Most Common Causes for Lower Back Pains

Back pain - PAIN that arises from injury to the structures of the spine. Most back pain involves the soft tissue structures muscles, ligaments, tendons, and CARTILAGE. Back pain is very common, affecting nearly every adult at some time in his or her lifetime and is second only to HEADACHE as a reason for missing work. Though most back pain heals without residual consequences, chronic back pain (back pain that continues beyond three to six months) remains the leading cause of occupational disability.



The most common cause of lower back pains are injury or overuse of muscles, and pressure on nerve roots caused by osteoarthritis, spinal stenosis, fractures, and herniated discs.

The back is made up of a structure of bones, muscles and tissue, of which the most important support structure is the spinal column, which covers the spinal cord. The spinal cord is responsible for carrying signals and conveying messages. The spinal cord also supports the body's weight. Injuries, accidents, or poor posture can result in strain being placed on it, resulting in back pains in the lower region.

Acute back pain develops suddenly, a consequence of traumatic injury or surgery, and improves when the underlying cause improves. The low back (lumbar spine) and the neck (cervical spine) are the most vulnerable to traumatic injury. Low back strain is a common injury often related to overuse, incorrect lifting (including lifting too much weight), and sudden twisting movements. Cervical strain often results from incorrect posture, especially prolonged sitting in the same position, or whiplash-type trauma in which the head moves suddenly and more rapidly than the body in a whipping fashion that stretches muscles and ligaments. Chronic back pain is pain that exists or continues when there is no pathologic reason and more often affects the low back.


Pregnancy

One of the typical causes of lower back pain on the right side is often overlooked. In women, pregnancy can often lead to the development of pain on one side of the back. This is because pregnancy alters the formation of the body considerably. As the fetus grows, it often places pressure on the bones, tendons and ligaments of the back, resulting in an irritation of the nerves. This irritation of the nerves results in pain and discomfort. This pain may get worse as the pregnancy continues or the body’s posture may shift and provide some relief.

How to Control Binge Eating Using Your Mind

According to recent experiments conducted on the causes of infertility, the gluttony is one of the factors leading to it. The experiments were conducted on animals showed that some of them, which dealt with his food greedily has decreased fertility rate, while others maintained the high fertility rate, especially if you did not address that contains a lot of calories.
On this discovery, new science, said Dr. Hassan intellectual Mansour, director of the Ibn Sina feeding in Damanhur, Egypt it was the harm caused by excessive eating as well as obesity, high blood sugar, it causes the Federation of substance phytic with salts of calcium and magnesium, to produce salts insoluble and can not intestine for absorption.
Suggests Dr. Mansour said in a statement made ​​by the newspaper "Al Ahram" Egyptian that the excessive consumption of bread is an impediment to absorb calcium and lead to a reduction of average in the body, which results in weakness in the teeth and bones, and in some cases, muscle weakness, neurological disorder, and the difficulty of absorption of iron.
Scientists call the disease in binge eating or food addiction bulimia name. The disease infected devour large quantities of food without the awareness or perception, and even without the pleasure of feeling what they eat, and in most cases, be quick meals.

By far the most important thing to do is to recognise that it is happening and just relax. Instead of eating find a place where you can be comfortable, allow yourself to relax and stop yourself getting stressed out about your sudden desire to eat. The more stressed you get, the more you eat!

One way out of a “binge”, is to bring your focus on what you are doing. If you are eating, then focus on that. This can take a bit of will power, but your mind can do this for a short period of time. Then you will find you can pick better foods to eat. So rather than worrying about stopping, simply change what you are eating.

When you eat a lot of high processed sugary foods, a chain of events occurs in your mind and body. For example, you eat some chocolate; the sugar quickly enters your bloodstream and your blood sugar levels go up. When this happens signals are sent to your brain and immediately it sends a message to the organ that controls insulin. Your pancreas quickly releases some insulin into the blood stream so as to lower your sugar levels.

 

By far the most important thing to do is to recognise that it is happening and just relax. Instead of eating find a place where you can be comfortable, allow yourself to relax and stop yourself getting stressed out about your sudden desire to eat. The more stressed you get, the more you eat!

One way out of a "binge", is to bring your focus on what you are doing. If you are eating, then focus on that. This can take a bit of will power, but your mind can do this for a short period of time. Then you will find you can pick better foods to eat. So rather than worrying about stopping, simply change what you are eating.

When you eat a lot of high processed sugary foods, a chain of events occurs in your mind and body. For example, you eat some chocolate; the sugar quickly enters your bloodstream and your blood sugar levels go up. When this happens signals are sent to your brain and immediately it sends a message to the organ that controls insulin. Your pancreas quickly releases some insulin into the blood stream so as to lower your sugar levels.


So how can you break this cycle? First become aware of what you are doing. Secondly, acknowledge it. When you try to ignore something your mind will want it more. So do not ignore it but say to yourself it is happening, and then you can release it. Next, you need to eat foods that release sugar slowly into your body. A good choice is a combination of protein, carbohydrates and fat in your diet.
The next importantly thing is to release any stress, worry or anxiety you have about it. These can make you overeat. But as you learn how to handle this type of imbalanced eating behaviour, it occurs less and less. Through the use hypnosis and NLP, you are able to get it under control much faster.

So allow your mind to use its will power to simply acknowledge what you are doing and user your mind to focus on something else that you can do that is not food related.

Of course, the ideal solution is to try something like Hypnotic Gastric Banding, because you use your mind to create new habits around eating, and stop those cravings and binges.

Cosmetic Dentistry - An Insight

Your smile is one of the first impressions people receive about you. Are you comfortable with the message your smile communicates?

Many people hesitate to smile because they are embarrassed by the look of their teeth or their gums. But thanks to advancements in cosmetic dentistry, several options are available to assist individuals with improving their smiles

Traditionally dentistry focused on keeping hygiene of the oral cavity, prevent and treat diseases of the gums and teeth. But nowadays, dentistry has a curative effect to it in the form of cosmetic dentistry. Cosmetic Dentistry commonly refers to as a work on the teeth which makes the exterior or the appearance of an individual's gum or teeth better. It is a common practice that some dentist called themselves as cosmetic dentists although in reality they might not be qualified or trained enough to carry out this practice. This field is not endorsed by the American Dental Association and they do not regard it as a formal discipline. However, promoting oneself as a cosmetic dentist is a common practice these both on the internet and otherwise.

Dentistry was initially a discipline that dealt with problems related to teeth and gums but now it has a wide application in making people beautiful.

Cosmetic Dentistry entails the following:

    * Adding the dental material to the gums or teeth like crowns, laminates etc.
    * Extraction of the structure of the tooth and the gums like gingivectomy
    * Teeth bleaching activities
    * Making the teeth straight


Another activity which the cosmetic dentists commonly perform is the reshaping or straightening of teeth. It is often performed to change the length, position and the shape of the teeth. This process can be sometimes used an alternative for braces. This process, however, removes the enamel on the teeth. Enamel or dentin is very valuable for teeth. Absence or erosion of enamel can make the teeth sensitive and once removed, it cannot be replaced.

The advancements in technology have made the dental procedures more effective and predictable than they were before. In addition to this, dentists are using methods that save most of the natural structure of the tooth and gums. Cosmetic dentists make use of certain technologies like lasers to carry out some processes pertinent for cosmetic treatment in their own clinics thus eliminating the requirement for referrals from other specialists. Due to this, it becomes easier for the patients as they do not have to move back and forth between the doctors. It also makes it easier for them to recover quickly from the ailment.

Veneers
A veneer is a thin piece of porcelain the dentist cements to the surface of the front teeth to enhance your smile. It is designed to cover up teeth that are stained, crooked, chipped, spaced unevenly or overlapping. Porcelain veneers are strong, durable, easy to maintain and difficult to stain, usually lasting more than 10 years.

To design the veneer, the dentist will remove a small amount of the tooth surface to ensure a natural look. Although veneers are designed to fit your teeth, sometimes there is a slight color difference from other teeth. Once the veneer is in place, you may need to practice clearly pronouncing words with “s” and “f” sounds.

Bonding
During a bonding procedure, dentists affix tooth-colored dental material to the teeth to improve chipped or broken teeth, fill in gaps, reshape or recolor teeth. Bonding lasts for many years and requires one or two dental visits to complete, depending on the restoration need. But the material is more susceptible to staining or chipping as compared to other cosmetic dental procedures.

Crowns
Dentists use crowns to restore teeth with extensive decay. Once the cavity is removed, dental impressions are taken of the tooth, and a crown (also known as a cap) is prepared at the dentist’s office or offsite at a dental lab and then affixed to the tooth. Crowns typically last the longest of all cosmetic restorations.

Whitening
Considered an easy procedure to improve your smile, whitening (also called bleaching) involves a chemical process that lightens tooth color. Individuals can have the procedure performed at the dentist’s office or use dental materials at home. Depending on the individual’s personal habits, teeth whitening may last one or two years. Some people who are sensitive to the whitening chemicals temporarily may experience sore gums or teeth, but the discomfort should disappear after the procedure is completed.

Dental Implants
When teeth are broken off or missing, dental implants may be an option for filling in the gaps. If an individual has sufficient jaw bone, a titanium implant post is surgically screwed into it to serve as an anchor for a natural-looking false tooth. The individual must have sufficient jaw bone in the area under the missing tooth to hold the implant. Otherwise, a bone graft procedure may be required to strengthen the jaw.

Dental implant procedures can be time consuming and expensive, especially if a bone graft is required. And some individuals report experiencing discomfort, pain, bruising and swelling for several days following the procedure.

Gum Surgery
Your gums have the important job of holding your teeth in place. Depending on the shape of the mouth, some people show a lot of gum tissue when they smile. Others may have lost gum tissue due to periodontal disease or as a natural result of shrinking and receding due to age. Gum surgery is a cosmetic procedure performed to correct these problems. Depending on the specific need, the gum may be sculpted with a laser to remove excess tissue to make teeth look longer, clean up and remove areas that are diseased, or graft new gum tissue to strengthen teeth and protect the roots from continued shrinkage and risk of decay.

As with all surgical procedures, individuals may experience some discomfort, pain, bruising or swelling following the procedure while the gum tissue heals.

If you want to improve your smile, consult with your dentist to explore a variety of options to create the look you desire.

What Are the Two Types of Age-Related Macular Degeneration?

The retina is the tissue that lines the back of the eye. It sends visual signals to the brain. The macula is part of the retina. It is responsible for central vision. Macular degeneration is decline of the macula. It causes a gradual loss of sharp, central vision. The condition is mainly a disease of aging. In rare cases, it can occur in younger people. 

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) affects the older generation and is one of the most common eye conditions in elderly people. It damages the yellow, oval macular of the eye (which allows you to see fine details) and can result in a complete loss of central vision. There are two main types of this eye disease, so let's find out more about each ailment.

The 'dry' type

The 'dry' type of age-related macular degeneration occurs when light-sensitive cells in the macular fail to work properly and can greatly affect vision. As the retinal pigment epithelial cells (RPE) which support the light sensitive photoreceptor cells break down, a loss of central vision can occur. This type of AMD usually develops over many years and tends to affect 80 per cent of those with the condition.

Many patients with the dry type of age-related macular degeneration will find that their vision deteriorates slowly. Symptoms may not be obvious in the early stages but central vision usually gets worse with time. Sufferers can find it hard to read small print or watch TV and might need more light to see objects clearly. As the condition progresses, a blind spot can develop in the middle of each eye, however, peripheral vision is rarely affected.

Both eyes are usually affected at the same time, but it is possible for one eye to be worse than the other, so discuss any abnormalities with your optometrist. An eye care specialist will look out for small, yellowish deposits known as drusen (which are an early sign of this disease) and will refer you to the hospital if they are worried. There is no cure for dry AMD; however, magnifying glasses and electronic devices can help you live your life to the full.

The 'wet' type

The 'wet' type of age-related macular degeneration occurs when new blood vessels on the retina leak very suddenly and can cause severe damage to your eyesight. It's a lot more serious than dry AMD and must be treated as a medical emergency. Always seek help if you experience sudden or gradual loss of your eyesight and don't put up with any pain or discomfort.

Your optometrist will use a special book to look for distortion of your central vision and will examine your retina (a collection of sensitive cells at the back of your eye). If they notice a problem you'll probably be referred to an eye care hospital where you'll receive professional help. Laser treatments can stop the vessels from leaking and innovative new injections can prevent your vision form worsening.

Simple Steps to Prevent Childhood Obesity

Childhood obesity can cause social, psychological and health problems, and is linked to obesity later in life and poor adult health.

There are simple factors in every parent's control that can  reduce the chance of childhood obesity. In society today, approximately one in five children will be labeled as obese. Obesity is defined as an excess amount of body fat, measured as a percentage of total body weight. A child is considered obese when their body weight is 20% higher than the average weight of children of the same age. It is imperative that parents realize how their choices impact the chances of their children developing obesity.

The main contributing factors to childhood obesity are lack of physical activity and high calorie intake, as well as the variety of foods consumed. The recent emphasis on technology as well as convenience, high calorie meals have had a detrimental effect on child health. Furthermore, one of the worst physical effects of childhood obesity is the susceptibility to diseases such as diabetes, high cholesterol, and early onset of heart disease.

Obesity has negative effects on emotional health as well. Society today labels those that are obese as lazy or unmotivated. These stigmas contribute to the increasing onset of depression, anxiety, and low self esteem in children. These factors then affect the social health of children as well, as there can be a lack in the development of relationships and acceptance from their peers.

Parents do have control over several factors that contribute to obesity. The eating habits of children can be controlled, as parents need to resist the urge to provide the quick, convenience 000meals such as fast food and high-calorie, low nutritional snacks.

Parents can also provide a variety of physical activities for youngsters. A creative mind can create unique activities that require participation and motion. Some examples of such activities are outdoor play, such as games like tag or hide and seeks, and indoor play such as fort-building, balloon play, or dancing to upbeat music.

Stress and tension

Stress and tension has become synonymous with our daily lives. Our days start with running for work amid the crowded and polluted roads instead of a healthy jog in nature’s lap. We work like there is no tomorrow and at the end of the day we seek the comfort of the bed. The lifestyle we live will eventually take a toll on our physical as well as mental being. A little bit of indulgence and pampering is something that can set things right. Spas and massages are a wonderful option for de-stress therapy

We all live in a sometimes if not constantly stressful world, deadlines, appointments, errands, work, school, kids, pets, traffic, relationships; whatever it is we all face stressful times. But there are ways of dealing with it and self massage techniques that can get rid of the stress in a positive healthy way. This article will teach you to relax enjoy being with yourself and how to give yourself a relaxing head and face massage.

The first and highly important piece to you getting to relax unwind and let go into relaxation is your environment. Find a spot, any spot were you can get comfortable maybe alone or near a silent partner. If you live in a very crowded loud space learn to get creative in ways to escape. Your parked car is always an option if you have noisy kids, pets or roommates. Sometimes in the shower with the water turned off is an option. Where ever your place is make it yours. This is all about you making a deeper connection with yourself, taking time out to relax and give yourself the love you need. Just like a meditation practice lay sit or rest in a comfortable position laying on your back is preferred because it allows most of the muscles in your body to let go of tension and relax.

Start lying on your back on the floor on carpet or a rug or soft blanket close your eyes and focus only on breathing in to a count of 4 and breathing out to a count of 4. Slow steady breaths in wave crashing on the shore, breath out wave going back to the ocean, steady slow and consistent. Effortless breathing, let go of all thoughts and send yourself positive energy.

Place your thumbs underneath your eyebrows just below the ridge of your forehead bone or frontal bone under the eye sockets. Feel a sensation as you press firmly but still soft on the pressure points. These points when massaged regularly detox the body and get rid of stress very quickly. Press and circle with counts of 3. Press and circle 3 times repeat until any slight pain or sensation fades away into relaxation. Follow the under part of the eyebrows pressing and circling 3 times until you come to the sides of your eyes by your temple. Press and circle your temple 3-6 times. Next move to the sides of your nostrils, using your index fingers press and circle 3 times. Follow the under part of your cheek bones pressing and circling until you reach your ears. Continue pressing and circling your masseter or jaw muscle all the way down following your mandible or jaw bone until you reach your chin. Move around your mouth with larger circles massaging the cheeks in bigger circles. Move back to your temples circling 3-6 times in forward and backward circles. Next move to your forehead; massage in small circles moving your hands towards each other meeting at the center of your forehead. Move your hands up a little bit starting at the center with both hands and moving towards your ears. Continue back to the center part of your forehead massaging with small circles. Move your fingers to the top of your head at the front of your hairline. Massage the skull in small circles with strong but not stiff hands. Next move to the ears circle around the ears then focus on the earlobes and ear itself. Follow the underneath part of your jaw line end with pressing and squeezing your thyroid and parathyroid gland underneath your Adams apple.
 

Shining Some Light on Vitamin D3

Vitamin D3 is one of the most useful nutritional tools we have at our disposal for improving overall health. Vitamin D3 acquires hormone-like actions. As a hormone, the vitamin controls phosphorus, calcium, and bone metabolism and neuromuscular function. D3 is the only vitamin the body can manufacture from sunlight. Yet, with today's indoor living and the extensive use of sunscreens due to concern about skin cancer, we are now a society with millions of individuals deficient in life-sustaining bone building and immune modulating vitamin D3.

Vitamin D3 plays a wide role in overall health,

It's becoming clear that a large percentage of individuals are deficient in this important nutrient. This deficiency is many times miss diagnosed as fibromyalgia. The fear of skin cancer has stopped many individuals from obtaining beneficial amounts of sunlight. Even individuals, who venture out into the sun often and use suntan lotion, may be deficient in vitamin D and need supplements to maintain health.

Where Do We Get Vitamin D3?

The primary source of vitamin D for both children and adults is from sun exposure, not from diet.

*Vitamin D3 is one of two forms of vitamin D used for nutritional supplementation.

A. Vitamin D3 is manufactured from lanolin derived from the wool fat of sheep.

B. The other form, known as Vitamin D2 is a vegetarian form manufactured by the ultraviolet radiation of yeast. Vitamin D is naturally produced in the skin following exposure to sunlight. Very few foods naturally contain vitamin D (namely fatty fish, egg yolks and liver) or are fortified with vitamin D.

What Are The Benefits?

Vitamin D3 has been shown to be at least 3 times more effective than vitamin D2 in both animal and human studies.

* Vitamin D3 is free of toxin tagalongs.

* Supports many body systems including healthy bones, nerves, heart, brain, lung, esophagus, breasts, colon, stomach, pancreas, prostate, uterus, ovaries, kidneys.

What Is The Proper Dosage?

A growing number of researchers who have widely studied vitamin D's are almost begging the general public to consume more of this important nutrient. Vitamin D3's high safety profile and the wide role it plays in our health, researches recommend consuming 2,000 to 4,000 IU per day of this nutrient at times of the year when sunlight is scarce is a prudent way to improve overall health. In conclusion, I have generated information on this vitamin. A growing number of researchers who have widely studied vitamin D3 are almost begging the general public to consume more of this important nutrient. because of the wide role it plays in our health. So treat yourself and purchase Nature's Sunshine Vitamin D3.

Are you getting enough of the “sunshine vitamin”? More and more experts think not. Vitamin D is so critical to our health that nature designed a fail-safe way to obtain it: from the sun. Throughout history, exposure to the sun gave humans the vital doses needed to build bones, protecting children against the characteristic bowed legs of rickets and adults from osteomalacia, or softening of the bones.


Now, we spend more time indoors, in cars or behind computers. We drink less milk and when we do go out, slather on sunscreen. It is no coincidence, experts say, that rickets (which had been virtually wiped out until the 1990s) is making a comeback. Scattered cases of rickets in African-American infants and breast-fed babies have been documented as far south as Georgia; just last February, researchers at the University of Pittsburgh found that over 80 percent of pregnant black women and nearly half of pregnant white women (and the babies they later gave birth to) were classified as “insufficient” or “deficient” in vitamin D. Older people in hospitals and nursing homes are especially likely to lack the vitamin; in one study, 57 percent of elderly patients admitted to a Boston hospital were found to be vitamin D-deficient, according to blood samples and diet records. What’s more, dietary surveys suggest that most Americans, young and old, aren’t getting recommended amounts of the vitamin.


The Promise of D
Vitamin D is essential for helping bones absorb calcium, keeping them strong and preventing osteoporosis. Vitamin D also helps maintain muscle strength and balance and lowers the risk of bone fractures in older people. But it seems meant to do more: there are receptors for vitamin D in almost every cell in the body, and evidence is growing that the vitamin helps the immune system function and regulates cell growth.

Exciting new research suggests that vitamin D may offer protection against some types of cancer, including breast and prostate cancers and, in particular, colorectal cancer. How vitamin D fights cancer isn’t known for sure, but it “helps reduce cell proliferation and differentiation, and it may reduce inflammation,” says Edward Giovannucci, M.D., professor of nutrition and epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston. Giovannucci, whose work has reported increased risks of digestive system cancers among people with low vitamin D levels, threw down the gauntlet in a keynote speech at the American Association of Cancer Research in 2004. “I would challenge anyone to find an area or nutrient or any factor,” he said, “that has such consistent anti-cancer benefits as vitamin D.”



Experts are not sure about how vitamin D protects against autoimmune diseases, but believe that it may serve as a brake on the overactive immune cells. “Vitamin D may decrease the development of type 1 T-helper cells,” explains Charles Stephensen, Ph.D., a research scientist at the USDA’s Western Human Nutrition Research Center at the University of California, Davis. These cells are involved in protective immune responses, “but they may also initiate autoimmune disease, especially in people who may have a genetic predisposition.”

Other, preliminary research hints at a connection between inadequate prenatal vitamin D and asthma in young children. Recent data even suggest that low vitamin D may be linked with epidemic influenza (which tends to strike, after all, during sun-deprived winter months).