andreas@kettlebellfitnessllc.com
Hi Fellow Seniors:
Please visit my new site at
http://bengoode-seniorfitness.blogspot.com
for new, fresh blogs and articles on back pain, injury and treatment.
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Think Positively and Put Surgery on the Back Burner
Dear Fellow Senior –
My heart goes out to you if you’re suffering chronic, low back pain – especially those of you who have severe, back and leg pain that prevents you from going about your normal, day-to-day activities.
It’s really a matter of tolerance. Some of us have a limited tolerance for pain and are driven to the orthopedist for immediate relief. I’m sure that most of these sufferers believe that the orthopedic surgeon will “fix” their back problem once and for all and that all their symptoms will vanish. This kind of miracle rarely happens. (Spinal surgery is absolutely the last resort (unless you have a life-threatening emergency or a clear risk of permanent neurologic damage).
If you’re suffering acute back pain, chances are your pain will resolve spontaneously within 4-6 weeks of onset – without any treatment whatsoever.
If your pain persists beyond the 6-week period, conservative treatment is your best option. The American Academy of Family Physicians recommends medication (eg, acetaminophen, NSAIDs), moderate exercise and staying active.
My book “The Truth About Back Surgery”, to be launched this fall, has a special Chapter entitled “A Winning Strategy for Patients.” It describes how you can get the medical care you need without the risks and complications of spinal fusion surgery. (If you’d like to be placed on a list for a discounted, pre-publication offer, please send me an email message with your name and address. See Contact.
Straighten Up and Sit Right
If you must subject yourself to prolonged sitting, then the least you can do is sit correctly. Good sitting posture requires that you sit upright preserving, as best you can, the natural, lordotic curve of the lumbar spine. This means sitting with your back in slight extension. Use a lumbar back support if necessary and be sure to incorporate back extension exercises in your workout routine.
Researchers have found that lumbar lordosis while standing is, on average, 50% greater than lumbar lordosis when sitting. It has been shown that lordotic curvature in the lumbar spine is associated with decreased intradiscal pressure and less low back pain. Biomechanical data demonstrate the fact that the normal lumbar curvature distributes compressive forces on the discs more evenly. Slouching in a chair tends to flatten out the lumbar curvature and pinch the front of the intervertebral discs.
Another thing you can do to avoid chronic back pain is to change your posture during the day from sitting to standing. Do this as frequently as possible. This way, you may be able to dodge an arrow that’s on its way toward your lower back.
Source
Beach TA, Parkinson RJ, Stothart JP, et al. Effects of prolonged sitting on the passive flexion stiffness of the in vivo lumbar spine.
Department of Kinesiology, Faculty of Applied Health Sciences, University of Waterloo.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15749614
Failed Back Surgery Syndrome (FBSS)
The following is an excerpt from my book on spinal fusion surgery, The Truth about Back Surgery,to be published this fall. Send comments and questions to bengoode@charter.net.
Failed back surgery has occurred so often, it has become a legitimate, recognized diagnostic category – Failed Back Surgery Syndrome (FBSS).
Revision surgery, which becomes necessary after FBBS, caries with it its own set of risks and complications – more severe than those accompanying the original procedure.
It should be remembered that spinal fusion does not delay the deterioration of adjacent discs. The degenerative changes that necessitated the original surgery will continue to occur in the discs above and below the fused, spinal segment – in some cases, at a faster rate. In addition, stenosis, joint instability and re-herniation occur after revision surgery in 5-15% of all patients.
Those who are desperately driven to have spinal fusion surgery can reasonably expect to endure not one but two surgical procedures – the first to alleviate the back pain and then another to revise and correct the first procedure.
Warning: Drug Interaction to be Avoided
If you’re taking Paxil in addition to Pravachol, your blood sugar level can increase dramatically and your health can be in danger.
Researchers at Stanford University School of Medicine have found that when Paxil (paroxetine) – an anti-depressant – is taken in combination with Pravachol
(pravastatin) – a cholesterol-lowering drug – blood sugar levels can increase by 19 mg/dL. In those with diabetes, the effect was even greater – 48mg/dL.
This increase is significant enough to push a pre-diabetic patient into full-blown diabetes.
As many as 15 million people in the U.S. have prescriptions for both drugs. Make sure you’re not one of them.
Source
The Independent, http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families
Dear Fellow Seniors – An Invitation to Participate
I’ve been working diligently on my book : The Truth About Spinal Fusion Surgery. (Target publication date – September 1, 2011) The book will warn sufferers of acute and chronic low back pain to steer clear of this costly, largely unnecessary and dangerous operation. This book will describe in detail the risks and complications associated with this procedure – risks that most patients know nothing about. Many patients, after having endured this procedure, wind up with more back pain than they had before the procedure. Then they are told they will require even more surgery.
To complete the book and to make it more informative, I need your help.
If you’ve had any experience with spinal fusion surgery or any back surgery for low back pain, please let me know. Write to me – tell me your story. What would you like to tell others facing the same predicament? Send your information to me, Ben Goode, email: bengoode@charter.net. If you’d like me to publish your experience (anonymously) let me know. If you’d rather keep it private, I promise to do so.
In any case, I’d like very much to hear from you.
Your fellow senior,
Ben Goode
email: bengoode@charter.net
Attention: Trainers and Physical Therapists
You’re welcome to join us on the Go Senior Fitness website. We’ll be happy to provide you with free space to tell everyone about yourself and your services. Send in your portrait (jpg), brief bio and message. Send the stuff to me, bengoode@charter.net.
Also, you might want to comment on some health and fitness issue that you feel is important to seniors.
Good Luck, stay tuned, and keep in touch.
Senior Fitness Consultant
PPS: If you go to the NUTRITION page, you’ll find the FDA’s new Food Safety Widget. Click on Alerts and you’ll get updated information on manufacturers’ recalls of unsafe food products. Tips will bring you authoritative articles on safe food preparation, food storage and meal planning.
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Low Back Pain
