Coping with back pain

The back muscles are attached to the spine. The spine consist of bones called vertebrae. The vertebrae are joined together by the facet joints. Softer disks separate the vertebrae. They allow the spine to bend and flex.

They also act as cushion in between the vertebrae and absorb shock and vibration produced by walking and running. Nerves connecting the brain to the body make up the spinal cord. The vertebrae protect the spinal cord.

Nerves branch off from the spinal cord to various organs and muscles including those in the arms and legs. The nerves carry instructions from the brain to the muscles, organs, and limbs. They also carry sensations such as pain from different parts of the body to the brain. The spine is joined to the pelvis, or hip, by the sacroiliac joints.

The disks in the back act as cushions between vertebrae. A disk contains a central area called the “nucleus pulposus,” which means soft center. Disks are usually moist, like a sponge with water in it. As a person gets older, or after a disk gets injured, it starts losing water and becomes stiffer. The disk becomes less useful in cushioning the back. This is known as disk degeneration.

The most common cause of back pain is muscle spasm. An awkward movement of the back can lead to a severe muscle spasm. The muscle spasm causes the back to “lock” and can cause severe pain. A muscle spasm can occur after a simple sneeze or cough. It can also occur after an awkward bending or twisting motion.

A movement as simple as bending to tie a shoe or twisting the back to turn and face in a different direction can cause such a spasm. Muscle spasms can also occur when a heavy object is lifted incorrectly.

Muscle spasms tend to get better over time. Severe cases of muscle spasm can be treated with physical therapy and medication. Long lasting back pain can occur after accidents that have resulted in injury to the disks, the facet joints, or sacroiliac joints of the back.

Back pain is one of the most common medical problems. It affects most people at least once in their lifetime. If not taken seriously, back pain can last for a long period of time, and can become disabling.

The best way to prevent back and leg pain is to regularly exercise the back. Back strengthening and stretching exercises are recommended at least 2 or 3 times a week.

The following are some examples of back exercises: partial sit-up (With bent knee, slowly raise your head and shoulders off the floor, and hold for 3 minutes), knee-to-chest raise (lie down;slowly pull knees to chest, relaxing your neck and back, hold for 10 seconds;repeat 10 times), press-up (lie down with hands near shoulders and pelvis on floor;press up painlessly, hold for 10 seconds, and repeat 10 times).

These exercises strengthen the back muscles, which allow them to withstand the rigors of everyday activities. If you have had previous back pain or medical problems, make sure to check with your doctor before starting these exercises.

Back pain will affect most people at one time in their lives. Action can be taken to prevent back pain or postpone the degeneration of the spine and disks. Preventive measures include strengthening of the back and adopting good body techniques.

Does dieting with chitosan work

If you are planning to down Chitoson in a bid to lose weight fast, read on first! You may be wasting your heard earned cash on a diet pill that does not deliver as it should. We do our best to provide accurate and unbiased information and reviews on bodybuilding and weight loss supplements, which we hope will be useful to you. Chitosan is basically a fiber derived from shellfish and it claims to have the ability to dissolve and grab hold of fats and cholesterol in the stomach.

You may have seen some outrageous claims that you can eat whatever you want, and Chitosan will block out all the fat from the media. Sounds too good to be true doesn't it? You're right, it is not all that true. Chitosan is extracted from the shell of crustaceans like shrimp and crab. Contrary to what you might think, Chitosan has been used for over 30 years. It is not some new, revolutionary discovery, or new weigh loss miracle pill. So do not get fooled by the media hype. Note: you shouldn't take Chitosan if you have any type of shellfish allergies.

Chitosan makes grand promises of 'absorbing' fat and preventing it from getting into your body. Is it the ultimate 'Fat Blocker' - or is it? Far from it. Thorough clinical studies on humans have show that Chitosan does NOT work! Initial Chitosan research were done on animals, NOT humans. These studies on animals did show some effectiveness, and did show some fat-absorbing abilities; however no studies have been done on the effects of chitosan on dietary fat absorption in humans.

There were NO substantial studies done with humans (if any) before producing and selling this product to the public. Weight loss experts all agree that Chitosan simply doesn't work. Previous studies done on Chitosan were 'small' studies and were not published in peer reviewed journals. There is no studies that have found Chitosan to effectively block fat in humans. In a 1999 study conducted by the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, it showed that the Chitosan group who took 8 pills a day for 4 weeks showed no more weight loss than the placebo group.

Because few studies have been done on Chitosan, there are little recorded side effects of Chitosan. No long term studies have been performed on the side effects of Chitosan, and some studies have show Chitosan to prevent effective absorption of minerals and vitamins.

Issues raised by the surgical treatment for inguinal hernia

Inguinal hernia is a common type of hernia that occurs in the region of the groin. The disorder usually generates mild, unspecific symptoms, which can be misleading in establishing the correct diagnosis. Most people with inguinal hernia may actually have no symptoms at all, thus rendering the process of diagnosing the disorder even more difficult. The only reliable means of diagnosing inguinal hernia involve MRI scans (magnetic resonance imaging), X-ray scans, computerized tomography and laparoscopy. Due to the fact that inguinal hernia generally progresses latently, most people are diagnosed with the disorder long after they develop complications, thus requiring immediate surgery. However, if the disorder is discovered in time, patients have the possibility to choose whether they will have their hernia surgically repaired or not.

Besides from being difficult to diagnose, inguinal hernia also raises many post-operative issues. Although the surgical intervention for this type of hernia is a simple procedure that involves minimal risks, it can’t always prevent the disorder from reoccurring. In fact, the majority of patients that suffer surgical hernia repair experience an aggravation of the disorder in time. Considering the fact that inguinal hernia has a pronounced post-operative recurrent character, many doctors recommend patients to delay surgical intervention until it is absolutely required.

The exact reasons why inguinal hernia tends to reoccur in patients who have suffered surgical intervention remain unknown. However, the post-operative recurrence rate of inguinal hernia in patients is very high. Medical scientists have conducted various experiments in order to establish whether surgical intervention is indicated or not for patients with uncomplicated inguinal hernia. One recent study reveals that patients who decide to delay surgery generally experience the same symptoms as patients who suffer surgical interventions.

Another recent experiment suggests that there is a greater chance for patients who have suffered surgery to experience more intense symptoms than patients who decide not to have their inguinal hernia surgically repaired. Hence, physicians recommend surgical intervention only to patients who suffer from complicated inguinal hernia, suggesting that surgery is not the best option in the treatment of the disorder. In fact, most medical professionals consider surgery to be a last-resort procedure in the treatment of inguinal hernia.

Despite the fact that the occurrence of inguinal hernia can’t be effectively prevented, most people diagnosed with the disorder can prevent the development of complications. If the disorder is timely discovered, probably the best option for patients is to keep the hernia under control and to delay surgery for as long as possible. People who suffer from mild, uncomplicated forms of inguinal hernia are recommended to avoid intense physical effort and to reduce the amount of stress in order to prevent further aggravation of the disorder. Also, patients diagnosed with inguinal hernia should pay regular visits to their doctors for physical examination. If patients who suffer from mild inguinal hernia take special measures for preventing the development of complications, they can delay surgery for many years.