Mirror Athlete Blog Articles

March 25, 2008

How to Ease Back Pain

Q.  Can you provide some simple instruction on how I can ease my lower back pain.  It seems like when ever I perform certain types of manual labor, my back gets stiff, aches and feels swollen.  I don’t have the money to buy high tech stuff to ease my pain.  What would you recommend as a natural solution?

A.  This is the best advise I can give you for a natural back ache ease solution.  Since you didn’t specify chronic vs. Acute, I’ll assume your pain is acute as it occurs with certain types of physical activity.

1.  “Apply Ice right away.  Ice reduces inflammation and pain.  Be careful not to use ice for more than 15-20 minutes, every 2 hours.  Even though heat is used to ease tension & soarness, heat might cause more swelling in the first 2-3 days.

2.  “Place the ice on the painful area in a fanny pack while you are up and moving around.  Apply ice consistently as long as you have swelling and pain.”

3.  “If you have diabetes or circulatory problems, limit applying ice and heat to 8-10 minutes.”

4.  “Take medication as directed.  Common medications are acetaminophen (such as Tylenol) and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as ibuprofen (such as Motrin) and naproxen sodium (such as Aleve).  In some cases, prescription pain medications may help.  It may take 10 to 14 days of taking it as prescribed to be fully effective.”

(Kaiser Permanente Recommendations, Items 1-4)

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Marc T. Woodard, MBA, BS Exercise Science, USA Medical Services Officer, CPT, RET2007-2008 Copyright.  All rights reserved, Mirror Athlete Publishing @: www.mirrorathlete.com,  Sign up for your Free eNewsletter.

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Aspartame the Silent Killer?

In our March 08 monthly health newsletter, “Looking at yourself.  Got Health?”  You read our editorial “Aspartame and Shocking Health Risks,” exposed by Dr. H. J. Roberts.”   If you would like to receive our free monthly health newsletter, visit www.mirrorathlete.com, enter your email address in the subscriber’s box and then you’ll be on our monthly distribution list. 

Within the March08 newsletter we learned some key points:  1) Chemical changes within sodas containing Aspartame are poisoning our families.  2) Related symptoms stopped once the patient is off of diet sodas.  3) Aspartame is a common denominator in our diet making us sick!  4)  There is a significant weight gain connection!  5)  Aspartame is extremely bad for diabetics.  6)  There is a direct connection between children with ADD and ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder).  7)  Children are specifically at risk and susceptible to Aspartame poisoning.  8)  Monsanto’s patent on Aspartame has expired, now there are over 5,000 products on the shelves containing aspartame; marketed as NutraSweet, Equal and Spoonful.  Uninformed parents are unknowingly poisoning their loved ones.  The American Diabetes Association, the American Dietetic Association and the Conference of the American College of Physicians know about this connection, also endorsed by the U.S. FDA!  “It’s all about the money and corporate greed!” 

There is much information to further substantiate this outrageous chemical food additive practice, but we only have room to scratch the surface.  E.g., Victoria Inness-Brown’s family was addicted to diet sodas… “Concerned aspartame would one day lead to her family’s illness or even early death, she performed an aspartame experiment.  Starting with 108 rats for 2 years and 8 months, daily, she feed a controlled group of rats two-thirds the aspartame contained in an 8-oz diet soda.  Results:  Thirty seven percent of the female rats developed tumors, some of massive size.  Folks this a study where doses per rat weight is adjusted, using under Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI), set by the FDA! “The fact that aspartame is endorsed by the U.S. FDA as a safe product, and is recommended by many doctors as a sweet alternative in lieu of sugar is enough to make you go mad.”  Also, consider these facts, 1) “Does it make sense that what was once listed by the Pentagon as a biochemical warfare agent is now an integral part of your modern diet?” 2)  “Aspartame is profitable… E.g., Maryland-based biotech company Genex Corp., went from reporting $14.3m in 1985 revenues to $2.8m in 1986 after they lost their aspartame business.”  3)  “One 12 oz diet soda contains about 180mg of aspartame/15mg per oz, which equals approximately 4.5 packets of NutraSweet.”  4) The propaganda industry-machine tells consumers the ADI, set by the FDA equates to about 20, 12oz-diet soda for adults, or 6 for children is safe and acceptable (www.mercola.com).”    If the rats get sick consuming far under ADI, why wouldn’t we?”  Friends, it’s simple, “It’s all about the money!” 

Recommendations:  Do not consume aspartame, or products marketed under the following brands:  NutraSweet, Equal, Spoonful, Equal-Measure and Canderel. Aspartame can be found in more than 5,000 products including, but not limited to:  Diet sodas, juice drinks, flavored waters, chewing gum, table-top sweeteners, diet and diabetic foods, breakfast cereals, such as Fiber One, fiber supplements, such as orange flavored Metamucil, jams, and sweets.

Author:  Marc T. Woodard, MBA, BS Exercise Science, USA Medical Services Officer, CPT, RET.
  2008 Copyright.  All rights reserved, Mirror Athlete Publishing, www.mirrorathlete.com , Sign up for your Free eNewsletter.

March 6, 2008

Body Posture and Pain Relationship

Is there a relationship between correct anatomical posture and pain?  “The answer is definitely yes!”  Have you experienced acute (short-term), or chronic (long-term) pain in your major weight bearing joints or muscles?  The joint areas that come to mind:  Feet, ankles, knees, hips, back, neck.  Do you experience muscular and/or join swelling, radiating pain, or nerve aggravation in these areas especially when you exert yourself (working, or exercising, etc.)?  Have the doctors diagnosed you with “acute, or chronic body strains, or sprains?”  Does the only answer for relief seem that your pain management program has a never ending supply of pharmaceuticals?  Have you begun to experience other health issues since you’ve been taking pharmaceutical prescriptions [such as headaches, Irritable Bowel Syndrome “read IBS health article at our site,” upset stomach, racing, or irregular heart rate, sick more often, no energy, body weight out of control, etc., the list goes on!].

What would you say if I told you, “You could completely remove or significantly reduce the pain at the joint, thereby eliminating your only other pain intervention options:  More pills and unnecessary health risks.  No doubt surgical intervention “will” follow if nothing else changes as you age [conditions will turn chronic if not managed correctly!].  Do you really want to go this route?  Or do you want an alternative and preventative measure to get your health back?  I think the answer is 100% “Yes, I want my health!”  To reduce or eliminate pain one needs to consider correcting the foot posture first as there is a high correlation with other posture pain.   Poor posture is responsible for many strains i.e., overexerted muscle, ligament, nerve, disc, tendon that has become overworked, overstretched around a joint [or where a traumatic impact has created a short-term injury].  The biggest difference with a strain vs. “sprain” is the severity of damage [sprains are typically long-term injuries].  The sprain injury is commonly substantiated and verified with MRI equipment (Magnetic Resonance Imaging can see muscular, tendon, disc or ligament tear(s), etc.).   Postural pain typically begins at the feet and works its way up the major load bearing joints of our bodies creating many radiating pain centers as we age (back strains are common posture problems and can become sprained!).  Follow my recommendations listed below to correct poor posture… “Look first at the foot, the most under diagnosed cause of postural pain.”  Don’t live in pain!  You don’t have to.

Recommendations:
1.   I highly recommend you read “Manage Acute Back Pain.”  Go to our home site; also see other “Recently Syndicated Health Articles (Health, Weight Management & Fitness Categories).
2.   Seek a referral from your Primary Physician to get a diagnosis from podiatry (foot) specialist if your feet are causing you pain and/or if other weight bearing structural areas of your body hurt.
3.   Get foot orthotics that exercise the foot arches.  Don’t pay $300-$1500/year from your podiatrist. Click on our site skeletal-foot image icon on our home page www.mirrorathlete.com..  Read about “Posture Control Insoles” ~$50.00/pair.
4.   Also a good weight reduction plan will reduces “pain load” on your postural structure (See “weight loss Crave Blocker Meal Replacement program,” look in our “Wellness Company tab”).
5.   Exercise routine with low pain aggravation.  Walk, stationary bike, etc., 20min day/3x wk.
6.   Wean off of pharmaceuticals if you’re having a pain free day.  Drink 6-8 glasses of water/day.
7.   Use the Wellness Company “Replenex” product for Natural Joint health found within our site.
 

Author:  Marc T. Woodard, MBA, BS Exercise Science, USA Medical Services Officer, CPT, RET.  2008 Copyright.  All rights reserved, Mirror Athlete Publishing,  www.mirrorathlete.com,, Sign up for your Free eNewsletter

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