Indigestion, Lower Back Pain, Headaches - Are They Really NORMAL in Pregnancy?

There is a certain mindset today regarding pregnancy: if you are pregnant, it is "normal" to feel bad. Women frequently say to me, "I am just beginning to feel pregnant. I have indigestion, tender breasts, lower back pain, fatigue and the list goes on." I believe that if a woman is balanced nutritionally and is healthy, she should be surprised to be pregnant.

Remember in old movies and still sometimes today where women suspect they may be pregnant, do the test and are surprised to find out they ARE pregnant! Probably the only way they suspected was because they missed their periods. I have two friends who had this happen to them. They were suspicious because they missed their periods and were surprised when they took the test.

Another friend did not stop her period at all. She still had the same monthly bleeding, but she was gaining weight. She was eating according to Pritikin and was going to the Pritikin center here in Los Angeles, only to find that she was gaining weight quickly. She decided that she might be pregnant. When she went to get checked, the doctor could hear the heartbeat! She was four months pregnant and didn't have a clue!

It seems today that these cases are more atypical than typical. When a woman is experiencing discomforts, she simply is missing something in her diet or lifestyle or both. And when women say that these discomforts are "normal" in pregnancy, I don't believe it is. Women should feel different when pregnant but not miserable. They should feel full of life and enjoy their pregnancies, not feel burdened by physical ailments just because they are pregnant. The three most common ailments are indigestion, lower back pain and headaches. These are all caused because something is missing in the woman's life.

Indigestion

Indigestion is more common than not in pregnancy, but it is NOT normal. Indigestion is caused by the physiological suppression of hydrogen chloride (HCl) and other digestive acids because of the increased secretion of progesterone used to support the uterine lining for the pregnancy. If a woman is stressed, this will further decrease her enzymatic output. If she doesn't eat relaxed or sits in a parasympathetic state, she will go into a sympathetic state of the nervous system. The difference is that a sympathetic state would also occur if she were running from the bear in the forest. Her body is not supporting digestion in the sympathetic state and will therefore create indigestion.

Indigestion can also lead to a whole slew of other problems such as hiatal hernia, anemia, cramping in the calves and feet, fatigue, hair loss, and not absorbing calcium in which case her body will pull calcium from her bones for the fetus' needs. So this is NOT something to take lightly and just suck on Tums. Some antacids contain aluminum which is absolutely contraindicated for pregnancy, because it further depletes the stomach acids, which is the opposite of what really needs to be done.

Severe pain beneath the sternum may accompany the indigestion. This would be the creation of a hiatal hernia which is very common in pregnancy. A chiropractic adjustment most often times provides INSTANT relief and correction of the hiatal hernia, but will not fix the problem at hand.

To relieve the discomfort caused by indigestion is to analyze the woman's lifestyle and eating habits as well as adding digestive enzymes to each meal. I have seen thousands of women benefit from enzymatic supplementation in pregnancy.

Another good thing to do is try some acid! That's right! Sound crazy but eat more foods with acidity. Oranges, cooked tomato sauce, lemon squeezed on your foods and in water will trigger the brain to stop producing acid. Sometimes the body gets busy and puts the regulation of HCl on the back burner and it just keeps going on and on and on. By eating the acidic foods, the body sees that it doesn't have to produce so much and will cut back.

Lower Back Pain

This discomfort could be one of the first signs that a woman is pregnant. When a woman experiences low back pain (LBP) during her period, it is usually because she is secreting relaxin to allow the cervix to open up to release the menstrual blood. During pregnancy, she will secrete relaxin in surges to allow for the ligaments to relax and change her body to accommodate the growth of the fetus. This should not be a severe discomfort. More often than not, these women who have LBP are, first of all, out of alignment. When the pelvis and spine are misaligned or "subluxated", she will experience LBP. A simple chiropractic adjustment should relieve this quickly and effectively.

Sometimes, more vitamin E will help solve this problem. Vitamin E supports the uterus as well as the buttock muscles. Some experts in nutrition believe that vitamin E helps to reduce the chances of miscarriage. If you have a chiropractor who does Applied Kinesiology, as I do, he/she can test the muscles supporting the lower back that relate to vitamin E. Upon tasting the supplement the muscles will strengthen. This will help to support a pregnant woman's lower back and pelvis, therefore minimizing and hopefully eliminating LBP.

Headaches

One of the very first signs of pregnancy can also be headaches. The reason for this is that the pituitary gland just got the message that there is a pregnancy and must alert all endocrine glands to start producing in order to create and maintain the pregnancy. These types of headache will mimic a "hormone" headache, a dull, overwhelming headache. Hormonal balance is the key here. The Phytosterols and the Glyconutrient complex along with a chiropractic adjustment should help to relieve this discomfort.

Chronic and Recurrent Low Back Pain - Ayurvedic Herbal Treatment

Low back pain is a universal symptom, and almost every individual suffers from it at some time in life. Chronic and recurrent low-back pain is also very common, and almost sixty percent or more of the general population complains of this problem, usually while approaching middle age. The causes for this condition are multiple, and usually relate to the bony lumbar spine, muscles and ligaments in the lower back, the nerves emerging from the lower part of the spinal cord, internal organs of the lower abdomen, and the skin covering the lower back. Treatment for chronic low back pain therefore, depends upon the known cause for this condition.

The Ayurvedic management of chronic or recurrent low back pain is similarly based upon treating or removing the diagnosed or suspected cause of the condition in individuals presenting with this condition. An acute low back sprain is usually treated with rest, local application, hot fomentation, and medications to reduce pain and inflammation. Medicated oils like Vish-Gargha-Oil and Maha-Narayan-Oil are used to reduce pain and muscular spasm. The beneficial effect of local applications can be reinforced with hot fomentations using hot water bottles, electric heating pads, or medicated steam of decoctions of medicines like Nirgundi (Vitex negundo) or Dashmool (Ten herbal roots). Pain, spasm and inflammation can be reduced using medicines like Triphala Guggulu, Trayodashang Guggulu, Maharasnadi Guggulu, Vat-Gajankush-Ras, Vat-Vidhvans-Ras, and Vish-Tinduk-Vati.

Recurrent low back pain is usually because of a faulty working posture, a contributory working environment, poor muscular tone, obesity, and lack of regular exercise. A detailed history of the affected individual is necessary in order to identify and help remove or minimise the known cause. Health life-styles need to be inculcated in order to reduce weight and exercise regularly and sensibly. Relaxation techniques and yogic asanas help considerably in reducing this condition. The appropriate medical investigations need to be done in order to rule out organic causes of the condition.

The commonest cause of severe, intractable, chronic low back pain is usually irritation of the lower back nerves due to bulging, degenerated, herniated or fractured spinal discs or overgrowth of the spinal vertebral bone. Aggressive and long-term treatment, ranging from three to six months, is usually required to bring relief from pain. The medicines which can be used in this condition include Trayodashang Guggulu, Laxadi Guggulu, Maharasnadi Guggulu, Panchtikta-Ghrut Guggulu, Tapyadi-Loh, Ekangveer-Ras, Vish-Tinduk-Vati, Vat-Gajankush-Ras, Trivang-Bhasma, Mukta-Bhasma, Praval-Panchamrut, Shrung-Bhasma, Godanti-Bhasma, Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera), Haridra (Curcuma longa), Asthishrunkhla (Cissus quadrangularis), Guduchi (Tinospora cordifolia), Amalaki (Emblica officinalis) and Musta (Cyperus rotundus). The patient has to be strongly advised against physician-shopping, in search of a quick remedy.

Regular and moderate exercise and a well-balanced diet provide excellent protection against low back pain. Trunk-rotating exercises and all exercises which bring about an extension of the back muscles are beneficial in this condition. Qualified supervision and advice is however, necessary in order to obtain the maximum possible benefit, while avoiding adverse consequences.

Causes of Back Pain - Where Does Back Pain Come From?

Back pain is mankind's bane. It is one of the most common reasons for visiting the doctor, and around 90 percent of adults have at one time or another experienced it. The pain we feel can originate from any one of our numerous bones, joints, muscles, tissues and ligaments in the back. In terms of pain, our back can be divided into four sections. There is the tailbone pain, the lower back pain, the pain in the upper back and the pain in the neck. Pain can come and go, it can be mild or excruciating, and it can also be chronic. It can start in one place then radiate to other parts of the back. There are back pains that radiate to the arms, legs and feet, and sometimes radiating even to the head. Sometimes the pain is accompanied by a tingling sensation, even numbness and weakness.

What keeps us upright is our spine, which is a complex interconnection of bones, nerves, joints, ligaments and muscles that are all susceptible to injury or damage which in turn can cause pain. What ensues is a brief look at some of the causes of back pain.

The number one cause of back pain is lumbar muscle strain, which can be due to a variety of causes, and a patient may not be able to pinpoint what happened to trigger the muscle strain. The upside of this type of back pain is that it subsides over time and may be completely resolved in weeks.

As we age, our spinal canal can be constricted and cause back pain. This is known as spinal stenosis, and is common among the elder population. The constriction of the spinal canal can be caused by a number of reasons the most common of which is arthritis.

A herniated spinal disc is another cause of back pain. The spinal disc is a cushion located in the gaps between each vertebra. It is elastic but wears out with age, and an injury or an accident can rupture it, causing a portion to slip outside its normal boundary, causing back pain.

While arthritis usually occurs in the joints of the extremities, such as the fingers and knees, sometimes it can affect our joints in the spine as arthritis can affect all the joints in the body. This is a condition known as lumbar spine arthritis. Arthritic pain comes and goes, and happens in varying degrees.

Discogenic back pain occurs at the lower region of the back, caused by injury to the intervertebral disc where the disc is not herniated. A discogram is used to diagnose this type of back pain.

Back pain can also come from osteoporosis, or "brittle bone disease". This condition causes the weakening of the bones, and its increased susceptibility to breakage. Osteoporosis can cause a broken hip or a spine fracture. This is usually prevented by taking calcium to strengthen the bone. Never mind the back pains, osteoporosis could be quite debilitating and life-threatening if it remains unchecked.

Spondylolisthesis is another cause of back pain. It occurs when adjacent vertebra becomes unstable causing it to slip. Degenerative changes causes spondylolisthesis, this is when the stabilizing structures of our spine are lost. An unstable back is a painful one.

Understanding the causes of back pain would make it easier to control or eliminate altogether, but we are still the best judge of whether our back pain is something we can manage, or if we would need to seek medical attention.

Pain in Lower Left Side

There are a number of reasons why pain in your lower left side could exist, as well as a number of solutions on how to reduce and get rid of that pain. In order to determine the exact solution we must first determine the cause of the pain.

What are the common symptoms?

Side pain is a discomfort on the left or right side of the body, typically between the chest and hips. Most pain radiates from damaged bones, muscles or nerves, but blood vessels, organs and other structures can also become infected, or inflamed. Can pain just occur in just the lower left side?

The short answer, yes, pain can occur in one localized area. What causes lower left side pain?

Urinary Causes

Most of the causes in this area stem from the kidney. It could be as simple as a bruised kidney from some type of trauma or it could be something more serious like kidney cancer.

Gastrointestinal Causes

Most gastrointestinal causes are due to abdominal pain, but lower left side pain may occur in conjunction with abdominal pain due to any of the following conditions:

• Appendicitis


• Bowel blockage


• Pancreatic cancer


• Diverticulitis


• Flatulence


• Food poisoning


• Gall bladder disorders


• Crohn's disease


• Irritable bowel syndrome (ibs)


• Liver disorders


• Pancreatitis


• Ruptured spleen

Often times abdominal pain is the actual cause for pain in your lower left side.

Lung Related Causes

Many times lungs can create localized pain in your side because they extend down and towards the sides of your torso. This can be especially for those with asthma after intense sporting events.

Some other related causes are:

• Bronchitis


• Pleurisy


• Pneumonia


• Plumonary edema

Gynecological Causes

Female reproductive organs may become inflamed, infected, or otherwise damaged, causing pain in the lower side, usually directly above the groin. Gynecological causes of side pain include:

• Pregnancy related issues


• Ovarian cysts


• Salpingitis (inflammation of the fallopian tubes)


• Tubo-ovarian abscess (abscess affecting an ovary and fallopian tube)

Cardiovascular Causes

Side pain can possibly arise from heart problems. Most of the following conditions are usually more associated with pain in the chest, just like the lungs, this pain can radiate outward to your side via your ribcage. Cardiovascular conditions include:

• Abdominal aortic aneurysm


• Aortic dissection


• Congestive heart failure


• Coronary artery disease (heart disease)


• Endocarditis (inflammation or infection of the inner lining of the heart)


• Heart attack


• Mitral valve prolapse and other heart valve problems


• Pericarditis (inflammation or infection of the lining that covers the heart)


• Thoracic aortic aneurysm

Other Causes of Side Pain

Many times side pain is caused by something we do, like lifting heavy objects with out proper technique. If you're reading this, you no know what they mean by "lift with your legs." Many of the below causes are also related to the main anatomical categories discussed above, but if you can a narrow it down to something in this list then you'll know what to avoid in the future.

• Exercise


• Fibromyalgia (chronic condition that causes pain, stiffness and tenderness)


• Hernia


• Muscle spasm


• Musculoskeletal injuries, such as a rib fracture or strained muscle in the chest wall, back, or abdomen


• Neuritis (inflammation of a nerve between ribs)


• Seminal vesiculitis (seminal vesicle inflammation)


• Shingles (herpes zoster infection)

After you've had a chance to read through some of the causes, learn how to properly diagnose pain in the lower left side.

Low Back Pain Causes - 5 Tips to Remember When Lifting

When that first sharp pain hits you in the lower back, it is a sure sign that your body is trying to tell you that it is now guarding an injured area. Low back pain causes are numerous and do not always occur to those that do heavy lifting for a living. Everyone should include in their morning routine a few easy stretching exercises to loosen up their back for the day.

Mothers lifting babies off the floor, furniture movers that lift heavy objects every day, and even office workers that dropped a pencil, all need 5 easy tips to remember when lifting no matter how heavy or light the thing you are lifting may be. I have put together a list for you to put into the old memory bank and never forget. Just one of these tips may some day save you chronic back pain that can last a lifetime.

#1 When lifting objects off the floor always bend at the knees keeping your back straight.

#2 Keep the item you are lifting as close as possible to your body.

#3 If necessary go down on one or both knees if the object is heavy.

#4 Always maintain balance and control throughout the lift.

#5 Do proper stretching or warm up exercises before periods of extended lifting.

Causes of lower back pain do not usually happen with just one lift. They are a series of events that happen over a period of time from improper lifting practices. Kind of like the last straw that broke the camel's back. With 80% of all people having some sort of back pain it is a sure sign that most do not use proper lifting techniques, warm up exercises, or stretching. You on the other hand now have 5 easy tips that can save a lot of pain and suffering if you just remember them and use them whenever something needs a lift.

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle with a back that is free from pain can only come from proper lifting techniques and exercises. It is not necessary to do an hour a day of just back exercises in order to stay healthy or to improve back strength. Large core muscles of course need a workout to keep your posture in proper alignment.

Can Shingles Cause Back Pain in the Shoulder Blades?

The term "shingles" refers to a condition caused by the varicella zoster virus, the same virus that causes chicken pox disease. After a person has had the chicken pox, the virus remains dormant, residing in nerve cells. Later on, as a result of many different factors, the virus may reactivate and leave the nerve cell and this is what causes herpes zoster, or shingles.

Reactivation usually occurs as a result of immune function abnormalities. Age, the presence of disease such as rheumatoid arthritis, or the use of immunosuppressive drugs all are risk factors.

Symptoms of shingles consist of an early prodrome or "time before the storm". A patient will experience flu-like symptoms, headache, and possibly a low grade fever and chills.

Shortly thereafter, the patient will notice an itching, burning, uncomfortable sensation. This discomfort usually takes place on the chest or back, but it may also occur on the abdomen, head, face, neck, or an arm or leg.

Swelling of the lymph nodes near the area of discomfort may also be present.

The next phase after the prodrome is the active phase when the rash appears. The rash is fairly typical in its appearance. It presents as a small area or band of reddish, slightly raised bumps. While the rash can occur in a number of locations as mentioned above, shingles only affects one side of the body. As the rash evolves it becomes blister-like.

During this period of time the pain may intensify and if it occurs on the upper back can cause pain radiating into the shoulder blades.

If the rash presents on the forehead or face, the danger is eye involvement which can lead to blindness.
Over a period of days, the blisters open up, ooze, and then begin to crust over. While the healing process can take a few weeks, some patients are left with scarring.

The unfortunate issue is if a patient goes into the chronic phase which is called post-herpetic neuralgia. This is a dreadful complication which may last years. The key symptoms are persistent burning, stabbing pain in the area where the shingles rash was present. Because the pain is chronic and persistent, it interferes with activities of daily living.

One fact is that shingles can occur without producing a typical rash. However, the other symptoms of burning pain are present.

There is a shingles vaccine. It is a live vaccine meaning it contains live virus and shouldn't be given to patients who are on biologic drugs. While the vaccine is not effective for everyone, it is highly recommended for the following situations according to the CDC...

"The vaccine for shingles (Zostavax簧) is licensed for use in people 60 years old and older to prevent shingles. The older a person is, the more severe the effects of shingles typically are, so all adults 60 years old or older should get the shingles vaccine."

Causes of Chronic Low Back Pain?

Low back pain is a very common and sometimes debilitating condition that affects up to 80 % of the population. Most patients that develop the acute onset of low back pain will able to return to normal activities of daily living and become a functional member of society within 6 weeks of onset. Yet, a small percentage of the population can go on to suffer with chronic disabling lumbar pain.

Despite many scientific advances in medicine over the decades, improvement in the quality of healthcare and the proliferation of various new pharmaceuticals, controlling chronic low back pain can be difficult but not impossible. Surgical solutions for treating low back pain is difficult and often met with mixed results and should be the very last option.

Causes of Chronic Low Back Pain

The causes of chronic lumbar pain are many and can include one or a few of the problems listed below in combination, and the causes are not limited to this list:

Degenerative Arthritis: This is the most common cause in adults, and is consistent with the normal wear and tear process to the lumbar spine.
Other types of arthropathies: There are a number of conditions which fall under this section such as Lupus, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Diffuse Idiopathic skeletal Hyperostosis(DISH), Lupus, Ankylosing Spondylosis or other HLA-B27 conditions.
Fibromyalgia: Disease of disuse and muscle deconditioning.
Stress: This could be either emotional or social stressors which can lead to lumbar pain via muscle spasm.
Fractures: This can be as a result of any significant trauma such as a motor vehicle accident.
Muscle Strains: The most common cause as a result of work-related injuries lifting injuries or other types of other trauma.
Herniated Disc: Disruption of the disc that separates two vertebra that results in nerve root compression.
Spinal Stenosis: Compression of the spinal nerves secondary to naturally progressive age related arthritis.
Infection: Bacterial or fungal infection of the spine.
Cancer
Intra-abdominal or pelvic organ pathology: Kidney, pancreas, and aorta problems as well as others can mimic symptoms consistent with traditional lower back pain.

It is because the majority of lower back pain in our society is caused by muscle strain or arthritis, and the frequency is so common, that a delay or missed diagnosis of underlying rare conditions, such as but not limited to fractures, cancer, infection, renal stones, and aortic aneurysms, can occur.

What are the Predisposing Factors for Chronic Lower Back Pain?

There are a number of predisposing factors that can increase a patient's chances of having back issues. Problems such as smoking, alcoholism, obesity, low physical activity, psychosocial issues, sedentary jobs, prior failed back surgery, secondary gain, and deconditioning can all increase a patient's chances of developing or maintaining chronic lower back pain.

As it relates to treatment for lower back pain, it is fortunate that the vast majority of patients will have complete resolution of their pain within six to eight weeks of acute onset. The prevalence of lower back issues in our society persisting longer than two weeks is approximately 14%, with a point prevalence of approximately 7% (Deyo, R. A. 1990).

Treatment

The active treatment of lower back pain has two main focuses, the first of which should always be non-operative care. This should include physical therapy, chiropractic, anti-inflammatories, muscle relaxants, limited use of narcotics, various injections (both diagnostic and therapeutic), weight loss, smoking cessation, muscle reconditioning, and the tincture of time.

As it relates specifically to aerobic exercise, fitness creates an overall protective effect on the spine by increasing muscle strength, endurance, and increasing endorphin levels. This can lead to avoiding conditions such as fibromyalgia, which is a disease of disuse.

The other generalized treatment algorithm may include surgery. It is known that surgical intervention for predominant low back pain typically does not result in excellent long-term results.

Surgical fusion has been met with mixed results for the treatment of predominant low back pain and decompression has a very limited role.

Artificial Disc Replacement (ADR) is showing some significant promise in the treatment of low back pain as well as artificial nucleus. Research is still ongoing as it relates to artificial nucleus replacement, yet artificial disk replacement is available and is no longer experimental as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has completed the initial research and approved ADR for human use since 2003. In Europe, artificial disk replacement has been an approved (CE mark) treatment for over 20 years.

Any patient that is considering treatment for chronic, disabling, low back pain should seek the advice of their primary care physician first and address many of the risk factors that have been outlined above.

Surgical intervention for chronic low back pain is not common, but evaluation by a spinal surgery specialist would be an important step to take if you, as a patient, have remained symptomatic, despite the conservative course, for longer than 6 to 8 weeks.