By Choll Kim
Laser spine surgery is a procedure that is now widely used to treat a number of back conditions, including sciatica, radiculopathy, annular tears, lumbar disc herniations and several more. It is particularly popular with patients as it is a minimally invasive procedure, and only local anaesthetic is required, differentiating it from other types of back surgery.
As there are several different types of surgery and treatment available for the conditions listed above, it is necessary for each patient to talk about whether laser spine surgery is the right treatment option for them with their physician. Normally, a doctor will be able to fully answer all questions regarding preparing for and undergoing this type of treatment.
There are several tips, however, that you will need to bear in mind when you are preparing for such a procedure. These will aid your recovery and help you go into the surgery with complete peace of mind.
The first tip is to make sure that you make a detailed list of your anxieties and questions to speak about with your doctor or surgeon before undergoing the procedure. As with all surgeries, there are risks, and you should take the time to discuss them with your physician to put your mind at ease.
Although laser surgery actually is less invasive than other options, there are still risks, and being aware of them and what the medical team is doing to minimize them can help you feel greatly reassured. Issues to talk about include the risk of infection, the duration of the surgery, what you can expect to feel during surgery and other topics that concern you.
After talking at length with your physician about the risks and the details of surgery, you will want to ask specifically about the estimated recovery time, as this will affect how you go about your day after your return from the hospital. Some patients can take up to six weeks to recover, whereas others will take significantly less.
This can affect you if you are hoping to return to work, social activities or physical activities such as gentle or moderate exercise. Make sure that you have detailed information about what you can and cannot do immediately after and in the short-term after your laser spine surgery in order to be fully prepared.
There are some changes that your physician may ask you to make before going in for your surgery. Although laser spine surgery is generally a very short procedure under local anaesthetic - and a hospital stay is often not required - your surgeon will likely ask you not to eat or drink before surgery. You may also be advised against consuming food after surgery for a certain period of time.
You will also need to prepare your home and transport options for after you have undergone the procedure. Although results can be rapid, it is oftentimes impossible to drive after surgery, so you will need transportation back from the hospital if it is an outpatient procedure.
You will also need to take pain medication as required, so make sure that you have enough available and that you put in place a regular schedule for taking your prescribed medicine in order to reduce pain and speed up your recovery.
It is also a wise idea to make preparations at home. As your body will need to rest and recover after surgery, preparing several healthy meals in advance of your surgery and storing them in the freezer will mean that you do not have to go through the effort of cooking from scratch in the period of time immediately following the surgery.
It is also wise to take care of other major household chores - such as ironing, cleaning and doing the laundry - immediately before your operation. This will allow you the time and comfortable environment you need to make a speedy recovery after your laser spine surgery.
http://ezinearticles.com/?Top-Tips-for-Preparing-for-Laser-Spine-Surgery&id=9327326
Wednesday 24 February 2016
Thursday 18 February 2016
Acupuncture Beats Pharmaceuticals for Sciatica Pain
From davidwolfe.com
If you’re not familiar with sciatica pain, the term sciatica describes the symptoms of leg pain — tingling, numbness or — that originates in the lower back and travels through the lower body, down the large sciatic nerve in the back of the leg. This nerve pain is often characterized by one or a combination of the following:
Among the most common causes of sciatica are a herniated disc, degenerative disc disease, spinal stenosis and sacroiliac joint dysfunction. There are a number of other conditions that can cause sciatica, including pregnancy, scar tissue, muscle strain, a spinal tumor, and infection.
The pain and discomfort associated with sciatica can be severe, and over-the-counter or prescription medications are often used to reduce the pain. These can range from aspirin and acetaminophen to narcotic pain medications, depending on the doctor and the level of pain.
I talked about the serious side effects of NSAID drugs here, some of which include ulcers, nausea and intestinal cramping. A study from the China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences found that sciatica can in fact be treated without the use of these potential dangerous drugs.
Researchers in the study analyzed 49 scientific studies over 12 years that investigated acupuncture on sciatica. From the 49, they narrowed it down to 11 controlled studies involving 962 participants. All of the studies used pain as a standard of measurement, and the research found, overwhelmingly, that acupuncture treatments resulted in less pain than drug treatments.
Six of the studies utilized electroacupuncture, three of them utilized warming acupuncture, and two of them utilized manually inserted needle acupuncture. The drugs tested against acupuncture in the study included diclofenac, nimesulide, ibuprofen, meloxicam and ibuprofen plus prednisone. Acupuncture proved to reduce pain more than each of these medications alone.
The side effects of acupuncture are also much less severe. In the study, there were only three adverse effects from acupuncture involving skin irritation. Of those who used the NSAID drugs for pain, 21 reported experiencing severe side effects.
Acupuncture has been used as a tool for pain for many years, and Western medicine has rediscovered it to relieve both immediate and chronic pain. It is used today as an adjunctive treatment before and after surgery, for patients with cancer, heart disease and other illnesses. If you suffer from sciatica, trying acupuncture may be a natural way to relieve symptoms without the risk of harmful side effects.
http://www.davidwolfe.com/acupuncture-for-sciatica-pain/
If you’re not familiar with sciatica pain, the term sciatica describes the symptoms of leg pain — tingling, numbness or — that originates in the lower back and travels through the lower body, down the large sciatic nerve in the back of the leg. This nerve pain is often characterized by one or a combination of the following:
- Constant pain in only one side of the buttock or leg
- Pain that is worse when sitting down
- Leg pain that is often described as burning, tingling or searing
- Weakness, numbness or difficulty moving the leg or foot
- A sharp pain that may make it difficult to stand up or walk
Among the most common causes of sciatica are a herniated disc, degenerative disc disease, spinal stenosis and sacroiliac joint dysfunction. There are a number of other conditions that can cause sciatica, including pregnancy, scar tissue, muscle strain, a spinal tumor, and infection.
The pain and discomfort associated with sciatica can be severe, and over-the-counter or prescription medications are often used to reduce the pain. These can range from aspirin and acetaminophen to narcotic pain medications, depending on the doctor and the level of pain.
I talked about the serious side effects of NSAID drugs here, some of which include ulcers, nausea and intestinal cramping. A study from the China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences found that sciatica can in fact be treated without the use of these potential dangerous drugs.
Researchers in the study analyzed 49 scientific studies over 12 years that investigated acupuncture on sciatica. From the 49, they narrowed it down to 11 controlled studies involving 962 participants. All of the studies used pain as a standard of measurement, and the research found, overwhelmingly, that acupuncture treatments resulted in less pain than drug treatments.
Six of the studies utilized electroacupuncture, three of them utilized warming acupuncture, and two of them utilized manually inserted needle acupuncture. The drugs tested against acupuncture in the study included diclofenac, nimesulide, ibuprofen, meloxicam and ibuprofen plus prednisone. Acupuncture proved to reduce pain more than each of these medications alone.
The side effects of acupuncture are also much less severe. In the study, there were only three adverse effects from acupuncture involving skin irritation. Of those who used the NSAID drugs for pain, 21 reported experiencing severe side effects.
Acupuncture has been used as a tool for pain for many years, and Western medicine has rediscovered it to relieve both immediate and chronic pain. It is used today as an adjunctive treatment before and after surgery, for patients with cancer, heart disease and other illnesses. If you suffer from sciatica, trying acupuncture may be a natural way to relieve symptoms without the risk of harmful side effects.
http://www.davidwolfe.com/acupuncture-for-sciatica-pain/
Tuesday 16 February 2016
Treatment Options for Low Back Pain and Sciatica
From: The New Indian Express
HYDERABAD: Low back pain has become a common problem today affecting people from all age groups and both genders. If not treated properly in a timely fashion it can progress and make life very difficult for the patient. There are multiple causes for the back pain and it increases in stages. For successful treatment and relief from pain the correct stage of the problem has to be identified and latest advanced treatments have to be offered.
First stage
Initially pain can be because of the weakness of the muscles, when we do any work or activity which is beyond our normal then pain or discomfort will start which may resolve with rest. This gradually progresses to – a stage when there is no relief with rest.
Second Stage:
In this stage the Spine starts degenerating. Due to that even the regular daily activities become painful, the movements become reduced and can be associated with sounds.
Third stage:
In this stage the discs in between the bones are degenerated and gets squeezed to the side and can compress/Irritate the nerves leading to increased pain in the back, Tingling or Numbness in the legs, Pulling sensation of legs, Pins and needles sensation and in extreme cases there can be pain shooting from the back to the leg. In some people due to the degenerated joints between the back bones there can be stiffness of the back when you wake up in the morning which can get a little better with some activity. Pain in such cases is increased with movements. In some cases the pain in the legs can come while walking and patients tend to bend forward while walking. They will need to sit or stop for the pain to subside and can walk some more and the pain starts again requiring the patient to stop or sit again.
Last stage:
In this stage the pressure on the nerves is high leading to the damaging of nerve resulting in weakness of legs, thinning of muscle, loss of control over Urine and Stools.
Other Causes:
There are various other causes for back pain like Injuries, Infections and cancers.
Treatment Options:
At Active Spine care every patient is given personalized care and a great emphasis is placed on the proper diagnosis and then a treatment protocol is arrived and best possible treatment is offered. For best results in pine problems we have a team based approach- Spine Surgeons, Interventional Pain Physician, Expert Manual therapists and Exercise therapists working together at our clinics for patient’s benefit. The treatment is planned depending on the stage of the problem. To determine the stage through clinical examination and tests are conducted. In Early stages-Stage specific medicines and Expert Sport Physiotherapy with latest techniques, Exercise therapy are used to treat the problem and arrest the further progression of the problem and in the third stage Special Spine injections are used to treat the problem,
Patients in the Last stage or in patients in third stage who don’t respond properly to other treatments may require surgery. At most care is taken for proper selection of patients before offering surgery so that only the patients who absolutely require surgery and who will benefit the most from surgery are offered surgery Surgery is performed by well trained professionals with the latest and most advanced techniques and technologie for the best results and minimal complications. With this Active Spine Care has been achieving consistent results with both Non- Surgical and Surgical treatments.
Myths about pain in the spine
Myth 1: once pain starts in the spine one has to live with it all through the life..! The notion is not correct If causes for the pain and its phases are detected properly and the patient is treated according to the stage, the patient can get rid of pain and can lead a happy life.
Myth 2: Those who are having the pain should be on medication all through the life..! The notion is not correct Prolonged use of pain killers could be harmful. Using them will give only temporary relief. Using them over a long period of time an cause Kidney are Liver failure. Hence the patient should undergo scientific treatment for a lasting solution.
Myth 3: Traditional health care systems (Homoeo, Ayurveda) will be able to find permanent solution The notion is not correct There is no scientific proof that they work. Certain drugs are being mixed with steroids to give quick relief to patient. But, these substances will cause harmful side effects.
Myth 4: Spinal problems should not be surgically treated. The notion is not correct Surgery performed on the right patient for right reason before it is too late has got excellent results. The complications can be scaled down to the lowest level if experts conduct the operation using the most modern technological devices.
Myth 5: Surgical treatment can be put off indefinitely. The notion is not correct Once nerves develop weakness or get paralyzed the chances of patient’s full recovery are rare. Postponing surgery will cause irreparable loss to patient.
http://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/hyderabad/Treatment-Options-for-Low-Back-Pain-and-Sciatica/2016/02/16/article3278940.ece
HYDERABAD: Low back pain has become a common problem today affecting people from all age groups and both genders. If not treated properly in a timely fashion it can progress and make life very difficult for the patient. There are multiple causes for the back pain and it increases in stages. For successful treatment and relief from pain the correct stage of the problem has to be identified and latest advanced treatments have to be offered.
First stage
Initially pain can be because of the weakness of the muscles, when we do any work or activity which is beyond our normal then pain or discomfort will start which may resolve with rest. This gradually progresses to – a stage when there is no relief with rest.
Second Stage:
In this stage the Spine starts degenerating. Due to that even the regular daily activities become painful, the movements become reduced and can be associated with sounds.
Third stage:
In this stage the discs in between the bones are degenerated and gets squeezed to the side and can compress/Irritate the nerves leading to increased pain in the back, Tingling or Numbness in the legs, Pulling sensation of legs, Pins and needles sensation and in extreme cases there can be pain shooting from the back to the leg. In some people due to the degenerated joints between the back bones there can be stiffness of the back when you wake up in the morning which can get a little better with some activity. Pain in such cases is increased with movements. In some cases the pain in the legs can come while walking and patients tend to bend forward while walking. They will need to sit or stop for the pain to subside and can walk some more and the pain starts again requiring the patient to stop or sit again.
Last stage:
In this stage the pressure on the nerves is high leading to the damaging of nerve resulting in weakness of legs, thinning of muscle, loss of control over Urine and Stools.
Other Causes:
There are various other causes for back pain like Injuries, Infections and cancers.
Treatment Options:
At Active Spine care every patient is given personalized care and a great emphasis is placed on the proper diagnosis and then a treatment protocol is arrived and best possible treatment is offered. For best results in pine problems we have a team based approach- Spine Surgeons, Interventional Pain Physician, Expert Manual therapists and Exercise therapists working together at our clinics for patient’s benefit. The treatment is planned depending on the stage of the problem. To determine the stage through clinical examination and tests are conducted. In Early stages-Stage specific medicines and Expert Sport Physiotherapy with latest techniques, Exercise therapy are used to treat the problem and arrest the further progression of the problem and in the third stage Special Spine injections are used to treat the problem,
Patients in the Last stage or in patients in third stage who don’t respond properly to other treatments may require surgery. At most care is taken for proper selection of patients before offering surgery so that only the patients who absolutely require surgery and who will benefit the most from surgery are offered surgery Surgery is performed by well trained professionals with the latest and most advanced techniques and technologie for the best results and minimal complications. With this Active Spine Care has been achieving consistent results with both Non- Surgical and Surgical treatments.
Myths about pain in the spine
Myth 1: once pain starts in the spine one has to live with it all through the life..! The notion is not correct If causes for the pain and its phases are detected properly and the patient is treated according to the stage, the patient can get rid of pain and can lead a happy life.
Myth 2: Those who are having the pain should be on medication all through the life..! The notion is not correct Prolonged use of pain killers could be harmful. Using them will give only temporary relief. Using them over a long period of time an cause Kidney are Liver failure. Hence the patient should undergo scientific treatment for a lasting solution.
Myth 3: Traditional health care systems (Homoeo, Ayurveda) will be able to find permanent solution The notion is not correct There is no scientific proof that they work. Certain drugs are being mixed with steroids to give quick relief to patient. But, these substances will cause harmful side effects.
Myth 4: Spinal problems should not be surgically treated. The notion is not correct Surgery performed on the right patient for right reason before it is too late has got excellent results. The complications can be scaled down to the lowest level if experts conduct the operation using the most modern technological devices.
Myth 5: Surgical treatment can be put off indefinitely. The notion is not correct Once nerves develop weakness or get paralyzed the chances of patient’s full recovery are rare. Postponing surgery will cause irreparable loss to patient.
http://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/hyderabad/Treatment-Options-for-Low-Back-Pain-and-Sciatica/2016/02/16/article3278940.ece
Friday 5 February 2016
Lower Back Pain: 5 Effective Poses That Are Helpful
By James Fetisov
A large number of people, are suffering from this health condition called "lower back pain." This can be traced to the activities they perform daily, which could be very challenging. You find yourself in most situations, either bending down, sitting, standing or lying down. If you find out the main reason why most people, occasional visit the hospital, you will discover that back pain is the cause. New studies, regarding the benefit of yoga in taking care of this condition have started surfacing. People who are aware of it, are taking full advantage of it.
Yoga poses can be very beneficial, but if they are not done accurately, their benefits will not be achieved. If you are just practicing yoga for the first time, it is important for you to get a qualified yoga teacher to work with. Pose alignment is very important, and that is what your yoga instructor will help you to achieve. If you want to strengthen and stabilize your lower back, the key in all postures is to maintain a small egg-sized curve, at the base of the spine. Yoga poses such as happy baby poses, as well as downward facing dog, become more challenging and more therapeutic, when you focus on holding an egg-sized lumbar curve in the spine, creating an extension of the spine.
Here are some examples of yoga poses for lower back pain.
1. Downward facing dog
This pose is excellent for back pain. It is one of the most ubiquitous poses of yoga, and also the most useful. When participating in this particular type of pose, the entire spine is stretched and decompressed. It also helps to lengthen the hamstrings and also promotes blood circulation.
2. Legs up the wall pose
This pose, gently stretches the hamstrings and lower back. During practice, ensure that you place a folded blanket or other support under the lower back. Also extend your legs up the wall, allowing the soles of your feet to face the ceiling.
3. Cat/Cow Pose
This pose is not just simple but very effective. It helps to bring flexibility into the spine, and it is also excellent for stretching the back, hips as well as the abdomen. It is also excellent for relieving lower back pain as well as sciatica.
4. The child's pose or supported child's pose
This pose is also very effective. It helps to align the spine and also take pressure off the lower back.
5. The reclined pigeon pose
If you are looking for a yoga pose that offers large amount of relief to back pain, the reclined pigeon pose has to come first. This pose, helps to stretch the spine, hips as well as inner thighs. It is known fact that tightness in this area can cause low back pain, so practicing this pose, will put you in a good position to avert the condition. The reclined pigeon pose, is also excellent for relieving sciatic pains.
http://ezinearticles.com/?Lower-Back-Pain:-5-Effective-Poses-That-Are-Helpful&id=9309492
Yoga poses can be very beneficial, but if they are not done accurately, their benefits will not be achieved. If you are just practicing yoga for the first time, it is important for you to get a qualified yoga teacher to work with. Pose alignment is very important, and that is what your yoga instructor will help you to achieve. If you want to strengthen and stabilize your lower back, the key in all postures is to maintain a small egg-sized curve, at the base of the spine. Yoga poses such as happy baby poses, as well as downward facing dog, become more challenging and more therapeutic, when you focus on holding an egg-sized lumbar curve in the spine, creating an extension of the spine.
Here are some examples of yoga poses for lower back pain.
1. Downward facing dog
This pose is excellent for back pain. It is one of the most ubiquitous poses of yoga, and also the most useful. When participating in this particular type of pose, the entire spine is stretched and decompressed. It also helps to lengthen the hamstrings and also promotes blood circulation.
2. Legs up the wall pose
This pose, gently stretches the hamstrings and lower back. During practice, ensure that you place a folded blanket or other support under the lower back. Also extend your legs up the wall, allowing the soles of your feet to face the ceiling.
3. Cat/Cow Pose
This pose is not just simple but very effective. It helps to bring flexibility into the spine, and it is also excellent for stretching the back, hips as well as the abdomen. It is also excellent for relieving lower back pain as well as sciatica.
4. The child's pose or supported child's pose
This pose is also very effective. It helps to align the spine and also take pressure off the lower back.
5. The reclined pigeon pose
If you are looking for a yoga pose that offers large amount of relief to back pain, the reclined pigeon pose has to come first. This pose, helps to stretch the spine, hips as well as inner thighs. It is known fact that tightness in this area can cause low back pain, so practicing this pose, will put you in a good position to avert the condition. The reclined pigeon pose, is also excellent for relieving sciatic pains.
http://ezinearticles.com/?Lower-Back-Pain:-5-Effective-Poses-That-Are-Helpful&id=9309492
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