If you have back pain, no matter what the initial cause, you have tight muscles.  If you have a disc prolapse or “slipped disc”, the disc can put pressure on the nerves in your back.  When this happens, the muscles can become very tight and go into a spasm.  As long as the muscles are tight, you will not have relief from your pain.  Even if the disc is healed, the muscles will still be tight and need to be relaxed to get complete relief.

Acupuncture and Back Pain

When you get acupuncture for your back, needles are placed at the location of pain.  That does several things.  If you leave an acupuncture needle in a tight muscle, within 20 to 30 minutes, that muscle will relax.  That is just how the body functions.  Acupuncture is especially effective because a very small area can be treated for 30 or more minutes.  You can get a massage, but it is not possible to have that much pressure on one point for 30 minutes.  You would need to have 50 massage therapists treating each point to get the same effect.

Acupuncture can be used on several areas at one time.  If you have low back pain, it is not uncommon to also have tightness in your mid or upper back.  The para-spinous muscles go all the way down you back.  They are often affected in any type of back pain.  If you just treat one area of the back and another area is also tight, you could possible move the pain around.  The tightness will move around.

When getting acupuncture, far infrared lamps are often used.  These lamps give the sensation of heat, but they have healing effects that go much deeper.  They penetrate the skin and induce a healing response below the surface.  When heat is applied, your muscles can more easily have blood flow restored, this helps to relieve pain faster.

Moxibustion is another tool your acupuncturist might use.  Moxibustion is an herb called “mugwort”.  This herb is a medicinal herb used for thousands of years in Chinese medicine.  The herb comes in many forms.  It is often rolled into a cigar shape and lit.  The heat and smoke from this help to improve blood circulation quickly.  The herb also comes in a spray form.  You spray the herbal remedy on the area to be treated and use a far infrared lamp to warm it up.

When you get acupuncture for back pain, you might feel relief after your first session.  Usually, you feel a lot better the next day after acupuncture.  The muscles need a little time to relax and recover from being tight.  If you have had tight muscles for decades, it will take a little time to get all the muscles to completely relax.

When you get acupuncture, it is important to know how to choose a good acupuncturist.  Every state in America licenses acupuncturists with different titles.  If you are in Rhode Island, you will be a doctor of Acupuncture.  If you are in New Mexico, you are a “Doctor of Oriental Medicine” and can call yourself. “Dr.”.

When looking for an acupuncturist, be sure to ask if that person has a degree in Chinese medicine.  This is a Master level program and takes four years to complete.  The benefits of getting acupuncture will be much more likely if you see someone with a degree.  Other practitioners are allowed to do acupuncture after taking 100 hours of classes on it.  Every state is different on who is allowed to do acupuncture.

Back pain can be debilitating, find a local acupuncturist for fast relief.  Acupuncture for Back Pain is a proven pain reliever.

My Lifestyle Had an Overhaul

I made sure my diet was full of healthy choices such as fruit and veg and I practically stopped eating processed foods altogether. I worked hard on staying fit and went on long daily walks in the fresh air. The first problem I found when it came to my lifestyle was dealing with aches and pains without using pain killers. I have always had a bit of a bad back, down to my posture mainly but also because I was in an accident when I was a teen. From time to time it causes me grief still and until I fell pregnant I would take some strong pain killers to get me through. I hadn’t even thought of this until I started to get very bad pain and spasms about three months into my pregnancy, and so I needed to find an alternative.

After looking online and speaking to my midwife I decided to try a tens machine. This did work really well but the problem was I needed to carry it to work with me and to my friends’ houses and it was a bit embarrassing having to put patches on while I was out and about. Then a good friend of mine told me there was an alternative, a portable device which could be used anywhere and that did not require any sticky pads being applied. It sounded ideal so I purchased one online and I have to say it did help with the pain.

Creating the Birth Plan

When it came time to write my birth plan I knew I did not want to use drugs unless I absolutely had no choice. I mentioned my natural pain relief gadget and decided that I would pack that in my bag as it worked so well on my back.  When the big day came I actually found that the start of my labour was not as painful as I expected it to be. I stayed at home for most the day but as soon as my waters broke I wanted to go into the hospital immediately. Once there the midwife told me I was actually 8cm dilated, she seemed shocked which worried me a little but everything was going fine.

The Pain in My Back Started to Kick In

After being in the hospital for another hour or so I began to feel a lot more uncomfortable especially in my lower back. I did take a puff of gas and air but it made me feel sick so I asked my husband to get out my natural alternative and he used it on my back where I asked him to, I say asked it was probably more like an order at the time! Four hours after checking in my baby finally arrived, I had managed to bring her into this world without the use of drugs and I was amazed with myself. As soon as I saw her all the pain went away, it’s a feeling like no other. Drug free labour isn’t for everyone, but it was a wonderful experience for me and it is possible.

Drug free pain relief is available and is ideal if you are pregnant. Natural pain relief in labour can help you to push through and deliver your child without the use of drugs.

The following is a list of 10 of the best yoga excursuses that you can do to help with prevention.

1. The Triangle Pose: This classic yoga pose concentrates on the hips and spine and can help even the chronic back pain sufferer. As well as helping reduce lower back pain the triangle pose will also help tone your abdominal organs, spinal nerves and your leg muscles.

2. The Mountain Pose: This pose is one of yoga’s most essential poses; this pose is the starting and ending point of all of yoga’s standing excursuses. The mountain pose will help with the alignment of the spine and help improve your bodies overall movement.

3. The Pelvic Tilt: This is a basic yoga pose. It’s a fantastic pose for the abdominal muscles and will help in correcting the posture of your lower back. It’s also very good for your quadriceps, hamstrings and your hip muscles.

4. The Bridge Pose: This is a very easy pose to practice and is very effective in relieving lower back pain. This pose will help you achieve a flexible spine whilst at the same time it will strengthen your buttock muscles.

5. The Reclined Big Toe Pose: This popular yoga pose is used to stretch your calves and hamstrings. However it does also help to reduce any lower back pain that you might be suffering.

6. The Cat pose: This is an extremely popular pose and is used in Pilates as well as yoga for lower back pain prevention. It will help to with the alignment of the spine, strengthen your back muscles and develop spinal movement.

7. The Down Dog Pose: This pose is great as it will stretch and release any tension that you may have in your spine. It will likewise strengthen your arms, back and shoulders, it also helps to alleviate headaches.

8. The Cobra Pose: This pose will help with several areas including strengthening your spine, relive the lower back pain, stress relief and also help with sciatic nerve pain.

9. The Child pose: This yoga pose will help relieve stress, tension, fatigue and anxiety as well as helping with your back alignment.

10. The Corpse Pose: Don’t let the name of this pose put you off; this is excellent in relieving back pain as well as helping to reduce any depression and stress you may be suffering.

The above article has listed some of the best yoga poses for reducing lower back pain and some of them even come with a whole host of additional benefits. We strongly advise that if you would like to try any of the above yoga poses that you go and see a professional yoga teacher so that you can be sure you are doing them correctly, as with any form of exercise incorrectly performing the poses can cause even more pain.

Visit Amazon.com for the exhaustive range of Yoga DVDs, Books and Accessories.

There is no doubt that the mattress you sleep on has a direct impact on the condition of your back. And if you already suffer from back problems you should take extra care when choosing your mattress as the wrong choice could exacerbate your existing problem. There are thousands to choose from, made by all of the big brands and some smaller specialists. Finding the right one can be confusing and time consuming. To help you make the best choice we have provided a comprehensive guide to some of the best mattresses for back pain sufferers on the market at the moment. Before starting the guide it is crucial to remember that, when it comes to mattresses, it’s about personal preference. You will never find one mattress that is perfect for everyone. Weight, height and many other factors determine which mattress is best for you.

Three of the best mattresses – in no particular order

Sealy Posturepedic Mattress

Sealy Posturepedic Mattresses are known for their support and comfort. They are the only mattresses endorsed by the American Orthopaedic Advisory Board due to their supportive characteristics. Their research has led them to create mattresses that have greater support in key areas including the lower back. This means that there is more pressure where you need it and less where you don’t. In recent years Sealy has taken a bit of a bashing for a slip in quality but it seems that they have responded to this criticism. Their most recent ranges appear to be back to the usual high standards. The Sealy Backcare Elite Mattress, as the name suggests, provides maximum support. It was designed with the help of orthopaedic specialists so if you suffer from back problems it could be the right choice for you.

Another company that specialise in mattresses for back problem sufferers is Tempu-Pedic,

Tempur Cloud Supreme

also known also known as just Tempur outside the USA. The company came about when NASA developed a new material to provide comfort to astronauts during lift off. It became apparent that the technology used could be transferred to a commercial product in the form of high end mattresses and quality beds. The Tempur Cloud Supreme is rated as an extremely comfortable yet supportive mattress. The fact that the mattress conforms to your personal body shape and weigh means that you get support in all of the areas you need and good spinal alignment. The body shaping foam also takes the pressure off the bodies main pressure points, which gives your back and spine time to recover. This is by far the most expensive option in the list mainly due to the cost of the materials used. Very expensive but most likely worth the price.

Silentnight Prestige Ortho

Another excellent mattress for sufferers of back pains is the Silentnight Prestige Ortho. Silentnight is one of the world’s leading bed and mattress manufacturers and their range is vast. Their Prestige Ortho mattress uses the patented Miracoil 3 spring system. The springs are placed down the mattress (head to toe) instead of across, which means that you get optimum support without being affected by your sleep partner. There are extra springs across the centre of the mattress to provide additional support to the lower back and spine area.

As mentioned above, choosing a mattress is all about what works for you. You have to find one that is suitable for your height, weight and firmness preferences. The three mattresses mentioned above are all designed for people with back troubles but that’s not to say that they will be the ideal mattress for you.

Amazon.com has the latest mattresses on offer. Click here for more info.

Pregnancy brings enough surprises.  Adding back pain to the mix can make your 9 month term a nightmare.  Luckily, there are 4 sure fire ways to control the amount of back pain you get during pregnancy.  Follow them closely, and you’ll not only feel great, you’ll look terrific as well.

Stretch it out

Keeping your muscles fluid and limber at any time of life can minimize pain, especially in the back.  Try a fitness routine such as Yoga or Pilates to get a good stretch in every day.  Don’t do any stretches that could compromise the health of your baby!  The best options are a pregnancy class at the gym or ordering a Yoga/Pilates pregnancy video online.  Stretching isn’t only a miracle worker on the back.  A good daily stretch also helps you to relax and sleep better, something pregnancy women can’t seem to get enough of.

Don’t neglect your core

The stronger your core muscles are, the better your back is bound to feel.  Adding all that additional belly weight to your body as pregnancy progresses is typically what spikes up back pain.  Pregnancy shifts your center of gravity forward, causing a good amount of strain on your lower back.  By strengthening your core as soon as possible in pregnancy, your back will be much more able to handle the added weight.  While many people will advise you to stay away from core fitness routines while pregnant, they actually may be the most beneficial to perform!  Again, by doing the right type of core exercises you’ll stay safe and keep getting stronger.  Rotations, bends, squats and certain types of crunches all can help prevent back pain from settling in.  Finding these exercises online is a good start to overall back wellness.

Don’t count out a simple walk

Walking during pregnancy

Any exercise is better than none.  If pregnancy has simply left you feeling wiped out and unmotivated, at least get yourself out and walking once a day.  Even strolling around the neighborhood for 15-30 minutes daily can keep your blood circulating and strengthen your muscles.  For an added bonus, take your walks right after meal time if possible!  A good walk can help digest your food making common heart burn disappear all together.

If all else fails, head to the spa

 While we recommend this as your last option, getting a massage can also help fight back pain in pregnancy.  There’s nothing quite as pleasurable as having your tense and sore muscles massaged every once in awhile during your 9 months.  Heading to a licensed massage therapist instead of your partner is where the real magic happens.  Although a spouse can have the best of intentions, a massage therapist knows exactly where is safe to rub and what will leave your back feeling the best.

My name is Dakota, an aspiring young author with an obsession for health! That’s how I found myself involved with a dieting company that really expanded my knowledge of health and wellness.