Effect

Is it for real? Americans spent $500 million dollars on acupuncture in 1998, and that number is expected to increase significantly.
In 1997, the National Institute of Health assembled a panel of experts that anaylized hundreds of studies, and concluded that "It´s time to take acupuncture seriously."
They found that it is clearly effective in treating painful disorders of the muscular and skeletal systems, postoperative pain from dental surgery, nausea and vomiting from chemotherapy and anesthesia, migraines, arthritis, menstrual cramps, low-back pain, tennis elbow, asthma, carpal-tunnel syndrome and more.

Ruptured disc

There are many treatment options available for disc herniation.
Most include a combination of bed rest, physical therapy, chiropractic care, and medication.
There are numerous nonoperative treatment modalities.
You can choose by yourself from this page:

http://www.backpain-tips.com/CategoryPage.asp?CatId=19

Proper exercise can also help prevent back problems and is included in many treatment regimes:

http://www.backpain-tips.com/CategoryPage.asp?CatId=327

General treatment

Generally, physical therapy treatment includes:
advice and early activation, mobilisation/ manipulative physiotherapy, McKenzie therapy, specific stabilisation exercises,
general exercises, traction, modalities and ergonomic advice.

Adjustment

A chiropractic adjustment is the use of a specific force in a precise direction, applied to a joint or spinal disc. Adjustment doesn´t hurt but you may be sore after the first or second treatment.

Ice and heat

You can treat back pain with ice immediately after an injury and for the following 48 hours to prevent swelling. Apply ice packs for 15 minutes on, 15 minutes off, as often as every hour. The third day, use moist heat - a heating pad or hot-water bottle to relax muscles around the injury. Again: 15 minutes on, 15 minutes off.

Active Release Techniques

Active Release Techniques are a type of manual hands-on therapy that corrects soft tissue problems (muscles, nerves, tendons, ligaments and the connective tissue that surrounds or contains them).

Modalities described

Modalities or passive physical therapy (these are considered passive therapies because they are done to the patient) include properties of heat, cold, air, light, water, electricity, sound and mechanical energy. They can be utilized early in the course of physical therapy care to help control pain.

Common modalities

Most common modalities include: hot packs, cold packs, mechanical traction (pelvic and cervical), electrical stimulation, TENS, ultrasound, infrared lamps, ultraviolet lights, and whirlpool.

TENS

Modality: TENS (transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation) is kind of electric stimulation which is using to control pain.
Specific about TENS is that it could be very easely used at home.

Education

The physical therapist may instruct you in postures and movements that help to alleviate the pain.
You can apply these particular movements to the activities in which you are involved on a daily basis. You can be instructed in self care techniques and back injury prevention which are the key components in returning your lifestyle to become a pain-free, active and healthy.

Conservative treatment.

Conservative (non-operative) treatment includes exercise, medications, physical therapy, chiropractic, osteopathy, acupuncture, massage and many other procedures.

The history of acupuncture

The roots of acupuncture create a barrier for scientists: The treatment rests on the belief that two life forces, yin and yang, combine to produce a vital life energy, called ch´i (or qi), that flows through the body along pathways know as meridians, which were charted thousands of years ago. People get sick when these life forces are knocked out of balance, and the acupuncturist job is to nudge the ch´i back into equilibrium.

How can acupunctura help me?

Acupunctura stimulates nerves in the legs and thighs, and decreases inflammation of the nerves in the lower back that are causing pain.
Also, studies have shown that stimulating acupuncture points in turn stimulates the production of the body´ s natural pain-blocking (analgesic) chemicals called endorphins.

VAX-D

VAX-D (Vertibral Axial Decompression) is a new kind of non-surgical therapy that can actually take the pressure off the injured parts of the spine, allowing them to heal and relieving the pain.
This unique machine creates a "vacuum" which pulls new fluid back into the disc and the disc back into position.

Benefits

How can chiropractic help your back?
It is conservative care, and with spinal manipulation (also known as chiropractic adjustment) you can have safe and effective form of initial professional treatment for acute low back problems in adults.

SpineCATH IDET therapy

This surgical therapy is for patients whose disc is a primary source of back pain. It is a minimally invasive treatment in which the physician applies controlled levels of thermal energy to a broad section of the affected disc wall.

Risks

People who have a weakness in the vertebral arteries are at risk during chiropractic treatment. The consequences could be stroke or other serious injury. Try to observe your condition 24 hours after the treatment.

Spinal manipulation

Spinal manipulation is manual therapy applied directly or indirectly to the vertebral joints that aims to adjust minimal subluxation between the bones. Chiropractors, osteopaths, physical and massage therapists perform these techniques.

Goals

Treatment for any back problem should involve two goals: to relieve the immediate problem and to reduce the risk of re-injury .

Aquatic Therapy

Aquatic Therapy is a therapeutic procedure which attempts to improve function through the application of aquatic therapeutic exercises. Aquatic specialty techniques are: Bad Ragaz Ring Method, Swim Stroke Modification and Training, Task-Type Training Approach, Ai Chi, Fluid Moves, Watsu and Aquatic PNF.

Cryotherapy

Modality: cryotherapy (cold treatment), is used to minimize pain.
This modality can be applied in the form of cold packs or ice massage to the low back.

Aim of PT profession

The aim of physical therapy profession is to ensure the best possible care to patients. This profession provides that in two ways. Physical therapists gain knowledge of new techniques which are stimulated by the changes of healthcare and technology. Also they always promote a human approach and support to every person individually.

Surgical treatment

Surgical treatment includes laminectomy, diskectomy, and spinal fusion in selected conditions.

Acupuncture´s needles

The needles for acupuncture treatment are required to have proper labeling: manufacturers must include on the label the statement "for single use only" and provide information about device material sterility.

Manual therapies

Manual therapies may include: vertebral manipulation (high-velocity thrust to a joint beyond its restricted range of motion) or mobilization (low-velocity, passive movements within or at the limit of joint range).

TENS

Gerard Malanga MD says documentation of greater than 50% reduction in pain with a treatment trial may help substantiate TENS true beneficial effects.

Learn more at http://www.spineuniverse.com/displayarticle.php/article1853.html.

Treatment of slip disc.

The most common conservative treatment options include: Rest, followed by slow mobilization; pain medications;chiropractic manipulations;physical therapy; epidural steroid injections. That will work unless you need surgery. And surgery may be considered if you don´t feel better after 6 to 12 weeks of conservative care.

Spondylosis

In a sudden (acute) attack use ice packs, painkillers, gentle exercise and relaxation.
After that (when acute pain stops) include some stretching and strengthening exercises to maintain the muscles of the back.
You´ll have to make some life-style changes to avoid this painful episode again.

McKenzie system

The McKenzie system is a method of evaluating and treating spinal disorders developed by Robin McKenzie. Patients are treated by a combination of postural adjustments, specific exercises, and sometimes with spinal mobilization or manipulation.
You could try this method for your back pain.

Hydrotherapy modalities

Indications for cold packs are various inflammatory arthropathies, sprains and strains and headaches.

For warm packs are mostly painful chronic back diseases.

Sauna and Steam Baths are the helping modalities for treating pain caused by pulled back muscles.

Neck douche is useful for headaches, migraines, tenseness in the shoulder and neck.

Back douche is useful for the treatment of weakened back muscles, back pain and spinal disease.

Treatment reactions

Treatment reactions after the chiropractic adjustment could be: experience of "detoxification" with a residual headache or fatigue, complete relief, nothing at all after the initial treatment, "euphoric" sensation or you could feel slight discomfort but only for a while. Whatever you feel tell your doctor of chiropractic about the sensations.

Responsibility

A physical therapist has an obligation for the best care of his patient.
The patient´s responsibility is to comply with the PT´s instructions.
With the best efforts, they will jointly establish the program.

Individual approach

The treatment of back pain depends on state of your back. It ranges from simple procedures to extremely delicate surgery. Each case is different and treatment must be individualized.

About PT profession

A Physical Therapy is profession that helps people with many types of medical afflictions.
Branches: pediatrics, sports medicine, neurology, home health, geriatrics, orthopedics, aquatic therapy, wound care, electrotherapy, occupational health, women´s health, acute care, education, administration, research and cardiopulmonary rehabilitation.

Hydrotherapy

Hydrotherapy is the use of water in the treatment of disease
The recuperative and healing properties of hydrotherapy are based on its mechanical and/or thermal effects.
These therapies include: baths and showers, neutral baths, sitz baths, contrast sitz baths, foot baths, hot compresses, cold compresses, alternating hot and cold compresses, heating compresses, body wrap, wet sheet pack, and salt glow.

What is it?

The word "chiropractic" is derived from the Greek words "cheir" and "praktkos" meaning "done by hand."
Chiropractic is a drug-free, non-surgical science a branch of the healing arts that is concerned with human health and disease processes.
Doctors of Chiropractic use procedures for adjustment and manipulation of the articulations and adjacent tissues of the human body, particularly of the spinal column.

Minimally Invasive

Minimally invasive surgical techniques utilize portals or tiny incisions made in the skin (percutaneous) through which small, specialized instruments are inserted.

Learn More: http://www.spineuniverse.com/displayarticle.php/article2002.html

Points for back pain

In acupuncture for back pain, the needles are sometimes put into the ankles or behind the knee, or alongside your little finger.

What is acupuncture

You heard about apucunture, but don´t know what is it.
Try to imagine China 2000 years ago! Yes, it´s that old medical treatment.
Acupuncture is an ancient Chinese healing technique that involves stimulating specific points in the body by inserting fine needles. That points lie along meridians on the body. Each meridian is associated with specific organs. At least 365 points are described in classical Chinese texts with a possible total of more than 2000.
The Chinese believe that the needles help restore the smooth flow of qi, or energy flow, through the body. Any blockage or imbalance in qi, they believe, can result in pain and even illness.
Therefore, if you feel pain in your back, maybe it´s time to find acupuncturist!

Discectomy

Discectomy is the surgical removal of part or most of a vertebral disc.
This procedure can be used when is appropriate to remove herniated or ruptured discs.