No More Back Pain
Published by Mike Saros
Issue 2
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Table Of Contents:
1. Opening Comments: Before You Can Effectively Treat Your Back Pain,
You Must Discover The Cause(s) Of Your Back Pain.
2. Articles of Interest
* Herbs The Tonic For Back Ailments?
* Implant Relieves Back Pain
3. Reader Feedback And Questions
4. Affiliate Announcement
5. Next Newsletter
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Opening Comments:
If you feel that back pain is completely overwhelming your life, you are not alone. So many people live with debilitating, even crippling back pain everyday seemingly with no end in sight. It is a daily ritual for them to reach into the medicine cabinet and pop a pill of their favorite over-the-counter pain reliever or doctor prescribed medication.
Despite the publicized health risks for taking these drugs on a continuous basis, back pain sufferers continue to swallow pills even if the relief only lasts temporarily and is miniscule at best. A cycle of doctor visits, pick-ups at the local pharmacy and popping pills becomes a way of life.
But does it have to be this way? Are we truly limited to just a bottle of medication with potential side effects and the one-sided advice from a doctor?
ABSOLUTELY AND POSITIVELY NO WAY!!!
AND YES...YOU AND YOU ALONE CAN DEFEAT YOUR OWN BACK PAIN!
I wanted to discuss a holistic or multi-faceted approach for getting rid of back pain in this issue of my newsletter. In writing this, however, I realized that I jumped the gun a bit. You really need to know the cause or origin of your back pain before you can truly fight and eliminate it.
First, you must understand that everyone for the most part has access to a huge arsenal of tools for combating, eliminating and managing back pain. But not everyone has the same degree and cause of back pain. It is so important to find and effectively use the right set of tools for your own particular situation.
For example, too much rest or relaxation (a tool for getting rid of back pain) has the potential to be detrimental to your health if weak and underdeveloped muscles are the underlying cause of your back pain. On the other hand, if you suffer a herniated disk from playing a sport, rest and relaxation may play a larger role in a quick recovery.
So essentially, effectively treating your back pain first depends on identifying the primary cause(s) or origin(s) of your back pain.
The better you are at identifying the cause of back pain for your own particular situation, the more specific and exact your arsenal of tools will become to effectively eliminate your back pain for good.
So after all that, you must identify the cause(s) of your back pain. Let's look at some common causes of back pain.
Common Causes Of Back Pain
-Poor Posture
-Injury (Sports, Car Accident, Fall, etc.)
-Poor Genetics Or Congenital Disorder (Scoliosis, Spinal Stenosis, Degenerative
Disk, etc.)
-Using Improper Lifting Techniques
-Obesity
-Frail Bone Structure/Osteoporosis/Osteoarthritis
-Muscle Weakness/Imbalances
-Lack Of Exercise/Sedentary Lifestyle
-Poor Nutrition
-Stress/Anxiety
-Poor Sleep
-Performing A Repetitive Motion That Puts Strain On Your Back
Take a good long look at the list above. Just about everyone who suffers
with back pain can relate to one or several if not all of these common
causes of back pain. I, personally, can relate to every single one.
And it's ok to have several causes or identifiers of your back pain. The more you can discover, the more weapons you will have to effectively combat and eliminate your back pain for good.
Back pain is similar to a weed. You can't just mow over the top of it and hope you never see it again. You have to find the root of the weed or the root of the problem in order to effectively treat it.
How do you do this?
Well, you need to examine your own lifestyle. I would like you to ask yourself these questions to help determine your cause(s) of back pain:
Questions To Determine Cause Of Back Pain/Circle All 'Yes' Answers
1. Do I suffer from a congenital condition or was I born with a spinal
condition?
2. Do I not pay attention to my posture either sitting or standing?
3. Do I not practice good posture either sitting or standing?
4. Have I suffered from a recent car accident or fall and subsequently
experienced back pain not long after?
5. Do I do a lot of heavy lifting or bending over in my job or at home?
6. Do I perform an unnatural repetitive motion at work or at home?
7. Do I not practice safe lifting techniques?
8. Am I 20 pounds or more overweight?
9. Do I not eat enough fruits and vegetables?
10.Do I not drink enough water? 8-12 glasses per day?
11.Do I eat too many sweets and foods containing sugar?
12.Have I been diagnosed with osteoporosis or arthritis?
13.Do I lead a sedentary lifestyle? Am I a couch potato?
14.Am I under a lot of stress? Do I suffer with anxiety?
15.Do I have trouble sleeping?
Of course, these are just a handful of questions you could ask yourself to discover the root cause(s) of your back pain. Please circle the questions that have a 'Yes' next to them if you have not already.
Take a good look at the questions you circled. This method is not foolproof but it is a great way to see all the potential causes or root origins of your back pain. You should see the things you need to improve in order to help you live free of back pain.
Now that you know or at least have some idea of the cause(s) of your back pain, next time I would like to delve deeper into the plethora of ways you can combat and eliminate your back pain using very simple techniques including my very own personal secrets and strategies that have worked for me.
See you next time.
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Articles of Interest
Herbs The Tonic For Back Ailments?
Adam Cresswell, Health editor
Australian - Sydney,Australia
Herbal remedies are effective in treating lower-back pain and in some cases work just as well as pharmaceutical drugs.
A review of 10 studies conducted around the world in recent years has found three herbs - Devil's Claw, White Willow Bark and Cayenne - all reduced back pain much more than a placebo, or dummy pill.
And two of the herbs, Devil's Claw, also known as harpagoside, and White Willow Bark, also known as salicin, were just as effective as Vioxx - a member of the newest class of anti-inflammatory painkilling drugs, collectively known as Cox-2 inhibitors.
The findings on the three herbs were released yesterday by the Cochrane Library, an international collaboration that seeks to iron out contradictions in medical evidence by examining a large number of studies looking at the same topic. The Cochrane reviewers found 10 previous studies involving 1567 patients aged 18 or over with chronic or acute lower-back pain.
Devil's Claw is a traditional herb known for its anti-inflammatory and painkilling effects. When given in a daily dose of 60mg of harpagoside, it was as good at reducing pain as a 12.5mg dose of Vioxx.
White Willow Bark, which is similar to aspirin, reduced pain more than a placebo, and a 240mg dose of salicin had the same effect as 12.5mg of Vioxx.
Cayenne has pain-blocking properties and in the studies was tested in the form of a plaster applied to the skin. It reduced pain more than a placebo, and to the same extent as a homeopathic gel called Spiroflor.
In Australia, liquid extracts of Devil's Claw and White Willow Bark cost about $60 for one month's supply, and Cayenne slightly less at about $45 to $50.
Lead reviewer Joel Gagnier, from the University of Toronto, said while the trials had shown good results, there was no evidence they would 'definitely be safe and effective if used over a long period'.
Herbalist John Baxter said the three herbs were extensively used by complementary medical practitioners, but urged people to seek qualified advice. 'We much prefer people to take professional advice before they start taking them,' said Mr Baxter, who runs a clinic in Sydney's lower north shore and is president of the National Herbalists Association of Australia. 'There's a potential for interactions with other herbal medicines.'
Vicki Kotsirilos, a Melbourne GP who also offers complementary treatments, said herbs were not problem-free. Devil's Claw could cause peptic upset and White Willow Bark could interact with the blood-thinning drug, warfarin.
Mike's Comments:
I find it very interesting in this study that Devil's Claw and White Willow
Bark were found to be just as effective as Vioxx, the notorious prescription
painkiller. Now let me clarify something. The effectiveness of these herbs
is not what surprises me. I am surprised that the study was funded in
the first place or that the results of the study were even published because
of the hush-hush mentality on alternative forms of medicine that doesn't
involve getting painful injections or getting sliced open on the operating
table. Nutritional and herbal products make up the next huge wave of healthcare
in this country just as it is in China and Japan for instance. It may
not happen next year or 20 years from now but it will happen. Just as
hydrogen and ethanol will one day stake a larger claim in its marketplace
so will herbal/nutritional medicine.
Click the following link to read the article on the web. Please be advised
that some articles may no longer be posted.
http://www.news.com.au/story/0,10166,18864184-36398,00.html
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Implant Cures Back Pain
Duane Marsteller
Herald Staff Writer
Bradenton Herald - FL, United States
April 20, 2006
It looks like a bullet or a bolt with wing nuts attached, measures slightly longer than an inch and costs $2,000 to $2,500 each. It's also the newest hope of relief for back-pain sufferers. Called X-Stop, it's a titanium-alloy implant that's inserted between bones in the lower spine. It prevents those bones from pinching the spinal canal and the nerves within, which can cause debilitating back and leg pain. 'It acts like a roller. It rolls with movement of the spine,' said Dr. Thomas Sweeney, a Sarasota spinal surgeon who performed the first local implant at Lakewood Ranch Medical Center in January.
The implant is designed for those with lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS), or narrowing of the spinal canal in the lower back. LSS is a degenerative condition that mostly strikes those 50 and over, and is the most common cause of back surgery for older Americans, Sweeney said. Initial treatment for the condition consists of physical therapy, anti-inflammatory painkillers and sometimes cortisone injections, or a combination of all three. That works for most people with LSS, Sweeney said. But when that's not enough, the only choice LSS patients previously had was to undergo major surgery in which parts of the vertebrae are removed. The surgery also can include fusion, which reduces the back's mobility and flexibility and requires weeks of recuperation.
'There are a lot of people out there who are limiting their activities because they don't want to have the surgery,' Sweeney said. For them, the implant is a new option that's less invasive than surgery.
'I think it's a reasonable option for probably 40 percent of stenosis (patients),' Sweeney said.
Virginia 'Ginny' Pascale was among them. The Sarasota country club resident said she could barely walk without support and rarely left the house because of intense pain caused by LSS, but she didn't want fusion surgery. When Sweeney told her about the implant, she didn't hesitate to undergo the procedure at the Lakewood Ranch hospital in February. By mid-April, she was swinging her golf clubs again.
'I'm golfing again. I'm shopping again,' Pascale said. 'I even went back to my fitness class. So far, I have no complaints. The pain's gone. It's wonderful.'
The implant procedure involves making a small incision, usually about an inch or so, in the lower back. The implants are inserted between the spinous processes, small finlike bones that jut from the main spine.
The procedure usually takes about an hour and can be done on an outpatient basis because it does not require general anesthesia. Patients often can go home the same day, Sweeney said.
As with any surgical procedure, there's a small risk of infection and the potential of blood loss requiring a transfusion, Sweeney said. There's also always the rare chance that the implant won't work, especially if the stenosis gets progressively worse. 'I tell my patients it may only work two years, five years, 10 years, you just don't know,' he said. 'It could work for the rest of your life.'
The procedure is covered by most insurance plans and Medicare, but only if it's done on two specific locations of the lower back - between the third and fourth vertebrae, or between the fourth and fifth.
The Federal Drug Administration approved the implant last November after a decade of clinical trials. Surgeons in Europe and Japan have been using the implant since their countries approved it in 2001.
More than 4,000 people worldwide have successfully received the implants, according to St. Francis Medical Technologies Inc., an Alameda, Calif. company that developed the device. Among those is professional golfer Lee Trevino, who had it done in Germany last year. 'They go in only deep enough to implant little titanium rollers between the problem disks and create a buffer where there was no space,' Trevino told Golf Digest in August. 'The success rate is much better than for fusion surgery. And I'm taller now by almost an inch, so I may have to go back and do 'em all.'
Mike's Comments:
Now I'm not one to encourage or discourage surgery even if it is a less
invasive surgical implant such as this; but I did say I would try to inform
you of the latest technologies for eliminating back pain. So here it is.
You should be cautioned that this may only be a temporary fix for someone
with spinal stenosis and may only work in the lumbar area of the spine.
I do like the concept though. It seems affordable. If you suffer with
debilitating pain from spinal stenosis and painful sciatica, you might
want to explore this form of treatment with your doctor.
Click the following link to read the article on the web. Please be advised
that some articles may no longer be posted.
http://www.bradenton.com/mld/bradenton/living/health/14371212.htm
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Reader Feedback And Questions:
Vera writes: Thank you so much for your very informative and interesting
newsletter. I had a bulging disk and some arthritis, which fortunately
has been improving lately. My only problem now is a lump above my left
ankle (an MRI showed nothing unusual, only swelling). This lump is extremely
painful, but this is the only place I have pain. Doctors tell me it is
translating from my back, but my back feels OK. Any ideas? V :+)
Mike's Comments: Hi Vera, Thanks for the email. I'm sorry to hear about your ankle problems. First, I want you to know that I'm not a doctor and I could never replace the advice of your doctor. I understand that your doctors are telling you that your back is the cause of the lump on your ankle. I can't say that I've ever heard of such a thing. I think you first have to find out from your doctor exactly what he means by this. Could it be a side effect of some medication you are on perhaps for your disk problem? Perhaps you are favoring one leg over the other due to pain down your extremities from your herniated disk. Perhaps the extra strain on your leg over time caused the lump to appear? This is purely speculation though. It's impossible for me to really go beyond this. You really need to get a clear informative answer from your doctor and find out exactly how to treat the lump. Good luck Vera and keep in touch.
Unknown writes: You have a long article on water exercise/swimming. What does one do when they can not swim because it is a source of ones back pain?
Mike's Comments: I'm sorry to hear your trouble with swimming. Obviously I wouldn't keep swimming if it were causing back pain. Perhaps you are better off with a wet or heated towel on your back. Or you may want to try a massage or a hot tub. Since everyone is different, finding the ultimate solution(s) is nearly impossible. Did you ever look at how you swim by the way? Perhaps you are twisting something or turning in a wrong manner that causes your back pain? Just a thought. Good luck.
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Next newsletter:
Until next time, I want you to think about the many causes of your own back pain and what you think you can do to eliminate it and prevent it from getting worse. Next time I will be sharing my own personal secrets and strategies for getting rid of back pain. A lot of these things are simple or basic but surprisingly many people are unaware or don't know about them. I think you will find it interesting.
Quick Note:
If you send me an email, please leave your full name or initials along
with place of residence. I would like to include this in the reader feedback/questions
section of the newsletter. Also if you have any other suggestions to make
my newsletter better, please let me know at mike@exclusivehealthproducts.com.
For customer inquiries please email customerservice@exclusivehealthproducts.com
Sincerely,
Mike Saros from BackReliefElite.com
mike@exclusivehealthproducts.com
Visit www.SecretsToAPainFreeBack.com to relieve your back pain forever!