Get A Back Brace! Get Your Life Back!


If you have a back injury or are recovering from back surgery, you know it can be a debilitating experience. Most people don't realize how important their back is until they injure it in some way, and then the simplest chores become painful events.

A back brace can help alleviate symptoms from minor back spasms to major surgical procedures, and it's important to get the back brace that's best suited to your needs and condition.

A back brace can be used as mere support or as a maximum stabilizing device that's meant to hold the entire upper torso in a straight line. Many people recovering from back injuries (caused by sports or auto accidents) wear a full, hard shell back brace that reaches from the sacral area of the lower back up to the underarms. Some also have a neck brace that connects to the entire assembly to provide maximum support for broken necks and backs. For those kinds of injuries, a doctor will most certainly decide which back brace will best suit your needs and offer you maximum mobility. Other conditions that are not so severe will require less support.

A foam or cloth-type back brace can be used to help relieve symptoms of lower back pain and minor injuries. A doctor will often suggest the use of a back brace for those who suffer from sciatica and other neuromuscular complaints. In these cases, a back brace will help ease the pain and offer additional support for movement. These days, a back brace is often made of foam-like material that is soft to the skin and yet provides firm support for mild to moderate lower back pain. The shape of a lower back brace allows for the curvature at the base of the spine and won't 'ride up' like most other, 'old-fashioned' back brace models and styles. This type of brace will stay in place, providing the required support.

Another popular type of back brace is a medical support back brace that comes with metal reinforcement strips down the back. This brace reaches from the mid line buttocks area all the way up to the middle of the shoulder blades and offers maximum support for those suffering from spondylolysis, or disintegration of a vertebra and other spinal conditions. The tightness and pressure of this type of back brace can be worn under clothing and is adjustable. The wearer can stand and sit and the anatomical fit makes it available for both men and women. The best thing about this back brace is that it stays in place like it's supposed to, which makes it almost invisible to the casual observer. People suffering from discopathy, which is any disease that affects the intra vertebral bone structure, and osteoporotic lumbar impression fractures, as well as those recovering from surgery, can also wear this type of back brace.

A back brace doesn't have to be big and bulky to provide both protection and support for wearer. Today, materials used in the creation of a back brace are lightweight and allow for your skin to 'breathe'. So, when the doctor prescribes a back brace, don't automatically think "immobile". Instead, think of "soft yet firm, adjustable and comfortable."

Lower back pain is a common affliction, with millions each year visiting physicians for relief. Not only will they seek relief, they will want a diagnosis.

It is not always easy to diagnose lower back pain. Many body structures can cause it. There are muscles, ligaments, and tendons; spinal column bones; joints, discs and nerves. In addition to these structures, there may be underlying medical conditions your physician needs to evaluate.

Whether you initially diagnose lower back pain yourself, or leave that to your physician, the diagnosis will need to consider both the location and symptoms of your pain.

Step 1 – Location

The first step is to decide the location. “Where does it hurt?”

1. Axial lower back pain: This lower back pain hurts only in the low back. Pain does not travel into any other area.

2. Radicular lower back pain: This lower back pain hurts in the low back, and also radiates down the backs of the thighs into one or both legs.

3. Lower back pain with referred pain: Diagnose lower back pain with referred pain if it hurts in the low back area, and tends to radiate into the groin, buttocks, and upper thighs. The pain will rarely radiate below the knee, but may seem to move around.

Step 2 – Symptoms

Once you diagnose lower back pain as to location, you will consider symptoms. “How does it feel?”

1. Worsens with certain activities: If you play football, for example, the pain is worse.

2. Worsens in certain positions: Perhaps it gets worse if you stand for too long. Or it is more painful after you sit in a car.

3. Feels better after rest: Resting from the activity or position usually reduces the lower back pain.

4. Deep and steady: Not a sharp muscle catch, this pain is constant and deep within the affected areas.

5. Severe: The pain is excruciating, possibly more so in the calf than the lower back.

6. Numbness and tingling: There may be “pins and needles” within the area.

7. Fleeting pain: Pain may seem to come and go, leaving you unsure at times just how it feels.

8. Achy and dull: Like the flu, this pain is sore and dull, though sometimes intensifying.

9. Migratory: It hurts in one spot, then another.

Diagnosis

AXIAL: If location is best described by number 1 above, and symptoms are a combination of 1, 2, and 3, you can probably diagnose lower back pain as being axial – the most common type. This is also called “mechanical” lower back pain. A variety of back structures can cause axial lower back pain, and it is difficult to identify which is the cause. Axial pain gets better on its own, and about 90% of patients recover within six weeks.

RADICULAR: If location is best described by number 2 above, and symptoms are a combination of 4, 5, and 6, you can probably diagnose lower back pain as being radicular – commonly called sciatica. This lower back pain is caused by compression of a lower spinal nerve, usually the sciatica nerve that runs from the spinal column, down the back of the thighs to the feet. Doctors usually recommend conservative treatment such as physical therapy exercises, medications, and possibly spinal injections, for six to eight weeks.

REFERRED: If location is best described by number 3 above, and symptoms are a combination of 7, 8, and 9, you can probably diagnose your pain as being lower back pain with referred pain – the least common type. This lower back pain is treated the same as axial back pain and frequently goes away as the problem resolves on its own.

How do you diagnose lower back pain?

Diagnose lower back pain with care. You need an accurate diagnosis, which your physician can best make, to be sure no underlying causes need attention. It is not enough to know you have sciatica. You need to know the underlying cause of the sciatica to determine treatment options.

If you do diagnose lower back pain, check the diagnosis with your physician.

Holding a precious child or grandchild can be a wonderful experience. It can be a highlight of your life. Getting some attention and a hug from your spouse can make your day, but all these things can become a painful experience if you have neck and back pain. There are many people who suffer from these two things, and the normal things that you used to do daily can become literally a pain in the neck. Pain can change a person. The way they view life in general and the way they treat others can become influenced by how much pain they are going through. This article will talk about some simple solutions in living with neck and back pain.

No one likes to get hurt, but what if you hurt all the time. There are people who suffer from neck and back pain on a daily basis. They live in their own little world at times, just to be able to cope with the pain. Unless you have suffered like this yourself, it can be difficult at times to understand someone who experiences this level of pain daily. They can become easily irritated and lash out for no reason at all. They can isolate themselves from being around people or family, because noises can set them off and they don't want to offend anyone. Neck and back pain can come and go, or it can be non stop and hurt all the time.

There are many things that can cause neck and back pain, and especially in the back area, there are cases of no known cause, but believe me the pain is very real. These type of injuries can be caused from an accident or a movement. You can have neck and back pain from a muscle spasm or torn ligaments. These can be treated and often resolve themselves back to normal over time and treatment. You would need an anti inflammatory to treat this. You can use massage, and a combination of heat and cold, but usually heat feels the best. The heat helps relax the muscles which are tensed up and causing the neck and back pain. Stress can also cause this type of pain because your body is all uptight and tense. There are some good relaxation techniques that can not only help the neck and back pain, but also help you deal with the stress as well.

There are all types of products out that you can get to help with neck and back pain and many of them are helpful. Medication is of course one of the major aids in dealing with the pain, but try to avoid this as much as possible. The pain killers are very addictive and you can end up relying on this medication permanently. The problem is that once you begin taking the meds, your body becomes accustomed to the dosage amount, and then it takes more and more dosage to accomplish what used to be less. The use of a hot tub and or sauna can help relax the muscles for neck and back pain. Warm water therapy is great for the body. Like I said earlier, heat can be very helpful and there are many different types of heating pads available to be used while you are lying down or sitting. They even have heat wraps available that you stick on your body while you are out and about. These things do help with neck and back pain, especially if you are traveling in a vehicle.

If you need more Back Pain answers then quickly head over to http://the-health-information-network.com/ where you will find helpful back pain tips, advice and resources including information on chronic back pain, lower back pain, and Neck And Back Pain information.