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By Donald Piranty
The Pain Relief & Massage Studio
Tel: 501-609-0300
 My Name is Donald Piranty and I run the Pain Relief and Massage studio. I wanted to personally welcome you to this report on back pain, what it is and how to avoid the extreme discomfort and pain that it can cause you. If you are unfortunate to have experienced it or currently have it, then you will definitely know what I mean.
At The Pain Relief and Massage Studio, we practise Holistic therapeutic massage, which stresses the importance of body wellness in maintaining a healthy back. Treatment and the all important prevention programs include instruction in good back habits, diet, exercise and overall body conditioning.
So let’s begin with a few facts.
Statistics show that, at some point in their lives, 8 out of 10 Americans will experience a backache problem. The yearly economic price of back pain problems that the US is paying has been estimated at around $75 billion. Back pain is just a fact of life and is the second most common complaint for visiting the Doctor in the U.S. Think about it! This could be you now or in the future. You need to look after your back.
Back pain is an all-too-familiar problem that can range from a dull, constant ache to a sudden, sharp pain that leaves you incapacitated. It can come on suddenly – from an accident, a fall, or lifting something too heavy – or it can develop slowly, perhaps as the result of age-related changes to the spine.
Regardless of how it happens or how it feels, you know it when you have it. And chances are, if you don’t have it now, you will eventually have it at some time in the future.
The causes of lower back pain are numerous. Years of abusing your back, poor posture, improper lifting and lack of body conditioning makes the back prone to injury. The lower back is particularly vulnerable and muscles can be traumatized into spasm, stretched, or torn at the same time.
Together with any dysfunction of major joints this can lead to extremely painful results.
Although anyone can have back pain, a number of factors can increase your risk. Some of these include:
- The first attack of low back pain typically occurs between the ages of 30 and 40. Back pain becomes more common with age
- Back pain is more common among people who are not physically fit. Weak back and abdominal muscles may not properly support the spine. “Weekend warriors” – people who go out and exercise a lot after being inactive all week – are more likely to suffer painful back injuries than people who make moderate physical activity a daily habit.
- This could occur in an auto accident, a fall, taking part in sports, or any other manner.
- A diet high in calories and fat, combined with an inactive lifestyle, can lead to obesity, which can put stress on the back.
- Some causes of back pain, including disc disease, may have a genetic component.
- Many diseases can cause or contribute to back pain. These include various forms of arthritis, such as osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and ankylosing spondylitis, and cancers elsewhere in the body that may spread to the spine.
- Having a job that requires heavy lifting, pushing, or pulling, particularly when this involves twisting or vibrating the spine, can lead to injury and back pain. An inactive job or a desk job may also lead to or contribute to pain, especially if you have poor posture or sit all day in an uncomfortable chair.
- For women these could be endometriosis, menstrual cramps, fibroid tumors, and pregnancy, which are all well known causes of lower back pain in women.
- More than 1300 physicians were followed from time of graduation (1948-1964) from John Hopkins University , some for over fifty years. The researchers found that smoking history, hypertension, and coronary artery disease (risk factors for atherosclerosis, occlusion of the arteries) are significantly associated with development of lower back pain.
So, what do you need to do right now? Well, you can significantly reduce the risk of present or future ‘back pain’ by making sure you take some time to properly educate yourself.
What do I mean by this? It’s simple. I mean educate yourself on how to keep your back flexible and strong and put together a practical and effective maintenance schedule of regular massage, exercise, good posture, good sleep and a healthy diet.
Of course, if you don’t have the time to do this yourself, give us a call and we will be more than happy to advise you on all aspects of what you need to do.
So here are ten things you can do right away. Some of them are obvious, but we find that people still don’t take heed of them. However, implementing them will help reduce the risks of injuring your back.
- Proper posture keeps your back in balance and pain free. You can quickly check your posture by placing your head and back against a wall. Be sure that your natural curves are in their normal balanced state. Avoid slouching and swayback which rob your back of support and make it susceptible to injury.
- You should stand with your feet slightly further apart than normal to centralize your weight and avoid destabilizing the hips and pelvis by shifting all your weight over one leg.
- If you work in the seated position, for most of the day, use an ergonomic chair, one that supports your back properly. Avoid slouching and try to take a stretch every 30 minutes or so, especially if you are working on a computer.
- Half of all back injuries are caused by improper lifting techniques. When lifting, keep your back straight and in its normal balanced alignment. Keep the object close to your body, tighten your stomach muscles to support your back and lift with your legs. Don't bend over! If it is too heavy, get help!
- Try and exercise, even if it’s not for very much time, but the important thing is, do it regularly. And try to avoid being a “Weekend Warrior”, where you do nothing all week and then seriously overdo it at the weekend. Exercise will improve flexibility in the back, leg and abdominal muscles which support the lower back. When you neglect these muscles they tighten and become weaker and your back is prone to injury. Stretching is particularly important for underused muscles. (Again, we can help you with specific exercises and equipment.)
- Try to eat a healthy diet and this includes the right vitamins and minerals etc. This is very important and in this way you can maintain a healthy weight, which in turn reduces any unnecessary strain on your back. (link to detox page.)
- Use a sleeping position that will protect your back. If you sleep on your side, try putting a pillow between your knees. If you sleep on your back, use a pillow under your knees. You can also try rolling up a small towel and using it to support your lower back.
- If you are a woman, then try to avoid using high heeled shoes for long periods, as they put undue pressure on the back.
- If you're a smoker, try to cut down or quit. Smoking increases your risk of bone loss and increases your sensitivity to pain. Smoking also interferes with blood circulation by tightening the arteries, which makes it harder for blood to flow, and by decreasing the amount of oxygen the red blood cells can carry. Spinal discs do not have their own blood supply, but receive nutrition in part from the blood supply to the vertebral bones above and below them. Decreased circulation may increase the speed of degeneration and/or slow the healing of the discs.
- Stress can have a major effect on the health of your back. Try to find ways to relax and take time out. Regular bodywork is one very effective way of achieving this.
The whole basis of this report is that “Prevention is better than cure” – stop the problem happening before it even starts! However, if you are unlucky enough to be experiencing problems at the moment, due to a past problem or an injury – the message is – sort it out now before it gets worse!
We can provide you with an extensive range of solutions to your back problems. From your diet (ask us about the popular Detox program) which goes hand-in hand with our weight loss program), also exercises you should be doing if you have problems, to the extremely effective application of therapeutic massage therapy.
Our goal here at The Pain Relief and Massage Studio is to help you achieve the best that you can with your body and in a way that is holistic, enjoyable and ultimately of great benefit to you. We are not just a quick fix clinic, we want you to come back for more and to tell your friends about the wonderful treatment you have just had and how effective it was for you.
Finally, thank you for taking the time to read this report and I hope it was of help to you. If you would like to find out more, or wish to discuss a particular problem or book an appointment, then:
Call me on 501-609-0300
Email me at painreliefandmassagestudio@yahoo.com
I hope to see you soon
Donald Piranty.
The Pain Relief and Massage Studio
3824 Central Ave. Hot Springs, Arkansas
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