No More Back Pain
Published by Mike Saros
Issue 3
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Table Of Contents:
1. Opening Comments: Constructive Ways To Combat, Eliminate And Manage
Each Cause Of Your Back Pain.
2. Articles of Interest
PHYSICIANS, CHIROPRACTORS AND PHYSICAL THERAPISTS AGREE ON A NEW TREATMENT
FOR LOW BACK PAIN
VAX-D TREATMENT
3. Reader Feedback And Questions
4. Affiliate Announcement
5. Next Newsletter
Opening Comments:
Last time I gave you a list of questions to help you determine some common causes of your back pain. The questions you answered a 'yes' should give you a better idea of certain lifestyle changes you can make to help you eliminate your back pain. The next few issues of my newsletter will look at each question separately as if you answered a 'yes' and then try to come up with constructive ways to combat, eliminate and manage each cause of your back pain.
**Question 1**
Do I suffer with a congenital condition or was I born with a spinal condition? Yes!
Mike's Comments:
Obviously a congenital condition or a spinal condition really puts you behind the 8 ball. A condition you are born with is most likely going to be with you throughout your entire life. Sounds real depressing. But for every down there is an up or for every negative there is a positive. At least that's been my philosophy when it comes to combating, eliminating and managing my back pain and my spinal stenosis.
If you suffer with a spinal condition, explore all your options for treatment and pain managment. Ask your doctor or chiropractor about the newest technologies or advancements. Surgery should always be a last resort to your back pain solution. If you are thinking about surgery, always ask your doctor about the potential dangers and risks. Don't just rely on one opinion from your doctor either. Get at least 2-3 opinions before taking such a huge step. Also, if you decide to have surgery, you must have realistic expectations about the outcome. Understand that back surgery may only offer a temporary solution and have a longer recovery time compared to other types of surgery. Don't get discouraged if it takes several months for discs and especially nerves to heal completely after surgery.
You should also treat your back or spinal condition as a challenge or even motivation to work especially hard toward relieving your back pain. Be as knowledgable as you can and humble about your own particular spinal condition but also be defiant that it is going to rule your life. In a way your back must take center stage in your daily thoughts especially if you suffer with a condition or spinal disorder. You have to be thinking about what you are doing to your back each and everyday as far as the way you sit, stand, twist, or move at all. You must always be keenly aware of the dangers and risks that any behaviors or actions can impose on your back.
**Question 2**
Do I not pay attention to my posture either sitting or standing? Yes!
Mike's Comments:
Now I know what you are thinking already. 'I practice good posture and I don't need to read this.' Ahhh...but do you really pay attention to your posture? Can you honestly say when you sit down or take a walk that you are reminding yourself about your posture? I bet the only time you really pay attention to your posture is when you sit up after slouching in your seat and then tell yourself, 'I am practicing good posture.' Now think about all the time that you are practicing bad posture and don't even realize it. And you wonder why you have back pain? Look, unless you are a robot, you can't practice perfect posture all the time. Whether sitting or standing, just try to be more aware of your overall posture.
**Question 3**
Do I not practice good posture either sitting or standing? Yes!
Mike's Comments:
Ok...so you need to practice better posture. What can you do? There's a lot you can do besides just sitting up straight. One of the easiest ways to fall into a habit of poor posture is typing. Your hands reach for the keyboard which causes your shoulders to slump forward. This promotes poor posture and can lead to back problems. Here's a trick. Get a yard stick and place it across the center of your sternum just below your clavicle bones. As you are sitting and holding the yard stick (or you could have someone hold it for you) try to keep your shoulders from touching it. You shouldn't feel like you have to hold your shoulders back either. Good posture should always be comfortable. This will teach you to keep your shoulders from slumping forward and causing you to have poor posture. Practice this a few times with the yard stick. Do it long enough until it is reinforced in your mind and you are trained to keep your shoulders back without having to use a yard stick. Also, try not to lean to one side either sitting or standing. It's so easy to just lean to one side and let your elbow rest on a table while sitting or lean your body weight to one side while standing in one place. These tiny shifts albeit small and seemingly insignificant put a gradual strain on the muscles and vertebrae in your back.
Now what else can you do to practice better posture? Well, you can analyze your own posture while sitting in front of a mirror. Look in the mirror and see if you are sitting all the way back in your chair. See if your shoulders are slumped forward? Does the lower lumbar area of your back fit snug up against your chair if it has a lumbar support? Are you sitting straight in the chair instead of at an angle? Are you leaning too much against the back of the chair which can promote the sagging of back muscles and poor posture? These are just some of the observations you can make to better analyze faults so you can make the necessary adjustments for better overall posture.
Do you own a good pair of shoes? It is so important to have a relatively new pair of comfortable running shoes or casual shoes or boots to maintain good posture. I once owned a pair of rubber-soled boots that I wore for about 2 years. One of the rubber souls of the boots was completely worn down making one of my legs essentially longer than the other and throwing my spine completely out of alignment. Moral of the story: Check your shoes and make sure you don't have the same problem. If you have a pair of running shoes, you might want to consider buying a new pair every 3-6 months depending on how much you run.
One more thought that immediately comes to mind while we are on the subject of leg length is short-leg syndrome. Many people may have one leg slightly shorter than the other and not even know it. If you suspect this might be the cause of your back pain, you might want to see a chiropractor or an orthapaedist to make a proper evaluation. A simple lift or insert in your shoe might be all you need to correct this problem and end your back pain.
If you really have a hard time maintaining good posture you can try a support or lumbar device such as a lumbar roll. Since many sofas or pieces of furniture are so poorly designed for your back anatomically, a lumbar roll should certainly be used on a chair or especially a couch that really doesn't offer any lumbar support.
Next time I would like to address more of the questions used to determine the cause of back pain and further discuss more constructive ways or methods you can implement to combat, eliminate and manage your own back pain.
See you next time.
Articles Of Interest
PHYSICIANS, CHIROPRACTORS AND PHYSICAL THERAPISTS AGREE
ON A NEW TREATMENT FOR LOW BACK PAIN
By Steven Zodkoy
One of the most prevalent and difficult health conditions to treat in the physical medicine is low back pain. The difficulty in treating low back pain comes from the fact that there are numerous causes including herniated discs, bulging discs, degenerative discs, muscle spasms, facet arthritis, and sciatica. While the vast majority of low back problems are relieved in a few days, there are still millions of Americans suffering with severe and chronic pain. The number of opinions on how to treat low back pain are as numerous as the physicians trying to help the patients, until recently. The last few years has brought about a revolution in the treatment of low back pain where all types of healthcare providers agree on the best treatment.
Neurologist, orthopedists, family doctors, chiropractors and physical therapists are now all in agreement over the best therapy for low back pain, IDD therapy. IDD therapy refers to Intervertebral Disc Decompression. Intervertebral Disc Decompression is quickly becoming the treatment of choice for healthcare givers of low back suffers. The over whelming acceptance of Intervertebral Disc Decompression as the treatment of choice for low back pain comes from the extremely high rate of success found by the FDA. The FDA studies released noted that Intervertebral Disc Decompression was successful in a full 86% of all low back cases, without the need for surgery, injections, medication or pain. The FDA studies included patients with herniated discs, bulging discs, degenerative discs, facet syndrome, sciatica, arthritis and stenosis with most patients have several overlapping problems as seen by MRIs. Many of the patients in the study had sciatica and muscle spasms and still Intervertebral Disc Decompression gave significant relief to over 86% of the patients.
MRI findings Starting Pain level Ending Pain level 1. 3 herniated discs 10/10 1/10 2. Degenerative discs with disc herniations L4-5 10/10 2/10 3. Spinal Stenosis with disc degeneration 9/10 1/10 4. Disc degeneration with facet syndrome (arthritis) 8/10 1/10 5. Bulging discs L4-5, L5-S1 8/10 1/10 6. Disc degeneration with stenosis 7/10 1/10
These are some of the many patients results that have been achieved through Intervertebral Disc Decompression therapy at Monmouth Advanced Medicine in Freehold. These results are even more impressive when you consider that on average prior to trying Intervertebral Disc Decompression therapy. our patients tried; chiropractic care 72%, traditional physical therapy 76%, had spinal epidurals 44%, medication 100%, and spinal surgery 12% . Even when traditional treatments failed, Intervertebral Disc Decompression therapy offered dramatic relief.
Intervertebral Disc Decompression is so effective because it corrects the cause of the pain and not just the symptoms. A patient who receives Intervertebral Disc Decompression has a pair of harnesses placed around their waist and chest, a computer then generates a preset amount of decompression. The separation of the harnesses causes disc decompression and leads to negative pressure inside the disc, a vacuum is formed in the problem discs. The vacuum in the disc allows for the re absorption of herniated and bulging discs. The negative vacuum in a problem disc will also absorb water to help regenerate degenerative discs and help restore disc heights. Discs that have had the bulges, herniations, and degenerative changes reduced have more room for nerves, more room and movement for arthritic joints, have less spinal stenosis, and greatly reduced pain. Pre and Post MRI findings show that Intervertebral Disc Decompression therapy will reduce the size of disc herniations and bulges. Degenerative discs and arthritic joint spaces will increase in size allowing for more movement and less nerve irritation. The long term results achieved with the therapy are impressive.
To improve the long term results of Intervertebral Disc Decompression patients are instructed on how to properly stretch and lift to prevent future occurrences. While undergoing Intervertebral Disc Decompression therapy patients also receive traditional therapy to reduce pain, increase joint movement, and decrease muscle tightness. Patients who continue to do mild stretching and range of motion exercises daily have shown to have excellent long term results without exacerbations. The results achieved with Intervertebral Disc decompression therapy are unmatched and there are several additional benefits.
Intervertebral Disc Decompression has several other factors that have doctors and patients signing its praises. Intervertebral Disc Decompression is a form of physical therapy, so no medication, shots or invasive procedures are needed. An average patient will usually receive 24-32 Intervertebral Disc Decompression treatments with therapy over an 8 week period. A patient will start usually start to notice significant pain relief within the first 2-3 weeks. Patients are treated 3-4 times a week for 6-8 weeks without the loss of time from work or they are able to return to work faster than with traditional physical therapy. IDD therapy is totally painless so patients with even the most sever pain can receive treatment. The gentle and safe nature of the therapy has also made is useful for patients as young as 13 and as old as 90+. The high success rate and the quick results achieved with this therapy has also made insurance and Medicare reimbursement available. Patients praise the treatment for not just the pain relief the therapy offers, but for the return of more normal lifestyle.
Tom W., a school teacher stated,' I began to experience intense excruciating pain in my low back often accompanied with burning, shooting nerve pains and constantly spasming muscles associated with sciatica. I sought immediate help at a hospital emergency room where a needle in my lower back was used to kill thee pain. The next four months consisted of many visits to my orthopedic doctor, a MRI, X-rays, 12 epidural blocks, prescription painkillers and 3 months of intense physical therapy, all to absolutely no avail..........Your Intervertebral Disc Decompression and physical therapy regiment has been a Godsend to me. The process was generally painless and often comfortable and relaxing for me. I sincerely never felt physically better...' Patients who complete Intervertebral Disc Decompression therapy are often able to return to the activities that they thought they would never be able to do again.
Intervertebral Disc Decompression therapy is even effective when traditional therapies and surgery has failed. A recent review of patients showed that Intervertebral Disc Decompression offered over a 95% reduction in pain even when surgery, physical therapy, chiropractic, medication, and spinal epidurals failed. The American Academy of Pain Management recommends the therapy for all low back pain suffers, except those patients with severe osteoporosis and metal spinal implants. The high success rate, fast results and minimal side effects makes Intervertebral Disc Decompression the first choice for doctors who specialize in treating low back problems.
Mike's Comments:
I want to throw in a few more bits of interesting information about IDD. Intervertebral Disc Compression is already the standard of low back pain care in Canada. In fact, the state of Tennessee recently passed a law requiring doctors to notify patients about IDD before having surgery because it's so effective. For a non-invasive procedure that has such a high success rate, may cost a fraction of the amount of surgery and might be covered by insurance or Workers Compensation depending on the state, it is definitely something to explore and strongly consider. The biggest disadvantage I found so far from studying IDD is its lack of availability either in the U.S. or globally. This procedure is also not advised for people with tumors, fractures, advanced osteoporosis, or who are pregnant.
VAX-D TREATMENT
Taken From www.vax-d.com
VAX-D is a non-invasive treatment for patients with acute or chronic low back pain and radicular pain and symptoms (leg pain and numbness) from herniated or degenerated discs and posterior facet syndrome. Patients who have had back surgery and continue to have pain (Failed Back Syndrome) may also benefit from VAX-D.
People who suffer from severe, chronic pain know how it can utterly disrupt one's life. Pain can make it hard to enjoy even the simplest daily activities, and make it a challenge to carry out an exercise routine and other healthy activities. Chronic pain is one of the most debilitating health conditions. Back pain is a very complicated personal experience.
The severity of pain from lower back injuries may be unrelated to the extent of the physical damage present. Many back pain sufferers live a life of compromise in their activities. Many patients find that as they grow older, episodes of low back pain become more frequent, their pain worsens in intensity and it takes longer for them to recover.
There are many different terms to describe lumbar disc pathology. The terms include: annular tears, bulging disc, disc protrusion, slipped disc, herniated disc, ruptured or extruded discs, sequestered disc, disc degeneration (or degenerative disc disease), pinched nerve, sciatica etc.
The lumbar discs are the cushions between the lumbar vertebrae. They are refer-enced as L1-L2, L2-L3, L3-L4, L4-L5 and L5-S1. Damage can occur when the disc is subjected to increased disc pressures (load) accompanied by rotation and sheer forces. Degenerative changes occur within the discs as part of the natural aging process. It is estimated that over 90% of compressive disc injuries (herniations etc) occur at L4-L5 and L5-S1.
VAX-D Therapy combines a number of patented treatment principles. The treatment is designed to relieve pressure on structures that may be causing back pain generally associated with bulging or herniated discs and degenerative disc disease. VAX-D is safe and effective without any of the risks associated with surgery, injections or anesthesia.
Patients receive an average of 20-25 treatments, once daily, a minimum of five days per week. The number of sessions needed varies depending upon the severity of the condition and the patient's response to the treatment.
Patients with pathology at multiple levels may require more sessions. Once in remission, it is recommended that patients continue to receive one session per week for four weeks. For patients that must shorten their treatment schedule, treatments may be administered twice daily. These should be scheduled as far apart in the day as possible.
Patients are fitted with a patented 'pelvic harness' and then the treatments are administered on the VAX-D Table and console by a trained technician. Each session is approximately 45 minutes in duration.
Patients find VAX-D to be comfortable and relaxing. Many experience a relief of their pain and symptoms during the VAX-D sessions, and then a gradual reduction of symptoms as treatment progresses.
All patients are treated fully clothed. Two-piece clothing that separates at the waist, and that can be loosened at the wrists and neck is most comfortable. Patients should refrain from activities that significantly increase intradiscal pressure during the course of treatment (lifting, bending, certain exercises etc).
In addition, as part of the overall therapeutic protocol, patients with an inflammatory component to their condition may require the concomitant use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents (NSAIDs) or other medications.
Patients with certain conditions such as tumors, bone fractures, or osteoporosis are not candidates for this treatment.
Mike's Comments:
You are thinking,'Didn't I just read about that or isn't that just like the IDD?' Well, as far as I can tell, it is pretty much the same technique except for the way it is administered to the patient. The IDD has the patient lying down on his or her back and the VAX-D has the patient lying in a prone position on his or her stomach. Either way, the effects each technique has on patients with back pain appear to be roughly the same. Both techniques are designed to create a decompression in a disk that impinges on nerves and causes back pain. Your body then 'inflates' (in a way) the disk with fresh water and nutrients which promotes a strong, healthy pain-free back.
Now you should know the IDD reportedly has an overall 86% success rate for 'all low back cases' while the VAX-D reportedly has at least a 70% success rate for all bulging or herniated disks. I especially wanted to mention VAX-D because I found that it is widely available in the United States and in a few other countries. If you are interested in the Vax-D procedure you can go to www.vax-d.com and click the button called 'Vax-D Centers' to find a location near you.
Reader Feedback And Questions
Dennis writes:
'Interesting newsletter Mike! Informative and straight forward. I'm
waiting to hear the results of my recent CAT scan today, but that new
surgery Trevino had is worth further investigation. Until 3 mos. ago I
golfed 120 to 130 days a year. Then the back struck. Sanity is
becoming more elusive. Thanks for your letter.'
Dennis Wagner
Mike's Email Response:
Hi Dennis,
Thanks for your email. If you would like more information about the implant
device the best thing to do is goto www.sfmt.com and click on either the
U.S. site or European site depending on where you live. This is the website
of the company with the patent for the X-Stop device. Once you get to
either the U.S. site or European site, click on the link on the left hand
side that says 'patients wishing to be contacted click here.' That will
take you to a form where you can submit your information and have someone
contact you about this procedure. Here is another article on the X-Stop
by the way. Copy and paste http://www.transworldnews.com/NewsStory.aspx?storyid=7963&ret=Current.aspx?pg=2
for more. Apparently the procedure is available all over the U.S. Be sure
to consult your physician to make sure this procedure is right for you.
I hope this helps. Good luck with the back and the golf game.
Amy writes:
'Thanks so much for your newsletter. It is very
informative and a benefit to my health knowledge. By the
way, I have stiff and painful shoulders from having incorrect posture.
I have adjusted my posture but the stiffness continues and makes me very
uncomfortable.
I would appreciate it if you could introduce me to some ways for relief.
Thanks and have a good day!'
Amy Tong
Mike's email response:
Hi Amy,
I know how you feel. I've spent the whole day at my computer answering emails. I know how your back, neck and shoulders can get tight and sore. I just make sure I don't sit for too long. Let's face it. You can't sit with perfect posture all the time so it's important to get up and move around frequently. Stretch your shoulders, neck and back. Remember to take deep breaths while you stretch. Hold stretches for at least 10-15 seconds. I hope this helps and good luck with your back and shoulders.
Bonnie writes:
'In November I had back surgery in the lumbar region. He was going to do a 4' incision as I had two pinched nerves. He said he kept finding more repair work and the incision was 12'. I am doing much better and no pain from the pinched nerves. However, my tummy seems to be protruding and I still get back pain if I walk too much. I have been through 12 weeks of Physical Therapy and 6 weeks of Massage Therapy. What can I do? Appreciate any advice you can give me.'
Bonnie
Mike's email response:
Hi Bonnie,
I'm sorry to hear about your back pain. I should first tell you that I'm not a doctor and nothing I say could take the place of the advice of your own doctor who is well aware of your medical history. Now with that said, I had surgery on my lower back about 12 years ago for 2 herniated disks that put a lot of pressure on my sciatic nerve. It took me about 12-18 months to fully recover. Healing from the incision is much faster than the healing on the inside. Those nerves or pinched nerves in your case need time to heal and recover. If you do too much walking, it probably will irritate the nerves and soft tissue areas of your back. You have to be patient. It is going to take awhile. The best thing you can do is eat right meaning lots of fruits and veggies that have Vitamin C, Copper, Calcium and Vitamin D. Drink lots of water. Try to find creative ways to exercise that don't put a lot of strain on your back. Swimming or water aerobics is the best exercise. It puts minimal strain on your back and increases blood circulation at the same time. I have one final thought for you. You may want to bring this up with your PT. You said your abdomen appears to be sticking out. The appearance of this may be caused by poor posture due to a muscle imbalance especially in the pelvic region. Ask your PT to analyze your pelvic alignment. Sometimes back pain is caused by muscles pushing and pulling the pelvis out of alignment. In other words your pelvis should not be tilted forward nor should it be tilted up. You can also analyze your own pelvis in the mirror to see if there is an alignment problem. Good luck and I hope this helps.
Sincerely,
Mike
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Next Newsletter
Next time I would like to look at more of the questions I provided in the previous issue of my newsletter so you can better recognize the potential causes of your back pain. I want to offer more constructive ways for combating, eliminating and managing back pain. I should have more interesting articles as well. Thanks for reading.
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
P.S. Try Back Relief Elite today and become back pain-free at www.BackReliefElite.com
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