Pain Management Articles

Back pain myths are so numerous, that identifying the cause of pain is difficult. The hazards of not using the right strategies for coping with relentless back aches can leave you dependent on pain pills.

Relief for back pain                   

When you are looking fro relief for low back pain the choices aren’t always clear.

Traditional ways are chiropractic care, anti-inflammatory agents, and surgery. Then there are osteopathic doctors, physical therapy, and acupuncture.

Many times none of the above provides relief. Since, it is estimated that 80% of the population will experience lower back pain sometime in their life, better treatments are needed.

Upper Cervical Chiropractics

Upper cervical chiropractics pick up the slack. This isn’t an ancillary treatment. It has become the primary vehicle for relief of low back pain. This is the real deal for one simple reason, you participate in the healing. All results come from your body in action.

We will present a series of videos that will give you an idea of the range of conditions that are helped by these treatments. This video explains what upper cervical chiropractic care can accomplish in a clear concise way.

I have experience the benefits of upper cervical corrections, and will talk about it in upcoming articles.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xDsoYpYmxE

An aspirin a day is cause for concern for a few reasons.

People who take aspirin regularly for a year or more may be at an increased risk of developing Crohn’s disease, according to a new study by the University of East Anglia (UEA).The study led by Dr. Andrew Hart of UEA’s School of Medicine.

An Aspirin Is A Drug

Aspirins are so common that they are thought of a benign addition to a health plan. I am surprised that they are not included as a food group.

Aspirin is in a group of drugs called salicylates. Aspirin is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) effective in treating fever, pain, and inflammation in the body.

As a group, NSAIDs are non-narcotic relievers of mild to moderate pain of many causes, including injury, menstrual cramps, arthritis, and other musculoskeletal conditions. Since the response to different NSAIDs varies from patient to patient, it is not unusual for a doctor to try different NSAIDs for any given condition.

Aspirin Crohn’s Disease Connection

There seems to be an aspirin Crohn’s disease connection. Crohn’s disease is characterized by inflammation and swelling by parts of the digestive system. It can put patients at risk for bowel cancer. There is some research that has shown that aspirin can have a harmful effect on the bowel. To investigate this potential link further, the UEA team followed 200,000 volunteers aged 30-74 in the Uk, Sweden, Denmark, Germany and Italy. The volunteers had been recruited for the EPIC study (European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition) between 1993 and 1997.

The volunteers were all initially well, but by 2004 a small number had developed Crohn’s disease. When looking for differences in aspirin use between those who developed the disease, the researches discovered that those who took aspirin on a regular basis for a year or more were about five times more likely to develop Crohn’s disease.

Aspirin Causes Numerous Problems

Regular daily aspirin use has been linked to an increase in macular degeneration, a condition that causes blindness in older people. The long term use of aspirin this means 10 years or longer in associated with a 44% increase in a disabling form of cataracts, known as posterior subcapsular cataracts.

The North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology found that GERD was a growing problem in children, especially teenagers. NSAIDS, which include aspirin, showed up as one of the primary factors leading to reflux problems. Half of those with GERD problems, also reported a higher incidence of Asthma symptoms. Acid reflux can trigger attacks that mimic Asthma.

Researchers at Tel Aviv Medical Center found that daily aspirin, in doses of 75 – 325 mg could have a significant adverse effect on renal (kidney) function in elderly adults. After only two weeks in a study of 100 elderly patients were placed on daily aspirin, researchers began to document decreased kidney function. In 72% of the patients, the urinary excretion of creatinine decreased and in 65% of the patients, uric acid excretion decreased. Both decreases are known signs of kidney impairment. After the aspirin was discontinued in these patients, kidney function began to improve but 48% of the patients experienced some residual impairment as much as three weeks later.

Taking aspirin has been associated with increased loss of vitamin C in urine and has been linked to depletion of vitamin C.

Aspirin

Aspirins are at best a short term solution for an acute problem. When taken for a chronic condition they are not a long term solution. Aspirins are not something you pop in your mouth for a health condition. They aren’t a substitute for a sound lifestyle; just because they give immediate relief doesn’t mean they solved the problem. On the contrary they could be the long term problem.

Pain amplification syndrome is a condition that develops when the nervous system gets used to carrying pain signals and continues to after the cause of the pain is gone. Pain signals can become embedded in the spinal cord, as a painful memory. Trauma turns on pain signals, which alert us and at the same time mobilizes our internal resources. Once the trauma is resolved, the alarm goes off, no more pain. When the alarm does not go off, a loop is created between the nervous system and the brain. The nerves keep firing and send electrochemical signals to the brain and they are interpreted as pain. The longer the loop continues, the stronger the pain signals are amplified.

Pain amplification syndrome has increased significantly over the last 10 years. The numbers of adults with pain amplification syndrome have become the third-largest patient group in specialized rheumatology clinics. Part of the reason is there is more rheumatology patients. Twenty percent of persons in the general population have something identified as chronic regional pain.

Allopathic medicine uses drug treatment to decrease inflammation and reduce pain by blocking inflammatory mediators. Drugs known as analgesics can be a useful short term solution, but chronic pain is something that is on- going. Long-term side-effects of drugs can include stomach bleeding, bone demineralization, kidney damage and even nutritional deficiencies.

Natural pain remedies are often as effective as drugs, but without the side-effects. These painkillers include food choices, supplements, phytonutrients, herbs and homeopathic remedies. Let’s explore a non-drug approach to pain. The pain amplification syndrome cannot exist without your brain’s perception of it. There are a few things to do, one is to increase the pain blocking chemicals in the brain. Complementary medical therapy approaches are acupuncture, naturopathic remedies, diet, craniosacral therapy, and reflexology.

Inflammation plays a role, and can cause pain. A good diet reduces the body’s inflammatory response. Whole foods such as legumes and vegetables should be a large part of your diet. Essential fatty acids, Omega-3 fish oils, and flax seeds reduce arthritic pain. Omega-6 fatty acid from whole food sources such as nuts and seeds. Evening primrose may work to reduce inflammation in a way that is similar to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Vitamins B3, B6, and C, and certain minerals such as biotin, zinc, and magnesium are essential.

Pain is a signal that your body is out of balance. It is the job of any healer to help your body reach equilibrium, equilibrium can not be bought with a pill. If anything pharmaceuticals that are taken over an extended period with interfere with that process.  

There is a new technology that we will be talking about at yourhealthupdates.com that is capable of firing up the cylinders to power up every cell in your body. This is how you help heal from chronic pain, and the conditions that accompany it.  Stay tuned so you can energize for wellness, and see the future of healing.