In-depth information on how good nutrition, diet and weight loss foster overall back health and back pain relief, including calcium, glucosamine and chondroitin nutritional supplements
Spinal
arthritis medications
May 25, 2005
Patients with spinal arthritis have several options for medications to control
the pain. Among other factors, the level of the patient’s pain and
the potential side effects of the medication must be considered. Potential
medications for managing spinal arthritis symptoms include: acetaminophen,
topical analgesics, NSAIDs and COX-2 inhibitors, cortisone injections, and nutritional
supplements such as glucosamine and chondroitin. Read
more...
By: Vert Mooney, MD
More
spinal arthritis treatments
May 25, 2005
It is important to get an accurate diagnosis and find the best treatments for
pain from spinal arthritis. Some patients find relief from a combination of conservative
(including alternative) treatments, such as manipulation, massage therapy, relaxation,
TENS, acupuncture, support devices, weight control, and healthy lifestyle choices. Read
more...
By: Vert Mooney, MD
Effectiveness
of glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate for osteoarthritis (Research
article)
April 19, 2005
Although there is not yet a proven treatment to stop or slow the progression
of osteoarthritis, glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate nutritional supplements
may provide a viable alternative for some patients. An FDA study on the effects
and safety of glucosamine and chondroitin dietary supplements is currently underway,
and many physicians support their use because of the low incidence of serious
side effects (compared to other medications, such as COX-2 inhibitors and other
NSAIDs). Read more...
By: Thomas E. Hyde, DC
A
healthy weight for a healthy back
December 15, 2004
Obese and overweight patients may be surprised to learn that they have an increased risk for certain back conditions such as osteoarthritis, where their extra weight puts extra pressure on their joints. This article helps to explain why maintaining a healthy weight level is particularly necessary for back pain patients. Read
more...
By: Kelly Andrews, DC
Food for thought: diet
and nutrition for a healthy back
December 10, 2004
Patients with back problems may not be aware that diet and nutrition play a major
role in nourishing spinal structures, preventing problems and healing from injuries.
Using these nutrition guidelines, patients can integrate back-friendly vitamins
and nutrients (especially calcium) into their diets. Read
more...
By: Kelly Andrews, DC
Weight loss for
back relief
November 2, 2004
Being obese or overweight can increase low back pain, joint pain, spinal disc problems, muscle strain and other conditions. However, patients who are overweight or obese may be unaware that excess weight is increasing not only their current pain but also their risk of future problems. This article gives practical guidelines on how exercise, diet and weight loss can help with back relief. Read
more...
By: Donald J. Frisco, MD
Calcium
requirements for kids' growing bones
January 16, 2003
The need for calcium acquisition and storage begins very early in life—especially
in the pre-adolescent years. To grow and maintain a strong spine, kids need to
have minimum calcium requirements in their diet. Any dietary source of calcium
will count toward the child’s daily intake, but low-fat milk is clearly
the most efficient and readily available. In addition to milk, there are a variety
of foods that contain calcium and can help children get sufficient levels of
calcium in their daily diet. Read
more...
By: Julian Huang, MD
Guidelines
for a successful recovery from low back pain
June 25, 2001
In addition to stretching, strengthening
and aerobic exercises, there are several basic guidelines
that can help you in your healing and rehabilitation
process. These guidelines include managing anxiety,
maintaining proper diet and nutrition, sleeping well,
controlling use of medications, and doing back exercises. Read
more...
By: Vert Mooney, MD
Osteoarthritis
treatments - Glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate
supplements
November 28, 2000
For patients who have evidence of osteoarthritis in their spine (as seen on
an x-ray) and who have had other causes of back pain and neck pain ruled out
by their health care provider, glucosamine sulfate and chondroitin sulfate
may be a treatment option. Read
more...
By: Christopher D. Chaput, MD
Prevention
and risk factors for osteoporosis
November 2000
Read about the most important things to do to prevent this disease, when to
start prevention and how to assess your risk factors. Adequate calcium
intake is critical in keeping bones strong, and it is estimated that approximately
70% of people do not regularly ingest adequate amounts of calcium. Read
more...
By: Donald J. Frisco, MD
Back-to-Back:
Weight loss, diet and nutrition for a healthy
back
Read other patients’ helpful tips about weight loss using gentle exercise,
a healthy diet and good nutrition. Patients also share how achieving an optimal
weight helped relieve their back pain. Be sure to submit your own response! Read
more...
Back-to-Back: Using back exercise for back pain relief
Read other patients’ helpful advice about using back exercise (such as walking, an exercise bike, water therapy, physical therapy and yoga) for back pain relief or recovery from back surgery. Then, submit your own response! Read more...
Take control of your back pain – Spine-health.com Newsletter
In addition to finding the right type of spine specialist(s) to diagnose and treat the cause of your pain, there are lots of things you can do on your own to help manage pain. This newsletter profiles some lesser known pain management strategies that have proven beneficial for many back pain sufferers include sleeping on a high-quality mattress and pillow, exercising, and weight loss (where appropriate). Read more…
Essential exercise for back pain relief - Spine-health.com Newsletter
The natural stimulus for the healing process is active exercise, which means exercise in a controlled, gradual, and progressive manner. In this newsletter we discuss why exercise is important and give information about gentle exercises for recovery and prevention of future back pain from back conditions. Read more…
Pain relief with physical therapy and exercise – Spine-health.com Newsletter
The use of some type of physical therapy and exercise is integral to almost all forms of back pain and neck pain treatment. Sometimes physical therapy and exercise is the first line of treatment; other times it may help manage chronic pain, or provide rehabilitation after surgery. This newsletter explains how physical therapy and exercise play a vital role in relieving pain from back conditions. Read more…
The importance of back exercise and rehabilitation - Spine-health.com Newsletter
Information about how and why rehabilitation and exercise are so important for your recovery from back pain and back surgery, as well as for maintaining future spinal health. Read these helpful guidelines on developing a new exercise program to include stretching, strengthening and aerobic exercises for your back. Read more…
Please note that these additional patient resources(such asThe Back-to-Back Forum and Newsletters)on Spine-health.com are not peer-reviewed by the Spine-health.com Medical Advisory Board. They are provided as additional resources for patients to learn from the experiences of others and to gain information from our popular newsletters.
