Back Pain Essentials - What Do You Need To Do Now!

When you first suffer back pain, are you one of those people who wait to see how things go? Are you someone who lives in hope that your back pain will miraculously disappear overnight? Don't worry you are in good company as the majority of back pain sufferers do the same.

It is a common thing to do, because most back pain will settle by itself within a few weeks. But what if it doesn't?

Are there things you can do to make sure it disappears within a few days or even possibly within a few hours? After all who wants to wait and hope that your back pain will disappear after a few weeks anyway?

So what can you do?

One of the simplest things is to use ice. Yes plain cold ice. If you use ice in the first 48 hours most back pain will ease and disappear within that time, and sometimes within the day.

Now please remember, if you have had a fall or major injury, use ice - but use it on the way to see your doctor or hospital. It is still essential to be checked over, if you have had an injury that has led to back pain.

But let's assume it is a minor injury, you have spent too much time in the garden, lifted one too many pieces of wood, work too hard or something similar

As soon as your back pain occurs, put ice on it. Ice works as an anti-inflammatory and pain reliever. Most back pain initially loves ice. It will help it heal and remove pain quicker than anything else.

What you need to do is this

Put ice on the area of pain; leave it on for ten minutes only. Then place heat on the area, again for ten minutes only. Then repeat this process and finally finish with ice for another ten minutes.

After 48 hours then finish with heat, as heat improves the blood supply and eases muscle tension. Most times you will not need to do this as your pain would have disappeared.

If you apply the ice/heat treatment every few hours, then within the day the majority of back pain will disappear. Even if it is a minor back pain issue, still use ice. It is people like you and me, who wait a few hours or days to "see how things go" who end up having pain for weeks.

Early intervention is the best approach for all back pain. Using ice is one simple technique you can use that can limit the time you spend in back pain.

This does not mean the process ends there. What you now need to do is learn ways to prevent your back pain occurring. Most back pain occurs not from large falls or injuries. It arrives after doing normal common everyday activities. Activities you have done a hundred times before. Yet today your back pain arrives.

For this to happen it means tension and stress on your muscles and joints has increased over days, weeks or months. Today is the day an overload occurs and back pain happens. Sure ice will ease your back pain now, but you need to learn simple and highly effective ways to remove and prevent back pain permanently.

Dr Graeme Teague is an expert in the structural field, and has been in practice since 1991. His newly launched web site The Back Pain Advisor - http://www.back-pain-advisor.com - strives to give you valuable and expert advice, tips and information on your back pain isues.

For more information on back stretches, just visit Back stretches - http://www.back-pain-advisor.com/back-stretches.html

Receive a free e-book on back pain when you subscribe to our newsletter, just click here - Back Pain Adviser - http://www.back-pain-advisor.com/back-pain-adviser.html

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Postures that Promote Mental Health

When youre experiencing symptoms of depression, exercise may be the last thing you want to think about doing; however, it could be one of the most beneficial, particularly if the exercise you choose is yoga.

Well over a hundred million people worldwide are affected by depression, and in the U.S. alone the annual cost of medically treating depression is astronomical. That said, yoga isnt an instant cure or a replacement for the clinical treatment of severe depression. But at the same time, yoga practice may ease some of the symptoms of depression or even clear a path of sight through the gloom. It might also increase feelings of empowerment for sufferers, by showing them a way to treat themselves better.

If youre new to yoga, the hardest thing might be actually making it to the mat; but even if you start with just a few poses a day, you may find that youre soon ready to do more. The slow, deep breathing, the yoga postures and the meditation can each help you to become more in tune with yourself, by strengthening your sense of wholeness and balance in mind, body and spirit.

The benefits of yoga dont end there. Regular, slow and gentle practice can help reduce stress, contributing to a more peaceful state of mind and positive outlook. You might see the results in better mood control, improved concentration and energy levels, as well as in your general sense of well-being.

Theres science behind the positive effects of yoga, as well. Practicing yoga can stimulate the nervous system and circulation, raising the levels of hormones that make us feel good and decreasing those that cause us to feel stressed. Yoga practice can also be beneficial to the immune system and can help flush toxins from the body.

If youre interested in trying yoga to soothe feelings of depression, you might want to join a class at a nearby yoga studio, fitness club or community center. A good certified instructor should be able to provide you with tips and poses that are particularly good for easing depression, but you can also turn to videos or the Internet for sites addressing this more specific use of the practice.

For a more in-depth examination of the relationship between yoga and mental health, you might want to read Yoga for Depression: A Compassionate Guide to Relieve Suffering Through Yoga, by yoga instructor and mentor Amy Weinstraub.

Brodi Saatpha has been practicing Yoga for many years, and one day hopes to attain true enlightenment. When she is not teaching others how to discover inner peace, she writes for yoga-insight.com a website educating people about home yoga workouts, comfortable yoga clothes, yoga retreats and more.

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