Tag: Anti Inflammatory Drugs

Common Lower Back Pain Treatments

Like with a number of things, beginning with lower back pain treatment has to start somewhere. It must start with a number of basic steps.

Foremost, you have to be diagnosed of a certain condition and be sure that you have discussed with your doctor the lower back pain treatment that is appropriate with your case.

However, lower back pain may often be undiagnosable and many are caused by certain complications that are too hard to recognize even for experts on the field. For some cases on the other hand, symptoms are evident due to anatomical abnormalities and usually require immediate treatments.

For the more common lower back pain, treatment may start with the following routines:

Rest
It is important to rest the spine when beginning the treatment yet it is equally important to note that rest must only comprise of a day or two. Other than this, resting may be more damaging than good as too much rest may lessen muscle strength. This may also lead to persistent lower back pain. After the symptoms subside, avoid too much physical exertion and activities.

Due to the nature of muscle strain, it is best to avoid irritation on the affected part especially on the spine and the muscles that surround this area.

Anti-Inflammatory Medications or Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs)
Medications that are covered by NSAIDs are often used in treating inflammation associated with lower back pain and other pains. These medications may both be prescribed or may be bought over the counter.

Heat Application
This procedure may help ease discomforts caused by muscle spasm that trigger lower back pain. Methods using heat may include hot water, hot bottles, hot bath and heating pads.

Exercise
This probably is the most essential step in lower back pain treatment. This increases muscle strength and flexibility. Once muscle strength is increased, weight may be better distributed and less force will burden the spine.

Narcotic Pain Medications
Narcotic medications may be both addictive and dangerous but they are rather effective against pain. It is important that the person using narcotic pain medications is under strict supervision.

Muscle Relaxers
Muscle relaxing medications may be very effective in treating the symptoms of back pain through relieving muscle spasm. Among these are trade names such as Flerexil, Valium, and Soma.

Physical Therapy
The focus of physical therapies is the exercises concerned on the back, naturally enough. Yet, if symptoms did no subside using this method, there are other forms of treatments that may be employed such as ultrasound, yoga and aquatherapy.

All these methods of treatments may be used separately or may be combined with other modalities to induce immediate body response.

Advanced Medications for Back Pain Treatment

Fortunately for most patients, the present medicines, option treatments and therapies available work well. But just as each person has individual sets of symptoms and conditions, not all treatment options may be appropriate. Now if you are a back pain patient, it is best to seek medical help to customize a treatment plan that would work best for your case.

Discussed in the following section of this article are the available back pain treatment medications. Though it must be understood that they apply differently and may have varying effects.

Drug therapies
Today’s patients have a wide spectrum of medication choices to treat their persisting back pains. Some drugs are especially designed to treat certain conditions only but many are rather so versatile that their use may apply even for releasing muscle tension, inflammation and treat spasm. Yet, as unfortunate as any treatments may be, there are medications that may have extreme side effects. It is wise that you first discuss with your doctors the medications you will take and the plans to conquer or even minimize the side effects.

Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs)
This type of medications often consist of aspirin, Naproxen, ibuprofen, Ketoprofen and a lot more others. These anti-inflammatory drugs often induce healing from back pain and reduce inflammation and swelling. When used on minimal doses, NSAIDs may act as mild analgesics but larger doses may bring the effects of genuine anti-inflammatory drugs. The most common side effects of conventional Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs are gastrointestinal conditions. However with the newer released items for NSAIDs (e.g. COX-2 Inhibitors), patients may be allowed to take higher doses without the accompanying risks of side effects.

Acetaminophen
Acetaminophen such as Anacin-3, Valadol, Phenaphen, and Tylenol, are commonly known to have the effects of ordinary analgesics- the typical alternatives to NSAIDs. Analgesics medications are employed for acute pain treatment. However, on some special instances these may also be used as treatments for chronic pains.

Opiods
Because of their addictive nature, Opiods are rarely used as treatment for back pain but if so, only for the most severe cases that needs immediate, quick pain relief. These medications are generally not prescribed and many physicians refute that they may do more harm than good. Opiods include codeine and morphine, meperidine (Demerol), Oxycontin.

Muscle Relaxants
Muscle Relaxants are known to induce the efficiency created in most Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs and are often prescribed only for severe back pains. These include medications such as cyclobenzaprine (Flexeril), methocarbamol (Robaxin), carisoprodol (Soma), and diazepam (Valium).

In order for these medications to work at their optimum, guidelines for using them must be followed and the doctor’s advises are the only things that may help you best aside from other medical assistance.

How Fish Oil Can Cure Inflammation

Inflammation occurs as our body’s natural protective response to fend off any outside aggressors and to begin the process of healing. Its effect on our tissues usually involves pain, heat and redness. However, there are some cases that this outward effect is not visible.

Inflammation is a double-edges sword; its effect can be helpful or harmful depending on the circumstances. When an inflammation is in chronic state, devastating consequences are likely to happen like arthritis, heart disease or stroke. It usually happens when the cause of inflammation is continually reintroduced or if the acute inflammatory response is not able to eliminate it. This situation is very likely to happen nowadays because of our exposure to implausible amounts of toxins.

Some of these toxins can be avoided like poor food choices, smoking, and prolonged sun exposure. While some things arise from things from things we dont have control like genetics, accidents and pollution. Inasmuch as there are factors you cant help being exposed to unnecessary and harmful factors detrimental to your good health, you can also take food supplements effective in strengthening your body against the sometimes lethal effect of inflammation. The most effective food supplement according to recent studies happens to be fish oil.

The prevalence of destructive or chronic inflammation among Western countries makes it imperative for many specialists to deal with preventive measures. The reason behind this is that the Western population is more exposed to stress, obesity and poor health in general. Many pharmacological anti-inflammatory drugs offer reduction of inflammation, however, long-term medication have potentially lethal side effects.

So what is your safest option if you have inflammation? Research on alternative medicines revealed that certain dietary supplements can help reduce levels of pro-inflammatory factors, with significantly lower side effects. One of these dietary supplements is the essential fatty acids or EFAs.

Essential fatty acids are necessary for various aspects of normal physiology like: mediating immune response, regulating bodily secretions and their viscosity, dilating and constricting blood vessels, regulating collateral circulation, directing endocrine hormones to their target cells, regulating smooth muscles and autonomic reflexes, being primary constituents of cell membranes, regulating the rate of cell division, maintaining the fluidity and rigidity of cellular membranes, regulating the flow of substances into and out from cells, transporting oxygen from red blood cells to the tissues, maintaining proper kidney function and fluid balance, keeping saturated fats mobile in the bloodstream, preventing blood clots, mediating the release of inflammatory eicosanoids that may trigger allergic conditions, and regulating nerve transmission and communication. (Source: Fish Oil: The Natural Anti-inflammatory by Joseph C. Maroon and Jeffrey Bost, 2006, page 39).

For this reason, it is very important for over-all health to have a regular intake of foods rich in omega-6 or omega-3 EFAs. The omega-3 pathway, activated by trauma, injury, or chemical stimulus, is the process of converting the omega-3 EFAs found in the cell membranes to various eicosanoids. If the omega-3 EFA components of the cell membranes become dominant, an anti-inflammatory state can result, with preventive health benefits.

Fish oil is the best source of the omega-3 essential fatty acids. But why fish oil, you might ask? The needed nutrients can also be found in green plants; algae (phytoplankton); leaves and seeds of the perilla plants; and linseed oil but fish oil is considered the most important dietary source of omega-3 EFAs because it contains concentrated amounts of the ALA derivatives with APA and DHA.

The two mentioned nutrients can almost exclusively found in seafood. Fish contains high amount of EPA and DHA because they are at the top of food chain based on algae, a single-marine organism that manufactures huge amount of EPA and DHA.

Health Benefits of Fish Oil

One of the reasons why people take fish oil supplements is due to the various health benefits that they offer. Fish oil has long been known to contain essential fatty acids that are known to be very beneficial in maintaining ones good health. Here are some of those benefits.

Heart Disease
One of the more common benefits that fish oil is known to offer people involves heart health. Various studies through the years have shown that the long chain omega 3 fatty acids contained in fish oil may help reduce the risk of heart diseases in humans. These essential fatty acids may also help lower LDL cholesterol in the bloodstream ad therefore help reduce the risk of heart attacks and stroke. Not only that, omega 3 fatty acids found in fish oil are also known to increase the levels of HDL, or good, cholesterol.

Prevent Inflammation
One of the more beneficial properties of omega 3 fatty acids found in fish oil is their anti-inflammatory effects on the body. Fish oil can be used to prevent or reduce the inflammation of the tissues. Regular consumption of fish oil has been known to help those people who are suffering from chronic inflammatory diseases. Fish oil has also been known to be effective in treating certain gastrointestinal disorders as well as ulcerative colitis and inflammatory bowel disease.

Arthritis Treatment
Due to its good anti-inflammatory properties, fish oil is a good supplement that can help ease the pain brought about by arthritis and rheumatism. Fish oil supplements can help reduce the use of NSAIDs or Non Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory drugs for treating such conditions. In osteoarthritis, fish oils prove helpful in trying to reduce the functions of certain enzymes that may destroy or damage cartilage tissues in the body.

Weight Loss
Fish oil may also prove beneficial for those people who are trying to lose weight. It sees that taking fish oil supplements may help a lot during the weight loss process. Fish oil has been known to improve the efficiency of exercise in trying to lose weight. Studies have shown that people who were given fish oil as part of their diet seem to lose weight more when exercising than those people under the same program but were not given fish oil in their diet.

Eye Disorders
Another benefit that many experts have extolled on fish oil involves the treatment of certain eye disorders. Consuming fish oil on a regular basis seems to help people avoid the effects of age related macular degeneration. More studies are being undertaken in order to prove further just how effective fish oil can be in trying to help people maintain good eye health.

Skin Health
Another known benefit associated with fish oil consumption is skin health. Fish oil is known to contain nutrients that can help change dry and poorly maintained skin look shiny and glowing. Fish oil has also been known to be effective in treating other skin conditions such as eczema, skin lesions and rashes.

Fish oil can be applied topically on the skin to help relieve the effects of psoriasis. Regular fish oil intake can also help retain moisture in the skin.