Health

[Pages:4]hyeouralth

July, 2009

Back pain is most often the result of a deficiency in body fluid levels. The disks in our back are in reality little hydraulic shock absorbers. These disks are made up of an outer shell filled with fluid, primarily water. A properly hydrated disk creates a cushion that absorbs the shock of physical activity and supports the weight of the upper body. These discs are self-hydrating as long as there is adequate fluid levels and regular movement.

Movement that compresses and releases pressure on the disc creates a suction that allows water to be pulled inside the disc keeping it fully hydrated. When a disc is fully hydrated the shell of the disc supports 25% of the weight load and the fluid supports 75%. When theses discs become dehydrated then the shell has to support a larger portion of the load causing pain, swelling and soreness. Passive activities like standing, or sitting at a desk without regular movement, allow constant pressure on the disks that slowly forces water out.

Without sufficient fluid levels, the pressure on the disc increases and results in pain and stiffness. Simply by maintaining a constant and adequate intake of water combined with regular movement such as bending forward and backwards with your head and upper body allowing the disks to hydrate, you can prevent and stop most minor back and neck pain.

Try it, you'll be amazed how proper hydration can improve or prevent your back pain!

Getting Fit,

Staying Fit

Exercise can help you feel better, look better and maybe even live longer. But sometimes it's hard to get started. Getting fit doesn't have to mean spending hours at the gym or running laps until you drop. Even if you can only fit in 10 minutes here and 15 minutes there, remember every little bit counts.

Benefits of Physical Activity ? Can help keep weight under control ? May help to improve blood cholesterol levels ? May help prevent or control high blood pressure ? Helps to prevent bone loss ? Increases muscle tone

? Boosts energy levels ? May help you manage stress

and relieve tension

Getting Started ? Talk with your doctor before beginning any exercise program ? Start slowly--don't overdo it ? Drink plenty of water before, during and after you exercise ? Ask a friend to exercise with you to help keep you motivated ? Try to make exercise a regular part of your daily routine

If you do something fun and interesting, you're more likely to stay with it. To help get you going, here are some examples of exercises and how many calories they burn. The following table lists the number of calories a 150-pound person burns performing these activities for 20 minutes.

Activity

Bicycling (6 mph) Swimming laps Running (5.2 mph) Playing basketball Doing step aerobics Hiking Dancing Playing golf (walking) Painting the house Washing the car Walking (4.0 mph) Gardening Stretching Playing golf (w/cart) Bowling Sleeping

Calories Burned

240 240 216 192 168 144 132 132 120 108 104 98 96 84 72 15

You can get more health

information online at ?.

Back Exercises

You can reduce back pain with the right exercises. Use moves that make the muscles in your back, stomach, hips and thighs strong and flexible. To decrease your risk of back pain or injury, keep in good physical condition. Do regular aerobic activity, such as walking, running, cycling or swimming. And, try these exercises to help strengthen the muscles that support your back.

Remember to warm up first. And, be sure to breathe. Inhale deeply before each repetition. Then, exhale during each repetition.

? Stand with your back against a wall. Place your feet shoulder-width apart. Slide down into a crouch. Bend your knees to about 90 degrees. Count to five and slide back up the wall. Repeat five times.

? Lie on your stomach. Tighten the muscles in one leg and raise it from the floor. Hold your leg up for a count of 10. Then, return it to the floor. Do the same with the other leg. Repeat five times with each leg.

? Lie on your back with your arms at your sides. Lift one leg off the floor. Hold your leg up for a count of 10. Then, return it to the floor. Do the same with the other leg. Repeat five times with each leg. If that's too difficult, keep one knee bent and your foot flat on the ground while raising your leg.

? Sit upright in a chair. Keep your legs straight and extended at an angle to the floor. Lift one leg waist high. Slowly return your leg to the floor. Do the same with the other leg. Repeat five times with each leg.

? Lie on your back. Bend your knees with your feet flat on floor. Slowly raise your head and shoulders off the floor. Reach with both hands toward your knees. Count to 10. Repeat five times.

? Stand behind a chair. Place your hands on the back of the chair. Lift one leg back and up while keeping the knee straight. Return slowly. Raise your other leg and return. Repeat five times with each leg.

? Lie on your back. Bend your knees and have your feet flat on your bed or floor. Raise your knees toward your chest. Place both hands under your knees. Gently pull your knees as close to your chest as possible. Don't raise your head. Don't straighten your legs as you lower them. Start with five repetitions, several times a day.

? Stand with your feet slightly apart. Place your hands in the small of your back. Keep your knees straight. Bend backwards at the waist as far as possible. Hold the position for one or two seconds.

As with any exercise program, you should talk with your doctor first--especially if you're age 40 or older, have been inactive for a while or have a health condition, such as osteoporosis.

This information is reprinted with permission from the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons. To learn more, visit or call 1-800-824-BONES.

Getting Your Back on Track

After your back is injured, you will want to learn new habits. Once you're feeling better, improved posture, practicing back-safe lifting techniques and a fitness routine (and weight loss, if necessary) will all help to keep your back healthy. However, before you start to use your back, it must first heal.

Bed rest, ice and heat

If your back pain is severe, stay in bed, but no longer than two days. Prolonged bed rest weakens your back and deconditions you overall. Make sure you get out of bed and walk around a few times a day.

Apply ice then heat - in that order. In acute muscle strain, the ligament holding the muscle to bone is stretched to the point of tearing. Blood rushes in to repair the tendon, resulting in pain over the muscle. Ice helps to soothe sore muscles and reduce the area of pain. Thus, for the first few days after injuring your back, apply an ice pack to the painful area for about 20 minutes at a time, a few times each day. Wrap a towel around the ice bag, so that only the towel contacts your skin over the painful area.

Muscles also tighten or spasm in response to injury. It is your body's way of blocking off a certain muscle group to permit repair and, as research shows, as a secondary method to protect the spine. Once the pain is reduced, apply a heating pad for about 20 minutes at a time for several times a day. Heat further reduces the pain and tightness.

Pain medications

Over-the-counter, nonprescription pain medications are helpful. Be careful. All aspirin and non-steroidal

anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can lead to stomach bleeding. Each has other associated hazards. Always read product labels first. Ask your doctor or pharmacist if you have questions. All of the following drugs, except acetaminophen (Tylenol?), reduce inflammation:

? Aspirin: Bayer?, Bufferin?, Ecotrin? and others. Use with caution if you have a bleeding disorder, expect to undergo surgery or if you have asthma, ulcers or gout.

? Tylenol?: Acetaminophen. Only reduces pain, not inflammation. It is safer for the stomach. Taking more than indicated can cause liver damage, especially with alcohol.

? Ibuprofen: Motrin?, Advil?. Can cause stomach bleeding. Avoid if you have aspirin allergy, have liver or kidney problems or you are on blood thinners. Talk to your doctor first.

? Naproxen: Aleve?. Lasts for about eight hours, about twice as long as other analgesics. Do not use if you have ulcers, heart failure or kidney failure or if you are on blood thinners.

Low back red flags

Call your doctor if you have:

? Tingling, weakness or numbness of either leg.

? Pain down the leg. ? Weakness. ? Gait problems. ? Loss of bladder or bowel control. ? Nausea, vomiting, fever, chills. ? Severe pain after injury, such as in a fall or

automobile accident.

By Louis Neipris, M.D. HealthAtoZ writer

Keys to Healthy Aging: What You Can Do to Age Well

The following are lessons gleaned from a 10-year study of healthy and active 100-year-olds under the auspices of the New England Centenarian Study.

Attitude: How you feel about aging is key to your ability to thrive. Centenarians rarely consider age a limitation. Rather, they take advantage of opportunities and possibilities that may not have been available to them previously.

Genes: We believe that the vast majority of people have genes that allow them to live to at least 85 years of age. Take advantage of these genes. Don't thwart them. Good health practices will help you make up for at least some of the genetic difference between you and centenarians and maximize the disease-free portion of your life.

Exercise: With age, resistance training becomes increasingly important for maintaining strength and muscle mass. Increased muscle tissue burns fat more efficiently, reduces your heart disease risk and lessens your chance of a broken hip from falling, a constant risk for the elderly.

Investigate new challenges: Keep your mind active with new and different activities to exercise different parts of your brain. Take advantage of opportunities and possibilities that may have not been available to you previously, such as a second career, volunteer activities, musical instruction, writing or travel. Be ready to take up a hobby, especially one that involves concentration, like crossword puzzles or other mind games.

Nutrition: Emphasize fruits and vegetables in your diet, and minimize meat, saturated and hydrogenated fats, and sweets. Eat moderately to avoid obesity.

Get rid of stress: Centenarians naturally shed psychological stress. Humor, meditation, exercise and optimism are some of the important ways to manage your stress.

(Reprinted with permission from the authors of Living to 100: Lessons in Living to your Maximum Potential at any Age by Thomas T. Perls, M.D., M.P.H. and Margery Hutter Silver, Ed.D., Basic Books, 1999.)

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It's Never Too Late for Calcium

By Louis Neipris, M.D., HealthAtoZ writer

If you have osteoporosis or you've had a hip fracture, calcium can still play an important role in your diet. Calcium and vitamin D help prevent bone loss and lower your risk for fractures if you fall again.

Nutrition: The first step Calcium can help prevent repeated fractures in older women who have had vertebral (back bone) fractures. After age 50, both men and women should increase their calcium intake from 1,000 mg to 1,500 mg a day.

Am I getting enough calcium? Dairy products, such as milk, yogurt and cheese, are the best sources of calcium. It is also found in green vegetables, such as spinach and broccoli. If you have three servings of dairy products and at least two cups of green, leafy vegetables each day, then you probably get enough calcium.

What about vitamin D? Experts recommend a total of 800 I.U. of vitamin D each day. Vitamin D helps your body absorb calcium. Like calcium, you

can get vitamin D from dairy products. It is also included in many calcium supplements.

Should I take calcium supplements? If you're too busy to cook, are lactose intolerant or have another intestinal problem, you may not be getting enough calcium. If you use a supplement, don't take more than 2,000 mg per day or more than 500 mg at one time.

Work out a plan with your doctor Ask your doctor what calcium supplement is best for you. If you already have osteoporosis, you may need another medication to prevent further bone loss.

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