Tag: Muscles

How to Prevent and Manage Arthritis Pain

If you suffer from arthritis, pain becomes a part of your life. Even those who have dealt with arthritis for years, still suffer. With arthritis, the pain is more than physical. It is emotional too. Help must be sought.

If you suffer from arthritis, you want pain relief. In fact, you may want it now. Yes, it is important to seek pain relief, but first look at the cause. When seeking relief, you want more than temporary relief. The best approach is to stop pain before it starts. How? Luckily, you have many options.

Exercise. Exercise is vital to create a strong and healthy body. Not only that, it can relieve and prevent the pain associated with arthritis. Those suffering from severe pain, often left their symptoms go untreated. Their joints are so stiff that it literally hurts to move. If you have reached this point, it will take time. If not, start the process now. Exercise results in joint movement, lessening the stiffness and the pain overtime. It also builds muscle strength. This strength provides the joints with protection, lessening the pressure and pain.

Wise use of joints. Those who suffer from severe forms of arthritis suffer every minute of the day. They wake up and feel pain. In fact, a full nights sleep may be near impossible. Prevent joint pain by wisely using your joints and muscles. Do you suffer from arthritis in your elbows or hips? If so, lessen the strenuous activity that requires these joints. Instead of lifting heavy boxes with your arms, lift with the entire body. Instead of turning only the upper part of the body at the hips, reposition the entire body to get a good look.

Sleep. As previously stated, sleep can be difficult for those suffering from severe pain. A good nights sleep is vital to preventing pain. The energy the body receives from sleep can ward off pain or lessen its severity. If your nights are restless, sleep whenever possible. This may involve afternoon naps, but the payoff is worth it. A well-rested and well-energized body is able to ward off pain and manage it better.

Do not load up on pain medication. Unfortunately, those who suffer from pain, whether it be arthritis or not, rely on pain relievers. Some reach the point where they take medication before pain even sets it. It will arrive eventually, so why wait. Do not take this approach, unless advised by a medical professional. The body grows dependant on the medication we ingest. It is easy to become addicted to over-the-counter pain medication. To prevent pain, exercise, eat healthy, and get a good night sleep. Wait until the pain arrives before turning to over-the-counter medication.

Speaking of when the pain arrives, you now know how to prevent arthritis pain, but what if you still feel it? The above mentioned steps prevent some from experiencing severe pain, but there are no guarantees. Our bodies are all different. If your attempts prove unsuccessful, the next step is management. You need to learn to manage your pain. Pain management will allow you to function from day-to-day.

Reduce stress and relax. There is no doubt that arthritis sufferers deal with pain. This is a proven fact. However, our bodies play a huge role in the impact it has on our lives. A positive outlook on life will help. The less you focus on your pain, the less you will feel. Relaxation is key too. Does a warm bath relax your body and sooth your joint pain? If so, fill up the bathtub, add scented bubbles, and turn on your favorite music.

Get a massage. Most patients are surprised to hear their physicians recommend massages. Most assume they will be loaded with pain relievers and sent homes. Yes, over-the-counter relievers do assist with pain, but so does a good old massage. It relaxes the body and mind. Massages also warm the body and promote movement. In some cases, regular massages can help to prevent pain.

As you can see, there are many ways to avoid and manage the pain associated with arthritis. In fact, these are just a few of your options. No matter what type of arthritis you suffer from or how severe the symptoms, know you are not alone and that relief is available.

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SELF MASSAGE DEVICES

This is for all of you out there who are like most of us; too busy and too cash poor to treat ourselves to massage therapy on a regular basis or at all. That is indeed an unfortunate self denial. However, this particular denial can never guide us to also deny the fact that we can all use the benefits of massage therapy for it is not a mere luxury of the superfluous nature but an inherent need. As a matter of fact, massage therapy is deeply embedded into the fabric of our being and we all instinctively practice it to some extent without ever calling it that.

What do we do when our tummies hurt, when we have headaches, when we stub our toes, when our muscles tighten and cramp and so on and on? We automatically and without contemplation or forethought place our hands to the areas of discomfort to press and rub. Guess what? That is self massage therapy. And self massage therapy is every bit as effective and beneficial as any other kind of massage therapy, and it can be performed at any time and at any place to accommodate our unforgiving schedules and at no cost.

However, there are some parts of our bodies which are difficult to reach and therefore impossible to self massage. There are also times when our own two hands are too fatigued or sore to perform the self massage therapy we need. Furthermore, there may be certain situations that would require our hands to be put to other uses while we wish we could do some massaging. For those reasons, some very intuitive and insightful inventors designed self massage devices which can resolve these issues without depriving us of a good massage.

Massage devices are by no means new concepts as implements have been used on peoples bodies for many centuries throughout the world:

* Mesopotamia and Egypt. Some writings indicate that the Mesopotamians and the Egyptians used a variety of objects to manipulate the body and those would date as far back as 3000 B.C.

* China. The oldest massage tool that has been discovered thus far is made out of jade and it was used in the Longshan culture of China during the Shang dynasty and dates back to about 2000 to 1500 B.C. a massage knuckle.

At approximately the same time, tools carved of wood or animal bones were used to apply pressure to painful points in the body, and needles carved out of wood were used to treat gout.

* Greece and Rome. Stones (jade, marble, basalt and others) were allegedly used either hot or cold by the Greeks and Romans in 175 B.C.

The strigil, rubbing cloths and tapotements made of ebony, wood or bone were also used in the Roman and Greed empires and flagellation (self beating) was practiced with the use of twigs or leafy branches.

* England. The English shaped needle-like instruments to alleviate the symptoms of gout.

An English veteran of the American Revolution, Admiral Henry of Rolvenden, created a large collection of tools to treat his own aches and pain. He drummed his back with a hammer covered with cork and leather; he made a few wood carvings to pound the soles of his feet, he used cattle ribs to loosen the knots along his tendons and to stroke certain parts of his body and he fashioned small bone gadgets to massage the inside of his mouth.

* Pacific Islands. The Polynesians used a thinly curved limb shaped out of the indigenous guava tree called the laau lomi-lomi stick as well as rounded lava rocks called lomi balls. Both these devices tools were used for rubbing, pounding and pressing.

In the 1890s the Health Culture Company of New York introduced an entire line of manual self massage devices and those have been used widely ever since, even more than the electronic devices which began flooding the market in more recent years.

The selection available to you today is extraordinary and the prices are surprisingly low. Among them are rollers, balls, percussion sticks, mats, vibration devices, and much, much more. All you need to do is visit websites such as http://www.ultimatewatermassage.com/ProductCart/pc/viewcategories.asp and be amazed.

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Pain Relief Lower Back

The work environment varies but in most cases, jobs require employees to sit all day on their desk doing tons of paperwork and other tasks. Sitting for a very long period can cause lower back pain. Just imagine that youll be sitting on your office chair for the rest of the year every day. Its no wonder many employees suffer from stress and constant pain particularly on their lower back. This is the best time to choose an effective pain relief.

True enough, sitting at the office is less strenuous as compared to hiking, biking, or traversing rough trails. Because of the sedentary lifestyle of many people, their bodies suffer greatly. According to studies, back pain is a very common condition and most of todays workforce is suffering from it. With the cool atmosphere provided by the air-conditioning systems and limited body movement, the body is inactive all throughout the day. There may be ways to address pain on the lower back but most of them are not effective.

People whose jobs are office-based tend to suffer from back pain which includes the lower portions of the back. The pain may be chronic especially to those who have been working at the office for a long time. New office-based employees are just beginning to feel such pain and if you dont want the pain to last, you should make use of the appropriate pain relief. As you can see, lower back pain should be addressed at the soonest possible time for best results.

There are lots of online and offline resources that can help you in addressing back pain. However, not all these stuff work. eBooks on pain relief are all over the internet and they offer possible solutions for your back pain. If one treatment doesnt work, you can always try another one. Dont resort to drugs and surgery. If you simply take time in looking for effective pain relief treatments, you will surely find one that you can afford and one that will work for you.

Lower back pain starts with the muscles around the spine. When the muscles are weak or quite tight, you will feel pain. It is very important that you have good blood circulation as it can also bring about back pain. Even when youre in the office, you should stretch up a little. Dont just sit down. Try to move from time to time; stand up and stretch your arms. By doing so, you can reduce the tension on your lower back. When muscles are stretched and moved, it will not become too tight.

You need to lie down on the floor and under your knees, you need to put pillows. Bend your knees and feet. By doing this position, the weight is taken off from your back. If your back still hurts, you should lie down in this position. Try to walk from time to time to get those muscles moving.

If you feel muscle spasms, use heating pads. You can use it for 20-30 minutes. For additional relief, you can also try massages and ice packs. Some individuals take non prescription medications like aspirin, naproxen, acetaminophen, ibuprofen, and ketoprofen. These medicines can reduce swelling and pain.

Search for the best lower back pain relief that you can use at home or in the office. You can do the exercise; take medicines, and many others. The choice is yours.

Spider Vein Treatments At Home

Spider veins arent pretty. Although this is not life threatening, it is hard to walk around when people see this on your legs. To help you fight it, here are a few special vein treatments you can practice on your own.

First, exercise regularly. Although this activity may not prevent spider veins from appearing, working out lessens the risk of problems in blood circulation. This is because working muscles in the lower limbs contract thus pushing blood through the veins and back to the heart.

Just about any exercise will do. You can walk, ride a bike, run, jog, lift some weights or use the stairs instead of riding the elevator while at work.

If you exercise regularly, naturally you will lose weight. You have to remember that people who are overweight cant pump blood from their lower limbs to their heart. Also, their blood vessels carry more blood than those who are thinner so there is a strain on the veins.

Sweating is not enough to reduce the risk of spider veins because all the hard work is for nothing if you dont also maintain a balanced diet. Since collagen is part of the tissue in the veins and valves, it is only right that you eat food rich in protein and vitamin C. To have a balanced diet, mix this up with fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grains.

You should not sit or stand too long in one place because this disrupts the flow of blood down your veins. Whenever possible, get up to stretch your legs or sit down to let them relax. You can also shift the weight of one leg to the other if you are standing.

When you get home, prop your legs because this helps the blood move from your feet and ankles back to your heart. Doctors have been telling people to do this for centuries but we rarely do it. Now that you know, find time to do so.

Instead of sitting down, you can also prop your legs by putting three or four pillows under them when you are lying down on your bed. Stay in this position for about ten minutes to an hour and you will feel better after.

Women should wear compression stockings regularly. This come in various strengths so first check with your doctor which one you should buy from the store. If a stronger one is needed, this will have to be prescribed by your doctor.

You can also try wearing spandex pants that are made from elastic material. Be sure that it is not too tight especially in the groin or waist as this can cut into your skin and limit circulation.

There is a product around that can cover up the spider veins whenever you have to go to a party or head down to the beach. The cream is available in a variety of shades and applied by hand so it can blend with your skin.

Spider vein treatment on your own wont make them disappear and following what was mentioned here wont prevent it from happening if it runs in your family or as you age. What they can do is help you hide it so you dont feel embarrassed showing your legs in public until you consider taking either sclerotherapy or therapy to get rid of it.