About
the Author:
Shara Rendell-Smock
has written more than twenty computer
software manuals, numerous newspaper
articles, including a
monthly health column
for The Sarasota
Herald-Tribune.
She's the author of two books
of non-fiction:
Getting Hooked:
Fiction's Opening
Sentences 1950's-
1990's
and
Living With Big Cats:
The Story of
Jungle Larry, Safari
Jane, and
David Tetzlaff
For ordering information, click here.
To read more about these books,
participate in an ongoing
joke contest, surf on over to
www.rendell-smock.com .
The author currently lives on Florida's Space Coast.
Shara signed with a New York Literary agency in December.
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"Back" to Health
Medical and chiropractic treatments
- (Part 3 of 5)
Patient Profile
About 60% of a physical therapist's clientele is made up of patients with back
trouble. Patients are typically in their mid-20s to forties,
although certainly many are over sixty. People from all walks of
life - truck drivers, weekend athletes, office workers, gardeners,
dancers, students, retirees - seek treatment for back pain.
The implications for us desk jockeys? The U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services says that people in poor physical condition, or who
routinely do heavy labor, or who have long periods of sitting or
standing are at greater risk for low-back problems. These people also
get better more slowly.
Causes
"The straw that broke the camel's back" can set off the cumulative
effects of recurrent injury. Making the bed or bending over to pick up a
pencil from the floor can result in a back injury.
Just as back pain varies from mild to severe, its causes can be
wide-ranging. Some are relatively easy to treat, such as incorrect
lifting, strain, compression injury, weak abdominal muscles, incorrect
gait patterns, prolonged anxiety, repetitive movements, dehydration,
poor foot arches, giving birth, either past or recent injuries, overuse
or its opposite--too little movement. Stress and worry can cause pain by
producing adrenaline, which tenses muscles and induces muscle spasms.
Other causes are more complicated, yet treatable to some extent, such as
arthritis, auto accidents, osteoporosis, scar tissue, pinched nerves,
scoliosis, and bulging or herniated discs.
Many Treatment Options
Sometimes a back problem resolves without treatment, given a little
time. If you determine you need medical attention, you may choose one or
a combination of providers: physician, chiropractor, physical therapist,
massage therapist. If you live in the US, you can ask your insurance agent which treatments your
insurance covers.
Medical
A physician may use X-ray, MRI, CT, or other tests to determine the
underlying problem. He may advise a particular activity level, from
bedrest to moderate exercise and may recommend medications to increase
comfort while healing.
If your doctor recommends surgery, he will inform you of possible risks
and benefits. The good news about back surgery is that this usually is
not a decision that needs to be made quickly. Patients often can pursue
various methods of treatment to see if the back will heal.
In today's society, about 95% of the people who need to exercise don't.
Exercise is the single most important factor to
PREVENT injury and to result in less discomfort when injury occurs.
Chiropractic
The American Chiropractic Association indicates 80% of Americans will
suffer from low-back problems at some point in their lives.
Chiropractic treatments can include spinal manipulation, electrical
stimulation, moist heat, ice pack, among other options.
Early treatment is paramount. When people get back pain, they figure
it'll go away, and without treatment, it may or may not. The key is to
get help - from a chiropractor, physician, physical therapist,
or massage therapist - before the problem becomes more painful and
requires more treatment than it would have if the patient had sought it
earlier.
Next Week:Physical therapy options and self-help tips
Do you ever suffer from back pain? If so, I'd like to hear about your experiences, treatments and tips. E-mail me at hookingreader@cfl.rr.com Also - The next series will cover Nutrition. How much do you know about it? What do you remember from school? I'm always interested in your input.
Back to the top / The New Sideroad / Go to the latest column
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Issue # 16
Tuesday, Feb. 17, 1998
"Back" to Health
Part 1 of 5- Looking After Your Back
Part 2 of 5- Avoiding Back Sprains
Humour and Health
Part 1 of 5
- "Think You're Funny?" (A look at laughter.)
Part 2 of 5
- What the Experts Say. . .
Part 3 of 5
- A Matter of Perspective
Part 4 of 5
- Humour as a Coping Mechanism
Part 5 of 5
- Wooten on Humour and Coping
Overcoming Sleep Disorders
Part 1 of 4
- how your mattress can make all the difference.
Part 2 of 4
- strategies to help you sleep.
Part 3 of 4
- more strategies to help you sleep.
Part 4 of 4
- what is a sleep log and how does it work?
Osteoporosis
Stats indicate that for those over the age of 50, one of every two women
and one in eight men will have an osteoporosis-related fracture. Our
sedentary lifestyle puts us at risk for this disease. Yet osteoporosis
is not inevitable. Here's some information on
this disease and how we can prevent it.
Part 1 of 4 -
- details the likelihood of developing this disease, and its dangers and consequences.
Part 2 of 4 -
- presents the risk factors of osteoporosis and some of our
misconceptions about the disease.
Part 3 of 4 -
- insights into diagnosis, and basic management techniques.
Part 4 of 4 -
- new medical treatments to stop osteoporosis, and safety in the home of osteoporosis sufferers.
Next Week:
Physical therapy options and self-help tips
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