Back Pain
Back pain is a particularly prominent issue in adults and can be caused by a number of different factors. As you may know if you are suffering from back pains, it can be an extremely debilitating health issue.
The majority of back pain originates from sprains or strains caused by movements which place the back’s muscles and tendons in a stressed position. In these cases, the most effective treatment is simple rest and time. In addition, applying ice to the injured area and taking anti-inflammatory medication can aid in lessening the pain back to a more manageable level.
Most of the time, medical attention and surgery are not necessary and the ailment will improve with rest. However, more serious conditions such as herniated discs may require surgery and or physical therapy.
If the pain in back persists, it is always a good idea to consult a physician to diagnose the potential issues you may be facing.
Back pain can be a recurring injury and even simply movements that involve twisting or bending can bring the pain back. Staying active and exercising often can help in preventing these injuries. Maintaining a strong core and lower back reduces the risk of back pain exponentially.
Injuries most commonly occur in the muscles, tendons and ligaments in the back in the form of strains and sprains. These common ailments are not serious and will heal on their own with rest. However, injuries in the bones or nerves of the back can be a much more serious issue.
Tears in discs for instance can cause the annulus fibrosis to bulge out which can cause acute pain and inflammation. These injuries require immediate medical attention and many times require surgery.
Maintaining proper posture throughout the day, exercising frequently and using proper form when lifting heavy objects are the three most effective ways to avoid injuring your back.
In the event of an injury to your back, apply ice to the injured area immediately. After 48 hours, you may want to apply heat packs to the injured area which will relax injured tissue, alternating ice and heat therapy from then forward.
Acute back pain often lasts four to six weeks, while chronic back pain can be a long-term annoyance sometimes lasting throughout life in certain cases.
Taking the preventative actions to avoid back pain and utilizing the aforementioned treatments in the case of an injury are the best ways to avoid experiencing long-lasting, chronic back pain.
Back Pain Solutions Without Surgery
Acute back pain may begin suddenly and usually lasts around 3 months. Chronic back pain sometimes lasts throughout life.
The most common back pain is low back pain (LBP). It is is often described as sudden, sharp, persistent, or dull pain felt below the waist. LBP is very common and affects the majority of people at some point during their life. Up to 70%–85% of all people have back pain at some time in their lives. LBP is the most common cause of a limitation of activity in people younger than 45 years of age. It is the second most frequent reason for visits to a physician, and the third most common indication for surgery. It is the fifth-ranking cause of hospital admissions and is one of the leading causes of disability.
Low back pain is most commonly caused by muscle strain associated with heavy physical work, lifting or forceful movement, bending or twisting, awkward positions, or standing in one position too long. Any of these movements can exacerbate a prior or existing back disorder. Other conditions that can cause low back pain include spinal stenosis, arthritis (osteoarthritis), spinal infection (osteomyelitis), spinal tumors (benign and malignant), spondylolisthesis, and vertebral fractures (e.g. burst fracture).
Low back pain is either acute or chronic. Acute LBP may begin suddenly with intense pain usually lasting fewer than three months. Chronic pain is persistent long-term pain, sometimes lasting throughout life. Even chronic pain may present episodes of acute pain. Other symptoms include localized pain in a specific area of the low back, general aching, and/or pain that radiates into the low back, general aching, and/or pain that radiates into the low back, buttocks and leg(s). Sometimes pain is accompanied by neurological symptoms such as numbness, tingling, or weakness. Neurological symptoms requiring immediate medical attention include bowel or bladder dysfunction, groin or leg weakness or numbness, severe symptoms that do not subside after a few days, or pain prohibiting everyday activities.
Pain felt in the low back is not always indicative of a spinal problem. A thorough physical and neurological assessment may reveal the cause of the low back pain. The physical examination begins with the patient’s current condition and medical history. Examination of a patient with low back pain involves examining the patient’s range of spinal motion while standing straight, bending forward, and to the side. Asymmetry, posture, and leg length is noted. Methodical palpation of the spine can reveal muscle spasm, possible bony displacement, and tender points. Abdominal palpation is performed to determine if the cause of low back pain is possibly organ related (e.g. pancreas). The neurological assessment evaluates weakness, absence of reflexes, tingling, burning, pain, diminished function, and other signs that may indicate nerve involvement.
If infection, malignancy, fracture, or other risk factors are suspected, routine lab tests may be ordered. These tests may include complete blood count (CBC), erythrocyte sedimentation (ESR), and urinalysis. In some cases electrodiagnostic studies such as electromyography (EMG) or nerve condition velocity (NCV) are performed to confirm a diagnosis or localize the site of nerve injury. Plain radiographs (x-rays), CT Scan, and/or MRI studies are performed when fracture or neurological dysfunction is suspected. A MRI represents the gold standard in imaging today. A MRI renders high-resolution images of spinal tissues such as the spinal cord and intervertebral discs. X-rays are still the imaging methods of choice to study the bony elements in the low back. The results of the physical and neurological examinations combines with test results are carefully evaluated to confirm a diagnosis.
Most patients with low back pain are treated without surgery. A conventional treatment plan may include bed rest for a day or two combines with medication to reduce inflammation and pain. Medications recommended by the physician are based on the patient’s medical condition, age, other drugs the patient currently takes, and safety. The first choice for pain relief is often nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). These drugs should be taken with food to prevent stomach upset and stomach bleeding. Muscle relaxants may provide relief from muscle spasm but are actually benign sedatives, which often cause drowsiness. Narcotic pain relievers are prescribed for use during the acute phase and often for chronic pain management in appropriate patients.
Other modalities to treat low back pain might include physical therapy (PT), transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulator (TENS) trial, ultrasound therapy, acupuncture and massage therapy. A managed PT program can help build muscle strength and flexibility, improve mobility, coordination, stability and balance, and promote relaxation. Patients who participate in a structured physical therapy program often progress to wellness more rapidly than those who do not. This includes low back maintenance through a home exercise program developed for the patient by the physical therapist.
Although the number of spinal surgeries done every year is on the rise, it is rarely required to treat low back pain. Surgery may be considered if the patient is experiencing bowel or bladder dysfunction, increased nerve impairment, progressive weakness, incapacitating pain, or spinal instability. The surgical procedure depends on the diagnosis or the cause of low back pain. To prevent low back pain, first and foremost, follow the treatment plan outlined by the physician. To enhance recovery from an episode of low back pain, or to help prevent future exacerbation, try to maintain good posture, be consistent in a home exercise program, and eat sensibly to maintain proper body weight.
Signs Of Cervical Cancer
Cancer is the single greatest killer disease in the world and cervical cancer is among the more fatal conditions or variations of cancer. Cancer is best defined as the uncontrolled growth and division of cells in the body. There is very little hope for people who are diagnosed with a late stage of cancer and medication and treatment is usually very painful and extremely taxing on the patient’s body. Not to mention the excessive cost of treatment itself is one of the things that makes cancer such a nearly untreatable disease.
Cancer can be of several types. It can happen to virtually every single organ that is found in the body. The reason for this is that as every organ is made of cells and every cell divides, by extension of this logic, uncontrolled cell division can happen in every part of the body and hence cancer can afflict any part of the body too.
Cervical cancer is the cancer of the cervix. This is a very serious problem that can go unnoticed as it has the symptoms that mimic the symptoms of various other diseases and women tend to pass these off as menstrual pains or other normal pains.
Some of the symptoms of cervical cancer include excessive bleeding or pain. Another symptom can be excessive discharges from the vagina that may contain blood and mucous. Yet another indication can be bleeding after small activities or even pelvic exams. A symptom of advanced cervical cancer is pain during urination. This pain can occur in the bladder or in the general vicinity and it is an advanced symptom as it becomes apparent only after the cancer has spread to the bladder and other areas. It is important to identify these symptoms beforehand so that the appropriate treatment can be done.
Crohn?s Disease Treatment With Low Dose Naltrexone
Naltrexone is basically used for people suffering from alcoholism and opiod dependence. This drug is an opiod receptor anatagonist which works by blocking the effects of drugs like heroin and cocaine in the brain. As an opioid receptor antagonist, Naltrexone simply blocks the normal reaction of the part of the brain that produces the feeling of pleasure when opioids are taken.
As for the people suffering from severe alcoholism, naltrexone helps to lessen or in some cases eradicate completely the craving for alcohol which many alcohol dependent people experience when they quit drinking. Though a dose of 50mg to 100 mg of natrexone is required to a cure a person from his alcohol or drug addiction habit, a relatively low dose of naltrexone has been found to be effective in crohn’s disease treatment and multiple sclerosis disease treatment.
This low dose naltrexone could be a big hope to all those suffering from serious auto immune disorders such as cancer, ms, crohn’s disease, AIDS etc.
Low doses of naltrexone have been clinically proven to increase the body’s sensitivity to its own endorphins along with increasing the production of endorphins, the stress busting hormone.
As endorphins are are well known for their role in not only relieving stress and promoting the feeling of overall well being and goodness, endorphins are also crucial in reducing inflammation, lessening the negative sensations of pain, infusing energy to reduce fatigue and fight depression. Low dose nalteroxone has thus been proved to be an effective treatment for ms and crohn’s disease treatment.
In crohn’s disease the immune system can’t tell the difference between normal body tissue and foreign substances thereby causing chronic infalmmation in the intestines and rectum of the body. This causes extreme pain, fatigue, difficulty passing stools, fistulas, eye inflammation, loss of appetite etc.
A recommended dose of 1.5 ml to 5 mg can remarkably help ease some of the symptoms associated with crohn’s disease. Low dose naltrexone can thus combat fatigue, pain, muscle weakness, imflammation and depression by increasing the production of endorphins in the brain and thus strengthening the body’s own immune system to cure the disease itself.
Since dosage taken to cure these disorders is very low, there are very few side effects associated with low dose naltrexone for the treatment of auto immune diseases. You can buy naltrexone online from antiageingsystems.com.
Chronic Pain Relief: Discovering the Right Therapy
Article by Chronic Pain Relief: Discovering the Right Therapy Rob Boykin
Genital Herpes
Genital herpes is caused by a virus eruption of the pelvic area. Intimate relations usually transmit it. It affects males and females. Genital herpes involves the vagina, cervix, labia, thighs, gluteal region, penis, and lower abdominal area, scrotum, and any surrounding tissue. It often travels with other sexually transmitted diseases. It may be diagnosed alone or with other STD’s. There are 2 primary types of herpes. Type 1 usually occurs above the waist and usually exhibits fever blisters of the lips or mouth. Approximately 1-4% of Type 1 can be transmitted onto the genitals; this is usually spread by oral sex to below the waist onto the genitalia. Type 2 is almost always below the waist. Both Type 1 and Type 2 may or may not come to the surface. The infection could be contained within the skin causing pain in the skin or redness on the skin, individually or together.
To help prevent genital herpes, you should avoid intimacy or direct contact if either partner has blisters, ulcers, sores, a history of herpes, redness, pain in the area, or a possible infection.
A rubber condom should always be worn during intercourse. Do not have intercourse with an active infection, re-exacerbation, suspicion, or tingling pain in these areas. Do not have oral intimacy with a partner who has cold sores on the mouth. People are most contagious with tingling at the eruption site just before and during an outbreak. The longer the infection is present and the longer it is healing, usually the less contagious the lesion. The most contagious time is in the prodrome when you feel a tingling and itching just before and at the time of the outbreak. If you are pregnant, tell your doctor if you have had any genital lesions in the past or any questionable contacts. Often patients may exemplify painful blisters, itching, burning or irritation on the vaginal area or penis and there may be tingling or pain before the outbreak. The lesions may extend into the vagina to the cervix and up the urethra or the lower abdomen or pelvic regions. In a few days, the blisters rupture and develop into painful ulcers that may last 1-4 weeks. You may experience difficult urination, large inguinal lymph nodes, fever, malaise, general swelling or feeling of pain in the area.
Complications beyond generalized disease are rare. Death can rarely occur in persons who must take anti-cancer drugs, have cancer or take immunosuppressive drugs. Transmittal to a newborn infant can cause sepsis, blindness or rare death. Genital herpes is currently considered incurable, but symptoms and recurrence can be controlled, and much more tolerable with treatment. The virus eventually returns to its dominant state. Symptoms recur when it is reactivated. Recurrent symptoms are not usually new infections, but they could be as well.
Diagnosis is usually determined by the general appearance of the lesion, and confirmation may be made by a laboratory study of fluid or scrapings from the lesion, or even better, specific blood tests. We can tell with blood testing if it is a new infection or old re-infection and if the virus is Type I or Type II. Treatment is directed toward relieving symptoms and preventing complications or spread of the virus. Women should wear cotton underpants or pantyhose with a cotton crotch. To reduce pain during urination, women may urinate in the shower. Women should make sure to have an annual Pap smear, especially with exposure or positive diagnosis.
People who are infected should stay out of the sun and avoid foods that are acidic or spicy. Tomatoes, pineapples, tomato sauce, pizza, spicy foods like peppers (which are acidic) can suppress the T cells in the blood. These T cells and T helper cells are the cell that keeps it under control. When they are not controlled they emerge and can cause infection. Sunlight penetrates the skin and blood vessels and decrease the effectiveness of the T cells in the blood. These key T cells keep the virus in the ganglion under control. When they are suppressed, it takes the opportunity to emerge and can cause significant infection. Medications usually consist of an antiviral medication in oral form, along with L-Lysine for relief. You should avoid any and all sexual relations until all symptoms completely subside for several days.
Notify your physician if you or a family member has any symptoms of genital herpes, or if symptoms worsen or do not improve in several days. If you have unusual vaginal bleeding or swelling occurs or if fever returns during treatment or you become generally ill, immediately call your physician or go directly to an emergency room.
John Drew Laurusonis
Doctors Medical Center
www.doctorsmedicalctr.com