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10 Quick Tips for Buying Treadmills 10 Quick Tips for Buying TreadmillsThinking about purchasing a treadmill? Before you make a purchase, read these important tips for buying the machine. This fitness equipment will be an important investment, both financially and physically. Read these ...
Are You Losing Fat Or Muscle? I often have to catch myself when speaking with clients or newsletter subscribers when I use the terms "weight loss" or "losing weight". I mistakingly use these terms on my site and in my newsletters even though I probably shouldn't. Why? I can bet ...
Inactivity, Not Aging Causes Most of our Health Problems Just like the young, older people can gain many benefits from exercising. Life can be made a lot easier through improvements in strength, balance, coordination, and mobility. If the person has not exercised for a while, they must start slow. Even walking ...
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Unless your back pain is due to an infection, malformation of the back, or tumor, some type of physical treatment can probably help it. Let's look at a few of the more popular and effective types of treatment.
Chiropractic Therapy
Chiropractic treatment has been shown to be most effective when applied within 2 months of the onset of back pain. Chiropractors realign the spine, increase the range of motion in back muscles, increase the flexibility of spinal soft tissue, break down scar tissue, and reduce pressure from constricted and misaligned spinal joints, all of which help to relieve pain. Usually treatment takes around 15 minutes 3 times a week at first. Over a few weeks sessions decrease until you are on a maintenance program of once a month or even "come come only if it hurts."
Acupuncture
Studies by the National Institutes of Health show that acupuncture is very effective in treating back pain. According to the theory of acupuncture, energy (known as chi) flows through the body along pathways called meridians. If the flow of chi is interrupted, pain or illness can result.
An acupuncturist uses very thin needles inserted into the skin along the meridians to correct the flow of chi. You may be surprised to learn that acupuncture is rarely described as painful. In fact, many people find it relaxing and even fall asleep during treatment.
Physical Therapy
A good physical therapist will combine passive and active treatments, since exercise is essential to the long term imporvement in back pain.
Active therapy involves the patient's participation. The therapist will determine which exercises are best for a particular condition, and supervise you in those exercises to ensure that you are doing them correctly. They will include: * stretching * strength building exercises * aerobic exercise.
Passive therapy is done on you, usually while you are relaxing, and includes: * heat or cold therapy * electrical stimulation * ultrasound * massage * iontophoresis (inserting a drug through intact skin using an electric current).
Other Alternatives to Surgery
In addition to these 3 modalities, many other non-surgical treatments exist for back pain, among them massage, and the use of herbs and natural supplements.
About the author:
Visit Back Pain to learn more. Ron King is a full-time researcher, writer, and web developer. Copyright 2005 Ron King. This article may be reprinted only if the resource box is left intact.
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Water aerobics make it easier to give birth - News-Medical.Net Research published in BioMed Central's open access journal Reproductive Health has shown that, as well as being safe, the gentle exercise has the benefit of making it easier to give birth. Rosa Pereira led a team of researchers from the University of ...
Grenade Attack Kills Thai Protester - Star News Online HONG KONG — One anti-government protester was killed and at least 29 were injured Thursday in a grenade attack against anti-government activists occupying the Government House compound in Bangkok, according to news reports from Thailand. Protesters ...
Water aerobics help delivery go swimmingly - Los Angeles Times Blogs Although more and more doctors recommend moderate exercise during pregnancy, studies have shown that expectant mothers usually fall short when it comes to workouts. So here’s a little incentive to get moving: A new study published in the November ...
Water aerobics make it easier to give birth - News-Medical.Net Research published in BioMed Central's open access journal Reproductive Health has shown that, as well as being safe, the gentle exercise has the benefit of making it easier to give birth. Rosa Pereira led a team of researchers from the University of ...
Water Aerobics Reduces Pain In Childbirth - CBS News A new study reports that women who do water aerobics during pregnancy may have less need of pain medications for their deliveries. The study, conducted by researchers at the University of Campinas in Brazil and published in Reproductive Health ...
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