Life With My Pet Back

HAPPY HOLIDAYS MERRY CHRISTMAS!!! ( to all who celebrate) Just to wish you the best time over the holiday period. I hope it is a time to relax and take care of yourself. Enjoy the festivities and have a wonderful time :) Don't put too much pressure on yourself to do everything or take part in everything. Just do what you CAN DO and dont worry about the rest. Still do all the things you have been doing to take care of your back and try to relax and enjoy this time. I know it is not always an easy time for many people... If you are in pain holiday periods can be extra stressful especially if you try to do a lot of running around. It is important you take care of YOU too. Know what helps you to r-e-l-a-x and build that in to the schedule. If you are on medication or taking any regular herbal tablets make sure you have enough in stock to last you over the holidays. Keep any medical phone no's you think you may need in a safe place. If travelling to a new area to...

My work is with kids with physical and learning disabilities, so every day I know these young people are coping with things that I never had to endure. Finding myself in a reflective mood today I was thinking when I was struggling with my own back pain and my own limitations and I have to say getting very down, frustrated and angry with it all, I used to sometimes look to them for hope and inspiration to guide me through it. I do believe at that time they helped me far more than I helped them... I once worked with a young man who had muscular dystrophy and knew he was going to die. We talked through what he wanted from a charity who gives kids the last gift. He was very matter of fact about it weighing up if he wanted something to keep like a TV or if he wanted something he could experience with his family to have the memories of it until he died, and for his family to have good memories of that too even after he died. He chose the latter.... I can tell you I left that meeting...

The Easy Guide to Shopping with Back Pain and Sciatica symptoms: Ten Hints and Tips. If you have back pain and sciatica symptoms shopping can be a real pain. Here are ten top shopping tips I have utilized to help make your weekly grocery shop and other shopping trips a more bearable or pleasant experience for you and your back. · Go shopping at quieter times when it is not so busy especially if you are concerned about busy shopping malls, congested public transport, people or trolleys bumping into your back or people who may inadvertently push you. Plan ahead so that you are not rushing around putting yourself under stress. · If you find it difficult to reach products high up or low down on the shelves ask a store assistant for some help to get those items. If it is very difficult for you ask for an assistant to go round the shop with you. Depending on the store you may need to ask them in advance, check with the store you use....

Scoliosis-What Is It? Article Courtesy of The Healthy Back Institute. Scoliosis is a lateral, or sideways, curvature of the spine, which in its normal state should be a straight vertical line when viewed from the front or back. Viewed from the side, a normal spine curves slightly backward to produce a mild degree of roundness in the upper back area and slightly inward curve in the lower back. When a person with scoliosis is viewed from the front or back, the spine appears to be curved to either side of its normal vertical line. What causes it? There are numerous causes and types of scoliosis. Neuromuscular scoliosis is caused by abnormal muscles or nerves. This is often seen in people with spina bifida or cerebral palsy, or in those with a number of conditions that include or lead to paralysis. Congenital scoliosis occurs as a result of a bone abnormality that is present at birth. Degenerative scoliosis is bone collapse due to an injury or illness, previous major back sur...

If you have back pain and/or sciatica symptoms and are suffering from inflammation there are several things you can consider doing to help yourself. In addition to not doing too much exercise, just moderate, balance your body so there is no undue strain on bones, joints and ligaments Consider taking and anti inflammatory like proteolytic systemic enzymes . Heal and Soothe. You should also consider your diet. Sugar along with junk food, many processed foods and high fat meats increase inflammation. Some of this is the chemical like nitrates that may be used some is the fats like Trans fats and saturated fats.It is better to go for low fat milk, cheese and if you eat meat it should be lean. Diets high in sugar are also associated with obesity, diabetes and inflammation so it’s best to cut down a lot or eliminate any sugars you can from your food. I know from personal experince this is easier said than done, as you will need to read all labels and most processed foo...

With back pain and sciatica and lack of sleep, constant pain and worry about what was going to happen to me came fear, anxiety and hopelessness.  I went into a spiral of fear and worry and negative imaginings that mentally paralysed me. I don't know if any of you have experienced the same... It took me a long time to find to do this, but one of the things I found helped me to break this spiral was to think(and write down) all that I was grateful for on a daily basis. Who I was grateful for, what I was grateful for and it helped a lot. I did this list every day. I set myself a goal of writing 5 things each day. Who are you grateful for? What are you grateful for? Thank you to all of you who took the time to complete the recent poll we ran about how long people had back pain. The results are; 16% of you have had back pain for over 5 years 12% over 2 years 29% 1-2 years 37% 6 months to a year 4% 3-6 months. I was thinking and wondering, How do you cope? What helps y...

Bed making-such a simple task but one that seemed daunting to me when I suffered severe back pain and sciatica. With prolapsed discs I was worried about all the bending and lifting making a bed can entail. I don't get pain anymore but I still feel I want to be careful with tasks like these. So this is my solution for bed making, it may or may not be yours. You should always check with your healthcare provider over anything you should not be doing. It may sound a little strange but warm up a bit before you do anything physical like bed making, if your body is warm there is less likelihood of strain. If you have the Lose the Back Pain system you may like to warm up then do some of the stretches before and afterwards. If you do not have the Lose the back pain system you may want to consider it to help you help yourself(with support) to get rid of the back pain. Click here if you would like to learn more about  Lose the Back Pain. Wherever possible try to get someone to help y...

I am going to do a few posts here and there about how to tackle the simple household tasks we all need to do , but if you have backpain or sciatica can be very difficult. Please bear in mind that these are generalisations and are things that I found useful, you may need something different. If you are very restricted by back pain you may need to seek professional support or adaptations. Any ideas you have or thing s t hat work for you that make your life easier with back pain please feel free to post :) To start with Ironing- Thought I'd get my least fav job over with first! OK people who have known me recently will be surprised to hear that I used to do a lot of ironing! However with the onset of my back problems even simple standing and walking was difficult so all the standing, bending etc involved with ironing was out of the question. I was simply in too much pain with my back. Good job hubby could iron! However we eventually just about abandoned it. Apologies to peop...

I read this new article recently and thought you may be interested. What Are Systemic Proteolytic Enzymes and How Can You Benefit from Them? By Steven Hefferon, CMT, PTA, CPRS Proteolytic enzymes, also referred to as "proteases," are enzymes that break down proteins into their smallest elements. If this breakdown of proteins happens in your gut, we call the enzymes "digestive," because they help us digest our food. Systemic proteolytic enzymes, however, have a completely different purpose, so please don't confuse the two. When taken on an empty stomach, proteolytic enzymes will pass through the stomach or intestine lining and enter the circulatory system. This is why they are called "systemic" - once they enter the circulatory system, they circulate throughout the body. Why are systemic proteolytic enzymes important? The most important thing that systemic proteolytic enzymes do is to break down excess fibrin in your circulatory system...

I came across this interesting writing in the BMJ about studies discussing spinal fusion versus intensive rehab for chronic low back pain. If you are interested please click on the link. http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/330/7502/1220 If you have chronic back pain and are considering which methods to choose , you may want to read this. Let me know if you have any views.... If you are considering or have been advised to have back surgery, you may like to consider asking some of these questions as well. What is the exact diagnosis? What assessments will you do and what will the assessments tell you about my condition? Is it essential/urgent I have back surgery now? If yes why? If it is not urgent/essential I have surgery now can I try other treatments first then come back? What is the specific surgery you are proposing? How will this help me? What is the prognosis if i do not have surgery? Do I need any other tests? If so which ones? What will they tell you? Is th...

I have been under a lot of stress lately, especially at work and was very much looking forward to my holiday. Due to working very long hours, sitting and driving a lot, doing no exercise at all and being tense-essentially clearly overdoing it- I noticed for the first time in over a year, some back pain and sciatica symptoms creeping up on me...my back was warning me it was working too hard as well and needed some TLC, but I totally ignored it - no excuses, my responsibility. So while on holiday I decided to get the matter under control and not let it get any worse. The advantage I find of having knowledge of the lose the back pain system is that I can now apply the pain reduction techniques and exercises as soon as I need to. I understand better how my body works and I just did the simple self assessments again and applied what I needed to. I also spent about an hour or more a day in the pool. For me water therapy was suggested by my neurosurgeon and by Steve Hefferon of the H...

In my opinion, anyone dealing with back pain and sciatica symptoms or any health issue is courageous... Dealing with the pain , the medical tests, emotional and practical impact on your life, the hopes and the fears, the positives and the setbacks; possibly even surgery and picking yourself up and moving on... It requires a mental and emotional strength of being some of us may not have been aware that we possessed. It is not always an outward show of courage, it may not even be recognized as courage, it may not be noticed at all, but it is courage nonetheless. I think these quotes say it beautifully... "Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes courage is the little voice at the end of the day that says I'll try again tomorrow". Mary Anne Radmacher "There is nobody else like you, The more you can quiet your own thoughts,fears,doubts and suspicions, the more will be revealled to you from the higher realms of imagination , intuition and inspiration...

I came across this letter in the BMJ today, its not a new one but I dont know if you have seen it? It mentions that the management of chronic low back pain is challenging and that the importance of Vitamin D is not widely appreciated. It cites several studies/reports which seem to demonstrate the importance of Vitamin D and that Vitamin D deficiency ought to be considered in patients with low back pain. Its only a short read just thought you might find it interesting. See what you think... http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/331/7508/109-a After the summer we had in UK this year I am feeling in need of some sunshine and Vit D!!  Follow Jasmine Ann Raintree's board Back And Sciatic Pain Strategies. on Pinterest.

My work is with kids with physical and learning disabilities, so every day I see these young people coping with things that I never had to endure. When I was struggling with my own back pain and my own limitations and I have to say getting very down, frustrated and angry with it all, I used to sometimes look to them for hope and inspiration to guide me through it. I do believe at that time they helped me far more than I helped them... I once worked with a young man who had muscular dystrophy and knew he was going to die. We talked through what he wanted from a charity who gives kids the last gift. He was very matter of fact about it weighing up if he wanted someting to keep like a TV or if he wanted something he could experience with his family to have the memories of it unti he died, and for his family to have good memories of that too even after he died. He chose the latter.... I can tell you I left that meeting in tears but he was so brave and met his challenges head on. I...

I don't even apologise for going off topic here.... I have just got home from work to hear that Jane Tomlinson has died.   If you don't know her Jane lived in Leeds in UK and was diagnosed with breast cancer in August 2000. It was a bleak prognosis of 6 months to live. However over the next 7 years she fought the disease and made her life an inspiration to others. In addition she took on some amazing challenges, especially for someone with incurable cancer, including a full Ironman (4km Swim, 180Km bike ride and full marathon), two half Ironmans, the London Marathon three times, the New York Marathon, three London Triathlons and three long distance bike rides John O Groats to Lands End, Rome to Home and her final massive challenge a 6781.8 km ride across America. Jane received numerous awards including an MBE and OBE and voted the most Inspirational woman in Britain in 2003 plus many more. She was motivated to show that people with a terminal prognosis can still lead a...

Steve Hefferon was my coach when I had severe back pain and sciatica and he supported, empathised, helped and gave me the motivation I needed to keep on task and keep going with the things I needed to do to get rid of the pain. He has written this article which I have his permission to share with you. Funny thing is he was so focused on getting me better(he's a nice guy) I never even knew he was into extreme sports!! 3 Sure-fire Ways to Reduce Pain and Speed Healing By Steven Hefferon, CMT, PTA, CPRS The last time I gave advice to a bodybuilder was in 1981. I was a freshman in high school, and I told a friend’s brother to “slow down his reps.” I thought that was good information, seeing as how I had just read it in article by Arnold Schwarzenegger. Well, this guy put the weight down and kneed me in the thigh so hard I couldn’t walk for an hour. Twenty-six years later, I can still hear him clear as day asking me, “Who’s BIGGER—me or you?” If ever there was a significant emot...

A friend of mine sent me this quote the other day and I just thought I'd share it here. "Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; Nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude" - Thomas Jefferson  Follow Jasmine Ann Raintree's board Back And Sciatic Pain Strategies. on Pinterest.

Introducing Heal-n-Soothe If you are suffering from sciatica and having to take medications, or if you can't take medications due to side effects you may want to consider investigating Heal-n-Soothe Unfortunately, sometimes you end up on a treadmill of prescription after prescription for drugs that sometimes have side effects which are worse than the thing they are supposed to help. The good news is, nature has it’s own solutions to all of the ailments most of us suffer from… and sciatic pain is no different. After years of research and testing, The Healthy Back Institute created the most powerful natural alternative prescription and over-the-counter pain medications. This formula is called Heal-n-Soothe   and it includes what they believe is the best combination of enzymes and herbs that have been proven to fight off inflammation and reduce pain. I am honest with you and I have only recently used this for my wisdo...

Hi everyone, I came across this article which i thought may interest you it is all about Positional MRI and the effects of sitting on the spine. You can find it by clicking on the link below. Due to copyright i cannot post the article here. http://backandneck.about.com/b/a/257713.htm Hope you find it interesting.    If you liked this post do consider joining our Facebook Page Sciatica Solutions . Lose The Back Pain System Lose the Back Pain, is a system of self assessments to determine what physical imbalances you may have that may be causing your pain, then specific and targeted exercises to follow to address the imbalances, along with pain reduction strategies.  Follow Jasmine Ann Raintree's board Back And Sciatic Pain Strategies. on Pinterest.

Sometimes when you are in the throes of bad back pain and you are feeling its all a struggle it seems like you cant do very much and you feel fed up at the very least...  Well one thing you could try is to do a "win" list. Each evening before you go to bed make a list of all the things you intend to do the next day.  Make it very small steps like: brush teeth have a bath collect the post ring a friend watch a fav TV programme read for 30 minutes Whatever you feel you will do. Keep the tasks really small and things you know you will do. Then the next day tick them off your list. Sounds a silly thing to do? Well maybe but your mind will take these as " wins" or positives and will help you to feel better in yourself.  You can increase the difficulty of things on the list as you like but ALWAYS make sure they are things you know you will achieve...    Follow Jasmine Ann Raintree's board Back And Sciatic Pain Strategies. on Pinterest.