Wednesday 31 December 2008

Coping With Back Pain:A View Beyond Words.

sunset over ocean

I promised to bring you some people who have inspired me and Karin is the first I would like to introduce you to. A little while ago I came across her blog and I would love to share it with you. It is an art journal by a wonderful person who knows the experience of back pain. I have her permission to quote her and post about her blog. The photo is by me the words here in quotes are all Karin. Visit her blog to view her art.

She described her work to me as her way of;

"muddling thorough and recreating my daily life with chronic pain -hopefully recreating it into something thoughtful and/or beautiful"

The journey of her backpain began after a fall. Less than a year ago she had a lumbar fusion after an unsuccessful partial discectomy from two years before. Now she has had to have the screws and rods taken out as her body is not accepting them.

In an e mail conversation we had she touchingly describes her self and why she writes her blog as follows;

"For me, pain is on the surface of who I am. It's the first thing I'm aware of in the morning, and the last thing before I go to sleep. Kind of like how a person looks is the first thing we often notice when we meet someone for the first time - or even when it's not for the first time, but when we just open the door.

You look into a person's eyes, or at their face and see them, their expression, hair style, clothes, body type, skin color, etc. The surface. I know what I look like - the first thing i do is feel myself, and it's pain.

For me if I constantly focus on the pain, or only focus on distracting myself from the pain, with things like television, or sleeping, or reading, I continue to stay in the surface of my life.
When I allow myself to fully experience the pain, relax into it and not resist it, it leads me down a variety of avenues. Sometimes deep sadness - feelings of loss over the things I can no longer do, so I follow the loss and the sadness, and that leads me further, and so on. Eventually images arrive. Sometimes it happens in an instant, sometimes it feels like torture!

The process of creating, for me, always ends with release. Transformation of negative feelings occurs and I feel lighter, and though there are times the pain screams while I am creating, there are always periods during the creative process that I am able to forget that I am in pain - that I rise above the pain, and see it as separate from myself. It is a form of meditation for me.

I am blessed in that art has always been this for me. From childhood, art has carried me through my darkest times. "

I hope that by posting this here you will visit her blog and maybe find something there by way of inspiration like I did.



If you liked this post do consider joining our Facebook Page Sciatica Solutions.



For useful information and suggestions there is a Free Back Pain Book Written by the Healthy back Institute-

7 Day Back Pain Cure
This free book (there is a small shipping/handling fee for physical book) will give you a good starting point for taking back control of your back pain covering reasons for pain, pain relief, possible treatments, action plans and many other things you will find useful.
Follow Jasmine Ann Raintree's board Back And Sciatic Pain Strategies. on Pinterest.

Friday 28 November 2008

Cough, cough , cough !!!

sky with clouds

Hi all,

Sorry I have not been posting lately, I have been feeling quite poorly with flu and a chest infection but am recovering now :)

I have some good things to bring you planned including two people I have come to know who I think will inspire you and make our days brighter. I will be posting links to their work on here soon.

If you have succumbed to the flu or this chest infection and are coughing a lot like I was then do try to support your back when coughing.
If you have back issues a hard cough can really rack your body and hurt your back. I got some bad backache just because of the physical stress on my body when I was cough , cough , cough. Just some support can help and I got my hubby to do some gentle massage on my back to ease the muscles.

I was unable to do any exercise for the last month so I am going to ease myself back into it gradually over the next few weeks so as not to strain my back.

I am still taking it easy but will try to post more often. Thank you to those of you who have left me messages. I appreciate them. I am gradually getting through my mail too :)

Take care and sending good thoughts your way

Love
jasmine ann
If you liked this post do consider joining our Facebook Page Sciatica Solutions.


For useful information and suggestions there is a Free Back Pain Book Written by the Healthy back Institute-

7 Day Back Pain Cure
This free book (there is a small shipping/handling fee for physical book) will give you a good starting point for taking back control of your back pain covering reasons for pain, pain relief, possible treatments, action plans and many other things you will find useful.
Follow Jasmine Ann Raintree's board Back And Sciatic Pain Strategies. on Pinterest.

Tuesday 4 November 2008

What do you do with your troubles?

Field of hay bales
Hi everyone,

We all have troubles and certainly if you have back and sciatic pain you have your fair share...more than your fair share.

However, can we, should we carry them around with us all the time or can we put them aside for a while...? Is that possible? It is food for thought for me....

 If you liked this post do consider joining our Facebook Page Sciatica Solutions.



For useful information and suggestions there is a Free Back Pain Book Written by the Healthy back Institute-

7 Day Back Pain Cure
This free book (there is a small shipping/handling fee for physical book) will give you a good starting point for taking back control of your back pain covering reasons for pain, pain relief, possible treatments, action plans and many other things you will find useful.
Follow Jasmine Ann Raintree's board Back And Sciatic Pain Strategies. on Pinterest.

Tuesday 21 October 2008

Back Pain Self Referrals.

If you are in UK you may be interested in this news article in the Guardian today.

It refers to people with back pain being able to refer themselves to an NHS physio and cutting out Dr referrals.

Straight to the specialist.

I wonder if it will help to speed up the time it takes to get started on physio treatment? When I first went for physio via a Dr referral I was on a 3 month waiting list. When you are in pain 3 months is a long time. Physio did not help me much unfortunately but I think people should be able to see one quicker than that to see if it can help.

Take care 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. 

For useful information and suggestions there is a Free Back Pain Book Written by the Healthy back Institute-

7 Day Back Pain Cure
This free book (there is a small shipping/handling fee for physical book) will give you a good starting point for taking back control of your back pain covering reasons for pain, pain relief, possible treatments, action plans and many other things you will find useful.
Follow Jasmine Ann Raintree's board Back And Sciatic Pain Strategies. on Pinterest.

Friday 3 October 2008

When Is Back Pain , Not Back Pain?

Donkey lying down


















Just a word to the wise...

If you start with back pain and you do not know what is causing it do go check it out with your doctor first.

Back pain may be just that; back pain. Pain in your lower, mid or upper back. It may have come on suddenly -you did something and your back "went out" or gradually where you have been getting twinges and achiness for some time. Back pain can just creep up on you.

Your back pain may be caused by any number of root causes/conditions including muscle imbalances, a strained back through improper lifting or with weak muscles, herniated or "slipped" disc(which may have its root in muscle imbalances), spinal stenosis, fibromyalgia, arthritis or many other things.

Back pain may also be a symptom of kidney problems or cystitis to name a few. Best to rule out those things which do require immediate medical attention and know what you are dealing with.

For symptoms you must not ignore and must see a doctor about urgently and act upon quickly please see RED FLAGS AND BACK PAIN. You cannot afford not to know these warning signs.

If you do get back pain and you are also experiencing pain in your side, increased urgent urination, pain or burning upon urination you may have cystitis or if it progresses without treatment, kidney problems. You would need to have any symptoms diagnosed properly by a medical professional along with treatment and to learn more about its prevention and ways to cope with it.

If you do have back pain or sciatic pain, a pinched nerve, lower back pain or other related back issues then do take a look at the blog post  "A Personal Review Of Lose The Back Pain" which is my experiences of a back pain relief system which worked for me when everything else I had tried failed to give relief or gave only temporary relief from back and sciatic pain.


Just make sure you know what you are dealing with before you plan your course of action. 

Be specific with your doctor
  • When did the pain start? How it came on-was it sudden or gradual?
  • Was it linked to any activity?
  • Where is the pain?
  • Is the pain sharp, achey, dull?
  • Is the pain all the time or intermittent? 
  • Do you have any other symptoms such as weight loss, bleeding, rash, increased urination, painful urination, nausea etc? 

Get as much information as you can so that you are in control of your plan of action and treatment options.


Take good care of YOU


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. 

For useful information and suggestions there is a Free Back Pain Book Written by the Healthy back Institute-

7 Day Back Pain Cure
This free book (there is a small shipping/handling fee for physical book) will give you a good starting point for taking back control of your back pain covering reasons for pain, pain relief, possible treatments, action plans and many other things you will find useful.
Follow Jasmine Ann Raintree's board Back And Sciatic Pain Strategies. on Pinterest.

Saturday 6 September 2008

Cauda Equina Syndrome

Cauda Equina Syndrome is something that my physio told me to be watchful about when I was first diagnosed with herniated discs and sciatica in both legs from hip to toes.

I was really worried about it but it is relatively rare. I did not ever experience cauda equina syndrome but I was glad I knew the symptoms. It is however useful to equip yourself with knowledge about it so if you get any symptoms you take swift action.

I was horrified to read on a forum recently that a man had low back pain and was suffering loss of bladder control for over a week and had not yet been to see his doctor about it! If you do experience the symptoms listed please seek advice from a qualified healthcare professional quickly.

Very good useful information on causes, presentation, management, investigations, complications and prognosis of this condition at website patient.co.uk Cauda Equina Syndrome


If you liked this post do consider joining our Facebook Page Sciatica Solutions.



For useful information and suggestions there is a Free Back Pain Book Written by the Healthy back Institute-

7 Day Back Pain Cure
This free book (there is a small shipping/handling fee for physical book) will give you a good starting point for taking back control of your back pain covering reasons for pain, pain relief, possible treatments, action plans and many other things you will find useful.
Follow Jasmine Ann Raintree's board Back And Sciatic Pain Strategies. on Pinterest.

Tuesday 2 September 2008

Have Bed Will Travel!

Hand on memory foam mattress

















Hi there!

Well I have been away on my holidays for a few weeks and I had a wonderful time :)

It was great to see new sights and experience new things and get out of the routine. I also met up with family I haven't seen in quite a while and had a lovely relaxing time and a much needed break.

The only thing that bothered me all the time I was away was the sleeping. The bed was beautiful, clean and fresh and lovely and to most people the bed would have been just fine. I think me and my back are just fussy.

However I have now got soooo used to my memory foam topper that any other bed seems not quite right. I had some problems getting comfy and found that my back muscles actually ached in the mornings which doesn't happen at home.

So I have resolved to try to track down a portable travel memory foam topper that I can use whenever I go away. Keeping my back happy keeps me happy!

When I track it down I will post it here for you as well. If you liked this post do consider joining our Facebook Page Sciatica Solutions.



For useful information and suggestions there is a Free Back Pain Book Written by the Healthy back Institute-

7 Day Back Pain Cure
This free book (there is a small shipping/handling fee for physical book) will give you a good starting point for taking back control of your back pain covering reasons for pain, pain relief, possible treatments, action plans and many other things you will find useful.
Follow Jasmine Ann Raintree's board Back And Sciatic Pain Strategies. on Pinterest.

Friday 15 August 2008

Using the Lose the Back Pain System -Hints and Tips.

Here are some hints and tips on getting the best out of the Lose The Back Pain System and how to approach the exercises.

Everyone is different but this is just an idea of how you might approach all the information you will receive when you get your copy of lose the back pain system.

Its just advice and suggestions , not prescriptive :)


When you first receive the lose the back pain system I would advise you watch the 2 DVDs first through before you do the assessments. Then familiarise yourself with the rest of the material.

Next take your photos as instructed on the DVD. You will clearly need someone to help you take these photos.

Then do the assessments, take you time over these and go back and do them again if you are not sure. You can do these alone but it may be helpful if you have someone with you.

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. 

For useful information and suggestions there is a Free Back Pain Book Written by the Healthy back Institute-

7 Day Back Pain Cure
This free book (there is a small shipping/handling fee for physical book) will give you a good starting point for taking back control of your back pain covering reasons for pain, pain relief, possible treatments, action plans and many other things you will find useful.
Follow Jasmine Ann Raintree's board Back And Sciatic Pain Strategies. on Pinterest.

Friday 8 August 2008

I Choose Love...

Gentle ocean waves


















Hi to my friends,

I have a beautiful video for you today that sends a shiver up my spine every time I watch it. All about Love and Compassion in our world. It is covering wider issues but made me think about how Love and Compassion affect us when we are coping with back and sciatic pain.

With regard to our own healing, I do believe that Love and Compassion for ourselves is very important. I used to hate and fear my back for the pain it caused me and I was afraid of what was happening to me....I had to learn to love it again to take the necessary steps to care....

Love yourself just as you are then you will be able to help yourself better to heal.

We all know it is also important to love and show compassion to each other especially through difficult times. I know that it was the unfailing love, support and faith in me of my wonderful husband, the caring and support I received from other back pain sufferers and recoverers, one very special friend and Steve Hefferon from Lose the Back pain that helped me to gain the inner strength to be able to rise up again to fight my own pain and condition.


I hope you like it
. I just Love it and wanted to share with you.


I Choose Love

Namaste

jasmine ann If you liked this post do consider joining our Facebook Page Sciatica Solutions.


For useful information and suggestions there is a Free Back Pain Book Written by the Healthy back Institute-

7 Day Back Pain Cure
This free book (there is a small shipping/handling fee for physical book) will give you a good starting point for taking back control of your back pain covering reasons for pain, pain relief, possible treatments, action plans and many other things you will find useful.
Follow Jasmine Ann Raintree's board Back And Sciatic Pain Strategies. on Pinterest.

Friday 25 July 2008

What Is Inflammation And How Does It Cause Pain?


I've got a great article for you today about the "hidden cause" of so many diseases and conditions like chronic pain, heart disease, stroke, alzhiemers and others.

If you suffer from any type of ache or pain, whether it's big or small, acute or chronic, or if you want to learn about how you can reverse and prevent damage caused by these diseases and conditions, then you I'm sure you are going to find this quick read very eye opening.


What is Inflammation and How Does It Cause Pain?

Inflammation is a response from your immune system in response to an irritant.

For example, if you sprain your ankle, your immune system creates a protein called a Circulating Immune Complex (CIC for short).

The CIC travels down to the injured ankle and causes pain and swelling.The pain you feel is to inform you of the injury or damage. And the swelling is protective as it prevents you from moving it and causing more irritation.

This is also your body's way of running to the problem with fresh blood, antibodies and vital cells in order to begin healing and repairing the damage.Then what normally happens is our bodies produce proteolytic enzymes which counteract the inflammation, and things return to normal. That's why a sprained ankle as a young child heals within a few weeks at most, but can take six weeks or more for an adult of say 45.


The problem is, after around age 25, our production of these enzymes drops off almost completely so there is nothing to tell the body to stop the inflammation. These enzymes are also responsible for cleaning the blood, fighting off viral and bacterial infections and breaking down excess fibrin (scar tissue).
You can learn more about Heal-n-Soothe here

In addition to the decrease in production of proteolytic enzymes, there are also numerous other things that contribute to the build up of inflammation in our bodies.Here is just a short list of factors that contribute to inflammation:

  • Un-addressed pain and injuries
  • Toxins and chemicals in our air, water and food
  • Poor nutritional habits
  • Bacterial or viral infections
  • Allergies
  • Prescription medications
  • Auto-immune diseases
  • Negative mental and emotional stress
Over time, inflammation continues to increase in our bodies causing damage to all of the tissues and organs, often without us even knowing it's happening.
If inflammation is not controlled and the body continually fights this battle, symptoms of chronic inflammation can show itself as arthritis, colitis, chronic fatigue, sinusitis, cataracts, chronic pain, hair loss heart disease, stroke, Alzheimer's and dozens of other ailments and conditions.

Inflammation is what slowly kills us.
More and more research is coming out now that proves this. For example, here's a quote from a study published in The New England Journal of Medicine: "there is convincing evidence that inflammation is strongly linked to heart attacks and stroke."

And in another study published in The Annals of Neurology, the researchers concluded, "inflammation is linked to Alzheimer's and other dementing diseases." And a recent Harvard study found that "half of all heart attacks are caused by inflammation".

We know that reducing inflammation is critical to eliminating pain and preventing disease and illness, but how do you do it safely and naturally?

Here are just some of the things you can do:

  • Make dietary changes - be sure to read Dr Chilton's book "Win the War Within"
  • Learn how to eliminate negative emotional stress
  • Minimize the amount of junk that enters your body - and not just food but toxins and other chemicals
  • Replace lost proteolytic enzymes with supplementation
Remember, the key is to keep in inflammation under control because it does far more than just cause swelling and pain.

 Article courtesy of The Healthy Back Institute. If you liked this post do consider joining our Facebook Page Sciatica Solutions.


For useful information and suggestions there is a Free Back Pain Book Written by the Healthy back Institute-

7 Day Back Pain Cure
This free book (there is a small shipping/handling fee for physical book) will give you a good starting point for taking back control of your back pain covering reasons for pain, pain relief, possible treatments, action plans and many other things you will find useful.
Follow Jasmine Ann Raintree's board Back And Sciatic Pain Strategies. on Pinterest.

Tuesday 15 July 2008

Driving with sciatica

Driving with back pain and sciatica can be misery.

When I had back and sciatic pain I had to try to continue driving to get to my physio appointments and when I could still work to get there. Every time I drove it seemed to set me back and often I arrived at physio in too much pain.

It was very difficult and driving was the one thing I still found aggravated my pain even when I was nearly pain free.

However I found some things that really helped, some are products and some are hints and tips to support you.

I have put together a page to pass on some of the things which helped me when I was going through this and I hope you find them useful.


Driving With Sciatica  



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. 

For useful information and suggestions there is a Free Back Pain Book Written by the Healthy back Institute-

7 Day Back Pain Cure
This free book (there is a small shipping/handling fee for physical book) will give you a good starting point for taking back control of your back pain covering reasons for pain, pain relief, possible treatments, action plans and many other things you will find useful.
Follow Jasmine Ann Raintree's board Back And Sciatic Pain Strategies. on Pinterest.

Saturday 21 June 2008

Arachnoiditis. No its not about spiders!

I wanted to touch on a topic today that can be very distressing if you are suffering with it. As I have not suffered this myself I am going to give you a series of links to people in the field and to relevant support groups which I hope are helpful to you.

We are talking about Arachnoiditis. No it is not about spiders!

This is a chronic condition of the spine.

It is inflammation of the arachnoid layer of the meninges. That is the protective layers found around the brain and spinal cord and it causes severe pain.

I certainly do not want you to try and diagnose yourself from any description I give here but some of the common symptoms may be;

  • Weakness and numbness or tingling in the legs
  • Feeling of crawling insects on the leg
  • Cramps and twitching
  • Severe shooting pain
  • And/or bladder, bowel and sexual dysfunction.


If you suspect you should go to see your healthcare professional.


To understand and read more about it here are detailed and descriptive articles.

http://www.caudaequina.org/issues/spinespiders.htm

http://www.spineuniverse.com/displayarticle.php/article180.html


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. 

For useful information and suggestions there is a Free Back Pain Book Written by the Healthy back Institute-

7 Day Back Pain Cure
This free book (there is a small shipping/handling fee for physical book) will give you a good starting point for taking back control of your back pain covering reasons for pain, pain relief, possible treatments, action plans and many other things you will find useful.
Follow Jasmine Ann Raintree's board Back And Sciatic Pain Strategies. on Pinterest.

Thursday 12 June 2008

Chronic Pain:Your Brain,Your Nutrition.

Here are two interesting articles I came across recently I wanted to share with you, you may find useful or interesting and to get your opinion on.

First, did you know that chronic pain shrinks the brain?

Yes, that's what the first article is about.
And I don't know about you, but I can't afford any loss of
brain :)


The second article discusses how you can use nutrition
to help eliminate your pain
- or keep it, depending upon the
choices you make.

Ok, so here they are courtesy of The Healthy Back Institute...

----------------------------------------------------
Chronic Back Pain Limits Brain Power
----------------------------------------------------

You don't need to be a scientist to know that chronic back pain can have a negative impact on your life, often bringing with it anxiety and depression. It can affect your ability to work, sleep, and perform other daily activities.

Until recently, it has been assumed that whatever changes occurred in the brain as a result of chronic back pain were only temporary and that the brain would revert to a normal state once the pain stopped.

Recent findings by researchers from Northwestern University have turned this assumption on its head. What they found was that chronic back pain - defined as pain lasting six months or longer - can cause significant and long-lasting damage to the brain, aging it up to 20 times faster than normal.

In fact, chronic back pain actually shrinks the gray matter of the brain - the part responsible for memory and information processing - by as much as 11 percent each year. In contrast, normal aging of the brain results in just a 0.5 percent loss of gray matter a year.

Get the rest of this story here:
(NB This link may not work after July 2016)


--------------------------------------------------------------
Can Proper Nutrition and Supplementation Eliminate Your Pain?
--------------------------------------------------------------

Anyone looking to achieve optimal health has to consider nutrition as the single most important ingredient for success. In a perfect world, all of our nutrition should come from the food we eat. Supplementation should not even be an issue.

In the real world, however, most of the foods we eat are riddled with fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides, and hormones - not to mention that they are often hydrated with polluted water. In addition, an ever-growing percentage of our food comes from other countries, which don't always have the best inspection track record.

And if all that weren't bad enough, the natural nutrient value of the soil that produces these foods has also been diminishing over the years, a trend that will only continue. This is why
it's necessary for us to take a hard look at our diets and make a decision about whether we may need supplements.

As you can see, proper nutrition nowadays is not that easy; it does take some time to educate yourself. By proper nutrition, I mean eating clean and safe foods that have the nutrients your
body requires to get and stay healthy.

Recipe for relief .Your two main purposes for eating a healthy diet and taking supplements are to give your body what it needs to heal itself and to minimize the level of inflammation that is in your body.

The inflammation is what is causing your pain.

Drugs that fight pain do little, if anything, to help the body heal itself. In fact, some of these drugs can have severe negative side effects, so please consider eating right as an alternative.

If you are suffering from any type of back, neck or sciatic pain, there is hope for relief.


I hope you enjoy these two articles. Have a great weekend! 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. 

For useful information and suggestions there is a Free Back Pain Book Written by the Healthy back Institute-

7 Day Back Pain Cure
This free book (there is a small shipping/handling fee for physical book) will give you a good starting point for taking back control of your back pain covering reasons for pain, pain relief, possible treatments, action plans and many other things you will find useful.
Follow Jasmine Ann Raintree's board Back And Sciatic Pain Strategies. on Pinterest.

Sunday 18 May 2008

Back Pain. All In The Mind?

Pink Camellia flower
I have read that back pain can cause depression and stress and depression and stress can cause back pain. I do feel stress has a part to play but how much?

Certainly I wasn't depressed before I got back and sciatic pain but I did feel stressed....

I did get very "down" and felt hopeless when I was in a lot of pain and nothing seemed to be working....

It wasn't until I decided I just could not go on like that in pain , hardly mobile and completely not living life the way I wanted to -I really hit rock bottom. I had thought that "they" would cure me and was disillusioned and felt abandoned when "they " couldn't.

I managed to get positive again and I started researching things for myself instead of relying on others to cure me. I learnt more about my condition. I found the Lose the back pain website and when the Lose The Back Pain system I ordered started to work and I got help support and advice from them and the other people on the site through the back pain forum there I felt better, in less pain and did more to help myself and it was as much a cycle of positivity as it had been a cycle of negativity.

My MRI clearly showed the dessicated degenerative herniated discs, my body was certainly out of balance and I was able to address that through Lose the back pain, but how big a role was my mind playing in all this?

Have you heard of something called TMS or Tension Myositis Syndrome.?Dr Sarno believes that the body is producing pain because it's manifesting unresolved stress. He understands that your mind creates a real physical problem which may result in back pain affecting muscles, nerves etc.


  • Did feeling positive play a part in my recovery?
  • Can being stressed or depressed in of itself cause back pain?
  • How much do our minds play a part in gaining back pain and in recovery from back and sciatic pain?


I do not pretend to have all the answers on this issue and am interested in any thoughts or opinions you have on TMS... 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. 

For useful information and suggestions there is a Free Back Pain Book Written by the Healthy back Institute-

7 Day Back Pain Cure
This free book (there is a small shipping/handling fee for physical book) will give you a good starting point for taking back control of your back pain covering reasons for pain, pain relief, possible treatments, action plans and many other things you will find useful.
Follow Jasmine Ann Raintree's board Back And Sciatic Pain Strategies. on Pinterest.

Thursday 1 May 2008

Sleeping With Sciatica?

How I treasure my sleep now I can actually sleep!!!

I did suffer badly through lack of sleep when particularly the sciatica in both of my legs would keep me awake, or wake me up through the night.

Sciatica during the day is bad but in the night it just seemed worse.

I thought you might be interested in a few hints and tips about sleeping tips for back pain and sciatica. 

Please click on this link to read the sleep tips


Take good care of yourself 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. 

For useful information and suggestions there is a Free Back Pain Book Written by the Healthy back Institute-

7 Day Back Pain Cure
This free book (there is a small shipping/handling fee for physical book) will give you a good starting point for taking back control of your back pain covering reasons for pain, pain relief, possible treatments, action plans and many other things you will find useful.
Follow Jasmine Ann Raintree's board Back And Sciatic Pain Strategies. on Pinterest.

Monday 21 April 2008

Do You Have Degenerative Disc Disease?

Degenerative Disc Disease!! When I was told I had that I felt sick to my stomach. I knew I had Sciatica and back pain , I did not know I had an Actual disease!!

Well after I did some of my own research turns out that Degenerative Disc Disease is in fact not a disease at all.

Degenerative Disc Disease, often known as DDD, is a natural part of getting older. It happens. It is not contagious or of risk to anyone else. With time everyone experiences some changes in their discs. Some people will get symptoms associated with that process, others will not. It showed up on my MRI scan quite clearly that I had DDD in my L4/5 and L5/S1 discs which showed up black on the scan results and a narrower space than the other discs.

DDD is where the gel type substance in the discs dries out. The discs over time, lose their shock absortion role and become more stiff. In addition the ligaments around the disc tend to become brittle which leaves them at risk of tears.

Degenerative disc disease is not a disease at all. It is a condition that can degenerate.

Degenerative means to most of us something that gets worse over time and with age. In the case of DDD the disc can degenerate with age and time but it does not always follow that the symptoms will get worse.

To learn more please click here to read more about DDD 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. 

For useful information and suggestions there is a Free Back Pain Book Written by the Healthy back Institute-

7 Day Back Pain Cure
This free book (there is a small shipping/handling fee for physical book) will give you a good starting point for taking back control of your back pain covering reasons for pain, pain relief, possible treatments, action plans and many other things you will find useful.
Follow Jasmine Ann Raintree's board Back And Sciatic Pain Strategies. on Pinterest.

Sunday 13 April 2008

Craig Lundberg:An Inspiration.

It's the London Marathon today and many people are running for various charities.

There are very many stories of incredible bravery and people overcoming illness and fighting for life. All fantastic and inspirational people to me.... Its hard to choose but I was particularly touched by Craig Lundberg who was severely injured in Iraq, very nearly lost his life and is now totally blind. Whatever your views on Iraq what struck me was this 22 year olds amazing attitude to the lifechanging blow to his future.

A year on from his horrendous accident today he is running the London Marathon, he is totally blind and has 2 helpers to run with him.

I just wanted to post links to his story and blog here if we ever feel in need of a little inspiration about how to handle things that may have happened to us, out of our control and how one young man has coped and made the very best of a potentially depressing and terrible situation.

Craigs Story : article in the papers.
(Link no longer active 2016)



Way to go Craig!! If you liked this post do consider joining our Facebook Page Sciatica Solutions.



For useful information and suggestions there is a Free Back Pain Book Written by the Healthy back Institute-

7 Day Back Pain Cure
This free book (there is a small shipping/handling fee for physical book) will give you a good starting point for taking back control of your back pain covering reasons for pain, pain relief, possible treatments, action plans and many other things you will find useful.
Follow Jasmine Ann Raintree's board Back And Sciatic Pain Strategies. on Pinterest.

Monday 7 April 2008

Kick Off Those High Heels!

Don't you just love high heels!They are stylish, sexy and look sleek and beautiful. Girls we feel very ladylike and the "bees knees " in them. Guys seem to like us wearing them too.

However much as I love my shoes, they are no longer my regular shoe of choice and if you have back pain they maybe should not be yours.

Why?

Well look at yourself in a full length mirror in your underwear while wearing them. First stand with no shoes on and see how your spine curves-there should be a gentle "S" bend but nothing too exaggerated. Then put on your heels(we are talking 2" plus here.) Do you see how they throw your spine out of its normal alignment? Does your spine curve more? Is the lower spine now an exaggerated curve? Take them off and stand and you will see the difference.

If your spine is held in that posture throwing the hips forwards and downwards for too long, too often, you are likely to develop muscle imbalances and pain. If you already have back pain and have particularly a forward titled pelvis like I had, then you are doing yourself no favours.

With an increase in the curve of the lumbar spine comes additional pressure on the spine and the disks and the muscles supporting that area. Over time if this pressure is regular you may incur muscle imbalances and disc problems, even disc herniations.

So what can you do? Well you don't need to throw away your heels and always wear flatties but do limit your use of high heels. Wear a variety of heel heights and sometimes go barefoot even round the house.

Take full advantage of fashions where heels are not so trendy. You can get some beautiful shoes with lower heel heights. I love my shoes but now I take care of my back too :)

Keep high heels for special occasions or times when you know you will be sitting down mostly. I have even been known to walk to the venue for an evening out in flatter shoes then change into my heels just before I go in!!

For more information on muscle imbalances and how to rectify please follow this link to Lose The Back Pain System

Take care of you and your back :) 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. 

For useful information and suggestions there is a Free Back Pain Book Written by the Healthy back Institute-

7 Day Back Pain Cure
This free book (there is a small shipping/handling fee for physical book) will give you a good starting point for taking back control of your back pain covering reasons for pain, pain relief, possible treatments, action plans and many other things you will find useful.
Follow Jasmine Ann Raintree's board Back And Sciatic Pain Strategies. on Pinterest.

Wednesday 2 April 2008

Rub On Pain Relief

Whenever I hear about new things which may help you I like to post them here. I have been told recently about this product "Rub on Relief" which I think is worth spending a little time on.

Now I don't think a pain relief cream alone can cure all types of back and sciatic pain though it may help you to cope better. If it can ease pain long enough for you to sleep, rest and work on your stretching and strengthening exercises etc most importantly -without side effects- that is a good step towards recovery.


I could not take any pain relievers during my back pain due to the powerful and very unpleasant side effects I experienced so I dealt with pain 24/7 and suffered lack of sleep and various degrees of pain night and day, and had to progress slowly with my exercise and stetching rehab.

Maybe a cream like this would have given me some much needed relief...for which I would have been so very grateful and allowed faster progress....



Please read the information below and click on the link to learn more about it and what people who have used it say.
 



The following information comes courtesy of The Healthy Back Institute"


Rub On Relief has been shown to be especially valuable in treating a variety of joint and muscle pains. Its proprietary combination of natural oils and organic ingredients works to bring relief-often immediately-from the daily aches and pains many people experience.

Rub On Relief appears to work especially well with soft tissue and joint problems and has been shown to be effective in relieving rheumatic pains, swollen and stiff joints, tendon pain, sciatica, tenderness in knee joints, low back pain, neck stiffness and even head aches.

Other pain relief options, such as Cortisone and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) also work to reduce inflammation, but the downside is that they often bring with them a number of unpleasant side effects.

Instead, Rub On Relief contains powerful antioxidants that work to neutralize free radicals-unstable molecules that can do a lot of damage, especially to blood vessel walls and the cartilage tissue that surrounds your joints.

The antioxidants contained in Rub On Relief prevent these free radicals from getting additional oxygen, something they need in order to thrive. Rub On Relief also includes omega-3 fatty
acids, which have been proven to reduce inflammation as well as provide numerous other health benefits.

Several clinical studies have confirmed that the Rub On Relief formula can bring quick and effective relief to a variety of painful conditions. In one study, participants suffering from
arthritis were asked to stop using a popular pain-relief product and instead begin applying Rub On Relief once a day for three days.

In a matter of days, almost 90 percent of the participants who used the topical cream reported getting faster pain relief than they had gotten from the product they had been using. They also
said it was more pleasant to use and reported no adverse side effects.

For those who have unsuccessfully sought relief from over-the-counter pain relievers and prescription NSAIDs-or who simply cannot tolerate some of the undesirable side effects, such as
stomach irritation or worse-a completely natural topical cream like Rub On Relief may be a good treatment option.



Click here to learn more about Rub on Relief


  If you liked this post do consider joining our Facebook Page Sciatica Solutions.


For useful information and suggestions there is a Free Back Pain Book Written by the Healthy back Institute-

7 Day Back Pain Cure
This free book (there is a small shipping/handling fee for physical book) will give you a good starting point for taking back control of your back pain covering reasons for pain, pain relief, possible treatments, action plans and many other things you will find useful.
Follow Jasmine Ann Raintree's board Back And Sciatic Pain Strategies. on Pinterest.

Saturday 29 March 2008

Feel Great!! Make a "Not to do List"

Donkey resting
Hi there!

You have to sometimes give yourself permission to r-e-l-a-x.....

Sometimes we all need to take a little "time out". I tend to run around a lot then need some time and space to just "be" and gather myself...then I find I am more productive and effective. I also need to be careful not to get too stressed as that invariably starts that niggle in my back indicating to me that I am overdoing it. My back now seems to be a barometer for me not to overdo it!!

I am also a big one for making lists of things to do and I do that at work and at home. Presently I have huge to do lists for both!!

When I get a bit overwhelmed I find my lists keep me knowing what is needing to be done. However, I think they also put some pressure on as they sit there until ticked off. If you have back and sciatic pain it may well take you longer to achieve the things you need or want to do, simply because you are dealing with pain, tiredness, lack of mobility....etc

Then I came across  an idea about having a "Not to do list". What a fun way of giving yourself permission of not having to do things-ideal for those time out times. Wonderful if you have back and sciatic pain and need a little or a lot of time to relax, rest and recupurate...without the guilt.

Just imagine instead of feeling guilty about all those things on your "to do" list, how wonderful it will be to tick off all those items on the "not to do" list and feel good!!



If you liked this post do consider joining our Facebook Page Sciatica Solutions.


For useful information and suggestions there is a Free Back Pain Book Written by the Healthy back Institute-

7 Day Back Pain Cure
This free book (there is a small shipping/handling fee for physical book) will give you a good starting point for taking back control of your back pain covering reasons for pain, pain relief, possible treatments, action plans and many other things you will find useful.
Follow Jasmine Ann Raintree's board Back And Sciatic Pain Strategies. on Pinterest.