There is real hope today and for people with chronic back pain and for people with symptom such as sciatica, muscle spasms, stiffness, loss of mobility and numbness and tingling especially in the arms. These symptoms can be relieved and even, in many cases, completely cured. There is no surgery involved. No invasive procedure to alter the physiology. No pins, rods, fusions.
What is it? It is called Spinal Decompression.
Basically, it is a form of traction that is monitored by a computer. Unlike traction, there is no continuous pull on the back. During Spinal Decompression, you lie face down and the computer checks every 17th of a second whether your muscles are tense or relaxed. During tension the traction stops.
When you relax the Spinal Decompression device gently pulls, spreading the vertebrae and allowing relief from inflammation due to friction from bulging discs. As the vertebrae spreads the disc suctions the fluid that may have leaked out. Over time fibers in the tissues surrounding the disc re-hydrate, can heal and actually regenerate to their previous state.
So instead of uncertain surgical procedures that alter the body, and often cause a different pain and loss of movement, spinal decompression actually heals and brings your body back toward its previous pain free state. Unlike with surgery, Spinal Decompression does not alter the anatomy of the back.
Who is Spinal Decompression for?
Anyone with a moderate to severe bulging discs in the lower back or neck.
An X-ray and MRI are required to get a baseline and see if you would benefit. Those with strained muscles or muscle injury would not benefit. Elderly people with loss of disc height, stiffness and pain would benefit. Whiplash and neck problems can also be helped.
Case studies are phenomenal with a 90% recovery rate with great improvement in flexibility and reduction to complete elimination of pain. The amount of success depends on a person's severity of previous damage.
In a study reported in the Orthopedic Technology Review, Nov/Dec 2003 by Thomas Gionas MD and Eric Groteke DC, 229 people with major symptoms associated with herniated and degenerated disc disease underwent 20 decompression treatments over a six-week period. In 86 percent of the patients the pain levels were reduced to either a rating of zero (no pain), or one (occasional pain). These patients reported complete resolution of pain, lumbar range of motion was normalized, and there was recovery of sensory and motor loss.
After 90 days only 2 percent had relapsed and of the patients with abnormal findings at the end of therapy, only 3 percent still exhibited those findings at the end of 90 days, showing they continued to improve following the decompression therapy.
How long are treatments?
Each session lasts about a half an hour. And for the first 2 weeks you would go 4-5 times a week; after that 2-3 times a week. Six weeks is an average course of treatment, but the length can vary depending on severity of problem. Sessions are relaxing and comfortable.
During the first two weeks you are required to stay off your feet as much as possible - seemingly impossible with the busy lifestyles of today, but a small price to pay for freedom from pain.
Are there side effects?
In some cases of severe disc compression the process of decompressing can actually aggravate tissues that have been pressed together over time. During the first week or two, back pain can feel worse as areas become inflamed with movement. After 2 weeks, though, pain lessons and goes away.
In conclusion, Spinal Decompression is a virtually unknown treatment that gives hope for those multitudes of people with chronic back and neck pain. You will get the best results with proper nutrition and stress relief which will assist your body in healing. You really can return to the pain free and energetic lifestyle you used to have.
For general back health, it is good to keep moving. Don't sit for long periods of time. Magnesium is great supplement, because it helps to relax the muscles, and it is also used in the citric acid cycle for producing energy so it can help to energize the muscles. Supplements such as Vitamin C and glucosamine sulfate are beneficial for back pain because they help to build connective tissue. Shark cartilage helps to reduce inflammation.
There are a number of spinal decompression machine makers, and many that call themselves decompression that are really traction. A quality machine is the DRX 9000 C, because it also decompresses the cervical spine, has superior craftsmanship, and a patient friendly design.
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.
Shades of gray 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.
Scientists compared 26 healthy volunteers with 26 patients who had been suffering with chronic lower back pain (some with sciatica) for more than a year. Those with chronic back pain with sciatica had the largest decrease in gray matter. Another significant finding: The longer a subject had had chronic back pain, the more brain loss he suffered.
One theory on why there is such a large decrease in gray matter is that chronic pain forces nerve cells to work overtime. Even more troubling is the possibility that if chronic back pain is allowed to continue, it may become harder to reverse and less responsive to treatment due to these changes in the brain. Experts say the findings should sound a warning to patients with back pain to seek care as soon as possible.
Driven to distraction The Northwestern study is consistent with other research on chronic pain and cognitive ability. Scientists at the University of Alberta have confirmed that chronic pain can impair your memory and concentration.
In testing done by Drs. Bruce D. Dick and Saifudin Rashiq at the university's Multidisciplinary Pain Centre in Edmonton, Canada, two-thirds of participants who suffered with chronic pain had a difficult time paying attention and remembering simple facts.
Participants in the study-all of whom had pain lasting six months or longer-were given computerized memory tests, along with a neuropsychological test of attention on what were identified as "pain" and "less pain" days.
On a "less pain" day, participants were tested after they received a pain-reducing procedure as part of their ongoing treatment at the Centre. On a "pain" day, participants were tested without getting any pain-reducing procedure. Sixteen of the 24 participants-67 per cent-showed signs of cognitive impairment on their pain-testing day. Although the sample of participants was small, the findings were statistically significant, according to the lead researchers.
You must remember this Further evidence of a link between chronic pain and brain function comes from a study done at Keele University in the United Kingdom. Scientists compared the "prospective" memory-such as remembering to pick up groceries or keep a doctor's appointment-of 50 subjects with chronic back pain to the memory of 50 subjects who were pain-free.
Investigators used something called the Prospective Memory Questionnaire, a self-rating scale that requires users to record the number of times their prospective memory fails in a given period of time. The scale measures three types of prospective memory: long-term habitual, short-term episodic, and internally cued.
Those with chronic pain had significantly impaired short-term memory compared with subjects who were pain-free. No differences were observed in the other types of prospective memory.
"One explanation for the observation of short-term prospective memory deficits may be related to the link between pain and stress and the impact of this relationship on cognitive function," Ling's team reported.
The ideas is that when pain kicks in, it triggers a region of the brain known as the lateral occipital complex (LOC). When this happens, it overrides a person's ability to concentrate and accurately recognize images.
Strategies to improve memory The investigators said they hope that these findings will help guide the care of patients with chronic pain and encourage the development of skills to offset memory problems.
Here are a few quick tips to improve your memory:
Read out loud If you want to remember something, saying the words out loud will help burn the information into your brain. If you can turn it into a rhyme, even better.
Write things down Mental clutter makes it hard to recall data. Use address books, datebooks, and calendars. Jot down notes on more complicated material and reorganize your notes as soon as possible. The physical act of rewriting can help imprint facts into your memory.
Rehearse and review Go over what you've learned the day you learn it, and review it periodically. Researchers call this "spaced rehearsal," which has proven to be more effective than cramming.
Get your vitamins Nutrients such as vitamins B, C, and E can nurture brain function. Dietary sources of B include spinach and other dark leafy greens, strawberries, melons, and black beans. Vitamins C and E improve the flow of oxygen through the brain. Good natural sources are berries, sweet potatoes, red tomatoes, green tea, nuts, citrus fruits, and liver. Omega-3 fatty acids-found in cold-water fish such as salmon and tuna-are also associated with improved cognitive function.
Surprise your brain Another way to help your brain perform better is to stimulate it through novelty. For example, brushing your teeth with your left hand (if you're right-handed) will fire up seldom-used connections on the nondominant side of your brain. Or try "neurobic" exercise, which forces you to use your faculties in unusual ways-say, getting dressed with your eyes closed, taking a course in a subject you know nothing about, or cooking a recipe in an unfamiliar cuisine.
The brain maybe affected by pain but you should never let pain control how or what you think about. If pain relief is what you are after you must hold a firm belief that you can achieve your goals and if believe heart and soul and keep you're your thoughts concentrated and coordinated there is no way that you can not achieve what you are after.
Both Dr. Lisa Hosbein & Jesse Cannone are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
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