles of the bowel. No indication or explanation is ever given as to why this malfunction might occur. To my knowledge there has been no adequate evidence to support this assumption. More over, I have not seen, heard of or read about any studies which were specifically implemented to test this hypothesis. Because of my own observations about my own IBS symptoms, I am inclined to believe and support this hypothesis.

Some of us who suffer Irritable Bowel Syndrome have tried for many years, without success, to eliminate the often debilitating affects of this mysterious disorder. Generally those who suffer have spent a great deal of time and money, having test after test only to be told that nothing conclusive was found.

Often after years of diagnostic procedures and expensive studies, patients are told there was nothing wrong with them. Their complaint of symptoms are brushed off as imaginary or more properly put in medical terms, psychosomatic. But with the ever increasing number of patients complaining of the same generalized list of symptoms, the medical community has been forced, in at least a small part, to acknowledge the malady as something more then imaginary symptoms of hypochondria.

So what can we surmise about IBS? It is a condition or disease in and of itself? Or is IBS is a condition caused by or a symptom of some other physical, neurological or possibly even psychological problem that is as yet undetected or undiagnosed as being relative to the IBS condition? I find this to be a more plausible conclusion and will provide some insight for my personal belief that IBS is a secondary condition rather then a condition unto itself.

For years doctors have proposed the secondary condition concept in relation to Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Unfortunately, they have not yet been able to successfully document any evidence to conclusively say what might be the root cause of IBS. Moreover, I believe there is not just one cause, but several causes, all with the same secondary symptoms, which make up what is termed as IBS.

Please don't think that it is my intent to say the IBS condition is not real, or the symptomology is psychosomatic in nature. I know from painful experience the condition and symptoms of IBS are very real. I also would venture to say because of the sheer number of reported cases, the medical community had been forced to re-evaluate their approach while dealing with patients with complaints of Irritable Bowel Syndrome-like symptoms. I am merely going to express what I personally have concluded about another possible causation for IBS which may be overlooked by the medical profession.

I would like to also toss up for consideration that IBS, with its list of many symptoms, may be a traceable progression of symptoms stemming from a single causation. I believe, in my case, this is a very valid assumption. I have as yet been unable to get any physician to agree with me, at least to the point of taking up the position on the record.

Before going any further, I think it would be a good idea to review a partial list of Irritable Bowel Syndrome symptoms. IBS may be characterized by a combination of any or all of the following symptoms:

o Abdominal discomfort or pain, usually in the lower abdomen

o Altered bowel habit

o Chronic or recurrent diarrhea, constipation, or both. May be mixed or in alternation.

o Bloating

o Heartburn

o Nausea

o Abdominal fullness

o Feelings of urgent need to evacuate the bowel

o Feeling of "incomplete" bowel emptying

o Low back pain

o Headache

o Fatigue

o Muscle pain

o Sleep disturbances

o Sexual dysfunction

More and more it is generally believed that the symptoms of IBS are produced by abnormal functioning of the nerves and muscles of the bowel. More and more I personally agree with this as a valid and plausible perception of at least one of the causes of Irritable Bowel Syndrome. With some personal observations, I hope to give light as to why I believe this to be a possible causation for many IBS sufferers. Unfortunately, what I have come to believe as the causation for my particular brand of IBS, most assuredly will not be a diagnosis for all cases of IBS.

I think we who have suffered Irritable Bowel Syndrome tend to minimalize our symptoms and pain. We have been led to believe that other than common sense changes to diet and exercise there is nothing we can do because there is no cure. Many people who suffer will suffer in silence for years before seeking medical treatment. By then, and I include myself in this group, we may have subconsciously lessened or even put aside some of the lesser symptoms that IBS causes, focusing only on the ones that cause the most pain and discomfort.

Worse yet, we are less likely to bring symptoms to the attention of a doctor by mere assumption that it is just another facet of our complex disorder. This could become a dangerous scenario for anyone who suffers from IBS. We may ignore persistent symptoms that have gotten more intense or new symptoms that seem to be related only because we are discouraged by being told there is nothing anyone can do.

Doing these kinds of things could lead to serious life threatening symptoms being overlooked. Symptoms of conditions that, unlike IBS, can be treated if caught in time. Things like colon cancer, stomach cancer, esophageal cancer or many others, might be missed because we want to ignore our IBS symptoms after so many trips to the doctor.

My story of IBS starts over 20 years ago when I was a young man of 26. While helping lift a very heavy cast iron wood burning stove from the back of a pickup truck, the other person lost their grip and the load all shifted down hill onto my back. I felt my back give way as the stove went crashing to the ground at my feet. I knew I had sustained a serious injury. I couldn't erect myself from the 90 degree bent forward position I was in. I had to literally pull my self up by using my hands and arms against the side of the pickup.

Being 26 and stubborn and thinking that I was invincible, I had my wife help me home and to bed, not bothering to go to the emergency room. I had some left over pain killers which numbed the pain enough to allow me to sleep. When I awoke in the morning I was horrified as I could not feel my legs. They were both cold and numb to the touch. I could move them, I just couldn't feel them. After about 30 minutes of movement the feeling began to return to my legs and at that point I knew it was time to get to the doctor.

After the examination and x-rays what the doctor had to say wasn't pleasant to hear. He told me I had two options. One was to go to a surgical specialist and have fusion surgery on several of my lower lumbar vertebra because the discs between them had been severely compressed. He mentioned that having this type of surgery would reduce my physical mobility by as much as 30% or more. At best, he explained, the surgery was about 40% effective.

My other option, he told me, was time... time allow let my body try to heal itself. He explained I would probably never be as good as I was before the accident, but with time my body should partially heal it self. He told me the inflammation which was causing the pain and partial paralysis should lessen. At age 26 losing permanently 30% or more of my mobility was an unthinkable option. At least the second option offered some hope of recovery. He gave me muscle relaxants and pain pills and that was that.

I trusted this doctor...we were good friends. We had a good personal and professional relationship. I took him at his word. By today's medical standards, his medical advice probably wouldn't hold water, but over 20 years ago, it was most likely a very good perception of my problem.

For the next 6 months, I would wake up to cold, numb legs and each day, but as he said, the symptoms gradually got better. I was so focused on my back injury improving; I didn't pay attention to other, minor things going on which had become bothersome.

The first and most prevalent symptom was a change in my bowel habit. Not a big change, but it seemed that instead of a daily movement, it was now once every other day, and it took a bit more effort. But with the back issue, it seemed minor in comparison and for several years seemed to be the only symptom. My back continued to get better but my bowel never did return to normal.

I have always been a large person, in 1986 at the age of 26: I weighed about 220 pounds, standing 6 feet tall. Slowly, my weight began to rise. I attributed my initial weight gain to a lessening of physical activity over the first year or two of my back problem. By the end of the second year, my physical ability and activity had almost returned to normal. I learned to deal with the pain and my legs no longer went numb. I was able to function fairly well. Only occasionally did the pain in my back become such that I was unable to function in my "new" normal fashion, and usually only lasted a day or two. I now had added 70 pounds to my weight with no real explanation.

Only in the past couple of years (over 20 have passed since my back injury) have I begun considering the original injury being related to my bowel and stomach problems. Because I believed there was little I could do to rectify the situation, I have done as well as I could to manage the pain mentally. I did this well until the pain in my back started to worsen to the point that again my legs started going numb again. Not that this happened all the time, it was only occasional, but these bouts of pain have gotten much worse.

Only now that the back pain is impossible to ignore have I come to realize the cycle of events which have taken place. Now when I notice my legs are beginning to go numb on a more frequent basis, I have also noticed an increase in my IBS symptoms. More frequent and painful symptoms seem to begin with chronic constipation, lasting for many days. This is followed by the gas distress fatigue, head aches, bloating, acid indigestion, heartburn and eventually explosive diarrhea. Along with other symptoms, all interwoven into a cycle I now believe to be directly related to some type of nerve injury due to my original back injury.

I have since gone to a neurosurgeon and been diagnosed with severe disk compression and degeneration and spinal stenosis in the lower lumbar region. The treatment is as yet to be mapped out, but I now have at least one doctor who agrees that many, if not all, of my symptoms could be tied directly to nerve dysfunction resulting from my present spinal condition.

If you have sustained a back injury, or have IBS with lower back pain, it may be prudent to have a spinal study, to find out if an underlying back problem might be involved in the causation of your IBS symptoms. It stands to practical reason that if there is injury to the spine or lower back from where the nerves controlling lower bowl function stem, there could also be bowel dysfunction. With bowel dysfunction, the progression of symptoms in logical sequence right up the line to the top of the digestive tract would be a very plausible scenario.

If you have IBS and low back pain you really have nothing to lose and everything to gain by having a spinal examination. At the very least you may find out that there is no problem with your spine thereby eliminating one more source.