Health Tips

Herniated disc pain can be one of the most frustrating types of pain to deal with. Not only is the pain very stubborn in most cases, it can also be very disabling because of the nerves that are involved.

This article will cover the top 3 things a person can do from home to alleviate herniated disc pain, but I want to explain a little about what causes the pain, so the 3 steps I teach you make sense.

The discs of the spine are cushions that separate the vertebrae (bones of the spine). I like to refer to them as jelly doughnuts, because they are made up of a firm outer layer, and a jelly center.

The jelly inside the disc is very important, because this is where the disc gets nutrition and oxygen, which is how the disc stays healthy. One of the things that makes healing a herniated disc very tricky is the fact that the discs of the spine do not have a very good blood supply.

This creates a problem, because blood is usually what the body uses in order to transport nutrition and oxygen to the different parts of the body in order to promote healing.

Because the discs do not receive a lot of blood, they usually take quite a long time to heal. However, the cause of the pain you are experiencing is not the disc itself - it is actually the nerve of the spine that is being pinched by the herniated disc.

A herniated disc occurs when the thick outer covering of the disc tears, and the jelly in the center starts to push through the tears. This creates a bulge in the disc.

Unfortunately, the nerves of the spine, which control everything in the body, will usually exit the spine right where the disc will tend to bulge. The symptoms you experience will depend on which nerves are being affected by the herniated disc.

For example, if your herniated disc is in your low back, you will likely experience back pain, leg pain, leg weakness, numbness, burning, problems with your bowel and bladder, etc.

So, even though the problem is in the low back, you will have a number of other symptoms in other parts of the body, simply because the affected nerve travels and will cause problems wherever the nerve goes to.

So, what can you do about this problem? Well, most doctors would recommend medications, pain injections (steroids and epidurals, which numb the problem area), physical therapy, and surgery (as a last resort). Unfortunately, these treatments do not provide long term results in the majority of cases.

After helping thousands of people heal a herniated disc, I’ve discovered that there are about 30 treatments that will not only alleviate herniated disc pain, but will actually heal the disc, so you experience a longer-term result.

The 3 tips I’ll give you today are things you can do from the comfort of your home, and will cost little or no money.

The first thing I would recommend you do is to use ice. Now, I realize that this may seem pretty simple, but I can’t even tell you the number of times I’ve met people who are using heat to treat their herniated disc pain, which is one of the worst things you can do with this condition!

If you’ve used ice, and felt it didn’t help, I would recommend you read this section anyway, because I’ve found that if you don’t follow the rules I teach you, it won’t be as effective. Many people find that they’ve actually been doing something wrong with the ice, which is why it wasn’t working previously.

The purpose of ice is to reduce swelling around the aggravated nerve, reduce inflammation, and numb the nerve so it feels better.

The main reason you don’t want to use heat is because of inflammation - inflammation is the body’s way of healing something - it rushes a lot of blood to the injured area to start to fix the problem. Well, blood is hot, so if you put heat on it, you will draw more blood to the area, which causes a lot of extra swelling, which puts more pressure on the aggravated nerve, which causes even more pain!

So, here is what you want to do with ice: Use real ice or an ice pack (no frozen vegetables), apply it directly to the skin (do not put a towel or clothing between the skin and ice), leave it on for 15 minutes or until you feel numbness (whichever comes first), and repeat this every hour.

Consistency is key here! You have to repeat the ice treatment every hour in order to see results. You will typically start to notice a difference after 3 or 4 ice treatments, but it will usually take 3 full days of using ice to feel a big difference.

The second tip I have for you is to use a gel called Biofreeze. Biofreeze is a prescription-strength pain-relieving gel that can be found online or in most chiropractic clinics. Some physical therapy clinics also sell Biofreeze.

Biofreeze has an herbal remedy in it called Ilex, which reduces inflammation, swelling, and calms painful nerves. It usually provides about 4 - 5 hours of relief, which is really good for a lot of people experiencing herniated disc pain!

Simply apply the gel on the skin over the injured disc, as well as wherever you are experiencing pain.

The third and final tip is to simply bounce on a therapy ball. Therapy balls are those large balls you see at the health club or in physical therapy clinics - they are often used to strengthen the stomach muscles.

Well, I would recommend that you sit on one of these balls and simply bounce up and down (gently) for about 4 minutes every day. What does this do? Well, remember how I told you that the disc doesn’t receive much blood supply, and the nutrients and oxygen are stored in the jelly of the disc?

The only way you can get new nutrients and oxygen into the jelly of the disc is by physically pumping the disc. Bouncing on the ball is a simple way to make this happen. By doing this simple exercise, you will not only experience pain relief more quickly, your disc will also heal more quickly.

If you would like to learn more about the essential steps you need to take in order to heal your herniated disc, as well as the other treatments that have been found to be most effective in healing a herniated disc, please visit www.HealYourBulgingDisc.com.

We use our backs for almost every single thing we do, including standing, walking, stretching, lifting and even lying down. Because of this, it should come as no surprise then that our backs are highly susceptible to pain and injury. And if we are overweight, we put an even greater burden on our backs. So, the single most important thing we can do to help reduce or eliminate back pain in the long term, is to lose weight, if we are overweight.

In fact, 80% of people suffer from some sort of back pain at some stage of their life. Most back pain occurs in the lower back. This makes sense because the lower back bears most of a person’s weight.

Being overweight affects our backs negatively in several ways. Back muscles are tensed up with the effort of supporting a sagging belly. Lose weight and your muscles are able to relax and hold in your stomach without straining. Add some exercise to strengthen the core muscles and further protect your back.

To feel what your back is feeling, load up a grocery bag and hold it in both arms in front of you. Do you feel that extra little bit of tension in your lower back? Being overweight creates that reaction in your back muscles constantly, although you are probably unaware of it because you are used to the feeling. It’s like always wearing a watch on your left wrist. It gets to the point where you don’t even feel your watch any longer. Switch that watch to your right wrist and you know you are wearing a watch.

Being overweight also causes spinal misalignment. Watch a heavyset person walk and you can see by the way they carry themselves that they are compensating for the excess weight they are carrying.

When your spine is out of alignment, extra stress is created on the spinal disks. Over time, this can result in a herniated disk, a very painful condition. With a herniated disk, back muscles contract painfully. Simply put, to alleviate the pain of a herniated disk, it is necessary to relax the back muscles, and allow the disk to return to its normal condition. When you are overweight it is more difficult for those muscles to relax because they are under tension supporting extra weight.

Although there are many reasons for back pain there are unfortunately, no magic cures. But losing weight will certainly help to reduce or eliminate back pain in many instances.

Almost everyone has had back pain at one time or another. The costs of treatment and lost wages and productivity are staggering. If you haven’t suffered from back pain consider yourself lucky. With headaches the number one aliment, back pain comes in at number two and is the most common neurological disorder in the U.S. Back pain comes from a variety of sources ranging from a slipped disc to a simple muscle strain. Overuse is another common cause.

With lingering back pain your first step is to see your doctor and determine the cause of your discomfort. A common approach by many to heal the pain is the use of ice on the injured area and over the counter medications. If the home remedy route doesn’t work they look for other treatments. Many are discovering natural treatments for their back pain in contrast to long held traditional methods.

Alternative treatments or natural treatments for back pain consist of vitamins, minerals, natural herbs and methods that are "natural" and noninvasive. Prescription drugs for back pain may alter a person’s activity level, and many times they end up feeling worse. In addition, there are possible side affects and the risk of liver problems and internal bleeding. So many back pain sufferers are trying the natural treatment route for helping to relieve their back pain.

Many are trying Eazol, an anti-inflammatory that is 100% natural and safe for your system. It contains some natural botanical ingredients such as white willow bark, lobelia and boswellia. An addition benefit, Eazol acts as a lubricant for joints and muscles. It works as an immune system regulator as well as an analgesic in removing the pain.

Yoga is another natural treatment for back pain that is becoming quite popular and widely used by back pain sufferers. Yoga is a special kind of exercise and aerobics that are healthy for your body. Many doctors also recommend yoga for many of their patients, including pregnant women.

Hot oil baths are also a great natural treatment for back pain, especially when natural essential oils are added to the hot bath water. These oils are very effective in relieving the pain, whether they are used in the bath water or as a hot oil massage. One very widely used and accepted hot oil bath is with Eucalyptus and Peppermint added to the hot (warm) bath water.

There are many vitamins sold in health stores that are very effective for back pain such as Vitamin B-12, Magnesium, Vitamin D, Chamomile and many others.

The natural route to ease back pain has a variety of available choices. Find what works for you and you may banish your back pain forever.

Along with diet you can add some herbal supplements to get effective long term relief. Look to a quality herbal remedy. You want a supplement which is a convenient capsule that you take daily. The critical composition of these supplements needs to combine several herbs together in one treatment. Let’s take a look at what ingredients will work best for you.

Vitamin E is full of antioxidants, which will protect your cells from damage. Zinc oxide is a protectant… it forms a barrier that protects the hemorrhoid from irritants like urine and stool. This barrier helps the itching, burning and pain of hemorrhoids.

L-Arginine relaxes spasms of the anal sphincter, which helps heal existing hemorrhoids and prevent future occurrences. Horse chestnut tones and strengthens the veins, reducing inflammatory responses like itching, pain and swelling. Oat straw is supportive of an overstressed digestive system. Plantain is cooling, emollient, astringent, antimicrobial, demulcent and antiviral. It treats itching in hemorrhoids and provides soothing relief.

Cascara sagrada stimulates the muscular contractions of the intestines, moving the digestive process along. It reduces straining and irritation of the bowels. Bilberry increases blood flow, and is extremely helpful for painful hemorrhoids. Butcher’s Broom contains steroid-like compounds that constrict vessels, reduce inflammation, and strengthen and tone blood vessel valves.

Mullein extract is astringent and soothing. It helps heal inflamed and swollen hemorrhoids. Cayenne alleviates pain and temporarily depletes the substance that sends pain messages to the brain. Red sage increases circulation, helping resolve inflammation.

To learn more select any of the links provided.

Traditional saunas provide a number of benefits, including alleviation of stiffness and pain from arthritis. They also cleanse the skin and body of toxins by inducing the person in the sauna to sweat heavily. These types of saunas provide steam and therefore can also be used to relieve congestion or other respiratory problems from such things as bronchial infections, colds, et cetera.

Because infrared saunas do not give off any steam, they are not as effective in helping breathing problems as traditional saunas are. However, they are as effective as traditional saunas when used for sweating purposes and to ease the pain of arthritis or other stiffness.

In addition, infrared radiation heat is supposed to have unique healing properties that are not reportedly found in conventional saunas’ radiant heat.

Those who are supporters of infrared radiation say that it goes deep into the body’s internal organs and muscular tissues so that toxins are released and the immune system is strengthened.

Some Advantages

Infrared saunas do have some advantages over traditional steam saunas. They operate at a lower heat level and therefore, some may find them more comfortable than traditional saunas.

This lower heat level also translates into less energy consumption, so infrared saunas are much cheaper to operate. They also heat up much more quickly than conventional saunas do. This is another reason they are less expensive to operate.

In addition, traditional saunas create hot dry air that can be uncomfortable to breathe. Because infrared saunas don’t heat up the air, the air itself remains cool and will stay roughly the same temperature inside the sauna as outside.

Some Disadvantages

Some users of infrared saunas say that they do not provide the same feelings of relaxation and refreshment as a traditional sauna does. Because there is no steam in an infrared sauna, this may be an advantage or disadvantage, depending on what you prefer.

It’s true that steam can be useful if you need respiratory relief, but because the normal air in a traditional sauna is drier, this is also uncomfortable for some people to breathe.

To learn more about infrared saunas select one of the links below.

For people who suffer from hemorrhoids, this normal, exasperating but entirely common condition can be quite embarrassing to discuss. Unfortunately, some people let this condition continue without realizing that getting help is quite easy and may not even involve a doctor’s visit! What is needed is for you to educate yourself on what will work for you to combat this problem.

Although a doctor should certainly be consulted if the symptoms persist or worsen, many people have found that there are many natural remedies for hemorrhoids that are available.

Essentially, hemorrhoids are caused by a weakening or a swelling of the veins in the anal region, with symptoms involving itching, soreness and bleeding. A good natural hemorrhoid treatment will take care of this problem and hopefully prevent their recurrence.

Horse chestnut is one natural way to help alleviate some of the symptoms that are often seen by hemorrhoid sufferers. This herb will tone veins as well as strengthen them, preventing bleeding and inflammation. You’ll find that regular consumption of horse chestnut will reduce water retention and help quell bulging veins, itching and swelling.

They key here is not just to do one thing when it comes to getting rid of hemorrhoids. You want to involve many methods to improve your odds of success. Along with diet you will need to exercise. Those who do not move around a lot are more prone to hemorrhoids.

The key is to combine exercise, diet and good herbal supplement so that you can attack this problem on many fronts. Select any of the links provided to get rid of hemorrhoids starting today.

Just like any other surgery, a patient will experience temporary symptoms which may vary from one patient to another but you need not panic. These symptoms will usually resolve quickly. It is natural for you to feel pain or discomfort during the first few days of your tummy tucks surgery and this is just normal. You may need to take medication for pain relievers.

You will most probably see swelling and bruise marks on your abdomen, too. This should not surprise you because an incision was made on your skin. Some patients of this type of procedure may also experience bleeding or a numbness in the lower or middle part of your navel. General anesthesia may also make you feel nauseous but again, these are temporary and should be gone in a few days.

You should however be alert because you may experience some symptoms after the tummy tuck surgery that needs the instant attention of your physician. You should watch out for symptoms like severe pain, heavy bleeding, fever and signs of infection like redness or soreness at the treatment site or if find breathing difficult after the general anesthesia. Do not take serious symptoms for granted by bearing the pain and wishing for them to just go away because this may even lead to more serious complications.

After your tummy tuck surgery, you must follow doctor’s orders strictly. Pay attention to special instructions for your recovery. You need to know basic things like when to return for removal of the stitches or the drainage tubes if there are any, when you can take your bath, when you can safely walk around or do regular work, and other important things that will contribute to your quick recovery from a surgery.

You should naturally expect tummy tuck scars but these are usually made in the lower portion of your abdomen and can be hidden under swim suits.

When you receive the Seal you will win the victory over addiction. You will be able to drink moderately, and a new study shows that as you grow older, moderate drinking can significantly reduce your risk of leg artery disease.

The study was published in the January issue of the American Journal of Epidemiology. Over 5,600 elderly people who were healthy and lived on their own (not in nursing homes) were tracked in the Cardiovascular Health Study.

There was found to be less risk of hospitalization for lower extremity artery disease for more than 7 years for those who say they drink alcohol moderately.

The men and women who drank from 1 to 13 drinks a day–and not just wine, but beer, wine, or liquor–had almost half the risk of being hospitalized for leg artery disease than those who did not drink any alcohol.

Studies have shown for a long time that moderate drinkers have a lower risk of heart attack, which is often caused by clogged arteries. This study is another that confirms heart health for moderate drinkers.

Atherosclerosis is commonly known as hardening of the arteries. It happens when enough plaque is built up in the arteries to constrict blood flow. This is because of a chronic inflammatory response in the arteries.

Atherosclerosis can cause narrowing of the arteries where not enough blood reaches the tissue the artery is supplying. This is of course not healthy for the body.

And atherosclerosis can cause an artery to rupture so that a thrombus (a stationary blood clot) is formed which also stops or slows blood flow through the artery. Either way, the effect is that blood flow is constricted.

When it happens to a coronary artery, a heart attack may result. And it happens all over the body, so it can happen in the brain and other vital organs too. The legs in particular can suffer claudication, when blood supply to them is lacking.

Atherosclerosis has several things that increase its risk: diabetes, smoking, high blood pressure, obesity, stress, depression, lack of exercise, and an unhealthy diet.

You must be cautioned. An unhealthy diet includes excessive consumption of alcohol. This study shows the benefits of moderate drinking. But if you drink more than 2 drinks a day (14 a week) you will lose any benefits.

Quitting smoking is the most important thing you can do for your heart health. Then comes losing weight, associated with eating a healthier diet and exercising. If you do these things you will be less depressed and stressed.

But once you are eating a healthy diet, including moderate amounts of alcohol in the diet will help more than the diet alone. Indeed the alcohol will work better than any drug in improving your blood flow and warding off heart disease.

When you are sealed God will help you fight addictions. He will help you overcome evil, and that means you will be able to quit your bad habits. However, you will greatly benefit from drinking in moderation instead of quitting completely.

Jesus called bread His Body and wine His Blood. That makes up the Communion meal, or Last Supper. It is not surprising that drinking moderately–faithfully–has great health benefits for you. You will be able to drink moderately when you receive the Seal.