Navigating Healthcare: A Guide to Modern Medicine and Wellness

Back Health

Are High Heels Safe?

Are High Heels SafeWay back in the 10th century, during the Tang Dynasty, a rather barbaric practice of Chinese foot binding of young girls, aged six years or younger, began.  The feet of these poor children were wrapped in tight bandages and broken so they couldn’t grow any bigger.  Why would such an atrocity be done you may ask?  Well, binding the feet to make them appear tiny and delicate was practiced by wealthy families, as only wealthy families could afford to have the women of the house stay at home and not work.  When you saw a Chinese woman with very tiny feet, you instantly recognized that as a status symbol representing prestige, beauty and wealth.

If you scoff at the above idea, consider this – the people of Western civilization, all these years later, think nothing of a woman teetering on heels so spindly that she can barely walk and with only a prayer she will not topple over and break a bone, or two, or three.

Women even joke about their infatuation with high heels – they don’t care how much pain and suffering they have to endure, because, after all, stilettos transcend them into a femme fatale.  Even if women are short in stature, heels give them a commanding presence.  Heels are a boost to any woman’s ego because suddenly their legs look long and shapely as opposed to short-heeled, sensible shoes which make them feel short and dowdy.

How to Protect Your Back During Daily Tasks

Protect Your Back During Daily TasksUnless you live in a warm-weather state where you can enjoy (or merely tolerate) doing yard work all year around, once the last of the snow has disappeared, it is time to start thinking about yard work once again.  Even if you’ve been shoveling snow all Winter, you’re likely to use different muscles, plus you will be squatting and bending, as opposed to lifting and throwing the snow.  If you have a snow blower, or your spouse or a service takes care of the snow, you might be out of shape somewhat, so, before you plan on doing yard work, you might want to begin by doing stretches, squats and lunges a few weeks before you tackle the raking/thatching and bagging up of debris, or tending to the yard in general.  It really will help to be more flexible for the job at hand, and, you sure don’t want to overdo your unused muscles just because you insist on doing all the work in one weekend.  That’s the way to likely incur pain in the back, or aching shoulders.

Probably the best and most-important advice from a top spine doctor in Summit, New Jersey would be to bend your knees.  Those 40-pound bags of topsoil are a challenge for a lot of people once gardening begins in earnest.  First you must heft them out of the back of your car and that can strain your back, especially if you twist and turn your torso the wrong way.  Why not have a four-wheeled dolly at the ready to move those heavy bags from the car to where they will be used?  Also, getting up and down from a kneeling or squatting position may be awkward or difficult for some.  Don’t risk damaging your back – why not treat yourself to a rolling garden seat to make gardening easier and more enjoyable?

Common Triggers for Sciatica and What to do About Them

Causes of SciaticaThere are several causes of sciatica, which is identified as a painful condition which occurs from soreness or pain that travels from your lumbar or lower spine, to your buttock and all the way down your leg.  Sciatica only affects one side of your body, but that one side might as well be both sides for all the pain you will experience.  Sciatic pain does not discriminate where it chooses to wreak havoc – it might be a tolerable ache, or an excruciating pain.  There are ways to try to thwart sciatica and stop it in its tracks, but many times, other medical issues are the underlying cause of the sciatic problems, thus, the malady is not strictly your own doing.  For example, although sciatica is believed to originate from prolonged sitting, even the simple act of coughing or sneezing can cause a sciatica sufferer great discomfort.  Sometimes (but rarely), the sciatic nerve can be compressed by a tumor, or damaged by a disease such as diabetes, or, it could become pinched, usually by a herniated disc in your spine, or by an overgrowth of bone (bone spur) on your vertebrae.

While the consequences sound dire for a person that suffers from sciatica, the good news is that, for most cases, 90% of sciatica sufferers have a full recovery from a bout of sciatica without the need for surgery.

Some of the triggers for sciatica are listed below.  Remember:  if pain persists, you should contact a specialist who will evaluate you to determine the appropriate measures to get you feeling more like yourself again a spine specialist in NJ is the answer to your sciatica woes.

How to Prevent Sciatica

Prevent SciaticaThe facts are plain and simple – it is not always possible to prevent sciatica, and sadly, the condition may reoccur after the initial bout with it. What you may initially just pass off as sleeping the wrong way, or feeling uncomfortable after taking a long car trip, resulting in not knowing which way to sit due to the pain, may be sciatica.  It most cases, sciatica can be relieved in a matter of weeks.  But first, you need to pinpoint whether it is sciatica and what the heck is going on, then do consult with a spine specialist pronto, so that you can get on the road to recovery soon.

Causes of Back Pain

Causes of Back PainNoted pundit Charles Barkley once divided the world into two camps: people who have bad backs and people who don’t. If you would like the relatively blissful existence of the latter, then you should take the advice of doctors, and spinal surgeons in NJ, about simple way to prevent back pain.

Here are five habits that put your back at risk and some simple strategies to stop them before the damage is done.

Common Treatments for Back Pain

Treatments for Back Pain
Treatments for Back Pain

Most adults in New Jersey and throughout the country have suffered from back pain at one time or another. If you’ve experienced back pain, you likely have searched high and low for back pain treatment to make it go away. Many types of back pain will relent within a few hours to a day, while others can continue for much longer and even become chronic. Thankfully, there are several effective back pain treatments, and the type of treatment depends on several factors, including the region of the pain, the level of pain, and the personal preference of the patient. Below is information regarding some of the more common treatments for back pain, including exercise and strength building, medications, physical therapy, injections, surgery, and sometimes, just plain rest is the key.

How to Avoid Back Pain

Avoid Back Pain
Avoid Back Pain

Back pain has become the most prevalent type of pain plaguing Americans. More than 100 million people throughout the country report having experienced back pain, with nearly half of those stating their pain occurs on a chronic basis. And back pain treatment in New Jersey has risen to the top of the list of all medical therapy. Some back pain is unavoidable, such as pain that comes with an accident or illness. However, other types of back pain can be alleviated, eliminated, or even avoided altogether. Measures taken such as exercising, correct lifting techniques, and using the proper chair can help stop back pain before it starts. Here are some steps you can take to ward off back pain, even if you’ve experienced it in the past.

Causes of Back Pain in Men

Back pain is a very common problem for many individuals, especially among adults. However, it is much less likely that a man will seek the help of a spine surgeon than a woman will. Even though men are much more prone to developing back pain since their work commonly requires some form of manual labor, they seek medical attention less often. There are many different causes of back pain in men; some are as natural as aging while other causes can need surgery to correct. It is very important for men to seek medical attention of a spine surgeon to rule out anything serious. Here are some of the most common causes of back pain in men.

scoliosis spinal deformity

What is Sacroiliitis?

When one or both of the sacroiliac joints become inflamed it is called Sacroiliitis. The sacroiliac joints are where the lower spine connects with the pelvis. Since Sacroiliitis can cause pain in the lower back, it is often very difficult to diagnose as it can be mistaken as one of many other conditions. The pain that one experiences with Sacroiliitis can be aggravated by standing for long periods of time or by climbing stairs. There can be several components which work together to develop a treatment plan. For those who suspect they may have developed Sacroiliitis, it is important to discuss their condition with a NJ spine specialist.

Recovering from Back Surgery

Recovering from back surgery is certainly not a pleasant experience. Like other surgeries, it will simply take time to reap the full benefits of the surgical procedure. In many cases, patients think that the recovery period is the most challenging part of having the surgical procedure done. There are several things that patients can obtain prior to having the procedure done by a spine surgeon in NJ. Accumulating these items can help speed the recovery rate and help almost immediately upon returning home from the procedure.