Traditional Treatments for Back Pain... Which Ones Work and Which Ones Don’t?Written by Jesse Cannone CFT, CPRS, CSPN and Steve Hefferon, CMT
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Ask people who see a chiropractor how long they’ve been going… I hear of people who have been going for 10-15 years and still don’t have a healthy back. Look, fact is chiropractic care is lacking… Unless chiropractor combines two approaches, it doesn’t make sense… The ONLY way chiropractic care makes sense is if you are addressing muscle imbalances that are pulling bones and joints out of place to begin with and that requires strengthening and stretching exercises that are chosen specifically to correct your muscle imbalances. Alternative Treatments for Treating and Eliminating Back Pain Massage Therapy Massage therapy, if done correctly can work wonders for people with back pain. This is not to say that it is best choice and that it will work for everyone… however, most people will get great results from it if massage therapist has a good understanding of muscle imbalances and how to work on them. NOTE: Not all massage therapists are same! Just like any profession, there are varying degrees of training and qualifications. When selecting a massage therapist please check to see if they are licensed and insured in state where you will be seeing them. You should also ask massage therapist if they have training in one of following areas: Orthopedic massage, Medical massage, St. Johns technique and/or has a comprehensive knowledge of muscle imbalances relating to back pain. With that said benefits are as follows. The root cause will be identified, your discomfort will be addressed and you root cause will be corrected all in an attempt to make you pain free and give you tools you need to keep you that way. What to expect when you see a massage therapist. All massage sessions are one on one allowing you opportunity to converse with therapist as well as get attention you need to get results. You can ask questions about how you compare to other people. Feel free to ask therapist what approach they will be taking so that you know what to expect. The massage therapist has many different techniques they can use when to dealing with you back pain and some are better than others. On down side sometimes a therapist can get distracted with other problem areas, it is in your best interest to keep them focused on you back and associated problem areas. Like anything else you may need to try several different therapists before finding one that works best for you and with you. Post-rehabilitation Fitness Training Another overlooked form of treatment that is very effective is post-rehabilitation fitness training. This includes targeted strength and flexibility work to correct / improve individuals muscle imbalances. This service can only be performed by certified post-rehab fitness trainers and there are limitations to what they can do for you. For example, they can not diagnose a condition, prescribe any medications take x-rays, etc… however, if they are well trained they can pinpoint your muscle imbalances quickly and get you started on a fitness program that will restore balance to your body and likely eliminate your back pain. Often times this can be combined with massage therapy and/or manual physical therapy for a total solution. If you decide to go this route, which I recommend you do, be sure to thoroughly check out fitness trainer and ask to see their certification, insurance, references, etc. Manual Physical (muscle) Therapy Manual Physical Therapy is NOT same as regular physical therapy… there are some major differences and here are just a few: 1. Manual therapy consists of hands on muscle work primarily whereas traditional physical therapy consists of heat, ice, ultrasound, electrical stimulation, etc 2. Manual therapist will typically perform a much more thorough physical evaluation 3. Manual therapists will usually be able to spend more time with each patient 4. Manual therapy is more holistic in it’s approach and focuses body as a whole unit… something lacking from nearly all traditional treatments for back pain. So before you say, “I’ve already tried physical therapy”… did you try manual physical therapy? They are two very different treatment approaches and I highly recommend you consider manual physical therapy. Conclusion As you can see traditional treatments are main stay of modern medicine… not necessarily for patients benefit, but it’s just how system works best for itself. The system will not change until system is confronted with a very powerful competitive force. That force may well be complementary or alternative care from likes of Personal Trainers, Acupuncturists, Massage Therapists, Manual Physical Therapists, and like. So that’s what we’ve tried to do… force change. The traditional treatments that people have been receiving for decades just doesn’t work, and we have found a combination approach that not only works best, but it’s safe, natural, and inexpensive. Check out our “Lose Back Pain” video now… it will show you how to identify cause of your back pain and show you exact combination of steps to take to eliminate it. If you have tried other treatments with little or no relief/improvement, you owe it to yourself to try this approach… so take charge of your health and get started now working towards not only a pain free back, but a healthy and balanced body! Only you can fix your back… all you need is right approach! Warning: This article is not intended to be medical advice however its intent is to make you a better, smatter and more informed client. The more you know and understand about your medical condition better off you will be when it comes time to make hard choices. As well as communicating with medical professionals.... believe me it will make a world of difference.

Article by Jesse Cannone of http://www.losethebackpain.com. Visit his site now and take advantage of all the great articles and information on back pain and sciatic pain, the back pain discussion forum, and be sure to sign up for his free email course on eliminating back pain. Jesse is a certified personal fitness trainer and post-rehab specialist and he has helped hundreds of individuals to eliminate their back pain.
| | 8 Essential Skills for Managing ADDWritten by Jennifer Koretsky
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3. Know Your Own ADD ADD affects us all in different ways. You can't effectively manage ADD without being aware of specific ways in which it affects you, and specific ways in which your challenges are triggered. 4. Actively Use Your Learning and Processing Modalities Identifying natural modalities in which you are able to sustain focus and process information and feelings will make your personal and professional lives much easier. 5. Focus on Your Strengths Everyone has strengths, skills, talents, and passions. Increasing time you spend on these good things will increase both your self-esteem and your happiness. 6. Think Positively Patterns of negative thinking can be reversed. Negative thinking will hold you back. Positive thinking will propel you forward. 7. Plan Time to Plan...Everything Planning doesn't always come easily to ADDers. Developing tools and systems for planning will streamline organization and time management, but you have to take it one step further and plan time to use them. 8. Take Risks This doesn't refer to speed racing or skydiving! It refers to stepping outside your comfort zone and doing things that may be uncomfortable, like asking for that raise, taking up that new hobby, or pursuing that life-long passion. If you don't take risk, you won't get reward.

Jennifer Koretsky is an ADD Management Coach who helps adults learn how to manage their ADD and move forward in life. She offers individual and group coaching, workshops, and skill-building programs. Subscribe to Jennifer’s free email newsletter, The ADD Management Guide, by visiting http://www.ADDmanagement.com/e-newsletter.htm.
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