Low Back Pain – Ayurvedic Management
Low Back Pain - Ayurvedic Management
Low back pain is one of the most common pain disorders today .It is a chronic condition characterized by a persistent dull or sharp pain per the lower back. It may be also associated with burning, stiffness, numbness or tingling with the pain shooting down the buttocks and the legs.When we stand, the lower back functions to hold most of the weight of the body. When we bend, extend or rotate at the waist, the lower back is involved in the movement. Low back ache is often precipitated by moving, lifting objects or twisting of the waist. Severe pain in the low back can be quite debilitating to patients. Pain in the lower back restricts activity and reduces work capacity and quality of enjoyment of everyday living and turns daily life into a misery.Survey indicates that 70 per cent of the people suffer from low back pain at some time in their lives. The highest rate of back pain occurs among the 45 to 64 year age group. The incidence of low back pain is greater among women. In 90 per cent of the patients, low back pain resolves within six weeks, i.e. self limited. In another 5 per cent the pain resolves by 12 weeks. Less than 5 per cent of back paid account for true nerve root pain.CausesOne of the common causes for the backache is poor posture habit. Balanced posture decreases stress on your back by keeping the muscles, bones and other supporting parts in their natural position. Any change from normal spinal curve can stress or pull muscles. This leads to increased muscle contraction, which causes pain. Low back pain can result due to health problems like osteoporosis, scoliosis, spinal stenosis. Sprain or strain of muscles or ligaments in the area can also manifest in low back pain. Other possible causes include fibromyalgia and benign or malignant tumours. A fall or blow to the back can strain or tear tissues around the spine, or even break a bone leading to back pain. Lack of exercise or incorrect exercise can also lead to low back pain. Too much weight or overweight also is a cause of low back pain.TreatmentConservative treatment is the most likely course of action for most patients. Treatment options include rest, Traction, Short wave diathermy, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications, weight control, steroid injections in step by step order.If a patients does not get relief after 8 to 12 weeks of conservative therapy surgical intervention is considered. The most common surgical procedure is a discectomy, which involves removing the soft gel-like material in the disc. This procedure returns the disc to a more normal shape, relieving the pressure on the nerve. the neurosurgeon can also perform a foraminotomy, which is a procedure designed to expand the opening the nerve travels through.Drugs and knives don't always work because from 60% to 90% of disease is not the result of structural injury, but rather of the mind-body response to stressAyurvedic PerspectiveAyurveda holds that low back pain is a result of vitiation of one of the three principal 'doshas'. 'Kateegraham'/'Prishtasoola' or low back pain is an indication of Vata aggravation and bone and muscle weakness.Ayurvedic TreatmentTreatment in Ayurveda is to bring the vitiated 'dosha' back to the state of equilibrium and thereby to the state of health. For treating low back pain, internal as well as external treatments are done. Herbal preparations like 'Asthavargam' are administered internally. Daily purgation is recommended to restore the vitiated 'dosha' to the state of normalcy.Ayurvedic Panchakarma treatments like Abhyanga (oil massage), Basti (meditated enema) are very much helpful in relieving backache and correcting abnormalities. Drugs like Yogarajaguggulu, Lakshadiguggulu, Triphala Guggulu, Maanarayana tailam are useful in this condition.Yoga and YogasanaThe source of the pain is due most often to pushing oneself beyond physical or emotional capacity. The spine needs stability and, therefore, the mind must first be steady. So, the first step is to learn to relax the mind and focus on the specific areas of back pain. With practice, you can redirect the body's energy and affect the pain.Among the Yogasanas ,when there is pain, start with simple back-bends, such as Locust, Cat, and Sunbird. To keep the spine aligned practice Hero Pose.Caution- Before trying any of these postures, consult with a yoga teacher or therapist to determine the best postures for your condition.About The AuthorDr. Shashikant Patwardhan is practicing as 'Ayurvedic Consultant' for last 25 years at the city -Sangli, Maharashtra -India. He has done his graduation in Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery [B.A.M&S] and post graduate Fellowship of Faculty of Ayurvedic Medicine [F.F.A.M.] From Tilak Ayurved Mahavidyalaya, Pune University, India, during the years 1970-1976.He is a chief editor and Ayurvedic Consultant of a 'Comprehensive website on Ayurveda - http://www.ayurveda-foryou.com. He is an author of many books on Ayurveda and is first to publish them in ebook format. He has written ebooks like - Ayurvedic Cure of Diabetes, Home Remedies in Ayurveda, Treat Common Diseases with Ayurveda & Yoga, Ayurvedic Principles Revealed. He regularly writes articles on various topics in Ayurveda in Ayurvedic health magazines and alternative medicine sites.editor@ayurveda-foryou.com
Beating Your Neck, Back and Shoulder Pain
Beating Your Neck, Back and Shoulder Pain
Suffering from neck, back and shoulder pain? If you are, you're in good company. Millions of people wake up every morning and endure every day experiencing pain in their necks, backs and shoulders. While neck, back and shoulder pain used to be thought of as conditions affecting only adults, due to more parents scheduling routine doctors visits for their kids, it's becoming increasingly apparent that children and teenagers are also suffering from the symptoms. So if it's not age that causes this severe discomfort, what is it? Believe it or not, the culprit may be your sleep habits and the position you sleep in.Each and everyday, you are putting stress on your spine, which directly impacts the tension in your neck, shoulders and back. Even simple, everyday tasks like sitting at a desk, driving, and bending over can contribute to wear on these sensitive parts of your body. Your sleep time is supposed to be the time of day when these areas of your body are allowed to relax and regenerate. However, if your neck isn't properly supported while you're sleeping, your body doesn't have a chance to recover from the stress it endured throughout the day. Improper neck support while sleeping can cause increasingly severe neck, back and shoulder pain over the years, to a point where it becomes unbearable.Neck, back and shoulder pain can actually begin a vicious cycle. You're in pain, so you can't sleep, but you need to sleep (and sleep right), to be able to get rid of the pain. A continuous lack of sleep can even lead to further problems like depression, chronic fatigue, and believe it or not, even weight gain has been linked to a severe lack of proper sleep. Fortunately, scientists and health professionals take the causes of neck, back and shoulder pain seriously, and have consistently worked towards finding methods and remedies that will alleviate the wretched symptoms.The first step towards eliminating the discomfort of these symptoms is to correct your sleep habits, and the most important part of this step is to get a pillow that properly supports your neck. Try to find one that is made to be tailored to the position you sleep in, as not all pillows are created equal. Memory foam pillows have been increasing in popularity, and rightfully so. They've actually been quite beneficial in relieving neck, back and shoulder pain for a number of people who have been enduring it for years. Massage, yoga, and proper exercise are also methods that have been found to reduce pain in these regions of the body. By incorporating small change like these into your lifestyle, you should have no problem overcoming your ailments.If a quality visco-elastic pillow doesn't solve your neck, back and shoulder pain, you might want to schedule an appointment with your doctor as your pain may be a symptom of a more severe underlying condition. Pain is something that affects your entire being, and remedying it quickly is vitally important to your quality of life.About The AuthorDr. Joseph J. Berke, M.D., Ph.D.Discover how sleeping on The Better Sleep Pillow can change your life.Visit: http://www.bettersleeppillow.comDr. Joseph J. Berke is an author and inventor dedicated to helping people get a better night rest. articles@bettersleeppillow.com
This Simple Publishing Mistake Could Be Losing You Half Your Back End Sales! – E-Books
This Simple Publishing Mistake Could Be Losing You Half Your Back End Sales!
Many of the Internets biggest ebook sellers are making this simple mistake, and it's almost certainly costing them a ton of money in lost back end sales. You must not make the same mistake!I was having a bit of a tidy up on my PC the other day. It really is amazing how many files you accumulate, even in a short space of time.Anyway, to cut a long story short I was particularly interested in getting all my ebooks in some sort of organized filing system. I wanted to put them into files relating to particular categories. Then, when I wanted to go over a certain topic again, I would easily be able to find an ebook that covered the subject I was looking for.Then I ran into a problem. The thing is, when I looked at this folder full of ebooks, at first glance, I didn't have a clue what a load of them were about. I mean, I had read every single one of these ebooks, but from just looking at the file names, I didn't have a clue what they were, or who wrote them!The reason was; the ebook publishers had deliberately chosen not to give their ebooks a descriptive filename. Instead of using the actual title of the ebook as the file name, the author used some kind of shortened abbreviation.Ebook authors must spend ages dreaming up a great name for their ebook that will reflect the topic of their publication. Then they go and ruin all that hard work; by giving the ebook file a 3 letter abbreviated name that doesn't tell anyone what's inside.Why do ebook publishers do this?There have been a lot of people giving out advice on Internet security over the last few years. One bit of advice that has been going round, is that you should always give your ebooks a weird, un-guessable file name so that Internet thieves, can't find them on your website. I don't want to go into exactly how these Internet thieves work because that is not what this article is all about.Even if you don't have a website, you may still get influenced by this advice, which is why I want to enlighten you.Here's an example of what I mean. Lets say an author has written an ebook called 'Gold Swing Secrets'. Instead of giving the ebook a descriptive file name like 'golf_swing_secrets.pdf', they may name it something like gss-01.pdf or glfsgss.pdf.Now, the author of the ebook had spent however long writing and compiling his ebook. The file name to him is instantly familiar; after all, he was the one that named the damn thing.However, little old me 'the customer', who may be very keen to read his ebook again, didn't have a clue what the ebook was about, without opening it to find out. Now you might think that's ok. I mean, how long does it take to open an ebook to see what it is. My point is, most people's eyes will be drawn to the ebooks with a descriptive file name that tells the reader instantly what the ebook is about.What's the big deal?I found a number of ebooks on my PC that I had forgotten I had even bought. Some of them I had quickly speed read, with the full intention on reading them properly when I had time. 6 months, a year went by and I kept overlooking them. I just forgot what they were, and just assumed they were some free ebook or something.The end result being:I never read these ebooks a 2nd time.I never signed up to any of the newsletters that were being promoted by the ebook authors.I never bought any of the products being recommended inside the ebooks.None of these ebook authors made a single back end sale from me.I wonder how many ebook buyers have done the same as me? My very conservative guess is that at least 50% of people overlook the ebooks on their PC with filenames they don't recognize. If I am right, you could be losing half your back end sales, if you choose not to give your ebook a descriptive filename.If you have a website and you're worried about Internet thieves, store your ebooks in a separate folder and give THAT a weird abbreviated name that no one would guess, not your ebooks!If you have worked hard to write an ebook, do yourself a favor and finish the job off with a nice descriptive filename. Trust me, your readers, AND your bottom line will really appreciate it.