How To Sleep When You Have Back Pain

How you sleep is probably one of the main contributors to back pain.  During sleep, back muscles relax and rejuvenate.  The discs between the bones of the spine regenerate and refill with fluid.  And, any tissues that were damaged during the day, will repair at night.

None of the above will happen if you sleep in a contorted or unsupported position.

When you were a young child, you could sleep just about any way you wanted.  Your bones weren’t fully developed, your discs were more pliable, and your muscles rejuvenated quicker.

But as you age, tissues that once were soft, start to stiffen up.  You can’t just sleep any old way anymore.   If you do, you will feel it in the morning.

So, here’s what you need to do.

-Avoid Stomach Sleeping-when you sleep on your stomach, you turn your head to the side to breathe.  This puts pressure on the neck and will cause neck pain and headaches.

-Sleep on your side or your back.  When on your back, use a very small pillow or no pillow at all.  When on your side, the pillow height should be high enough that you feel your head is slightly propped up, but not too high that you feel pressure in your neck.  When your pillow height is correct, you won’t need to put a pillow between the knees.

-Always use a firm surface.  Soft mattresses do not support the spine properly and put your body in a contorted position.  There is no need to use any “gadget” mattresses.  A firm mattress with the right pillow height works every time.

If you are having back pain, someone should be working with you on how you are sleeping.  Unfortunately, most medical doctors, chiropractors and therapists do not focus on it and people suffer un-necessarily from pain.

If I ran the world, it would be malpractice to not teach a back pain patient how to sleep.

I once worked with a husband and wife who both had the same back surgery.  No one ever told them that their 20 year old mattress, that was noticeably sagging for the last 5 years, was the cause of their pain.  All the pain suffering and surgery could have been avoided with conservative treatment and a new mattress.

To find out how I treat back pain log on to: www.newbackpainreliefinfo.com

How Can You Prevent Dowager’s Hump?

I have patients tell me on a regular basis that they are afraid of developing Dowager’s hump.  The hunched-over posture like the picture above.

Hunched-over bad posture is called forward head posture by chiropractors and orthopedists.  It can be caused by multiple things, including trauma, bad habits, depression, bone disorders and smoking, just to name a few.

The problem happens when the bones of the spine mis-align in a direction the body can’t self-correct.  The direction is straight forward.  The bones will not self-correct because there are no muscles pulling in the direction needed.  There are no muscles behind you that will pull a bone straight back.  So when an injury happens that pushes a bone of the spine forward, it gets stuck.  Muscles can’t pull it back into alignment.

Over time, people get more and more spinal bones out of alignment forward.  And, the bones creep farther forward.  At first, you feel like its harder to stand up.  Then, it gets to the point where you can’t stand straighter no matter how hard you try.

As you get into old age, the combination of the bones being out of alignment and weakness of the bones (osteoporosis) can cause fractures in the spine.  These fractures drive the person even farther forward, leaving them hunched over permanently.  This gives you the Dowager’s hump.

I’ve seen many exercise programs that attempt to correct Dowager’s hump, but they do little or nothing about it.  Anyone who puts out an exercise program for Dowager’s hump has an incomplete understanding of the problem.  You see, you have no muscles that pull in the direction needed to get the bones re-aligned.  If there were, the body would correct it on its own, or a even little exercise would work.  But it doesn’t happen.

How can Dowager’s hump be prevented ?

First, get your posture corrected by a chiropractor that is trained to correct forward head posture. (not all are)  Even if you have bad posture problems already, much can be done to get you standing straight, relaxed and pain free.

Second, do all the things you know are good for you.  Eat right, don’t smoke, take vitamins and exercise.  That will keep your bones from getting weak.

If you or someone you care about has posture problems, you can get a free no-obligation consultation from me, Dr. Paul Kramer at Pain Free Great Posture.  Just call Jennifer or Pat at 262-251-8306 and you can get an appointment.

For more information on how I treat posture and back pain, log on to: www.painfree-greatposture.com  or  www.newbackpainreliefinfo.com

Sleeping With Chronic Pain

Just about everyone with chronic pain has problems sleeping.  Some of the latest research on chronic pain shows a connection between the two.  The research is showing that when you are sleeping poorly, you feel more pain.

Some doctors say that chronic pain (like fibromyalgia) comes from the sleep disturbance.  Others say that you don’t sleep well because you are in pain.  I like to take a different approach.  I think you need to treat both at the same time.

Get the patient out of pain as much as possible and at the same time, help to get them to sleep better.  You would be surprised at how much sleep can improve, even if you haven’t slept well in years.

Here are some quick tips that can help you sleep better:

1. Change your mattress.  If your mattress is over ten years old, it’s a goner.  They just don’t last longer than ten years.  If its over five years old, it could be bad.  Look for signs of pitting.  Mattresses should be firm.  Do not use pillow tops, exotic foams or water beds-all are bad for your spine and will create more pain.
2. Change your pillow.  If you sleep on your back, sleep with a very small pillow or none at all.  If you are on your side, sleep with a large pillow.  Stay off your stomach- it’s bad for your spine.
3. If you nap, take short naps during the day- less than one hour.  Try to take it before 3 o’clock.  This will minimize any disturbance to your night sleeping.
4. Watch what you feed your brain before you go to sleep.  Read and watch calming things.  You don’t want horror stories, political arguing, violence or intense sadness going through your mind when you are trying to relax.
5. Keep your head cool and your feet warm.  This is a little tidbit from Japanese medicine that I find works.  I don’t know why, but it does.

If you can’t sleep or wake up feeling lousy, check one of the above.  If you are doing well with everything above and you still are having problems, you may be in too much pain to relax.  You should be treated by someone who knows about chronic pain and sleep disorders.  If you get out of pain, you’ll sleep better.

For more information on chronic pain disorders, log on to:  www.stopyourfibronow.com or  www.newbackpainreliefinfo.com

Swimmer’s Shoulder Secrets

Swimmer’s shoulder is a term for tendonitis of the shoulder caused by strenuous swimming.  The condition involves the biceps tendon, which gets inflamed as a result of it moving around in a groove it sits in.  During swimming motions, the tendon slides back and forth in the groove, which irritates and swells the tendon.

Normally, treatment is designed to get the swelling down.  This usually involves icing and rest.  After the swelling subsides, the symptoms get better.  Then a program designed to strengthen the muscles of the shoulder girdle can help to keep it from re-occuring.

As a swimmer, I have had a few bouts with swimmer’s shoulder.  So I can empathize with those who suffer from it.  Based on my own experiences, I can tell you that the “normal” treatments offered for swimmer’s shoulder, only take you so far.  They really don’t fix the underlying problems that make you prone to getting it.

So here are some secrets I have found, that have worked for me and my patients.

1. Work on your posture.  If you stand with your head in front of your shoulders, it changes the way your shoulder moves and you will put more stress on the rotator cuff muscles and biceps tendon.  In effect, you never let those structures rest when you are out of the pool.  Without the proper recovery, you are constantly straining your shoulder and it will never heal.
2. Have someone (preferably trained) massage the back of your arm and shoulder.   A typical scenario for swimmer’s shoulder is the triceps, latissimus and teres muscles get overworked from pulling so much.  These muscles fatigue and go into spasm causing the shoulder to become imbalanced.   This gives the pain in the front of the shoulder, but the primary problem is in the back of it.  You will typically find trigger points in the triceps area and in the back of the armpit.
3. Switch up your strokes.  Front Crawl (freestyle) is the stroke used most often in training.  But, if it is used exclusively, without training other muscle groups, it can cause problems in the shoulders.  Switch up with backstroke and other strokes whenever you can.
4. Improve you strokes.  Faulty stroke mechanics often lead to shoulder problems.  The power in swimming comes from the core, not exclusively from the shoulders.  There are many philosophies of coaching.   But the information I like best comes from www.totalimmersion.net .
5. Consider chiropractic treatment when you have swimmer’s shoulder.  Surgery for swimmer’s shoulder is not all it’s cracked up to be.  The rehab is long and you just aren’t the same after.  Chiropractic treatment can fix most cases of swimmer’s shoulder in a surprisingly short period of time, without the risks and side effects of surgery.

For more information on chiropractic treatment log on to www.painfree-greatposture.com

Dr. Paul Kramer Now Listed On Spine-Health.com

Dr. Paul Kramer is now listed on Spine-Health.com as a trusted provider for patients with spine related health issues.  You can check him out Here.

Spine-Health is the web’s number one source of information for all spine related conditions.   You can read articles authored by some of the nation’s best doctors.  All the content is peer-reviewed, so it is accurate and trustworthy.  You can contact Dr. Kramer through the www.spine-health.com ,  www.painfree-greatposture.com or by emailing him at drpaul@onecommail.com

Barefoot Running Tips

Barefoot running has become increasingly popular in the last few years, due in large part to the book “Born to Run”.

The author, Christopher McDougall, details his quest to find a way to run without pain. You see, he was diagnosed with plantar fasciitis, a very painful type of tendonitis of the foot.  After he was diagnosed, he saw some of the top foot doctors in the country.  All of them prescribed arch supports for his feet, and recommended he stop running.  These recommendations only made his foot problem worse.

He then started studying the world’s top distance runners and found that many of them run barefoot.  Going against what the top doctors in America told him, he started to give barefoot running a try.  To make a long story short, he now runs 50 mile races without plantar fasciitis.

As someone who has made the transition to barefoot running myself, I can tell you that it isn’t an easy thing to do.  It can be painful until you get used to it.  Here are some tips that will make it easier for you:

• I recommend wearing Vibram Five Finger shoes, because they will protect your feet and at the same time allow them to move naturally as you run.
• Start by running on grass, pavement is too tough on your feet early on.
• It will take 2 to 3 months for your feet to toughen up enough to run on pavement. The bones on the feet de-mineralize and weaken as the result of wearing shoes with arch supports.  It will take a few months for the bones to harden up again.
• Concentrate on standing tall when you run, especially as you get tired.  Good posture is essential when you run barefoot.  If you lean forward too much, your feet will hurt almost immediately.
• During your stride, do not put your foot down until it stops moving forward.  You will avoid pounding your joints and it makes you run faster.
• Push off with your toes in the back of your stride.  You will run faster and feel better.  This sets up a kinetic chain that will actually help straighten your back and fix alignment problems in your body.  This is why so many people feel better after switching to barefoot running.

For more information on foot issues log on to: www.stopyourfootpain.com

For info. on all kinds of other health topics, log on to: www.painfree-greatposture.com

Does Weather Increase Back Pain?

Did you ever know someone who could predict the weather based on their aching joints?  They might be pretty accurate according to a recent scientific paper.

A study that appeared in the journal Spine on June 15, 2004 stated that there was a link between weather conditions and spinal pain.

26,862 patients were evaluated at 23 different centers across the US.  Patients were evaluated with an assessment tool called an SF-36, which is a survey that measures general health status. They found a positive correlation between barometric pressure and negative health status.

The article noted “The most commonly implicated climatic variables are high humidity, cold temperature, and low barometric pressure, interesting all indicative of impending storms.”

The research suggests that “abnormal impulses generated at injured areas could contribute to increased pain and paresthesias and that these impulses are sensitive to and aggravated by cold temperature.”

The weather doesn’t cause pain, but it does aggravate pain that is already there.  The best course of action is to get the underlying causes of the pain addressed so you don’t feel so bad when the weather shifts.

For more information on non-drug, non-surgical relief for chronic pain, log on to:  http://www.newbackpainreliefinfo.com.

Whiplash: Can It Be Prevented?

Whiplash, or cervical acceleration-deceleration disorder (CAD) often occurs in car collisions. So, the question is raised, “…can it be prevented?”  To answer this we must first consider the obvious facts about minimizing your distractions when you drive: intoxication, engaged conversation (especially if you’re trying to make eye contact), talking on your cell phone or worse, texting while driving (equal to 3 mixed drinks!!!), messing with the radio, GPS, or other “gadgets” in the car, eating while driving, putting on makeup, shaving, and yes, even reading a book while driving! If you’re getting tired, pull over for a “power nap.” Even a 15-20 min. “shut eye” session can really help.  But these things are obvious (and WELL DOCUMENTED)!  What other factors, like features in cars can minimize or possibly prevent injury in the event of a crash?

The headrest is a very most important feature in the vehicle for preventing or at least reducing the degree of injury in a crash.  Unfortunately, most people do not bother setting the headrest at the correct height, as it’s usually in a position that is too low. When this occurs, the head can slide over the top of the headrest which can actually result in greater injury because it acts like a fulcrum allowing the head to hyperextend over it. This situation makes the injuries associated with whiplash much worse.  The proper height of the headrest should be no lower the top third of the head, especially if the headrest is small in size or, if the seat is reclined. The angle of the seatback is important with reference to headrests because when the seatback is reclined, there is a certain amount of “ramping” that occurs in rear-end collisions.  This is because when the seat is reclined back, the seatback can act literally like a ramp and your whole body can slide up the ramp/seatback and your head can end up over the top of headrest.  Therefore, keep the seatback as vertical as you can tolerate. The degree of “spring” or bounce of the seat back also affects the speed or acceleration of the rebound that occurs in a crash but ,unfortunately, the seat’s “springiness” can’t really be changed.

Seat belts and airbags are a great pair of safety features as they work together to reduce the chances of a serious injury, as well as whiplash. The seatbelt’s job is to stabilize the trunk and prevent the occupant from being ejected from the vehicle. The airbag protects the chest, neck and head from hitting the steering wheel or windshield. Seatbelts arrived on the scene in the 1970s, shoulder restraints shortly thereafter, and airbags in 1985. An 8 year study by the U of Pittsburgh reported on over 7000 spine injured patients, and found a significant reduction of spine related injuries when both seatbelts and airbags were utilized.  The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration advises at least a 10-inch distance between the steering wheel and the breastbone in order to avoid airbag injuries, which reportedly occur within the first 2-3 inches of the airbag.

The “take home” message here is when you combine: 1. Staying alert by avoiding all the many distractions that can lure your eyes off the road; 2. Slowing down when you see or sense trouble, and, 3. Making sure your seatbelt is fastened (and those of your passengers, as well) and your airbag still works, you can be quite confident you are doing your part in preventing injury (including whiplash) for both yourself and potentially others!

YOU MAY BE A CANDIDATE FOR A TREATMENT OF WHIPLASH, THAT ACTUALLY WORKS!

FOR MORE INFORMATION LOG ON TO: http://www.painfree-greatposture.com

FOR A FREE NO-OBLIGATION CONSULTATION CALL 262-251-8306

Fibromyalgia – Tips From Real Patients

We have discussed fibromyalgia (FM) from many perspectives but what we haven’t done yet is listen to what actual FM patients have to say about what works and what doesn’t work.  Rather than reading about what “the experts” say about FM and what to do for it, let’s take a different perspective – let’s talk to those who have FM and hear what they have to say about the “do’s and don’ts.”

Consider the following great “pearls of wisdom” for those suffering from FM:

• Stick to a schedule—it helps.
• Know when you’re pushing too much, and listen to what your body is telling you.
• Keep a journal every day about what you do and how you feel.
• Focus on the 4 P’s: pacing, problem solving, prioritizing, and planning.
• Work on your communication skills, and don’t be afraid to ask for what you need.
• Exercise and diet are very important.
• Acknowledge your limits—recognize what you can and can not do.
• Exercise if you can—swimming helps me because it’s easier on the joints.
• Don’t overdo it or your symptoms will really kick in.
• Know your limitations—if you’re tired, know when to rest.
• Join a support group—or even start one yourself.
• Stay informed—there’s a lot of research and helpful information out there.
• Find a doctor who really sits down and listens to you and understands your pain.
• Use your friends and family as support.
• Learn about Fibromyalgia by reading up on the subject.
• Accept help when you need it.
• Wear a sweat suit when you exercise on the stationary bike; the heat may help to soothe your muscles.
• Sleep is very important. Try not to nap during the day so you can sleep better at night.
• It’s important to take your medication as prescribed.
• Balance your meals with a low-fat, high-protein diet. Drink plenty of water.
• Stretching, swimming and walking may help you deal with the pain.
• Keep moving and enjoy life.
• Exercise! Keep those muscles and bones flexed and firm. But do not overdo it!
• Write down the things that may have brought about your pain.
• Keep this list on your refrigerator as a reminder.
• This is just one way to help you manage the severity of your next “bad” day.
• List the people you can rely on ahead of time to help you on your “bad” days.
• Just knowing that you have backup may help reduce your stress.
• Your support network can help with completing important tasks.
• For example, on a “bad” day, ask them to run an errand or pick up your children from school.
• Sometimes, they could just be there to listen.

With all the above in mind, you may also consider alternative treatments for your fibromyalgia.  There are some excellent pain relieving therapies available, that most doctors don’t know about.

YOU MAY BE A CANDIDATE FOR DRUG-FREE TREATMENT FOR FIBROMYALGIA!

FOR MORE INFORMATION LOG ON TO: http://www.stopyourfibronow.com

Can Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Cause Other Injuries?

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) is a very common complaint often associated with repetitive motion related jobs. There are 9 tendons traveling down the arm from the elbow that “merge” or come together in the relatively tight carpal tunnel, kind of like when 4 lanes of traffic suddenly narrow into 1 lane. We all know what happens when there is road construction during rush hour – traffic comes to a screeching halt and you have to sit there and wait, and wait, then move an inch or two, painfully waiting to reach the end of the construction zone. However, when its not rush hour, traffic may not slow down much at all because there simply aren’t many cars on the road. This analogy is VERY similar to CTS as the 9 tendons and median nerve are the lanes of traffic that merge together as they travel through the tight carpal tunnel in the wrist. When a worker, let’s say a typist, works long hours at the computer typing as fast as possible (like heavy traffic during rush hour), the repetitive rubbing of the tendons in the tunnel creates friction, heat, swelling, and eventually pinching of the nerve resulting in the classic numb thumb and first four fingers. They have to stop shake their hands and flick their fingers to get the them to “wake up” and then they can resume typing again, but have to stop and go and shake/flick the hands/fingers several times during the day. As a result, they either have to take a break and rest or, compensate by shifting their body into different positions in attempt to reduce the strain on the wrist tendons.

Some of the ways we shift in attempt to reduce strain includes raising the elbows away from the sides of the body, shrugging the shoulders up towards the ears, moving the head and neck into different positions like poking the chin out, slouching, plus combinations of all or some of these. Over time, these compensatory faulty postures end up straining the other surrounding joints and when this occurs, the collection of all painful areas is referred to as “cumulative trauma disorders” or, CTDs. As you can see, it’s important to treat or manage the CTS condition early on so we can avoid the progression into the other CTDs or else, treatment will also have to address many other conditions such as (partial list): tennis and/or golfer elbow (tendonitis), shoulder tendonitis, neck or cervical strain, and/or radiating neck to arm pain (cervical disc injury with radiation of pain into the arm). CTDs can also be a contributing cause to mid and low back pain.  As these conditions gradually occur, the longer it takes to stop the progression and sometimes, many of these conditions can become permanent.

There are a lot of ways we can avoid the cascade of events that lead to CTS and other CTDs, some of which include: 1. Early intervention (treatment) – chiropractic care works particularly well at this stage. 2. Taking “mini-breaks” during the work day such as a 1-minute every 30-60 minutes to stretch the neck, shoulders, forearms, hands and fingers. 3. Performing specific carpal tunnel / wrist stretches (placing the palm of the hand on a wall at shoulder level, keep the elbow straight, pointing the fingers down towards the floor). 4. Wearing a splint, especially at night (this prohibits extreme wrist bent positions and the numbness feeling that can wake us up at night). 5. Modifying a workstation, such as moving the computer monitor so the neck/head point straight ahead. Work station modifications can also reduce awkward hand/wrist positions that overload the tendons of the wrists by lowering the mouse and/or keyboard if they are too high, or padding a sharp countertop edge to prevent it from digging into the forearm and further pinching the nerve.

YOU MAY BE A CANDIDATE FOR DRUG FREE, SURGERY FREE TREATMENT OF CARPAL TUNNEL SYNDROME!  FOR MORE INFORMATION LOG ON TO: www.relieffromcarpaltunnel.com