Have you suffered with chronic lower back pain, sciatica, or some other form of pain for months… or even years?
Maybe it seems like you’ve already tried everything and are just about ready to give up on ever finding permanent pain relief.
Well I have good news for you: you’re not beyond help. Over the past decade we’ve helped tens of thousands of people, many in agonizing daily pain, find pain relief. People who thought there was no hope left. And today, thousands upon thousands of them remain pain free.
On the other hand, there are many others who came to us who did not find lasting relief. They continue to struggle with the same old pain year after year. Often it grows even worse.
Amazingly, in almost every case, the difference between those who found pain relief and those who did not boiled down to a willingness to follow a few simple “ground rules” for dealing with their pain. Follow these three simple rules and you will greatly improve your odds of joining those who found relief.
Rule #1: Take responsibility for ending your pain
Relief from pain is first and foremost a personal responsibility. After all, no one cares about your pain more than you do. Maybe you’re seeing a doctor, chiropractor, or any number of natural health practitioners. That’s great, but ask yourself these questions:
Has my health care provider conducted a completed head-to-toe assessment on me or only focused on the area of pain? (Pain is often referred from other areas of the body.)
If a diagnosis has been made, has it been completely explained to my understanding?
Has my health care provider identified the root cause of my pain? (Not a condition, like a herniated disc, but what actuallycaused the condition, like a specific muscle imbalance.)
Have I been given a step-by-step care plan that addresses both the pain symptoms and the underlying root cause of the identified condition?
If you haven’t received a satisfactory answer to all of these questions, ask! Don’t accept a brush off. It’s your body and you need to get the right responses to properly address your pain.
Rule #2: Don’t put all your eggs in one basket
I can’t tell you how many times someone has purchased one of our products, tried it, and when their pain wasn’t 100% gone in the first day or week they decided to return the product for a refund. Look, we don’t want anyone paying for a product that doesn’t help them. And we gladly process refunds all the time. But let’s be honest here. Chances are the condition causing your pain didn’t happen overnight. Oftentimes it took years to get to the point where your back “suddenly” gave out or sciatica became noticeable.
We have a lot of testimonials on our website from people who have experienced amazing results in just days. But when you’re talking about correcting conditions that took months or years to get as bad as they are, you have to realize some people may take a little longer to work through the healing process.
So what am I saying? I’m saying that if you want to get back to a pain-free life, you might have to invest a little effort. And it
might be that one treatment only gets you part of the way there. So you have to be willing to try different approaches. For example, you
may only find some pain relief by using muscle balance therapy
to address muscle imbalances, but need to also work out trigger points to finally get the full pain relief you’re looking for.
Most importantly, don’t give up. Too many people never get pain relief simply because they give up on a treatment approach too soon. Give your body time to heal and don’t quit until you get the relief you’re looking for.
Rule #3: Stop doing what doesn’t work
Ok, now you’ve made the commitment to follow through to make progress in your fight against pain. You’re not going to quit on yourself. But here’s the other side of the coin: don’t blindly keep doing what doesn’t work.
Let’s say you’re going to a chiropractor. If you’ve been going for over three months and haven’t made any progress yet, it’s likely time to seek another approach. That’s my rule of thumb… if you’re not getting some measure of increased pain relief in three months, try something else.
If you have made progress but are still in pain, try combining multiple approaches. You might find inversion therapy gives you significant pain relief from a herniated disc, but trigger point therapy is needed to completely end referred pain while muscle balance therapy addresses what caused your disc to herniated in the first place. It’s all a process of finding what works for your body.
I hope this makes sense to you. We want to help as many people as we can live a pain free life, but ultimately, it’s up to you to make the necessary changes to improve your health.
Every summer millions of us take advantage of fairer weather and longer days to get outside more. Morning runs, weekend bike rides, and long evening strolls become more common.
If you’re one of the many who frequently get a deep pain in your buttocks, hip or down your leg after you take up summer activities like these there’s a good chance it’s coming from a little known muscle called the piriformis.
It’s the piriformis muscle deep in the posterior side of our hips, along with a few other lateral rotator muscles, which allow our bodies to keep from falling over when we walk by shifting our body weight side to side as we lift our feet.
However, many of the activities we participate in require this muscle to continually contract. As the muscle is overworked, it becomes painfully tight while stretching nearby muscles. Piriformis syndrome is a frequent contributor to lower back pain and one of the four primary causes of sciatica.
What activities lead to piriformis syndrome?
Perhaps the most common activity leading to piriformis syndrome wouldn’t really be called an “activity” at all by most of us: sitting. But just holding your body erect in a seat with your hips flexed (knees bent, feet on the floor) requires your piriformis muscle to contract to help maintain that position. And sitting on a wallet can quickly make matters even worse.
Yes, many of us sit all day long throughout the year. So why the big deal about summer activities causing piriformis syndrome?
Many of our summer activities like running, bicycling, hiking, and rowing all work the piriformis muscle as we repeatedly bend our legs. In fact, they repeatedly work the same muscles over and over.
Unless we take care to properly stretch and strengthen other muscles by lateral (sideways) movements of our legs we soon create a muscle imbalance where the piriformis muscle becomes short and tight. This is what leads to both deep muscle aches and referred nerve pain from strangulation of the sciatic nerve where it passes near or through the piriformis muscle.
Even if your pain isn’t constant yet, if you’re experiencing pain in your lower back, buttocks, or down the back of your legs it’s worth considering piriformis syndrome as a possible cause. Here’s a couple quick ways to determine if your piriformis muscle is overly tight: take a quick look down at your feet right now. If they’re turned with your toes pointed outwards, your piriformis is tight. Another way is to lie down and relax your legs. Now look at your feet. Chances are the toes are turned outwards. Again, that’s a sign your piriformis is overly tight and may be leading to pain.
How to end piriformis syndrome pain
The good news is piriformis syndrome, painful as it may be, can usually be quickly reversed. Naturally you’ll want to start by giving your piriformis muscle a much needed break. This means take it easy with the running, jumping, hiking, climbing, bicycling, and rowing. Take frequent breaks when sitting so the piriformis doesn’t remain in a contracted state for prolonged periods.
Then begin targeted stretching exercises to relieve the tension in the piriformis muscle. You’ll find three easy stretches you can do without leaving your chair in the video on this page. Many people get pain relief the first time they try these stretches and most overcome their piriformis syndrome symptoms within a couple weeks through targeted stretching.
Related references
Papadopoulos EC, Khan SN. Piriformis syndrome and low back pain: a new classification and review of the literature. The Orthopedic clinics of North America. 2004 Jan;35(1):65-71. PokornĂ˝ D, et al. Topographic variations of the relationship of the sciatic nerve and the piriformis muscle and its relevance to palsy after total hip arthroplasty. Surgical and radiologic anatomy: SRA. 2006 Mar;28(1):88-91.
The good news is, most people can use inversion therapy and it is highly effective. If you are suffering from any type of back, neck or sciatic pain I highly recommend you give inversion a shot.
Use the links below to learn more about inversion therapy:
If you’re reading this post it’s likely because you have heard about inversion therapy and are wondering if inversion tables really work.
Well, the answer is a resounding YES!
While some traditionally trained medical doctors do try to dismiss it, the fact is, inversion therapy has been used for approximately 2000 years and there are literally millions of success stories.
Plus, if you’re the analytical type, there are also plenty of studies that prove it’s effectiveness. For example, a recent study done by New Castle University found that over 70% of back pain sufferers were able to cancel their scheduled surgery after using inversion therapy.
If you are suffering from any type of back, neck or sciatic pain I highly recommend you give inversion a shot.
Use the links below to learn more about inversion therapy:
Facet joints connect your vertebrae together. They provide a smooth slippery surface allowing you to bend and twist. And they limit your range of motion just enough to prevent accidental injury of your spinal cord.
When they hurt, it can seriously impact your ability to move normally. A painful cervical facet joint can immobilize your neck, cause an ache in your shoulder, and force you to turn your whole body just to look left or right. Pain from a lumbar facet joint may leave you unable to stand up straight, hunched over while you walk, and suffering a deep ache from your buttocks to the back of your thighs. Doctors call this common diagnosis facet joint syndrome.
Facet joints are a common source of back and neck pain. In fact, lumbar facet joints are implicated in nearly a third of chronic lower back pain cases and nearly half of all chronic neck pain cases when no herniated disc is present.1
But before you blame your facet joints for your back or neck pain, let’s first remember a syndrome is not the same thing as a cause. Even our family’s children’s dictionary accurately describes a syndrome as “a group of signs or symptoms that together indicate a particular disease or condition.”2
Doctors often use a facet joint block (an injection of anesthetic into the facet joint) to isolate the source of pain. Then they’ll turn around and use it to “treat” the pain too. Isn’t that a little like saying your flat tire has low air pressure, so just roll it around the corner and we’ll pump some more air into it? Excuse me, but let’s pull the nail out and patch the hole first guys!
Again, facet joint pain is a symptom of a problem. While we want to end the pain, the only way to keep it from returning is to find and correct the underlying cause. Since the root problem varies from one individual to the next there is no one single treatment that works for everyone. It will take some effort on your part to resolve the problem but isn’t a lifetime free of the cycle of pain, doctor visits and repeated facet joint injections worth it? If you’re ready to end the cycle of pain, here’s what I recommend:
Short-term pain relief (while you find and correct the root problem):
Heat therapy - while a heating pad may help, it won’t give you the deep penetrating heat that can really relieve the ache. I highly recommend a far infrared heating pad which can penetrate 2-3 inches deep for effective pain relief.
Celadrin-based pain relief cream - while many off-the shelf creams may help, Celadrin is the only pain relief cream ingredient I’ve ever seen with a 100% success rate in relieving joint pain.3
Natural anti-inflammatories - Inflammation is almost always related to painful facet joints. Use safer natural anti-inflammatories as a healthy alternative to dangerous NSAIDs.
Suggested therapies for finding and fixing the cause of your facet joint syndrome:
Muscle-Balance therapy - Restoring your body to a neutral, balanced and stable state is critical for your long-term pain relief. That’s what muscle balance therapy helps you accomplish.
Trigger-point therapy - Trigger points have been proven to be directly responsible for 75% of all pain. Eliminating your trigger points should be a priority for pain relief.
Inversion therapy -Inversion therapy helps your body reseat misaligned facet joints by relieving pressure and allowing the joints to simply “slip” back into the correct position.
Watch your diet - Avoid inflammatory foods – typically anything processed, high fat, high sugar, or including refined grains are inflammatory. Be sure to take a good multi-vitamin.
Emotional troubleshooting - When all else fails, evaluate your emotional life. Sometimes stress and emotions keep otherwise helpful treatments from working. This may just be the final step you need for relief from your facet joint syndrome related pain. Here’s a video you might find helpful.
Related references:
1 Manchikanti L, et al. An algorithmic approach for clinical management of chronic spinal pain. Pain Physician. 2009 Jul-Aug;12(4):E225-64.
2 “Syndrome.” The McGraw-Hill Children’s Dictionary. 2003.
3 Kraemer WJ, et al. Effect of a cetylated fatty acid topical cream on functional mobility and quality of life of patients with osteoarthritis. The Journal of rheumatology. 2004 Apr;31(4):767-74.
The Healthy Back Institute - 333 Main St. Suite #201 Gaithersburg, MD 20878
Phone: 800-216-4908 Fax: 866-843-4319
The Healthy Back Institute is a Get Healthy and Fit Company
Have you suffered with chronic lower back pain, sciatica, or some other form of pain for months… or even years?
Every summer millions of us take advantage of fairer weather and longer days to get outside more. Morning runs, weekend bike rides, and long evening strolls become more common.
What a great question… and it’s easy to see why so many people ask it.
If you’re reading this post it’s likely because you have heard about inversion therapy and are wondering if inversion tables really work.
Facet joints connect your vertebrae together. They provide a smooth slippery surface allowing you to bend and twist. And they limit your range of motion just enough to prevent accidental injury of your spinal cord.
