The Best Back Pain Relief Products

When I was thirty eight, my back just gave way and it was the most intense pain I had ever felt.  My doctor suggested back pain relief products like lotions, potions and pills, that barely touched the pain. This went on for a few months, then my doctor sent me to a physiotherapist, who recommended using a tens machine and trying muscle balance therapy. 

I can attest to the tens machine being one of the better back pain relief products out there.  The tens machine sends small electrical pulses through your skin and muscles to the nerves, which are carrying the message to your brain, that you are actually feeling the pain. 

What happens, basically is that the electrical pulse beats the normal message, so you feel no pain.  The only thing with the tens machine is that it should not be worn for to long, as you can make movements that will normally hurt, but you won't feel until later.

Muscle balance therapy is perhaps one of the most under looked of the back pain relief products, but it has given thousands of people relief from their aching backs and prevented some more serious back conditions too.

As the name suggests, muscle balance therapy, are exercises that balance out the muscles in our backs.  As humans we tend to use one side of our body more than other, which can result in misalignment of our backs.  This can also by caused by some of our lifestyle choices, if we end up using certain muscles more than others.

This imbalance means that parts of bodies ending up pushing and pulling in the wrong way. You know the song, your leg bones connected to your thigh bone, etc, etc.  Well as you know, your muscles are responsible for keeping those bones together and working in the right way. 

So when our muscles are out of sync, we get problems and our discs and other parts can be moved into the wrong positions, causing things like a prolapsed disc.   With muscle balance therapy, the muscles are toned back into how they should be, which is equal, this in turn keeps the bones in the right place and stops them from twisting, moving or being put out of joint.

Both of these back pain relief  products have been vital in improving my standard of life. Whilst I was undergoing the muscle balance therapy, I used the tens machine to help with the pain.  Now my back and body feel aligned, I feel like a spring chicken.

Fast Joint Pain Relief

Over half the people in the United States over the age of 65 have suffered from joint pain and are seeking relief. Pain in the joints is most likely cause either by an inflammation or swelling of the joint, or it is caused by wearing off of the joint's natural cushioning with likely causes being obesity or loss of blood flow. Luckily there are several know methods of providing fast joint pain relief healing or suppressing joint pain based on the severity and type of pain.

A simple exercise routine is a common treatment for mild pain relief since it increases blood flow and helps shed some unwanted pounds. The increased blood flow that accompanies mild exercise reduces the stiffness surrounding the joint and builds muscle strength to help support the body and relieve the joint of having to support the weight on its own.

Another common method of relieving joint pain is the use of medicines or temperature packs, such as a heating pack or a cold pack. In some cases, a steroid called glucocorticoid or hyaluronic acid is injected into the joint and provides long term pain relief lasting around 4-12 months. Normally, however, tropical rubbing ointments or sprays and pain relief pills are the most common method for fast joint pain relief although they only provide short term relief.

If drastic measures are necessary, surgical replacement of a joint or surgical repair is often the procedure taken. Since artificial joints and joint replacement surgeries are a growing trend in the US and because they are constantly improving, doctors usually choose this method for extreme cases of joint pain or joint damage.

Natural Pain Relief Tips for Arthritis

I got rid of my arthritis and arthritis pain naturally by drastically changing my diet. I stopped eating the standard American diet (SAD.)

Arthritis sufferers today are continually seeking relief from their arthritis pain.

Osteoarthritis is a chronic disease of the joint cartilage and bone, often thought to result from "wear and tear" on a joint, although there are other causes of arthritis such as congenital defects, trauma and metabolic disorders. Unlike some other types of arthritis, such as rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis is not systemic - it does not spread through the entire body. The pain in arthritis can be moderate to severe.

Damaged joints cause pain and sufferers are constantly looking for ways to relieve the pain. Cartilage contains chondrocytes, water, proteoglycans and collagen; chondrocytes are the basic cartilage cells and are necessary for balance and function. The ability to make repairs to cartilage becomes limited as cartilage cells age.

One possible cause of arthritis is the inflammatory response due to the over-reaction of the immune system to an injury or other assault in the body, like an infection. Although osteoarthritis generally accompanies aging, osteoarthritic cartilage is chemically different from normal aged cartilage. As chondrocytes (the cells that make up cartilage) age, they lose their ability to make repairs and produce more cartilage; this process may play an important role in the development and progression of osteoarthritis.

Nutrition experts say it takes a combination of supplements, that no one supplement can relieve arthritis pain, build cartilage, etc. One natural approach is to consume foods that are known to help relieve arthritis pain or prevent arthritis. One natural treatment method involves avoiding all inflammatory foods.

If you're not already doing so, make a big effort to watch your diet. Try avoiding the eight most allergic foods, wheat being the most allergenic; they are wheat, corn, eggs, milk, peanuts, fish, shellfish and some nuts, not all. Natural treatment for arthritis is usually a better choice because it's non-invasive to the body.

Some foods and beverages to avoid that are inflammatory are: caffeine, salt, sugar, meat, dairy products, additives, soft drinks, white flour, white rice, alcoholic beverages, fast food, processed vegetable oils, refined, packaged and processed food. Gluten may be a culprit in arthritic diseases including fibromyalgia; avoid wheat, barley, rye, spelt, triticale, kamut and oats (although not a gluten grain it gets contaminated at the wheat mills).

The first step in managing your arthritis is to change your diet; I think all experts would agree on this. With natural treatments there will be fewer, if any, side effects or adverse reactions.

Whatever you do, keep moving; don't sit when you can stand, don't stand when you can walk. Exercise is good for joints affected by osteoarthritis. Keep a bedside basket of arthritic aids for arthritic hands (Thera-putty, hand grips, Taiji chime balls, etc.) to be used at bedtime or while watching television. A good exercise routine is the key to beating arthritis and arthritis pain.

Use Taiji health balls, with the chimes, to strengthen the finger joints: hold two balls, move in a clockwise circle with your fingers to rotate them, then try counterclockwise and do throughout the day. To be on the safe side always seek your doctor's advice before starting or changing your exercise program. Fight arthritis through proper exercise!

If you're going to go the conventional treatment route and take medications, ask your pharmacist for drug inserts so you can read up on the drugs and understand any side effects or adverse reactions, before taking them. At the very least, understand what the side effects and adverse reactions are for any drug you take. If you're planning to take any of the non-prescription NSAIDS for arthritis, make sure you understand what bad effects they can have on the stomach, liver and/or kidneys and discuss this with your doctor.

Changing your diet to predominately fruits, raw veggies, nuts, and seeds like I did, can turn your arthritis pain around almost overnight. More and more doctors are investigating the benefits of alternative therapies and most don't object to patients trying them. One should not only search for relief of arthritis pain but work on preventing it.

7 Home Remedies for Joint Pain Relief At Home

Living with chronic joint pain?

Many times in life, body pains as such may inevitably affect our living lifestyle and even cause inconvenience to our lives, as moving of joints is almost indispensable.

Basically the causes of joint pain can be triggered by various injuries and conditions besides aging. It may be a result of sports injury, excessive straining due to the overuse of joints, or even be one of the symptoms for arthritis. Hence it is important to understand your body well and detect the symptoms early as an average person may not be able tell if it's the joints or a torn tendon.

Here are a few remedies which can give you a better quality of life and may help to eliminate the consumption of painkillers as medications commonly prescribed for joint pain are usually pain killers and anti inflammatories:

1. Take a shower with warm water

It can effectively reduce your joint discomfort easily.

2. Consumption of banana

Bananas provide strength and grease to your joints, which may help in reducing the pain in joints suffering from pain.

3. Intake of carrot juice

It helps in improving the condition of joint stiffness by making our ligaments stronger.

4. Use hot and cold compresses on the painful areas of your joints

It will help in reducing your pain from the joint.

5. Joint Pain Exercises

Effective in resolving the problem of joint stiffness. Such workouts will help in improving your joint flexibility and also strengthens your bones.

6. Warm olive oil massage

It is a cost-saving solution and natural remedy for joint stiffness.

7. Mixture of carrot juice and lemon juice

This is one of the good home remedies to reduce joint pain.

Although there is no permanent cure for joint pain, but changing your lifestyle and taking good care of your body can yield positive results on a long run. Start keeping up to a weekly or daily exercising habit as workouts can effectively help in reducing the pain in the joints. Researches have shown that working your body with motion exercises will help to improve your mobility and keep your fitness levels up. While performing those exercises, be cautious with the movements and perform it with good control.

However, do not hesitate to seek for medical support if your joint pain still persists after trying out the suggested remedies. It is advisable to seek for professional treatment if your pain is giving you symptoms that can be interpreted into serious health issues.

Natural Arthritis Treatment For Arthritis Pain Relief You Can Put To Work Today

During my long nursing career I was never able to find relief from my own arthritis pain until I turned to natural or alternative medicine. Many people have found there was a way to relieve themselves from the crippling pain of arthritis, especially osteoarthritis, although many people with rheumatoid arthritis have reported that a major diet change has made their rheumatoid arthritis symptoms disappear and they continue on their own rheumatoid arthritis treatment relieved of pain.

The arthritic joints usually appear to be even larger, are stiff and painful, and usually feel worse the more they are used as the day goes on. Hurtful arthritis pain is usually experienced whenever a stiff or swollen joint is used even for the easiest tasks. Unlike other types of arthritis, such as rheumatoid arthritis or ankylosing spondilytis, osteoarthritis is not systemic in basis in other words it can't be detected by using blood tests for diagnosis because it appears to be localized.

The cartilage is made up of chondrocytes, water, proteoglycans and collagen. The chondrocytes are basic cartilage cells and are essential for our balance and function. Collagen is the main protein found in all the connective tissues in the human body, including muscles, ligaments, and tendons. Proteoglycans are the very large molecules that help to make up cartilage. They bond to water, which ensures there will be high-fluid content in the cartilage.

In general, the possible causes and the factors leading to the deterioration of cartilage in arthritis and specifically osteoarthritis are still not known. And injuries can sometimes be the start of a long-term arthritic disease process. Arthritis, or rather osteoarthritis, can develop many years later after a single traumatic injury to a joint or even near a joint. And one possible cause of arthritis is the inflammatory response due to the over-reaction of the immune system to an injury or other assault in the body, such as an infection, even if minor.

Some people report that glucosamine, with or without chondroitin, helps and others say they tried them and they didn't help them at all. To see if it might be allergy related - or helps, you can try avoiding the eight most allergic foods, one at a time. They are wheat, which is the most allergenic of all, corn, eggs, milk, nuts, peanuts, fish and shellfish. Keep in mind that if you take a joint supplement it should help to do three things - build up your cartilage, provide pain relief for your joints and enhance your flexibility and movement.

One successful natural treatment method involves avoiding all inflammatory foods. Another is to try massaging your fingers or other affected joints with virgin coconut oil once or twice a day. The supplements that may help any disease or arthritic ailment include sublingual methylcobalamin, vitamin B12, not cyanocobalamin. It dissolve slowly under the tongue, not be chewed and vitamin D3 gel capsules, especially if you can't get a daily dose of 15 to 20 minutes or so of the sun on your arms and legs so you can make your own vitamin D3.

An acidic diet, which is made up of foods that are not alive, is considered to be inflammatory to the joints and other body processes. I started eating a diet of living foods (fruits, raw veggies, raw nuts and raw seeds), years ago, which caused my osteoarthritis to disappear and therefore relieve me of the crippling arthritis pain I had for years. If you attempt this diet it's best to try it for at least 30 days, thereby eliminating any foods that might be the culprits.

If you really do want to get rid of your arthritis pain permanently it may take a major change in your diet and an ongoing commitment to it. Exercise is usually good for any joint affected by osteoarthritis, but check with your arthritis doctor first. And did I mention how important it is to make sure to keep moving, moving, and moving? Now if you have pain and swelling in your fingers, you can try squeezing a wad of Thera-putty which is made for this purpose, or exercising them with two of the Chinese chime balls which you can get cheaply from several sources. There are many exercises that can be used as a therapy or treatment for arthritis regardless of how much restriction of movement there is.

For arthritic fingers, a good exercise for many people is to put the finger tips together and press hard and release then repeat several times. Make sure to fight arthritis through plenty of movement and exercise. Keep a basket of arthritis treatment aids for arthritic hands, such as the Thera-putty, hand grips, and the Taiji Chinese chime balls to be used at bedtime or while you're watching television.

Once you become completely knowledgeable about arthritis whether its osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, gouty arthritis, juvenile arthritis, or ankylosing spondylitis, you'll be able to plan your own arthritis treatment program, natural or conventional or a combination of both. Conventional arthritis doctors may suggest their standard protocol for your joint pain and may tell you to take over-the-counter NSAIDS or prescribe COX-2 inhibitors which all have some serious side effects. Make sure you do your research before you take any arthritis drugs, medicines or medications. Naturopathic doctors may have other suggestions not listed here. They may have herb recommendations but do research on the herbs also.

A useful tip: if you're going to take any arthritis drugs or prescription medications, make sure to ask your pharmacist for the drug inserts so you can read up on the drugs and understand any side effects or adverse reactions that they have, before you start taking them. Make sure to let your pharmacist know what other drugs, herbs and over the counter medications you're taking too.

Knowing more about symptoms and treatments for arthritis, osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis and how they work will ultimately help contribute to your arthritis pain relief. Once you understand the facts and warnings about arthritis, the symptoms, possible causes and the treatment approaches you can take, you'll be on your way to recovery and hopefully your pain will disappear. Perhaps following some these tips and suggestions, with the approval of your arthritis doctor may help you get back in the swing of things fast and allow you to spend your days enjoying life free of pain once more.

A Complete Treatment and Management Plan for Groin Strain

The following is a very thorough and detailed management plan for the full recovery and rehabilitation of a groin strain.

Considering this management plan was written over ten years ago, my only addition would be the reduction of ice therapy and the addition of massage and heat therapy during the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th phase. Regardless of my suggestions, the following will be extremely useful for anyone who is, or has suffered from a groin strain.

Injury Situation:

A women varsity basketball player had a history of tightness in her groin. During a game she suddenly rotated her trunk while also stretching to the right side. There was a sudden sharp pain and a sense of "giving way" in the left side of the groin that caused the athlete to immediately stop play and limp to the sidelines.

Symptoms & Signs:

As the athlete described it to the athletic trainer, there was severe pain when rotating her trunk to the right and flexing her left hip. Inspection revealed the following:

• There was major point tenderness in the groin, especially in the region of the adductor magnus muscle.


• There was no pain during passive movement of the hip, but severe pain did occur during both active and resistive motion.


• When the groin and hip were tested for injury, the hip joint, illiopsoas, and rectus femoris muscles were ruled out as having been injured; however, when the athlete adducted the hip from a stretch position, it caused here extreme discomfort.

Management Plan:

This detailed management plan comes from one of my old university text books, called Modern Principles of Athletic Training by Daniel D. Arnheim. It's one of those 900 page door-stoppers, but it's the book I refer to most for information on sports injury prevention and rehabilitation. It's extremely detailed and a valuable resource for anyone who works in the health and fitness industry. So...

Based on the athletic trainer's inspection, with findings confirmed by the physician, it was determined that the athlete had sustained a second-degree strain of the groin, particularly to the adductor magnus muscle.

Phase 1

Management Phase: Goals: To control haemorrhage, pain and spasms. Estimated Length of Time (ELT): 2 to 3 days.

Therapy: Immediate Care: ICE-R (20 min) intermittently, six to eight times daily. The athlete wears a 6-inch elastic hip spica.

Exercise Rehabilitation: No Exercise - as complete rest as possible.

Phase 2

Management Phase: Goals: To reduce pain, spasm and restore full ability to contract without stretching the muscle. ELT: 4 to 6 days.

Therapy: Follow up care: Ice massage (1 min) three to four times daily. Bipolar muscle stimulation above and below pain site (7 min).

Exercise Rehabilitation: PNF for hip rehabilitation three to four times daily (beginning approx. 6 days after injury)

Optional: Jogging in chest level water (10 to 20 min) one or two times daily. Must be done within pain free limits. General body maintenance exercises are conducted three times a week as long as they do not aggravate the injury.

Phase 3

Management Phase: Goals: To reduce inflammation and return strength and flexibility.

Therapy: Muscle stimulation using the surge current at 7 or 8, depending on athlete's tolerance, together with ultrasound once daily and cold therapy in the form of ice massage or ice packs (7 min) followed by light exercise, two to three times daily.

Exercise Rehabilitation: PNF hip patterns two to three times daily following cold applications, progressing to progressive-resistance exercise using pulley, isokinetic, or free weight (10 reps, 3 sets) once daily.

Optional: Flutter kick swimming once daily.

General body maintenance exercises are conducted three times a week as long as they do not aggravate the injury.

Phase 4

Management Phase: Goals: To restore full power, endurance, speed and extensibility.

Therapy: If symptom free, precede exercise with ice massage (7 min) or ice pack.

Exercise Rehabilitation: Added to phase 3 program, jogging on flat course slowly progressing to a 3-mile run once daily and then progressing to figure-8s, starting with obstacles 10 feet apart and gradually shortening distance to 5 feet, at full speed.

Phase 5

Management Phase: Goals: To return to sport competition.

Exercise Rehabilitation: Athlete gradually returns to pre-competition exercise and a gradual return to competition while wearing a figure-8 elastic hip spica bandage for protection.

Criteria for Returning to Competitive Basketball:

1. As measured by an isokinetic dynamometer, the athlete's injured hip and groin should have equal strength to that of the uninjured hip.


2. Hip and groin has full range of motion.


3. The athlete is able to run figure-8s around obstacles set 5 feet apart at full speed.

5 Steps to Relieving the Pain in Your Jaw

Jaw Pain, or TMJD (which stands for tempomandibular joint disorder), as a common ailment that affects millions of Americans each year. Most people who get jaw pain, get it for a short period of time due to an intense amount of stress in their lives or injury. Some folks get more chronic jaw pain, which can be particularly difficult to treat and manage as there are not many proven methods of treatment for chronic TMJD that have been effective for more than just a small number of people.

In this article you will learn how to effectively treat your jaw pain in five simple steps, moving from most basic to more complicated. If a lower step is not effective for you, move to the next step.

Disclaimer: If your jaw pain persists, contact a medical professional.

Step 1: Ice. Like most injuries or swelling, ice can numb the pain and help facilitate healing. A twenty minutes on, twenty minutes off cycle should be sufficient. The more you can do this, the faster the healing will be.

Step 2: Ibuprofen or other over-the-counter swelling medications. If simple ice doesn't work, you can move to mild drugs. Most jaw pain is caused by swelling of the jaw joint, due to excessive clenching/grinding (bruxism) or tension. When the you take measures to reduce the swelling, you can help to the joint heal while at the same time removing the pain.

Step 3: Eating soft foods. A soft food diet is often recommended for the first few days or weeks of healing the jaw after pain has occurred. This reduces tension on the jaw. Consider eating foods like yogurt, soups, smoothies, and pasta. Just make sure to keep a healthy diet and continue to avoid sugars as much as possible, as fructose has been known to cause inflammation and hyper-tension.

Step 4: If your jaw pain has not been healed by now, you must start moving into long-term treatment and management. One simple way to start this long-term management is to start jaw exercises. Simple jaw exercises, like moving your jaw side-to-side with your hand pressed against it, can help strengthen your jaw and give you more control over it.

Step 5: Get to the root cause of the pain. If jaw pain is becoming an issue over many weeks or months, there is usually an underlying cause. Often times the underlying cause is stress or clenching (often times at night while you don't even know you're doing it). Consider taking a stress management class, or getting a mouth guard to help avoid nighttime clenching.