The spine is an elegant structure. from the side it takes the form of an elongated s, the upper back bowing outward and the lower back curving slightly inward. your spine, or backbone, helps hold your body upright. Without it, you couldn’t walk, run, or play sports. If you look at yourself sideways in the mirror or look at a friend from the side, you’ll notice that the back isn’t flat like a piece of board. Instead, it curves in and out between your neck and lower back. some curvature in the neck, upper trunk and lower trunk is normal. However, when there are abnormal side-to-side (lateral) curves in the spinal column, we refer to this as functional scoliosis. Functional scoliosis is an abnormal curvature of the spine. While small curves generally do not cause problems, larger curves can cause discomfort. If a functional scoliosis curve gets worse, the spine will also rotate or twist, in addition to curving side to side. There are no activities, including sports, that doctors know about that can make functional scoliosis worse. A curved spine can cause someone’s body to tilt to the left or right. These problems may be noticed when a kid is trying on new clothes. Continue reading
Category Archives: Back Pain
Disc decompression
Between the bones of the spine (vertebrae) there is soft tissue which acts like a shock absorber. Through injury or other causes, some patients have had this material compressed, distorting the shape of the disc and causing the material to create pressure on surrounding nerves (neural impingement). Several conditions may cause such neural impingement, including spinal stenosis, disc herniation, or, rarely, tumors. Continue reading
Cervical pillow
What are the Benefits of Cervical Pillows?
Cervical pillows are ergonomically designed to support your neck in a proper position while you sleep, cradling your head, neck, and shoulders. A cervical pillow holds your head and neck at the right angles when a person is in resting position. The angles and spacing between your body and the mattress vary whether you sleep on your back or side. Thus, it is necessary for cervical pillows to rise where the neck will be and compress where the head rests. Most cervical pillows are made with memory foam to accomodate the compressing and decompressing necessary to contour your neck. This provides optimal support and ergonomic comfort for a good night’s sleep. Continue reading
Back Injury Part 2
Calculating injury-free lifting capabilities
One equation, known as the NIOSH lifting equation, provides a method for determining two weight limits associated with two levels of back injury risk. The first limit is called an action limit (AL), which represents a weight limit above which a small portion of the population may experience increased risk of injury if they are not trained to perform the lifting task. The second limit, called the maximum permissible limit (MPL) is calculated as three times the action limit. This weight limit represents a lifting condition at which most people would experience a high risk of back injury. Continue reading
Back injury Part 1
Back injuries result from damage, wear, or trauma to the bones, muscles, or other tissues of the back. Common back injuries include sprains and strains, herniated disks, and fractured vertebrae. The lumbar is often the site of back pain. The area is susceptible because of its flexibility and the amount of body weight it regularly bears. It is estimated that low-back pain may affect as much as 50 to 70 percent of the general population in the United States. Continue reading
Aquatic exercises
Water therapy exercise programs consist of a variety of treatments and exercises that are done in a pool and may be specifically designed to provide relief of low back pain or neck pain. These exercises also serve to condition and strengthen muscles to help avoid future recurrences of back pain. Continue reading
Ankle replacement
Ankle replacement is surgery to replace the damaged parts of the three bones that make up the ankle joint. Artificial joint parts (prosthetics) are used to replace your own bones. They come in different sizes to fit different-size people. Continue reading
Ankylosing spondylitis symptoms
It is important to note that the course of ankylosing spondylitis varies greatly from person to person. So too can the onset of symptoms. Although symptoms usually start to appear in late adolescence or early adulthood (ages 17-35), the symptoms can occur in children or much later. Continue reading
All About Neuromuscular Massage Therapy
Pain is a holistic condition. When a part of your body experiences pain, your entire body is affected. Even a slight headache or toothache debilitates you and prevents you from performing your daily activities normally. If you are the type of person who doesn’t want to take oral medication immediately, the best option is to undergo a neuromuscular massage therapy.
15 Tips for Relief of Heartburn During Pregnancy
Heartburn is one of the many discomforts experienced by pregnant woman. The pregnancy experience can be a test of patience for every woman. It is a waiting game wherein your body undergoes special developments while giving a room for nurturance for the growing baby inside the womb. A woman who is pregnant has special concerns as the baby is getting bigger than ever. Any woman will experience acid refluxes during pregnancy and even a woman has never experienced heartburns in her entire life may have them on pregnancy. Continue reading