Look Ma, No Back Pain…and an Apology!

First and foremost, I would like to apologize for my absence over the last couple of weeks or so! I have been out and about, rebuilding and living my life for the first time in decades!

The title pretty much says it all, I have had an amazing holiday season and a wonderful neck pain, back pain, and sciatica free New Year…the first in decades!

Ultimate Bad Back Strategies and The Bad Back Guy were created over a year ago in order to tell my story, to share my knowledge, and to inspire others to take the first step towards a neck pain, back pain, and sciatica free life, as I have. It was my hope that in helping all of you, I would also put myself on the spot…and it worked!

The journey I started over a year ago, a journey towards a life free of neck pain, back pain, and/or sciatica has been incredible!

The benefits I have received have been nothing short of miraculous!

My life from 1997 through most of 2008 was consumed by chronic and acute neck pain, back pain, and sciatica. My life long battle with neck, back, and sciatic nerve pain started in 1971!

In fact, by the year 1999 I spent all day, every day in a recliner we bought because it met my needs as someone who would live the rest of his life in it, 24/7. It was even electric because my legs were too weak to push down the leg/foot rest. I was about as close to an invalid as you can get, my wife afraid to leave me to go to work because I often passed out on the way to the bathroom, a combination of pain and blood pressure issues. I was also a type II insulin dependent diabetic, taking insulin 4 times a day and checking my blood sugar at least 5 times a day.

I had two diseases attacking my body simultaneously and both, separately and in concert, were quite possibly going to end my life!

In other words, I was a wreck!

I had thrown in the towel and felt doomed to a result heading towards me like a Mack Truck!

On top of it all, I was on massive amounts of prescription pain medication, enough to kill a large horse I was told repeatedly, medication that had eliminated my ability to concentrate, to read (one of my true loves), to learn, and to enjoy even the simplest pleasures of life (and we all know what that means!).

I was a Zombie!

Then “It” happened! I really can’t tell you what “It” is or was, other than to tell you one day everything changed!

I guess I got sick and tired of being sick and tired.

It was about that time I talked to a friend of mine who had discovered a product online that had put him on the road to a back pain free life. Granted, his problems weren’t as complex as mine, and he wasn’t fighting the diseases I was, but I thought to myself:

“If he can do it, maybe I can too!”

So, I borrowed it and quietly started applying the principles, along with the things I already knew about physical training and age-progressive phenomena that affect the spine and sacroiliac joint.

At first I didn’t even tell my wife what I was doing in case it didn’t work, I just didn’t want to disappoint her again!

Well, to make a long story short, I started seeing results and I started to experience something I hadn’t experienced in a long time…hope!

The hope and the results provided the impetus to keep going and to slowly but surely reclaim my life!

It has been a little over a year now and in that time I have gone from 265 pounds, and quite literally waiting to die, to 205 pounds and walking between 5 and 8 miles a day.

I have also started several online businesses, for a variety of reasons but mainly because as I started getting better I couldn’t find a job. With the huge gap in my “overqualified” resume, no one wanted to touch me!

Here I was a college professor, the winner of one of the most prestigious doctoral fellowships in the country, and I couldn’t get a job…I mean nothing, nohow, nowhere! Not even delivering pizza! It was the most humiliating part about getting better…I couldn’t find work!

So, I applied my education, started a tutoring business, online at first, at least until I could get my strength back, and then in the home…it was a way back, a way to apply my education and work with kids (another of my loves), and it worked!

When I look back to August and September of 2009, and those first tentative steps, I can’t believe I am the same person; it just doesn’t seem possible.

And yet here I am, quite literally a new man!

It is kind of ironic because now, as I tell my story and create videos and articles to inspire others, I am often attacked as a spammer and even as a scam artist!

Incredible!

If they only knew, if they could have seen me just a short while ago, I wonder if they would still be so quick to cast aspersions!

Well, I know one thing…there is nothing anyone can say or do that can be any worse than what I have already had to live through…and have overcome.

That being said, and I have said this before, if I can inspire just one person to triumph over their pain as I have, and reclaim their life, then I will have paid the kindness of so many wonderful people who helped me, and my family, get through the most trying time of our lives!

I will introduce more of my story over the coming months but for now I can tell you this, had it not been for my friend and that program, a program I recommend to this day, I would either be gone or still seated in that recliner…no future in sight but the ultimate future we all must face.

The difference?

I was ready, willing, and yearning for it…but no more! I simply took a chance on life. After all, what did I have to lose? Just the pain!

I have my life back and you can too! Because, if I came back from where I was at, anyone can!

Neck pain, back pain, and sciatica are in the past and I will help anyone who asks how to reclaim their life and live pain free! Once again, if I can, you can!

More to follow!

John

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

PS, If you want to take the first step and reclaim your life you can go about it one of two ways: 1) You can go to the http://TheBadBackGuy.net and begin there, it is only a beginning; and/or 2) You can contact me and I will work with you personally. In either case, I will be happy to talk to you, to recommend strategies, and to provide encouragement.

PPS, I am not a medical doctor, I am a physical anthropologist with a specialization in age-progressive phenomena affecting the spine and sacroiliac….what goes on with the neck, back, and hips as we age. I am a bone guy! The show Bones is a glamorized depiction of what I did. But, I guess it’s about as close as you can get outside of TLC or Discovery. So, my advice is anecdotal and is not to be construed as medical advice. There, now the government is happy!

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In previous articles, videos, and blog posts dealing with the ultimate neck pain, back pain, and sciatica relief strategies, we have discusssed the five factors and their contribution to and exacerbation of neck pain, back pain, and sciatic nerve pain, also reffered to as sciatica. In more recent articles and videos we have introduced the concept of the five effects, discussing how they relate to and impact the five factors, each other, and neck pain, back pain, and sciatica.

In this article and video we will discuss, at length, the first of the five effects, the psychological effect, and its relationship to chronic pain.

The five factors are once again:

1) Excess weight and/or obesity

2) Muscle weakness

3) Muscle imbalance

4) Inadequate diet and nutrition

5) Dehydration or inadequate hydration

The five factors, examined individually or collectively affect and impact neck pain, back pain, and sciatica. In fact, unless you focus on and deal effectively with the five factors, it may be argued that regardless of the treatment modality, the prognosis cannot, and will not, be good.

It can be argued that the five effects work together, against us in much the same way the five factors do. Significantly, this ensures a poor outcome and little neck
pain, back pain, and sciatica relief, particularly if we do not deal with them effectively, both individually and collectively.

The five effects are:

1) Psychological effects

2) Financial effects

3) Physical effects

4) Functional effects

5) Systemic effects

It may be argued that a sixth effect should be added, the spiritual effect. However, spirituality, while an integral part of my life, and perhaps yours,is beyond the scope of this article and this series. That being said, the personal decision to integrate spirituality into one’s treatment plan cannot and should not be minimized. The benefits of such a focus have been demonstrated time and again, particularly in my own life!

We covered the five factors extensively in previous articles, as noted above; and, we have touched upon the five effects. In this article we will delve deeper into the psychological effect and how it is related to not only the other effects but to each of the 5 factors, as well.

The psychological effect is affected by each of the five factors, as well as by the remaining four effects.

Factor one, excess weight and/or obesity, affects the overall health of the individual and neck pain, back pain, and sciatica, particularly chronic and chronically acute pain, is the result. Significantly, chronic neck, back, and sciatic nerve pain related to excess weight and/or obesity often leads to a number of psychological effects; and these include:

1) Depression

2) Mood swings

3) Anxiety

4) Compulsive behavior

5) Irratic behavior

This list is by no means complete but it is remarkable.

Neck pain, back pain, and sciatica affects the psychological health and well being of an individual and, in many instances, leads to depression. Depression, and the other psychological effects, often lead to erratic eating and improper and irratic dietary habits lead to weight gain…the weight gain then contributes to more neck pain, back pain, and sciatica! So, not only does chronic pain lead to the effect, the effect exacerbates the pain. The feedback loop is significant and undeniable.

Accordingly, as our mood darkens, and as our weight increases, we tend to sink deeper into ourselves, thus becoming more inactive. The depressed mood, particularly when in concert with inactivity and improper and irractic dietary habits, contributes to muscle weakness. As our muscles weaken, as a result of the decreased activity due to the psychological consequences, the psychological effect, our neck pain, back pain, and/or sciatica worsens. Once again, the system feeds upon itself, compounding the various factors and effects and thus leading to an exponential increase in the level of neck pain, back pain, and sciatic nerve pain (sciatica).

The third factor affecting neck pain, back pain, and sciatica is muscle imbalance. Muscle imbalance plays into this “bad back” or back pain complex in a number of ways. If certain muscle groups are out of balance, not only will there be immediate consequences in terms of neck pain, back pain, and sciatica, but the pain will then contribute to and exacerbate muscle weakness, and excess weight and/or obesity; and thus leading to a heightened depressive effect and an overall negative psychological effect and impact.

Inadequate diet and nutrition plays a significant role in neck pain, back pain, and sciatica. Interestingly, inadequate diet and nutrition is not only a crucial factor contributing to and exacerbating neck pain, back pain, and sciatica, it leads to a number of other health issues…in addition to the psychological effect or effects. With psychic pain comes physical pain and when we experience both our diet and overall nutrition suffers immeasurably. Once again, if we are suffering from the psychological effects of neck pain, back pain, and sciatica, we don’t watch what we eat and, when we do eat, we eat the wrong things; thus, leading to excess weight and/or obesity and heightened pain.

The ripple effect throughout the body is significant and difficult to reverse without a concerted effort on the part of a dedicated individual. The program must be focused and specific for the relief of the neck pain, back pain, and sciatica. Additionally, the pain relief program must deal with each of the five factors and each
of the five effects to be successful.

Finally, dehydration or inadequate hydration plays a contributory role in that water is an integral ingredient not only for overall health but for spine health, as well. Water makes up 80-85% of the intevertebral disc. When an individual is suffering from inadeqaute hydration, or full-blow dehydration, the the individual IVDs break down and neck pain, back pain, sciatic nerve pain result. Significantly, degenerative disc disease is often a direct consequence of dehydration.

The effects and impact of neck, back, and sciatic nerve pain are of course myriad. However, the psychological effects are significant and the feed back loop often results in a breakdown of the entire system. Consequently, this results in increasingly intense and chronic neck pain, back pain, and sciatic nerve pain (sciatica),
along with the other effects listed above.

In conclusion, we have only touched the surface of this incredibly complex topic. As the video companion to this article will cover in greater detail, the overall impact and the ripple effect throughout the body, resulting in ever increasing levels of neck pain, back pain, and sciatic nerve pain (sciatica), is profound. We will discuss the other four effects as we continue to progress towards the New Year, a New Year full of possibilities. A neck pain, back pain, and sciatic nerve pain free New Year!

If you have any questions contact me at any time.

John

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

PS, If you are ready for the most complete program on the Internet today, go to http://TheBadBackGuy.net for more information on a pain free life!

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The Ultimate Neck Pain, Back Pain, and Sciatica Relief and Treatment Strategies for a New You in the New Year!

Over the course of the Summer and Fall we have explored many of the ultimate in neck pain, back pain, and sciatica relief and treatment strategies, in terms of self-administered treatment and focusing on:

1) The personal assessment, to include the visual assessment, measures with the tape and a scale, and chronicling the observations made in a journal and on a spreadsheet. By doing a proper personal assessment and then keeping track of the course of treatment, both in terms of results and setbacks, you will be able to pinpoint the areas needing attention and those areas responding to your neck pain, back pain, and sciatica relief and treatment strategy.

2) The proper equipment to implement your program. This not only includes the proper gear but the best exercise facility and a trainer suited for someone with neck pain, back pain, and/or sciatica. Also get proper shoes, socks, ice-compression braces for the cervical and/or lumbar regions, and related materials and equipment for your walks, workouts, and for your day-to-day life. DO NOT SKIMP! You will pay the price if you do. Just think about how much you have spent on medical bills, co-pays, prescriptions, and lost wages! Also carry with you an emergency kit for your walks and workouts, so if something should come up, you are prepared.

3) This also includes the best medical practitioner, one sensitive to your needs as a patient and as a person attempting to reclaim their life. I feel this is crucial! Do not accept someone with a fatalistic approach! You are not doomed to have neck pain, back pain, and/or sciatica for the remainder of your life. If you have a medical practitioner who tries to get you to go along with that mindset…fire him or her at once! Keep in mind another thing, the best available at the present time, does not mean it will be the best available 6 months, a year or 5 years later. So never give up…and never give in!

4) The proper program! This is crucial. I’m afraid there are gaps in almost every program out there. Not only does each and every program have gaps, they all have their particular biases. Remember, what works for one may not work for the next, so if something doesn’t match up well and workout to your satisfaction, after a proper trial, of course, then move on. But never give up or give in! There is a program for you…or another coming down the pike in the next few months! (Guaranteed!)

5) Get active! Make sure you begin with stretching and walking, then build up to exercises designed to make the most of your time and situation…while still dealing with you neck pain, back pain, and sciatica. Make sure you don’t over do it at first but make sure you maintain an active lifestyle, and do more each and every day.

6) Remember CANI! Tony Robbins’s “constant and never-ending improvement!” Only through consistent and constant action, building one day upon the day before, can we ever hope to achieve our goal…in this case neck pain, back pain, and sciatica relief long term.

For the remainder of the steps we have taken, just look back over the past 5 months, here and at The Bad Back Guy’s Neck Pain, Back Pain, and Sciatica Relief Blog!

The video below includes a description of the next 40 days, in very broad strokes. I hope you will stay with me for the next 40 days, as we enter the New Year…a neck pain, back pain, and sciatica free New Year!

Take a look back to June 30, 2009, by then I was well on the way to a new life, a neck pain, back pain, and sciatica free life. However, you will see a different person than the one looking back at you from the video below. I did that in less than 5 months! I can help you do the same…if you will allow me into your life just long enough to help you change it, to get it back, to find real and lasting neck pain, back pain, and sciatica relief!

I look forward to serving you, if you will let me! Neck pain, back pain, and sciatica do not have to be a reality…and neither do any of the 5 factors:

1) Excess weight and/or obesity.

2) Muscle weakness.

3) Muscle imbalance.

4) Inadequate diet and nutrition.

5) Dehydration.

After 14 spine operations, a complete shoulder reconstruction, and a number of other injuries and medical issues, including 2 crushed vertebrae in my neck, I am no stranger to pain, to surgery, or to rehab. My military background, my background training top-level amateur and professional athletes, and my education as a physical anthropologist, winning one of the most prestigious doctoral fellowships in the country at the time, and focusing on age-progressive phenomena affecting the spine and sacroiliac joint, put me in a unique position to not only help myself…but to offer my assistance to those who need it, if you want it!

Once again…neck pain, back pain, and sciatica do not have to be a death sentence…or a lost-life sentence! There is a way out and I can help!

Contact me anytime!

John

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

PS, For the best program online at the moment, and a great first step to neck pain, back pain, and sciatica relief…click here!

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Stretching is a crucial part of any neck pain, back pain, and sciatica relief and treatment exercise program.

Begin your routine slowly and you will be amazed at the results!

I have made the video below with two stretches I do often, several times a day as a matter of fact. They help relieve tension and they help to alleviate stiff and tired neck and back muscles.

For those just beginning a neck pain, back pain, and sciatica relief and treatment exercise program, these stretches will be immensely helpful!

Contact me anytime!

John

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

PS, For a wonderful program that will get you started in the right way and lead to real and lasting neck pain, back pain, and sciatica relief…just click here!

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I subscribe to Google Alerts, and a few other services, for terms like neck pain, back pain, sciatica, sciatic nerve pain, arthritis, and a few others. For those of you who are unfamiliar with Google Alerts, it is a service that allows me to keep track of certain subjects I am interested in. I subscribe to certain words and phrases in order to keep track of what is going on in my area of specialization and so I can advise you when something really useful comes across my monitor.

The “information” below is absolute garbage (spelled cr#p)! It routinely circulates around the Internet and the sole purpose is to sell stuff, lost of stuff, and they don’t care how they do it…or at whose expense!
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“Sciatica is single of the top results of pinched nerve agony and without favoritism nothing special. The sciatic nerve leaving the spine through a herniated disc gets pinched resulting in pain that travels down the back of your leg towards the feet. The anguish can come to pass felt anywhere from the back to buttocks to hips and can come to pass soft to unbearable. This sorrow and results in the field of a scratchy feeling before shocking sorrow the whole time the strut and every now and then numbness in the field of the leg. Even though the pinching happens in the sphere of lone place the ensuing agony can be located anywhere and different from lone person to one more.”

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The fact that someone would post something like this is even more reprehensible when you think about when and why people come to the Internet with this sort of a search. People searching for these terms, neck pain, back pain, and sciatica, are usually in acute and/or chronic pain and are desperate to find help. Unfortunately, if an individual runs across one or two sites like this, they may abandon their search and never find the help they need.

When searching for information on the Internet, make sure the person or company offering information is available and they are reputable. The contact information for the person or company should be readily available, easy to access. The site should be informative and the articles well-written.

There are millions of blogs and websites on the Internet, so take care and make sure you follow someone who not only has your interests at heart but is available to confer and consult with…either as a client or as a fellow traveler dealing with a specific issue.

If a person can’t string two sentences together (everyone makes a typo now and then) and doesn’t take the time to proofread their articles and blog posts, how much attention do you think they gave to the subject matter? And how much attention do you think you will receive if you should want to contact them? You are dealing with one of your greatest assets, your health, make sure you are entrusting it to someone who not only empathizes with you but is compassionate and caring enough to provide useful and accurate information.

Ultimately, neck pain, back pain, and sciatic nerve pain are among the most debilitating and disabling forms of acute and chronic pain, make sure you are referencing someone who has your best interests at heart…or go elsewhere.

Yours in health!

John

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

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Contrary to popular belief, while one of the primary causes of neck pain, back pain, and sciatica, primarily as we age, degenerative disc disease is not a disease, it is a condition. Degenerative disc disease is an age-progressive phenomenon. It’s actually several phenomena, meaning there are several age-related factors working against us, and our spines, all at once as we age!

Degenerative Disc Disease is Age-Progressive, Behavioral, and Preventable!

Degenerative Disc Disease: Excess Weight and/or Obesity

In fact, degenerative disc disease is a natural, albeit somewhat preventable, age-progressive phenomenon that occurs as we age and our muscles, connective tissue, intervertebral discs (IVDs), and vertebrae weaken. As we age, we tend to put on and carry excess weight, some people becoming obese. The added weight places additional stress on the curvatures of the spine, particularly in the cervical (neck pain) and lumbar (lower back pain) regions. However, the thoracic and sacral regions will also experience stress, creating the related upper and middle back pain, as well as lower back pain and even sacroiliac joint dysfunction (a somewhat related condition). Overall, excess weight is the biggest single contributor to back pain of any kind, and particularly lower back pain and sciatica. As we gain weight, and as the various curvatures experience greater stress, the muscles, connective tissue (especially the ligaments), the intervertebral discs, and the vertebrae have to do more work and the once healthy back will begin to become stressed, its balance no longer sustainable, and as a result we experience neck pain, back pain, and/or sciatica…depending on the level most affected.

Degenerative Disc Disease: Muscle Weakness

As we gain weight, and as the curvatures of the spine are adversely affected as a result of additional weight, the muscles weaken, particularly the core muscles of the spine and abdomen. The abdominal and back muscles weaken as a result of the additional strain placed upon them and because of the sedentary lifestyle usually associated with weight gain…and aging. The weakened musculature, associated with inactivity, lack of exercise, and weight gain, will create a shift in the stress handling mechanisms of the spine, thus transferring much of the work usually done by the muscles of the spine and abdomen to the ligaments, intervertebral discs (IVDs), and the vertebrae. Consequently, as a result of the added weight and/or obesity, combined with the loss of muscle tone and strength, the stress transfers and the spine is more vulnerable to insult and injury, as well as “normal” age-progressive phenomena, such as degenerative disc disease.

Degenerative Disc Disease: The Spinal System and Neck Pain, Back Pain, and Sciatica

As you can no doubt see by now, the entire system in interconnected, one component dependent upon the next and the overall health of the spine affected by a breakdown at any one level (curvature) or by one component (muscles, connective tissue, IVDs or vertebrae). A breakdown at any point makes the entire system more vulnerable to injury or degeneration…with the resulting neck pain, back pain, and/or sciatica.

Degenerative Disc Disease and Connective Tissue: The Ligaments

The next spinal component at risk is the connective tissue, the tendons and ligaments, and particularly the ligaments of the spine. The two major ligaments, and there are far too many to cover all of them in this article (e.g., the anterior costotransverse ligaments and the interarticular ligaments, to name just two more of many), are the anterior and posterior longitudinal ligaments. The anterior and posterior longitudinal ligaments are very important and are central to the overall health of the spine for a number of reasons. The ligaments provide stabilization and strength along the entire length of the spine. As their name implies, they run longitudinally from the cervical region down the entire length of the spine to the sacrum and connect one vertebral body to the next via the intevertebral discs. The makeup of the anterior and posterior ligaments are somewhat different; and, they have a complex structure and a variety of functions. However, they are crucial to the overall health of the back and, when they are stressed, either as a result of a single event or as the result of excess weight, muscle weakness or muscle imbalance, the entire system is at risk. A loss of strength and/or stabilization may have an immediate and far reaching impact on the spine, resulting in neck pain, back pain, and/or sciatica.

Degenerative Disc Disease and Intervertebral Discs: IVDs and Neck Pain, Back Pain, and Sciatica

The intervertebral discs, IVDs, or simply discs are the next major component in the spinal system affecting and affected by a breakdown in the system, either as a consequence of aging generally or excess weight, muscle weakness, muscle imbalance, connective tissue issues and stress (including various stress-related injuries, trauma, ossification and calcification), specifically. The intervertebral discs are made up of approximately 80 to 85 percent water. The IVDs are also the spine’s shock absorbers, also responsible, along with the anterior and posterior longitudinal ligaments mentioned above, for stabilization and strength. The IVDs are made up of two parts, the annulous fibrosus and the nucleus pulposus, a cartilaginous outer ring system and a center gel-like substance. The IVDs have been referred to as a kind of jelly donut, with the gel in the middle being held in place by the outer cartilage and responsible for much of the impact absorption. They are also responsible for the height of the spine, maintaining a set distance between vertebrae, which allows the spinal nerves to leave the spinal canal without injury or stress. It is the intervertebral disc, its height, resilience, and strength, all related to disc health, that directly impacts and affects the presence and level of neck pain, back pain, and/or sciatica.

Degenerative Disc Disease: A Constellation of Behavioral Factors

Significantly, as the system begins to break down, as described above, or as the result of a single stress-related injury, the disc may undergo significant change. The changes in the disc over time, as a result of aging combined with excess weight, muscle weakness, muscle imbalance, loss of connective tissue strength and stability, and two additional factors, inadequate diet and nutrition, and inadequate hydration or dehydration may cause the intervertebral discs to break down, resulting in neck pain, back pain, and/or sciatica. The combination of aging and the constellation of other contributory factors leads to what is commonly called a disease, in this case degenerative disc disease. Interestingly, degenerative disc disease is not a disease but a combination of consequences, all but one traced back to behavior.

The age-progressive nature of degenerative disc disease is related to the following:

1. As we age, we generally gain weight, some of us becoming obese.
2. As we age, and we generally gain weight, some of us becoming obese, and our muscles weaken due to inactivity and/or a sedentary lifestyle.
3. As we age, and we generally gain weight…and our muscles weaken due to inactivity…the connective tissue breaks down as our muscles can no longer do the job alone and thus the stress is transferred to the connective tissue.
4. As we age, and we generally gain weight…and our muscles weaken due to inactivity…the connective tissue breaks down as our muscles can no longer do the job alone…stress is transferred to the connective tissue…the stress is then transferred to the intervertebral discs which break down due to the stress from the above mentioned factors and due to muscle imbalance, inadequate diet and nutrition, and inadequate hydration and/or dehydration.

Interestingly, I am certain I could probably stretch the above 4 points out to between 10 and 12, perhaps even more, before even starting to stretch things. But I hope you get the overall message here, that degenerative disc disease, while associated with aging, is actually linked to a constellation of behaviors; and, it is the behaviors over time that lead to the degeneration of the IVDs and not a disease process. The degeneration of the discs over time results in the entire system being more susceptible to insult and injury…and not a disease process but a behavioral constellation of factors.

Does degenerative disc disease lead to neck pain, back pain, and/or sciatica?

Certainly!

Degenerative Disc Disease and Neck Pain, Back Pain, and Sciatica: The Prognosis?

Neck Pain, Back Pain, and Sciatica Treatment and Relief!

However, the impact of the process we call a disease can be overcome to a great extent, depending of course on how much damage has been done prior to starting the right sort of treatment strategy; and, it can certainly be slowed down, if not halted entirely, through behavior modification combined with an intelligent, overall program of diet, exercise, and treatment. If applied properly, a neck pain, back pain, and/or sciatica relief and treatment strategy can offset, alleviate, and in many cases even eliminate many of the consequences of degenerative disc disease.

In the second part of this article we will explore the other factors responsible for degenerative disc disease and some of the neck pain, back pain, and sciatica relief and treatment strategies many have used to find real and lasting pain relief.

Do you want to start right away? Are you ready to be rid of your neck pain, back pain or sciatica? Do you want to find real and lasting neck pain, back pain, and sciatica relief? Just click this link and start today!

Or go to my other neck pain, back pain, and sciatica blog and follow us, join us, as we create a new future in time for the New year…one without pain, one with real and lasting pain relief!

Have questions, comments, feedback? Leave it here or contact me directly!

John

Professor John P. J. Zajaros, Sr., The Bad Back Guy
216-712-6526 (Home/Business)
866-835-2913 (Toll Free)
Skype: johnzajaros1
johnz@ultimatebadbackstrategies.com

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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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The 5 factors, taken as a whole or in part, lead to and/or exacerbate neck pain, back pain, and/or sciatica in millions of people in the USA alone every day. Neglect in properly addressing each of the 5 factors leads as many as 6 million to seek the assistance of a medical practitioner each and every day.

The factors contributing to the back pain complex are:

1) Excess weight and or obesity
2) Muscle weakness
3) Muscle Imbalance
4) Diet and Nutrition
5) Dehydration

Taken individually, the 5 factors comtributing to what I have referred to as the back pain complex can lead to an increased incidence of, and higher levels of neck pain, back pain, and/or sciatica. However, when taken as a whole, the results are often debilitating and disabling.

As we age, the 5 factors that contribute to neck pain, back pain, and/or sciatica become even more of an issue.

With each successive decade we:

1) Put on excess weight, perhaps becoming obese
2) Our muscles become weaker and
3) Muscle imbalances occur
4) We don’t eat right, so nutrition and the body’s ability to repair itself becomes a problem
5) We drink far too many caffeine and sodium rich beverages and they act to dehydrate, rather than hydrate the body; and, consequently, the intervertebral discs.

The spine is a complex system and, just as our behaviors affect the various regions and structures of the spine, the spine reacts in very specific ways to the stress and trauma we place on it on a daily basis. If the spine is not a healthy system, meaning if the 5 factors aren’t in balance and properly addressed, the spine’s health suffers and the result is often neck pain, back pain, and/or sciatica; or, we set ourselves up for stress and trauma-related injury and the resulting neck pain, back pain, and/or sciatica.

Dealing with the 5 factors in a holistic manner, meaning that we work on all aspects in concert, we can reduce the chance of stress-related injury and the associated neck pain, back pain, and/or sciatica…what I call the back pain complex.

The best overall program desinged to take an individual from the beginning through complete and total neck pain, back pain, and/or sciatica relief can be found at:

http://TheBadBackGuy.net

John

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

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How to Overcome Neck Pain, Back Pain, and Sciatica: A 3am Walk and What Difference a Year Makes!

Imagine it is 3:15am and you have 45 minutes before your next pain meds for neck pain, back pain or sciatica! Now imagine you are able to go for a walk with your dog instead!

At the end of June I started a 30 day challenge to overcome my neck pain, back pain, and sciatica, to finally get real and lasting pain relief. Well, this morning, on my usual midnight walk with TuffGuy, I was struck by the fact that I was just minutes away from the time for my usual pain medication dosage…a dosage no longer necessary.

Real and lasting pain relief is possible, I no longer experience the sort of neck pain, back pain or sciatica that had once debilitated and disabled me, leading to depression and a loss of hope and complete despair.

Now? I walk my dog at 3am and love every minute of it. I don’t have the neck pain, back pain, and sciatica that used to make me so dependent on narcotics for relief that I literally counted the minutes between dosages.

No more!

You can have that sort of reality too!

http://TheBadBackGuy.net

John

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

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Neck Pain, Back Pain, and Sciatica are Effectively Relieved by Eliminating the 5 Factors Affecting The Back Pain Complex!

We have addressed the various curvatures of the spine here, on blogs, and on the various video sharing sites across the Internet. It should be apparent to you by now that the primary and secondary curvatures of the spine play a central role in what I refer to as the back pain complex: neck pain, back pain and/or sciatica. The curvatures are made up of the vertebrae, the intervertebral discs or IVDs, the connective tissue that helps to support the spine and the various other structures of the body, and the tendons and muscles that move the structures of the body…in this case our focus being the spine.

Several factors work against the various curvatures of the spine, contributing to neck pain, back pain and/or sciatica. The five factors that have the greatest impact on the spine are:

1. Excess weight or obesity

2. Muscle weakness

3. Muscle imbalance

4. Improper or inadequate diet and nutrition

5. Hydration or rather dehydration

Excessive Weight, Obesity, and The Back Pain Complex

Excess weight and/or obesity have a significant impact, particularly on the secondary curvatures, those of the cervical and lumbar regions… the neck and low back. The cervical and lumbar regions already come under tremendous stress on a day-to-day basis as they attempt to deal with the stress associated with holding our heads up and walking upright. As we add extra weight, these curvatures often undergo significant structural changes, exacerbating neck pain and lower back pain, respectively.
Muscle weakness contributes to neck pain, back pain and/or sciatica in a number of different ways. Not only do we experience pain as a result of muscle strain and muscle spasm, we also experience pain as a result of increased stress being transferred from the muscles that should handle and absorb the stress to the associated and adjoining structures not meant to handle that level or degree of stress and trauma. Muscle weakness, while seemingly a simple concept, is actually quite complicated and affects the entire musculoskeletal system in an adverse manner.

Muscle Imbalance and The Back Pain Complex

Muscle imbalance is a difficult concept for many to grasp because it is rarely discussed, and even more infrequently dealt with by the medical community. However, muscle imbalance is central to understanding and developing a strategy for the relief of neck pain, back pain, and sciatica. The entire body is made up of opposing muscle groups, ideally working together to move the body. Unfortunately, as is the case in most relationships, one side is usually dominant over the other…this is precisely the case with muscle imbalances. As stated in a previous video, muscle imbalances are like mini arguments, muscle dialectics. One muscle argues with another muscle creating an imbalance. In order to deal with the back pain complex resulting from these arguments, it is up to us to find a solution, in this case a synergy or a synthesis between the two muscle arguments…a balance! Unless muscle balance is achieved, the underlying cause of the neck pain, back pain and/or sciatica, muscle imbalance, the pain will continue. If the muscle imbalance is not addressed, the imbalance will become more pronounced, and there will be other consequences for the spine and associated connective tissue and musculature of the musculoskeletal system.

Improper Nutrition, Inadequate Diet, and The Back Pain Complex

Improper and/or inadequate diet and nutrition is, as in the case of muscle imbalance, an often overlooked and/or ignored area when it comes to dealing with neck pain, back pain and/or sciatica. Interestingly, this area of concern is central because without adequate nutrition the body cannot rebuild itself, it cannot heal properly. Consequently, while vitally important in addressing the back pain complex, it is often ignored by the medical community. When we think of adequate diet and nutrition we often think in terms of muscle building and/or rebuilding. The fact is, diet and nutrition go to the very heart of the back pain complex. We will address this issue in much greater depth in an upcoming article, but suffice it to say, without the proper nutrition neck pain, back pain and/or sciatica cannot be completely or effectively dealt with.

Dehydration and The Back Pain Complex

Finally, hydration, or rather dehydration, is a crucial component in any strategy developed to help relieve neck pain, back pain and/or sciatica. The intervertebral discs or IVDs are primarily made up of water. Lack of adequate water intake, dehydration, negatively impacts IVD health, ultimately leading to neck pain, back pain and/or sciatica…and degenerative disc disease. We take in diet pop, coffee, tea, alcohol, and other diuretics (energy drinks being a big culprit) and rarely drink adequate amounts of water to replenish the water our bodies, and particularly the IVDs use every day to function, build, and rebuild. The result? Neck pain, back pain, sciatica, degenerative disc disease, and much more!

How to Achieve Lasting Relief: The 5 Factors and Baby Steps!

So, how do we overcome the back pain complex? We deal with the 5 contributory factors, we get active one step at a time (remembering baby steps), we keep a journal of our efforts in order to track our results (good and bad), and we use the help of those around us who are willing and able to help! Use the program I recommend at:

http://TheBadBackGuy.net

and please take the time to comment, tell your story, provide feedback so others can learn from your experiences and, hopefully, learn something you used that will help them to overcome their neck pain, back pain and/or sciatica!

Wishing you a healthy back!

John

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

PS, Go to The Back Pain Institute for a special surprise on or after Wednesday morning, August 25, 2009! It won’t be available until then…but it will be worth it!

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