Mar 31

There is a large number of men and women today in a daily struggle to lose weight, particularly too much weight around the middle. But, the imperative to lose weight is, most often, more than merely a cosmetic issue.  The unfortunate truth is, if people are walking around with too much weight in their stomach area, their back is going to suffer as a result.

The majority of people who are overweight experience moderate to severe back pain. This occurs because the spine was not designed to haul something that weighs more than the body is at its normally healthy weight.  As a human being puts on extra pounds, the spine begins to distort and to compress, creating a lot of pain and discomfort.  The pelvis can additionally be affected and become tilted forward compelling it to pinch the sciatic nerve. That is one of the main reasons why those who are overweight tend to have challenges with their lower back. The suffering is due to either sciatica or the distorting of the spinal column.

If this condition sounds achingly familiar, and it’s your desire to get out pain, unmistakeably the thing to do is to do away with the extra weight that you are carrying around, and your spine will start to ease up and go back into its regular position.  Regrettably, weight loss is difficult and it can take time, even with the best of intentions. The good news is you don’t have to continue to experience back pain as you lose the weight. A chiropractor can assist you in getting the pain relief you’ll require to help you as you shed the extra pounds.

But, you will still need to lose the extra weight, and not having back pain will actually assist you in doing it. Losing the extra weight naturally and healthfully is crucial, and there are two (simple but not easy) things that will definitely work: Get some type of exercise every day, even if it’s just a small amount, and make sure that you take in fewer calories than you burn! Sure, you’ve heard about these two things before. However, now that you’ve found out that your back is depending on you, it’s the perfect time to get truly inspired.

Start exercising slowly, especially if you’re having problems with back pain. And, most importantly, be sure to see a chiropractor so that you don’t go wrong the way many people do, which is exercising into the pain. That will without a doubt make your condition worse. Exercise, though occasionally uncomfortable, should never be painful or cause pain. That’s why it’s important to see a chiropractor if you’re having difficulties with back pain.

Do simple stretching exercises and also concentrate on your core abdominal body muscles. Strong stomach muscles aid in relieving back pain. Your chiropractor will be able to provide exercises that are best for you, individually. Within just a week or two of dedication to losing the weight that is causing your back pain and perhaps other health problems as well, you should begin to notice a dramatic difference in the way that you feel.

 

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Mar 23

When a person wakes up in the morning with a stiff and painful neck the tendency is to blame the condition on one’s pillow, bed, or sleep position during that night. Other times a person can move their neck suddenly and feel sharp pain thinking that something suddenly slipped out of position or is pinching a “nerve”. It is important to understand that most neck problems are seldom caused by a single incident but by the cumulative affect of improper sitting posture, poor work and living habits, lack of proper exercise and flexibility and other lifestyle-related factors. Of course some neck problems are due to traumatic events such as a whiplash accident, a fall or a sports injury.

Anatomy

To understand neck pain it is necessary to understand the anatomy of the spine. The spinal bones or vertebrae of the neck consist of posterior joints called facets that link vertebrae to one another and serve to guide the motion of the spine. The intervertbral discs connect the bodies of the vertebrae and are composed of a form of tough cartilage that encases a soft material in the centre called the nucleus. The primary function of the disc is a shock absorber and a spacer between the vertebrae. Ligaments are tough, non elastic bands that hold the bones together and muscles are the tissues that contract to move the body. For more information please feel free to visityour Tampa chiropractor. In a canal located between the body and the facets of the vertebrae is the spinal cord. The spinal nerves exit the spine between the vertebrae and provide the energy to make the muscles and other organs of the body function. The spinal nerves also carry impulses from the body to the brain regarding pain, touch, position, temperature as well as other senses. The nerves from the neck are responsible for the entire upper extremity including the shoulder, elbow and hand as well as structures of the head and neck. The neck has a natural forward curve viewed from the side that helps properly balance the weight of the head as well as to decrease stress.

Risk Factors for Neck Pain

More and more people are now making their living sitting at a desk. The use of computers have risen astronomically and many of us spend eight to ten hours a day slumped over the keyboard and staring at the monitor. When we sit with our head in a forward bent position, the posture that most desk workers assume, the ligaments that hold the facets together and the muscles in the neck are put under tremendous strain. In addition the normal forward curve of the neck becomes reversed causing more stress upon all the surrounding tissues of the neck. All of this can lead to spinal problems including disc herniation and subluxations, which are the main causes of spinal nerve irritation. Besides pain, spinal nerve irritation in the neck can cause symptoms including headaches, eye problems, giddiness, arm and hand pain and paraesthesia, as well as shoulder pain.

Whiplash

Many people are involved in car accidents during their lifetime. By far the most common auto accident is when one car collides in to the rear-end of another car. During such an accident, the passenger in the front vehicle gets their head forcefully jerked backward and then forward causing injury to the structures of the back and front of the neck. This type of injury is often called a whiplash. Even at low speeds, the amount of force generated by such an accident is very strong and can cause trauma to the ligaments, muscles, facet joints, discs and the spinal nerves. Besides neck pain and immobility, symptoms such as headaches, nausea, vertigo, arm and shoulder pain, tingling in the hands and fingers and weakness of the arm and hand are associated with whiplash injury. It is very important to get immediate evaluation and x-rays to rule out the possibility of fracture. However in most cases, the injuries are usually to the soft tissues and joints. Proper management is essential to recover from the pain and symptoms of whiplash and to prevent future disability. Tampa chiropractors are educated to understand whiplash injury and manage the case from beginning to end.

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