More than 100 million Americans suffer with some form of chronic back pain. This epidemic problem, represents the number one reason for lost productivity and efficiency in American Corporations today. Whether you suffer with lower, middle, or upper back pain, it can be both debilitating, and compromising toward one’s work and lifestyle, making it difficult or even impossible to perform the most basic daily tasks.
Because of technological advances in the past 50 years alone, it is not uncommon for us to find ourselves sitting for long periods of time; weather in traffic, relaxing at home or just working on the computer for hours on end. What most of us don’t realize, is that sitting is inherently bad for the back. Why? Because the seated posture creates an imbalance in the spine, which causes the back to age at an accelerated rate. It’s no surprise then, that back problems have become the nemesis of our time, creating problems for millions of people everywhere. And when lifestyle or cultural practices become a contributing factor in back pain, then it’s essential that we adopt effective strategies for improving back health and work to reduce all forms of spinal disease, which are preventable. Various remedies, when applied regularly, can result in a reduction of painful symptoms, which, when combined with a few simple corrective activities, work together to restore the overall health of the back by eliminating or even reversing the things that lead to an accelerated loss of flexibility, mobility and function.
1) Pain-relieving creams
A naturally occurring analgesic, known as "Capsaicin", also the main ingredient found in chili peppers, can be an effective natural pain reliever. A cream or lotion preparation of Capsaicin is applied by rubbing into the skin, directly over the affected area. While an initial stinging sensation is normal, a neuro-chemical pain transmitter, known as "Substance P" becomes depleted as the Capsaicin is absorbed, resulting in a numbing of pain symptoms. Available in most health and drug stores, a typical formulation of Capsaicin cream, will have an active ingredient concentration of 0.025%.
2) Yoga and conventional exercises
Yoga, through strengthening poses and breathing techniques, has been found to decrease upper back pain and lower back pain. In a recent study, people suffering from chronic sharp back pain were monitored for 16 weeks. The results proved that with regular yoga exercise, the participants experienced a significant pain reduction in disability and intensity, as well as a lowered reliance on pain medication. People with chronic back pain can decrease their pain through yoga and conventional lower back exercises, which will exercise their muscles in order to strengthen them. Conventional exercises, such as walking, biking, and water therapy, provide conditioning that strengthen the back, thus minimizing back pain.
3) Good posture sitting and standing
Good posture, whether sitting or standing, plays a large role in maintaining the health of your back, and thus, impacts the level of back pain. Whenever you are sitting down, ensure that your feet are firmly on the floor. Make sure that your chair is comfortable and at the correct level. If you sit for extended periods of time, you can simultaneously treat your back with correcting devices, such as the comfortable Turtle, which aids relief by supporting your lower back.
When you are standing up for extended periods of time, try resting one of your legs on a step higher to give support to your lower back. Do not let your knees lock when standing straight. While you are sleeping, it is best to sleep on your back to relieve pressure that causes back pain, and you can put a pillow under your knees for support. If you lay on your stomach, also use a pillow underneath to reduce lower back pain. Pick your shoes carefully; get extra arch support and do not wear unnecessarily high-heeled shoes. If your heels are very high it will affect your posture.
4) Massage therapy
One of the main methods of back pain relief which immediately comes to the minds of people with sharp back pain is massage therapy. Many healthcare professionals are also recommending massage therapy as a legitimate means to alleviate lower back pain, as well as middle back pain and upper back pain. The popularity of this natural method of back pain relief has doubled since studies in 1997. The greatest benefit of massage therapy is the rise of endorphin levels, which makes it an effective avenue to manage chronic back pain.
5) Ice packs and heating pads
Use ice packs to relieve inflammation, pain, and swelling after an injury or extended use of the lower back muscles. Keep ice on the area of back pain several times a day. During the initial 72 hours, it is good to ice the area for approximately 10 minutes every hour. Ice only needs to be applied three times during the day after the first few days, but again with any vigorous activities.
Heat pads can also be used where there is back pain to aid in relaxing the muscles, but should not be used during the first 72 hours when an injury or onset occurs. If you apply heat immediately, it could make the inflammation and swelling worse.
6) Healthy diet that includes water
Eating nutritious foods that contain Vitamin B12, calcium, and magnesium can prevent and relieve lower back pain and upper back pain. When you ingest enough Vitamin B12, it has been found that back pain may be reduced. The most reliable sources of vitamin B12 are eggs, dairy products, and meat. Magnesium has also been studied for back pain reduction, and from the 82 people studied, 76 individuals experienced less back pain symptoms after increasing magnesium in their diets. Many green vegetables, such as spinach, are also excellent ways to get magnesium, as well as seeds and nuts. Dehydration can contribute to back pain, and thus, it is important to drink lot of water as well.
7) Products designed to solve back pain
There are many products that are designed to relieve lower and upper back pain, such as heated cushions, relaxation tapes, and exercise balls. One of the best new products is a versatile orthopedic device that has been proven to reduce lower back pain, middle back pain, and upper back pain, as well as neck pain. This revolutionary orthopedic device, called The Turtle, treats back pain while providing tremendous relief within minutes. In addition, this product is easily portable, allowing back pain sufferers to obtain the lifestyle they used to enjoy.
David Gervase is an expert in health and wellness supplements and products. For more information relieving back pain with the Turtle, please visit www.USATurtle.com.
May 25, 2008
Ways to Get Back Pain Relief, Naturally
May 21, 2008
3 Ways to Lose Stomach Fat
If you want to know how to lose stomach fat and get 6-pack abs, I can tell you in about 30 seconds. You don't need complex six pack ab workouts containing hundreds of crunches and dozens of exercises each week. The best way to burn belly fat and start seeing your 6-pack is to spend less time focusing on it!
In my opinion, all you need to do to get 6-pack abs is this...
Lose belly fat with nutrition, intervals, and resistance training.
More specifically...
First, start by improving the quality of the food you eat. No more processed carbohydrates, no more sugar, no more deep-fried foods, no more fast food, and no more sodas or juices. Simply making these changes will help you lose stomach fat fast, and you'll drop your body fat percentage in just days.
Stop doing crunches. Spend that time on intervals instead. Doing hundreds of crunches won't get you results. And doing long, slow boring cardio is also an inefficient way to burn belly fat and see your 6-pack abs.
You will lose your love handles with harder cardio. Intervals destroy body fat.
Once you've taken care of your nutrition, resistance training, and interval training, you can start with basic abdominal workouts. Here's what you need to know, and this will surprise you!
1) Beginners should stay the heck away from situps and crunch-type movements until they master the Plank, Side Plank, and Bird Dog.
Don't do situps.
2) Here are some my favorite no-crunch ab movements for intermediate exercisers...
a) the Stability Ball Rollout (also can be done with the Ab Wheel or as a Barbell Rollout)
b) the Stability Ball Jackknife
c) the Plank with Your Arms on the Ball (which according to research quoted in Mens Health, this exercise works your abs 30% harder than regular Plank - all without messing your low back).
Lets go over the advanced ab workout tips...Get ready for Men's Health expert Craig Ballantyne to reveal his belly fat burning strategies.
But first, I want to mention some "unknown" ab builders...
a) The Elevated Pushup
b) Straight Arm Cable Pullover
c) Front Squat
d) DB Pullover & even DB Triceps Extensions with extra stretch
All great total body moves to have in your program to burn calories and build abs at the same time.
3) What do you really need to do to bring out your abs once you have your body fat low?
My favorite advanced ab exercise is Cable Crunches, which are without a doubt, the best resistance exercise for building abs. There are several ways to do them, with one version being safer but just as effective as all other versions.
You can get ripped abs without ab workouts.
It shocks people, but it is true. If you want to lose stomach fat fast and see your six pack abs, focus on your nutrition, total body strength training, and interval training before you even consider adding more reps to your current ab workout.
Visit http://www.TurbulenceTraining.com to learn about the dark side of cardio and Men's Health expert Craig Ballantyne and his trademarked Turbulence Training home fat burning workouts. Craig's workouts help you burn fat without long, slow cardio sessions or fancy equipment.
May 20, 2008
How To Get 6 Pack Abs
Here's the secret on how to burn stomach fat and get 6-pack abs.
No it isn't complicated ab workouts or exercises or countless hours on the treadmill. The best way to burn stomach fat and get a tight stomach is through proper nutrition, weight training and interval cardio.
Before we can do anything we need to look at how we are eating. Nutrition is the first step to getting a razor sharp abs. The worst thing that you can do for a set of hard abs is to eat sugar or any processed carbohydrates. In just a few short days you can lose a good percentage of body fat by just eliminating fried food, fruits juices, sports drinks and soda as well as fast food.
The best way to get a set of tight abs is to focus on full body training and circuit routinees that burn more fat. Crunches just hurt you back and research even shows that they are not effective at all for building a strong and tight core. Crunches aren't helpful and neither is slow and boring cardio that is useless for fat loss. If we are after a hard stomach then we need to stay far away from these two things.
Australian research has shown that the best way to get rid of stubborn stomach fat is with interval training. This same research has shown that interval training burns a greater percentage of body fat than slow cardio training.
Abdominal workouts should only begin after you are training hard with full body routines and you are eating right. Here are some surprising ab facts:
If you are new to ab training the last thing that you should do is jump into crunches and leg raises. Get strong at movements like planks, side planks, dead bugs and birddogs first. These movements will make your ab training so much more effective later on. Plus, these movements will get your back strong and healthy.
Once you've progressed from a beginner to an intermediate then you can start performing more challenging moves like -Reverse Bent Knee Crunches -Plank on a stability ball or foam roller, which has been shown to be safer on the back and better on the abs, then a traditional plank -Stability ball rollouts, which absolutely hits every single ab muscle that you have.
From here you can start training with some unknown ab movements. These movements work multiple muscles but really work the abs hard. -Barbell Deadlift -Feet elevated on stability ball push-up -Hands on stability ball push-up -Dumbbell pull over -Lying triceps dumbbell extension -Front Squat
So the question is now what can you do to really bring out those hard abs? The answer is to train them heavy. My favorite move is weighted stability ball crunches. This move is without a doubt the absolute best way you can really get those abs to show. Crunches are not needed to get a set of tight abs. Stop wasting your time and start working towards a set of tight abs with proven and effective training methods. You just need to focus on proper nutrition, full body exercises and interval training cardio. That's the recipe for success.
Copyright (c) 2007 Jimmy Smith
Jimmy Smith is the author of the best selling fat loss program 29 Days To Faster Fat Loss For the number one selling fat loss program visit http://www.29daystofasterfatloss.com
May 19, 2008
Build Muscle Through Bodybuilding
You can build your muscles in two different ways. First you can rely on the heavy and fatty foods. It will help accumulate extra fat on your body and your muscles would look heavy due to the deposition of the fat. But this is not the right way to increase your muscle. It develops obesity and creates a number of health problems. On the other hand you can build muscle through bodybuilding. It connotes a well-shaped body muscles with the loss of extra fat. Bodybuilding gives a good and sculpted look to your body without actually increasing your weight.
Building muscles through natural ways is always good. You can do it with a proper planning. Here are some tips discussed for gaining body muscles through bodybuilding.
First, do strength training and get stronger. Strength training will help you gain huge muscles. If you don't know how to start just begin with strong lift program. Do it at least half an hour daily.
Second, go for weight training. It will make you stronger and making your muscles more prominent. It works your muscles. Muscles undergo wear and tear and then recuperate. In addition to it weight training teach you how to balance weight. It increases your muscle endurance. It is quite safe if you work in a natural motion. It is versatile in nature as there are plenty of equipments you can use for weight lifting. You can better go to a gym for weight training.
Third, Target your biceps, triceps abdomen and legs also while doing weight training. Don't forget to train your legs. Then only your entire body will take a good shape.
Fourth, eat properly. A good diet is necessary for muscle growth and recuperation. It will help build your muscles. Split your meals. Eat six times daily but avoid fatty and junk foods. Strength training burns your calories. So you need extra protein and carbohydrate to compensate the loss of energy. This way you can gain weight without gaining fat.
Fifth, eating healthy is also must in muscle making program. Your diet should incorporate all kinds of vegetables and fruits, whole grains, saturated fat containing fish and olive oil and fiber food.
To build muscle fast you have to buy bodybuilding supplements and legal steroids for muscle building.
How To Handle Back Pain During Pregnancy
Nobody enjoys back pains...
Pregnancy back pain during some stage of pregnancy is practically unavoidable. It is estimated that 2/3rds of pregnant women will experience back pains by the 36th week. As the baby grows larger, more pressure is placed on the back to support the mothers growing abdomen. The babys position in the womb can also contribute to back pain. There are several other factors that can bring on back pain in expecting mothers. Stress and over exertion can also be major factors, besides being unhealthy for the baby. While most back pain resolves itself several months after giving birth, some back pain can be prevented altogether. Now wouldn't that be even better?
Hey, Take it Easy!
Make time for frequent breaks and get plenty of rest. This does not mean that you have to become a couch potato, but you should take more time to rest and relax. Put your feet up, grab a cup of decaffeinated herbal tea and take it easy now and then. Try to lie down once in a while and, if at all possible, try to minimize activities that put stress on your back. At work, do not sit for too long and while you are sitting, place a pillow behind the small of your back.
Exercise Regularly
Exercise can actually help with back pain and can help to strengthen the muscles in the back. Yoga is a great exercise for this purpose. Walking is great, but you need some strengthening and stretching exercises as well. Ask around to see if there are any pregnancy exercise classes and pregnancy yoga. If classes are not your thing, you can find several pregnancy yoga and pregnancy exercise DVDs. You should check with your doctor first before doing any exercises.
Eat Right
Eating healthy and eating right can work to your advantage in several ways. First, eating healthy will help you from gaining additional weight. The less extra weight you are carrying, the less pressure you have on your back. Second, healthy eating helps your body ward off illness and actually helps it deal with pain more efficiently. Finally, drinking plenty of water will keep your kidneys working properly, which can create another type of lower back pain. Healthy eating is better for you and better for your baby.
Find a Pregnancy Girdle
The term, "pregnancy girdle", has an ominous sound, but it can be a pregnant mothers best friend. It is designed to be worn under your clothing, much like a traditional girdle. The difference is that is supports and lifts your stomach so that pressure is taken off of the back. You can pick up a pregnancy girdle at many maternity shops. Maybe you can suggest that someone get you one for the baby shower.
Monitor your Stress
Stress alone can cause lower back pain. Try to relieve your stress, even if it is for just a few moments daily. Set aside 'mommy time' on a daily basis so that you can decompress, relax and refresh. Take a warm back, meditate, listen to soothing music, anything that helps you relax. You'll be surprised at just how helpful just ten minutes a day of this activity can be in relieving your stress.
Spencer Hunt is a wellness consultant who has used glyconutrients to help clients with Alzheimers, diabetes, Lupus, or to just have more energy http://www.ifoundhealth.com. He has even worked with people with cancers such as Lung Cancer, Prostate Cancer, and Skin Cancer (Non-melanoma).
