Chronic Lower Back Pain and 6 Natural Ways to Fix It

November 22, 2010 by drburt

Millions of people suffer from excruciating and immobilizing lower back pain form all over the world. It almost seems like world wide epidemic. A large percentage of these people have to go to work every day and concentrate on their tasks with agonizing and boring back ache. There are many different treatments available for lower back pain varying from modern medicine to great alternative therapies.

Chronic lower back pain causes:

Cancer, Osteoarthritis, Osteoporosis, Fibromyalgia, Biomechanical Misalignments, Unbalanced Musculature are the main reasons for lower back pain. Work or sport related injuries or automobile accidents could be the serious cause of lower back pain through out people lives. It can debilitate them for a very prolonged period of time. Sometimes even minor postural abnormalities, sudden jerks or movements, improper exercises and minor falls can be the result of chronic lower back pain

Natural Ways to Counter Severe Chronic Lower Back Pain:

Change Your Posture:

The spine, same as our feet, gets the hardest job in our body as it is used in practically every movement we make and it takes pressure from other body parts such as from the neck, shoulders, head and our arms. As we walk, stand, sit, carry a heavy object or dance, our spine takes the pressure to keep our body erect but at the same time it also has to have the flexibility to make other kinds of movements while keeping our balance.One of the following can be noticed when one has a bad posture: high shoulder, a forward stooping head, a rotated trunk (torso), a hunch back, a high hip, and a side-bent neck and one of the feet will be externally or internally rotated. Abnormal posture can result from trauma (like a car accident or fall), repetitive movements (turning your neck towards the monitor), and certain bad postural habits (sleeping on your stomach). READ MORE …

Get a Good Mattress:

Many patients have been asking my professional advice on which mattress they should buy. There is not a definite answer for every patient. Every single one is going to need a different one in order to get a good night sleep for years to come. Below are some tips and tricks that you can use when buying a new mattress.A mattress should provide uniform support from head to toe. If there are gaps between your body and your mattress (such as at the waist), you’re not getting the necessary support that your body requires. READ AND WATCH MORE …

Get Good Pillows:

When we expect a good night sleep, the majority of us consider mattress characteristic and features, room temperature, room illumination, and noise. Hardly ever we will think about our pillows. There are a lot of options available nowadays. It is important to know that our cervical spine alignment is an important feature of our general well being. Selecting a head support which is equally comfortable to sleep with as well as be able to improve the quality of good night sleep, has to be a necessary foundation for a good nigh sleep. READ AND WATCH MORE …

Use Legs Not Back:

Normally when we lift a weight we put great pressure on our back. Instead, keep your lower back in arched position and lift the load. Bend the knees and put the pressure on your leg muscles. An upright torso while lifting weights can always avoid the risk of chronic lower back pain. READ MORE …

Exercise Routines:

Inclusion of a strict exercise regime for 30 minutes to one hour, everyday can alleviate chronic pain and prevent the occurrence of the same. If you are suffering from chronic lower back and hip pain, it is imperative that you take the advice of a fitness expert. Only a fitness expert can help you with an exercise routine, according to your body condition and physical ability. Body alignment exercises, Bowen therapy and exclusive exercises for the lower back can strengthen the back and abdominal muscles. MORE ABOUT EXERECISES …

Choose Comfort Over Style:

Ladies today choose stylish footwear that are high-heeled like stilettos. They can definitely accentuate your presence but they can damage your back, irreparably. A sturdy shoe and flat footwear can definitely look good on you and save you from many an endless chronic lower back pain treatment. You can stop chronic lower back pain by being cautious and rational. READ MORE …

Chronic Headaches and Natural Healing Remedies

November 19, 2010 by drburt

The definition of chronic headache – occurs about 15 times a month during 3 months period. There are primary and secondary cephalgias. The primary one includes – migraine, tension type and cluster headaches. Very frequent or prolonged ones are know as the chronic cephalgias. Medical conditions such as infections or intracranial pressure will be classified as secondary headaches. The percentage of the secondary headaches is very small.

There are varieties of treatments available for different types of headaches. Prescription medications such as, beta blockers, Analgesics, antidepressant and injection of anesthetics are used for headaches treatment. These medications are only providing temporary relief and are not treating the cause of the problem. Frequent use of these medications will loose the therapeutic effect. Many have serious side effects. There are varieties of alternative therapies for pain relief which are quite as effective and without any side effects.

Meditation, Hypnosis, Biofeedback, and Yoga – these are stress management and relaxation techniques therapy.
Dehydration could be another cause of headaches: Drinking up to eight glasses of water a day can help you lessen the onset of headaches and be in optimal health.
Massage therapy is a great way to relieve stress. Massaging scalp, forehead, sub occipital muscles and neck could help relieve the headaches
Acupuncture can help relief the muscle tension.
Ice pack can be used in a dry towel. Apply it to your forehead for 10-15 minutes every waking hour. Cold reduces the inflammation and relaxes tense muscles.
Watch what you eat. Many of us are allergic to certain food and often times do not even aware of that.
Avoid Caffeine at all times. Products such as tea, chocolate, certain medications, and some drinks contain caffeine. If used on regular bases, dependency is inevitable and can develop withdrawing of the substance which may lead to severe headaches.
Foods such as: Aged Cheese , Vinegar (relish, salad, sauces, catsup), organ meat (kidney, liver), alcoholic beverages ( red wine in particular), Sour cream, Yogurt, some processed meat, yeast extracts pickles, onions, olives, fava beans, raisins, nuts, avocados and canned soups all contain Tramline. Tramline is a substance that has been found in certain foods after a breakdown of protein
Food preservative and additives: MSG (Monosodium Glutamate), aspartame, saccharine, nuts, hot dogs, ham, sausage, bacon, luncheon meats, Chinese foods, caned soups, dressing, mayonnaises, frozen foods and potato chips. Many of these additives in food could be the cause of nasty headaches.
Salt intake reduction will help to eliminate headaches, excessive amount of salt can and will cause headaches.
Aromatherapy: Olfactory nerve or cranial nerve #1 will be stimulated by this therapy. This method of healing has been around for centuries.
Reflexology: This type of therapy seems to help some but not all headache sufferers. It is worth a try as there is no side effect from this procedure.
Avoid triggers. Many things such as particular foods, stress, and direct sun light can trigger headaches. Try to avoid these triggers in the future and save yourself form needless suffering.
This list would not be complete without mentioning Chiropractic Care. Your local chiropractor can help with tension, long lasting and severe headaches.

Finally, it’s important to note that frequent or severe headaches may be symptoms of another illness or disorder. If you experience frequent or severe headaches, or headaches that are accompanied by other symptoms, such as nausea, vision problems, or dizziness, you might want to make an appointment with your doctor to get an accurate diagnosis and effective treatments. Headaches can be a sign of many different things, always consult your health care provider for any health care concerns you may have.

Question: Do you know any additional information about natural headache relief? Please leave your answer in a comment section.

Patient’s Questions Dr. Burt’s Answers #6-#13

September 13, 2010 by drburt

Does sitting up straight really help you?

If you sit straight (back straight, legs in front of you, shoulders back) does it help you in later life? Or will you get a hunch back?

Answer:

Please read these articles. These two posts describe everything you need to know about the posture.

Why is Posture So Important and 96 Tips for a Perfect Posture

Back Pain/Lower back joint grinding?

Hello, I have a curve in my spine, and also have arthritis in my lower spine. For the last year or so I have been having really bad grinding noises in my lower back when I move my hips back and forth—if I lay on my side and stretch and move you can feel this as well. It’s kind of painful with a lot of grinding and popping. I have posted this before with no success only scams–so please any help would be great as I don’t have any medical insurance and I don’t want to go to M.D. if this is something everyone feels?!

Answer:

The symptoms you are experiencing correlate with symptoms of someone having osteoarthritis in the spine. The presence of scoliosis (curve in my spine) is most likely a contributing factor over a long period of time. I don’t know your age but is sounds that you have had it for a very long time. Lack of proper biomechanics in your lower back (lumbar spine) took its toll on your vertebral joints and proper articulations of each vertebrae. I would suggest for you to go see a specialist in your area ASAP. Doctor of Chiropractic would be the first choice – he/she has X Ray machine in the office and will be able to determine how advanced is the stage of osteoarthritis. If things went beyond the point where chiropractor can’t help your next choice should be an Orthopedist. My advise was given on a description of the problem that was provided in your question. I hope you feel better.

Leg pain after soccer practice?

My friend has bad leg pains. In her soccer practice she kicked the soccer ball full power at the same time as someone else did (and they are the best on the team btw…) and now when she steps with it she feels a rush of pain. But when she stretches like by pulling it towards her it does not hurt as much. Do you know what the problem is??? Is it serious?!?!?

Answer:

It sounds like your friend has sprain/strain in her leg. Since you do not provides specific region of the leg I will use general terms. When she applied a weight load on her leg injured muscles and tendons react to the load by sending painful signals to the brain. Basically pain is the way your body communicates with your brain by letting you know that something is wrong and you should do something about it. When your friend is stretching she does not feel as much pain and probably she feels better after the stretch. I would have your friend to see a local Certified Massage Therapist and get several session of deep tissue massage around painful area. Massage will help to repair soft tissue fibrosis and will enhance the healing process. The sooner she does it the easier it is going to be to fix the problem. Hope your friend feels better.

Is my sprained ankle good to go?

I sprained my ankle a little over a month ago and it has been starting to feel better. It now has a full range of motion and everything but when I run and jump around on it, it still feels a little sore. The pain is definitely tolerable but I’m worried I could be making things worse. Is this normal or do I still need to give it more time?

Answer:

Hello. The last sentence of your question tells me that you did not have any rehabilitation done to your ankle after you have injured it. That is basically the cause of your pain. During sprain injury your ligaments and tendons are being over stretched. During the passive healing process the soft tissue fibrosis is forming. In basic English that means that scar tissues around injured ligaments and tendons are being formed. These fibrotic tissue is very painful and will not go away on its own without proper rehabilitation. You could see your local Chiropractor, Massage Therapist or Acupuncturist with combination of Physical Therapy modalities. Please read more here

My ankle has been swollen for months?

I suffered an inversion sprain in March and it is now 5 months later but it still looks fat. I can run, sprint, jump and all that good stuff no problem, its just the physical appearance of the ankle that confuses me. Why is it still fat?? What can I do to get rid of it?

Answer:

Most likely you have fluid retention or there is still an inflammation after your injury. I would suggest for you to go see your Family Doctor and have him/her order X Rays and MRI of your ankle. This will help to figure what is going on with your ankle.

Another option is to try rehabilitation process. Please see an answer above with some additional information. I hope this helped to answer your question. Have a great day.

Is my hand fractured?

So earlier today I was taking my curtain down and I guess my hand came to close to my ceiling fan and the back of it got hit. It hurt so bad and now I am left with a few scars, a swollen hand and moving my fingers isn’t to easy. The one that hurts the most to bend is the middle finger. Should I go to the doctor or just keep icing it?

Answer:

Most definitely please go see a Doctor ASAP. The fact that you have difficulties moving your fingers is not a very good sign. The presence of a fracture is possible. Please see your PCP and have hand X Rayed. If you have a fracture your doc will cast it for however long is necessary. If it is not fractured please get some rehabilitation of your hand from a Certified Massage Therapist, Chiropractor or Acupunturist.

Hip pain/Lower back pain after running, playing basketball, weight training?

So last year I was playing basketball, and another teammate jumped and his butt landed on my hip/lower back. After that I could barely play. Pain went away after a few days. So I kept playing all last year and pain would come and go.

This year in another basketball tournament, after not playing for months, I played and pain was killing me, I played through pain for a game but I couldn’t handle it anymore.

Now every time I run at gym or lift some heavy weights, hip/lower back starts hurting for a couple of days. Went to Back to a Doctor. He gave me none inflammatory pills but didn’t really help.

I constantly feel a pinch in right hip after seating at work for 8 hours.

What could it be? I will be starting Police Academy in the next 6 months or so. I don’t want this to be a problem.

Answer:

Sorry about your agonizing pain. I am pretty sure you are tired of taking anti inflammatory pills as by now most likely they stopped working anyway and your pain level has gone up. It is very common to have lower back and Sacroilliac Joint being injured during sport acitivies. The fact that you teammate landed on your hip tells me that excessive force was used to misaligned your Lumbosacral and Sacroilliac Joints. You MUST go see your local Chiropractor ASAP. Have him/her adjust your entire spine, use some PT modalities and get deep tissue massage. Make sure that Chiropractor that you choose has everything in the office – I mean PT modalities and Certified Massage Therapist. Please read more about lower back pain here.

11 Symptoms as a Sign of Warning That Your Spine is in Trouble

August 3, 2010 by drburt

Spine and 11 Symptoms as a Sign of Warning That it is in Trouble

There’s no other health care profession other than Chiropractic that can detect as well as treat the condition that is called as the Vertebral Subluxation Complex (VSC). In chiropractic, this is what is found to be the contributor for the spinal and other spine-related disorders.

In order to understand the VSC, it’s best to know what vertebral subluxation means. When a vertebra is not in its normal position compared to the vertebrae above or below, it is called a subluxated vertebrae (misaligned vertebrae). When a vertebrae is misaligned, it produces a mechanical stress to the surrounding soft tissues: discs, muscles, joints, ligaments and tendons through regular wear and tear. In effect, the patient would experience muscle spasms on the affected area, inflammation, tenderness, pain and even reduced mobility of the spine. With the effects of the subluxation, nerve functions may also be impaired and once this happens, the communication between the nerves of our body’s organs is compromised and the optimal health as well as our well-being would be affected.

The Vertebral Subluxation Complex has 5 components. These components must all be eliminated in order for a complete and proper healing to take place. The 5 components of the VSC are:

Kinesiopathology – which is the loss of the motion and positioning of the vertebra compared to the vertebrae alongside it.
Myopathology – which refers to muscle atrophy or spasm
Neuropathology – is the irritation or compression of the nerve tissue
Histopathology – is the localized inflammation or swelling.
Pathophysiology – It is the pathophysiological change experienced after the first four components already took place.

During the first episode of VSC, the first 4 components take place. You can consider this as similar to having an inflamed tooth. With an inflamed tooth you would notice some swelling on the area of the jaw where the tooth is. Similar type of inflammation one will find on the area where the VSC occurs. In order to get this treated, you should not rely on pain as an indicator. Even if there is no more pain on the affected area, this does not mean that the vertebral subluxation had already healed and normalized with or without any treatment. Pain is a poor indicator when the healing process is not completed even when the pain has already subsided. The 5^th component, the pathology occurs when all the first four components had already occurred and this is the end result of vertebral subluxation complex when it remains untreated.

So, is there a way to avoid vertebral misalignment? The VS have many causes which we are all exposed to on a daily basis. There are physical causes such as repetitive motions that are affecting our spine, an acute trauma to body, bad posture, bad habits at work where the workstation is not ergonomic. Aside from the physical causes, there are also the chemical and emotional causes. Chemical causes include poor diet and nutrition, intake of alcohol or use of drugs, chemicals in the water and the air we breath as well as ingestion of toxins through the foods we eat. The emotional cause of vertebral subluxation is stress. Emotional stress has an impact on our physical body and health. With emotional stress, we become more prone to diseases and even injury. Sadly, we cannot really prevent vertebral subluxation and the vertebral subluxation complex that goes with it as we are all exposed to its cause every day. If you want to find out which vertebral level is subluxated, an appointment with your local Doctor of Chiropractic would be a good start. Some of the offices offer FREE consultation and orthopedic and neurological examination.

One might experience the following symptoms that would confirm you have a vertebral subluxation.

1. posture imbalance

2. neck pain: sore, stiff or tender

3. back pain: sore, stiff, or tender

4. muscle spasm on the spine- tight or weak spasms

5. headaches

6. hypomobility

7. joint pain

8. stiffness

9. dizziness

10. low energy

11. poor state of health

Often times a person might not have any symptoms at all, however, it doesn’t mean one is free from a vertebral subluxation. Again, as an example, the tooth with cavities won’t hurt unless the cavities reach the sensitive dentin layer. So it doesn’t mean that if you don’t feel any pain or numbness, you don’t have cavities. Regular evaluation of the spine is recommended to check if subluxation is present on the vertebrae.

Your local Doctor of Chiropractic knows how to correct vertebral subluxations through different techniques and procedures. Spinal adjustments are involved to correct the spinal vertebrae that suffer from subluxation. By this adjustment, the subluxated vertebra will eventually reach normal biomechanics on the vertebrae above and below and will help to restore the function of the joint. Corrected joint will maintain a proper posture of your spine.

Question: Have you ever experienced any of the 11 symptoms? What was your course of action in order to stop these symptoms?