Posts Tagged ‘Bed Rest’
How to Exercise for Back Pain Relief
The health of your back depends to a great extent on your posture and body movements, your ability to cope with stress, and your exercise regime.
Many types of back pain can be blamed on weak abdominal and back muscles. That’s why most doctors oppose prolonged bed rest for back pain and instead recommend light physical activity along with pain relief medication and other proactive treatments.
Physical activity may not only provide pain relief, but it can also prevent future back pain. Along with pain relief medication, many doctors and physio-therapists tailor individualized exercise routines to treat patients who suffer from various types of back pain.
A typical exercise program for back pain may involve stretching and strengthening exercises, flexing, and endurance training. A variety of exercises and techniques are available for back pain relief; your doctor can help you choose an appropriate routine, taking into account the cause and severity of your back pain.
Advantages of Exercise for Back Pain Patients
Along with a healthy diet, doctors recommend exercise as an important component of a healthy lifestyle for most people, not only those who suffer from back pain.
The potential benefits of an exercise program for back pain may include: * Immediate, short-term pain relief * Stretching of tight, contracted muscles * Strengthening of weak muscles, which can contribute to back pain * Reducing mechanical stress on the back * Stabilizing the back * Increasing the ease and efficiency of body movements * Improving posture, which can guard against future back pain * Minimizing the frequency and magnitude of chronic back pain * Increasing the likelihood of quicker recovery from back pain in the future * Improving fitness to prevent future injuries
A Basic Exercise Program for Back Pain Relief
A basic exercise program for dealing with back pain involves strengthening the back and supporting muscles. If you have injured your back or have other health problems such as osteoporosis, start the exercises only after consulting with a doctor.
You can start on a gentle stretching and strengthening routine if you have no serious spinal problems.
Exercise #1 For Back Pain Relief:
Abdominal contractions gently stretch the back muscles: 1. Lie on your back. Bend your knees and place your hands below the ribs. 2. Tighten your stomach muscles to squeeze the ribs toward the back. Do not hold your breath. 3. Keep your muscles contracted for five seconds and then release. 4. Repeat ten times.
Exercise #2 To Prevent Back Pain:
Even when you no longer have back pain, doctors often recommend that you continue exercising to strengthen the back. Choose exercises that help align your body correctly and improve your posture to prevent back pain from recurring. For example, curling against the wall can help improve your standing posture. 1. Stand with your back against the wall, with your feet approximately six inches away from the wall. 2. Bend your knees and drop your head and shoulders. 3. Pull your stomach in and slowly roll up one vertebra at a time against the wall.
Exercise #3 To Prevent Back Pain
Strong abdominal muscles prevent many types of back pain so exercises that involve those muscles are often part of physical therapy programs designed to avoid back pain. For example, diagonal crunches not only strengthen the stomach muscles, but also keep the tummy from sagging. 1. Lie on your back. Place your hands behind your head. Bring your knees to your chest at right angles to the waist and cross your feet at the ankles. 2. Exhale slowly while raising your trunk, and move your right elbow as much as you can to the left knee. Slowly lower your trunk. 3. Repeat with the left elbow and the right knee. 4. Repeat ten times.
To improve fitness, you may wish to include stamina-building exercises such as aerobics. As these exercises are more rigorous, start them slowly and only after checking with your physician.
Always warm up before the physical activity and cool down afterward. Walking or light jogging, bicycling, and swimming are some exercises that can provide excellent aerobic conditioning.
Alternative Exercise Therapy Options for Back Pain Relief and Recovery A variety of alternative exercise therapies and programs are available to help alleviate, cure and prevent future back pain. Some of the more popular programs are:
* Tai Chi Chuan: This gentle martial art form provides exercise for the body, while helping the mind to concentrate. The movements relax the muscles, free the joints, and ease tension. Some people suffering from back pain use this technique along with pain relief medication.
* Yoga: This ancient Indian tradition involves a wide range of mind-body exercises including postural and breathing exercises, deep relaxation, and meditation. Many yoga postures focus on increasing spinal strength and flexibility, which can provide back pain relief. According to researchers, regular yoga practice may also prevent some types of chronic back pain.
* Chi Kung: Also known as Qigong, this ancient Chinese system of exercise focuses on breathing and posture while teaching the mind to concentrate. Chi Kung therapists claim that this system may be used effectively for back pain relief.
* Feldenkrais Method: This exercise technique aims to increase the ease and efficiency of body movements. Therapists try to increase your awareness of body movements, while teaching you to recognize and correct muscle tension.
* Buteyko Breathing Technique: This Russian therapy involves exercises in slow breathing and holding the breath. Therapists claim that this technique reduces muscle tension and can provide back pain relief.
Note: When you perform any type of exercise, it is imperative to distinguish between pain and the feeling of exertion. Pain is a signal from the nerves that a certain activity is wrong for you. If you experience pain while exercising, including back pain, you should instead start with mild exercises that feel comfortable.
Treating AND Preventing Your Back Pain
Exercise can be an important part of an effective treatment program for back pain. Customizing an exercise program that’s suitable for you can help you safely strengthen your back, improve your stamina and fitness, and prevent future back pain.
For more information on back pain and effective pain relief options, consult the online knowledge base at eDrugstore.md. To order prescription pain relief medications at discount prices, visit eDrugstore.md home page and look for the pain relief section.
Mark Smith
http://www.articlesbase.com/wellness-articles/how-to-exercise-for-back-pain-relief-443992.html
Cervical Spondylosis – Now 100% Guaranteed Cure for Neck Pain
THIS ARTICLE WAS TAKEN FROM Cervical Spondylosis
CERVICAL SPONDYLOSIS – AUXILIARY TREATMENT – YOGA
There is a strong tendency for the symptoms of cervical spondylosis to subside spontaneously, though they may persist for several months and the structural changes are clearly permanent.
Treatment is thus aimed at assisting natural resolution of temporarily inflamed or edematous soft tissues.
In mild cases physiotherapy may be recommended (radiant heal, short wave diathermy, massage, traction or exercises).
In the more severe cases judicious use of a close-fitting cervical collar for supporting the neck (it should be worn for 1-3 months depending on progress) and rest to the neck is advisable.
In the exceptional cases in which the spinal cord is constricted, decompression from front or by laminectomy may be required and thereafter it may be advisable to fuse the affected segments of the spinal column by a bone-grafting operation.
Physiotherapy
Once the neck problem is diagnosed, treatment can be decided.
In most neck conditions, pressure on the neck causes pain and pain causes muscle spasms, setting up a cycle. The best way to break the cycle and stop the pain is to relieve both pressure and spasms. There are various approaches to achieve each of these goals. Many of them require daily applications, so they must be done by the patient at home.
Relief of pressure:
Lying down is perhaps the simplest way to relieving the neck of its heavy load. Bed rest gives the muscles a chance to recover. The duration of bed rest should be advised by the physiotherapist.
Not only is spinal molding a relaxing way to start and end your body, it also reshapes your spine into its natural curves. Begin by lying on the floor or g on a firm mattress with rolled-up towels under your neck and low back. Your legs may be straight or bent. Lie in this position for 15-20 minutes.
Cervical collar helps the neck muscles support the head, it also reduces neck mobility. The therapist may prescribe wearing of a cervical collar for the acute phase of neck problems and the duration of wearing it. The collar should fit snugly around the neck and be long enough to support the chin. Men can minimize irritation from the collar by shaving frequently.
Extension and flexion is especially helpful when you feel your neck and back stiffen. While sitting, place your hands on your knees and push down. Slowly arch your back and bend your back backward. Then slowly slump forward. Repeat this exercise 10 times.
Side bends increase your side-to-side flexibility. Start by placing your fingers together and pointing your elbows outward. Bend at the waist, tilting your body to one side as far as you can. Then bend your head and neck in the same direction. Repeat on your other side. Repeat this exercise 10 times.
This exercise increases the flexibility of your entire spine. To begin, place your fingers together and point your elbows outward. Slowly and gently twist at your waist, rotating your head and neck to the same side. Repeat toward the other side. Repeat this exercise 10 times.
TO READ MORE PLEASE VISIT Cervical Spondylosis and Neck Pain
Pratik Lalwani
http://www.articlesbase.com/diseases-and-conditions-articles/cervical-spondylosis-now-100-guaranteed-cure-for-neck-pain-125162.html
Sciatica Treatments That Really Help
Sciatica occurs due to the compression at the base of the spine. This compression leads to pain in the lower back and gluetal region of the body. This pain travels to ankle, calf, thighs and knee. Real Sciatica happens when the pain reaches the knees and the ankles. Sciatica actually is the pain that moves through the sciatic nerve – the longest nerve in your body. This nerve starts from your spinal cord to your hips and down to the leg. The pain therefore moves along this nerve and the parts of body it connects. Sciatica actually may not be problem in itself. It may have other inherent causes which are connected to the sciatic nerve like herniated disk.
Sciatica can reduce your mobility and normal daily activities considerably. The duration of the pain varies according to the inherent cause and may subside in 4-8 weeks time. However, there is no need to loose hope. There are many sciatica treatments both clinical and home based which can help cure and manage sciatica and reduce pain.
Common Sciatica Treatments
Bed Rest
The most common sciatica treatment suggested by doctors is bed rest. It helps in relieving pain. However, only taking bed rest is not going to solve the problem fully. You should combine rest with physical activity that is enough to keep you active without aggravating the pain.
Exercise
After the reduction in pain, doctors suggest exercises and physiotherapy to avoid the recurrence of the problem. These exercises are mainly aimed at improving your mobility, rectifying your posture and in making the muscles around your lower back strong.
Medicines
The pain can be treated with anti inflammatory non steroidal dugs combined with drugs that relax muscles. Anticonvulsant drugs and Tricyclic antidepressants are also prescribed to reduce pain. These drugs work in two ways – by blocking the sensations in reaching your brain – and by producing endorphins that naturally help reduce pain.
Steroid Based Treatments
Sometimes, the doctors also prescribe epidural or corticosteroid steroid injections to help reduce inflammation in the effected areas.
Surgery
Surgery also brings relief to patients. Surgery is performed when the pain does not subside even after rest, medications or other forms of treatment and the nerve compression leads to other problems like extreme weakness and bladder incontinence etc
Alternative Sciatica Treatment
Many alternative sciatica treatments like yoga, acupuncture, acu-pressure and biofeedback therapy also exist. These alternative treatments are very effective in curing your sciatica problem.
Sciatica Treatment At Home
There are many home based sciatica treatment too. Some of them are very effective in curing your sciatica pain quickly. For example ice treatment is very effective in controlling sciatica pain if it is used with in 48 hours of the onset of pain. Movement is also a good option in reducing pain. Doing exercises that stretch piriformis muscles are helpful in controlling sciatica pain. Balancing your pelvis region properly also helps in controlling pain. You can do this by lying down on the bed to check whether the balance is properly distributed on both sides.
These sciatica treatments can help in curing and reducing your sciatica pain.
Neil Jones
http://www.articlesbase.com/medicine-articles/sciatica-treatments-that-really-help-756234.html
Can Epidural Steroid Injections Help My Lower Back Pain?
Lower back pain is an all-too-common condition that many of us will experience at some point in our lives. Although many of us may be able to control this pain through over-the-counter painkillers or perhaps some light physical therapy and bed rest, there are going to be some of us that have back pain to the extent where we need to seek medical attention.
A common type of back pain or pinched nerve pain is a result of a slipped or herniated disc. These discs are gel filled material that exist between the vertebrae of our spine and allow the vertebrae to move independently of each other and also protect it from damage. Should these happen to crack or slip out of place, the pain that we experience can be extremely severe. Back pain sufferers have many choices of treatment. Options include physical therapy, bed rest, traction, spinal decompression, painkillers, surgery and natural forms of treatment.
There may be times, however, whenever an epidural steroid injection is prescribed. What exactly is an epidural steroid injection, how is it administered and what can it do for you?
An epidural generally refers to an injection which goes into the epidural space in the spinal column. The epidural space is in the outermost part of the spinal canal and it lies outside of the dura matter which encases the spinal column. The injected steroids mimic cortisone and hydrocortisone which can reduce the inflammation that surround the affected nerves. This can give almost immediate relief to the pain that is experienced in this area and can help to keep the inflammation down for a considerable amount of time in order to allow for more effective pain management.
Unfortunately, relief from epidural steroid injections is usually temporary. Also, the steroids that are injected can have side effects which may include weakened muscles, a decrease in bone density, and possible lowering of the steroids that your body produces naturally.
Be sure to discuss with your personal physician the pros and cons of epidural steroid injections for providing back pain and pinched nerve pain relief.
Dan Raymond
http://www.articlesbase.com/diseases-and-conditions-articles/can-epidural-steroid-injections-help-my-lower-back-pain-611854.html
Proper Sciatica Exercises to Reduce Sciatica Pain
Exercise plays a leading role in treating sciatica. There are many sciatica exercises. These exercises are one the best ways of treating sciatica. They specifically target the muscles in lower back, thighs and abdomen area. Though doctors advise bed rest in case of acute sciatica pain, the muscles are still weak and this again brings back pain if physically demanding activities are performed.
Benefits Of Sciatica Exercises
These specifically targeted exercise work because they work on the muscles that are crucial for supporting the back and reducing the pressure that affects sciatic nerve. These exercises lead to increased blood circulation. This results in healthy and supple spine and increased supply of oxygen and other vital nutrients to spine.
Types Of Sciatica Exercises
Sciatica exercises are divided into three categories. Though their main purpose is to relieve pain, each category targets a specific aspect of reducing sciatic nerve pressure so that the pain can be reduced. The exercise which stretch the muscles are called stretching exercises. Exercises which stabilize and strengthen muscles are called stabilizing and strengthening exercises. The third category of exercises called general conditioning exercises. These exercises are stretching hamstrings, stretching of lower back, and making the core muscles strong. These exercises specifically target muscles in the torso, abdomen and back. An exercise regimen that combines the exercises from these three categories is very effective in reducing sciatica pain and in preventing it from recurring.
Sometimes even one form of exercise is good enough to get rid of the pain. However, finding that right exercise and doing it regularly to get rid of the pain depends on the exact cause of sciatica. Your sciatica may be due to herniated disc or it may be due to piriformis syndrome that occurs due to the contraction of piriformis muscle in the area around the hips. You can stretch these muscles slowly to reduce contraction, loosen the tight muscles and reduce pressure on sciatic nerve.
There are exercises which target these areas to relieve pain. In case of substantial sciatica pain, doctors only recommend exercises that are mild in nature and do not cause discomfort. Lying prone, trying to touch the chest with both knees and pelvic tilt are the most common exercises that are suggested at this stage. You can lie on your stomach with a pillow for supporting you hips. Pelvic tilt requires that you lie down on your back, bend your knees to contract the abdominal muscles.
There are alternative forms of sciatica exercises too like Yoga. Yoga has many postures that can be used to provide relief from sciatica pain. All these yogic postures keep the muscles flexible and strengthen them which lead to faster healing.
Exercises are one of the most frequently used forms of sciatica treatment. They help a great deal in strengthening the muscles in the affected areas. However, it is very important to choose the correct type of sciatica exercises based on the underlying cause of sciatica in individual cases. It is always good to exercise with care and not to exercise when the pain is acute. Otherwise you will end up aggravating your pain.
Always consult your doctor before you start on any form of exercise.
Neil Jones
http://www.articlesbase.com/medicine-articles/proper-sciatica-exercises-to-reduce-sciatica-pain-756296.html
