Best Mattresses for Back Pain

By Jillynn Stevens, PhD, MSW

Choosing the best mattresses for back pain can be a complicated prospect. Back pain varies from person to person and can change over time, but the one thing doctors know for sure is that back pain can seriously undermine your ability to get enough quality sleep. It is important to consider firmness along with the overall comfort level of a mattress and its ability to support specific orthopedic conditions. Your mattress is a significant investment; consequently, making the right choice requires both research and consultation with the appropriate experts. Read on for some professional advice on selecting the best bed for your back problems.
Types of Back Pain
Orthopedic pain takes a variety of forms and back pain can range from lower back (sciatica) all the way up to the shoulders and neck. In the past, people were advised to select the most firm mattress available to help offset back trouble, but today we know that's bad advice. In fact, for sciatic troubles, a firm selection is the worst choice. A recent study demonstrated that a semi-firm mattress provided the best sleep for sciatica sufferers. Upper spine and neck pain are less common but nevertheless a problem for many people, usually from poor posture or chronic tension in the muscles. These complaints typically also respond well to a semi-firm bed but you may need to consider the type of pillow you use as well as sleeping position.
Back Support versus Overall Comfort
The sciatica study noted above demonstrated that medium levels of firmness were most beneficial for lower back discomfort, thanks to a combination of support and pressure distribution. Pressure points are a significant consideration in mattress selection in any case, but become even more critical when back problems are present. While a very firm mattress exacerbated pain levels in the study, a very soft mattress was equally painful. The term supportiveness, as it relates to mattresses, refers to the degree to which a bed keeps the body on a level plane, versus allowing some portions to sink down or be lower than others. Again, moderation is generally the best choice for both support and firmness.

Selecting the Right Mattress for Your Back
Although most experts recommend replacing your mattress if it's eight years or more old, a new study recommends replacing your bed every five years if you suffer with back pain. The study went on to show that those individuals sleeping in new beds reported significantly less pain. When testing beds, you should feel no arching of the spine whatsoever when lying on your back. Your shoulders and hips should sink in slightly with no gaps existing between your spine and the mattress. When lying on your side, there must be no pressure on shoulder or hip.
Orthopedic experts recommend visiting a local mattress retail store when you have plenty of time to explore and test. Spend time talking with the sales consultant and be prepared to describe your specific pain profile, sleeping habits and current mattress type. Take your own pillow along and plan to spend at least 15 minutes testing out each of your top three choices before making a selection. Although there is no one magic choice of mattresses for back pain, doing a little research and trusting a professional to point you in the right direction will help you make the correct selection.

Jillynn Stevens is a writer and researcher. She is the Director of Digital Content Marketing for Be Locally SEO where she enjoys helping clients expand and improve their businesses through articles, blogs, website content and more.

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The Treatment Of Hip And Leg Pain Through The Healing Power Of Acupuncture

By Christina Newman

The questions surrounding the variety of hip and leg pains we experience are as many as the variety of people suffering from them. But as an acupuncturist, I believe I've heard them all. In fact, you can take some small comfort in knowing that you are not alone, because hip and leg related aches and pains are one of the most prevalent of all complaints. But knowing that most people at one time or another may suffer what you suffer doesn't make it hurt any less.
The good news is, more often than not, this feeling is a simple combination of muscle and nerve pain that can be traced back to some inactivity that has gravitated to your overuse of a muscle for a short period of time. Simply put, you did something more than you usually do and you put a whole lot more effort into doing it than would be considered normal for you. Some examples of this might be: You're at the company's yearly outing where you play a round of golf followed by an hour of just sitting around and enjoying a luncheon, or you're on a day trip hiking up hills for several miles before climbing aboard a comfortable seat on a tour bus that takes you back to your starting point. Another example might be that as an inexperienced runner you find yourself participating in a charity race in the afternoon, and rewarding yourself for completing it by attending a feature-length movie that evening. There are so many reasons that can make you, as an individual, more susceptible than others, but on average it's usually related to overworking your muscles of the lower back and hip.
When you follow this over-activity with immediate inactivity, so that the muscles that you were working so hard are now remaining in a relaxed position for an extended period of time, they begin tightening, and may even continue to tighten over several more days. But that's just the beginning of what is going on. Now, the nerves come into play. The nerves from the lower back are positioned under and between these muscles, so as the muscles tighten, and you start feeling stiffness and a lack of flexibility, the added pressure on these nerves begin to transmit pain through your hip, buttock and leg. What you are now feeling is a muscle spasm. The physical problem itself is not a severe one, but you can't tell that to your body while experiencing such agonizing pain. It is effectively draining your energy, your ability and desire to concentrate on routine tasks, and makes it virtually impossible to participate in any activities related to your employment. All of your focus is on your pain and how to make it go away. Actually, if you were to do an online search describing the pain you are feeling, you might get a result that describes pain felt by chronic sciatica sufferers, but it isn't truly sciatica. Sciatica is a result of degeneration in the lumbar spine, or lower back. So without getting overly technical, you might have something less severe going on, but it doesn't make coping with the pain mimicking the more severe condition any easier to deal with.

Now it's time to learn how to make it go away and keep it from returning over time. A visit to an acupuncturist, whose knowledge includes the administration of the longest continuously practiced form of medicine in history, should bring you welcomed relief. The acupuncturist will gently insert very fine, sterile and disposable stainless steel needles into precise pressure points in the tight muscle. With the assist of a gentle technique the acupuncturist also delivers in conjunction with this application, there will be a release of the muscle tension and the nerve pain will simply disappear. In cases where people seek treatment soon after the pain begins, one treatment may be all that is needed. However, if the pain has been ongoing for several weeks or months, it may require 3-6 treatments to completely resolve it all. Once the pain is gone, the acupuncturist will sit down with you to explain a number of techniques you should practice at home on a regular basis to mitigate the return of this condition. If you are reading this and haven't as yet contacted an acupuncturist, here are some things that you can do to temporarily relieve the discomfort. As long as there is no inflammation, use a moist heating pad over the muscles in the lower back and buttock for 20 minutes, or soak yourself in a hot bath. Once the muscles are warm, you can attempt to stretch them by lying on your back and pulling both your knees into your chest. Then stretch your hip and buttock by taking your leg (the painful one) and try moving your knee in the direction of the opposite shoulder. Caution: do everything in moderation; only when your back is warm; only in gradual movements; never stretch to the point of pain, and never push or pull too hard.
Now you know what brings this pain on and how to avoid it in the future. The next step is to get some immediate relief. Your Acupuncturist can help you with that. I hope this information brings you some temporary comfort until then.

http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Treatment-Of-Hip-And-Leg-Pain-Through-The-Healing-Power-Of-Acupuncture&id=8845526

How To Begin Using Yoga For Sciatica

By Faye Martins

As many wellness experts know, sciatica is a debilitating condition that can problematize an individual's ability to enjoy life and maintain mental and emotional balance. However, there are a plethora of solutions available that can limit and even eliminate symptoms. One such solution is yoga. Yoga is a great form of exercise that places primacy on creating unity between the mind and body while fostering a feeling of well-being and calm through the use of physical movements. Individuals who are interested in using yoga for sciatica can implement these three simple strategies to get started:

1. Take A Class

Because yoga has become an immensely popular form of exercise, it's relatively easy to find a recreation center or gym that offers classes. These group settings can be particularly advantageous for individuals who struggle with sciatica and are just starting to learn the exercise because they include the instruction and support of a trained instructor. Additionally, classes often bring the added benefit of group camaraderie and support from other participants. If you opt to take classes in this group setting, be sure to bring a towel, water bottle, and mat with you.

2. Purchase Instructional DVDs

This is another great option for individuals who have sciatica and want to eliminate or limit the symptoms. Instructional DVDs are a great alternative to taking group classes, especially for individuals who are introverted or simply don't enjoy exercising in front of other people. Typically, people can find instructional DVDs in their local supermarket. One great benefit of instructional DVDs is that people can utilize them at a time which is convenient for them rather than having to maintain the group class schedule of a gym or recreation center.

3. Hire A Professional Instructor

Hiring a professional instructor is yet another wonderful option for individuals who want to rid themselves of sciatica symptoms. Generally, professional instructors have extensive experience in the field and can offer individuals the type of detail-oriented, customer-centered instruction that yields great results. Hiring a professional instructor can be a fairly simple process. To get started, individuals can do a keyword search for local personal instructors on the internet or call a local gym.

A Note About Comprehensive Health

As many people already know, doing yoga is an effective way to limit the symptoms associated with sciatica. However, it's important for sciatica sufferers to note that attaining optimal health is contingent upon maintaining a lifestyle marked by holistic wellness. This means that sciatica sufferers should pay careful attention to both their diet and exercise habits in order to make their condition a thing of the past or effectively manage symptoms. Thus in addition to doing consistent exercise, sciatica sufferers should maintain a healthy diet comprised largely of fresh fruits and vegetables. It is also important that sciatica sufferers periodically check in with a trained medical official to have their condition evaluated and also to optimize the plan for recovery.

Summing It All Up

Individuals who suffer with sciatica should note that yoga is a great form of exercise that can be used to combat symptoms. Individuals who are interested in beginning the exercise program right now can utilize one of the three options outlined above to get started. In so doing, sciatica sufferers will likely find that they are able to lead much happier, healthier lives.

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Needling the pain

By Ursula Hennessy, Merrifield, Va. (in the Washington Post)

When I developed a severe case of spinal stenosis and sciatica, I went to a pain specialist in Arlington who explained prolotherapy. He injected six needles filled with dextrose solution near the site of the pain.

I did not feel much relief for the first couple of days. A week later, I was doing carpentry work. When I countersunk a screw by hand, I felt the tension move from my arms into my lower spine, which made the injection site tingle. I stood up and the pain was completely gone. I have remained pain-free for the past four years, with no lingering side effects.

What Christie Aschwanden describes as needling  ("After dry needling, a runner's Achilles injury heals," November 4th) sounds like prolotherapy, which has a fairly thorough body of research. It is cheaper and less invasive than surgery.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/readers-weigh-in-on-hormone-therapy-a-hallucinating-grandma-and-dry-needling/2014/11/10/a4e7343a-6532-11e4-836c-83bc4f26eb67_story.html

Deep Tissue Massage Importance

By Ritesh Mastipuram

A body massage that thoroughly invigorates and revitalises - the deep tissue massage is a massage therapy that re-aligns layers of muscles and deep tissues to release muscle tension and chronic knots by breaking them down. Using deep finger pressure and slow but firm strokes, a deep tissue massage is especially helpful to relieve aches and pains in areas such neck, upper back, lower back, calf muscle and shoulders.

During the body massage, you must tell the therapist what's your comfort range the pressure points. This massage penetrates the deeper muscles and connective tissues.It has been used to relieve the strain from muscles in chronic stress and usage. Deep tissue massage may release contractures (fibrous healing) in a muscle area with previous injury.

• Reduces chronic pain - This massage has been often found to be more effective that conventional medicines when it comes to curing chronic pains. It works effectively your sore points by increasing blood circulation in the body. It also loosens tight muscle clusters and relieves you from the pain and discomfort of sore muscles.

• Relief from stress - A relaxing body massage by trained therapists at a renowned spa is a great way to do away with stress and associated headaches, sore shoulders and tight muscles. Soak in the benefits of the rejuvenating body massage and welcome a better lifestyle.

• Rehabilitating injured muscles - A thorough deep tissue massage by a trained therapist at a beauty salon and spa induces movement of toxins from injured muscles and subsequently, stretches twisted muscle mass. A relaxing deep tissue massage is a natural way to heal sports injuries.

• Breaks scar tissues - Regular sessions of this massage can break up and over time, erase scar tissues. Massage therapy improves lymphatic circulation and drainage to enhance flexibility of the affected area.

This massage has had beneficial focus on other physical ailments like:

• Repetitive strain injury like carpal tunnel syndrome.
• Sciatica
• Tennis elbow
• Fibromyalgia
• Piriformis syndrome

For good results post a relaxing body massage at a beauty salon and spa, it's crucial to indulge in after care.

• Soak your body in a warm bath with Epsom salt. This is another great way of getting rid of toxins.

• If there's soreness of muscles, you can apply an ice pack for relief.

• Drinking plenty of water and fluids will help flush out unnecessary toxins from your body and rehydrate muscles.

• Light exercises prevents muscle aches and pain post a deep tissue massage therapy.

Pamper yourself with de-stressing deep tissue massage and feel the difference.

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