Neel Anand, MD demystifies common myths about back pain. Dr. Anand is the Director of Orthopedic Spine Surgery at the Cedars-Sinai Institute for Spinal Disorders in Los Angeles.
Your mother wasn�t entirely incorrect; hunching your back can definitely be bad for your spine. Nevertheless, the reverse is true also. Sitting up straight for too long without a rest may also add stress to the structures of the spine. Be sure to stand up, stretch, and take a quick walk several times a day to help you from developing complications which can lead to injury.
Conversely, a mattress that is too soft could lack the support necessary to allow appropriate movements. Studies reveal that the medium-firm mattress offers an ideal level of support to help prevent additional injury.
Contents
Exercise Behind Back Pain
A survey by the North American Spine Society revealed this as the number one misconception. Of course, in the event that you aren�t energetic all week and you participate in a strenuous activity soon after, you could readily experience injury. It’s possible for you to help prevent back pain by preparing your body for especially more intense work outs and the shock of everyday motions before engaging in physical activity with stretches and warm-up exercises to greatly help wake up muscle tissue. (Take a cue from professional sportsmen who factor stretching and warm ups within their daily routine.) By strengthening your core and torso, you strengthen your back. That means exercises focused on strengthening back muscles and your stomach together with cardio to improve your total fitness.
Other Causes for Back Pain
Getting older doesn�t mean life needs to be debilitating. While there are aches and pains which occur naturally with age, remaining physically fit through exercise helps keep our bodies strong, flexible and limber, making them extremely beneficial to your overall health and wellness. There are so many exercise options to try including Tai Chi, Pilates, yoga and other treatment options that range from acupuncture to complex treatment alternatives, surgical and nonsurgical, to physical therapy. The bottom line is, back pain is not something you should have to live with.
Back pain sufferers often claim that an improper twist caused their injury. However, that occasion was probably the end result of a great many other variables. Overdoing a workout, while lifting heavy things, using poor techniques, bad posture and particularly weight gain can all place strain on the spine and lead to seemingly �out of nowhere � spasms. Occasionally the issue is more serious, as with joint and disc disorders and injuries.
There are few things as relaxing as sinking into a warm tub, but after injuring your back, doing so could really make your situation worse by increasing inflammation. Healthcare specialists recommend applying ice to the affected region for 20 minutes at a time for the initial two or three days in order to be able to decrease pain and inflammation. Individuals who suffer with chronic back pain and who do not experience inflammation can find relief with a warm bathtub. Play it safe and check with your healthcare professional for the best treatment option.
Most people will experience some form of back pain in their life, but the majority will find relief through simple lifestyle changes such as exercise, over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medicines, physical therapy, or even simply by waiting it out. In fact, spine surgery is only recommended to a small percentage of patients after all other methods of treatment have proven futile. These patients frequently suffer from joint issues that cause persistent pain or degenerative back issues. Whether you comprehend the source of your back pain or not, a fear of movement shouldn’t ever prevent you from living.
The scope of our information is limited to chiropractic and spinal injuries and conditions. To discuss options on the subject matter, please feel free to ask Dr. Jimenez or contact us at 915-850-0900 .
By Dr. Alex Jimenez
Additional Topics: Weight Loss Eases Back Pain
Back pain and symptoms of sciatica can affect a majority of the population throughout their lifetime. Research studies have demonstrated that people who are overweight or obese experience more back complications than people with a healthy weight. A proper nutrition along with regular physical fitness can help with weight loss as well as help maintain a healthy weight to eliminate symptoms of back pain and sciatica. Chiropractic care is also another natural form of treatment which treats back pain and sciatica utilizing manual spinal adjustments and manipulations.
One in three Americans is overweight and another third are obese, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But while carrying too many extra pounds can increase your risk for heart disease, diabetes, and some cancers, health experts say a little bit of flab may actually be healthy.
But there is a kind of “Goldilocks Effect” — not too much, not too little — when it comes to body fat.
“Researchers have concluded that fat is actually a vital organ that releases hormones and sends special signals to the brain,” notes Dr. Holly Lucille, ND, RN. “Fat is an important macro nutrient and like any other macro nutrient, the quality makes a difference. Having the right kind of fat on your body is both protective and important.”
Jeffrey Friedman, a molecular biologist at Rockefeller University was among the first scientists back in the 1980s to discover that there was more to fat than merely storing calories. In his experiments with mice, he found that fat produces a hormone called leptin which is released into the bloodstream and binds with the areas in our brain that are responsible for appetite.
His lab’s obese mice had a genetic defect in their fat that prevented the manufacture of leptin which gave them the signal to stop eating. Humans with the same genetic defect can eventually eat themselves into obesity and premature death.
So, losing weight becomes a double-edged sword. When we lose fat, we lower our levels levels of leptin, the appetite off switch, and we become hungrier than before.
Leptin also affects our muscles and thyroid hormones so that lower levels of leptin slow down our metabolism. This combined effect drives us to regain weight. It may also explain why extreme dieters who lose vast amounts of weight in short periods of time nearly always gain it all back — and then some, scientists say.
Scientists also know that fat affects the size of our brains. People who are genetically leptin-deficient have smaller brain volume in some areas as do patients who are suffering from eating disorders such as anorexia which leave them malnourished. Leptin is also helpful in healing wounds and strengthens our immune system by activating T-cells.
“What’s important is the quantity and quality of your stored fat,” Lucille tells Newsmax Health. “The ‘good’ type of fat is called subcutaneous and is found directly under our skin in places such as our abdomen thighs, buttocks, and arms.”
Subcutaneous fat is easy to grab with your hand and tends to shift as the body changes position.
The so-called “bad” type of fat is visceral fat which is stored under the stomach wall, nestled against our internal organs. This type of fat can become inflamed and lead to diabetes and heart disease. It tends to be firmer and dense.
But experts warn that excess body fat of either kind is unlikely to be health-promoting. It’s important to keep fat levels at their optimal levels which can vary according to age and sex.
In general, women with more than 30 percent body fat are considered to be overweight and for men, the threshold is more than 25 percent.
Dr. Cate Shanahan, author of “Deep Nutrition: Why Your Genes Need Traditional Food,” tells Newsmax Health that women, especially need a body composition of at least 10-12 percent fat in order to produce enough estrogen to cycle regularly and to maintain normal libido.
And as we age, a little more fat can enhance our looks.
“As we age we lose that facial body fat and our hormones simultaneously fall,’ she says. “Body fat helps support normal estrogen levels and therefore contributes to normal bone density — a critical factor in healthy aging after the age of 65.
“But that minimum percentage must be subcutaneous fat. When the visceral fat reaches more than 2 percent of our body composition it can lead to poor insulin sensitivity and potentially the beginnings of diabetes.”
The good news is that the “good” fat can fight the “bad” fat. By making a substance called adiponectin, subcutaneous fat helps take circulating fats out of your veins and into the subcutaneous tissues where they belong.
This hormone also reduces visceral fat. Exercise helps release adiponectin which is why sumo wrestlers can be both fat and fit. They exercise seven hours daily which keeps their visceral fat under control.
Experts say we should embrace the new science of fat, and Shanahan quotes an old French proverb that praises fat more poetically: “After a certain age a woman must choose between guarding her figure at the price of a hollow face.”
“I think the take away message of the new research is that we must keep a healthy level of fat to reduce our risk of disease while maintaining optimal body function,” notes Shanahan. “But don’t rationalize and run with the theory that eating bad fats are good for your health. You still need to choose your fats wisely and keep them within healthy levels.”
Chronic low back pain can be a challenge to treat, but new research suggests that massage therapy may provide some relief.
“Current medical guidelines actually recommend massage therapy prior to the use of opioid medications for lower back pain,” explained William Elder, the study’s principle investigator.
“Yet even with those guidelines, physicians and nurse practitioners are not recommending massage therapy,” said Elder. He’s with the University of Kentucky’s departments of family and community medicine and clinical services.
Low back pain is a common problem, and for most people, it’s short-lived. But for about 15 percent of people with low back pain, the problem becomes chronic and lasts more than three months, the study authors said.
There aren’t a lot of effective treatment options for chronic back pain, and physicians often prescribe opioid painkillers such as OxyContin or Percocet to ease the pain. But those drugs come with a risk of addiction.
Other possible treatments include exercise, steroid injections, behavior changes, chiropractic, acupuncture and surgery, according to the U.S. National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases.
The new study sought to simulate real-world back pain and treatment. Researchers asked physicians to recommend massage for people with chronic back pain.
Just over 100 study volunteers were then paired with an approved, experienced massage therapist in their area who assessed the problem and created a treatment plan. The study participants received 10 treatments, which they set up directly with their therapist.
More than half of the participants had less pain after 12 weeks and many continued to report reduced pain after three months.
The research also showed that massage therapy worked better with patients aged 50 years and older, although younger people benefited, too.
“These results are exciting because it shows that most doctors can refer their patients for massage as a treatment. It’s applicable to the real world,” said Elder.
“Some medical providers have taken interest in massage, but most don’t know which type would be helpful. We learned that just referring the patient to a massage therapist and letting them work to select the therapy is effective,” he added.
Dr. Anders Cohen, the neurosurgery division chief at The Brooklyn Hospital Center in New York City, recommends massage therapy to his patients as part of what he calls a comprehensive treatment plan.
“Massage is great way to break up adhesions and is great for soft tissue,” Cohen said. “If the back pain is a soft tissue issue, such as muscles and ligaments, it works great. Plus, there is the bonus of therapeutic touch.”
Patients in the study received the massage therapy free of charge. But, cost could also explain why some physicians recommend opioids instead. Cohen noted that massage prices vary, and may not be covered under some insurance plans.
Study co-author Niki Munk is a licensed massage therapist who’s with the Indiana University School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences. She said the researchers saw that massage needs to occur regularly when someone begins treatment to reduce the pain.
Munk added that more research is needed on the ideal pain maintenance schedule. But the study authors think that once a level of comfort has been achieved, people can continue to manage their back pain through regular massage therapy on a schedule that fits their needs, such as once a month or every other month.
Munk also noted that selecting the right therapist is important.
“Look for a masseuse that you can establish a therapeutic relationship with over time,” she recommended.
“Chronic low back pain is a complex issue that can’t be cured from just a one-hour massage. Find a therapeutic massage clinic and ask questions about the therapist, such as their initial training and continuing education. Also, make sure that the therapist sets up a treatment plan that will work for you,” Munk said.
The study was published online recently in the journal Pain Medicine.
If you think that you can improve your brain by playing brain-training games, save your time and money, say researchers from Florida State University.
“Our findings and previous studies confirm there’s very little evidence these types of games can improve your life in a meaningful way,” said Wally Boot, an expert on age-related cognitive decline and an associate professor of psychology at FSU.
A growing number of people believe that brain training protects them against memory loss associated with aging. “Brain challenges like crossword games are a popular approach, especially among baby boomers, as a way to try to protect cognition,” said Neil Charness, professor of psychology and a leading authority on aging and cognition.
The belief is fueling the brain-training industry, which has become a billion-dollar business. Games are available online and through mobile apps for about $15 a month. But the Federal Trade Commission is looking at companies’ brain-boosting claims, and fined one for false advertising.
“More companies are beginning to be fined for these types of inflated claims and that’s a good thing,” Boot said. “These exaggerated claims are not consistent with the conclusions of our latest study.”
For their study, the FSU team focused on whether brain games could improve the “working memory” needed for a variety of tasks. They set up one group of people to play a specially designed brain-training video game called “Mind Frontiers,” while another group of players performed crossword games or number puzzles.
Researchers tested whether the games enhanced players’ working memory and therefore improved other mental capabilities, such as reasoning, memory and processing speed.
That’s the theory behind many brain games: If you improve overall working memory, which is fundamental to so much of what we do every day, then you can enhance performance in many areas of your life. “The thing that seniors in particular should be concerned about is, if I can get very good at crossword puzzles, is that going to help me remember where my keys are?” said Charness.
The team examined whether improving working memory transfer would translate to better performance on other tasks, something the researchers called “far transfer.”
“The answer is probably no,” says Charness.
What does work to improve aging brains? Exercise, he says, and predicts that “exer-gaming,” which combines exercise with� brain games, will increase in popularity.
“If your real goal is to improve cognitive function and brain games are not helping, then maybe you are better off getting aerobic exercise rather than sitting in front of the computer playing these games,” he said.
One activity that might fit into the area of exer-gaming is dance. A study at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine found that dance was the� most effective way to reduce the risk of dementia.
Seniors who took part in brain-stimulating activities such as reading, writing, and doing puzzles, lowered their risk of dementia by as much as 47 percent. �Ballroom dancing, which combines thinking � remembering how to perform dance patterns � reduced the risk of developing dementia by an astonishing 67 percent.
As mentioned in this cycle we will be working on pull strength, setting up for a better Memorial Day Murph, and extra supplemental strength work to do on your own after or before WOD. You can find this video here.
By the way, �Murph� is a workout that we do every Memorial Day. It is a classic CrossFit workout that just about every CrossFitter has done at one point or another. It is done in memory of Navy Lieutenant Michael Murphy, 29, of Patchogue, N.Y., who was killed in Afghanistan June 28th, 2005. (Yes, the same guy the Lone Survivor Movie featured)
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Today we will be attacking a version of Murph. However, the sets of gymnastic work will be mandated to bigger sets than most people use, building some muscle endurance.
WOD
�70% Murph�
1100m Run
70 Pullups
140 Pushups
210 Squats
1100m Run
Middle MUST be done in 10 sets of
7 Pullups
14 Pushups
21 Squats
COACH NOTE: Dont be afraid of this workout. It may look intimidating at first glance but if needed, like always, you can scale the length of the run and/or each movemen. That�s what your coaches are for. All skill levels can definitely accomplish today�s workout.
Los Angeles – The UTEP track and field team had a strong performance with seven different athletes recording a new personal best on Saturday at the Jim Bush Collegiate Invitational.
Lucia Mokrasova clocked a personal-best 14.09 in the 100m hurdles to earn a fourth-place showing. Lilian Koech in her second race of the outdoor season competed in the 800m run claiming a second place showing with a personal best of 2:05.86 and the fifth-fastest time in school history. Linda Koech notch a personal-best of 4:26.47 in the 1,500m run.
Sophomore Tobi Amusan clocked the 10th fastest time in program history and recorded a season-best 23.48 in the 200m dash. Israel Ramsay leaped to a second-place showing in the high jump with a season-best 1.70m (5-06.75). Samantha Hall tossed 54.62m (179-02.25) in the discus to earn second overall.
On the men’s side, Alejandro Alcazar notched a personal-best 50.22 in the 400m for 12th place overall. Yinka Oyebanjo-Odofin garnered fourth place in the 400m hurdles for a personal-best of 56.06. In the 1,500m Michael Saruni clocked a personal-best 3:47.73 to earn gold, while Evans Kiprono ran his personal-best 3:59.45 for 10th place overall.
In his first race of the outdoor season, freshman Michael Saruni won the 800m with a time of 1:57.19 and teammate Jonah Koech followed for a second-place finish stopping the clock at 1:49.99.
Sohpmore Karol Koncos garnered a fourth-place showing in the hammer throw with a toss of 61.24m (200-11). Donivan Ortega also earned fourth place in the triple jump with a leap of 14.00m (45-11) for a season-best. Senior James Bias clocked 10.70 for a third-place finish in the 100m dash.
The Miners will return to action April 22 for their second home meet of the season. For more updates be sure to follow @UTEPTrack on Twitter.
Dr. Jimenez presents a glimpse of Crossfit as is spans across America.
ABOUT two decades ago in California, CrossFit was registered as a trademark by the founder Greg Glassman.
According to nerdfitness.com, CrossFit is a training philosophy that coaches people of all shapes and sizes to improve their physical wellbeing and cardiovascular fitness in a hard-core yet accepting and encouraging environment.
CrossFit workouts change to contain variety to keep its members on its toes. The routine consists of functional movements that aim to increase individual work capacity and is applicable to other sports activities.
More than 324,307 people participated from 175 countries last year. The open game has five workouts over five weeks, which is posted online for the participants to follow.
Every week for the five weeks of the open game, the workout of the day (WOD) is released on Youtube and the official CrossFit website.
CrossFit in Fiji
The Suva Boxing and Fitness gym introduced CrossFit in Fiji last year and entered the open games with only five members.
Napoleon Taumoepeau is the only qualified CrossFit coach in Fiji. He was named the fittest person in Fiji by CrossFit Forging Elite Fitness. CrossFit 679 is Fiji’s only CrossFit affiliate. This year there were 20 members in the CrossFit open game. March 26 was the last of the five workouts at the Suva Boxing and Fitness gym.
CrossFit 679
Determination was on the faces of the participants as they pushed to finish the final WOD of the open games at the Suva Boxing and Fitness gym.
The WOD includes a wide range of physical exercises such as thrusters, squats, pull-ups, sumo deadlift, high pulls and more. CrossFit 679 is a place that has no boundaries and it brings the best out of an individual.
The coach encourages the participants to work hard and never puts one down.
“It may seem intimidating but I have trained many people who have never done CrossFit. Nine out of 10 of them are intimidated but the truth is that CrossFit was designed for all levels of fitness. We, as coaches, are trained to teach someone with little or no knowledge about CrossFit and help them on their way through a new fitness journey,” said Taumoepeau, coach for CrossFit 679.
After every three months, the CrossFit 679 affiliate takes in members who are interested on a journey of learning about CrossFit and the fundamental movements of CrossFit. An introduction seminar is the first step to welcome the participants of CrossFit 679.
To bring the very best during your training for the CrossFit games, proper diet and plenty of water is key.
“When and what you eat plays a big role in how your training will go. We help our CrossFit members to the best of our knowledge to maximise their workouts and it usually starts with diet,” the coach shared.
For the 679 CrossFitter, the CrossFit 679 is a great place to endure the pain and doing so with friendly and motivating people.
“You die but in the best way then cannot wait to die again,” Krystelle Lavaki, one of the participants shared.
CrossFitters diet
CrossFitters normally go on a Paleo diet or a zone diet.
According to Crossfit Impulse, the zone diet isn’t about eating “low-carb” or “high-protein” or anything like that. It’s a diet balanced in protein (lean, natural meats are preferred), carbs (mostly low glycemic-load fruits and vegetables) and fat (one of the most important macronutrients).
With the right balance of protein, carbohydrates and fats, you can control three major hormones generated by the human diet � insulin, glucagon and eicosanoids. The Paleo diet is the healthiest way you can eat because it is the only nutritional approach that works with your genetics to help you stay lean, strong and energetic.
Taylor Sargent’s bat has stayed hot but UTEP (11-31, 5-13 Conference USA) fell at LA Tech (29-16, 12-3 C-USA) on Saturday at Lady Techster Softball Complex.
The Lady Techsters jumped on the Miners in the first two frames, scoring a pair of runs in the first frame after Pauline Tufi connected on a two-run single up the middle. In the second, LA Tech took a 6-0 on a back-to-back two-run knocks by Jazlyn Crowder (ground rule double to left center) and Morgan Turkoly (single to left).
With the score 7-0, LA Tech would cross the dish in the fourth on a bases loaded walk.
The Miners registered six hits led by Taylor Sargent’s 2-for-2 outing. Sargent is hitting .553 with seven doubles (10 extra base hits, including three triples) the last 11 games. The junior singled in the second and doubled in the fourth. Kaitlin Ryder went 2-for-3, while Lindsey Sokoloski and Cortney Smith each recorded knocks.
UTEP will have its bye week and will continue action at UAB April 29-30.
Torrance, Ca. – Sophomore Winny Koech posted the fourth-fastest time (33:51.31) in program history in the 10,000m to highlight the action for the UTEP track and field team on the opening day of the Mt. SAC Relays.
Koech showed her competitiveness in the first 10,000m run of the outdoor season. Competing in the open elite invitational, which places amongst some of the best college and professional talent, the sophomore raced to a third-place finish.
Running in the 10,000m open, Gladys Jerotich finished with the eighth-fastest time (36:26.07) in program history to earn 29th overall.
On the men’s side, Daniel Cheruiyot competed in the 3,000m steeplechase. He grabbed 14th overall with a time of 9:03.31. That is the second-fastest time in C-USA this year.
Antony Kosgei ran in the 10,000m invitational elite. He clocked in at 30:25.77 for a 49th-place finish. It is the second-fastest-time in C-USA this season.
The Miners return to action April 22nd for the UTEP Invitational. For live updates follow @UTEPTrack on Twitter.
Quarterbacks Ryan Metz, Zack Greenlee and Mark Torrez all engineered touchdown drives, and the defense registered four sacks in the annual UTEP Football Spring Game under the lights on Friday in the Sun Bowl.
“Kind of like our spring has been all along, both sides of the ball have shown tremendous flashes,” UTEP coach Sean Kugler said. “They are competing against each other. We got through the entire spring really with only one injury, and that’s [running back] Quardraiz Wadley. He has a shoulder injury, which we’re going to have to evaluate and see how that works going into the fall camp. Everybody else is completely healthy heading into fall camp, so we accomplished a lot this spring.”
Metz completed 12-of-17 passes for 94 yards, and was at the controls of the offense when Walter Dawn scored the team’s third and final touchdown of the night on a two-yard run. Greenlee finished 4-of-7 for 43 yards, including a nine-yard scoring run. Torrez was 3-for-9 for 20 yards, including a four-yard TD pass to tight end Josh Weeks.
“I thought Ryan was solid moving the ball,” Kugler said. “We got it stalled down there in the red zone, [and] he threw a nice fade ball there at the end for a touchdown. Ryan has had an outstanding spring. He is a leader and he works hard. Zack Greenlee moved the ball well tonight. Probably the guy that really had a great spring, and it’s not a surprise to me, is Mark Torrez from here in town. He’s got a lot of juice, he can run, throw, he’s got that moxie that you’re looking for in a quarterback. He’s going to be one to watch coming into the fall.”
Dawn led the Miners with 29 yards rushing on 11 carries. Ronald Awatt added nine rushes for 22 yards, and Kevin Dove had six carries for 21 yards. Even if Wadley can’t go, Kugler likes his depth at running back.
“I think we’ve got a lot of talent there,” he said. “We’ve got Ronald Awatt, Kevin Dove, TK Powell who was injured all spring and he’ll be back healthy in the fall, and then we add [incoming freshman] Josh Fields as well. We may add one more to that group. It’s a young group, but a very talented group. My biggest concern there would be more protection-wise when you have young guys like that, but we’ll be creative and make sure that we get that handled.”
Terry Juniel was UTEP’s top receiver with five catches for 47 yards, and Kavika Johnson chipped in with 29 yards on four receptions. Tight ends Weeks and David Lucero combined for four catches and 37 yards.
Two guys who have switched positions from last season, Dawn and Johnson, looked comfortable in their new roles.
“Walter Dawn is going to be a full-time running back and you saw him there stick the guy on third and one. Just because he’s small doesn’t mean he’s not tough,” Kugler said. “He can catch the ball. He’ll generate a lot of yardage back there catching the ball and also running the ball. He’ll be there full-time, and we’re leaving Kavika Johnson full-time at wide receiver. You saw what he can do tonight. He is going to be a talented player for us.”
Kugler said the Miners may add a player at wide receiver between now and the start of fall camp. “And Eddie Sinegal, right now he is suspended academically but we anticipate having him back in the fall as well,” he said.
Jerrell Brown, Alex Jean Charles, Josh Ortega and Barron Wortham Jr. recorded a sack apiece. Brown in particular was all over the field with four tackles, a tackle for loss and pass break-up. The defense was minus stalwarts Devin Cockrell and Dante Lovilotte.
Kugler said he has been very pleased with his team’s effort this spring.
“They compete against each other. They come out every day,” he said. “Really, going through spring ball, you would anticipate maybe having one bad practice. I think we only had one right there about the middle, we kind of jumped their tails about it and they responded well the next day. This team comes to work. As a head coach, this has been my most rewarding spring. We have had no off-the-field issues, knock on wood. These kids are taking care of business and they’re working hard in the weight room. I think they are ready to have a good summer and camp and they’re a hungry team. They feel like they’re kind of looked down upon and nobody gives them a chance, and that’s the way we like it.”
In fact, Kugler said this squad reminds him of his second team, the 2014 squad that finished 7-6 and played in the New Mexico Bowl.
“They’ve got a chip on their shoulder, they’re hungry, they work hard and there are no issues with these guys,” he said. “They come to work every day. I really like the team. This is the group we’re going to move into the season with, and I feel good about that.”
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