HOW I FINALLY FOUND UPPER BACK PAIN RELIEF – My Breakthrough!

As a child it seemed that I always had neck and upper back pain, along with what I used to call my sore shoulder, almost constantly but especially after carrying something heavy like my schoolbag. Cold and damp weather made matters worse and I couldn’t get any upper back pain relief, and for this reason I didn’t like the winter much.

I think a lot of these symptoms were overlooked because I also had severe asthma and at this time (during the sixties) the treatments for asthma were not terribly effective, so the focus was really on that illness and how to cope with it. On reflection I suppose that the asthma probably made my neck and shoulder muscles tense up and made the problem worse.

As it turned out I have scoliosis or as it is more commonly known, curvature of the spine, and left untreated, as mine was, the purveyor of chronic back pain. Anyone who has suffered from back pain whether it be neck pain, upper back pain or lower back pain, will know that there are many treatments to try.

Some can be effective, but the quest to find pain relief usually starts with your doctor who will listen to your problems then based on his or her diagnosis, will then refer you for x-rays to see whether or not you have an injury to your spine or joints. It may be that you are a suitable candidate for surgery or perhaps like me you will be referred for physiotherapy.

ENJOY LASTING UPPER BACK PAIN RELIEF

Happy Jan!

If you are on the upper back pain relief treadmill as I am you will know all about the different forms of treatments available from physiotherapy through to osteopaths, chiropractors, massage, acupuncture, anti inflammatories, cortisone injections and of course exercises.

I don’t know how many times I have resolved to do the exercises that have been set for me just to lose impetus after a week or so for the simple reason that they don’t seem to have any effect!

Then I discovered an ongoing programme released by The Healthy Back Institute that is really easy to follow and has really delivered fast upper back pain relief. It is also suitable to all types of back pain problems including sciatica which affects a vast number of people, whatever your condition there are specific recommendations, techniques and treatments which are explained in great detail.

The great thing about this research is that they have looked at the problem from a different angle and the solutions and treatments make perfect sense once you understand the logic behind it. I really recommend that you take a look at it – if you are searching for either upper back pain relief or lower, this will help you immensely.

It consists of a series of Self Assessments or tests, you can do on your own, in the comfort of your own home, to identify the physical dysfunctions and muscle imbalances you have and pinpoint exactly what’s causing your back pain or sciatica.

Then you begin your personalised self treatment programme that will include Pain Reduction Strategies, the exact Corrective Exercises and Stretches you need to be doing and also Condition Specific Recommendations which target any specific conditions you may have been diagnosed with.

HERE ARE THE DETAILS YOU NEED FOR FAST UPPER BACK PAIN RELIEF!

For over 15-years Jesse Cannone, co-founder of The Healthy Back Institute, has helped over 50,000 “lost cause” upper back pain sufferers finally get lasting pain relief.

CLICK HERE FOR UPPER BACK PAIN RELIEF NOW!

I GOT UPPER BACK PAIN RELIEF – SO CAN YOU, RIGHT NOW!

I wanted to report back to you on my second session of acupuncture.

Once again I had 30 minutes of lying completely still on my side with several needles placed along my hip, thigh, knee and foot. There was no pain apart from the slight tingling feeling that one soon gets used to – in fact every time a needle was applied my therapist asked me “could I feel that” and seemed reassured when I said I could.

The later effects were much the same, a sort of numbness a bit like when you wake up in the middle of the night get out of bed and nearly fall over! As a pain relief solution though, I think it has its limitations so I’ve decided to find myself a chiropractor.

Vitamin B12 has been found to relieve low back pain. A double-blind Italian study examined the safety and effectiveness of vitamin B12 for low back pain. People who received vitamin B12 showed a statistically significant reduction in pain and disability. They also used less pain medication than the placebo group.

Besides pain, other symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency are numbness and tingling, irritability, mild memory impairment and depression.

Risk factors for vitamin B12 deficiency are :

• pernicious anemia
• medications (stomach acid-blocking medications)
• inadequate intake of meat or dairy products
• infection (small intestine bacterial overgrowth, parasites)
• digestive diseases (stomach removal surgery, celiac disease, Crohn’s disease)

Vitamin B12 muscle injections are the standard treatment for vitamin B12 deficiency. Studies have found vitamin B12 sublingual tablets (placed under the tongue for absorption) and nasal gel are also effective.

Bowen therapy is a type of gentle bodywork that was developed in Australia by osteopath Tom Bowen (1916-1982). Bowen therapy is more widely used in Australia and Europe, but it has also been growing in popularity in North America.

Bowen therapists use a series of specialized “moves” using their fingers and thumbs. The moves typically involve the therapist pulling the skin slack away from the muscle, applying pressure, and then quickly releasing the tension.

These moves are performed on precise areas of muscles where special receptors are located. Nerve impulses are sent to the brain, resulting in muscle relaxation and reduction of pain.

The moves are not continuous – the therapist allows the client to rest for a few minutes between each move. A typical treatment is between 30 to 40 minutes.

A little while ago I mentioned that I was going to see a therapist qualified in Sports Massage.

Well she was brilliant and it was well worth the visit. Kat is qualified to treat people who mainly have injuries and need rehabilitation. However, she also treats patients with chronic conditions like myself. The actual massage was very intense, as I had imagined it would be. The after effects were amazing, although my muscles were a bit sore to touch for a couple of days, they were as relaxed as they ever have been.

If you get the opportunity I would really recommend you see such a practitioner, I for one will be going back!

The practice of reflexology is a non invasive holistic therapy based upon stimulating the body’s own healing process by applying firm pressure to specific reflex points on the feet, with some practitioners using the hands as well.  Each of these reflex points relate to a certain part or organ of the body and therefore the entire body is mapped out, with the left foot relating to the left hand side and the right foot to the right hand side of the body.

Reflexology has its origins in China and Egypt many thousands of years ago but the reflexology we see today was started in 1913 by Dr William H. Fitzgerald who researched body zones and how application of pressure in one part of a zone could influence another area within the same zone. Research into Zone Therapy, as it was known, evolved over the twentieth century and was refined by Eunice D. Ingham who discovered that the feet contain seven thousand nerve endings and were therefore the most appropriate part of the body to treat, her treatment method became known as the Ingham Compression Method of Reflexology.

As with many alternative therapies, there is no actual proof that reflexology works but many clinical trials have shown that it can be of benefit in treating all sorts of conditions and has been shown to be effective when dealing with back pain.  During a treatment the practitioner will work the entire surface of both the feet paying particular attention to tender or congested (known as gritty) areas as these represent parts of your body which are out of balance and painful. In some cases the hands will be treated but usually only in the case of extremely tender feet or missing limbs, this is because the surface area of the feet is greater therefore more effective. The treatment should not feel unpleasant as it is similar to a massage and you should feel relaxed during and after the procedure, the pressure applied is not painful and is firm enough to be tolerated by those of us who are ticklish. There are no after effects apart from feeling relaxed and you will probably enjoy a good nights’ sleep. Reflexology improves body circulation and cleanses the system from impurities and toxins so it is advisable to drink plenty of water afterwards to help expel them from your system.

Although reflexology is an alternative therapy, it is amongst one of the heavyweights in terms of reputation and effectiveness and many of us with varying conditions, including back pain, would no doubt benefit from one or more sessions.

Just a quick post to let you know I’m off to see a specialist massage therapist today.

She works with people like me who have chronic back pain problems and also those with sports injuries. This treatment has been recommended by my chiropractor who thinks it may help extend the time between my visits, lets hope so!

Will let you know how I get on.

Cupping is an ancient Chinese therapy that many of us have heard of but may not be sure of what it actually does. Well the good news is that it can help with back pain relief to injured or tight muscles and improve circulation of the blood. Most qualified acupuncturists are also trained in the art of cupping, whereby glass or plastic cups are placed on the affected muscle by applying suction. They are generally left on from three to fifteen minutes according to the judgement of the practitioner.

Whilst the cups are on the affected area, the muscle fibres are drawn into the cup by the suction hence loosening up the muscle and relieving pain. If a specific injury has occurred, small blood vessels within the muscle fibres will have been ruptured causing blood to pool within the muscle and get stuck there forming a type of glue that makes movement even more difficult and painful, cupping can help draw this blood out onto the surface of the skin.

Cupping is also often used in the treatment of frozen shoulders and swollen joints like knee joints, this is because, as well as blood, cupping can also draw out body fluids. When either of these is drawn out they don’t come out in liquid form, but draw dark circles on the skin where the cups have been. The first time you are cupped you will probably see quite dark circles remaining which last for a few days, and as the treatments are repeated they should become less coloured as the area is healing. Do not be concerned about these marks as they are all part of the healing process, however you may want to dress accordingly for a few days so if you are planning a day at the beach it may not be such a good idea so soon after your treatment.

There are certain conditions for which cupping may not be appropriate, these include pregnancy, diabetes, lupus, haemophilia or any type of blood circulation disorder and in these cases your therapist or doctor will advise you. If you are adverse to the bruising and discoloration effect it may not be the right treatment for you either. If you do decide to go ahead make sure you find a registered practitioner who will talk you through the treatment and assess if it is appropriate for your condition before starting any treatment. Personally I think that in the battle to find back pain relief, having researched the subject thoroughly, I’m ready to give it a try.

I have written previously about chiropractors on a personal level and thought it might be a good idea to let you know what you can expect to happen on an initial appointment.

If you are suffering from back or neck pain either chronically or as a result of a recent injury, you may want to consider visiting a chiropractor who will hopefully be able to relieve your symptoms. Most chiropractic specialists will be able to help their patients in this respect on their first visit but to be able to do this some important background information will be required.

Most initial chiropractic appointments last about 45 minutes to an hour to take into account the gathering of this information. Your consultant will ask you questions about the pain you are suffering, where it is, is it affecting other parts of your body (for instance sciatic nerve pain can affect the whole leg), have you been injured and what makes the pain lessen or intensify. Your medical history will be discussed along with that of your immediate family and your chiropractor will need to know what medication you are taking if any.

Of course not all consultations are the same but at this stage normally the practitioner will assess the affected part and evaluate its mobility, your muscle strength and tone, your reflexes and your posture. You will probably be asked to perform various movements such as turning your head from one side to another or bending sideways depending on the type of symptoms you have and which part of your back or neck is affected. Once all this has been carried out hopefully your practitioner will have made a diagnosis and subsequently be in a position to determine what treatment will be required to alleviate your symptoms. He or she should then explain clearly to you; the diagnosis, the proposed treatment, the anticipated number of visits that will be required and their frequency.

It is usual at this stage of your initial visit for your chiropractor to begin the treatment which will most likely include manipulation of dysfunctional joints and massage to the corresponding muscles. These muscles are being either stretched or compressed accordingly as the joints are being put back into their correct positions. Another part of the treatment is applying pressure, usually with the heel of the hand or tips of the fingers, to certain parts to ease muscle dysfunction. You will be advised on how to manage the condition between visits, given certain exercises to do and advice on correct posture. Application of ice or heat may also be recommended.

Return visits will at first be quite frequent, at least once a week for up to a month, the goal being to reduce the symptoms and restore the affected joints and muscles. Once this has been achieved follow up appointments of once a month to maintain functionality is normal. Then so long as the condition continues to improve you can expect the period between visits to extend over time.

The sensation of pain that we feel is a result of how our brain transmits the signals that it receives, so it makes sense to assume that our brains can influence  and manage the level of pain we feel should we decide to attempt to employ it as an effective chronic pain control tool.

There are several visualisation techniques that we can try that may help with pain control.  Visualisation, also known as guided imagery, is used and encouraged by medical professionals in the treatment of many illnesses, including cancer, where the patient may imagine themselves in idyllic and peaceful surroundings feeling unbelievably well and healthy or take an imaginary journey through the inside of their body in order to fight and destroy the cancer cells.

To begin the process of visualisation the body and mind needs to be in a relaxed state. However, when we are in the grip of chronic pain and anxiety it is hard to focus on anything let alone relax, so here are some methods to practice to get you in the right frame of mind to begin.

Lie down in a dimly lit room with your eyes closed or alternatively focus on something in the room. Slow down your breathing and breathe in and out becoming aware of each breath and imagining the air coming in and out of your lungs and your diaphragm moving up and down.

Once you are feeling relaxed try to focus on a part of your body for instance a hand, any part that is not the source of the pain as this will then detract from the pain. Imagine that your hand is getting warmer, try to actually feel the heat. Now place the heated hand on the source of pain so that the sensation of warmth is transferred to the painful area, feel in your mind how comforting this is.

Now imagine that you are about to be given an injection of morphine to relieve your symptoms, imagine the doctor swabbing the painful area and feel the sensation of the drug going into your system, numbing the pain and flooding your body with a feeling of well being. Another technique is to actually move the pain around your body using your powers of visualisation, try to transfer the pain to a part of your body that can cope better with it, if you can do this you may even be able to move the pain away from your body entirely, flinging it out into the air.

These techniques will take a bit of practice, but they don’t entail a trip to your doctor or have a monetary cost. You will be relaxed and focused and you will at least feel that you have some power over the pain you are suffering where previously you have been powerless.