A Conversation with a Facebook and YouTube Subscriber

asks

How Do I Reclaim My Life After Back Surgery

NOTE: Before I do anything, I want to apologize for my recent neglect when it comes to this blog. A funny thing happened on my way to building this blog…I got my life back!

In the process of regaining my strength and control of my life, I stopped doing some of the things I was advocating, the things that worked for me and for so many others.

Please understand, my advice has always been anecdotal and provided solely to help others, and my neck pain, back pain, and sciatica didn’t completely disappear, but my pain was significantly reduced and I was able to start rebuilding my life.

How great is that?! 

Why am I even mentioning this?

Because I feel responsible and because of all the Christmas (Happy Holidays) emails I sent out to the subscribers of my various blogs and websites? I had the biggest reaction from my back pain blog subscribers.

I have three back pain blogs, all dedicated to helping others overcome their acute and/or chronic neck pain, back pain, and/or sciatica and reclaim their lives.

I honestly love making the videos, writing the articles and blog posts, and providing insight into how I achieved real and lasting pain relief.

I love it!

I just got away from it for a time.

So, the reaction I’m talking about, the one that came from those I tried to help?

It was entirely negative!

I sent out over 500 Christmas eCards/emails to my neck pain, back pain, and sciatica blog subscribers; and, I had the highest open rate I have ever had. I also had the highest unsubscribe numbers to date…all from my back pain websites!

Not one unsubscribe from any of the hundreds of subscribers at any of the other websites or blogs…not one!

I got the message!

I let you down and I am so very sorry! You were in pain and I apparently let some of you down!

My labor of love somehow let several people down to the point that they not only unsubscribed…they complained about spam!

They complained that a Christmas card, a Happy Holidays greeting, constituted spam!

Now understand this:

• They subscribed
• They went through a double opt-in system, confirming not once but twice
• They received a Holiday Greeting not a sales solicitation
• They unsubscribed (OK, I get it)
• And then, they complained!

That’s a message!

So, once again, I apologize!

I will do all I can to provide useful information on a regular basis. If I find I cannot? I will either take the blog down or sell it and donate the money to Providence House, a childrens’ shelter in Cleveland, Ohio. Providence House, and one other shelter for domestic violence, have received every penny generated from the sales of ebooks and ecourses specifically designed to help my readers, subscribers, and social media friends with their neck pain, back pain, and sciatica.

OK?

Now, on with an exchange that grew into something I thought might help others. This sort of thing happens quite often, either on Facebook, YouTube (where we have had almost 250,000 video views in less than 3 years), or here at Ultimate Bad Back Strategies.

I’d love to hear from you about what happened over Christmas or any insights into the conversation below.

Why?

Because you are important to me!

You see, I did all this to help. Somehow it backfired. Lesson learned, point taken.

I wish every one of you the best each and every day!

I also hope each one of you finds relief from whatever kind of pain you are suffering from:

• Neck Pain
• Back Pain
• Sciatica
• Fibromyalgia
• Depression as a consequence of chronic pain
• Failed Back Surgery Syndrome
• Or any of the other conditions I’ve attempted to cover here

Happy Holidays and the Happiest New Year!

John

The Facebook Exchange

Anita - FB/YT Friend: Hi John I was watching you tube. Are you the gentlemen who had back surgery?

Professor John P. J. Zajaros, Sr: Yup! All 14 times! Hurts just thinking about it.

Anita - FB/YT Friend: I just had tlif 6 months ago. Cage l5 s1. I fell off ladder at work totally rupturing the disc. L5 resting on S1. So disc replacement, rods n the screws. Every day is agony. Just wondering if you are better and what helped. In physical therapy now and it’s hell!

Professor John P. J. Zajaros, Sr: Use ice as often as possible! Heat with the metal will create more inflammation…and thus more pain.

Invest in a solid straight-back rocker and a recliner with an electric control. Invest in 1 or 2 great pillows.

When you can’t sleep or are in too much pain to move, put an ice wrap on your lower back, sit in the recliner, elevate the foot rest, have 1 or two pillows placed under the knees, and recline until comfortable. Put on a good movie, one you know and can follow with your eyes closed or a good audiobook or some peaceful, soothing music.

Then drift off!

It will help with the pain, a lot. Get off the narcotics immediately!

Narcotics will cause rebound pain and you will end up dependent and in pain. A terrible scenario!

Get active! Walk as far as you can each day. Try to walk a little farther on each walk. You will be in more pain if you are inactive, so get active and don’t stop!

Walk to the end of the driveway if that’s all you can do…but start right away.

There are 5 factors that contribute to back pain. You can find them at http://UltimateBadBackStrategies.com/

Good luck Anita! Let me know if I can help in any way!

Anita - FB/YT Friend: I am still taking 3 Percocet Aday. Do you take anything else instead. I live by ice. It freezes my brain lol. I don’t use heat. I had a bad bout of inflammation month 3. I guess the active part is what I really need to work on. I do walk but not far. I am sure my weight don’t help. Many nights I can’t sleep. We had just bought a new sofa and chair right before injury. So I Need to look at that. I just came across your videos and something told me I really needed to reach out to you. Physical therapy had me squatting lifting 40lbs before I even could just do squats. That set me back That happened 3 weeks ago.

So how are you doing now? How long has it been?

Anita - FB/YT Friend: John I pulled up sight but on fb I can’t get but part. I will try to google it. If still can’t maybe I can have you email it. XXXXXXXX@gmail.com

Professor John P. J. Zajaros, Sr: I almost lost my life to osteomyelitis, a staph infection introduced along with the plates, screws, etc. Over the years, I have had 15 major surgeries, 14 on my spine, a total shoulder reconstruction, and a broken neck.

The worst thing was the pain. It wasn’t until I got off the pain meds and started doing a little more each & every day that my life started to turn around.

I not only have the experience as a patient, I have the education as a physical anthropologist. So, while not a medical doctor, I understand the spine and SI joint as well as anyone alive.

The more active you get, the more weight you will drop and the stronger your muscles will become. Deal with the muscle strength, the activity level, and the meds and you will do well. Be careful with PT. They often have no idea what they are doing, particularly when it comes to spine surgery and chronically acute pain.

Great about the ice!

When sleeping, I sleep on my side with a decent pillow between my legs, one at my belly (to keep me from rolling onto my stomach), and one or two under my head. The idea is to keep your spine straight from the cervical region to the sacrum. If someone looked at you while you’re resting on your side, they could draw a straight line. That’s how your spine should line up! It will help with sleep too.

Here are the first steps I took:

• Buy comfortable shoes
• Use ice often
• Walk a bit farther each day
• Integrate a stretching program (twice daily – morning and bedtime)
• Buy a comfortable chair and follow the instructions I gave you
• Count your steps (plan your days to provide for special activities late in the day and to reduce pain)
• Get a Handicap card or sticker for your car (1 fall on the ice will undo everything – and it helps with counting steps)

By counting steps I mean, you only have so much energy and pain tolerance on any one day, particularly when starting out post-op. So, make sure you have enough in reserve to make it through the entire day!

That should do it. At least it will help!

BTW, don’t swim!

Everyone wants to get you into the pool. People think swimming is the be-all to end-all! It’s not true. If you want to get in the water, fine. Just make sure you walk in the water. Do not swim!

Eventually, you will be able to do more:

• Swim
• Ride a bike (recumbent)
• Go for long walks
• And much more

However, when you begin remember to count your steps and to use baby steps!

Best wishes to you in the new year. Contact me anytime and take care Anita!

John

Postscript from Professor John P. J. Zajaros, Sr: Would you mind if I use our conversation on my blog? I will of course change your name if you want me to but I think it will help a lot of people!

Anita - FB/YT Friend: No don’t mind. For now you can just change or use last name. Icing  Lol

Don’t understand the blog thing.

Professor John P. J. Zajaros, Sr: NO worries! Thank you!

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• 

The 5 Factors, The 5 Effects, and The Second Effect: The Financial Effects and the Impact of Chronic Back Pain

The impact and effects of chronic levels of neck pain, back pain, and sciatica are myriad; and, the increase in pain is exponential as a result of one of the 5 factors feeding into another, and thus leading to certain effects we refer to as the 5 effects.

The 5 effects, impacting and affecting the chronic back pain sufferer, feed into one another and to the next…the pain level increases exponentially once again. In other words, with chronic neck, back, and sciatic nerve pain there is a compounding effect and before long there is no way out…or at least that’s what many would have you believe!

While seemingly without hope of a resolution to and relief from the pain, there is a solution!

The video below explains this far better than I can in print. I actually get a bit excited and start something of a rant (sorry!)…but it’s about time! And, it is necessary!

I also discuss a recently cited research study on exercise and back pain. I found the article in one of the more prestigious medical journals and it was also cited on Johns Hopkins website, so I trust it will be helpful for everyone.

Also, take the time to visit either my YouTube Channel or my other chronic neck pain, back pain, and sciatica blog, there is a ton of useful information on how to live a neck pain, back pain, and sciatica free life.

In other words, how to get your life back…a pain free life!

I believe it is crucial for you to understand what is happening to you and to your spine…and not just tell you anything in order to sell you something! It is imperative that you take an active role in your recovery so you can live a happy and healthy lifestyle.

It is possible to overcome chronic neck pain, back pain, and sciatic nerve pain (sciatica). It is possible to overcome failed back surgery syndrome, and it is also possible to win the battle against long term debilitating pain and disability.

The Second Effect: Financial

The 2nd of the five effects is financial and the impact on one’s life can be profound!

The impact of the second effect, financial, often means everything from hefty medical co-pays and credit issues to bankruptcy and foreclosure, everything from loss of time at work to loss of employment and long term disability. The impact of the financial effects, and they are all inter-related, are physical, mental, and spiritual.

Financial stress feeds into psychological stress and both exacerbate your chronic neck pain, back pain, and sciatica. The chronic pain level increases, then feeds back into the 5 effects and it starts all over again, a classic feedback loop. In short order, the entire organism, the entire system, our body is affected. The chronic pain sufferer then exhibits all of the consequences of the 5 effects of neck pain, back pain, sciatica.

The 5 factors and the 5 effects work against our recovery, so we must understand them and deal with them accordingly…one step at a time!

Contact me anytime. Watch the entire video, as it will give you a better sense of just how passionate I am about this topic and why you should be too! I know it went a bit long but there is a reason and I assure you it will be worth it!

Again, contact me anytime!

John

Professor John P. J. Zajaros, Sr., The Bad Back Guy
216-712-6526 (home)
216-539-7412 (office)
Skype: johnzajaros1
JohnZ@UltimateBadBackStrategies.com

PS, If you want to get started today on a program that will result in real and lasting neck pain, back pain, and sciatica relief, simply click the link here and you will be on your way to a neck pain, back pain, and sciatic nerve pain free life!

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• 

The 5 Ds – Degenerative Disc Disease, Diet, and Dehydration
Degenerative Disc Disease Part III

As stated in the previous two articles in this series, degenerative disc disease is not a disease but a process, a condition. Or, better still, degenerative disc disease is an age-progressive phenomenon or set of phenomena working in concert, and against musculoskeletal health generally, and spine health in particular. Degenerative disc disease affects millions worldwide, one of the principal causes of neck, back, and the sciatic nerve pain as we age.

There are a number of reasons why musculoskeletal health generally, and spine health in particular, degenerates as we grow older. There are a myriad of factors and processes that come into play and affect the overall health of the spine as we age, to include:

• Many begin to carry excess weight, some becoming medically obese.

• Our muscles weaken as we age, particularly when living a sedentary lifestyle.

• Muscle imbalances are common and widely misunderstood.

• Inadequate diet and nutrition is a fact of life for many reasons, around the world.

• Inadequate hydration and/or dehydration is a reality for many of us.

We have touched upon the first three of the above factors contributing to degenerative disc disease in the first two parts in this series. In this article, we will deal with the fourth and fifth factors on this list:

• Inadequate diet and nutrition

• Inadequate hydration and/or dehydration

In many ways, the final two factors are the most important for reasons we will discuss below (note: the number of factors affecting spine health is by no means restricted to the five mentioned previously and above but they are the most important).

Degenerative disc disease generally leads to neck pain, back pain, and sciatica at one point or another in our lives, particularly as we age.

Degeneration of the intervertebral disc (IVDs or discs) may lead to a bulging or herniated (ruptured) disc. When the disc bulges or ruptures posteriorly (to the back), the disc material may affect (i.e., irritate or impinge) the nerve root and lead to neck pain, back pain, and/or sciatica…depending on the level affected. Disc degeneration, depending on how severe and at what level, may lead to a cascading or ripple effect. Whereby, discs above and below the affected IVD begin to come under increasing levels of stress and may bulge or rupture, particularly if they have started to degenerate, as well. This sort of ripple effect can be very difficult to treat and neck or back surgery is generally ill advised, the likelihood of failed back surgery syndrome is a reality.

In an individual with advanced degenerative disc disease, the prognosis is generally not good and neck pain, back pain, and sciatica may be chronic and pervasive throughout the spine.

While the above scenario sounds dire, there is a way out!

We have discussed excess weight and/or obesity, muscle weakness, and muscle imbalance in the previous two parts in this series. Diet and nutrition and hydration are crucial to tying it all together and, without attention to these final two factors, the likelihood of a good outcome when dealing with degenerative disc disease is almost nonexistent.

Diet, Nutrition, and Dehydration

Without proper diet and nutrition, and without adequate hydration, meaning an adequate intake of water on a daily basis, our body cannot ward off the effects of age nor can it replenish and rebuild itself, as is required for overall spine health. There are a number of reasons why diet and nutrition, or rather inadequate diet and inadequate nutrition come into play, particularly as we age. Many of the reasons for inadequate diet and nutrition are cultural, some are biological, and many more are economic. For many throughout the world, it is a combination of all three. However, for the majority of us in the western world it is a matter of lifestyle. In very much the same way a sedentary lifestyle often affects disc degeneration, leading to degenerative disc disease and neck pain, back pain, and sciatica, a busy lifestyle, one where meals a gulped down and little attention is paid to nutrition and balanced meals, the outcome may be the same.

Rebuild and Replenish: The Consequences of Aging

When little attention is paid to diet and nutrition, the body simply cannot ward off the effects of aging and cannot repair and rebuild itself. As we live our lives, the body generally, and spine in particular is placed under severe stress and often must deal with traumatic events on a daily basis. If the spine is healthy and has plenty of material to rebuild itself, the stress and even isolated trauma is generally handled quite nicely. However, as spine health begins to deteriorate and the process of disc degeneration is initiated, combined with an inadequate diet lacking the proper nutrients, the breakdown in overall spine health is exponential and neck pain, back pain, and sciatica becomes a reality. This is easily offset, if caught early enough, and may be arrested even in more advanced cases, provided proper attention is paid to nutrition and diet…meaning what and when we eat.

Dehydration: A Fact of Life for Millions

The final component to be dealt with in this article, the last of the five factors contributing to degenerative disc disease; and, neck pain, back pain, and sciatica is dehydration or simply inadequate hydration. The intervertebral discs are made up of approximately 85% water. During the course of the day we lose a great deal of water through a variety of processes and functions. By the end of the day, providing we do not take in adequate amounts of water, we go into water debt. The debt is difficult to repay and the damage done, if this debt is ongoing, is substantial. Water is crucial to bodily function and is necessary for cell health, for rebuilding and repairing various anatomical structures, and for overall physiology. Meaning, without water the structure and the function of the body is negatively affected.

When it comes to spine health, dehydration leads to intervertebral disc degeneration because the main component of the IVDs, water, is lacking.

In today’s world, we take in large amounts:

• Soft drinks, many with caffeine and sodium.

• Coffee and tea, both with high levels of caffeine and/or related substances.

• Alcohol, more destructive and in more ways than we can address here.

• Sports drinks, perhaps the worst when it comes to sodium.

• Energy Drinks, perhaps the worst of all for sodium, caffeine, and a number of other substances (chemicals)!

In every instance, in every drink listed above, there is one common factor, they are all diuretic. Consequently, they all negatively impact the body’s overall ability to hold water. As a result, and because they are the staff of life for millions of people around the world, almost all of us drink them, many of us are in a constant state of dehydration…and don’t even know it.

The constant state of dehydration leads to inadequate amounts of the necessary component for proper spine health, water.

Dehydration also leads to significant problems at the cellular level. If there is not enough water for the body to properly conduct the business of life, it will rob the resources it needs from other areas, in this case the body will find the water necessary for day-to-day existence and the overall health of the spine will suffer. The constellation of behaviors and consequences above leads to disc degeneration.

The IVD degeneration leading to degenerative disc disease and, you guessed it:

• Neck Pain

• Back Pain

• Sciatic Nerve Pain or Sciatica

So, what is the answer?

Actually, the solution is not as complex or as overwhelming as it may appear. In order to offset the consequences of aging, particularly the consequences with a behavioral component, we need to adjust our behavior. If we adjust our behavior by addressing the negative impact of the 5 factors on the body generally, and the musculoskeletal system and spine specifically, we may be well on the way to our very own Fountain of Youth.

By addressing the factors leading to a breakdown at the cellular level (i.e., diet and nutrition, dehydration), addressing the behaviors affecting the musculoskeletal system (i.e., the 5 factors), and integrating a plan to focus on the body as a whole (i.e., diet, exercise, and education), we will insure proper spine health and may be able to alleviate and/or eliminate the consequences of degenerative disc disease and neck pain, back pain, and sciatica.

John

Professor John P. J. Zajaros, Sr., The Bad Back Guy
216-712-6526
Skype: johnzajaros1
johnz@ultimatebadbackstrategies.com

PS, If you are ready to begin the process of changing your behavior and dealing with your neck pain, back pain, and sciatica, as well as your degenerative disc disease, simply click here and take the next step! If you make the decision and take the first step, you will never regret it. And, you may discover your very own Fountain of Youth!

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• 

The Beginning: The 30 Day Walk Away from Back Pain and Sciatica…A Challenge and a Huge Success!

Now We Continue: How to Overcome Neck Pain, Back Pain, and Sciatica: The 30 Day Challenge Part II!

Start the Holidays and the New Year Out Neck Pain, Back Pain and Sciatica Free!

Over the past 108 days, since June 28, 2009, I have been on something of a quest to help others overcome their neck pain, back pain, and sciatica through a very simple and straightforward set of pain relief strategies. The response has been amazing, people all over the world have sent me emails, called me on the phone, and added me to their Skype contact lists in order to tell me they had started to walk again, were once again beginning to take control of their lives…any achieving real neck pain, back pain, and sciatica relief for the first time in years! Still other people, some suffering with chronic neck pain, back pain and/or sciatica for decades were contacting me via YouTube, on Facebook, and even on Twitter. The feedback has been extremely gratifying and has kept me going with this much longer than I had originally intended…at least in any sort of a public manner.

Millions are Affected by Chronic Neck Pain, Back Pain, and Sciatica!

The fact is, millions of people around the world are affected by neck pain, back pain, and sciatica; and yet, most of them have no idea how to deal effectively with their pain. Back pain is the number 6 reason in the entire world why people see a medical practitioner, with millions visiting medical practitioners daily, seeking pain relief! Most people suffering from chronic pain, and as I mentioned above, some for decades, have simply resigned themselves to the fact that neck pain, back pain, and/or sciatica is part of their life.

This does not have to be the case!

I actually get angry, infuriated, when I think about how many years, decades, I threw away because of this false notion. Unfortunately, there are millions of people living their lives under the assumption that they are doomed to a life of chronic neck pain, back pain and/or sciatica!

Nothing is further from the truth! You don’t have to live in chronic pain!

But you must take control of your life, and of your destiny, or you are doomed to a life of chronic, debilitating, and ultimately disabling pain!

So, how do you take control when you have had surgery, been through every “alternative” pain relief method under the sun, and have been living with your neck, back or sciatic nerve pain for years?

The Primary Causes of Neck Pain, Back Pain, and Sciatica!

Well, there are 5 contributory factors involved in either the onset of neck pain, back pain and/or sciatica, its continuation, or its exacerbation. I have spoken of these 5 factors in previous articles, videos, and blog posts and we will touch on them briefly here.

Excess Weight, Obesity, Neck Pain, Back Pain, and Sciatica

The first of the 5 factors contributing to or exacerbating neck pain, back pain, and/or sciatica is excess weight, meaning either excess weight or obesity. The excess weight and/or obesity issue is a problem throughout most of the modern world and is becoming an issue in developing areas of the world as well. Excess weight is particularly problematic for individuals susceptible to or experiencing spine-related pain of any kind…but particularly lower back pain and sciatica. We will discuss why excess weight and/or obesity is the number one issue affecting people with neck pain, back pain, and/or sciatica in upcoming videos and articles over the next 30 days.

Muscle Weakness and Neck Pain, Back Pain, and Sciatica

The second issue affecting neck pain, back pain, and/or sciatica is muscle weakness. Muscle weakness, like excess weight and/or obesity, is often an age-progressive phenomenon. By this I mean that as we age, we are more susceptible to the effects and the consequences of muscle weakness. Muscle weakness has a ripple effect throughout the entire body as we age, often affecting the connective tissue and the skeleton adversely. As muscles weaken, the stress is transferred to the intervertebral discs, the ligaments, and to the vertebrae themselves. As the body attempts to handle the stress once taken on by the muscles, there are a myriad of consequences and conditions that emerge. Again, we will address the area of muscle weakness and how it impacts neck pain, back pain, and sciatica in the coming days and weeks.

Muscle Imbalance and Neck Pain, Back Pain, and Sciatica

The third issue affecting and often exacerbating neck pain, back pain, and sciatica is muscle imbalance. Muscle imbalance is the least understood of the 5 factors affecting neck pain, back pain, and sciatica. Unfortunately, muscle imbalance is not addressed in medical school and only briefly covered during medical training for any of the other disciplines, sub-disciplines or alternative medical treatment strategies. Muscle imbalance often plays a significant role in neck pain, back pain, and sciatica…and its relief! We will cover this area in depth in upcoming videos and articles. Understanding muscle imbalance is central to any long-term pain relief strategy.

Diet and Nutrition and Neck Pain, Back Pain, and Sciatica

The fourth area of concern and one with as much misinformation, and just plain bad information, as any of the others, particularly when it comes to neck pain, back pain, and sciatica, are the linked and interconnected areas of diet and nutrition…really one in the same. However, diet and nutrition…or nutrition and diet…it’s really a chicken and egg thing, are crucial to neck pain, back pain, and sciatica relief. If the body can’t rebuild itself, you are in for a long haul when it comes to chronic pain. Additionally, if you body is in a weakened state due to inadequate diet and nutrition, you are more susceptible to stress-related injury and insult (i.e., trauma related neck and back injury).

Dehydration and Neck Pain, Back Pain, and Sciatica

The fifth area, dehydration or simply inadequate hydration, is one of the least understood of the five factors leading to neck pain, back pain and/or sciatica. Relief from chronic, intractable, and debilitating neck and back pain may be a drink of water away! Interestingly, inadequate hydration and/or dehydration is the one that is most easily remedied. The intervertebral discs, IVDs or discs are made up of approximately 90% water…some say 85% and some as high as the mid-90s. Regardless of the exact number, there can be little doubt that an inadequate amount of water means the IVDs cannot replenish the most important component in their makeup, and thus repair and rebuild themselves. Coffee, diet pop (or soda if you prefer), tea, energy drinks, and alcohol are all diuretic, meaning they promote the loss of fluid, water, and as a result lead to disc degeneration and the possibility of injury. The resulting neck pain, back pain, and/or sciatica may be exacerbated by a lack of this most plentiful or all pain relief potions…H20!

Where do we go from here? Real and lasting neck pain, back pain, and sciatica relief!

Finally, over the next 30 days we will dig deep into the ultimate bad back strategies, the pain relief strategies you must engage in, and the habits to develop, if you are to lead a neck pain, back pain, and sciatica free life. In the last 108 days many have started down the path to real and lasting pain relief. I hope you will join me, and the others already engaged in the process of taking back their lives, pain free lives! Join us as we overcome neck pain, back pain, and sciatica once and for all, and just in time for the holidays and the New Year!

Start at:

The Bad Back Guy’s Program for Ultimate Neck Pain, Back Pain, and Sciatica Relief: The First Step!

Watch the video below and then take action! I will be there with you every step of the way!

John

Professor John P. J. Zajaros, Sr., The Bad Back Guy
216-712-6526
866-835-2913
Skype: johnzajaros1
johnz@ultimatebadbackstrategies.com

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• 

Back Pain Relief: The 3 Primary Causes of Neck Pain, Back Pain, and Sciatica

Neck pain, back pain, and sciatica affect millions of people worldwide every year. No group is immune from neck pain, back pain, and/or sciatica, although certain demographic groups seem to be at greater risk. The back pain complex may manifest itself as a dull, aching feeling or it may present as a sharp, almost unbearable pain ceasing all movement and activity until properly addressed; and, that means seeing a medical practitioner. Or, the symptoms may appear anywhere along a continuum from dull and barely noticeable to sharp, intense, and debilitating. The etiology, or cause, of the pain may be immediately apparent or an individual may wake up in the morning with a new “friend.” In fact, many of the most serious incidents of neck, back or leg pain (sciatica) are seemingly innocuous at the time, with the individual only later realizing that he or she has injured himself or herself.

The Process of Aging

So, who is most likely to suffer from this common, often debilitating condition? The most obvious answer is everyone. However, while true, certain groups are at greater risk, for a myriad of reasons from aging to the type of work we do. The first reason, the most common reason, is that we get older; and as we age, certain parts of the body, in this case primarily the neck and back, just don’t handle the aging process well. The older we get, the greater the likelihood is we will develop symptoms associated with what is commonly referred to as a “bad back.” As a rule, middle-age (30-40 years of age) is when the symptoms associated with the back pain complex first present themselves; and, men are more likely than women to present with symptoms. The difference between men and women tends to balance out somewhat after menopause, and this is generally associated with the consequences of osteoporosis.

Sedentary Lifestyle and Inadequate Fitness

The next cause of neck pain, back pain, and/or sciatica we will examine is poor or inadequate fitness. Significantly, poor fitness ranges from carrying a few too many pounds around the midsection, to consequences associated with a sedentary lifestyle. The secondary curvatures of the spine, the curvatures associated with the neck or cervical region, and the lower back or lumbar region, are most affected because of their function and the biomechanics involved with walking on two legs. The neck and the lower back are particularly prone to injury, and with it varying degrees of pain. As we age, as our muscles weaken due to inactivity. The muscles atrophy, meaning they get weaker and lose tone and strength. As the muscles weaken, the secondary curvatures of the cervical and lumbar regions come under tremendous pressure as they are responsible for holding our heads upright and standing upright, walking without being bent over. The atrophied musculature, no longer doing an adequate job of supporting these two vital areas, have some of their work taken over by the intervertebral discs (IVDs) and the vertebrae themselves. When this transfer takes place, the spine comes under constant assault, and injury is the result. Degenerative disc disease, herniated discs, bulging discs, osteophytosis, and back sprains and strains are just a few of the many things that can go wrong as a result of poor fitness.

Overweight and Obesity

The third and final reason to be covered in this article is obesity. Obesity in the United States, and in much of the developed world, has reached epidemic proportions. If we carry just an extra 20 pounds, we are seriously affecting our overall health, as well as the health of the musculoskeletal system. The spine, already at risk due to inactivity and a sedentary lifestyle, comes under incredible stress, particularly at the secondary curvatures of the neck and lower back. Much of the neck pain, back pain (particularly lower back pain), and sciatica are the direct result of too much weight being carried by the body, too much stress placed on the spine.
Think about the following example: Take a 20 pound dumbbell or a 20 pound bowling ball and put it in a book bag, one of those the kids use for school. Now, wear it in front instead of on the back, and wear it all day. Get the idea? Carry that around all day, with the weight forward, and see if you can still move by the end of the day. Interestingly, most overweight individuals are more than 20 pounds overweight and experiencing neck pain, back pain, and sciatica they don’t have to, just because they are overweight!

The Back Pain Complex: In Concert

Taken in concert, aging, poor fitness, a sedentary lifestyle, and obesity lead to what I refer to as the back pain complex. The back pain complex, meaning any combination of neck pain, back pain (again, particularly lower back pain), and sciatica is avoidable or treatable, depending on your current state of fitness. Failed back surgery is a reality, a rather harsh one for many. Many never had to undergo surgery the first time, had they simply followed a few simple to implement bad back strategies.

I hope you will continue to read: Part II of Back Pain Relief: The Primary Causes of Neck Pain, Back Pain, and Sciatica.

Tired of neck pain, back pain, and/or sciatica? Join me as we take back our lives…back pain free! Get pain relief by taking the first step with me!

Act now! This is the answer and you are entitled to a free trial, you have nothing to lose but the pain!

Just click here and get started today!

Best wishes for your health and a pain free life!

Professor John P. J. Zajaros, Sr.
216-712-6526
Skype: johnzajaros1
johnz@ultimatebadbackstrategies.com

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This program will change your life! You can either continue to deal with your pain in a haphazard manner or you can step up and change your life! It is up to you. If you would like to reclaim your life and live pain free? Do this now!

Click this link, watch the video in its entirety, and act! Change your life forever! Live your life pain free and join me in a celebration of what is possible in life once again!

Best wishes for a wonderful life! Before you go, sign up for The Bad Back Guy’s Ultimate Bad Back Strategies Newsletter, it will add to and supplement the wonderful journey of a pain free life you are about to embark upon! Imagine, if you will, waking up in the morning without pain…for the rest of your life! How amazing would that be? How much would that be worth to you?

What do you have to lose…but the pain?!

Professor John P. J. Zajaros, Sr.
216-712-6526
Skype: johnzajaros1
johnz@ultimatebadbackstrategies.com

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Back Pain, Sciatica, & Surgery, What You Need To Know Before You Undergo Surgery: From The Bad Back Guy’s Personal Experience

In 1970, I was a normal kid, involved in everything and afraid of nothing. I had never experienced back pain in my life and couldn’t even spell sciatica! Bad back? A bad back was something old people had and complained about, not me. In other words, I was the typical fifteen or sixteen year old kid. It was at a wrestling match, before-hand actually, when my world changed forever. Prior to a wrestling match, as was always the case, our coach would crack our backs. Getting your back cracked was kind of a ritual and involved getting back to back with the coach, hooking arms, and then being hoisted upwards while hyperextending the spine. Yes, I can hear the groans from here, but it worked…and it was ritual. You see, wrestlers, like most athletes, are really big on habit, ritual, and tradition. I once knew a wrestler who wore the same socks, never washed, for an entire season. Of course, we stayed away from him after a while, particularly towards the end of the season. So, we had our backs cracked.

Ritual! Tradition! Habit! Superstition!

Well, the season progressed, I’d felt a twinge that night but nothing to get upset about, just a twinge, certainly no back pain or sciatica. Up until then, I had only lost once, in the ninth grade, to a human wrecking machine by the name of Scott Clifford. Scott had been wrestling since birth, or so it seemed, particularly on that day! But since then, never…not once. A funny thing happened on my way to sixteen, I started to lose, and lose big. After a while, I was hearing phrases like “flash in the pan” and ” glory boy,” and “it went to his head.” Kids and high school coaches, as we all know, can be very cruel, especially when the “king” is dethroned. And I was summarily dethroned and dismissed by the end of the season.

Anyway, I went on to track, I was never so happy to start running again in my life, all fifteen and a half years of it. Well, I had a horrible time! I went from holding school records to not being able to get around the track. Kids who had never come close to beating me were blowing by me. It was a terrible season. Halfway through, disgusted and completely disillusioned, I went to see the family doctor. I described my symptons, minimizing and denying of course. I told him about losing in wrestling and then in track, I complained of about the pulled muscle in the back of my leg. I had no idea what sciatica was…but he knew. By that time, I did know what back pain was and, in a moment, I was going to be educated about my pulled muscle.

A Pulled Muscle: Back Pain and Sciatica

The Doc asked me if I had injured myself, felt anything pull in my back? The rest is history! A light went on, I told the doctor about the back cracking incident, told him about the pain, I came clean and admitted it all. What a relief! I had completely removed the back cracking from my consciousness, never giving it another thought, until that moment, but in an instant it was all clear. It was also clear to Dr. Rush and he immediately sent me to an orthopedic surgeon, the next day. I learned all about back pain, sciatica, and leaned new words like spondylolysis, spondylolisthesis, and spinal fusion. On June 12, 1971, I learned all about real back pain. I woke up in the recovery room at Fairview Hospital, Cleveland, Ohio…it wouldn’t be the last time.

Fast forward and it’s twenty-nine years later, the year 2000…Y2K! I am in a whole new world of back and sciatic nerve pain, sciatica, by now. In fact, I am on so much pain medication, have had so many back surgeries, many doctors wouldn’t even see me. The ones who would see me said things like arachnoiditis, chronic pain syndrome, failed back, and a whole array of terms meaning everything and nothing. By 2000, I had undergone 10 major surgeries on my spine, I was to suffer through 4
more. That’s right, fourteen major “procedures” on my lower thoracic, lumar, and sacral regions by the age of fifty.

Little did I know it at the time, and every doctor I saw missed it, I had advanced, chronic osteomyelytis. Osteomyelitis may present with no symptoms at all or may have signs and symptoms so hard to separate from other conditions that doctors miss the diagnosis entirely. Osteomyelitis of the back (vertebrae/spine) or hips
(pelvis) may have few overt signs and symptoms, no back pain, and no sciatica. Osteomyelitis that occurs after surgery or a fracture or deep wound may present with
swelling and pain but you may attribute that to the traumatic event, not an infection. And it was the infection, in 2000, probably there since 1994, that almost took
my life. Had it not been for an amazing doctor at a noted Cleveland hospital, the other one, the one attached to the noted eastside university, the really famous hospital missed it too, I wouldn’t be writing this today.

So, five surgeries and nine years later, yes, that’s a total of fifteen, I am finally getting my life back. As far along as a year ago, it was still touch and go, major complications as a result of the osteomyelitis, combined with other health issues, almost did the job that we avoided back in 2000. Yes, that’s right! The math doesn’t work. That’s because I also crushed my shoulder in 2007, a consequence of weak bones due to the infection and other problems. Now, the only metal left in me is in my shoulder and that makes fifteen!

Now, should you have surgery number one? No one can answer that for you, that’s something you must face, and answer for, yourself. Back pain and sciatica can be
terrible and there comes a time where anything will do, any solution seems OK…as long as they get rid of the pain. However, before I opened Pandora’s Box again, for the first time, I would do everything humanly possible, exhaust every option, before having back surgery. Don’t open Pandora’s Box if you can avoid it! You will never be the same and, of the half a million or so who undergo surgery every year, only 30-35% have a total and complete recovery, 20% never recover and are worse off. Not the kind of odds I’d go to Vegas with, if you know what I mean. Back pain and sciatica can be terrible, I’ve been there, this isn’t just a topic I drew out of a hat. My doctoral research was on the spine and sacroiliac (hip joint, the ilium meets the sacrum or hips to tail bone), so I know the situation, inside out you might say.

Back pain and sciatica? Yes, they are a reality after so many surgeries, they really can’t be avoided. Are they as bad as they were? No, absolutely not. A program of
exercise, to regain muscle tone and lose weight; ice, with the use of an ice-compression brace, to reduce inflammation; sleeping with five pillows (yes, five!) or, when I need to, in a recliner fully reclined and a pillow under the knees, try it, it really works wonders on the nights when nothing else works; and finally, and a good pair of New Balance running shoes. Yes, New Balance and, if you must wear a harder shoe or boot, orthotics for cushioning. No, another kind of running shoe isn’t as good, I’ve tried them all over the years and New Balance, for the heel cushioning, are the absolute best. And no, you can’t get the relief or the cushioning from the insoles of Doctor S, it’s not the same! Am I “spamming” you? No! Go anywhere you want buy anything you wish. But if you want relief, these are the ultimate in bad back strategies, strategies developed over three decades, give or take, for dealing effectively, and not so effectively, with back pain and sciatica.

The following programs are excellent for neck pain, back pain, and sciatic nerve pain or sciatica:

http://www.HowToStopSciatica.com

http://www.HowToStopSciatica.info

Or! Dr. Graeme Teague’s X-Pain Method! New and Exciting, 4 Simple Steps!

John Zajaros, The Bad Back Guy
216-712-6526
Skype: johnzajaros1
johnz@ultimatebadbackstrategies.com

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