Life With My Pet Back

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...