Back pain can be mild to very severe and is experienced at one point or another in 80% of people. Low back pain can be a warning sign of spinal abnormalities and result from poor posture. Today, the most common treatments for back pain are NSAIDS like aspirin and tylenol along with more potent conventional pain medications. These drugs have adverse side effects…
Muscle tissue works normally and performs all its functions when it is elastic. Elasticity is the ability of a muscle not only to fully contract, but also to stretch. Therefore, it is important to address both of these components. Through strengthening exercises, you restore muscle tone and performance, and through gentle stretching, you restore its normal length…
“Lower back pain” refers to any pain or discomfort experienced in the bottom region of the spine, which is known as the lumbar spine. This region supports most of the upper body’s weight. Additionally, this specific type of back pain is extremely widespread, affecting around 80 percent of adults and ranking as the number one cause of job-related disability. Luckily…
A Cochrane Review, published in the Cochrane Library, suggests that yoga may lead to a small reduction in pain in people with chronic non-specific lower back pain over the short term. However, researchers advise that more studies are needed to provide information on long-term effects. Lower back pain is a common health problem, and is usually treated with self-care…
The causes of lower back pain are numerous, from a sports injury to diseases of the internal organs. Another common cause is tightness in another area of your body, such as your hamstrings. Your lower back is one of the most important parts of the body. In combination with your abdominal and oblique muscles, it makes up your body s core - literally, your center…
If you suffer from a bulging disk, you may be looking for ways to avoid drug therapy, surgery or other invasive treatments. In that case, there s good news. While yoga practitioners have known for a long time that the practice can do wonders for spinal problems, mainstream medicine has officially given its blessing. The most recent American College of Physicians…
If you suffer from mysterious low back pain, you’re not alone. Between 60 and 70 percent of people in industrialized nations will experience back pain from a non-specific or unknown cause at some point in their lifetime, according to the World Health Organization. Most people will get their first attack of back pain between the ages of 30 and 50, and it becomes…
Photo Clients with arthritis or back pain move with a targeted, extra level of precision in a yoga class at Samamkaya Yoga on West 23rd Street in Manhattan. Credit Joshua Bright for The New York Times In the era of, it’s easy to associate yoga with impossibly lithe and limber young people. Those with chronic back pain, arthritis or a bum hip might not feel so…
This topic provides an overview of upper and middle back pain. If you have low back pain or neck pain, see the topic Low Back Pain or Neck Pain. What is upper and middle back pain? Upper and middle back pain can occur anywhere from the base of your neck to the bottom of your rib cage . Your ribs attach to a long, flat bone in the center of the chest called the…
Stiffness felt throughout your back muscles comes from increased tension in your muscle tissue. The stiffness and back pain may occur in your upper back - the thoracic and cervical regions - or your lower back - the lumbar region. Causes of increased muscle tension include trauma, overuse and poor posture. There are multiple approaches for relief, including heat…
I have been practicing yoga for past 6 months and I had experienced lower back pain during initial days of my practice. Well, I specifically experienced sharp intense pain in the lower back while doing the following asanas Hastottan aasan Bhujanga aasan I was bit worried and asked my yoga teacher why I was experiencing such pain while doing these asaanas. He…
No single treatment option works for everyone, but here are three first-aid remedies to help alleviate the intense pain from your pulled lower back muscle: Article continues below Try cold therapy for your pulled lower back muscle As a general rule, cold therapy is preferred over heat therapy for the first 24 to 48 hours after pulling a muscle in your lower back—and…
A young woman sat uncomfortably in my physical therapy office, her face drawn with pain. I had heard stretching would help my lower back pain,she said. But after a few weeks of daily stretching, my pain only got worse. What did I do wrong? With further questioning, her whole story came out. She had experienced intermittent lower back pain for two years before…
Dial in Your Fit. “The first place to look is your bike fit, ” says Silvis. “I spend a lot of office visit time educating my patients about bike fit. Very often, adjustments resolve the problem and prevent it from recurring.” Specifically, a bike setup that is too long for you can cause an aching back by forcing you to be too stretched out. Assuming your bike…
Lower back pain is often acute (defined by the National Institute of Health as lasting between a few days and a few weeks), resolving on its own without residual loss of function. But many people suffer from lower back pain that is subacute (lasting between 4 to 12 weeks) or even chronic (persisting for 12 weeks or longer). Any of these can have myriad causes…
The Low Back Fix Is low back pain making fun stuff…less fun? Are you fearful of moving? Or maybe you’ve resigned yourself to a limited lifestyle? Do you spend parts of your day struggling to find a comfortable position? Think about this for a moment: What activity would you do first if you had no pain and no fear of discomfort? There is a fix. It’s not easy…
Back pain sometimes strikes without warning. One minute you’re bending over or lifting something heavy; the next minute you’re unable to move. Sudden onset of muscle spasm in the low back is surprisingly common. In fact, approximately eight out of 10 adults will experience it at some point during their lives. Generally speaking, the cause of back pain and spasm…
Are you one of the 8 out of 10 people who will have back pain at some point in your life? The good news is that yoga has been found effective for treating low back pain. You don’t need to suffer. I am going to share you with you my 3 go-to yoga practices for my own lower back and for my clients. These practices can be used as warm-ups to a full yoga practice…
Doesn t everybody wish that they had access to a personal coach for their questions about training and fitness? Road Bike Action recently caught up with Johnathan Edwards, M.D. Dr. Edwards is a practicing sports doctor and anesthesiologist in Las Vegas, Nevada. He has been a sports doctor for American cyclists as well as in Europe. He is a USA Cycling certified…