Back pain is one of the most common reasons people visit the doctor or a hospital emergency room and is the second most common reason employees miss work.



Back pain especially in the lower back affects up to 90 having more than one occurrence. Although there are many back suffers, it is often difficult to determine the true cause of the pain.

One of the most common types of back pain is sciatic. The sciatic nerve is the largest nerve in the body. It starts in the lower spine, travels through the buttock and sends nerve endings down the leg. Sciatica pain is caused from the irritation of the sciatic nerve and is typically felt in the low back, behind the thigh and down below the knee.

When the sciatica pain is at its worst, suffers may need to rest for a day or two. Resting for longer periods of time however usually makes the sciatic pain worse. As a result, it is important to keep moving and exercise as much as possible.

There are 2 types of exercise that are very helpful in addressing sciatica pain. Strengthening exercises focus on strengthening the abdominal and back muscles providing better support for the back. Stretching exercises target muscles that cause pain when they are tight and inflexible. A regular program of strengthening and stretching exercises usually speeds recovery more quickly and helps prevent future flare ups.

Low impact aerobic exercise, such as walking or swimming is also used to help over come acute or chronic sciatica pain. Aerobic activity promotes the exchange of fluids and nutrients creating a better healing environment. It also releases the body's natural pain killers or endorphins, which also help alleviate sciatic pain.

Being a long-time sciatica suffer myself (over 10 years), I have always been a strong proponent of keeping active and maintaining a steady exercise regime. Although this really does help, there are no guarantees ? once you have back issues, you never seem to be back pain free ? many doctors will tell you there is no cure.

A year ago I re-hurt my back and have suffered with it ever since. Although I am a very active person, there were many physical activities that I had to steer clear of ? especially any activities requiring lifting or bending. If I happened to roll onto my back during the night, it would take me several hours in the morning to loosen up.

In my search for a better way, I was introduced to Far Infrared heat therapy through the use of a Far Infrared Sauna.

Infrared heat comes from the sun and is divided into 3 segments by wavelengths ? near, middle and far. Far infrared rays penetrate organic substances such as the human body, over one and a half inches. This causes a deep heating effect in the muscle tissues and internal organs. As a result, blood vessels expand and this in turn causes an increase in blood circulation. Better circulation allows more oxygen to reach injured areas of the body and more oxygen speeds up the healing process and reduces pain.

My research concluded that Far Infrared heat was being used by individuals and the medical profession as a very effective natural pain relief therapy for muscle and joint complaints.

With the blessing of my doctor, I purchased a Far Infrared Sauna and started a daily regime of 30 minutes in the sauna. Within one week, I noticed a significant improvement in my mobility (it was much easier to get out of bed in the morning) and a noticeable decrease in back pain. With these results, I was definitely motivated to keep going.

I have been using the sauna now for 3 months and it has definitely made a difference in my life. I feel years younger and I have been able to introduce many activities such as running, cycling and gardening back into my daily and weekly schedule.

Not only can this natural pain relief approach significantly reduce back pain, it may enable you to reduce and minimize or even discontinue the use of medication all together.