Low Back Pain - A Quick Guide

Low back pain is a common disorder affecting millions of individuals annually. It is a common musculoskeletal disorder that affects the lumbar segment of the spine, which is the lowest part of the back just above your buttocks. It is one of the most common causes of missing work, and can affect anyone of any age, race, or sex. It is one of the top 10 reasons patients seek care from a doctor.

Low back pain is typically classified as either acute or chronic. Low back pain is often accompanied by stiffness and difficulty with normal movement, muscle spasms, and pain that becomes worse with any type of straining. If it is particularly bad it may cause pain down the back of your leg, which is called sciatica.

Chronic Back Pain

Chronic low-back pain is a very common problem for which there is currently no universally effective treatment. Chronic back pain is generally defined as pain that persists for more than three months. Chronic pain is much less common than acute pain. It usually has an insidious onset, occurring over a long period of time. It can also occur in people whose work involves heavy lifting, bending, and long periods of standing on a daily basis. It also may originate from an injury, disease or stresses on different structures of the body such as osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, degeneration of the discs between the vertebrae, or a spinal disc herniation, a vertebral fracture (caused by osteoporosis), or rarely, a tumor (including cancer) or infection. Chronic low back pain can be shooting, stabbing or localised in nature. It can also be referred from another part of the body.

Acute Back Pain

Acute pain is the most common type of back pain. Acute back pain is short term, generally lasting from a few days to a few weeks. Acute pain comes on quickly and often leaves just as quickly. The commonest reasons for acute lower back pain are damaged muscles, ligaments and tendons in the lower back. Acute back pain can also be caused by kidney stones, pelvic inflammation and even some bowel conditions like constipation, inflammatory bowel disease or diverticulitis may have some back pain associated with it. These are much less common.

Back Pain Symptoms

Symptoms of low back pain depend upon the cause of the pain. Damage to muscles and ligaments causes pain, back muscle spasm, pain on walking, difficulty twisting, stiffness and sometimes pain worse on one side rather than the other. Pain caused by nerve irritation often also causes sciatica. Sciatica is pain down the leg or legs caused by irritation to the sciatic nerve in your back. It is often caused by disc problems, arthritis and severe muscle damage and spasm.

Treatment

Treatment for back pain generally depends on what kind of pain you experience: acute or chronic. Treatment options range from basic rest but only for 24 hours, ice or heat and gradually resuming activity to medication, exercise, physical therapy and acupuncture. Using trans-cutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS ) with both acute and chronic pain can speed recovery and reduce pain. Acupuncture like TENS is excellent for treating muscle spasms and the trigger points often found in back muscles.

Treatments for chronic back pain can vary greatly depending on the type and source of the pain. Many sufferers find TENS a great help in reducing symptoms. If the problems persist an operation is often required to relieve the pressure on the disc and reduce nerve irritation.

Exercises

Having used TENS to reduce pain exercises that increase balance and strength can decrease your risk of further back pain. Exercises such as Tai Chi, yoga or any weight-bearing exercise that challenges your balance are good ones to try. String back and abdominal muscles can lessen pain. Exercises to reduce low back pain are not complicated and can be done at home without any special equipment.

Andy Duncan is a doctor and freelance medical writer. For more information on pain and TENS machines please visit www.pain-rehab.co.uk

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Nine Surprising Diabetes Risks For Texans

Many individuals in Dallas, Houston and other places around Texas don't know that they may be slowly working toward a permanent, chronic disease -- diabetes. Untreated, diabetes can lead to heart and blood pressure problems, dependence on insulin shots, blindness, neuropathy and an early death. Here are nine risks for you to evaluate:

1. Watching two plus hours of TV daily.
Increases your risk: 14%
How: More hours in front of the tube equals less activity.
the fix: Limit TV time to 10 hours a week and get off the couch and move around. Take a walk. Go for a swim. Enjoy life outdoors.

2. Drinking one soda dailyif at all.
Increases your risk: 83%
How: Soda adds extra and empty calories, which can easily lead to weight gain. Most non-diet pops are full of sugar. More than you'll probably add to your coffee.
the fix: Switch to water, diet soda, or even better, unsweetened tea, which actually protects against disease. Green teas are gaining in popularity because of their health benefits.

3. Skipping breakfast.
Increases your risk: almost 50%
How: Not having that morning meal increases the appetite-stimulating hormone ghrelin, making you hungrier and, as a result, you're actually more likely to eat more.
The fix: Eat high-fiber cereal with low-fat milk and one-half cup of fruit in the morning. One study of people with prediabetes found that eating high-fiber cereals made their cells respond better to insulin. Consuming dairy products may also cut the risk for insulin resistance by 72%.

4. Major depression
Increases your risk: 23%
How: Depression may alter body chemistry in a way that makes us more prone to developing diabetes.
The fix: Exercise. Even taking a walk, just 30 minutes, three times a week, has been shown to improve symptoms of depression.

5. A large waist line, even if you are of a normal weight.
Increases your risk: 330%
How: Fat in the abdomen produces compounds that make cells insulin-resistant. Women should keep their waist size below 35 inches and 40 inches for men.
The fix: A half-hour to one hour of cardio, three to five times a week.

6. Waking up in the middle of the night.
Increases your risk: 98%
How: Middle-of-the-night awakenings means you're not getting enough sleep, making you more prone to developing insulin resistance, leading to diabetes.
The fix: No caffeine in the late afternoon and evening. No TV and alcohol right before bed. Try yoga or meditation to relax.

7. Consuming fast food more than twice weekly.
Increases your risk: 100%
How: Individuals who eat burgers, fries and soda more than twice a week put on 10 extra pounds and were twice as likely to become resistant to insulin.
The fix: Stay away from fast food dining. And if you have to eat it, satisfy cravings with smaller portions.

8. High stress.
Increases your risk: 184%
How: Constant high stress can interfere with your ability to make insulin and process glucose.
The fix: Allow 10-15 minutes a day to relax. Try yoga or meditation.

9. Consuming lots of processed meats.
Increases your risk: 43%
How: These meats, like hotdogs, bacon and salami, are loaded with preservatives that may destroy insulin-producing cells in your pancreas.
The fix: Cut back on these meats or eliminate them from your diet altogether. A recent Harvard University study found that women who ate these meats less than once a week had the lowest risk. If you need to satisfy a craving, try preservative-free brands.

It's important to take care of yourself; from what you eat to how active you are on a daily basis. And how you treat your body when youre young will certainly affect your health when you get older. Eventually, it will also affect your wallet as well. If you're a young individual who likes to maintain a healthy condition, you should take a look at the revolutionary, comprehensive and highly affordable individual health insurance solutions created by Precedent specifically for you.

For more information, visit us at our website, http://www.precedent.com We offer a unique and innovative suite of individual health insurance solutions, including highly competitive HSA-qualified plans and an unparalleled real-time application and acceptance experience.

Precedent puts a new spin on health insurance. Learn more at http://www.precedent.com

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