Back pain can seem to take over your life.  Your every thought and action is centred around your back.  Patients come to me in pain, desperate to know whether Spinal Decompression is right for them.  To help answer this question, Web MD has put together a useful guide about Spinal Decompression.  Read more to find out whether Spinal Decompression might be right for you…

Chronic pain can bring on depression, problems of memory and concentration, and general brain fog— a fact well known to many of the 50 million American adults who live with pain that has settled in for a long stay. But a study published Wednesday finds that changes in the brain that come with chronic pain can be reversed when the hurt is treated effectively.

The study, published in the Journal of Neuroscience, looked at sufferers of chronic low-back pain—a substantial slice of those with daily pain — and compared their brain responses to cognitive tests and their brains’ structures before and after they got treatment. They also compared the brain structure and function of chronic pain sufferers against those of a control group without chronic pain.

Compared with their 16 pain-free peers, the 18 subjects suffering chronic low-back pain had brains that were thinner and less densely packed in six specific regions of the brain. Three of those regions reside in the frontal cortex, which plays many pivotal roles in attention, judgment and reasoning. But other regions affected by the thinning help process mood, pain signals and judgments about what those around us are thinking and doing.

Six months after getting back treatments to the lower back, 14 of the original 18 subjects came back for more brain scans and cognitive tests. While several regions of the brain remained thinner compared with controls, one region of the brain—the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex—appeared to have regenerated itself in the treated subjects, and was no longer thinner than the same region in the brains of the control group. During a challenging cognitive test, the differences in brain activation that had separated the chronic pain sufferers from the healthy controls also disappeared.

Why might a robust dorsolateral prefrontal cortex be better than one hobbled by chronic pain? Because this area plays a key role in mood, social judgment, short-term memory and higher-order thinking, and any or all might suffer with the loss of cell density in the region.

And when researchers took into account whether the back treatment had worked, the brain comeback of patients freed of pain showed even greater strength. Three of the 14 treated patients reported worse back pain or disability six months later, and when researchers looked at their brain scans alone, it became clear their gray matter had not regenerated itself at all.

“Our results imply that treating chronic back pain can restore normal brain function,” the authors concluded.

Leave Back Pain at Home on your Next Flight

It’s the time of year to make travel plans for spring and summer vacations.  But if you suffer from back pain, just the thought of travel can be discouraging.  Planning ahead can help you enjoy your next trip back pain free.

Whether you’re a daily commuter, recreational traveler or travel for business, unless you take precautions, back pain can ruin your trip.

The following simple tips can help you reduce or avoid back pain when traveling:

#1: Avoid stress by planning ahead - Plan your vacation ahead of time. If you have a severe health condition contact your doctor to make sure it’s safe for you to travel.  Pack your bags a few days before the trip and load your suitcases into the car the night. This will reduce stress related muscle cramps and back pain from exertion right before your trip.  Reserve your seat online and check your luggage at the curb to avoid the stress and anxiety of rushing around or standing in line.

#2: Pack light to prevent muscle strains - Heavy bags can aggravate back pain and strain your muscles and joints if you’re not used to the physical exertion. Make things easier on yourself by using a suitcase with wheels and a handle for rolling it.  Use a few smaller bags instead of stuffing one large suitcase which will be difficult for you to carry up stairs, lug around from place to place, and lift into and out of the car.  If you must bring a lot of heavy luggage, take advantage of the services of the airport baggage handler, taxi driver, and hotel bellhop.

#3: Use back and neck supports - Your lower back and neck can suffer if your car, train or airplane seat fails to provide adequate support, so bring along a lumbar support pillow to make your seat more comfortable and add critical support for your lower back.  Avoid neck strain with a neck support pillow; inflatable travel pillows for head support are inexpensive, light, and easy to travel with. You’ll find the extra head support while resting or sleeping on long trips to be a life saver. By the way, don’t count on airlines to have a pillow available on every flight these days either.  It may be more expensive, but the extra legroom found in business or first class may be worth it for your comfort. Especially so if you have a long flight.

#4: Stretch to stay limber - For long trips be sure to get up and move around as frequently as possible, preferably every hour. Stand up, stretch, twist, and bend to ensure muscles throughout your body get refreshed.  Simply moving your muscles this way stimulates blood flow, bringing important nutrients and oxygen to tired muscles. Remember, simply holding the same position for extended periods is a major cause of muscle imbalances and lower back pain.  If you can manage just a few minutes of movement and stretching every hour it will prevent soft tissues in your lower back from stiffening and aching.

#5: Remain well hydrated - You can easily avoid dehydration, a common cause of back pain when traveling, if you remember to drink enough water during long trips.  Fluids are necessary to keep your body cool, your blood moving, your muscles supple and your tendons relaxed and pain free. And nothing replenishes the fluid in your body like good old water.  You can reduce your chance of back pain on long trips by avoiding tea, coffee, and alcohol which can secretly leave you dehydrated.

Tips for preventing and treating back pain on the golf course.

I often hear the same story from many of my golfer patients. It usually starts something like this: “I went to pick up my golf ball, and I couldn’t stand back up.” or: “I bent down, reached into the cup and felt a little pinch. It didn’t really hurt but later that night it felt like I was going to die.”

While the majority of golf injuries are sprains (usually from bending rather than swinging the club), I find herniated discs are not uncommon among golfers older than 50. As people age, portions of the lumbar region stiffen and because golfers tend to put stress on this area when they swing, sometimes they suffer a spinal herniation in their lower back. The disc is like a radial tire, It has a really tough, laminated lining surrounding a shock absorbent center. Under too much stress the core bulges through the lining, causing inflammation which can impinge the nerves. If pain radiates down the legs it may be a spinal herniation.

Another common problem is lumbar spinal stenosis, a condition affecting many in their 60s, which makes standing upright for long periods painful. For players with this condition, it is recommended keeping a slight forward bend to relieve pressure. It’s also not a good idea to walk the golf course, so get a cart. If you’re looking for exercise, use a stationary bike.

Stretching alone is not a fail-safe answer to back problems for golfers. Heading out first thing in the morning and trying to hit a 400-yard drive is a sure-fire way to sprain back muscles, even if a person has stretched out, because the muscles are still cold. Ligaments and muscles need increased temperature and blood flow in order to have the elasticity necessary to perform during a golf swing.

Here are some prevention tips to avoid back injury while golfing:

·    Warm up before your round with 8 minutes of low-impact cardio.

·    After warming up, take a few gentle practice swings.

·    Stretch daily (first thing in the morning and before bed).

·    Get at least 30 minutes of exercise three to five times a week.

·    Have your swing analyzed; poor alignment can exacerbate back problems.

·    If you must carry your bag, use two straps to evenly distribute the weight.

·    Avoid triggers such as repeated bending and stooping whenever possible.

Dr. Oz on Benefits of Chiropractic Adjustment

Back pain plagues as many as 80% of us – but guzzling pain killers isn’t the only way to get relief. A new report says that chiropractic therapy is just as effective as over-the-counter pain relievers for back pain. Dr. Oz explains how your spine gets misaligned and what this treatment could do for you. Click Here to watch Dr. Oz