CUE ORG For Better Education And Information

How To Achieve Lower Back Pain Relief

There are many possible causes of lower back pain from muscle strain or spasms to sprains of the ligaments, joint problems or slipped disk (herniated/degenerated disk). But while there is no definitive reason as to why four out of five people develop lower back pain, there are definite steps that you can take to provide lower back pain relief.

Rest Your Back

Most healthcare professionals and therapists suggest bed rest as the first step in providing lower back pain relief. But take note that this method should only be done for two days and no longer. The reason is that prolonged inactivity due to extended bed rest may cause secondary complications, such as depression, muscular atrophy, weakness, and other conditions, to arise.

To achieve lower back pain relief, the best position is to lie on your back on the floor. Place pillows under your knees so that your hips and knees are slightly bent. Another way of resting your back for low back pain relief is to prop your feet on a chair. Place the pillows on the seat of the chair and place the back of your legs over it with your back flat on the floor.

Both these positions will help take weight and pressure off your back, thus providing lower back pain relief.

Heating Pads and Ice Packs

Following trauma, the person should apply an ice pack or compress over the injured area. Do this for up to 20 minutes several times every day. If you still do not achieve lower back pain relief after two to three days of cold treatment, use a heat pack. This will help relax the muscles and increase blood flow, speeding up recovery.

Medications

A variety of nonprescription drugs that provide lower back pain relief are available in most drug stores. These drugs include analgesics or pain killers, anti-inflammatory and swelling, such as aspirin, acetaminophen (Tylenol), naproxen (Aleve), ketoprofen (Orudis), and ibuprofen (Motrin).

Sit Properly

One of the many causes of lower back pain is improper posture. In order to provide lower back pain relief, sit properly in chairs with straight backs or have a lower back support. To take the weight off your back, keep your knees a little higher than your hips by resting your feet on a low stool for instance or adjusting the seat. And when you turn, move your whole body instead of twisting your waist.

Lower back pain relief may also be achieved even while driving. Sit straight and move the car seat forward. This will provide lower back pain relief by removing the necessity of leaning forward in order to reach the controls. A rolled up towel or a pillow placed behind your lower back may also provide lower back pain relief.

[Keywords: lower back pain relief, low back pain, back pain remedy, back pain treatment ]

October 1st, 2007

Osteoarthritis pain is from wear and tear on joints

This article is about osteoarthritis pain.

Osteoarthritis (OA) affects approximately 21 million Americans. That is about 12 percent of people over the age of 25 in the U.S.

Younger people can develop OA, although it is much more common in older people. The young with OA usually have it as a result of a joint injury, a joint that is malformed, of from a genetic defect in joint cartilage..

More men have osteoarthritis than women before the age of 45, after which it occurs more often in women.

Being overweight makes a person more likely to develop osteoarthritis, as does repetitive stressing of particular joints.

As people live longer, it is expected that osteoarthritis pain will afflict growing numbers of people.

Joint pain and stiffness are the usual symptoms experienced by people with OA. The joints that are most commonly affected are the distal finger joints, thumbs, neck, lower back, hips and knees.

The joint damage of OA usually develops slowly over years, although it can have rapid progression in some people.

My own experience with osteoarthritis pain in my knees was with gradual onset. However, I am pain-free now and attribute this to taking a high quality glucosamine and chondroitin nutritional supplement.

To read the full article about my osteoarthritis pain relief, click on CosaminDS

[Keywords: osteoarthritis, pain relief, nutritional supplement ]

July 12th, 2007