Exercise For Back Pain: Mattresses

Night time is a period when we all want to relax from our everyday tensions and troubles of life. However, if this also turns out to be a discomforting experience, there cannot be anything more annoying. We all want to stay comfortable in our cocoons at night, but money is also an important consideration.

Due to this, homeowners have been divided into two divisions – ones who are ready to spend any price for their comfort and the others who are quite economical and therefore not very choosy about the mattress they are using unless they can actually afford those expensive comforts of luxurious mattresses.

Memory foam mattresses – a remedy for your back pain

The good news especially for these economical homeowners is that superior memory foam mattresses are now accessible at affordable rates providing you a refreshing and relaxed sleep.

One of the most common complaints that people make relating to their sleep is about their back pain. People are more likely to change sides frequently during the sleep if their hips or back is getting hurt. Foam mattresses cushion the body so well that you do not feel any pain and ensures you a sound sleep.

Even when you have any temporary pains like pregnancy, upgrading to this fine quality mattress can provide you with great rest.

By enhancing your experience of sleep, it can help you to rest your body and thereby increase your energy levels, so that you achieve more than what you decide without feeling lethargic.The popularity of memory foam mattresses has increased tremendously in the past few years.Also, its price is dropping with every passing year.

Regular v/s memory foam mattress

The disparity that lies between any regular mattress and memory foam mattress is awesome. They don’t only have a visual appeal, they are something that you should actually go to the sales floor and feel it yourself to realize its true worth. Though most manufacturers make available a complimentary trial period for these mattresses, but it is hardly possible to return it
back after the trial period once you have experienced the luxury of sleeping on them.

Upgrade gradually to mattress

In case, you don’t want to invest straightway into the memory foam mattress, you can initiate with a memory foam pillow or a topper. This will gradually acquaint you with the benefits of these luxurious products. It is advisable to start with a topper only and then shift to the mattress to make your experience the most contented one.

Exercise For Back Pain: Mattresses

Alternative Treatments For Back Pain

The term alternative therapy covers a wide array of treatments, with a corresponding variation in levels of acceptance amongst the medical community.

Alternative medicine is a growing field, but sometimes relies more on anecdotal evidence than careful study.

The most reputable alternative treatments include chiropractic, prolotherapy, acupuncture and acupressure, and massage therapy.

Chiropractors use spinal manipulation to adjust the spine. Their goal is to ease pressure on the nervous system by properly aligning the spine. Spinal manipulation tries to restore joint mobility by applying a controlled force into joints that have become restricted in their movement. Chiropractic is the most popular form of alternative therapy.

Prolotherapy is a treatment in which a sugar solution or other irritating substance is injected into the periosteum, the fibrous tissue covering the bones, in order to strengthen the attachment of tendons and ligaments.

Acupuncture and acupressure are based on the ancient Chinese philosophy that a life force called Qi flows through the body. If the flow is impeded, the body can become ill. Acupuncture uses needles to unblock the flow of Qi, while acupressure uses massage to accomplish the same thing.

Massage therapy can benefit back pain sufferers by increasing blood flow and circulation, decreasing tension in the muscles, reducing pain caused by tight muscles and even improving sleep. Massage therapy can provide relief for many common conditions that cause back pain, such as arthritis, fibromyalgia, sports injuries and various other soft tissue sprains and strains.

Alternative Treatments For Back Pain

Surgical Treatments For Back Pain

While the majority of treatment for lower back pain is non-surgical, there are some conditions for which surgery is appropriate. As well, in some rare cases, surgery can be used to treat chronic back pain for which other treatments have failed.

In a laminectomy, part of the lamina, a portion of the bone on the back of the vertebrae, is removed. It can be used to treat herniated discs and spinal stenosis. In microdiscectomy a much smaller incision is made and the doctor uses a magnifying lens to locate the disc.

The smaller incision may reduce pain and the disruption of tissues, and it reduces the size of the surgical scar.

With a laser discectomy, a laser is used to vaporize the tissue in the disc, reducing its size and relieving pressure on the nerves.

Spinal fusion may be used to treat spondylolisthesis and degenerative disc disease. In spinal fusion, two or more vertebrae are joined together using bone grafts, screws, and rods. The fused area of the spine becomes immobilized.

Vertebral fractures can be caused by trauma or by osteoporosis. A vertebroplasty injects a cement-like mixture called polymethyacrylate into the fractured vertebra to stabilize the spine. Kyphoplasty inserts a balloon device to help restore the height and shape of the spine before injecting polymethyacrylate to repair the fractured vertebra.

Disc replacement surgery can now be done in cases where the disc is severely damaged. Here the disc is simply removed and replaced with a synthetic disc.

Surgical Treatments For Back Pain

Non Surgical Treatment For Back Pain

Back pain may be relieved with a variety of techniques. For most common occurrences of back pain, a regiment of rest, hot and cold compresses, exercise and therapy, as well as various pain medications can be used to reduce the pain and provide a level of comfort.

Hot and cold compresses, used separately or by alternating, can have great benefit in reducing back pain. Heat is used to relax the muscles. It works by dilating the blood vessels, which improves the flow of oxygen to the affected area and reduces pain and muscle spasms. Cold packs are used to reduce inflammation, such as that from arthritis or injury. This works by decreasing the size of blood vessels and the flow of blood to the area. It is important to avoid prolonged application of either heat or cold packs, especially near the organs found in the abdominal cavity.

Exercising is of great benefit both to someone suffering from back pain and for anyone hoping to avoid it in the future. If you are suffering from acute back pain, exercising may not be possible or even a good idea.

However, for chronic back pain, a regular exercise program is recommended. Exercises will help strengthen the muscles that support the back, and increase flexibility and range of motion.A physical therapist can help you in developing an exercise plan that is suitable for you and your condition.

Nonprescription medicines can be used to reduce pain. They include medications like aspirin Tylenol, which are meant for general pain relief. Anti-inflammatory drugs are used to reduce swelling. These include such nonprescription medications as ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil). Stronger prescription-based medication is available, both as pain relievers and anti inflammatories.

Non Surgical Treatment For Back Pain

How To Prevent Back Pain

Simple lower back pain can be caused by straining the muscles, tendon or ligaments of the lower back. The most effective prevention is to take care as to how you lift heavy objects. Do not try to lift any significant weight by bending over the object. You should bend your knees and then lift with your legs. Avoid twisting your body while lifting. When moving heavy objects,pushing is less stressful than pulling. Routine activities, such as housework or gardening, can cause back pain. Avoid standing flat-footed while bent over.

A sedentary lifestyle will contribute to back problems.

Regular exercise will improve the flexibility and strength of the muscles which support your lower back. These include the abdominal muscles, as well as those in the legs and back. A simple exercise routine can help prevent back pain throughout your life. Obesity is a common cause of back pain. Aerobic exercise can help manage weight concerns. Swimming, jogging or even walking are all activities that will help you lose weight and feel better.

In addition to exercise, a proper diet is essential in managing your weight. However, there are also two nutrients, calcium and vitamin D, that help build healthy and strong bones and prevent osteoporosis, which can cause bone fractures that lead to back pain.

Many people whose jobs involve sitting for long periods of time experience back pain. It is important to get up and move around regularly. If driving for long periods of time, take the time to stop and get out of your vehicle.

Stretching your muscles and improving blood flow to your lower body will help prevent back pain, as well as help keep you alert for the rest of your trip.

Changing the position in which you sleep can also help prevent back pain. The best positions are either to sleep lying on your side with your legs bent, or lying on your back with a pillow under your knees. A firm mattress is usually the best bet. A sheet of plywood can be placed between the box spring and the mattress in order to increase the firmness of your bed.

How To Prevent Back Pain

What are other causes of lower back pain?

Other causes of low back pain include kidney problems, pregnancy, ovary problems, and tumors.

Kidney problems

Kidney infections, stones, and traumatic bleeding of the kidney (hematoma) are frequently associated with low back pain. Diagnosis can involve urine analysis, sound-wave tests (ultrasound), or other imaging studies of the abdomen.

Pregnancy

Pregnancy commonly leads to low back pain by mechanically stressing the lumbar spine (changing the normal lumbar curvature) and by the positioning of the baby inside of the abdomen. Additionally, the effects of the female hormone estrogen and the ligament-loosening hormone relaxin may contribute to loosening of the ligaments and structures of the back. Pelvic-tilt exercises and stretches are often recommended for relieving this pain. Women are also recommended to maintain physical conditioning during pregnancy according to their doctors' advice. Natural labor can also cause low back pain.

Ovary problems

Ovarian cysts, uterine fibroids, and endometriosis not infrequently cause low back pain. Precise diagnosis can require gynecologic examination and testing.

Tumors

Low back pain can be caused by tumors, either benign or malignant, that originate in the bone of the spine or pelvis and spinal cord (primary tumors) and those which originate elsewhere and spread to these areas (metastatic tumors). Symptoms range from localized pain to radiating severe pain and loss of nerve and muscle function (even incontinence of urine and stool) depending on whether or not the tumors affect the nervous tissue. Tumors of these areas are detected using imaging tests, such as plain X-rays, nuclear bone scanning, and CAT and MRI scanning.

What are other causes of lower back pain?

What are uncommon causes of low back pain?

 Uncommon causes of low back pain include Paget's disease of bone, bleeding or infection in the pelvis, infection of the cartilage and/or bone of the spine, aneurysm of the aorta, and shingles.

Paget's disease of bone

Paget's disease of the bone is a condition of unknown cause in which the bone formation is out of synchrony with normal bone remodeling. This condition results in abnormally weakened bone and deformity and can cause localized bone pain, though it often causes no symptoms. Paget's disease is more common in people over the age of 50. Heredity (genetic background) and certain unusual virus infections have been suggested as causes. Thickening of involved bony areas of the lumbar spine can cause the radiating lower extremity pain of sciatica.

Paget's disease can be diagnosed on plain X-rays. However, a bone biopsy is occasionally necessary to ensure the accuracy of the diagnosis. Bone scanning is helpful to determine the extent of the disease, which can involve more than one bone area. A blood test, alkaline phosphatase, is useful for diagnosis and monitoring response to therapy. Treatment options include aspirin, other anti-inflammatory medicines, pain medications, and medications that slow the rate of bone turnover, such as calcitonin (Calcimar, Miacalcin), etidronate (Didronel), alendronate (Fosamax), risedronate (Actonel), and pamidronate (Aredia).

Bleeding or infection in the pelvis

Bleeding in the pelvis is rare without significant trauma and is usually seen in patients who are taking blood-thinning medications, such as warfarin (Coumadin). In these patients, a rapid-onset sciatica pain can be a sign of bleeding in the back of the pelvis and abdomen that is compressing the spinal nerves as they exit to the lower extremities. Infection of the pelvis is infrequent but can be a complication of conditions such as diverticulosis, Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, pelvic inflammatory disease with infection of the Fallopian tubes or uterus, and even appendicitis. Pelvic infection is a serious complication of these conditions and is often associated with fever, lowering of blood pressure, and a life-threatening state.

Infection of the cartilage and/or bone of the spine

Infection of the discs (septic discitis) and bone (osteomyelitis) is extremely rare. These conditions lead to localized pain associated with fever. The bacteria found when these tissues are tested with laboratory cultures include Staphylococcus aureus and Mycobacterium tuberculosis (TB bacteria). TB infection in the spine is called Pott's disease. These are each very serious conditions requiring long courses of antibiotics. The sacroiliac joints rarely become infected with bacteria. Brucellosis is a bacterial infection that can involve the sacroiliac joints and is usually transmitted in goat's milk.

Aneurysm of the aorta

In the elderly, atherosclerosis can cause weakening of the wall of the large arterial blood vessel (aorta) in the abdomen. This weakening can lead to a bulging (aneurysm) of the aorta wall. While most aneurysms cause no symptoms, some cause a pulsating low back pain. Aneurysms of certain size, especially when enlarging over time, can require surgical repair with a grafting procedure to repair the abnormal portion of the artery.

Shingles

Shingles (herpes zoster) is an acute infection of the nerves that supply sensation to the skin, generally at one or several spinal levels and on one side of the body (right or left). Patients with shingles usually have had chickenpox earlier in life. The herpes virus that causes chickenpox is believed to exist in a dormant state within the spinal nerve roots long after the chickenpox resolves. In people with shingles, this virus reactivates to cause infection along the sensory nerve, leading to nerve pain and usually an outbreak of shingles (tiny blisters on the same side of the body and at the same nerve level). The back pain in patients with shingles of the lumbar area can precede the skin rash by days. Successive crops of tiny blisters can appear for several days and clear with crusty inflammation in one to two weeks. Patients occasionally are left with a more chronic nerve pain (postherpetic neuralgia). Treatment can involve symptomatic relief with lotions, such as calamine, or medications, such as acyclovir (Zovirax) for the infection and pregabalin (Lyrica) or lidocaine (Lidoderm) patches for the pain.

What are uncommon causes of low back pain?

What is the function of the low back?

 The low back, or lumbar area, serves a number of important functions for the human body. These functions include structural support, movement, and protection of certain body tissues.

When we stand, the lower back is functioning to support the weight of the upper body. When we bend, extend, or rotate at the waist, the lower back is involved in the movement. Therefore, injury to the structures important for weight bearing, such as the bony spine, muscles, tendons, and ligaments, often can be detected when the body is standing erect or used in various movements.

Protecting the soft tissues of the nervous system and spinal cord as well as nearby organs of the pelvis and abdomen is a critical function the lumbar spine and adjacent muscles of the low back.

What is the function of the low back?

What is the anatomy of the low back?

 The first step to understanding low back pain is appreciating the normal design (anatomy) of the tissues of this area of the body. Important structures of the low back that can be related to symptoms in this region include the bony lumbar spine (vertebrae, singular = vertebra), discs between the vertebrae, ligaments around the spine and discs, spinal cord and nerves, muscles of the low back, internal organs of the pelvis and abdomen, and the skin covering the lumbar area.

The bony lumbar spine is designed so that vertebrae "stacked" together can provide a movable support structure while also protecting the spinal cord from injury. The spinal cord is composed of nervous tissue that extends down the spinal column from the brain. Each vertebra has a spinous process, a bony prominence behind the spinal cord, that shields the cord's nervous tissue from impact trauma. Vertebrae also have a strong bony "body" (vertebral body) in front of the spinal cord to provide a platform suitable for weight bearing of all tissues above the buttocks. The lumbar vertebrae stack immediately atop the sacrum bone that is situated in between the buttocks. On each side, the sacrum meets the iliac bone of the pelvis to form the sacroiliac joints of the buttocks.

The discs are pads that serve as "cushions" between the individual vertebral bodies. They help to minimize the impact of stress forces on the spinal column. Each disc is designed like a jelly donut with a central, softer component (nucleus pulposus) and a surrounding, firm outer ring (annulus fibrosus). The central portion of the disc is capable of rupturing (herniating as in a herniated disc) through the outer ring, causing irritation of adjacent nervous tissue and sciatica as described below. Ligaments are strong fibrous soft tissues that firmly attach bones to bones. Ligaments attach each of the vertebrae to each other and surround each of the discs.

The nerves that provide sensation and stimulate the muscles of the low back as well as the lower extremities (the thighs, legs, feet, and toes) all exit the lumbar spinal column through bony portals, each of which is called a "foramen."

Many muscle groups that are responsible for flexing, extending, and rotating the waist, as well as moving the lower extremities, attach to the lumbar spine through tendon insertions.

The aorta and blood vessels that transport blood to and from the lower extremities pass in front of the lumbar spine in the abdomen and pelvis. Surrounding these blood vessels are lymph nodes (lymph glands) and tissues of the involuntary nervous system that are important in maintaining bladder and bowel control.

The uterus and ovaries are important pelvic structures in front of the pelvic area of women. The prostate gland is a significant pelvic structure in men. The kidneys are on either side of the back of the lower abdomen, in front of the lumbar spine.

The skin over the lumbar area is supplied by nerves that come from nerve roots that exit from the lumbar spine.

What is the anatomy of the low back?

Kidney back pain can be a threat to Kidney infection?

According to a recently publicized survey, eighty % of adults in America can expertise back pain at some purpose in their lives. This result correlates with different statistical reports that found back pain mutually of the leading causes of visits to the doctor and persons missing work.

Back pain is second solely to headache because the commonest neurological condition within the us. Actually, four out of 5 folks are said to own or have had experienced back pain.

Yet, in spite of this alarming statistics, not many of us are worried regarding their back pain. With sensible reason. the foremost common style of back pain is acute back pain, a short-term state of affairs that lasts anywhere from a couple of days to a couple of weeks. Treatment usually consists of rest, exercise, analgesics, hot/cold compress, and different pain medications.

However, whereas most back pain lasts just for a awfully short time, there are rare cases where the pain might be chronic. Chronic back pain may be a cause for alarm since the condition is usually a signal of another underlying condition that's usually additional serious and desires additional urgent medical facilitate. One such kind is kidney back pain, that may be a sign of a disorder within the kidneys.

How does one apprehend if your back pain may be a symptom of kidney infection?

There are varied {ways|ways that|ways in that} by which you'll be able to distinguish kidney back pain from traditional back pain. however the foremost general methodology is to search out out where the pain is coming back from. Now, some sufferers of kidney back pain can realize this a trifle tough to realize since it sounds like the pain is coming back from everywhere the body with nobody supply of pain.

However, if you concentrate and check out to concentrate on where the pain comes from rather than how the pain is creating you're feeling, it mustn't take you long to spot the supply of the pain.

You will apprehend if it's kidney back pain as a result of the pain shoots from the realm of the rear where the kidneys lie. concentrate on the perimeters of your spine, significantly on the realm simply higher than the hips. If you notice that the pain is truly emanating from there, then chances are high that that kidney back pain is thanks to some style of kidney infection.

But there are types of kidney back pain that are caused by injury not infection.

Indeed, kidney back pain could also be a right away outcome of an injury or trauma to the kidneys, not primarily an infection of the organ. you may apprehend if your kidney back pain is injury-related if you're feeling tenderness within the space higher than your hips where the kidneys are situated.

When this space receives direct injury or trauma, it might end in direct injury to the organs themselves. That’s why, obtaining hit during this specific space of the rear is typically known as a “kidney punch.”

Kidney back pain can be a threat to Kidney infection?

How Kidney Back Pain Can Be a Threat To Kidney Infection

According to a afresh publicized survey, 80 percent of adults in America will acquaintance aback affliction at some point in their lives. This aftereffect correlates with added statistical letters that begin aback affliction as one of the arch causes of visits to the doctor and bodies missing work.

Back affliction is additional alone to cephalalgia as the best accepted acoustic action in the United States. Actually, four out of bristles bodies are said to accept or accept had accomplished aback pain.

Yet, in animosity of this alarming statistics, not abounding bodies are afraid about their aback pain. With acceptable reason. The best accepted blazon of aback affliction is astute aback pain, a concise bearings that lasts anywhere from a few canicule to a few weeks. Treatment about consists of rest, exercise, analgesics, hot/cold compress, and added affliction medications.

However, while best aback affliction lasts alone for a actual abbreviate time, there are attenuate cases breadth the affliction could be chronic. Abiding aback affliction is a account for anxiety aback the action is about a evidence of addition basal action that is about added austere and needs added burning medical help. One such blazon is branch aback pain, which is a assurance of a ataxia in the kidneys.

How do you apperceive if your aback affliction is a evidence of branch infection?

There are assorted means by which you can analyze branch aback affliction from accustomed aback pain. But the best accepted adjustment is to acquisition out breadth the affliction is advancing from. Now, some sufferers of branch aback affliction will acquisition this a little difficult to accomplish aback it feels like the affliction is advancing from all over the anatomy with no one antecedent of pain.

However, if you apply and try to focus on breadth the affliction comes from instead of how the affliction is authoritative you feel, it should not booty you continued to analyze the antecedent of the pain.

You will apperceive if it is branch aback affliction because the affliction shoots from the breadth of the aback breadth the kidneys lie. Focus on the abandon of your spine, decidedly on the breadth aloof aloft the hips. If you apprehend that the affliction is absolutely appearing from there, again affairs are that branch aback affliction is due to some blazon of branch infection.

But there are forms of branch aback affliction that are acquired by abrasion not infection.

Indeed, branch aback affliction may be a absolute aftereffect of an abrasion or agony to the kidneys, not about an infection of the organ. You will apperceive if your branch aback affliction is injury-related if you feel amore in the breadth aloft your achievement breadth the kidneys are situated.

When this breadth receives absolute abrasion or trauma, it could aftereffect in absolute abrasion to the organs themselves. That’s why, accepting hit in this specific breadth of the aback is sometimes alleged a “kidney punch.”

How Kidney Back Pain Can Be a Threat To Kidney Infection

Back Pain, Muscle and Joint Pain, Sciatica Relief With Tibetan Applicator

There is a natural source of healing power in everyone. When this healing power is activated, it triggers a series of complicated internal processes producing a Healing Response. Pain or injury act to alert the body that damage control is needed, at which point the Healing Response begins and endorphins are generated to repair the affected area. This increases the heart rate and alters the blood pressure to speed up the elimination of toxins from the damaged area.

This therapy is considered to be the ‘mother of acupuncture’, in that it was used as a means to stimulate the body’s energy flow long before needles were used for that purpose.

Acupressure is also known to aid your health in a number of other positive ways – including reducing stress and tension; increasing blood circulation; aiding in the removal of toxic wastes; providing relief from head, neck and shoulder aches; promoting healing; increasing energy levels; and increasing feelings of well-being.

This natural pain relief technique requires a special simple but extremely effective device Tibetan (or Kuznetsov) Applicator and can be learned by anyone through the easiest steps of instructed Applications. It has provided effective relief in thousands of clinical cases and the success rate is 80%. Further, it doesn't seem to matter how severe the pain is or how long you have had it.

Unlike most drugs, relief is usually immediate.

Over 70 million can’t be wrong!
They have already got their healthy pain free lives back with the Tibetan Applicator.

The Tibetan (Kuznetsov) Applicator is an effective and easy to use acupressure pain relief device. It is made from non-allergenic materials and consists of high density plastic spines which are precisely arranged to best stimulate the body’s internal abilities to heal itself.

The Tibetan Applicator provides particularly effective treatment for: arthritic pain, lower and upper back pain, sciatica, knee pain, muscle and joint pain in general, insomnia, headache, fat and cellulite.

The Applicator works by applying non penetrative acupressure on numerous points over an area of the body.

The pressure spines stimulate blood flow and lymph circulation locally. Endorphins (“hormones of happiness” or "natural pain killers") are released. These are effective in blocking pain and producing analgesia and a sense of well-being.

The Applicator has been successfully used by millions of people for many years all over the world. It eliminates muscle pain, increases the flexibility of joints and increases resistance to muscle fatigue. The Tibetan applicator produces exceptional results in the treatment of sciatica pain, lower back pain, numbness or tingling in legs, pinched nerves, upper back pain, chronic pain in cervical spine, joint pains and spasms.

Scientific research has also shown phenomenal results for sufferers of low or high blood pressure, insomnia and chronic fatigue.

The Applicator has an immediate effect on pain caused by hard physical work, over exertion in sport or other physical stress related activities.

Use of the Applicator results in complete relaxation free from pain or stiffness.

Care - About the Author:
Care for Health is dedicated to the pursuit of health using the incredible power of the human body to heal itself. More info you will find at CareforHealth

Back Pain, Muscle and Joint Pain, Sciatica Relief With Tibetan Applicator

Adventurer Bear Grylls' battle with back pain and high cholesterol

by MOIRA PETTY

To the outside world, the adventurer Bear Grylls epitomises supreme fitness. The man who catapults himself into alien, life-threatening environments, surviving on his wits alone, practically bursts with good health - or so it seems to the viewer watching him on television from the comfort of the sofa.

Yet despite appearances, Bear has been plagued with back pain for over ten years - for which he only recently found an effective treatment.

More worryingly, he also suffers from high levels of cholesterol, caused by a genetic disease which killed his father and grandfather - and which poses as much of a danger to him as his Boys' Own exploits.

Adventurer Bear Grylls may throw himself into some of the most uninhabitable places on earth but the super fit action man suffers from a genetic condition which means he suffers from very high colesterol levels

Bear's father, former Tory MP Sir Michael Grylls, died suddenly of a heart attack at 66 in 2001; his grandfather also died prematurely of heart disease.

But it was only six months ago that Bear had a cholesterol test. He was staggered to find that he had a reading of six-and-ahalf, which is very high for someone of his age and fitness.

"I had been in the SAS Territorial Army and spent my life on physical challenges. Even when at home I exercised six days a week, alternating circuit training, running and yoga," says Bear, now 33.

Without these high levels of activity his reading could have been even worse; his older sister, Lara, had an even higher reading of eight.

Doctors recommend that cholesterol levels are under five and even lower for patients at particular risk of heart disease.

Bear appears to suffer from a hereditary predisposition to dangerously high levels of cholesterol, which clogs the arteries and can lead to heart attacks and stroke. The condition - hypercholesterolaemia - affects seven people in 1,000.

Men with the condition are at greater risk of heart attack: 80 per cent will have had their first heart attack by 60, but many will suffer one in their 40s or 50s.

Although the condition is not caused by a bad diet, it can be improved by one low in fats.

Despite the warning given by his father's and grandfather's heart attacks, Bear had enjoyed a diet rich in animal fats, especially meat and milk which he thought necessary to sustain his high-octane and physically strenuous existence.

But soon after his cholesterol test, he came across The Rave Diet, written by American filmmaker Mike Anderson, who had seen members of his family die of cancer and heart disease.

Based on fruit, vegetables and wholegrains with as much raw food as possible and no animal fats or vegetable oils, it is a Spartan regime, but Bear has embraced it enthusiastically.

"After I read this, the links between the heart disease which killed my father and grandfather, my high cholesterol and my fatty diet became startlingly clear. My mother fed my father butter and cream all day long.

"It breaks my heart that my father never knew my children. He should have been around for another 25 years."

Bear has learnt that the key to his survival may lie not in his awesome ability to live off hostile landscapes, but in adhering to the sort of lifestyle advice promoted in every GP's surgery.

"I am planning to have my cholesterol tested again soon. But I think my new diet is the answer."

Bear, his wife Shara and two sons (aged four and one) now eat neither meat nor fish, but get their protein from nuts, seeds, pulses and quinoa (a proteinrich grain which can be used like rice or as a porridge).

They also drink oatmilk (made from oats mixed with water and other grains and beans; it is high in fibre, vitamin E, folic acid and phytochemicals, which fight cancer and heart disease).

"We're not bonkers about it - if we go out, we eat what's available. And when I'm on an expedition I eat what I have to in order to stay alive. I've eaten sheep's eyes, the still hot meat from a zebra killed by a lion, and maggots which give you 70 calories to the ounce."

As well as his risk of heart disease, Bear also suffers from chronic back problems.

Twelve years ago, aged 21, he broke his back when training with the SAS after his parachute failed to inflate at 16,000 feet.

"I should have cut the main parachute and gone to the reserve but thought there was time to resolve the problem." He landed on his parachute pack, which was like an iron bar, and fractured three vertebrae.

It was extraordinary that he was alive, let alone not paralysed - but incredibly the spinal cord, which channels messages between the brain and all parts of the body, had not been severed.

Bear was treated at Headley Court, the defence forces' rehabilitation centre in Surrey.

"The doctor said I was a miracle man. I had come so close to severing my spinal cord. Because of my age and my fitness, they decided I could avoid surgery."

Instead, he underwent ten hours a day of physiotherapy, swimming, stretching and ultrasound treatment - a programme designed to help servicemen get back to active duty, but rarely available to civilians.

The alternative - and one offered to most people in a similar situation, but without Bear's peak fitness - is surgery to fuse the broken vertebrae.

'I had nightmares for months. Still, I was lucky to walk away without surgery - but ever since, I have suffered twinges and pains."

Deep massage helped, but he says he always felt physically 'unbalanced' by his injury.

Then a year ago his wife suggested he see a Bowen therapist. The Bowen technique, developed in the 1950s, involves using rolling movements over muscles, ligaments and tendons.

This is said to send impulses to the brain to trigger the body's own healing system.

Precisely how it works is a mystery, but many professional football clubs maintain a Bowen therapist as it has been shown to be very effective in realigning the skeletal structure.

"I was sceptical, but wanted to keep an open mind," says Bear.

He went to see East Sussexbased Bowen therapist Sarah Yearsley.

"With the slightest squiggle of her fingers, it felt like petrol was being put back in my tank and I could feel all the stress seeping away. More importantly, after my back accident, my spine and pelvis had lost alignment, so I felt unbalanced."

Sarah explained that Bear's pelvis was slightly twisted - and that this would cause endless problems and backache.

Most fans of Bear's Born Survivor series will not have noticed anything wrong, yet a subtle misalignment - visible only to the expert eye - can impact on total health For Bear, who is often jumping out of planes, having complete structural alignment is even more important than for the average person.

Bear describes himself as now 'hooked' and has treatment every month.

It has helped him prepare for his most perilous challenge yet. Next month he is attempting a powered paraglide over Everest's 29,035ft summit.

"I am scared I could black out in the click of a finger." If this venture seems inconsistent with his desire to lead a healthy life, Bear has an announcement.

"This is the last of my big expeditions or challenges. They're getting too dangerous. I'm not on the Ranulph Fiennes road of trying to beat the last expedition." Sir Ranulph has been an inspiration to Bear all his life.

As a boy, Bear climbed the bell tower at Eton, where the baronet had also once been a pupil. "In the lead lining, I found the initials RF. I put BG next to his," he recalls.

But while he is 'full of dreams and ambitions,' he also has a family and a long-suffering wife at home.

In fact, relaxation is vital to Bear, who says, somewhat surprisingly: "I don't thrive on stress. I love lying on the deck on our houseboat reading a book.

"I'm terrified of walking into a room full of people. Sitting down at a dinner table with 15 strangers brings me out in a sweat." Yet, he says, fear isn't the reason not to do something.

"I'm scared of heights, yet I've just abseiled 770 feet off Canary Wharf for charity.

"But the folly of youth is that you think you're immortal. Losing my father and having my children has brought me to my senses. I want to be around to love and guide my sons for a long time."

For more information, visit: www.bowentechnique.org.uk; www.bter.org.

Adventurer Bear Grylls' battle with back pain and high cholesterol

Best way to ease back pain? Relax your office chair

by JULIE WHELDON, Science Correspondent

For generations office workers have all been told to sit up straight at their desks to try to avoid getting a bad back.

But now that advice may have to be ignored after scientists have found that sitting bolt upright may actually make back problems worse.

Researchers have found that an erect posture puts too much strain on the spine and can trigger chronic pain.

Instead of sitting with your back at right angles to your legs, you should instead lean backwards until you reach an angle of 135 degrees.

Experts are therefore advising people who spend long hours sitting at a desk to alter their office chairs to a more relaxed position.

They believe this may be the best way to prevent back pain, which is thought to be affecting a third of Britons at any one time.

The new study presented at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America involved 22 patients from the Woodend Hospital in Aberdeen, who had no history of back pain or surgery.

Each was given a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scan while they sat in three positions - slouching forward, sitting up straight or leaning slightly backwards while their feet remained on the floor.

The scientists then measured their angles of their spines and movement in the discs of the back for each sitting position.

They found that disc movement - which occurs when strain is placed on the back and can cause the disks to end up out of line - occurred more when people sat upright than in the other two positions.

It was least pronounced when people leant backwards to an angle of 135 degrees.

The slouch position appeared to put the greatest wear and tear on the lowest two spinal levels.

Lead researcher Dr Waseem Bashir, of the University of Alberta Hospital in Canada, said: "We were not created to sit down for long hours but somehow modern life requires the vast majority of the global population to work in a seated position.

"Sitting in a sound anatomic position is essential since the strain put on the spine and its associated ligaments over time can lead to pain, deformity and chronic illness.

"A 135 degree body-thigh sitting posture was demonstrated to be the best biomechanical sitting position as opposed to a 90-degree posture, which most people consider normal."

Based on this, he urged people to stave off future back problems by correcting their posture and finding a chair that allow them to lean back to 135 degrees while they work.

"This may be all that is necessary to prevent back pain, rather than trying to cure pain that has occurred over the long term due to bad postures," he said.

"Employers could also reduce problems by providing their staff with more appropriate seating thereby saving on the cost of long work hours."

Earlier this year the British Chiropractic Association warned that office work is actually the worst occupation for our backs. They warned that rather than lifting and carrying, it is sitting at a desk all day that is most likely to trigger painful twinges.

Rishi Loatey of the British Chiropractic Association said: "One in three people suffer from lower back pain and to sit for long periods of time certainly contributes to this, as our bodies are not designed to be so sedentary.

"Sitting increases the pressure in the disc of the lower back - there is six times more pressure in the disc of the lower back when a person is sitting compared to when they are lying down."

Best way to ease back pain? Relax your office chair

Thousands of women with back pain told they may simply be wearing the wrong size bra

By FIONA MacRAE

Women considering breast reduction surgery could save themselves thousands of pounds - by buying a new bra instead.

Doctors say many female patients who resort to plastic surgery to ease back pain could achieve the same result by wearing underwear that fits.

Investing in new lingerie could save them up to £5,500 - not to mention being a lot more fun than recovering from a major operation.

Dr Alex Clarke of The Royal Free Hospital in North-West London, which routinely offers breast-reduction patients a free bra fitting, said: "Women have the opportunity to be properly fitted by an expert bra fitter when they visit the clinic.

"This may be the first proper fitting they have had. To date, 100 per cent of those fitted have been wearing the wrong size.

"This results in the weight of the breasts being carried by the shoulders rather than the chest and contributes to back pain."

However, others said surgery can have benefits, particularly in the case of women whose back pain is brought on by slouching in an attempt to divert attention from their chests.

Douglas McGeorge, president of the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons, said women who were self-conscious about the size of their breasts did not only benefit from the physical difference surgery could make.

"It is not just down to taking weight away, it is the whole psychological change," he said.

"They feel more confident about themselves, their shoulders go back, they stand up straight and a lot of their symptoms disappear as a result."

Katie Price, also known as Jordan, recently went under the surgeon?s knife to have her breasts reduced

Last year, a British Medical Association conference called for free bra fittings to be offered on the Health Service to reduce the number of unnecessary breast reductions.

Around 10,000 women pay to have breast reductions done privately each year, while NHS hospitals carry out thousands more operations.

Each costs between £3,700 and £5,000. Surveys show that up to nine in ten women wear the wrong size bra - and 22 per cent have never been measured for one.

It is thought women tend to underestimate the width of their back, while overestimating their cup size.

This means their breasts don't get proper support and can lead to pain in the chest, neck and shoulders.

Chafing from material and underwires can also cause discomfort.

Sales of larger bras have almost doubled in the last three years, with a quarter a size D or above.

In November, Marks & Spencer became the first high street store to sell bras up to a J cup.

The chain's best-selling size is now a 36C - slightly bigger than the 34B of five years ago.

Thousands of women with back pain told they may simply be wearing the wrong size bra

Half of British children suffer back pain due to 'slouch potato' lifestyles

By Daily Mail Reporter

Children as young as six are falling victim to back pain as 'slouch potato' lifestyles take their toll on the young generation, a report showed.

The latest research issued by The British Chiropractic Association reveals that childhood back pain has reached an all time high in the UK.

It blames too many hours slumped in front of TV, carrying heavy bags to school and playing little sport for the rise in cases among youngsters.

Almost a third (32 per cent) of 6 to 7 year olds are complaining of back pain, and 45 per cent experience aches and pains by the age of 11.

Almost half of 6 to 15 year olds (45 per cent) admit to spending the majority of their half terms playing computer games or watching TV instead of being active.

The survey of 1,200 children found the daily school routine is also taking its toll with 72 per cent of the nation's school children carrying around heavy books and sports equipment all day on their backs.

And the bags they are carrying may be causing even more harm, with nearly two thirds (63 per cent) wearing a rucksack correctly on both shoulders.

In fact, almost two thirds of 6 to 15 year olds suffering from back pain continue to opt for other types of school bags over rucksacks.

Tim Hutchful from The British Chiropractic Association said: 'With children as young as six now complaining from back pain, this survey clearly highlights the alarming rate at which back pain is growing within the UK.

'There are simple steps parents can take such as checking that children aren't carrying around unnecessary items in their bags and encouraging them to use a rucksack worn correctly on both shoulders. But we are in no doubt that lack of exercise is children's number one enemy. '

Half of British children suffer back pain due to 'slouch potato' lifestyles

Why acupuncture is better for back pain than a trip to the GP

By FIONA MACRAE

Acupuncture is more successful at easing back pain than conventional treatments from a GP, research has shown.

Patients who have the ancient Chinese therapy apparently suffer less discomfort and need fewer painkillers to get by.

A study of hundreds of patients revealed that those given a short course of acupuncture were still reaping the benefits two years later.

Dr Hugh MacPherson said his findings provided clear evidence of the treatment's effectiveness and called for it to be routinely prescribed on the Health Service.

Currently, fewer than 2,000 of the country's 34,000 family doctors offer acupuncture.

Dr MacPherson, of York University, tracked almost 250 long-term sufferers of back pain over two years.

All had complained of pain in the lower back for at least four months, and in some cases the discomfort was so bad they had had to give up work.

Half were given a three-month course of acupuncture alongside their usual treatment - often painkillers or physiotherapy. The others continued with the normal treatment prescribed by their GP.

After two years, the acupuncture patients felt significantly better. Their pain was more than twice as likely to have vanished for 12 months, their levels of pain had dropped by up to 15 per cent and they were less likely to take painkillers.

It is not known why the effects of the acupuncture lasted so long, but it is thought the treatment may somehow encourage the body to heal itself.

Long-term benefits

It is also possible that the patients benefited from the extra attention and that the acupuncturist gave them advice on how to cope with pain.

Each year, one in six Britons sees their doctor about back pain, at a cost of £480million.

The condition also costs around £10billion a year in lost productivity and sickness benefits.

The root cause of the problem is not known but possible factors range from a slipped disc to a strain from gardening.

Dr MacPherson, a qualified acupuncturist, also examined whether it would be cost-effective to use it on the NHS.

His calculations showed that the treatment is slightly more expensive in the short term, but its long-term benefits are invaluable.

"Acupuncture should be an option," he said. "If you go to your GP, your GP should say, 'Do you want physiotherapy, acupuncture or medication?'."

Previous studies have shown that the 3,000-year-old technique can cut the pain of arthritic knees and doubles a woman's chance of becoming pregnant through IVF.

The Department of Health said it was up to individual doctors and trusts to decide whether to offer acupuncture on the NHS.

A spokesman added that the Government considers decisions on alternative therapies "a local matter".

Why acupuncture is better for back pain than a trip to the GP

The DIY way to beat back pain

By BARRIE SAVORY

Simple steps that will cure your aches and pains

Sean Connery and Prince Andrew are among his clients. Here Britain's top back expert reveals the simple steps that will cure your aches and pains...

Nearly everything we do puts our bodies through a series of potentially harmful positions ? from the get out of bed, travel to work, and sit at our desks, to the way we carry our shopping and watch TV. The result is back pain.

More than 60 per cent of us have experienced back pain at one time or another. But after 40 years as an osteopath, with clients such as The Duke of York and Sean Connery, I know that much of this pain ? whatever the cause ? can be avoided.

Most back problems are caused by the evolutionary lag between what our bodies were designed to do and the way we live today.

When early man switched from walking on all-fours to standing, the sacroiliac joint ? the bit where the spine meets the pelvis ? changed from being non weight-bearing to the most weight-bearing structure in the body. This put untold pressure on the muscles which have to support the now vertical spine.

This wouldn't be so bad if we were as active as our ancestors, but the modern sedentary lifestyle, hours at a desk and slumped in front of the TV, erodes the muscle tone necessary for spinal health.

We may be the most intellectually developed animal on this planet, but our bodies simply haven't adapted.

Bad backs cost British industry £5 billion a year in lost production through absenteeism and the NHS spends £481 million a year treating them.

Back pain is now the UK's leading cause of disability and, worryingly, is increasingly prevalent among children, who are driven to school and sit uncomfortably at desks designed for yesterday's shorter generation, before going home to an evening in front of a TV or computer.

The teenage years are a crucial 'running in' period that set the shape of the spine, establishing problems that will remain for the rest of their lives.

Sitting position

One of the best things you could do is learn to sit well. If you're sitting in a chair to read this, you're likely to be slumped with the middle of your back curved out and your shoulders rounded, forming a C-shape from your hips up to the base of your neck. Try wriggling your bottom as far back in the chair as you can and run a finger down your chest bone to where it ends about 5in above your navel.

Next make your spine push forward towards that finger. You should feel your chest lift, your shoulders come back and down, and a sense of lightness from your lower back to the base of your skull.

If you use this position when sitting (tuck a small cushion into the small of your back to help) it will take an enormous daily strain off your back.

If you find yourself slumping, simply stand up and put your hands behind your back, interlock your fingers, and pull your shoulders back. Try to feel your shoulder blades meet at the back and your chest open out in front of you and hold for five seconds to remind you of the correct posture.

As well as learning to sit and stand properly, you can help to protect your back with the simple ten-minute daily exercise plan printed here. But if you are already suffering discomfort and pain, here we show you how to treat common back problems. However, seek medical advice if symptoms persist.

Gardening is one of the best exercise therapies you can do, but it also causes more back problems in the later years than any other single activity.

The key to protecting your back is not to punish your poor sedentary body with a full day of digging, bent double, but to vary your gardening activities, and take frequent breaks.

Try to do short spells of different activities ? a bit of weeding, a bit of pruning, a bit of digging ? and keep varying the intensity of your work throughout the day.

If you've recently retired and plan to spend more time in your garden, treat yourself like an athlete training for a marathon. Build up your stamina gradually.

Rather than bending over for hours, risking damage to your back, tackle the weeds sitting on a folding canvas seat which you can easily carry around. Resist all temptation to kneel or squat, as both typical gardening positions put unacceptable strain on your knees.

The DIY way to beat back pain

Mind over matter could cure back pain

Mental exercises could be just as effective as physically working the muscles to ease back pain, researchers have suggested. Their work could bring relief to the thousands of chronic back pain sufferers in the UK.

The study, published in the journal BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders, found that training the mind was just as effective as using more physical methods to deal with chronic lower back pain.

However using the methods together did not improve their back pain even further.

Rob Smeets, from the University of Maastricht, and colleagues from across the Netherlands recruited 223 people suffering from chronic back pain.

Over 10 weeks, one group received mental therapy, another had physical treatment and the third had a combination of the two.

The physical treatment attempted to restore back muscle strength with aerobic training on a bicycle and strengthening exercises.

The mental therapy tried to help patients overcome their reluctance to be more active, teaching them how to face obstacles for recovery by using problem-solving skills.

The researchers assessed how mobile the patients were before and after treatment. They discovered that both physical treatment and mental therapy significantly reduced pain experienced by the participants compared to those who received no treatment at all.

However lead researcher Rob Smeets said:

"Combining the treatments does not improve patients' condition further than using the individual treatments."

The researchers said their study showed the short-term results of the treatments, but further tests would be conducted in a years time.

Mind over matter could cure back pain

New cost-cutting NHS guidelines on back pain 'will lead to more surgery'

By Jenny Hope

Sore point: Back pain suffers could face surgery due to fewer spine injections

Thousands of patients could undergo unnecessary spinal operations because of new NHS guidelines on treatments for lower back pain, warn experts.

Dozens of hospital consultants say the ‘cost- cutting’ restrictions mean more patients will end up having major surgery.

They claim less risky procedures using spinal injections have been wrongly dismissed as ineffective, even though they help hundreds of thousands of patients with chronic back pain each year.

Guidelines issued earlier this week by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) set out permitted treatments for patients whose back pain has lasted for at least six weeks but less than a year.

They endorsed widespread use of ‘alternative’ therapy, letting patients opt for a three-month course of acupuncture, manual therapy such as physiotherapy, or exercise.

Described as a ‘sea-change’ for back pain sufferers, the guidelines also told doctors not to recommend therapies with ‘little evidence’ to support them, controversially including injections of small amounts of steroids into the back, MRI scans, X-rays and ultrasound.

Now, many patients who fail to respond to initial treatment could miss out this intermediate stage and proceed straight to risky spinal fusion operations.
NICE estimates the NHS will make annual savings of £33million on back injections and £11million on MRI scans.

However, it will spend £24million extra on acupuncture and £16million extra on manual therapy, making the cost-cutting aspect negligible.

Around 50 specialists belonging to the Interventional Pain Medicine Group of the British Pain Society are writing to NICE, claiming it has dismissed good evidence about spinal injections, which do not cure pack pain but give a period of relief from chronic pain.

Guidelines: Doctors have been told not to recommend treatments like injections of steroids and X-rays 

Dr Ron Cooper, past chairman of the group and a consultant pain specialist in Northern Ireland, said: ‘I have never known so many pain medicine specialists to be so furious. More patients will end up having more expensive surgery, which is unnecessary, risky and has worse results.

‘NICE made it difficult for us to submit evidence to a committee on which there was not one experienced pain physician.

‘The guidelines will make us the laughing stock of Europe, Australia and the U.S. where pain specialists will continue to have full access to a wide range of treatments.’

Dr Raj Munglani, a consultant in pain medicine at West Suffolk Hospital, Bury St Edmunds, said: ‘There could be as many as 400,000 patients (a year) who will be eligible for spinal fusion – when it should be a last resort.

‘There is a lot of concern that this is actually a way of banishing waiting lists for some procedures, because they will no longer be available.’

Dr Serge Nikolic, a chronic pain specialist at Bart’s hospital in London, said any savings made from the guidelines would be a false economy if they led to more spinal surgery.

A NICE spokesman said: ‘The guideline sets out... those approaches which either don’t work as well as alternatives, or for which there is little evidence of benefit.

‘The guideline recommends that new research is needed to decide if injections into the back are, or are not, effective.’

New cost-cutting NHS guidelines on back pain 'will lead to more surgery'