The Bad Back Guy: Sciatica & Back Pain Without Surgery

Back pain and sciatica are treatable! Back pain and sciatica sufferers are not doomed to the surgeon's blade. A bad back can be dealt with effectively, without surgical intervention, if proper bad back strategies are implemented early and followed consistently.

Have you ever gotten out of bed and felt that nagging feeling in your back, a kind of stiffness that doesn't seem to want to go away with normal movement? Have you ever started to bend over and felt that twinge in the lower back, perhaps radiating down the leg? Have you ever bent over to pick up a child, a pet, even a package and felt a blast of pain? Has your back pain and sciatica ever gotten so bad you had to stop what you were doing and rest?

If you have answered yes to any of the questions above, you are in good company. Unfortunately, back pain and sciatica are a pain complex suffered my literally millions of Americans every year. In fact, almost half a million people are operated on every year for what most people refer to as a bad back. Severe and chronic pain may be caused by many things but is often the result of the stress, strain, and trauma we impose on our muscles, connective tissue (tendons and ligaments), discs, and even the vertebrae themselves. While it is true that many back injuries are the result of significant trauma and disease, the majority of back pain and sciatica results from normal, day-to-day activities. The activities resulting in back strain and injury may be as mundane as working around the garden, sweeping the driveway or raking leaves, shoveling snow (always a good one), lifting laundry or grocery bags, household chores, and picking up children or grandchildren.

Often, simple adjustments to movement and behavior, properly and consistently implemented, go a long way towards preventing or at least minimizing back strain and its consequences. A few bad back strategies in particular are quite effective in minimizing the consequences of back stress and strain: first and foremost, be aware of body position while engaged in activities that may impact the back, particularly the lower back; next, maintain good posture through exercise, conscious thought, and eventually, habit; third, make sure to stretch often, usually as part of a total exercise program; along with the third bad back strategy, integrate a consistent, individualized, and professionally supervised exercise program into your life; next, make sure to always know your limits; and, always listen to that still, small voice in your head, if it says you're pushing it, you probably are; finally, lose weight. Significantly, added weight may have more of a negative impact on back health that any single factor. If you are carrying extra weight, you are placing incredible stress and strain on you back. The combination or all of these strategies, tied to an intelligent weight loss and exercise program, will do wonders, often alleviating, then eliminating, back pain and sciatica

Ultimately, a medical consultation may be the wisest strategy, particularly if your back pain and sciatica continue for more than a few days. Do not wait for it to worsen! If you have engaged in an exercise program and are losing weight, you should begin to experience relief quickly. You will be amazed at how soon after beginning an intelligent, focused, and individualized exercise program you start feeling real relief. If you do not, see your physician and he or she will recommend a good orthopedic surgeon or neurologist. Don't wait until you are disabled to get help, it is not necessary and the damage may be irreversible without surgery.

Bad back strategies are easy to implement and, from personal experience, are easily made habits, allowing you to significantly minimize, and ultimate eliminate, your pain. After years of pain and surgeries, weight loss and exercise, along with the other strategies mentioned above, allowed me to re-enter life as a participant and not just as a spectator, miserable, depressed, and disabled. It is not easy and it takes conscious effort but it is doable and the results are amazing! So remember, posture, positioning, lifting, exercise, and weight loss. If you follow these five bad back strategies you will alleviate, and eventually eliminate your back pain and sciatica.

The following programs are excellent for neck pain, back pain, and sciatic nerve pain or sciatica:

http://www.HowToStopSciatica.com

http://www.HowToStopSciatica.info

Or! Dr. Graeme Teague's X-Pain Method! New and Exciting, 4 Simple Steps!

John Zajaros, The Bad Back Guy
216-712-6526
Skype: johnzajaros1
johnz@thebadbackguy.com

Exercise, Failed Back Surgery, Back Pain, and Sciatica: The Bad Back Guy

Back Pain, Sciatica, Failed Back Surgery, and Alternative Strategies for Relief: Exercise

The back pain and sciatica sufferer facing surgery today faces a much happier future than the prospective back surgery patient of a few years ago. Years of pioneering work, focusing on the integration of a multidisciplinary approach to the evaluation and care, before and after surgery, has completely changed the prognosis for literally thousands of back pain and sciatica sufferers facing multiple surgeries. For patients who have had back surgery that has failed, a new hope is now justified as a result of improved techniques and advances in the science of orthopedic surgery. Back pain and sciatica sufferers who have had previous surgery or surgeries and who were integrated into this new system, evaluated through a multidisciplinary approach, had success rates as high as 80% versus a rather discouraging 30-35%
described in the medical journals. Interestingly, the success rate not only applied to single incidence patients but to patients who had undergone a number of back surgeries, like the author of this article.

The Focus Changes for Back and Sciatica Pain Sufferers: A Holistic Approach

The focus on the back pain and sciatica patient as a whole person, referred to as a holistic approach, is the primary reason for the success of this surgical method. The addition of a team concept, engaging physicians, practitioners, and therapy specialists, to evaluate the individual singularly and as a group, looking at the entire history of the patient, has offered new and exciting insights. The holistic approach has resulted in an entirely new process, one that works for a remarkable number of back pain and sciatica patients.

Ultimately, the support system of the patient, combined with their motivation to return to an active, productive lifestyle was crucial to the overall success of the intervention. In other words, the mind plays a pivotal role in the recovery of the back pain and sciatica sufferer. We will return to this.

The remaining 20% of back pain and sciatica sufferers, having undergone one or multiple surgeries, remain a source or frustration, as these patients present with a myriad of symptoms. Not only does this failure affect the back pain and sciatica sufferer, it impacts the family, friends, co-workers, associates, and even the physicians involved in the individual's care. It is not uncommon for individuals to experience and express, anger, frustration, despair, and even depression as symptoms persist and even grow worse over time. Unfortunately, in many of these cases practitioners are at a loss to explain exactly what is going on and why.

As the back patient and sciatica sufferer succumbs to the pain, inactivity and disability only feed into the loop that ultimately contributes to further disintegration, pain, despair, depression, and hopelessness. The symptoms of back pain and sciatica sufferers in this group often include but are not limited to: severe and debilitating pain; numbness in the feet, legs, and back; overall weakness and loss of muscle tone; sciatica in one or both legs; possible neurological deficits such as foot drop and/or a loss of function; and, other physiological problems beyond the scope of this article. The typical back pain and sciatica patient in this negative, failed-back loop deal with: weight gain and obesity; a de-conditioning or atrophy of the musculature; inactivity leading to a sedentary lifestyle; and, chemical or drug dependency often occur, as well. The back pain and sciatica sufferers in this group, and their support systems, often families, are often stressed and even dysfunctional. The entire negative feedback loop closes in on itself and fuels the disintegration of the patient and their support network until the patient is fully and completely incapacitated and isolated. The problems are myriad and unless something is done, the outlook is not encouraging. The above condition, and it gets worse, is referred as "failed back surgery" or "failed backs" or "failed spine surgery." The name is really secondary to the impact the failure has on the individual and individuals involved.

The question becomes: When is enough, enough? And, when is enough, too much? The focus and central issue, particularly for the latter 20% is, what are the chances of an additional surgery being even remotely successful? If a potential surgical problem still exists, is it wise to pursue it or are other alternatives available? If they are, why aren't they fully exhausted prior to additional surgical intervention? These are all questions the patient should be exploring with his or her physician and, given a multidisciplinary approach, clinicians should be asking each other prior to another surgical event.

An Alternative Strategy for Back Pain and Sciatica Sufferers: Taking Matters Into Your Own Hands and Exercise

Ultimately, the 20% must pursue other means of rehabilitation if they are to have any chance for a real life, ever. It is this author's personal experience that, beyond a certain point, the surgical alternative is a doomed pursuit, one that will only cause more harm and, ultimately despair, pain, and depression. This is the point where the back pain and sciatica sufferer must take things into their own hands and seek alternative solutions. Exercise, ice, positioning, diet, weight loss, and other methods can, and will, help but the individual must be motivated and the importance of support from family and friends cannot be overstated. It is up to the individual but the end result does not have to be a life of pain and hopelessness. This author was in the 20% for a long time, years, and I know there is a way out, you just have got to want it! Start with an intelligent, individually designed and supervised exercise program and work from there. We will discuss addition strategies in upcoming articles.

For further information and an intelligent program of exercise, one that works for back pain and sciatica, guaranteed, go to:

http://www.HowToStopSciatica.com

http://www.HowToStopSciatica.info
For additional information on products and a link to an excellent source for blogging about back pain and sciatica issues go to:

http://wwwultimatebadbackstrategies.com

Coming: http://www.thebadbackguy.com

John P. J. Zajaros, Sr.
johnz@ultimatebadbackstrategies.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=John_Zajaros

Failed Back Surgery, Back Pain, Sciatica, and Exercsi

Back Pain, Sciatica, Failed Back Surgery, and Alternative Strategies for Relief: Exercise

The back pain and sciatica sufferer facing surgery today faces a much happier future than the prospective back surgery patient of a few years ago. Years of pioneering work, focusing on the integration of a multidisciplinary approach to the evaluation and care, before and after surgery, has completely changed the prognosis for literally thousands of back pain and sciatica sufferers facing multiple surgeries. For patients who have had back surgery that has failed, a new hope is now justified as a result of improved techniques and advances in the science of orthopedic surgery. Back pain and sciatica sufferers who have had previous surgery or surgeries and who were integrated into this new system, evaluated through a multidisciplinary approach, had success rates as high as 80% versus a rather discouraging 30-35%
described in the medical journals. Interestingly, the success rate not only applied to single incidence patients but to patients who had undergone a number of back surgeries, like the author of this article.

The Focus Changes for Back and Sciatica Pain Sufferers: A Holistic Approach

The focus on the back pain and sciatica patient as a whole person, referred to as a holistic approach, is the primary reason for the success of this surgical method. The addition of a team concept, engaging physicians, practitioners, and therapy specialists, to evaluate the individual singularly and as a group, looking at the entire history of the patient, has offered new and exciting insights. The holistic approach has resulted in an entirely new process, one that works for a remarkable number of back pain and sciatica patients.

Ultimately, the support system of the patient, combined with their motivation to return to an active, productive lifestyle was crucial to the overall success of the intervention. In other words, the mind plays a pivotal role in the recovery of the back pain and sciatica sufferer. We will return to this.

The remaining 20% of back pain and sciatica sufferers, having undergone one or multiple surgeries, remain a source or frustration, as these patients present with a myriad of symptoms. Not only does this failure affect the back pain and sciatica sufferer, it impacts the family, friends, co-workers, associates, and even the physicians involved in the individual's care. It is not uncommon for individuals to experience and express, anger, frustration, despair, and even depression as symptoms persist and even grow worse over time. Unfortunately, in many of these cases practitioners are at a loss to explain exactly what is going on and why.

As the back patient and sciatica sufferer succumbs to the pain, inactivity and disability only feed into the loop that ultimately contributes to further disintegration, pain, despair, depression, and hopelessness. The symptoms of back pain and sciatica sufferers in this group often include but are not limited to: severe and debilitating pain; numbness in the feet, legs, and back; overall weakness and loss of muscle tone; sciatica in one or both legs; possible neurological deficits such as foot drop and/or a loss of function; and, other physiological problems beyond the scope of this article. The typical back pain and sciatica patient in this negative, failed-back loop deal with: weight gain and obesity; a de-conditioning or atrophy of the musculature; inactivity leading to a sedentary lifestyle; and, chemical or drug dependency often occur, as well. The back pain and sciatica sufferers in this group, and their support systems, often families, are often stressed and even dysfunctional. The entire negative feedback loop closes in on itself and fuels the disintegration of the patient and their support network until the patient is fully and completely incapacitated and isolated. The problems are myriad and unless something is done, the outlook is not encouraging. The above condition, and it gets worse, is referred as "failed back surgery" or "failed backs" or "failed spine surgery." The name is really secondary to the impact the failure has on the individual and individuals involved.

The question becomes: When is enough, enough? And, when is enough, too much? The focus and central issue, particularly for the latter 20% is, what are the chances of an additional surgery being even remotely successful? If a potential surgical problem still exists, is it wise to pursue it or are other alternatives available? If they are, why aren't they fully exhausted prior to additional surgical intervention? These are all questions the patient should be exploring with his or her physician and, given a multidisciplinary approach, clinicians should be asking each other prior to another surgical event.

An Alternative Strategy for Back Pain and Sciatica Sufferers: Taking Matters Into Your Own Hands and Exercise

Ultimately, the 20% must pursue other means of rehabilitation if they are to have any chance for a real life, ever. It is this author's personal experience that, beyond a certain point, the surgical alternative is a doomed pursuit, one that will only cause more harm and, ultimately despair, pain, and depression. This is the point where the back pain and sciatica sufferer must take things into their own hands and seek alternative solutions. Exercise, ice, positioning, diet, weight loss, and other methods can, and will, help but the individual must be motivated and the importance of support from family and friends cannot be overstated. It is up to the individual but the end result does not have to be a life of pain and hopelessness. This author was in the 20% for a long time, years, and I know there is a way out, you just have got to want it! Start with an intelligent, individually designed and supervised exercise program and work from there. We will discuss addition strategies in upcoming articles.

For further information and an intelligent program of exercise, one that works for back pain and sciatica, guaranteed, go to:

http://www.HowToStopSciatica.com

http://www.HowToStopSciatica.info

For additional information on products and a link to an excellent source for blogging about back pain and sciatica issues go to:

http://wwwultimatebadbackstrategies.com

Coming: http://www.thebadbackguy.com

John P. J. Zajaros, Sr.
johnz@ultimatebadbackstrategies.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=John_Zajaros

A Mayo Clinic study noted that, “Back pain ranks second only to headaches as the most frequent pain location. More than 65 million Americans experience low back pain every year. Four out of five adults will experience at least one bout of back pain at some time in their life.” There can be little doubt that the associated condition, sciatica, follows right behind, equally in frequency and just as debilitating.

Low back pain: Exercises to reduce pain

Fatigue, muscle strain, stress, injury and overuse are some of the principle causes of sciatica and lower back pain in adults. Continuous back pain and sciatica may be painful and, in some cases, cause temporary or even permanent disability. However, back pain and sciatica do not always signal a severe, unalterable injury or disease. In fact, in most instances, the pain, and it’s underlying condition, are very treatable. In most instances, treatment for back pain and sciatica, in the form of exercise and intelligent follow up, can return the back pain and sciatica sufferer to a healthy and active life in short order. Contrary to popular opinion, maintaining an active lifestyle, exercising often, and avoiding certain positions and situations is “just what the doctor ordered.” When it comes to avoiding and, when necessary, treating back pain and sciatica, activity, usually in the form of an intelligently designed exercise program along with an active lifestyle, will ward off and/or hasten the recovery of an individual suffering from most back injuries. Situations in which back injuries may manifest themselves, with the associated pain and disability, are much more prevalent in individuals living a more sedentary lifestyle. The active lifestyle and not “rest and relaxation” will effectively combat most situations in which injuries associated with back pain and sciatica occur. A sedentary individual will more often succumb to fatigue and stress, compared to the more active individual, and as noted above, fatigue and stress are two of the primary factors in back injury with its associated array of symptoms. Additionally, once injured, the active individual may return to normal activity much sooner than the inactive individual.

The fact is, most back pain, with its associated symptoms, including sciatica, will usually improve if the individual stays involved and active. As noted in a previous article, if the back pain and sciatica sufferer uses ice, to include the compression-ice brace when necessary, and avoids certain positions, sleeping on one’s side, with knees tucked and separated, significant relief is possible. Common sense strategies, such as avoiding activities that cause undue pain, at least until the pain has subsided, and prudent use of anti-inflammatory medications such as naproxen-sodium and ibuprofen may help when absolutely necessary. Never, and I mean never, take narcotics for back pain, it is a short-term fix and the consequences are always disastrous! Taken over a long enough period of time, narcotics will lead to eventual loss of effectiveness and even dependence…addiction. I am not a physician and can only speak from personal experience but addictive medications are a lose-lose strategy…short term and long term.

Once acute pain subsides, the back pain and sciatica sufferer should begin a supervised exercise program, one that includes stretches and other personalized exercises designed for the individual and not simply copied from the nearest copying machine at the hospital or doctor’s office! Over a period of time, the exercise program should be enhanced and the level of difficulty increased in order to develop the supporting musculature of the spine, abdominal region and core, and the legs. The proper exercise program will ensure a more rapid and complete recovery, one that reduces the chance of re-injury and offsets the possibility of extending a temporary disability into a prolonged one. An individualized exercise program will ultimately return the individual to a normal, healthy, and pain free life sooner, and with fewer consequences, than the do-nothing approach so many seem predisposed to due to incorrect information, often the result of an incomplete and improper education as it relates to back pain and sciatica.

An exercise program focusing on back pain and sciatica does not have to be complicated or difficult and, once set up by a qualified professional, can be followed in the comfort of the individual’s own home. Significantly, pain itself sets up a sort of negative feedback loop in that, pain leads to fear of pain which leads to inactivity which leads to more pain, and so on! The back pain and sciatica sufferer must make every attempt to become active as soon as possible after the onset of pain. Like the pain negative feedback loop, a negative reaction, meaning an approach to pain leading to inactivity, leading to a loss of strength, muscle tone, flexibility, and overall conditioning, leading to more pain is inevitable. The loss of muscle tome and function may lead to further stress, strain, and injury. The whole process then feeds upon itself, again.

A safe and sane exercise program is indeed the only answer for an individual suffering from back pain and sciatica.

The following are excellent programs leading to a pain free life for neck pain, back pain, and sciatica sufferers:

www.HowToStopSciatica.com

www.HowToStopSciatica.info

Good luck!

John P. J. Zajaros, Sr., “The Bad Back Guy”
216-712-6526
Skype: johnzajaros1
johnz@ultimatebadbackstrategies.com

National Institutes of Health: New Study of Chronic Back, Neck, Sciatic Nerve Pain Suffers Show A Need For New Rehabilitation Approach

Back pain, neck pain, and sciatic nerve pain sufferers need new solutions

New research, sponsored and funded by the NIH, National Institutes of Health, found that the use of alternative treatments, such as exercise, for chronic neck, back, and sciatica pain suffers may be more effective and less utilized than could and should be. This was discovered during a study of individuals surveyed after seeing their primary care providers and back pain, sciatica pain and neck pain practitioners. The researchers noted it has been discovered that exercise is one of the few significantly effective therapies underutilized for the disabling conditions of chronic back pain, neck pain and sciatic nerve pain.

Note: It must be noted here that I am not a physician and this is not intended to be or usurp the advice of your licensed medical practitioner. My doctoral fellowship was in physical anthropology, my specialty in age-progressive phenomena affecting the spine and sacroiliac joint. So, I am an expert when it comes to the morphology (structure) and physiology, as it relates to the back and pelvis (hips) and what goes on as you age, but I am not a medical doctor.

Furthermore and perhaps more significantly, I have had, over the course of my rather short life (ha!), 14 surgeries on my spine! I think this may give me a perspective not enjoyed, if enjoyed is the proper word, by many of my medical, chiropractic, osteological, and physical anthropological (no, not like CSIs) colleagues.

Credits: The research was published in the February 2009 Arthritis Care & Research and was conducted by Timothy S. Carey and Janet K. Freburger, in conjunction with the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill's Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research. As part of the study, they surveyed by telephone six hundred and eighty-four (684) chronic neck and/or back pain sufferers, many with sciatic nerve pain or sciatica, who saw a physical therapist, chiropractor, or physician at some point in the last twelve (12) months. Of the chronic back and neck pain, and sciatica, sufferers surveyed only a shade less than half (48%) were advised to perform any sort of exercise program.

It may be suggestive that only half were of those contacted were encouraged to engage in any sort of exercise program, regardless of how rudimentary, and that medical practitioners may need to look at alternative strategies for their patients suffering the debilitating effects of long-term, chronic back pain, neck pain, and sciatica.

For alternative pain strategies two programs I support are:

http://www.HowToStopSciatica.com

and

http://www.HowToStopSciatica.info

For further information and another community of back, neck, and sciatic nerve pain sufferers go to:

http://www.ultimateback back strategies.com

For additional articles on the topic go to:

http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=John_Zajaros