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7 Major Causes of Lower Back Pain?

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INTERVERTEBRAL DISCMillions of people are affected with lower back pain all over the world. It could be a minor and temporary pain and it could be as extensive as referring pain into upper and lower extremities. There are different factors and causes of lower back pain. Below is the list of 7 major causes of lower back pain.

SPRAIN AND STRAIN:

A deconditioned lower back and the one with previous injuries is more prone to soft tissue injuries like sprains and strains. An overstretched muscle is a definition of a sprain injury. An overstretched tendon is definition of a strain injury. Both injuries result in fibrotic tissue which is extremely painful if not properly and timely rehabilitated.

DISC PROBLEMS:

The IVD or intervertebral discs (look at the main picture) are serving a function in our spine as shocks or struts in a vehicle. Their job is to prevent the vertebral bodies of the spine from degeneration which in medical term is called osteoarthritis.  Lack of mobility between vertebral bodies will cause the IVD to dehydrate and eventually shrink in height. IVD does not have any blood supply and the only way it gets the nutrients is by the process called imbibition. In plain English – when two adjacent vertebras move they help to pump liquids with nutrients into the IVD. Common disc complaints involve the disc protrusion or bulging (which can be prolapsed or sequestrated) the later is a very bad one. Make sure that you schedule your appointment with your local chiropractor at least once a month. Our body just like the vehicle we drive, it requires maintenance.

MUSCLE IMBALANCE:

Muscle imbalance is the cause of a poor posture. Over the time certain muscles loose their function under overworking conditions or when they are under utilized. If this happens the inevitable result will lead to problems such as neck pain, shoulder pain, and lower back pain or even frozen shoulder.

EMOTIONAL:

Emotional problems linked together with neuromuscular system. Stress or emotional trauma would lead to muscular tension. Muscles such Upper Trapezius and SCM (Sternocleidomastoid) are innervated by cranial nerves (which are the nerves that are connected directly to the brain).

STRACTUAL PROBLEMS:

Scoliosis – an excessive sideways curve of either the upper or lower regions of the spine. Kyphosis – sometimes referred to as “hunchback”, this is an excessive outward curve of the upper back.

DISEASE:

Ankylosing spondylitis – a disease that causes inflammation in spinal joints and limb joints potentially leading to fusion of vertebrae Arthritis – especially osteoarthritis, involves cartilage that normally cushions joints breaking down. Osteoporosis – is a condition involving thinning of the bones. It commonly occurs in women after the menopause but can also affect men.

SCIATICA:

Sciatica is a nerve pain from the sciatic nerve, a nerve that runs from the spine through the buttock and down the back of the leg. Sciatica is often caused by a disc bulge or prolapse pressing on the spinal nerve. Other causes can include a narrowing of the nerve tunnel between the discs as a result of osteoarthritis. If you would like to discover how to completely cure sciatica naturally without drugs, surgery, physical therapy, exercise, or change of diet you might want to take a look at this report “Stop Sciatica.” (affiliate link)

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Heart Attack or Thoracic Outlet Syndrome ?

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TOSToday’s post is about real case that have treated on Friday. I saw this patient over a year ago for severe neck pain and headaches. Patient’s problem was resolved with very good results. This morning patient’s husband calls and asks me to see his wife today as an emergency visit because she has numbness in her left upper extremity, loss of temperature in that extremity, and shooting pain. Over the phone he explained to me what has happened couple of days ago.

He took his wife to a near by Hospital Emergency Room suspecting that she had a heart attack. She had severe shooting pain in her left upper chest and shooting pain down her arm. In a Hospital medical Doctors performed a complete check up, including laboratory test and fancy CT- Scan diagnostic. After numerous hours they found nothing wrong with his wife and discharge her home with some pain medications. She was not very happy with an outcome since the symptoms were still there even with pain medications.

This morning I performed my examination and was trying to figure out what was wrong with this lady. First off all she always carries her heavy bag on her left shoulder with her belongings and belongings for her two young kids. That was a first sign that the problem was mechanical in nature and something was compressing her arteries and nerves. Her intercostal muscles between first and second ribs were extremely painful. Her left clavicle (look at the picture on a left) was out of alignment and did not have any movements during passive and active range of motion. Both of her rhomboid major and rhomboid minor muscles were very sore as well.

My Solution to This Problem:

I have diagnosed this lady with TOS. The first procedure was the electrical stimulation and moist heat. I used electrical stimulation on PAIN and CONSTANT settings for 15 minutes. Two pads were placed on her first and seconds intercostal spaces and two pads were placed around rhomboid major and minor muscles. Moist heat pack was placed in the same area for 15 minutes as well. Next, my massage therapist worked on her tight muscles for about 20 minutes or so. My CMT has informed that her entire left side is completely out of balance. Muscles were tight and patient was guarding during the massage which made her job a bit more difficult. But she got it done. After the massage I have performed full spine Chiropractic Adjustment ( that included cervical, thoracic and lumbar spine) and I have adjusted her first rib and clavicle on the left side.

I have called later on today to follow with this patient. Patient has informed me that she did not feel any pain since I saw her this morning. She has also informed me that she felt wave of heat coming into the left side of her body and left upper extremity.

The moral of this case: – please carry your heavy bags on both shoulders if you have too. Make sure that your kids’ backpacks are not too heavy and they carry them on both shoulders as well. Let’s start 2011 with a healthy habit.

Happy New Year !!!

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Sciatica Pain Relief and Chiropractic Treatment

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What is Sciatica?

SCIATIC NERVE AND CHIROPRACTICSciatica is not a medical condition in itself but rather a symptom of other medical problems. It refers to the pain, numbness, tingling or weakness felt in the legs as an effect of compression or injury of the sciatic nerve.

The pain is usually felt in the buttocks, lower back or at various parts of the patient’s leg including the foot. The pain is usually severe combined with weakness of the muscles as well as numbness and tingling sensation. This condition is usually felt only on one side of the patient’s body.

Treatment Options

The treatment for the symptoms depends on the problems that cause the symptoms. Sciatica can be caused by spinal disc hernia, spinal stenosis, pregnancy, piriformis syndrome and many other conditions. What’s important is that the patient gets a proper diagnosis of his or her problem in order to get the right treatment.

Treatments for this condition vary from taking pain medications to surgery. Anti-inflammatory medications and paracetamol are taken to relieve the pain experienced by the patient. If this isn’t enough, narcotics can also be used especially if the pain is already severe.  Steroid injections provide short-term relief and benefits as well. Acupuncture, physical therapy, massage therapy and chiropractic care are also great treatment for sciatica. Some also benefit from yoga sessions and weight loss to reduce the pressure on the nerve roots of the spine.

Chiropractic treatment

Sciatica is treatable by chiropractic care and most of the time, it responds positively after spinal adjustments on the patient’s lower lumbar vertebrae as well as on the sacroillac joints. Some types of nerve irritation respond much faster while some takes a little while depending on the severity of the case and especially if the symptoms are already chronic.

A type of sciatica that is very difficult to deal with even for a chiropractor is when there is an actual herniation of the patient’s intervebral disc. This causes extreme pain that even taking narcotics and analgesics won’t give enough relief for the patient.

Before considering a chiropractic treatment to aid in your symptoms, you must know that most spinal adjustments done can only provide you with short-term relief to pain. It really depends on what causes the symptoms of nerve irritation and you must consult with your health professional regarding the matter. Your local chiropractor would tell you if your problem that results to sciatica symptoms can be improved through chiropractic care.

The best way to get real pain relief the pain in this condition is to relieve the sciatic nerve of the pressure. Correcting the root of the problem is the best solution in order to completely recover from the injury. If you only want pain relief then it will only be a temporary solution. Finding the real source and correcting it would get rid of the symptoms for a long time. By permanently relieving pressure off the sciatic nerve is the best solution to the problem.

Question: Have you or anyone you know experienced Sciatica?  What kind of treatment have you had?

Thoracic Outlet Syndrome Treatment Techniques – Part 2/3

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Thoracic Outlet Syndrome treatment techniques

TOS

There are different treatment methods available for thoracic outlet syndrome such as exercises, treatment therapy and even surgery.  There are other non-conventional treatments available too, such as the Chinese acupuncture.

Chinese acupuncture needles

The Chinese acupuncture technique uses microcurrent device that are polarized at 50 to 75 microamperes, and zimmer pads. It uses point combination in treatment of TOS. PC6, SI3, ST41 and Liv4 are point combinations used.

The treatment takes 4 weeks with 2 to 3 sessions each week. The acupuncturist would insert the acupuncture needles subcutaneously and place stimulation pads (microcurrent) on top of each of the needles.

The polarized acutron mentor pads are applied on top of the needles directly. It has a positive and negative pad; the positive pad’s applied on the scalene muscle insertion (anterior) and the negative pad on the PC6 or the SI3. The electric stimulation usually cannot be felt by the patient as the microcurrent is sub-sensational. Some patients are more sensitive though and they can feel a tingling or vibrating sensation on the area but it’s quite subtle.

After 8 treatments, patients notice some improvement. The pain and burning or tingling sensation is minimized and the patient’s requirement for pain medication is also decreased or even stopped. Daily activities that require strength on the upper extremities are easily performed compared before the patient had the treatment.

With acupuncture therapy, the patient is still required to do some stretching exercises at home. These exercises are targeted on improving and recovery of the scalene muscles and tendons. It should be performed 3 times a day with at least 5 repetitions each time. Posture should also be improved to gain the proper biomechanics of the body.

Home exercises

A treatment plan for thoracic outlet syndrome or TOS requires a home exercise program to increase the speed of recovery. These exercises must be performed carefully and slowly. Each stretch position must be done to a point that you stretch without experiencing pain. Once you feel pain that means it’s too much and the patient must decrease the length of the stretch to a point that it is still painless. As you progress, you can extend the length of the stretch with pain as an indicator of your limit.

Corner stretch, neck stretch, shoulder rolls, thoracic extension, and overhead raise are just some of the home exercises prescribed by the medical professional to be exercised by the patient suffering from TOS.

Chiropractic Approach

Proper treatment of thoracic outlet requires an accurate understanding of the postural factors involved. Most recent treatment programs consider evaluation of joint mobility and muscular imbalance.

Once diagnosis of thoracic outlet syndrome is made by a Doctor of Chiropractic, a specific treatment program is designed for the patient.

More specifically, chiropractic management will focus on joint mobility in the cervical (neck) and thoracic (upper back) regions of the spine. Frequently, patients with thoracic outlet will have joint tightness in these areas which is treated with spinal manipulative therapy, stretching and rehabilitation in the office.

Keep in mind; there are other conditions that may cause similar symptoms. In either case, if you are currently suffering from similar symptoms, be sure to consult your chiropractor.

A chiropractic doctor might also advice you exercise routines and they may even prescribe you with their own exercise programs. Make sure you consult with the doctor before doing any of the home exercises to make sure that what you’re doing is actually going to improve and not worsen your condition.

The home exercises treatment technique combined with a proper treatment therapy from a medical professional is the best way to increase the speed of recovery and to diminish the pain suffered by TOS patients.

If you have any additional information, please write about it in our comment section.