Gate Control Pain Theory
Posted on March 30, 2008
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Gate Control Pain Theory
Drs.Ronald Melzack and Patrick Wall developed a theory about back pain in the 1960s. Research on their theory is being given new life due to the amazing medical research tools available today.
The theory is called the Gate Control Theory of Pain. It’s an interesting theory that’s being studied closer as doctors learn to appreciate the close relationship between pain and the brain.
Basically this theory says that there are pain gates along the spinal cord. When your brain sends a message to a nerve telling it to hurt, the open pain gate allows more pain through. This theory says your thoughts and emotions can affect the opening and closing of the pain gate.
If this is true that means you can control some of your pain by controlling your thoughts. What a great idea! It’s much better to reduce your pain through mind control than through medication. But medication is used to relax the mind when stress is causing the pain gate to stay open. There’s a lot more research going on, but the pain gate theory makes a lot of sense.
Gate Control Pain Theory
Back Pain - Knowing Your Spine
Posted on March 24, 2008
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Back Pain - Knowing Your Spine
The spine is made up of 3 sections and each section has so many vertebrae. If you’re going to talk about back pain then you should know which vertebrae numbers belong to which spine segment. Otherwise, it won’t mean a thing when the doctor tells you that vertebrae T6 is injured. By the way, vertebrae is plural for vertebra.
The top section of the spine is called the cervical curve, and it’s composed of vertebrae identified as C1 to C7.
The middle of the spine is called the thoracic curve and it’s made of vertebrae identified as T1 to T12.
The third section is the lower back, and it’s called the lumbosacral curve. The lumbosacral curve is composed of vertebrae L1 to L5.
Below the lower spine is the coccyx or tailbone. The spine is meant to be in balance in order to do its job properly. The spine should be lined up so that the ear, shoulder and hip are in a line. The spine curves, but the body is straight.
Back Pain - Knowing Your Spine
Your Can Have A Herniated Disc Without Pain
Posted on March 5, 2008
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Mystery of the Herniated Disc
A bulging disc is when the spongy material between vertebrae extends out. It’s usually caused by too much pressure that’s been put on the spine causing excessive compression.
There are lots of nerves that run out from the disc, so when the disc bulges near one of the nerves, pain develops. The pain isn’t necessarily in the back though. The pain can run down the nerves and end up making your legs or even your arms hurt.
When a disk herniates, it may press directly on nerve roots that become the sciatic nerve. The nerve may also get inflamed and irritated by chemicals from the disk’s nucleus that seep out when the disk is herniated.
About one in every 50 people experience a herniated disk. Of these, 10-25 percent have symptoms lasting more than six weeks. About 80-90 percent of people with sciatica get better, over time, without surgery.
The fact is though, you can have a herniated disc and not have any pain. You can actually have a bulging disc that doesn’t affect a nerve and so there’s no pain. The indications you have a back problem include other things like tingling and numbness in the legs. So don’t think you have to have pain when you have a bulging or herniated disc.
The Spine - How It Anchors our Back
Posted on February 26, 2008
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We all know we have a spine, and we know it has a long snakelike design. But not everyone knows what keeps it supple and able to survive all the tension and motion we expect it to handle. The spine itself is made of vertebrae which are bones. But in between the bones is a disc. It’s the disc that provides a cushion for your back bones. The disc is made up of mostly water.
Something holds all of this together and that something is ligaments and tendons. Inside the spine is the spinal cord. The spinal cord runs from the brain to the end of the spine. A lot of nerves run out from the spine discs. Now it’s easy to see how you can have so much back pain, isn’t it? There are bones, ligaments, tendons, discs and nerves in your back. Don’t forget the back muscles too. Any of these back components can be broken, sprained, injured, pulled, torn or bruised.
The spine is an “S” curve, which keeps us upright and moves in unison with every twist and turn. When we turn our heads to the right or to the left, our lower back, the lumbar and sacral area, holds steadfast so we don’t spin with the movement. When we take a forward step, the spine maintains an opposing force so we don’t fall forward.
It makes it really hard to find the source of back pain in many cases. In other words, be patient with your doctor when he or she has to run a lot of tests looking for answers to your back pain.
Using Your Computer and Back pain
Posted on February 17, 2008
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There are plenty of people who sit at a computer five days a week all day long. Office workers used to be called desk jockeys, but now they’re more like computer jockeys. When you sit for extended periods of time, the back inevitably starts to hurt.
It often begins as an ache in the middle or lower back areas. Once it starts aching, usually getting up relieves the pain. But the minute you sit down again, the aching returns. Here are some things you can do to prevent the back pain from ever taking hold.
First, to relieve your back pain, you need to stay aware of your posture at the desk. Most people slump in their chairs, and that is very bad for your spine. It creates a position that compresses the spine into an unnatural curve. Sit up straight as much as possible.
Second, your shoulders should be kept relaxed and the knees bent at right angles.
Also, too many people try to make due with chairs not designed for sitting all day long. You need a good chair with a backrest you can adjust to support your lower back.
Drink lots of water. It has been shown that keeping hydrated is important for your muscle and organs. If nothing else, you will have to get up to go to the bathroom more often, which gets you moving.
Chiropractors And Neck Pain
Posted on February 10, 2008
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Neck Pain
Lots of people go to chiropractors looking for relief from back and neck
pain. If you’ve ever wondered what goes on in a chiropractor’s office,
you’re not alone. Basically the chiropractor tries to relieve the
pressure and compression in your spine that’s resulted from tension,
strain or even injury.
Spine compression can be really painful. When the vertebrae in the back
compress, they can press on nerves. When a nerve is pinched, the pain
can be ongoing and debilitating. You can get a lot more than a back ache
too when this happens. You can get headaches or neck pain that keeps you
from moving normally.
Chiropractors use manual pressure near and on the spine to decompress
the vertebrae and loosen any tight muscles and ligaments. Supplementing
your chiropractor visits with some stretching exercises at home can help
keep your back nice and limber.
Stress has probably been the most frequent cause of back and neck pain
in our society. Early man worried about shelter and where the next meal
could be located. Although these concerns are still present in many
peoples lives, different types of stress have been added, mainly due to
the massive amounts of information we are expected to assimilate. We
are a lot more sedentary, and put ourselves in positions, for long periods of time, that are bad for our back and neck.
Chiropractic manipulation is one option to research when searching for
relief from back and neck pain. Check with friends, family and your
doctor for references when seeking a chiropractor.
Neck Pain
Regular Back Exercise Is The Key
Posted on December 21, 2007
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Back Breaking Labor
When you have back pain it feels like anything you do is going to be the final straw. Even if it’s not back breaking labor, it still hurts. The best way to deal with back pain that persists, but is obviously not due to vertebrae or disc problems, is to exercise. If you don’t do at least regular light exercise, your back muscles get weak. Just try lifting a heavy box the wrong way and you’ll find out exactly how weak your back muscles have become over time.
There are several important back muscles. They include the latissimus dorsi which start at the middle of the spinal column and run up to the shoulders. Other fancy muscle names include the rhomboids, supraspinatus, thoracolumbar fascia and the obliques to name some of the major ones. Any of these muscles can be injured at any time. When you exercise regularly the muscles are strengthened so you can do your daily activities with ease. You’ll have better posture and lot less stress too.
Targeting The Right Muscles
Posted on December 14, 2007
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Erector Spinae Anyone?
The erector spinae are back muscles that run along each side of the spinal column. When you injure this muscle, it can really hurt. The best way to control the pain is through exercises that target these muscles. Too many people forget all about toning up their back muscles when they exercise. They work their arms, legs and abdomens but leave the poor back out of the picture.
The best exercises I’ve found for the back include the barbell bent row, the deadlift, the pelvic lift, the leg lift buttock tightener and the double leg lifts. Though some of these exercises sound like they’re meant for bodybuilders or weightlifters, they are perfect for everyone. You don’t have to use a heavy weight. In fact, you can use a phone book if you want. The main point is you need to make sure you include your back in a regular exercise routine if you want to avoid unnecessary sprains, pulls and tears.