Life With My Pet Back

Happy New Year Everyone! I do hope this will be a great year for you and one where you are able to take control of your health and back pain and work to feel better and ease that pain. Here are a few back pain resources that aim to help you take those steps forward and get you started.   PLEASE NOTE this page is under maintenance and links have been removed.  Thank you for your patience.  We love to offer you information and possible solutions to your back pain or sciatic pain and  honest back care suggestions.  Sleeping with sciatica and back pain can be quite a challenge- I understand... Days with sciatic and back pain are bad enough and sleeping or rather not sleeping with sciatic pain is worse. Here I will discuss various sleep solutions, hints and tips, strategies and back pain remedies to help you.  Here you will find articles to give you the information to make your own choices to what will support you, sleeping with sciatica, to get a b...

Back And Neck Pain? Gain Better Sleep With A Body Support Pillow Back pain can be a leading cause of sleep discomfort.   Maybe you are coping with sciatica, back pain, head or neck pain.  This post is about sleeping with these types of issues more comfortably and the full body support pillows that can help you   get more comfortable. These are lovely to give support or sink into for sleep comfort.   Always check with a qualified medical practitioner if you are experiencing head, neck, back or sciatic pain. For many people sleeping comfortably with a bad back or sciatic pain is a nightmare.  People have problems sleeping for many reasons including head and neck pain and a bad back. Sometimes it is muscular in the back muscles, sometimes spinal issues structurally or sciatic nerve issues.  It is also vital that your head and neck is properly supported while sleeping as well as your back and hips.  This is to ensure that y...

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 ...

Hi there, Today I want to show you this article by Jesse Cannone of The Healthy Back Institute talking about back pain at work or specifically if you work in an office environment. People often think an office environment is going to be easy on your body, after all there is no hard physical work. However prolonged periods of sitting, computer work and lack of movement can be as bad for your back and if you already have back pain and sciatica you need to take extra care of your back at work. As an office worker myself spending a lot of time in meetings, computer work and also doing a lot of driving, I am very aware of the stresses on my back so this article is well worth reading, especially the Action Points. Back Pain at the Office By Jesse Cannone, CPT, CPRS It's getting to be so bad that by Monday afternoon, you're already tired of being at the office. You're not even thinking as far ahead as Friday. Just getting to hump day is going to be challenge enough. ...

Hi there, I am so happy it is nearly Spring here :) Longer days and shorter nights and more sunshine(hopefully!),nesting birds and the garden starts to burst into life again :) One of the things Spring means to me is more time in the garden. I love my garden. However , with herniated and dessicated discs in my lower back I have learnt to protect my back and do my gardening in a slightly different way... Back pain is often cited as a culprit of causing back injury, especially in the spring when us gardeners have perhaps been taking it a little easier in the winter then burst into action with the first flowers!!! Also if you have a back issue gardening may seem a daunting task rather than a pleasure. If you want to avoid back pain from gardening or are keen to know how to still carry on gardening with back issues read on... For tips for  gardening with back pain please read   Tips for Watering the garden  If you already have back and sciatic pain and sti...

Article courtesy of Steve Hefferon, CMT, PTA and co-founder of "Lose The Back Pain" If done correctly, massage therapy can work wonders for people with back pain. It may not always be the best choice, and it may not work for everyone. But most people will get great results if the massage therapist has a good understanding of the human body, muscle imbalances, and how to work with them. A word of caution: Massage therapy should never be considered a substitute for proper medical attention. As a massage therapist for the past 10 years, I have watched massage therapy grow in popularity and credibility to the point where the practice is now commonplace for those who suffer from back pain. There is no denying the positive effects massage can have on the body. Most massage therapists use a variety of techniques during a session, such as energy techniques and stretching, along with traditional massage. The Touch Research Institute at the University of Miami has coordinated...

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 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 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.

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...

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...

If you have back pain and sciatica you may find it helpful to get into the water. You do need to check if this is OK for you to do with your health care provider first. Water therapy can be very beneficial to back pain and sciatic pain sufferers. Some people will need a proper organised water therapy program; for others you can find benefits from just being in the water. I was recommended to get in the water by my neurosurgeon and Steve Hefferon of the Healthy Back Institute and it did a lot for me with regard to pain relief. The aim is to just move gently in the water taking the constant pressure off your spine. Personally i find it most helpful to walk in the water, forwards and backwards, also to scissor my legs and tread water. I love just floating in the water as well and also find just hanging over the side for a few moments now and again very helpful. If you have the lose the back pain programme you can do some of your exercises in the water as well. I found ...

Diagnosed With a Herniated Disc? By: Dr. Robert Duvall, DPT, ATC, MGFI You've probably heard people say they have a "slipped" or "ruptured" disc in the back. Sometimes they complain that their back “went out”. What they're most likely describing is a herniated disc. This condition is a common source of back and leg pain. Discs are soft cushions found between the vertebrae that make up the spinal column (your backbone). In the middle of the spinal column is the spinal canal, a hollow space that contains the spinal cord. The nerves that supply the arms, leg, and torso come from the spinal cord. The nerves from the neck supply the arms and hands, and the nerves from the low back supply the butt and legs. The discs between the vertebrae allow the back to move freely and act like shock absorbers. The disc is made up of two main sections. The outer part (the annul...

Back Pain Hints and Tips on Choosing a Car if you have Back Issues or Sciatica Symptoms. Eight essential checks. If you have back pain or sciatica symptoms or one of the many back pain conditions you may want to think about a few extra points when the time comes to be choosing your next car. As sitting in a car and driving was the worst thing for me when I got back pain and sciatica and always aggravated my pain significantly this is a subject close to my heart…and my back! Wouldn’t it be nice if all we had to concern ourselves with was the colour, sleekness, safety features, performance and all the great gadgets? You will have your own priorities for any vehicle you want to purchase such as space, petrol/gas consumption, eco friendliness, child safety features, room for dogs etc. You know what your needs and wishes are on all those points. So now whether it is a brand new car or new to you what additional points do we need to take into acc...