Sciatic Nerve Pain

Archive for February, 2010

Very few injuries that we commonly see can change a claimant’s life as dramatically as a “herniated disc”. Many similar terms are used almost interchangeably like “ruptured disc”, “disc protrusion” and “herniated nucleus pulposus”. Doctors often describe disc as being like a “jelly donut” between the vertebrae. When the disc material inside of the disc leaks out and touches on the “sciatic nerve”, severe pain often travels down the injured worker’s leg. Sometimes other structures are affected, like the “spinal cord” or the “spinal canal”. Disc injuries are most common found in the low back and neck and rarely occur in the mid-back. We see a lot of lumbar “laminectomies” in workers who do a lot of heavy lifting. A laminectomy or a microdiscectomy will often produce good results and in many instances injured workers will be able to return to rigorous work. If surgery is unsuccessful, a lumbar or cervical “fusion” may be needed. This often occurs with a condition called “spondylolisthesis” which involves a slippage of a vertebrae. In order to diagnose a disc problem an “MRI” is usually needed. If a condition is diagnosed as a “disc bulge” doctors will normally try treating the condition with physical therapy or steroid injections. If the MRI is negative, doctors may determine that they are dealing with a strained or sprained back or neck. Where surgery is contemplated, doctors will normally do a test called a “myelogram’ with a “cat scan” in order to get the best possible look at the problem. In those cases where multiple surgeries have been performed and a “fusion’ is the ultimate outcome, some injured workers may become “permanently totally disabled” which means that they are unable to work or compete in the “open labor market”. Everyone is different and it is difficult to generalize. I once had a client who had five surgeries, including a disc fusion, who had a body like Charles Atlas and was running 5 miles a day! In any event, if you are confronted with a serious back or neck injury, it is important to ask your attorney about the reputation of the doctor who is treating you.

The contents of this article are intended for educational use only in order to provide readers general information and a basic understanding of the law. If you are seeking legal advice, please consult a licensed professional attorney in your state. The information in this article should not be substituted for experienced legal advice.

Jeff Swaney
http://www.articlesbase.com/personal-injury-articles/st-louis-work-comp-lawyer-discusses-herniated-disc-injuries-721618.html

Everyone at some point in their lives will experience chest pain and some times its severe chest pain. Your chest covers a large part of your body and there is alot of territory there, so to speak. It also contains most of your bodies vital organs. These vital organs in your chest, are protected by your rib cage, because they are soft and delicate and can be damaged easily. So it is only natural to become alarmed at the onset of chest pain.

Chest pain is one of the most common reasons people seek emergency help at a hospital. The majority of these people seeking emergency help are concerned that they may be having a hear attack. While mild, to extreme chest pain, is one of the common symptoms of a heart attack, there are many other common reasons that can be atrributed to chest pain, even extreme chest pain can. Even a minor injury to the some parts of your body can leave you stricken with extreme chest pain.

This does not mean that you shouldn’t be concerned if you are stricken with serious chest pain and that you shouldn’t seek medical attention. It just means that you don’t have to assume you are going to die if it happens to you. Quit often, chest pain seems to come on suddenly and this in itself can be alarming but how sudden chest pain appears can have little bearing on how serious it is.

A strained back, that leads to swelling around the nerves in the back, causing a pinched nerve, can cause some of the most severe chest pain and it can come on suddenly and also may manifest itself in the center of the chest. This is because an irritated nerve can send a pain signal to other parts of your body and many times does. a bruised or cracked rib, can leave you buckled over with chest pain, that can make it difficult to breath.

These are both chest pain situations that are not indicators of a problem with any of your vital organs. Both of these can be cured with a visit to your doctor and some bed rest. However, chest pain can be a warning sign of more serious problems with the vital organs contained in your chest. Chest pain can be one of the symptoms of a heart attack and you may have other symptoms along with it if it is.

These may include, sweating, dizziness and vomiting. Other symptoms may be pain in you jaw or left arm. You also may experience shortness of breath. Restricted blood flow to the heart, may cause chest pain which may be a symptom of heart disease but not a heart attack. There are several heart related problems that can lead to chest pain, while not causing a heart attack.

One of these is a viral infection of the tissue surrounding the heart and another is any of several issues with the arteries that connect to the heart. Stomach problems, such as heartburn or indigestion can cause severe chest pain also. Prolonged mental stress and or anxiety, can cause chest pain. Chest pain can also be an indicator of serious life threatening health problems that don’t involve your heart at all.

Your chest also contains and protects your lungs and any one of many problems involving your lungs can cause extreme chest pain. Any infection of the lungs, can cause severe chest pain. Even pneumonia, or even a severe chest cold, or the flu can often cause chest pain. Chest pain is also one of the symptoms of lung cancer. There are other vital organs that your chest also contains, that will cause chest pain, if they are diseased, or malfunctioning.

Your gal bladder and also your pancreas, are both contained in your chest and any one of a number of problems with these two organs, will lead to chest pain. Chest pain can be a symptom of gall stones, which is a very painful condition. So if you experience severe chest pain, you should always seek immediate medical help, but don’t try to diagnose yourself because the causes are many.

Sven Ullmann
http://www.articlesbase.com/diseases-and-conditions-articles/causes-of-chest-pain-127634.html

Getting Your Ex Girlfriend Back – 3 Tips

When your girl up and decides to quit the relationship, it can really be a blow to your self-confidence…television dramatizes women as the ones who fall apart during breakups, but us guys have feelings too! Losing your partner hurts all of us, but cheer up! You can get your ex girlfriend back, if only you know what you’re doing!

The road to getting an ex girlfriend back can be tricky though, so it’s important to have a good idea of what you’re doing ahead of time. I’m going to help you out with that by giving you a few solid tips for how to go about working with the opposite sex in such a sensitive situation.

1) Don’t rush things. Getting too aggressive in your pursuit of her for the second time around is a big no-no that could drive her even further away…even out of reach permanently. Everyone’s fragile at this moment, and begging her to come back or chasing after her is a really bad idea.

Take things slow enough to not scare her off, so to speak. The last thing you want is to put too much pressure on her, because all that’s going to do is ruin your chances at getting her back. I mean think about it…if you’re under a lot of stress, would you want somebody you’re displeased with piling on more stress? No? Well she doesn’t either.

2) Go out with friends and have a good time in a public place. Even if she personally doesn’t see you, when word gets back to her about you having such a good time and getting along so well in a social environment will start to fuel some jealousy. Chances are good she’s not in a whole lot better shape than you are, breakups are hard on both people. Seeing you apparently doing great without her (even if you’re really hurting inside) will get her interested in you again.

She’ll start to wonder if maybe dumping you wasn’t the right choice…and that opens up a lot of doors, my friend. She could come back to you, and you’d have the choice of whether or not to pursue another try at the relationship. Even though that’s your whole goal with all this, you’d have the choice…and honestly after spending some time apart, meeting new people, and discovering that life without each other isn’t the end, you may not WANT to take her back.

3) Try not to drink or do anything that lowers your inhibitions for the first few weeks of the breakup. When the loneliness is at its peak, impaired judgment can lead to some embarrassing mistakes…the most common of which is “drunken dialing.” You know the scene: middle of the night, you’ve had a few beers, and being alone is having such a hard effect on you that for some reason it seems like a good idea to call and leave a deep, emotional, soul-baring message on her voicemail.

Then morning hits. You may or may not remember what you did, but it won’t be long before it hits you just how dumb a move that was. It screams desperation, and lack of self-control…not to mention you’re being pretty naive if you think one message always works like it does in the movies. All it’ll do is hurt your chances of getting her back and probably make you the butt of several jokes. Save yourself the embarrassment, and don’t drink away your pain…bad things can happen.

Those are three fairly basic tips for you…they’re not a complete guide to getting her back, but they’re a start for you. Getting your ex back could be a lot harder than it has to be, and these tips were designed to make it that much easier. Good luck, and I’d love to hear any success stories!

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kanetohman
http://www.articlesbase.com/dating-articles/getting-your-ex-girlfriend-back-3-tips-742480.html

Ouch! Your back hurts. You’ll go to a doctor if it doesn’t let up soon, but meanwhile, what can you do to treat back pain? Better yet, since you don’t want to simply treat it, what can you to relieve back pain? Wait a minute. What can you do to cure back pain – now?!

While back pain can be excruciating, it is common. It is one of the leading reasons people visit doctors each year. Add those who don’t want to visit a doctor, and the numbers are staggering.

Question is: how can you truly cure back pain?

You Don’t Want to Hear This!

My own doctor told me last week that the best way to cure back pain is to begin, and consistently maintain, regular exercises to strengthen core muscles.

After telling me that, he gave a short laugh, and added, “But most people don’t want to hear that.”

How about you? If my doctor is right, you probably don’t want to hear that you can cure back pain with regular exercise. You would rather hear that…

* a new chair will cure back pain while you watch TV
* a new prescription drug will cure back pain with daily doses
* a month in bed (paid sick leave) will cure back pain
* you should not exercise at all

I’m sorry, but what you and I really need is exercise that specifically targets the core muscle groups that support our backs.

Exercises to Cure Back Pain

The Texas Back Institute tells us that research shows more than two days of inactivity is harmful when you have back pain. Lying in a bed or reclining chair will only cause your muscles to weaken and become less flexible. As you move around, exercise improves blood flow to discs, joints, and muscles. Exercise relaxes spasms that are causing you pain, and speeds healing.

You need to get up and get gentle exercise if you expect to cure back pain.

The following daily routine will go far toward helping you actually cure back pain and keep it from recurring.

* Morning Rising: Begin your day by getting out of bed with this exercise. Roll on one side. Gently swing your legs to the floor while pushing up with your arms. When you are in a sitting position, stand up. This exercise will remind you every morning of your desire to cure back pain forever.

* Warm-up: Warm up your back before beginning exercises or rushing around getting ready for your day. Bend at the waist, and let your arms hang toward the floor. Do not stretch or bounce. Simply bend and hang, feeling your back lengthen. Then reach slowly for the ceiling, gently stretching upward. A brief, relaxed walk will finish your warm-up.

* Six Exercises:

1. Slippery Heels – Lie on your back on the floor, legs straight. Slowly slide your left heel toward your body, knee bent upward. Then slide the heel back away from your body until your leg is straight again. Repeat 10 times for each leg.

2. Slippery Lap – Stand with your back touching a wall, feet 12″ from the wall. Tighten abdominal muscles, hold, and slowly bend both knees, sliding downward until you form a lap. Hold 30 seconds, and slowly slide up again. Repeat 10 times.

3. High Heels – Stand facing a wall, about 18″ away. Balance your weight evenly on both feet. Slowly lift up only your heels – as though wearing high heel shoes. Then lower your heels slowly back to the floor. Repeat 10 times for each foot.

4. High Legs – Lie on your back, left leg straight, right leg at right angle. Tighten abdominal muscles, and slowly lift straight leg 6 to 12 inches, keeping it straight. Hold 5 seconds, and slowly lower. Repeat 10 times for each leg.

5. Reverse High Legs – Do “high legs” while lying on your stomach on the floor. Hold for 10 seconds, and slowly lower the leg to the floor. Repeat 5 times for each leg.

6. Brake Pedals – Lie on your back on the floor, legs straight. Push toes away as though pushing on 2 brake pedals. Pull the toes back toward your body, as though letting up on the brake pedals. Work your brake pedals up and down. Repeat 10 times.

* Cool-down: Cool down before going on with your day. A brief, relaxed walk is all you need.

Additional Secrets to Cure Back Pain

You can cure back pain by adding these additional secrets to your exercise program. First of all, remember that you should see your health care provider to learn exactly what type of back pain you have, and whether home care is sufficient.

With your physician’s approval, add these steps to cure back pain.

* If you must sit at a computer all day, sit with feet flat on the floor, or use a footrest to relieve back strain and cure back pain.

* Get up and move around for at least 5 minutes out of every hour.

* When standing for extended periods, shift your weight regularly.

* Wear shoes that have soft soles and low heels, preferably no more than 1.5 inches and square in shape. Place inserts in your shoes to correct any incorrect posture.

* Lose weight if you are too heavy. You can cure back pain more quickly if your muscles have less work to do.

* Avoid sitting on a thick billfold. A lot of money might buy back surgery, but you won’t cure back pain by sitting on it or a stack of credit cards and photos.

* Bend at the knees, not at the waist, when lifting something heavy.

* When your doctor says you are ready, begin a program of aerobic exercise to strengthen those core muscles in your back and abdomen. Choose from activities such as jogging, cycling, or swimming.

Cure Back Pain with Mind over Matter

Recent research indicates that mental gymnastics can do much to cure back pain. Although my doctor may not want to hear this, it appears to be true. Published in the journal BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders, the study found that training the mind was just as effective as using more physical methods to deal with chronic lower back pain.

The secret is to consciously realize that pain does not necessarily mean harm. Learn about your pain and what causes it, allowing your brain to deal with the perceived pain.

As long as you try to avoid it, you cannot cure back pain. Talk to your physician and create an exercise program that is right for you and your pain.

Anna Hart
http://www.articlesbase.com/medicine-articles/treat-relieve-cure-back-pain-now-110406.html

The spinal column may be divided broadly into two main sections. The thoracic or upper spine helps protect the organs that it covers and facilitates the different postures that we adopt. The lumbar or the lower half of the spine is responsible for movement, as is the neck.

Everyone, some more than others, has experienced back pain at some point in his life. The causes for back pain are many. Most people suffer from lower back pain and though upper back pain is not as common, it does occur.

The lower back is susceptible to injuries, as complaints from those who suffer a backache testify. The lumbar region is prone to discs being displaced. Discs degenerate with age and sometimes the spinal column narrows abnormally.

Backache in the upper portion of the back is the result of aberrations or damage to the thoracic backbone. Pain could be caused by irritation of the fibrous tissue between the muscles and due to the malfunctioning of joints. A deterioration of the discs in the upper back may instigate such a complaint as well. These problems often go unnoticed by those who suffer from pain in the upper region of the back, since there is restricted movement in this part of the spinal cord. For the same reason, the upper back is not as prone to injury as the lower portion. It is firmer from not being subjected to great mobility.

The main cause for upper back pain is defective posture. People who regularly work at computers are liable to develop upper backache. This kind of pain often exists in conjunction with pain in the neck and shoulder. Trauma after an accident where the upper vertebrae are injured can cause intense pain. This is not common. However if the case arises, rush the individual to a doctor. The earlier tests are run to assess the damage, the sooner can the treatment begin.

If a joint malfunctions or an irritation caused by the muscles brings pain, there are ways to combat the discomfort and ease the excruciating pain some may be racked with. Exercising everyday may lessen the pain. Physiotherapy sessions might cure the condition as well. An osteopath could alleviate the pain by chiropractic manipulation of the spine. Massages by reputed practitioners, especially deep massages to treat the condition, could bring some much-needed relief. Acupuncture, an alternative gaining in popularity could be your answer. A doctor may choose to inject local anesthesia into the points that trigger off the pain. Chemists may sell medicines that bring relief. The most common antidote would be drugs prescribed by your doctor.

If you have a persistent backache, don’t neglect it. It is better to get to the root of the cause. Once that has been established, you can follow it up with the right treatment, depending on the severity your case.

Stephen Madsen
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/what-are-the-causes-of-back-pain-87319.html