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Link Between Lactose Intolerance And Back Pain

April 14th, 2008    Subscribe To Our Feed

If you are lactose intolerant and suffer from back pain, you might be surprised to know that the two may be related.

To understand how there could be a link between lactose intolerance and back pain, first we must understand what causes lactose intolerance.

Lactose is a sugar product found in many food items, especially common in the milk of all mammals regardless whether the mother is consuming it or not. Lactose intolerance is usually inherited (although some are still debating this) and usually arises when you cannot produce or produce enough of the enzyme Lactase. This enzyme is the key to breaking down Lactose for digestion. The inability of the body to do so usually results in severe stomach pain, diarrhoea and flatulence. In very rare cases, babies that are lactose intolerant develop what is known as congenital lactase deficiency. These infants will suffer from diarrhoea from birth. In years gone by, this situation was often fatal. However today it is easily treated in most major hospitals.

University researchers have found that nearly 75% of the African American population, 90% of Asian Americans, 80% of American Indians and 50% of Latin Americans all have some kind of intolerance for lactose. It has also been revealed that people within these groups show a decline in Lactase production from the age of five.

So is there a link between lactose intolerance and back pain?

It is a common fact that dairy products contain a lot of calcium and that calcium is needed for healthy bones. In the western world, 75% of our calcium intake is done through dairy products and for anyone that is lactose intolerant this intake is reduced quite dramatically.

Due mainly to a lack of understanding and also information, most people suffering from lactose intolerance just cut all dairy products from their daily diet all together and do not replace their daily calcium intake from other calcium-rich foods.

This in turn has devastating consequences resulting in the demineralization of the bones in girls as young as thirteen and even osteoporosis and fractures of the lumbar spine for many women in the later years. Demineralization can also result in very small fractures in the vertebrae causing mild to severe back pain and other associated back problems.

There is also a strong possibility that there could be a link between lactose intolerance and back pain and being allergic to milk. Milk allergies create lots of mucoid plaque, which in turn can put a lot of pressure on the lower back region. People that have undergone a total detox of the body have reported a significant drop in the levels of back pain felt. If you have a blotted abdomen, chances are that mucoid plaque is most probably the cause of the pain. However it is always wise to seek the help of a qualified physician for a professional diagnosis.

How It Affects Men

It is well known that more women that men suffer from osteoporosis. However men that are lactose intolerant and suffer from prostate cancer are usually prescribed female hormones hence increasing the risk of demineralization and osteoporosis.

How to Fix It

It is essential that if you are lactose intolerant that you replace your daily calcium intake with other calcium rich foods. One way to do this is to study other cultures and especially the foods that they consume. The Japanese and Chinese are not great consumers of dairy but do eat a lot of fish, which is very high in calcium. Other sources of calcium include seaweed, soybeans, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, sun dried tomatoes and countless others. A quick search on the Internet will be able to reveal quite an extensive list that you might not have known existed.

As none of these foods carry any lactose within them, it is imperative that you start adding some of them to your daily diet. Eating foods that contain a lot of calcium has been lab proven to reduce the chance of osteoporosis and in turn prevent back pain.

Stabbing Lower Back Pain

April 3rd, 2008    Subscribe To Our Feed

A stabbing lower back pain may be induced by quite a list of things and this is why an appropriate diagnosis from a certified practitioner is essential prior to beginning some form of treatment.

Causes like ulcers, kidney stones, a pinched nerve or injury to the back may all lead to a stabbing lower back pain. You need to realize that the back is linked to your central nervous system and anything that takes place in that general area will be picked up and on the odd occasion, manifest itself as a stabbing lower back pain. The lesson of the story is that whenever you experience back pain, it doesn’t mean that it is 100% related to your back. It could be just a prior condition just disguised as a lower back pain.

What To Do If You Have A Stabbing Lower Back Pain

Your first plan of action when you feel a stabbing lower back pain is to start tracking the symptoms. Try a write down everything from when does it happen, what you are doing when you start feeling the pain, how long the pain last for or any other notes that you think will help. May be the pain only manifests itself after a meal or when you move in a certain way.

Your notes will certainly help your physician to get a better grasp of the problem and may even help pinpoint the root of the problem during your diagnosis.

After tracking the symptoms for a few days, you can then pay a visit to your local physician and together decide which course of action to take.

This type of back trouble is quite often caused by ulcers. There a several kinds of ulcers and Peptic ulcers are usually at the top of the list when it comes to this type of back pain. In case of ulcers, the pain is usually felt right after a meal and will usually start in the upper back.

Pulled muscular tissue and pinched nerves are also popular amidst the perpetrators for this type of back pain. Gallstones, kidney stones and other types of obstructions can likewise stimulate this type of painful sensation in the back so you should anticipate that x rays or additional forms of examination could be necessary to ascertain the accurate nature of the trouble. However be ready to undergo lots of tests as the cause can sometimes be very well hidden.

If you are prone to any of the conditions listed above, a quick visit to your doctor should be able to reveal the root of the problem. However, if this is not the case, your doctor should, by using an elimination process, be able to let you know what is not causing the stabbing lower back pain. Once the source is located, you should be able to start an appropriate treatment. It is also wise to ask you doctor whether he or she could recommend an alternate treatment program.

Nagging Pain In The back Below The Shoulder Blade

March 20th, 2008    Subscribe To Our Feed

If you have been experiencing pain in the back below the shoulder blade you are not alone. Eight out of ten adults will experience back-related pain at some stage of their lives. The pain will either be acute or chronic.

Acute Pain

* Lasts from a few days to a few weeks
* Responsive to rest and exercise
* Cause of the pain is not easily identifiable

Chronic back pain

* Lasts from a few months onward
* Pain is constant
* Periodically flares where the pain is worse
* Will settle back to the earlier, less intense, level of pain.

Treating the pain in the back below the shoulder blade

There are several things that can ease the pain in the back below the shoulder blade. First of all, rest. For a long time, the myth has been that bed rest was the answer to get rid of back pain. Sufferers would immediately go to bed, but the pain didn’t really go away. They would lay in one position for hours as it hurt too much to shift around. The pain in the back below the shoulder blade was not relieved, even if they lay on the opposite side from where the pain is coming from, or flat on their back.

Now, doctors have discovered that bed rest can be helpful for a day, or two at most. Beyond that, it will slow recovery, as the muscles are too likely to wither and loose strength. When the back, stomach, and leg muscles are weak, the body is more prone to muscle strains and sports injuries.

Heat therapy is often recommended for back pain. For some, using moist heat is best, such as a hot bath or spa. For others, they find that ice (cold therapy) feels better. Either is fine, so experiment with the pain in the back below the shoulder blade and see which works best in your case.

Beyond heat (or cold) therapy and rest, stretching and strengthening exercises can help immensely - both to relieve the pain now and to help the body avoid pain in the future. Start off gently, with stretching the muscles of the back, stomach, and legs. Once they are a bit warmed up, do some strengthening exercises so that they are better able to handle the everyday activities you like to do.

As far as medication goes, anti-inflammatory drugs like Acetaminophen can help reduce the pain and inflammation. However if the pain in the back below the shoulder blade remains, you should see your doctor who could prescribe stronger drugs such as muscle relaxants, narcotics, and injections of corticosteroids.

Treating A Sharp Pain That Keeps Moving Around The Back

March 19th, 2008    Subscribe To Our Feed

A sharp pain that keeps moving around the back can be caused by quite a number of things and it is for that reason that a proper diagnosis by a qualified practitioner is a must before starting any kind of treatment.

Reasons such as ulcers, kidney stones, a pinched nerve or trauma to the back can all contribute to a sharp pain that keeps moving around the back. You need to understand that the back is connected to your central nervous system and anything that happens in the vicinity of that area will be picked up and on the odd occasion, will register as a sharp pain that keeps moving around the back. The moral of the story is that if you feel a stabbing back pain, it does not mean that it is 100% related to your back.

What to do if you feel a sharp pain that keeps moving around the back

If you do have, sharp pain that keeps moving around the back the best thing to do is to track the symptoms. When does it occur, what are you doing prior to, during, and after the pain. This will help to let both you and your doctors have a better understanding of what is going on when this painful symptom occurs. Does it happen right after you eat? Alternatively, does it happen only when you move a certain way? These are all questions that can help the doctor to determine exactly what the cause of your particular type of pain is and offer a solution that works for you. After you have recorded this information, make an appointment with your doctor to receive advice as to what may be causing it.

Ulcers - one of the causes for this type of back pain there are several different types peptic ulcers are usually the ulcer of choice for this type of back pain. This type of pain will probably occur right after eating and be in the upper back.

Pulled muscles and pinched nerves are also common among the culprits for this type of back pain.

Gallstones, kidney stones and other types of blockages can also cause this type of pain in the back so you should expect that x rays or other types of testing might be necessary to determine the exact nature of the pain.

Should you have a medical condition, a quick visit to your doctor will help get a proper diagnosis. Once a cause has been established, you can then begin treatment to resolve the sharp pain that keeps moving around the back. It is also a good idea to check with your doctor if he/she would recommend any alternative treatment.

Understanding Upper Back Pain Along The Spine

March 16th, 2008    Subscribe To Our Feed

In order to understand upper back pain along the spine, we must first understand the upper back. Unlike lower back pain, pain from the upper back is not that common. The upper back region is where you will find the thoracic spine, which in turn contains twelve vertebrae. These vertebrae are linked to nine of the twelve ribs. Sitting perpendicularly to the spine is the breastbone, which also is connected to the ribs. These bones all form part of what is know as the thoracic or “chest” cage.  This cage sole responsibility is to protect the organs found in our upper body. The three remaining ribs at the low end of the “ladder” are not attached to the breastbone and therefore do not form part of the thoracic or “chest” cage.

Upper back pain along the spine, though rare, does occur. This article will explain the causes and treatment of such a condition.

What causes upper back pain along the spine

The thoracic spine exists to stabilize the body and protect its organs. It is stronger than the cervical spine (neck) and lumbar spine (lower back). The cervical and lumbar spines are made to help the body move and flex. The thoracic spine is made to be strong and stable. For this reason, injuries are much more commonly seen in the cervical and lumbar spinal regions. However, there are two main causes of upper back pain along the spine, or thoracic spine pain: myofascial pain and joint dysfunctional pain.

Myofascial pain - This is muscular irritation brought about by muscle strains that can occur from sports activities, over or underuse of a muscle, or sudden movements such as being thrown forward in an automobile accident. This usually affects the large muscles supporting the shoulder blades.
 
Joint dysfunction - This is a malfunction of the two joints that connect each rib to the thoracic spine. Ribs are connected to the spine on either side by joints. An injury to one or both joints can cause them to lose function and can cause upper back pain along the spine.

Treatment of upper back pain along the spine

Myofascial pain is best treated with deep tissue massage, chiropractic manipulation of the spine, physical therapy, and acupuncture. Stretching and strengthening of the shoulder muscles is key in developing strength of the upper back.

Joint dysfunction is best treated by chiropractic manipulation, aerobic exercise, medication to relieve pain, and steroid injections at target sites of pain if necessary.

Upper back pain along the spine are is hard to diagnose and should you be unfortunately suffering from it, the best professionals to see are firstly pain management specialists, chiropractors, physiotherapist and if the pain still persists, an orthopedic surgeon.

Causes Of Chest And Back Pain And Irritation

March 16th, 2008    Subscribe To Our Feed

The causes of chest and back pain and irritation can either start in the chest and be felt in the back or vice versa. There are several reasons and situations that can cause causes of chest and back pain and irritation to flare up.

There are really only two reasons for causes of chest and back pain and irritation and they are a pinch nerve or pulled muscles. These are the most likely cause of pain travelling from the back to the chest. The best thing to do in these situations is to see your doctor about receiving care. They may be able to assist you and give you advice on what to do or who to see about resolving the issues you are having with causes of chest and back pain and irritation. It is important to see your local or family doctor first before seeing any other specialist like a chiropractor. Often, people with back pain head straight for the chiropractor but there are things that can be the causes of chest and back pain and irritation that has nothing to do with bones or joints so it is best to see your primary care first. You may find you do not need the chiropractor after all.

Causes of chest and back pain and irritation - Chest To Back

Having chest pain that runs into the back is going to come from a variety of sources. Of course, sources vary so it is a good idea to get any pain checked out. Pains can be caused by muscles spasms from activity. Ulcers and other internal blockages and issues can also cause chest to back pain. Lung and heart issues can also cause back pain as well as chest pain. If you are, having chest pain that is, moving to your back you should seek medical advice, as this could be a sign of a serious health concern.

If you happen to have a recurring pain a good strategy is to keep a record of all the symptoms, situations and what you might have been doing at the time you have a flare up so that you are able to determine the common element that seems to be causing the pain. This will also help you figure out whether the causes of chest and back pain and irritation are due to outside influences. Should the latter be the case, removing the external trigger for the pain is often the only remedy needed to fix the pain.

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