Back Pain Relief
Acupressure Mat is your best pain solution in back pain management
Lower and Upper Back Pain treatment with Acupressure Mat
Your applicator should be used just before sleep for 30 to 60 minutes depending on the severity of your condition. Place the Applicator on your bed and then lie on it, positioning your body so that the aching lower (or upper) back is on the applicator. During the first 3-5 minutes a moderate pricking pain can be felt from the circles of spines. It is important to feel the pricking sensation.
After the first 3-5 minutes your muscles will begin to warm and the warmth will spread around the area. A feeling of relaxation will continue through to the end of the treatment period. Please note that some reddening of your skin is normal after using the applicator.
In order to get used to the applicator’s spines, your applicator may be placed on the back of a chair or sofa while watching television or doing some other activity. You can then sit against the applicator, positioning your lower (or upper) back against the circles of spines. In this position, your applicator can be used for up to 2 hours.
Lower Back Pain
Most of the lower back is made up from muscles that attach to, and surround, the spine. The spine is made up of many bones called vertebrae. The vertebrae are roughly circular and between each vertebra is a 'disc'. The discs are made of strong rubber-like tissue which allows the spine to be fairly flexible.
Strong ligaments also attach to adjacent vertebrae to give extra support and strength to the spine. The various muscles that are attached to the spine enable the spine to bend and move in various ways.
The spinal cord, which contains the nerves that come from the brain, is protected by the spine. Nerves from the spinal cord come out from between the vertebrae to take and receive messages to various parts of the body.
The most common type
of back pain is
Simple low back pain
(or sometimes it is called 'non-specific' low back pain), when the pain is not due to any underlying disease that can be found. A pain may develop immediately after you lift something heavy, or after an awkward twisting movement, or you can just wake up with low back pain.
In some cases the cause may be a sprain (an over-stretch) of a ligament or muscle. In other cases the cause may be a minor problem with a disc between two vertebrae, or a minor problem with a small 'facet' joint between two vertebrae.
Simple does not mean that the pain is mild - the pain can range from mild to very bad.
Simple low back pain can improve quickly within a week or can persist for several months or longer.
Another type of low back pain is
Nerve root pain which means that a nerve coming from the spinal cord is irritated. This is often referred to as a 'trapped nerve'. You feel pain along the course of the nerve. Therefore, you may feel pain down a leg to the calf or foot, and the pain in the leg or foot is often worse than the pain in the back.
A common example is 'sciatica'. This is where a main nerve to the leg, the sciatic nerve, is irritated or compressed.
The cause of the irritation or pressure on a nerve may be due to inflammation caused by a ligament or muscle sprain. A 'slipped disc', when part of the inner softer part of the disc bulges out (prolapses) through a weakness in the outer harder part of the disc, is another well known cause. The prolapsed part of the disc can press on a nerve nearby.
Other less common conditions can press on a nerve to cause nerve root pain.
Less common causes of low back pain is
Arthritis (inflammation of the joints) of the spine sometimes causes back pain.
Osteoarthritis is the common form or arthritis and usually occurs in older people.
Ankylosing spondylitis is another form of arthritis that can occur in young adults and causes pain and stiffness in the lower back.
Rheumatoid arthritis may affect the spine, but you are likely to have other joints affected too.
(Source: http://www.patient.co.uk)
Upper Back Pain
Although upper back pain is not a very common spinal disorder, it can cause significant discomfort and pain when it does occur.
Most neck and upper back pain is caused by a combination of factors, including injury, poor posture, stress, and in some instances, disc problems
It is important to note that the thoracic spine (also called upper back, middle back, or mid-back) is very different in form and function than the cervical spine (neck) or the lumbar spine (lower back).
While the neck and lower back are designed to provide us with mobility, the thoracic spine is designed to be very strong and stable to allow us to stand upright and to protect the vital internal organs in the chest. Because this section of the spinal column has a great deal of stability and only limited movement, there is generally little risk of injury or degeneration over time in the upper back.
Upper back muscle pain can be very frustrating to deal with. However, there are treatment methods that are fast and effective in treating the pain.
