Lower back and neck pain (Translated) E-Book

Various Authors

• Herausgeber: David De Angelis
• Kategorie: Ratgeber
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2022

Beschreibung

Each year, according to European statistics, five percent of the population suffers from back pain. In Britain, back pain costs more in lost work hours than strikes and requires fewer doctor visits than respiratory infections. Eighty percent of adults in Italy are forced by back pain to seek medical attention at least once in their lives. Strange fact: back pain has become much more common in recent years. It seems to appear more frequently in advanced technology societies, where the organization of life is more complex. Perhaps this is because psychological stress is as important a factor in back pain as in headaches. And it may also be that nowadays people are more exposed to stress and less resistant to pain. Anyone can be struck by an occasional backache after a muscular effort to which they are not accustomed. This is completely normal and the pain goes away after a day or two. But if this is severe, or lasts for more than three or four days, it is time to seek medical advice. Arthrosis, a degenerative disease of the joints, can also affect the spine, indeed it is the main cause of back pain. Finally, it may surprise you to learn that another possible cause of pain in the spine is gout, a chronic metabolic disease, which in the popular imagination mainly affects the big toe of wealthy old gentlemen fond of good food. In reality, gout can begin in any joint and affect people of all ages. Dr. Peter Baranowski, an Australian specialist in neurology and spinal diseases, wrote in a book that gout makes its appearance when the amount of uric acid in the blood increases, resulting in its crystals being deposited in the joints. This causes inflammation and joint pain. There can also be accumulation of crystals in the discs of the spine. It should be noted that cold (more cold currents than widespread cold) is also a cause of back pain. Localized cold can cause more violent and frequent reactions in the nerve roots of the spine. There are 31 pairs of spinal roots that start in the spinal cord. These roots are the origin of all of our peripheral nerves. If your back pain is chronic, there are many things you can do to relieve it. But since the pain may depend on some disease in other parts of the body, it is better not to take any chances. Therefore, the first thing to do is to consult your doctor to know the precise cause of your back pain.

Leseprobe

LOWER BACK AND NECK PAIN

DO'S AND DON'TS FOR A HEALTHY BACK

VARIOUS AUTHORS

Translation and edition 2022 by David De Angelis

All rights reserved

INDEX

Chapter 1 - Introduction

Chapter 2 - The Witch's Stake

Chapter 3 - In six points the victory over pain

Chapter 4 - The Barrier against Kidney Disease

Chapter 5 - Shaking off that cross

Chapter 6 - Neck pain

Chapter 7 - The Curved Man Who Straightened Up

Back exercises

Chapter 1 - Introduction

Each year, according to European statistics, five percent of the population suffers from back pain. In Britain, back pain costs more in lost work hours than strikes and requires fewer doctor visits than respiratory infections. Eighty percent of adults in Italy are forced by back pain to seek medical attention at least once in their lives.

Strange fact: back pain has become much more common in recent years. It seems to appear more frequently in high-tech societies, where the organization of life is more complex. Perhaps this is because psychological stress is as important a factor in back pain as in headaches. And it may also be that nowadays people are more exposed to stress and less resistant to pain.

Anyone can be affected by occasional back pain after a muscular exertion to which they are not accustomed. This is completely normal and the pain disappears after a day or two. But if this is severe, or lasts for more than three or four days, it is time to seek medical advice. The pain in the back could in fact depend on the compression of an intervertebral disc, the cartilage that acts as a shock absorber between one vertebra and another; or be caused by a fractured, worn or displaced vertebra; depend on the tearing or stretching of a muscle or ligament.

Arthrosis, a degenerative joint disease, can also affect the spine, indeed it is the main cause of back pain. Finally, it may come as a surprise to learn that another possible cause of pain in the spine is gout, a chronic metabolic disease, which in the popular imagination mainly affects the big toe of wealthy old gentlemen fond of good food. In reality, gout can begin in any joint and affect people of all ages. Dr. Peter Baranowski, an Australian specialist in neurology and spinal diseases, wrote in a book that gout makes its appearance when the amount of uric acid in the blood increases, resulting in its crystals being deposited in the joints. This causes inflammation and joint pain. There can also be crystal buildup in the discs of the spine. "In Australia," according to Baranowski, "gout symptoms are found in one in every five or six people, particularly in males over the age of 45 or 50." Those who suffer from it "are almost always heavy meat eaters and alcohol drinkers, and do not engage in adequate physical activity."

It should be noted that cold (more cold currents than widespread cold) is also a cause of back pain. Localized cold can cause more violent and frequent reactions in the nerve roots of the spine. There are 31 pairs of spinal roots that start in the spinal cord. These roots are the origin of all of our peripheral nerves.

"The roots of the spine and their lining are extremely sensitive to pain," says Dr. Baranowski, "They react immediately to any kind of irritation or damaging influence (overexertion, fatigue, cold, and bumps). Their reaction manifests as inflammation, swelling and pain." Three times as many men as women suffer from lower back disorders, the Australian scholar claims. Yet, "one in three or one in four women over the age of 40 complain of back pain for years." In most cases, these pains are not directly related to the spine but "more often they are muscular pains caused by housework."

Continuous, chronic pain in the lower back "can be a sign that there is something wrong with the woman's genital apparatus; and it is not only important, but essential to have a gynecological examination. For older men suffering from chronic lower back pain, it is equally important to have a prostate examination."

If your back pain is of the chronic type, there are many things you can do to relieve it. But since the pain could be due to some disease in other parts of the body, it is better not to take any chances. Therefore, the first thing to do is to consult your doctor to know the exact cause of your back pain.

Chapter 2 - The Witch's Stake

The cause of a portion of chronic back disorders, particularly that acute "twinge" known as "witch's blow". is a "trauma" or injury. This trauma may be due to a blow sustained to the lumbosacral region, a fall from a certain height that causes sudden compression of the bones and discs of the spine, a sudden tear caused by the effort to lift a heavy object, or may result from a large number of other painful events. Less obvious injuries may also fall under the category of "trauma." Chronic trauma can also result from sleeping for many years on an unsuitable mattress. It has the effect of chronic trauma to sit, slumped, in a position that produces continuous tension in the lumbosacral spine. Chronic trauma is any recurring tension, however slight, to which the spine is subjected.

Chronic trauma occurs in the course of most of our daily lives: many times a day, one day after another. Sooner or later, the cumulative effects of chronic trauma reach such an intensity that the back can no longer tolerate them. That's when the pain sets in.

For years, we've been told that sitting "slouching" is bad for you. But, according to Dr. Henry Feffer, professor of orthopedic surgery at George Washington Medical Center, it's the simple sitting position that can do damage to the back. "If you sit incorrectly - in an overstuffed chair, in a poorly designed car seat - the discs in your lower back are put under more pressure," explains Dr. Feffer. "But even when you're sitting properly, the pressure on the disc is twice as great as when you're standing. And the pressure when you're standing is in turn twice as great as when you're lying down."

Psychological stress can also cause back pain. A person may develop back pain as an unconscious defense mechanism in a situation where he or she does not feel able to cope with certain emotional difficulties. Even in these cases, the pain should be treated as such.

People today are under too much stress and get too little physical activity. If the muscles remain tense for too long, they end up hurting, as in a tension headache. It can happen to lift a five-pound weight and experience the same back pain that another person complains of while lifting a hundred pounds.

Back pain can be a consequence of aging, as a result of deterioration of the discs located between vertebrae. The discs function as shock absorbers between the vertebrae, but when worn down, the ligaments surrounding them can become distorted. This causes swelling that presses on a spinal nerve, producing excruciating pain. The result is a herniated disc. Only the most severe cases require surgery. The most common method of treating disc affections or disease is surgical, but today many orthopedists recognize that for most cases, this type of surgery is not necessary. "I've seen patients, undergoing as many as 11 operations, whose backs continued to hurt more than ever," says Professor Keith McElroy, assistant professor of orthopedic surgery at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center in New York, who was consulted at the time for President Kennedy.