No More Back Pain
Written By Mike Saros
Issue 6

Table Of Contents:

1. Special Announcement
2. Opening Comments: More Constructive Ways To Combat, Eliminate And Manage Each Cause Of Your Back Pain.
3. Articles of Interest
Dr. BRETT VAN NORMAN OF SHAMMAMISH, WA TREATS CHRONIC BACK PAIN SUFFERERS.
BACK PAIN AND OBESITY
4. Reader Feedback And Questions
5. Affiliate Announcement
6. Next Newsletter
*******************************

Special Announcement:

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Opening Comments:

Well, we are really making serious headway thru the many questions I gave you to help determine your own cause(s) of back pain. Here is a small refresher of those questions. I hope so far you understand more about the reasons for your own back pain. Hopefully, you have practiced some of the methods or techniques in my newsletter to help you get rid of your back pain for good.

Questions To Determine Your 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?

In this issue of my newsletter I would like to look at questions 8 and 9.

**Question 8**

Am I 20 pounds (9 kilograms) or more overweight?

Mike's Comments:

This can be a very painful question to answer but a necessary one. It is no secret being overweight can lead to back pain and unfortunately that may only be the tip of the iceberg. Obesity can also lead to numerous other health problems such as heart or liver disease and diabetes just to name a few.

But how do you know if your are overweight? One of the ways to determine if you are overweight is by calculating your body mass index or (BMI). Your body mass index is a value indicative of your body's fat content. In order to calculate your BMI you need to divide your weight by the square of your height. To make it a little simpler for you, I have provided the following link with a BMI calculator so you can check your own BMI. You can enter pounds or kilograms for your weight.

Here is the link for the BMI calculator

http://testyourself.netdoctor.co.uk/interactivetests/bmi.php

You can see where a BMI of anything greater than 25 might mean you are overweight. I say 'might' because this calculator does not take into account bone or muscle mass which increases the BMI. For instance, I'm 6 feet tall and 192 pounds. My BMI is about 26 which seems to indicate that I'm overweight. Now, I admit I could probably lose a couple pounds but I'm not overweight.

Now, if you don't carry a lot of muscle mass or if you aren't big boned, then you can probably use the BMI calculator as a close to accurate indicator of being overweight or obese.

Once you get your BMI from this calculator tool I would like you to read the rest of the webpage. I strongly agree with the weight loss advice and tips it provides to help you if you are overweight or obese.

There was a time when I, myself, was overweight. I actually weighed over 200 pounds. I know for a fact that my back pain was the result of not exercising and eating a lot of junk food.

As I changed my lifestyle and began eating healthier and exercising regularly, I began to lose weight. Once this happened I noticed that my back pain diminished in frequency and intensity.

But what are some things you can do to lose weight? I hate this question by the way because most people should know this by now. The real question should be...

How can I GET MOTIVATED to lose weight?

After all I can tell you to eat right and exercise but does that really help you?

Probably not because you already know that stuff!

Motivation must come from inside you. One of the ways to stir up motivation inside you is to get a better understanding of all the benefits regular exercise and sound nutrition have to offer you.

For instance, we all hear about losing weight. I have to eat right and exercise to lose weight. But instead, what if we tell ourselves 'I have to eat right and exercise regularly to...'

1. Lose weight
2. End my back pain
3. Strengthen my heart
4. Reduce fat in my arteries
5. Keep my liver and kidneys healthy
6. Decrease my chances of Diabetes
7. Decrease my chances of getting Cancer
8. Live longer to enjoy my grandchildren
9. Feel physically and mentally stronger
10.Impress my friends and family
11.Feel great about myself
12.And on and on and on...

The more benefits you can think of for yourself personally, besides just 'losing weight,' the more motivated you can become to actually do something about it.

My main motivation for going to the gym is not losing weight or building muscle. It is ending my back pain and staying healthy. And you know what...I've gone to the gym now enough that I actually enjoy it. In fact, I love it. I bet you will too.

But being motivated is not enough. It does require a REAL SOLID commitment to take action. I'm talking about eating carrot sticks instead of potato chips and going to the gym instead of lying on the couch watching your favorite movie. These aren't exactly huge sacrifices for a lot of us but they are sacrifices and they do involve change which most human beings naturally resist.

Once you change over to healthy lifestyle, you simply must fight the temptation to quit because it is new to you or uncomfortable at first. The more you live a health conscious lifestyle the easier it will get and the more lasting benefits (like the ones numbered above) you will see and experience in your life.

**Question 9**

Do I not eat enough fruits and vegetables? Yes!

Mike's Comments:

The most important improvement you can make to your nutrition plan is the addition of a wide variety of fruits and vegetables throughout your day. Fruits and vegetables give your body the vitamins, minerals, Omega 3's, antioxidants and dietary fiber it needs to maintain healthy body processes and functions.

Speaking of fiber, fruits and vegetables also make your body feel fuller so you don't have the urge to snack so much. By not snacking so much and by eating healthier you are bound to lose more weight.

Fruits and vegetables will strengthen your body's cardiovascular system and immunity to help your body heal, thwart off diseases and relieve pain and inflammation.

Pineapple, for instance, contains a natural pain reliever called bromelain which happens to be in Back Relief Elite. I like to eat pineapple as a snack in the morning or with breakfast. This is a great way to stay healthy and defeat your back pain at the same time. Other foods that have pain relieving properties include dark chocolate, fish, avocados, and spices like ginger and tumeric to name a few.

I have provided a link to a website that shows you 5 different colored fruit and vegetable groups. Each colored group shows you the unique health benefits it has to offer. Be sure to check it out.

Here is that link: http://www.5aday.org/html/colorway/colorway_home.php

Please understand that a sound nutrition plan and a regular exercise plan are essential to losing weight and ending back pain. You must eat a wide variety of foods and try a variety of different exercises. Whether or not you think your nutrition plan is sound or not, you can always try different foods or tweak your daily intake of fruits and vegetables to maintain and/or improve your health.

I will see you next time.

Articles Of Interest

Dr. BRETT VAN NORMAN OF SHAMMAMISH, WA TREATS CHRONIC BACK PAIN SUFFERERS.
Posted by Ben Cummings

Dr. Brett Van Norman of Excel Chiropractic uses chiropractic to treat patients who have chronic back pain. Studies show that chiropractic care is more effective in treating chronic back pain than medical care is.

Chronic back pain is a multi-billion dollar expense in the United States. It is estimated that about 50 million Americans are living with chronic pain and two-thirds of our population will suffer from some type of acute or chronic back pain at some point of our lives.

You don't have to suffer with chronic back pain anymore says Dr. Brett Van Norman of Excel Chiropractic. The use of chiropractic has been proven to rid cases of chronic back pain. Traditionally, Americans tend to gravitate towards medical care to treat their chronic back pain. According to a study in the fall of 2005 in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, medical and chiropractic care costs are about equal, but chiropractic care produces better results in treating chronic back pain.

According to Dr. Van Norman, 'Chronic back pain is an epidemic. It affects the quality of every day life for millions of people. It is particularly frustrating to see so many suffer when a viable solution exists. Chiropractic has been shown to be 90% cheaper than surgery for back pain.'

Many times chronic back pain sufferers rely on over the counter or prescription pills to provide temporary relief each day. 'This is not a healthy way of dealing with chronic back pain, in fact reliance on these kinds of drugs have negative side effects on your liver, kidneys, and stomach. Use of pain killers also numb a person from warning signals given by their body. I've seen patients with acute back pain who prolong their recovery time. Instead of resting, they will get temporary pain relief from a pain killer and further strain their back muscles and ligaments, says Dr. Van Norman.

Mike's Comments:

This article is prompted in response to a lot of worthy criticism I received from Back Relief Elite clients who read an article from ME about the dangers of chiropractic care. The article was intended to be an informative autoresponder. To my regret the article was outdated, one-sided and unfair toward a lot of decent, hard-working and very competent chiropractors who help people every single day get rid of their back pain. It was very lazy on my part and irresponsible to put out such an article as this one. I sincerely apologize to my audience especially those affiliated with chiropractic care.

BACK PAIN AND OBESITY
Posted on SpineUniverse.com

According to the American Obesity Association (AOA) 64.5 percent of adult Americans (about 127 million) are categorized as being overweight or obese (1). The unfortunate truth is that obesity is becoming a global epidemic affecting adults and children.

Connection to Back Pain

Most people know that obesity contributes to the development of coronary heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, and colon cancer. However, did you know that obesity is a contributing factor to back pain? It is true. Being overweight or obese can significantly contribute to symptoms associated with osteoporosis, osteoarthritis (OA), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), degenerative disc disease (DDD), spinal stenosis, and spondylolisthesis.

The spine is designed to carry the body's weight and distribute the loads encountered during rest and activity. When excess weight is carried, the spine is forced to assimilate the burden, which may lead to structural compromise and damage (e.g. injury, sciatica).

One region of the spine that is most vulnerable to the effects of obesity is the low back; the lumbar spine. Lack of exercise and bodily conditioning leads to poor flexibility and weak muscles in the back, pelvis, and thighs. This can increase the curve of the lower back causing the pelvis to tilt too far forward. Further, this is detrimental to proper posture and as posture weakens, other regions of the spine (neck) may become painful.

You may try to dismiss the cause of some of these spinal disorders to the process of normal aging. It is true that with age body tissues can cause changes to spinal anatomy (2). However, if you are overweight or obese, chances are you have, or will have, back pain.

Osteoporosis

A sedentary lifestyle coupled with an unbalanced diet can affect the density, or strength of the bones (spinal vertebrae). When the structural architecture of a vertebral body is compromised, it is at risk for fracture. Vertebral fractures can be painful and disabling. If you have been diagnosed with osteoporosis, you have probably lost between 25-30% of desirable bone density.

If the diagnosis is osteopeonia, bone loss has been in the range of 10-15% (3).

Osteoarthritis (OA) and Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA)

The joints in the spine are called facet joints. Excessive body weight places unnatural pressure and stress on the joints during movement and at rest.

Low Back Pain

Obesity may aggravate an existing low back problem and contributes to recurrence of the condition.

General

Unhealthy posture accounts for neck and back pain. A level of physical fitness is necessary to properly support the spine.

Development of Obesity

Industrialization and modernization has had a tremendous impact on our food. For example, food can be purchased just about anywhere. No longer is it necessary to expend physical effort to hunt and forage for food. There are vast numbers of processed food products available and labor saving devices (e.g. microwave ovens) to cook food. The market for many convenience foods and kitchen devices came about when women entered the work force.

Childhood obesity is on the rise due to many factors that include sedentary behavior (e.g. computer games), eating when not hungry, television advertising high-calorie 'tasty' foods, and even genetics.

According to the Surgeon General's 'Call to Action to Prevent and Decrease Overweight and Obesity' 40% of adults in the United States do not participate in any leisure-time physical activity and less than 1/3 engage in at least 30 minutes of physical activity most days (4).

Another consideration is where meals are eaten. In 1992, 38% of the food dollar was spent on foods eaten away from home (5). It can be difficult to control what you eat and how the food is prepared (e.g. fried versus broiled) at a restaurant; especially 'fast food' establishments.

If you are overweight, obese, or working at maintaining a healthy weight, there are many tools available to empower your efforts.

Power to Change

A good attitude about weight loss will go a long way in helping you to be successful. Whether your weight problem has resulted from eating the wrong foods, lack of regular physical exercise, using food to fight stress, age, or genetics - you can help to overcome that by setting sensible goals and having realistic expectations.

The first step to take is to discuss your readiness for weight loss and overall health with your doctor. Your doctor can help you make smart informed choices about therapies that include weight loss plans and exercise best suited to your needs.

Therapies include dietary, behavioral, drug, and for some patients, surgical modification of the digestive system to reduce the amount of food consumed. A realistic and safe weight loss plan can lead to success.

Your doctor may refer you to a weight loss or metabolic specialist. Assessing your body weight is more involved than stepping on the scale. The assessment usually involves measuring your Body Mass Index (BMI), waist circumference, and medical history. This information is evaluated to determine your risks due to excess weight (e.g. high blood pressure).

Nutrition Means to Feed Your Body

In case you haven't noticed, the 'D' word (Diet) has not been used in this article as it relates to weight reduction. Granted, a weight loss program will require caloric reduction. However, for many overweight or obese people, a weight loss program means making lifestyle changes, which may include relearning how to eat, manage stress, and exercise.

It is vitally important to feed your body the nutrients it needs to be healthy and survive. No one food contains all the essential nutrients - it takes combining a wide variety of foods to help meet your body's needs. If you have been overweight or obese for a long time, your body may actually be starving for necessary nutrients!

Eat to Lose Weight: Suggestions

If you have tried to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight in the past, some of these suggestions may be redundant to you.

· Drink 8 glasses of water every day (not including tea, coffee or other beverages)

· Eat only when hungry and just until you are full

· Eat slowly in a relaxed environment. It takes 20 minutes for your stomach to message the brain that you are full

· Choose foods that require a lot of chewing; you will be satisfied with less food

· A warm beverage with a meal helps to make you feel full and satisfied

· Trick your eye by serving food on a smaller plate

· Starving between meals? Try a piece of fruit with a few almonds

· Keep your kitchen stocked with healthy foods and ready to eat snacks

· Remember that small steps add up to help you achieve goals

Fiber and Carbohydrates
Some weight management plans advocate eliminating or seriously limiting carbohydrate consumption. However, this may not be ideal because healthy sources of carbohydrates contain fiber the body needs.

It is recommended that adults consume 25 grams of fiber per day. Adequate dietary fiber is ideal for preventing obesity as well as other diet-related disease and for maintaining body weight (7). An estimated amount consumed by most Americans is 15 grams per day (8).

The best sources of carbohydrate that help to fulfill fiber requirements come from whole grains, fruits and vegetables; fresh unprocessed foods. The closer the food is to its natural state the better. For example, the fiber in oatmeal draws water into the intestines and helps maintain regularity, which decreases the time potential carcinogens spend in the digestive track. Fresh fruits and vegetables are loaded with antioxidants and vitamins that help to neutralize free-radicals. To increase daily fiber intake, consider these suggestions:

· Eat whole grain breads, cereals, pastas, couscous

· Eat raw fruits and vegetables

· Mix bran into cereals, casseroles, muffins, even salad

· Incorporate beans (e.g. garbanzo, kidney) into soup and salad

Sodium - Salt
Sodium is a mineral that is found naturally in foods and is the major part of table salt. Some sodium is needed (500 milligrams = ¼ teaspoon per day) for the body water balance. However, too much salt causes thirst, fluid gain, and contributes to high blood pressure.

Salt is hidden in fast foods, prepackaged frozen food products, beverages, candy bars, canned vegetables and soups - virtually hundreds of food items. Try to cut back on convenience foods, rinse canned vegetables, choose Swiss Lorraine or string cheese (these have the least amount of sodium), reduce salt used in cooking (taste first!), purchase a cook book on using herbs to season food, and order 'fresh' food when dining out.

Sugar
If sugar was an 'essential' nutrient, a supplement manufacturer would have made it available decades ago! Sugar is sometimes called a 'simple carbohydrate' and is found in many forms including sucrose (table sugar), fructose (fruit sugar, honey), maltose (malt sugar), and lactose (milk sugar). Similar to sodium, sugar is hidden in many prepared foods for purchase. If your sweet-tooth grabs you, try fresh fruit to stave off the craving.

One way to avoid excessive sugar consumption is to learn to read food labels. Try baking your own sweets with half the sugar, substitute 'conserves' for fruit preserves, add your own fresh fruit to plain yogurt, and avoid temptation - don't buy cookies, cakes and other sugar-laden treats for guests.

Portion Control
Since the mid-1950's portions of food/beverages served in restaurants and similar establishments has just kept getting larger. If you are accustomed to eating many meals away from home, learning what a normal portion of a particular food is may seem shocking.

For example, in 1957 the average fast food burger weighed about 1 ounce - today burgers weigh 6 ounces or more. The 8 fluid ounces of soda served in 1957 has grown to the 32-64 fluid ounce size. Even movie theatre popcorn servings has grown to as much as 16 cups opposed to a 3 cup serving in 1957 (9).

No wonder obesity is becoming a global epidemic. Some people unknowingly are eating more food than they need.

Mike's Comments:

This article actually goes on and on. You can read it in its entirety at the weblink provided below.

http://www.spineuniverse.com/displayarticle.php/article2317.html

One of the problems people have in terms of trying to lose weight is snacking throughout the day. It can seem like an eternity between meals for some people especially the time between lunch and dinner. At 3:30 or 4:00 it is good to have a small healthy snack. One of my favorite snacks is an apple with some peanut butter and a glass of ice water. Any fruit or vegetable would be great for your body. When you eat healthy during the day you are also igniting your digestive system which believe it or not burns calories. Eating small meals throughout the day is one of the ways to keep your metabolism revved up. The more often you are burning calories, the easier it will be for your body to burn them.

READER FEEDBACK AND QUESTIONS

Hi Mike

My name is Leslie and I reside in California. A lot of my problems are much worse than the average backache sufferer. I have Scoliosis from my neck down to the low back and an inch high right shoulder which radiates pain down the right arm into wrist and hand from 16 years as a grocery clerk and then 14 years as a pool and spa cleaner. On top of that I have degenerative disk disease and spinal stenosis and now the doctors can't do anything more than give me pills. No surgury will help at this point due to scar tissue build up so they say. Then my back is now jumping the vertabraes in and out like a domino effect. Is there anything I can do for this. I stretch a lot but the pain is always in a new spot everyday when I wake up in one place or another due to the scoliosis and vertabraes popping in and out. I visit the chiropractor sometimes 3 and 4 times a week and sometimes 2 times day. What is your advice please?

Leslie in California

Mike's Email Response:

Hi Leslie,

I'm so sorry to hear about the severity of your back pain problems. I, myself, have spinal stenosis but I feel so lucky sometimes when I hear about the back problems that unfortunately you and a lot of people must endure. My only advice is to make changes in your lifestyle. First, look at your good days vs. your bad days as far as the pain goes. On the good days write down what you ate, what you drank, where you were, how much time you spent sitting or standing, what you were doing. Maybe the chiropractor isn't helping as much as you thought? Conversely, on the bad days, write down what you think might be the cause of your back pain and then try to correct these things in your lifestyle. I strongly believe nutrition is such a determining factor when it comes to how much pain we experience in our lives. That's why I try to eat fruits and vegetables throughout the day; I always eat a sensible breakfast like oatmeal with fruit (well, almost always); I drink lots of water; and I eat lots of fish for a healthy heart. Strong circulation is so important for a healthy back. Can you swim at all? Swimming is such a great way to relax and it is so therapeutic for your back. You might find that swimming really gives you a lot of good days for your back...who knows? Also try to remain positive. I know how depressing pain can be but you just have to rise above that because what other choice do we have. I really, really hope you start to feel better Leslie and I just wish I could offer more for you. Another thought: Have you tried accupuncture or accupressure. A lot of people find much healing in these methods. Please let me know your progress and good luck to you.

Hi Mike

I have ordered your back relief elite (which I just started 4 days ago) and am doing some exercises. Are there any specific exercises you would recommend as I just got back the CT scan results and have a posterior disc protrusion at L4/L5.

Thank-you
K B
Dawson Creek

Mike's Email Response:

Hi Kevin,

I would definitely try lying on your stomach on a carpet or a comfortable floor. Push up with your hands as if you were doing a push up but try to keep your lower body on the floor. Practice stretching your lower back this way as long as you don't feel any pain. You may want to do this for about 5-15 minutes depending on your level of mobility and flexibility in your lower back. If you have access to a pool that would be great also. Practice the breasstroke or the backstroke whatever suits you. Also, right now you want to eat very healthy. Lots of fish and fruits and veggies. Might be a good night to get some Tai or Chinese food but nothing fried. Drink lots of water and be sure to take it easy for a few days. No heavy lifting. Take your BRE and let me know how you feel in a few days. Good luck.

Affiliate Announcement

It is finally available right now. If you or someone you know owns a website and would like to become an affiliate of Exclusive Health Products or Back Relief Elite, please visit www.ExclusiveHealthAffiliates.com to sign up. The process is quick and easy.

Next Newsletter

Next time we shall discuss why sugar leads to so much pain and inflammation not just in the areas of your back but all over your entire body. We will also look at why water is such a critical nutrient for the protection and maintenance of a strong and healthy back. I will also have some more articles for you and who knows what else. Until next time, thank you very much for reading my No More Back Pain Newsletter.

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

See you next time!

Sincerely,

Mike Saros
Exclusive Health Products

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