Hope everyone is having a great holiday! It's my plan to resume blogging at least weekly after taking a 7 month hiatus that was partly caused by my real world schedule ratcheting up and partly because no one was reading or at least commenting about the blog. However, following the "build it and they will come" philosophy, I plan on resuming posting regularly. But, I have decided that the postings will not be restricted to only pain topics. People in pain (PIPs) have lives apart from pain that I can also address and I will as the mood and events strike me and seem important. It was always my intentionfor this blog to be integrated into PIPs lives, and nonpaintopcis are part of that. We'll see how this works out in 2009.
Dr. Tim
Showing posts with label self help for back pain. Show all posts
Showing posts with label self help for back pain. Show all posts
Monday, December 29, 2008
Monday, January 14, 2008
BACK PAIN, NO INSURANCE, LITTLE MONEY
Back pain patients across the U.S. obtain phone consultations with me to achieve pain relief and a common reason is because they lost their health insurance, they hurt, and they can't afford to go to the doctor. What's the most cost effective way to get back pain relief with severe financial limitations and no insurance?
1) Take a low dose, over the counter, anti-inflammatory, like Advil. Inflammation is a pain trigger for almost everyone. Instant pain relief is not the goal, decreasing inflammation is.
2) Take a multivitamin, drink 6-8 glasses of water per day, eat multiple small meals.
3) Practice good sleep hygiene. Take a sleep aid from time to time. Go to bed and get up at the same time each day. Avoid long naps during the day. See # 6.
4) Consider taking St. John's wort, available at most grocery stores, which will increase your Serotonin levels and can improve your mood and your pain tolerance.
5) Do gentle back stretching exercises from daily to multiple times per day.
6) Get in the water (pool) and begin getting some non weight bearing, nonimpact exercise. If this is not possible, try a stationary bike - something to get your blood moving.
7) Vary your body mechanics from walking to sitting to standing to lying down every 10-30 minutes.
8) For $6.00, you can download a copy of my pain book, ABC's of Pain Relief and Treatment: Advances, Breakthroughs, and Choices with hundreds of treatment and self management suggestions.
9) For $19.95, you can consult with me for 15 minutes after completing an intake form. I can give you specific suggestions based on your unique situation.
1) Take a low dose, over the counter, anti-inflammatory, like Advil. Inflammation is a pain trigger for almost everyone. Instant pain relief is not the goal, decreasing inflammation is.
2) Take a multivitamin, drink 6-8 glasses of water per day, eat multiple small meals.
3) Practice good sleep hygiene. Take a sleep aid from time to time. Go to bed and get up at the same time each day. Avoid long naps during the day. See # 6.
4) Consider taking St. John's wort, available at most grocery stores, which will increase your Serotonin levels and can improve your mood and your pain tolerance.
5) Do gentle back stretching exercises from daily to multiple times per day.
6) Get in the water (pool) and begin getting some non weight bearing, nonimpact exercise. If this is not possible, try a stationary bike - something to get your blood moving.
7) Vary your body mechanics from walking to sitting to standing to lying down every 10-30 minutes.
8) For $6.00, you can download a copy of my pain book, ABC's of Pain Relief and Treatment: Advances, Breakthroughs, and Choices with hundreds of treatment and self management suggestions.
9) For $19.95, you can consult with me for 15 minutes after completing an intake form. I can give you specific suggestions based on your unique situation.
10) Learn the back pain relief strategy of the neutral spine. Lie on the floor with your legs up on a chair facing you so your things and your calves form a 90 degree angle. this makes your low back straighten, similar to what happens with traction. try this several times per day for 5-15 minutes.
Back pain relief on the cheap!
Dr. Tim
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