Atlanta Acupuncture for Lower Back Pain

The National Institutes of Health reports that up to 80 percent of the general population in the United States suffers or will suffer from an episode of lower back pain. That means four out of five adults are likely to have lower back pain at some point in life, making it one of the most common neurological ailments, second only to headache.

There are many treatments and remedies available for persons who suffer from this condition. And while there is no definitive treatment, the use of Atlanta acupuncture for lower back pain has experienced a dramatic increase over the past few decades.


A number of placebo-controlled studies have established and validated Atlanta acupuncture for lower back pain as a reliable method for pain relief. In fact, the Annals of Internal Medicine has published a meta-analysis on Atlanta acupuncture for lower back pain showing how among the two dozen previously published studies on back pain treatments, acupuncture is “significantly more effective” than sham acupuncture or no treatment.

ACUPUNCTURE: How it Works

Acupuncture is a significant component of Traditional Chinese Medicine. It has been used to treat a number of illnesses for hundreds of years in China and most Asian nations.

The treatment is based on a theory that the human body is made up of channels or meridians where the “life force” or qi flows through. If these meridians are blocked off because of stress or any number of causes of illness, it would compromise the health of the individual. The goal of acupuncture, therefore, is to unblock the clogged meridians and allow the qi to once more flow freely throughout the body. This is done by sticking needles unto the affected meridians to release the qi.

The Science Behind

In a recent study published in the Clinical Journal of Pain, Dr. Christer Carlsson and his colleague Dr. Bengt Sjlund of the Lund University Hospital in Sweden were able to prove the safety of using Atlanta acupuncture for lower back pain.

Recruiting 50 patients (comprised of 33 women and 17 men) all of whom have been suffering chronic low back pain for a minimum of six months, the scientists randomly assigned one group out of three to undergo sessions of Atlanta acupuncture for lower back pain. The other two groups underwent electroacupuncture and placebo, respectively.

After four sessions plus a follow up treatment two months later, “significant” changes were observed in the group that underwent Atlanta acupuncture for lower back pain. Based on these results, the scientists concluded that “there is now reasonable evidence that acupuncture has a clinically relevant pain-relieving effect on certain forms of chronic pain.”

Several more studies were conducted investigating the effects of Atlanta acupuncture for lower back pain. While the question of efficacy remains widely disputed, a good number of the European medical community are adopting Atlanta acupuncture for lower back pain as a valid treatment method.

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Top Tips to deal with Osteoporosis and Back Pain

For sufferers of osteoporosis performing the most common of everyday tasks can be risky. But what can you do to help your condition and get some back pain relief? Read on for some helpful tips and advice.Top Tips for dealing with Osteoporosis and Back Pain. Those who suffer from osteoporosis will know the ongoing risks and dangers they face everyday. Extra care must be taken by the sufferer to prevent the falls, stumbles, trips and knocks that wouldn’t bother an average healthy person, but can often result in fractures or breaks to the bones of a person with osteoporosis.With osteoporosis, the bones of the body lose their thickness and strength, resulting in them becoming more brittle and easier to break. It is quite often seen as a disease of the pensioner where shrinkage of the spine occurs, and the person quite literally seems to shrink, sometimes very rapidly. The typical ‘dowager’s hump’ is the excessive curvature of the upper part of the spine resulting from the collapse of the spinal column, which is caused by osteoporosis.But osteoporosis does not only strike the elderly alone, as people of all ages can develop this condition through different factors such as a sedentary lifestyle, or a much reduced activity level through severe injury or illness, heavy and excessive smoking and drinking, eating a diet that is low in calcium, overactive thyroid gland, liver disease, or lack of oestrogen due to going through menopause.Women often suffer more from osteoporosis than men, often due to the rapid reduction of oestrogen during the menopause, and the condition affects more women than strokes, heart disease, arthritis, diabetes, and breast cancer. About half of women aged between 50 to 75 suffer from some osteoporosis. An injury to the spine can be debilitating and extremely painful, so what can be done to help reinforce and protect your spine, and other vulnerable bones and joints?One obvious answer to help with this condition would be to increase calcium foods in the diet, or to add a calcium supplement in tablet or powder form. But don’t just limit your thinking to just calcium containing dairy foods alone, such as milk, yoghurt, eggs and cheese. There are other foods like green leafy vegetables, herbs, vitamins and minerals you can eat that also contain sources of calcium, and some that complement your efforts by helping your body to absorb more calcium, to slow down the loss, or even hang on to it for longer.Try to increase, or introduce the following into your diet:Fish bones are a great source of natural calcium. Try to choose fresh or tinned fish where you can eat up the bones too.Magnesium may be beneficial in preventing the progression of osteoporosis. For back pain relief, try taking a supplement, adding brewers yeast, or eating foods rich in magnesium such as soyabeans, sunflower seeds, almonds, hazelnuts, etc..Vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium, so you will be getting extra by eating oily fish such as mackerel, sardines and salmon, which you are eating to get the calcium from the bones as mentioned above. Vitamin D is not called the sunshine vitamin for nothing, and by far the best way of getting a dose is by taking a walk in the sunshine. Vitamin D is produced in the skin as a natural reaction to sunlight, and the body absorbs most of its Vitamin D in this way.Increasing your intake of boron is beneficial. Boron is a trace mineral, which can be found in plants. Recent research has indicated that post-menopausal women who up their intake of boron can prevent calcium loss in bones, so consuming an extra serving of organically grow fruit and root vegetables, such as potatoes, carrots, beetroot, turnips and parsnips can help keep your bones healthy. (Good quality soil is rich in boron, so make sure you buy organic wherever possible).If you have fluoride in your drinking water, this can help by stimulating new bone growth.Tea drinkers will be aware of the health benefits of this popular beverage, but if you like herbal tea too, you may be pleased to know that a cup of comfrey leaf tea can aid in healing. Calcium containing herbal teas include parsley, kelp, dandelion leaf, horsetail, and nettle. Adding new teas or increasing these herbal teas can be very beneficial to osteoporosis sufferers. Low or no-impact exercise is recommended for sufferers of osteoporosis and will aid in back pain relief, such as swimming, walking, and gentle stretching. Weight-bearing exercises such as weight training with light weights can also help to keep the muscles and tendons strong that support the spine and joints. With back problems, keeping your core muscles strong, tight and aligned is vitally important if you want to protect your spine from further injury, so taking a regular pilates or light yoga class or course would be a great way of achieving a strong core, while trying to avoid jarring exercises such as jogging and high-impact aerobics which could result in injury. For more indepth information about managing your osteoporosis and back pain, visit http://expertbackpain.weebly.com/ or http://www.backpaincompendium.com/

Free Help to manage you Sciatica and give you Back Pain Relief

You know that annoying burning pain you get with sciatica? It can literally ruin your day and prevent you from living your life to the full. Have you had enough of the pain? Do you want some back pain relief? Read on for some helpful tips and advice to help you manage and improve your sciatica.Top Tips to help you Manage your Sciatica and Back Pain. If you experience a burning or shooting sensation along the spine, its quite possible you are suffering from sciatica. The sciatic nerve is the largest nerve in the body, which runs from the spinal cord, through the buttocks and runs down the back of each leg. Usually, sciatica is experienced by people with a prolapsed or slipped disc. A slipped disc is actually not a disc that has slipped, but has herniated allowing the softer internal material to protrude through to aggravate the roots of the sciatic nerve along the spinal cord. In some cases sciatica can be experienced by women during pregnancy or child-birth, and also through Incorrect lifting or twisting while lifting heavy objects or moving furniture, or through stress.Sciatic symptoms can vary from mild discomfort to extremely painful, with a common description being that of experiencing shooting pains running down the spine, buttocks and legs. Some people also experience pins and needles, or numbness in their feet and legs, along with a general feeling of muscular weakness.In some cases, sciatica can be a temporary condition that given the correct treatment will ease over time, or in the case of pregnancy related sciatica, can disappear once the woman has given birth, and her body has returned to normal.Some reduction of symptoms and back pain relief can be experienced by laying on your back on the floor for 20 minutes, with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor, elevate your head off the floor with a couple of pillows or a telephone directory.Aromatherapy massage using lavender and chamomile essential oils can also help to reduce pain and improve circulation.As with other back problems, a warm bath for back pain relief, with a few drops of a soothing and healing oil such as lavender can be most beneficial to the sufferer, as can some old fashioned remedies such as slicing a fresh lemon in half and rubbing it over the painful area, or drinking celery tea, or elderberry wine.Keeping your bone structure and nervous system healthy is very important if you want to prevent further bouts of sciatica. Fish bones are a great source of natural calcium. Try to choose fresh or tinned fish where you can eat up the bones such as tinned salmon or sardines.Magnesium may be beneficial in reducing or slowing the process of bone loss. Try taking a supplement such as calcium pills or powder, adding brewers yeast can provide you with a whole host of extra minerals including calcium, or eating foods that contain or are high in magnesium such as nuts and soyabeans.Vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium, so you will be getting the best source by eating oily fish such as mackerel, sardines and salmon, which you are also eating to get the calcium from the bones as previously mentioned above. Vitamin D is not called the sunshine vitamin for no reason, and by far the easiest and the best way of getting a dose is by taking a healthy stroll in the sunshine. Vitamin D is produced in the skin as a natural reaction to sunlight, and the body absorbs most of its Vitamin D in this way.Increasing your intake of boron can be extremely helpful. Boron is a trace mineral, which can be found in plants. Recent research has indicated that post-menopausal women who increase their intake of boron can prevent loss of bones strength through calcium loss, so tucking into extra serving of organically grow fruit and root vegetables, such as potatoes, carrots, beetroot, turnips and parsnips can help keep your bones healthy. (Good quality soil is rich in boron, so make sure you buy organically grown fruit and vegetables wherever possible).If you find that your sciatica symptoms become worse, or don’t seem to ease over time, then visit your GP or physician to make sure there are no other underlying causes.For more indepth information about managing your sciatica and back pain, and getting some back pain relief visit http://expertbackpain.weebly.com or http://www.backpaincompendium.com

Back Pain Relief from Fibromyalgia fibrositis

It doesn’t matter what your doctor says, you know you are suffering from fibromyalgia or fibrositis, and you are fed up with being fobbed off! Read on for some helpful tips and advice to help you manage and improve your pain, and get some back pain relief!.How to cope with Back Pain and Fibromyalgia (Fibrositis).There is some disbelief about fibromyalgia, with some doctors refusing to acknowledge this painful condition, and in some cases sufferers are refused treatment by their physician or GP. However, those people who experience the painful muscle spasms and pain associated with this condition would try to convince you otherwise.Fibromyalgia is associated with high levels of stress experienced by an individual, and can be brought on by cold, damp weather, and usually affects people from middle age onwards. Sufferers are those who often have jobs which involve sitting for long periods of time,, such as at desks, or those who drive for a living. The condition seems to affect people most who are of a nervous, emotional, or anxious disposition, or who are suffering an extremely high amount of stress.The symptoms of fibromyalgia can vary in intensity, with aches, pains and tenderness experienced along the spine and back, but can affect other parts of the body including shoulders, neck, chest, and knees. The after effects of this condition can make a sufferer feel completely exhausted, both physically and mentally, but no back pain relief is reached at night as sleep is often restless, fitful, and very disturbed.A good treatment, aromatherapy massage with lavender, chamomile and rosemary can have a calming effect, both on mind and body. You can also use lavender oil in a warm bath to help relief stiffness and pain.Symptoms of an attack can be reduced by taking Rescue Remedy flower essence. You can purchase this in liquid extract form in small bottles, or in pastille form. Rescue Remedy can be purchased from good health food stores and high street pharmacies. Keep some in your bag or pocket if you suffer frequent attacks.Joining in with some stress relieving activities or exercise can be most beneficial for helping to improve the health and well-being of fibromyalgia sufferers. Taking a stroll at lunchtimes out in the fresh air will aid with stress-relief, and to stretch out your muscles. Especially good for people with office or desk jobs!Most community swimming pools have early bird sessions, and you may find you can fit in a swim before work. Or if you have to be at work early, see if the pool runs evening swim sessions you could join after work. This would be great for winding down after a stressful day at work, and will aid in restful sleep too.Have you ever wanted to learn to dance? There is nothing better than learning a new skill, plus gaining all the health benefits of regular exercise along the way. Dance classes are also a great way of making new friends, who can also help you de-stress raise your spirits and take your mind off your troubles.Check at your local community college to see what adult evening classes they run. You may find taking up a new skill, hobby, or even a new language can greatly relieve your stress, and could even lead to new work opportunities that you may not have considered before. Lots of people have changed careers as a result of experiencing new and more enjoyable skills learnt at night school.For more indepth information about managing your fibromyalgia, fibrositis and back pain, visit http://expertbackpain.weebly.com or http://www.backpaincompendium.com

Aromatherapy and the Treatment of Fibromyalgia Fibrositis

It doesn’t matter what your doctor says, you know you are suffering from fibromyalgia or fibrositis, and you are fed up with being fobbed off! Read on for some helpful tips and advice to help you manage and improve your pain and get some back pain relief.The use of pure essential oils from plants has been around thousands of years, and the health-promoting essences are commonly used for the treatment and relief of many conditions.Although the label of ‘Aromatherapy’ is a relatively new one, ancient physicians were highly skilled in the administration of volatile plant extracts and understood the effects they had on the human body and mind. Unlike today, ancient physicians were paid to keep patients healthy, so they used essential oils on a daily basis to help promote the beneficial effects in daily life, and often helped to reduce or eliminate an ailment before it could become a problem.Aromatherapy is a very gentle form of treatment, therefore ordinary people can benefit from the health-boosting use of essential oils at home without the worry of visiting a specialist for some back pain relief. However, for more specific conditions such as fibromyalgia, it is recommended that you consult a trained Aromatherapist who can apply their professional knowlege and skill on a regular basis to relieve the condition. Supporting your professional sessions at home with soothing and relaxing essential oils can only help the fibromyalgia sufferer to manage their symptoms.The beneficial combination of massage and essential oils is very soothing and relaxing in itself, but you are also gaining the healing and balancing scents through your nose as you breath, resulting in a balancing and restorative calm to your body and mind. This can often give you beneficial side effects such as better digestion, healthier skin, and an overall improvement in your general mood, health and well-being.Using a calming blend of essential oils on a regular basis can go far to help strengthen your immune system. Something as simple as applying a few drops of oil to a handkerchief and carrying it with you can help to calm you down, sooth your stress, and generally give you a bit of support and resolve to get through whatever stressful situation you may find yourself facing.Fibromyalgia is believed to be stress-related, so you can help keep the atmosphere calm and stress-free at work or at home by placing around your office or home a dish of essential oil scented wooden balls.Once home after a particularly stressful work day, taking a relaxing bath with the addition of essential oils can go a long way to help relieve symptoms of fibromyalgia, calming your mind, soothing your spirits, giving you some back pain relief, and preparing your body for a restful and peaceful night's sleep.The use of a vaporiser or oil burner can be very beneficial, filling the air with a larger dose of soothing and calming essential oils than using scented wooden balls alone. Care must be taken when using an oil burner because of the obvious fire risks associated with the use of candles. Our Neglected Sense of SmellThis modern world of ours is highly dominated by sound and vision with TV, Radio and the like, so we don’t rely nearly as much on our sense of smell as we used to.When a baby is born, it senses it’s mother and the security she offers by smell, and as a baby doesn’t have fully developed eyesight, smell develops as the main and keenest of its senses. We know not to eat a rotten fruit, vegetable or other piece of food that doesn’t smell quite right even if sometimes it looks ok, and it is that ‘unpleasant’ smell that creates a reaction in us, making us feel sick, or giving us a headache.In the same way, inhaling a potent aromatherapy oil can invoke a reaction of cheerfulness, clarity of thought, stimulation or reviving flagging spirits, calming relaxation, or pleasure.With fibromyalgia sufferers who by nature can feel anxious or be stressed out easily, the best sort of essential oils to use are soothing and calming ones that can help ease stress, and in some cases prevent an attack coming on, or lessening the effects.Easing stress and tension with the following essential oils is recommended, and you can safely use these oils in massage, oil burners or vaporisers, and in your bath at home:Basil, bergamot, chamomile, clary sage, geranium, lavender, neroli, sweet orange, rose, and ylang ylang.A suggested blend of relaxing oils for use to scent the home, in your bath or oil burner would be the following: 3 drops of sweet orange, 4 drops of neroli and 3 drops of ylang ylang.When you seek out a therapist, make sure you check they are fully qualified and experienced enough to treat your specific needs. You should feel comfortable and at ease with your therapist and be able to establish a trusting relationship. Try out sessions with different therapists to find the one you are most happy with before committing to a course of aromatherapy massage treatments.For more indepth information about managing your fibromyalgia, fibrositis and back pain, visit http://expertbackpain.weebly.com or http://www.backpaincompendium.com

Back Pain Relief and Coping With Lumbago and Lower Back Pain

Lumbago can be a real pain in the back - literally! But you don't have to suffer in silence. Take these steps to get you back pain relief, and help you improve your lumbago, and lower back problems today, and you too can be free of painLower Back Pain and LumbagoUsually most adults will experience back pain at some point or other in their lives, and probably the most common of back problems affecting the lower back is Lumbago.Lumbago affects the muscles at the base of the spine and the pain experienced can vary greatly from an annoying ache to persistent severe pain. It is thought that the condition can be made worse by extra muscle strain from carrying a baby through pregnancy, excess body weight, poor posture, and cold, damp weather. Unfortunately, with increasing age lumbago can intensify, so it’s even more important for people to keep fit and maintain good health as they age.A person's first bout of lumbago will be felt when doing heavy physical work, such as shifting furniture, lifting and twisting unaturally, resulting in excruciating pain. The spine may not be damaged itself, unless a person has experienced an injury to the back, which is quickly followed by low back pain. Lumbago is basically muscular in origin, so the symptoms can be greatly eased by strengthening the core muscles of the body, losing excess weight, and improving posture.Improving muscle strength will certainly give you relief from lower back pain. Most sufferers will turn to pain-killing drugs to help relieve their discomfort in the first instance, but taking a warm bath with a little lavender oil can be really beneficial too. Aromatherapy massage can be a more holistic approach to dealing with recurrent lumbago, incorporating oils that help to relieve pain, such as St John’s wort, vervain, white willow, and comfrey.A regular exercise regime can be of great benefit phyically and mentally, but with lumbago it would be better to concentrate on exercises that strengthen the core muscles and improve posture, such as pilates, which advocates building and maintaining the back, abdominal and oblique muscles that make up the core. Think of you core as a natural girdle that pulls you in, protects your back and improves your posture.As we age we tend to wind down, and become less active than we were when we were younger, so making small changes to your every day routine can go a long way to improving your posture, general fitness and associated muscle strength, and lessening the symptoms of lumbago.Try walking to work instead of taking the bus, or get off two stops earlier. Take the stairs wherever possible instead of using lifts and escalators. Park you car further away from your workplace so you can add a few minutes extra walking to your day. Go for a stroll at lunch-time instead of sitting at your desk. Buy a dog and walk it twice a day. Get the family out into the countryside at weekends for a day of exploring, or try out your local rambling club. Take up dancing lessons, or learn a new dance style, join your local gym for regular weigh-training sessions a couple of times per week.Whatever you choose to do, have fun doing it and you will be able to cope better with your lumbago.For more indepth information about managing your lumbago and back pain, visit http://expertbackpain.weebly.com or http://www.backpaincompendium.com

Coping With Lumbago and Lower Back Pain

Lumbago can be a real pain in the back - literally! But you don't have to suffer in silence. Take these steps to help you improve your lumbago and lower back problems today, and you too can be free of painLower Back Pain and LumbagoUsually most adults will experience back pain at some point or other in their lives, and probably the most common of back problems affecting the lower back is Lumbago.Lumbago affects the muscles at the base of the spine and the pain experienced can vary greatly from an annoying ache to persistent severe pain. It is thought that the condition can be made worse by extra muscle strain from carrying a baby through pregnancy, excess body weight, poor posture, and cold, damp weather. Unfortunately, with increasing age lumbago can intensify, so it’s even more important for people to keep fit and maintain good health as they age.A person's first bout of lumbago will be felt when doing heavy physical work, such as shifting furniture, lifting and twisting unaturally, resulting in excruciating pain. The spine may not be damaged itself, unless a person has experienced an injury to the back, which is quickly followed by low back pain. Lumbago is basically muscular in origin, so the symptoms can be greatly eased by strengthening the core muscles of the body, losing excess weight, and improving posture.Most sufferers will turn to pain-killing drugs to help relieve their discomfort in the first instance, but taking a warm bath with a little lavender oil can be really beneficial too. Aromatherapy massage can be a more holistic approach to dealing with recurrent lumbago, incorporating oils that help to relieve pain, such as St John’s wort, vervain, white willow, and comfrey.A regular exercise regime can be of great benefit phyically and mentally, but with lumbago it would be better to concentrate on exercises that strengthen the core muscles and improve posture, such as pilates, which advocates building and maintaining the back, abdominal and oblique muscles that make up the core. Think of you core as a natural girdle that pulls you in, protects your back and improves your posture.As we age we tend to wind down, and become less active than we were when we were younger, so making small changes to your every day routine can go a long way to improving your posture, general fitness and associated muscle strength, and lessening the symptoms of lumbago.Try walking to work instead of taking the bus, or get off two stops earlier. Take the stairs wherever possible instead of using lifts and escalators. Park you car further away from your workplace so you can add a few minutes extra walking to your day. Go for a stroll at lunch-time instead of sitting at your desk. Buy a dog and walk it twice a day. Get the family out into the countryside at weekends for a day of exploring, or try out your local rambling club. Take up dancing lessons, or learn a new dance style, join your local gym for regular weigh-training sessions a couple of times per week.Whatever you choose to do, have fun doing it and you will be able to cope better with your lumbago.For more indepth information about managing your lumbago and back pain, visit http://expertbackpain.weebly.com or http://www.backpaincompendium.com