Back pain is the leading cause of disability in the world and many patients presenting to their doctor are prescribed anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen to treat the complaint. New medical research seems to indicate that this treatment is ineffective. The research, which was conducted in Australia, has determined that for every six patients treated with anti-inflammatory drugs only one will achieve a clinically important benefit in the short term. Furthermore, the same researchers found that anti-inflammatories increase the risk of gastrointestinal side effects such as stomach ulcers and bleeding. The same institute that released these results has previously found that paracetamol is similarly ineffective in the treatment of back pain.

There was some interesting quotes from the researchers:

“…..it is now clear that the three most widely used, and guideline-recommended medicines for spinal pain do not provide clinically important effects over placebo,”

“Millions of Australians are taking drugs that not only don’t work very well, they’re causing harm,”

“We need treatments that will actually provide substantial relief of people’s symptoms.”

For a drug-free approach to low back pain, try chiropractic. Call Tamworth Chiropractic Centre and book an appointment today.

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It is estimated that more people complain of headaches than any other health condition. One in every six people, or 16% of the population suffer from headaches at least once a year. The most popular treatment is over the counter pain relievers or prescription medications. But there is an another option.

Chiropractic care is a highly sought-after alternative treatment for the debilitating effects of headache.

There are more than one type of headache. The most common type of headache is the tension headache. These are usually the result of abnormal posture, muscular tightness, joint stiffness and reduced range of motion, especially in the neck.

Migraines are the second most common type of headache. Sufferers of migraines are more likely to be female and it is suspected that there may be a hormonal cause for them. Sufferers often report that a particular food or drink sets them off.

Restoration of normal posture patterns is the key to treatment of headaches. Chiropractic treatment is aimed at reducing muscular tightness and restoring joint range of motion and removing or minimising causes of stress.

Are you suffering from headaches and are sick of taking pain-relieving medications day after day? Try chiropractic treatment at Tamworth Chiropractic Centre.

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Stress is something we all have to deal with at some stage of our lives, and for many people, so is back pain. It may come as a surprise to learn that stress is actually a common cause of back pain.

In the human body stress stimulates a part of the brain called the limbic system, which causes a release of hormones throughout the body. The hormones cause a physical reaction to stress; shortness of breath, sweating, increased heart rate, muscle tension, tightness or stiffness in joints, etc.

The hormones cause a change in the way in which you breathe. This in turn causes an increase in the tension of the muscles of your upper back and neck, causing poor posture, muscle soreness and headaches.

You can try and treat your own stress; try to control your breathing for a start. Lie on your back with your knees bent. Place one hand on your abdomen and the other on your chest. Take a deep breath through your nose. Take note of which hand moves upwards first. Optimal breating occurs through the diaphragm so the hand on your abdomen should move first. If the hand on your chest moves first then alter your breathing to ensure that the lower hand moves first.

Try this technique for 3-5 minutes every day. And for other solutions to stress, and other health tips, call Tamworth Chiropractic Centre for an appointment.

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The Global Burden of Disease 2010 Project was a collaberation between the World Health Organisation and several medical universities around the world to determine the worldwide impact of chronic disease. The results make interesting reading. The global impact of spinal pain and arthritis is staggering. To put it briefly, low back pain is the number one cause of musculoskeletal disability in the world and neck pain is number four.

Some other interesting facts:

* Musculoskeletal complaints such as low back pain, neck pain and arthritis have a greater impact on the world’s collective health than HIV/AIDS, malaria and the effects of war combined.

* Only cardiovascular and circulatory disease, cancer, neonatal diseases and mental illness account for more death and disability than low back and neck pain in the world.

* It was estimated that over 632 million people in the world suffered from low back pain and over 332 million people suffered from neck pain.

And it’s worth mentioning that when it comes to treating and preventing neck and low back pain, numerous studies have found chiropractic care to be an effective option. So call Tamworth Chiropractic Centre and make an appointment today.

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What is the secret to weight loss? You increase energy output, by exercising more. Or you decrease energy input, by dieting. And the diet that you follow will usually focus on decreasing the intake of one or more of either fats, carbs, calories or protein. So far, so good. But do you know what a major problem is with most diets? Each one will be based on a study that someone has conducted on a group of people. But it’s quite difficult to accurately control the input and output of energy of a large population, so a lot of the research into dieting is based on a very small number of people that are watched very closely for a very short time. Or it’s based on a larger group of people who record their own statistics. And people are notoriously dishonest when it comes to owning up to what they’ve eaten or drunk or the amount of exercise they’ve done.

A team of American researchers got around this problem by paying 25 people to live in isolation for three months and strictly monitoring both energy intake and expenditure. The first month was spent finding out exactly how many calories were needed to maintain body weight – neither gaining nor losing weight. Then for the next two months they were fed diets that contained 40% more than was required, made up of different combinations of fats and protein.

What they found was that once you have consumed your daily requirements any excess at all will cause a gain in body fat. But if the excess is in the form of protein it will cause an increase in both fat and muscle, whether exercise is performed or not.

The results indicate that when trying to lose weight by reducing the intake of calories the most effective strategy would be to have a diet made up of more protein than fats, which will maintain muscle mass but reduce body fat. And that’s a healthier way of losing those excess kilos.

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By now it’s a pretty well-known fact that treatment of a spinal injury often involves muscle strengthening exercises. But which type of exercises are the best ones for you? Exercises should be tailored to the individual, taking into account the person’s age, size, fitness level, strength and the severity and chronic/acute nature of the injury. However, a very basic level of core strengthening exercises can speed up recovery time or prevent spinal injuries in the future.

Try these exercises, starting gently at first and gradually increasing over time.

Plank: Start to get in a push-up position, but bend your elbows and rest your weight on your forearms instead of your hands. Your body should form a straight line from your shoulders to your ankles. Make a bridge with your body by supporting yourself on your elbows and toes, forming a straight line with your body, like a “plank.” Make sure your low back is in a neutral position, bracing your stomach to maintain it; imagine you’re trying to move your belly button back to your spine. Don’t let the low back sag. Start with holding for 20 seconds, breathing steadily. As you build endurance, you can do one 60-second set, then progress to two sets of 60-second holds.

Side plank: On your side, form a bridge with your body by supporting yourself on one elbow and the outside edge of one foot. Your body should form a straight line from head to ankles as you lift your hips so your body stays in a straight line, like a plank. Pull your abs in as far as you can and hold this position for 10 to 30 seconds, breathing steadily. Make sure your top hip and shoulder are directly above the bottom hip and shoulder. Hold the straight-line position. Relax. Try for any combination of reps that gets you up to 30 seconds; build up to holding for one minute. Repeat on your other side. Perform 1-2 repetitions on each side.

Just remember to begin slowly and build up gradually. It’s natural to feel a bit achey at first. If the ache doesn’t improve within a couple of days make an appointment and get a checkup. You may need an adjustment as well.

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Personally I find video games a bit dull so I don’t need news like this to stop me from playing them, but if you were looking for an excuse to stop your child from spending hours on the Playstation then this may be it. Recent research has suggested that children who play video games for long durations have lower bone density than children who don’t. Childhood is the time of life when bone mineral density is increasing and bone strength is stimulated by physical activity so long hours of inactivity may actually increase the possibility of a bone fracture. And let’s not forget the postural problems that may arise with long periods of sitting in the one position. As with many things, a little time spent playing computer games is okay, but it shouldn’t take the place of daily exercise.

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Good health is dependent on good sleep and it seems that these days there are more and more things that prevent us from getting a good night’s sleep. Shift work, all-night sport on the TV, computers and various other aspects of modern day life often take priority over being well rested. And yet according to the Division of Sleep Medicine at Harvard Medical School, “a lack of adequate sleep can affect judgment, mood, ability to learn and retain information, and may increase the risk of serious accidents and injury. In the long term, chronic sleep deprivation may lead to a host of health problems including obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and even early mortality [death].”

Here are six ways that can help you get a good night’s sleep:

1. Relax before going to bed. Spend at least an hour preparing yourself for sleep, having a bath or shower or listening to music – whatever it takes to get the stresses of the day out of your head.

2. Exercise early in the day rather than later. Working out early in the day leaves you tired by the end of the day whereas a workout before going to bed may leave you sore and unable to sleep.

3. Avoid eating shortly before going to bed. The stomach digests food automatically and you can’t switch it off. You can’t be fully relaxed if your stomach is still working away at digesting the meal you just ate.

4. Shift work makes this one difficult but whenever possible go to bed and wake up at approximately the same time every day.

5. Get regular chiropractic checkups. Interference to the nervous system causes muscle tension that can make it hard to relax. This can be relieved by chiropractic adjustments.

6. When the body says rest, listen and go to bed. You’ll be thankful you did.

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Recent research has found that older adults (age 70-89 at the start of the study) who have a high carbohydrate intake are nearly twice as likely to develop mild cognitive impairment than those with a low carb intake. Subjects with a high fat intake were 42% less likely to develop cognitive impairment, and high protein consumers were 21% less likely to develop impairment.

Sugar fuels the brain and body so a moderate intake is good. But in our modern society it’s very easy to consume more than is healthy. Try and reduce your sugar intake and your health will benefit.

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It is estmated that up to 80% of Australians suffer from low back pain at some stage of their lives and at least 10% experience significant disability. Many people suffering from low back pain consult a medical doctor for treatment and many of those are prescribed Paracetamol (Panadol). In news that may change the whole medical approach to spinal pain, researchers from the University of Sydney have found that paracetamol is no better than placebo in treating low back pain. That is, taking Panadol for back pain is virtually useless. And the news even gets worse: not only is paracetamol next to useless in treating the complaint, the article – which was published in the very prestigious British Medical Journal – also points out that patients who take paracetamol are up to four times more likely to develop liver problems.

And in research that was published in the US at roughly the same time it was found that a previously unknown side-effect of paracetamol is that it has a numbing effect on the emotions, preventing the patient from experiencing normal highs and lows of happiness and sadness.

That’s three good reasons to not take Panadol for low back pain. And three good reasons to give chiropractic a try, if you’re one of the 80% of Australians who suffer from low back pain.

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