Month: July 2020

Back pain? know 5 reasons to fix it!

Back Pain
Back Pain

Back Pain

Back pain is one of the most frequent health issues among the people 8 out of the 10. It is the third most common reason to visits the doctor’s office in the US and Indians also living in similar circumstances.

The pain will be mild to medium, constant, sometime it will be sharp and sudden lasts for days to weeks. usually, back pain goes away its own, if it is not as such then need extra care to get relieved from it.

Only 5% of the cases required surgery and rest will be cured with medication or change in lifestyle. Back pain due to spine disorders and injuries are far less when compare to other causes. People will experience back pain at some point of time in their life time.

If back pain is sudden, last for a few days then it can be treated as acute and pain lasts for more than 3 months is considered chronic.

Below are the top reasons for back pain:

  1. Poor Posture and Lifestyle
  2. Weak Spine
  3. Body Imbalance
  4. Back Injuries
  5. Back Disorders and Medical Conditions

Poor Posture and Lifestyle

The human spine is a complicated structure of bones, muscles, ligaments, tendons and disks all these together help us to move around. Specialty in the human spine is its perpendicular to the ground. The good posture can help the spine to ensure all the parts in right place any disturbance in the structure of the spine leads to back pain.

Ensure you are sitting in good posture while working at desk or driving, do not bring your back close to inclining shape. Invest on proper sitting conditions. Do not work in same position for longer periods, take short breaks and walk in and around.

Smoking may affect blood circulation to your spine results back pain and excessive consumption of alcohol further worsen your back pain.

Your feelings will play a major role on your back functionality. Do not be stressed or anxiety will bring your body into muscle tension including spine area.

Over workouts or irregular workouts at the gym, extended body stretches, not having proper body rest and sleeping on a mattress that does not support the body and keep the spine straight.

Weak Spine

Your back should be strong enough to carry out your regular job else you can experience back pain, it does not mean you have blessed with a weak spine. It is your responsibility to keep doing exercise or yoga regularly to maintain your body and mind in a strength. The brisk walk makes your spine strong and also it is simple. And continue doing related exercises or yoga.

Body Imbalance

The back may get pressurized with overweight of the body, better maintain the height to weight ratio it helps your overall body functionality. Being overweight and sedentary leads to low back pain. Your belly fat also one of the cause for body imbalance. Wearing high heels and pregnancy in women imbalances the body.

Back Injuries

While lifting heavy stuff ensure that, it is distributed to your legs instead of the back. You can lift the weight what your body supports, any excess weight lift or pull may lead to spine structural problems.

Back injuries are the most common cause of back pain. Injuries frequently occur when you use your back muscles in activities that you do not do very often, such as lifting a heavy object or doing yard work.

Minor injuries also may occur from tripping, falling a short distance, or excessive twisting of the spine. For more info on back injuries..

Back Disorders or Medical Conditions

 Numerous conditions can affect the spine from neck to low back.

  • Cauda equina syndrome (CES) is a condition that occurs when the bundle of nerves below the end of the spinal cord known as the cauda equina is damaged. Signs and symptoms include low back pain, pain that radiates down the leg, numbness around the anus, and loss of bowel or bladder control.
  • Cancer: A tumour on the spine may press against a nerve, resulting in back pain.
  • Infection: Spine infection may result in a fever and a tender, warm area on the back.
  • Other infections: Pelvic inflammatory disease, bladder, or kidney infections may also led to back pain.
  • Sleep disorders: Sleep disorders are more likely to experience back pain, compared with others.
  • Osteoarthritis: (also known as OA) is a common joint disease that most often affects middle-age to elderly people. It is commonly referred to as “wear and tear” of the joints, but we now know that OA is a disease of the entire joint, involving the cartilage, joint lining, ligaments, and bone.
  • Arthritis is a term often used to mean any disorder that affects joints. Symptoms generally include joint pain and stiffness. Other symptoms may include redness, warmth, swelling, and decreased range of motion of the affected joints

Care or Treatment

  • Spinal Manipulation: Some doctors use this approach to treat lower back pain by applying pressure with hands-on bones and tissues. It is not suitable for everyone.
  • Massage Therapy: It may relieve your chronic low back pain, especially combined with exercise and stretches.
  • Acupuncture: It has a mixed response and some people got relieved from short term back pain.
  • Medications and Injections: consuming pills and if not cured injections to the back.
  • Physical Therapy: A physical therapist can guide you through stretches, strength exercises, and low-impact cardio that will help you be fitter without straining your back
  • Surgery: If long-lasting back pain is interfering with your daily life, and other treatments have not provided relief, you may be a candidate for surgery.

Last year in India started creating a large database on back pain patients which help doctors to find out the root cause for the back pain by tracing with other patients data which involves advanced data algorithms.

Yoga beginner’s body loosening exercises Part-3

Sitting Exercises
Sitting Exercises

Body loosening exercises.

This is the third part in this series with three demo videos. 

  1. Sitting exercises for sole, foot, ankle, knee and join flexibility.

   2.  Sitting exercises with complete body movement.

  3. Sitting exercises with leg and hand movements.

Add these into your daily exercises and practice few more demos will be added in the next part..

3 ways to strengthen your lungs to face Corona.

Coronavirus Lungs
Lungs & Coronavirus

Lungs are closet organ which is connected to the external world and the air we breathe circulates to our body gives us strength and life. It does not work properly or stop functioning means a threat to life. Coronavirus damages respiratory and lungs in the body, any existing lung disease in the body further boost Coronavirus attack. In this crucial situation, one should have healthy lungs.

Lungs functionality and capacity depends on below  3 major factors:

  • Air Pollution and Smoking
  • Food habits
  • Workout for lungs

Air Pollution and Smoking : The effect of air pollution on our lungs depends on the type and mix of pollutants in the air, we can conclude that air in an urban areas is more pollutant than the rural areas it’s due to industrialization, transportation, high population and public needs.

On the busy road or high pollution area, you may experience symptoms that include irritated airways, coughing or out of breath. If you experience these symptoms regularly you should visit a doctor for a review.

Research says that Air pollution may be as harmful to your lungs as Smoking Cigarettes, long-term exposure to air pollution can contribute to the development of some lung conditions. There’s good evidence that outdoor air pollution contributes to lung cancer, and linked to the development of asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Smoking will have direct impact on the lungs, Our lungs make up a large part of our immune system. Now the new novel Coronavirus also attacking the respiratory system that includes lungs, it may drag a person till death. They are week and short in function, more danger in case of Coronavirus attack.

Use nasal filters if you are exposed to air pollution regularly and stop smoking. Take all the precautionary measures possible in your surrounding from air pollution.

Smoking Danger
Smoking – Danger

Food Habits: The second area of strengthening our lungs is chosen proper food which cleanses and improve lungs function and strength. A high-fat diet has also been linked to a higher risk of developing lung cancer.

Whatever we eat that is not directly linked to lungs, our food indirectly helps in lungs functionality through the cardiovascular system and providing antioxidant protection.

Vegetables & fruits for lungs
Vegetables & fruits

Studies reveals that eating fruits and vegetables good for Lungs.

Water: Water is the essential part in our body, about 60% of our body filled with water, any water deficiency in the body that lead to dehydration, impurities will not be pushed out from the body. Metabolism goes down. It also keeps lungs hydrated and mucus flowing. Each day you should drink 6 to 8 glasses of water for better body hydration.

Ginger: It is having anti-inflammatory properties and helps lungs get cleaned from pollutants.

Beans & Berries: According to the American cancer society, beans and berries are rich antioxidants which support lung health. Kidney, pinto, black and other beans are good sources of antioxidants, which fight off free impurities that may damage the lungs. Acai, blueberry, cranberries, grapes, and strawberries are also good for the lungs.

Cruciferous vegetables: Cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, and kale have been shown to halt the progression of lung cancer by half. They are rich in chlorophyll that cleans and builds blood components and are full of effective antioxidants.

Apple, Orange, Carrots: Lung function was associated with high intakes of vitamins A, C, E, and beta-carotene, citrus fruits, apples, and fruit juices.

Garlic and Onions, Chili Peppers, Turmeric: These spices are helpful to lowers cholesterol, improves blood flow , self destruction of cancer cells and to fight infection.

Lung Workout: In addition to proper food we should give a proper workout to lungs to improve its capacity. Breathing exercises help us to improve lungs capacity and it ensures a smooth function of the respiratory system without any barrier. Improved lung capacity can distribute more oxygen to body cells and also lungs muscles will become strong and immune to viral attack.

Below video explained about four simple breathing exercises you can practice the same regularly to improve lungs functionality. Breathing exercises also relieves stress or anxiety. If you feel any pain while doing those exercises do not continue and consult a doctor.

The ways mentioned in this article will not stop Coronavirus attack and it helps us to improve our body immunity and including lungs functionality and capacity to face any viral attack. Follow the WHO guidelines for precautionary measures on COVID-19.

Yoga beginner’s body loosening exercise Part-2

Body loosening 2

In the part-1, we have learnt few body loosening exercises and more exercises are covered in this post. Here introducing with body stretch and abdominal related exercises.

If you are new to stretch exercises, starting it may be difficult to do as shown in the below video. Based on your body type, you can reach exact posture after few days of practice. Slowly you can increase reps in your stretch and practice regularly. You can notice the flexibility in the body in few days. If you encounter any muscle pain or cramp or spasms take physician advice to proceed further. You can do more reps as per your comfort. 

                                                      Video: Body Stretch

Benefits of body stretch exercise:

  1. Improves body flexibility.
  2. Relieves constipation.
  3. Nerve system works fine.
  4. Improved blood flow
  5. Strengthens your back.
  6. Improves your posture.
  7. Calms your mind.
  8. Good stress relief
  9. Improves your body posture.
  10. Increases body energy.

Part 3 of these covered with abdominal exercises as name suggests these exercises to make body flexible at stomach area.  Start slowly and increase reps based on your stomach flexibility, it helps to ease your stomach region to do more reps.

                                                    Video: Abdominal Exercise

Benefits of abdominal exercise:

  1. Improves body flexibility.
  2. Burns belly fat.
  3. Increase muscle mass in abdominal region.
  4. Strengthens body muscle.
  5. Trims your waistline.

Yoga beginner’s body loosening exercise Part-1

Yoga Body loosening jog
Body loosening jog:

Yoga importance

World identified the importance of Yoga and declared 21st Jun as International Day of Yoga, It is a physical, mental and spiritual practice which is originated from India. it is an invaluable gift of India’s ancient tradition.

Health is Wealth’ is a most famous phrase, We are working means most of us spend eight or more hours to earn money, but one can enjoy our life only when we are healthy if it is the fact, how much time we are spending for our body or health care? As per last year study shows that about 65 per cent of Indian don’t do exercise.

Present world conditions suggests that, everyone should practice Yoga or do exercise daily to make us strong mentally and physically.

In our last video highlighted the few rules before start doing yoga, now we come with few body loosening exercises before starting actual yoga or workouts.  Which help us warm up our body and make free muscular joins and loosens stiff body to gain flexibility to do it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYdSojGE1qQ

Loosening exercise benefits :

Benefits

  • Improves blood flows in muscles
  • Improves Asana’s posture
  • Increases body flexibility
  • Improves performance in physical activities.
  • It gives relief from stress
  • It can calm your mind