Symptoms of back pain

A variety of symptoms may be present when your back hurts. Symptoms may be: tingling or burning sensation, accompanied by a dull, aching, or sharp shooting pain. This may be accompanied by weakness in the legs or feet. The pain may be worse from movement or while lying down.

Common causes of back pain

Most often, back pain is felt when you:

• Lift a heavy object
• Move suddenly, or hastily
• Sit in a particular position for long hours
• Suffer an injury — a fall, or an accident.

There are several possible “prompts” that lead to lower back pain. This may be due to osteoporosis, spasm of the muscles in the lower back, hernia, or poor alignment of the vertebrae.

Other local factors that may present on evaluation, by the doctor, may include spinal stenosis [narrowing of the spinal canal], ligamental tear or strain, scoliosis or kyphosis [spine curvature gone haywire due to a genetic defect; this is also seen in children and teenagers]. Another cause may be fibromyalgia, a condition characterised by general muscle pain, stiffness, fatigue, sleeplessness, and numerous sensitive points at the sites where the muscles join the bones.

Technically speaking, lower back pain usually involves spasms of the large, supportive muscles alongside the spine, irrespective of the cause. The spasm and stiffness can, at times, be extremely painful.

Other important risk factors

Your job could be one of the determining factors — of positions that require heavy lifting, bending and twisting, or truck/lorry/bus driving [whole body vibration] may cause back pain. There are other causative indicators too, viz., bad posture, or pregnancy, if you are over age 30, if you smoke and/or obese. The chances expand if you don’t exercise.

Medical conditions may also cause low back pain — these include arthritis [bone joint disease], bladder infection, kidney stone, ovarian cancer or cysts, and twisted [torsion] testicles. People with a low pain threshold and/or those who feel stressed or depressed also often present with backache.

Managing back pain

It’s commonly found that most people with backache feel better within a week’s time. It is also often seen that back pain is likely to be completely gone in four to six weeks. It would, of course, do us all a great deal of good, if we get better quickly, because if this does not happen, for whatever reason, back pain may become a difficult customer to handle.

It is not that back pain calls for extreme measures, including complete bed rest. Bed rest does more harm than good — because, the more active you are the better. Besides, unless you have symptoms such as loss of bowel or bladder control, weakness, weight loss, or fever, doctors recommend that you stay as active as possible. If you wish, you could reduce physical activity for the first two-three days after onset of back pain and get on with your usual activities thereafter.

Home remedies for back pain

Try to alleviate your symptoms and reduce any inflammation in the area of the pain in the first few days by way of reduced activity, if needed. You may apply ice pack to the painful area, for the first 48-72 hours. Thereafter, you can use heat, or hot water fomentation. You may also use a pain-relief pill, or natural remedy, under the guidance of a therapist [Please remember that some medications, including over-the-counter pills should not be used by individuals with a stomach ulcer, stomach inflammation, or a liver disorder]. If you do not get relief, in a couple of days, it is time you sought an appointment with your doctor.

Some auxiliary measures can also provide relief in many cases:

• Try to sleep in the curled-up, foetal position with a pillow between your legs
• For those who prefer sleeping on their back, a pillow or rolled towel may be placed under their knees.

Prevention is your best bet

The best way to prevent backache is, of course, by way of regular exercise. Exercise helps you avoid repeat episodes of back pain. More important: it will help you avoid back pain in the first place. However, it is mandatory that you know how to exercise safely. Exercise provides you the means to improve your posture, strengthen your back and improve flexibility, lose weight, and avoid falls.

What makes a complete exercise programme, you may well ask. Answer: any of the aerobic activities, such as walking, swimming, or exercise bicycle, including stretching and strength training.

Seek your doctor’s advice if you have had unexplained fever along with your back pain, or your back pain started after a severe blow or fall. Or, if it shows redness, or swelling, on the back, or spine. Or, you have radiating pains, weakness, burning urination, and nightly aggravation of pain. You need to inform your doctor the medications you are taking, or have taken.

Prevention is better than cure

As for those who don’t have back ache, or have recently recovered, it would make sense to follow a simple “how-to” programme, viz.,

• When an object is too heavy, summon help; don’t resort to foolish bravado
• If you lift anything at all, make sure that you have spread your feet apart to give a wide base of support
• Stand as close to the object you are lifting as possible; also, bend at your knees, not at your waist. Keep your breathing on; don’t hold your breath
• When you lift, or lower the object, make sure that you tighten your stomach muscles, and hold the object as close to your body as you can
• Use your leg muscles, and as you stand with the object do not bend forward
• Do not stand for long periods of time. If you have to, try using a stool, and rest your left and right foot alternatively on it.

There are also a few more things you can do. Avoid using high-heeled footwear. You may use cushioned soles when walking instead. When working on a computer, make sure your chair has a straight back with adjustable seat and back, arm-rests, and a twirl seat. When you sit for long hours, try to rest your feet on a stool — so that they are higher than your hips. Use a pillow or rolled towel behind your lower back while sitting or driving long-distances. Avoid bending too much at the steering wheel. Also, stop and walk around every hour.

Try to relax. Meditate, and learn yoga or t’ai chi. Also, get a regular therapeutic massage.

Precautions to take during back pain

Avoid lifting objects or twisting of your back for the first six weeks after the pain begins. Do not exercise for the first 6-8 days following backache. Resume regular exercise after four weeks, following recovery, and slowly get back to your original rhythm. Don’t try to get back your lost exercise days in a hurry.

When you are ready and confident, you should start easy to begin with. Light cardiovascular training, such as walking, riding a stationary exercise bicycle, and swimming may be resumed two weeks after your symptoms surfaced. The reason is obvious: aerobic activity helps the blood flow to your back and quickens the healing process. It also strengthens the muscles in your stomach and back. Stretching and muscle strengthening exercises may be started slowly; they are useful in the long run. However, stretching exercises are best avoided immediately after an injury. They often aggravate pain. You may, for safety, seek the advice of a physiotherapist before you get back into your fitness/exercise routine, or regimen.

You would also need to avoid playing games like cricket, tennis, football, basketball, and golf. Jogging and weight-lifting too are not suitable soon after injury. Your physiotherapist may recommend some simple exercises like lifting your legs when lying on your stomach [the yogic bow pose], or sit-ups with straight legs, not bent knees.

Alternative therapies for back pain

Besides treatment provided by a doctor and self-care steps taken at home, many people turn to complementary and alternative therapies for relief of back pain.

Chiropractic

Back pain is one of the most common reasons that people see a chiropractor. If you’re considering chiropractic care, talk to your doctor about the most appropriate specialist for your type of problem. In addition to chiropractors, many osteopathic doctors and physical therapists have had training in spinal manipulation.

Acupuncture

Some people with low pack pain report that acupuncture helps relieve their symptoms. According to the National Institutes of Health, results from a number of studies suggest that acupuncture may help ease chronic low-back pain. In acupuncture, the practitioner inserts sterilised stainless steel needles into the skin at specific points on the body. Acupuncture is thought to stimulate your central nervous system to release the body’s natural pain-relieving endorphins. Acupuncture may also alter how your blood pressure, blood flow and body temperature are regulated and respond to pain.

Aromatherapy

Aromatherapy or treatment with essential oils can often help relieve the painful muscle spasms that contribute to back pain. Sage, rosemary, thyme— are rich in thymol and carvacrol, compounds that help muscles relax. Add a few drops to a couple of tablespoons of any carrier oil [warm it] and rub the mixture directly on the affected area. Alternately, you can add a few drops of the oil to a hot bath and soak for a while, inhaling the steamy vapours. Essential oils useful for back pain are:
1. Muscle fatigue: lavender, marjoram, rosemary, clary sage;
2. Acute pain: black pepper or ginger, birch. (Warning: Always use essential oils along with carrier oils.)

The post Coping with Back Pain appeared first on Complete Wellbeing.

This article is an in-depth, evidence based, exhaustive guide on Apple Cider Vinegar. If you’re in a hurry, you can skip to the relevant section by clicking below.
Here’s what we shall explore:

• History Of ACV
• What is ACV
• 10 ‘Real’ Benefits of ACV
• Possible Myths and Fallacies
• How to consume

History of ACV

Legend has it that Hippocrates, the greek father of medicine, treated many of his patients using Apple Cider Vinegar or ACV. He used this folk remedy to treat various conditions ranging from bad breath, sore throat, ulcers to even ‘fractures’.

The presence of ACV has also been traced back to Egyptian urns as old as 3000 BC! Greeks and Romans supposedly used ACV for flavouring food like salad dressings. It was also used to fend off certain diseases, as a body deodorant and a healing tonic.

Surprising uses for apple cider vinegar, huh?

But all of the above uses do not have sufficient evidence to support them. So let’s look at something more evidence based.

In the beginning there were…

Apples!

Apples were first grown in Egypt on the banks of the Nile River around 1300 BC. After this they spread throughout Africa and Europe. And then, through trade, to the rest of the world.

Until recently, apples were not widely used for eating—the ancients considered them too “sour”. Apples were instead used to make juice. They would be juiced and consumed immediately as they had a low shelf life.

But by 55BC, when the Romans arrived in England, apple juice was an old story. Apple Cider was now a popular drink with the masses. This can be found in the literature of the time.

So what is Cider?

Apple Cider is fermented apple juice. It’s an alcoholic beverage widely consumed in all of Europe and the USA.

Apple juice is left to ferment in barrels. The natural sugars in carbohydrates of fruits like apple get broken down by yeast and bacteria and turned into ethanol (alcohol).

Thus is born Apple Cider.

So what’s the difference between Apple Cider and Apple Cider Vinegar?

Apple Cider is an alcoholic beverage containing ethanol.When Apple Cider goes through a second round of fermentation, the ethanol gets converted into acetic acid, thus forming Apple Cider Vinegar.

Vinegar is an old fermentation process. The first traces of vinegar go back to almost 5000 BC in ancient Babylonia.

This indicates that the ancient cultures of Egypt, Babylon, Greece and Rome might have used ACV for its health benefits, antibacterial properties, preservative abilities…the list goes on.

Somewhere through the course of time, ACV was lost. And with it were lost the whole host of health benefits that it offers. But In recent times ACV has resurfaced and this ancient food is now being used for the many benefits it provides.

What is ACV?

As we have already established, ACV is formed when Apple Juice is fermented into Apple Cider, then fermented again to form ACV.

Let’s try to breakdown ACV further into its nutritional components.

Scientific evidence shows more or less negligible nutritional value of ACV. But that doesn’t mean it has no value at all.

ACV is diluted acetic acid. Acetic acid helps induce a higher absorption from the food consumed. This plays a significant role in its “magical” health benefits. Its capability to aid absorption is a gold mine on its own.

Like any other vinegar, ACV is approximately 5% acid. Therefore, drinking apple cider vinegar in large proportions can actually be harmful. All one needs is about a teaspoon of Apple Cider Vinegar to get all the benefits associated with it.

Now that we know the formation and constituents of ACV, let’s look at its health benefits. We will also debunk some myths which have been doing the rounds, so that you don’t harm yourself.

The Benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar

Anti-allergen

Allergies occur when a stimulant causes irritation to the system. Common colds, pollen and weather changes are examples of common stimulants. When this happens, the body produces histamine to combat the alien particles/sensations. The release of histamine helps but the effects of histamine on the body and the mind can hurt. Rashes, fever and swollen airways are too much to handle. In such a situation, a spoon of ACV with warm water may provide relief. ACV is a natural antihistamine which helps to slow down the production of histamines and quells the symptoms of allergy.

Arthritis Pain

Many on the internet claim that ACV cures arthritis—they’re mistaken. Arthritis is a condition which needs to be treated holistically and ACV can, at best, play its part by ‘aiding’ your pain relief efforts.

Calcium buildup in joints causes stiffness and pain. ACV contains potassium, which helps prevent this buildup. Accumulation of toxins is yet another cause of arthritis. The pectin in ACV helps remove the toxins from the body. A spoonful of Apple Cider Vinegar in a glass of water can help ease arthritis over time.

Diabetes Control

ACV has been found especially effective in controlling blood sugar levels and type-2 diabetes. Type-2 diabetes is characterised by insulin resistance. Studies have shown that taking ACV along with a high carbohydrate meal showed reduced spikes in blood sugar post the meal. This can also be used for pre-diabetics who are suffering from only High Blood Sugar levels. A separate study also found that consumption of ACV with a ‘cheese snack’ for dinner, reduced blood sugar levels the following morning. Thus it also helps to reduce fasting blood sugar levels.

Weight Loss

No, ACV does not ‘burn fat’ or ‘increase metabolism’, as many articles claim. Remember, when it comes to losing weight, there are no shortcuts—you need to change your lifestyle. But ACV can certainly support your efforts. Research shows that ACV intake reduces body weight, body fat mass, and serum triglyceride levels.

A spoonful of ACV with a cup of water just before meals can help you reach satiety earlier and keep you feeling full for longer.

Sore and Itchy throat

Germs cannot survive in an acidic environment. ACV being 5% acid can provide some respite when we have an itchy throat. A tablespoon of ACV mixed in warm water can be used for gargling. This can be repeated 2–3 times a day. Avoid taking ACV directly for it is too acidic and can irritate the throat.

Skin Care

Dermatologist Dr. Marie Jhin says it can be used for drying out pimples. She also gives a thumbs up to ACV as a home remedy for insect bites thanks to its acid content.

Dandruff

The acid content of ACV is supposed to stimulate the shedding of dead skin cells on the scalp. It also has antifungal characteristics that can keep your scalp healthy. Always dilute it in water before applying on scalp.

Body Odour

Applying ACV is a nifty solution to shun body odour. There are several causes of body odour from an underlying health condition to consumption of certain kinds of foods. ACV does not prevent the body odour but only acts as a natural and healthier substitute for a deodorant. It also provides an acidic barrier for the skin that helps to keep bacteria and germs at bay. If you have a serious issue with body odour, consult a qualified dermatologist.

Bad Breath

Bad breath, like bad body odour, could indicate an underlying condition. Improper food habits, indigestion and poor oral care/hygiene are the most obvious causes of bad breath. Gargling with a mixture of ACV and water can help reduce bad breath. Do not gargle with undiluted ACV as it can damage your teeth. Half a spoon of ACV in a glass of water is sufficient to kill odour causing bacteria.

Improved Nutrition

ACV has been known to aid absorption of nutrients from other foods. That means, consuming ACV makes other foods more nutritionally effective.

The Possible Myths

The above mentioned benefits are ones that are evidence based, backed by expert. But there are also other benefits doing rounds of the internet. These benefits are have not yet been conclusively established by research. Hence it’s wise to not take them at face value.

Here is a list of unverified benefits associated with Apple Cider Vinegar:

• Prevents/cures cancer
• Causes ‘instant’ weight loss
• Makes teeth healthy
• Cures varicose veins
• Whitens teeth
• Cures insomnia
• Cures baldness

Dosage and How to consume

In almost all scenarios, where ACV is applied to the body or consumed, it’s never used without dilution. Because of its acidic nature, it’s always diluted with water/honey.

The dosage is always about 2-3 [5ml-30ml] teaspoons per 200ml and no more.

It can also be consumed in foods like salad dressing. The best option is to use an organic, unfiltered version!

We’d like to conclude by saying Apple Cider Vinegar is not a “magic” food. It’s not a cure-all solution. But there is no doubt that it is a great addition to one’s diet and has some great benefits 🙂

If you enjoyed this article, share it immediately with your loved ones!

The post Apple Cider Vinegar [The Ultimate Guide] appeared first on Complete Wellbeing.