Ultimate Neck Pain, Back Pain & Sciatica Relief Strategies

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!

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!

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!

Sciatica affects millions of people worldwide ever year, yet little is understood about the etiology, the cause or causes, of sciatic nerve pain and what the best ways are to get immediate and lasting relief from sciatica. This article offers the reader five tested methods for dealing with sciatica, methods used for years, pain relief strategies that work. The methods of sciatica relief are in some instances counter-intuitive and in other cases buck current “wisdom,” yet they have been tried and found to work over many years and after many surgeries. It is my hope someone else will benefit from them as well.

The Sciatic Nerve

The sciatic nerve is the largest and longest nerve in the body. The sciatic nerve begins in the lumbo-sacral region (L-4 through S-3) of the spine, as five nerve roots from L-4 through S-3 leave the spine and merge into one large nerve that travels across the buttocks (the gluteal muscles) and down the back of the thigh and then into the lower leg, branching off just above the knee, at the back of the lower thigh, into the peroneal and tibial nerves, and finally giving rise to nerves traveling down into the ankle, feet, and toes. Consequently, sciatic nerve pain or sciatica may be felt at any point along the nerve route, expressing as lower back pain, pain in and/or across the buttocks, leg pain, particularly pain at the back of the leg, pain behind the knee, and even pain, tingling, and/or numbness into the feet and toes. Interestingly, sciatica is not a specific condition but a symptom of a problem at some point along the nerve route, usually but not always at the nerve root itself.

Sciatica and Ice

The ultimate sciatica pain relief strategy is ice. Ice is by far the most effective method for immediate and lasting sciatic nerve pain relief. Unfortunately, many people, including many medical experts advise heat for sciatica, in fact for almost all back pain, and that is generally the worst thing you can do. Inflammation and swelling is exacerbated by heat and reduced with ice. Most nerve irritation is the result of inflammation and/or swelling at some point along the nerve route, ice is the recommended treatment. Ice, using an ice compression brace is best but a plain old ice pack will also do just fine. Keep the ice on for as long as you can stand it, providing you have a sheet or thin towel between the ice and your skin to avoid frostbite. This is, of course, anecdotal and based on my experience over 15 major surgeries, 14 on my back…ice works best!
I am not going to get into why people recommend heat, beyond mentioning that proponents argue that heat helps with blood flow to the affected area, specifically nutrition and oxygen, and healing is enhanced, as a result. As you know too well if you experience sciatic nerve pain, when you are in pain the most important thing is relieving the pain! The healing will come later, let’s deal with the sciatica first!

Sciatica and Stretching

The second sciatic nerve pain relief strategy is stretching. The piriformis muscle, and in particular what is called piriformis syndrome, may be the culprit when it comes to sciatica, or it may be at least partially to blame. The anatomy, where the sciatic nerve is located, along with a muscle imbalance, as the sciatic nerve is located in close proximity to the piriformis, may create the piriformis syndrome. A muscle imbalance may create pressure on the sciatic nerve, creating sciatica. A simple and easy to do stretch can help alleviate discomfort almost immediately.
The sciatica stretch is easy to do while seated in any chair. While seated in a chair, cross your left leg over your right leg so that your left ankle is resting on your right knee, bend forward at the waist pulling the left leg to the chest while continuing to bend forward. You will feel stretching outside of the left leg, as well as in the buttocks, stretching and leaning forward as much as any pain will allow. This stretch may be done to both sides, both legs, but the emphasis should be on the side where you are experiencing the sciatica. If the sciatic nerve pain is due to a muscle imbalance or piriformis syndrome you will feel immediate pain relief, if the pain is the result of a bulging or herniated disc, you may need to rely on other treatment strategies.

Sciatica and the Proper Footwear

The third method is to change your footwear. Often people suffering from back pain in general, and sciatic nerve pain specifically, are wearing the wrong shoes. The importance of proper shoes cannot be overstated! Fashion? Forget about fashion! The only thing that matters when it comes to footwear is pain relief when you are in pain; and, when experiencing sciatica in particular. I recommend New Balance walking shoes because they are rated very high when it comes to heel cushioning; and, because they allow for varying degrees of width and a greater array of sizing alternatives, thus improving fit which translates into a better walking experience. The better fit and cushioning means less impact on the spine and that means less back pain generally and less sciatica specifically.

New Balance shoes are also rated very high for dealing with pronation, another factor to consider when it comes to sciatica. For more information, Runner’s World Magazine has a great website that deals extensively with the proper shoes, as well as pronation and supination. Keep in mind their target audience is a bit different but they still have excellent explanations for both of these conditions and they make recommendations concerning walking shoes, as well as what shoes are ranked highly and for what. The only other shoe worth considering is the Asics Gel-Nimbus 11. This is a runner’s shoe but took the editor’s award for Runner’s World, a huge accomplishment. The shoe mainly won for the “fit and feel” of the shoe. It has memory foam throughout for a great overall fit. I have just ordered a pair, I so will let you know what I think. They are comparably priced to the best New Balance walking shoes.

Sciatica and Water Walking

The fourth sciatic nerve pain relief strategy is water walking. No, I don’t mean swimming, I mean getting into a pool and walking and moving with slow and deliberate movements. I have used this strategy and it is one of the best I have ever found. Not only is the water soothing, even if the water temperature is on the cold side (so much the better, actually!), but the motion itself is therapeutic. I realize not everyone has access to a pool but most communities in the states have a YMCAs or YWCAs. And price shouldn’t be an issue because they have membership rates tailored for any socio-economic bracket. So, there is no reason not to get in the pool at least a couple of times a week. If you use this strategy for a month or two, you will never do without it again, it is that good.

Sciatica and The Four Letter Word – R…E…S…T

Finally, the fifth sciatic nerve pain relief strategy is rest. This is a short-term pain relief strategy and should not become a permanent method of dealing with sciatica or any other form of back pain…or pain of any sort for that matter. In fact, the reason I left it until last is because it is usually the worst thing you can do as a regular method of dealing with pain. While being active and even exercising may seem counter-intuitive, it is usually the best back pain and sciatic nerve pain relief strategy, period! The more you sit around, the less you do, the more pain you will have, guaranteed! However, there are times when you may need to put your knees up, put the ice pack on your back, and rest. As long as it is short-term and incident specific, fine, rest. But please, do not become a couch-potato as a means of treating sciatica or any other form of back pain, it is the absolutely kiss of death when it comes to overcoming your back pain and/or sciatica.

The Five Ultimate Sciatica Strategies!

So there you have them, my five ultimate bad back strategies…or in this case, my five sciatica relief strategies. The best for immediate relief from sciatica is ice. The next-best treatment strategy for sciatic nerve pain relief is stretching, particularly the piriformis/sciatica stretch. The third technique is to switch your shoes, slip into something more comfortable, so to speak. The fourth pain relief strategy is to start walking, water walking that is. By the way, walking, as a rule, is also one of the best long-term strategies and will be dealt with extensively in an upcoming article series. Finally, number five is last for a reason, it should not be abused…rest. Rest, while at times necessary, is not a long-term treatment strategy. In fact, rest is a terrible long-term strategy leading to muscle weakness, muscle atrophy, weight gain, and other negative effects that actually contribute to, instead of alleviating, back pain and sciatica. So, get off the couch or out of the recliner, and certainly out of bed, and start walking…more to follow!

To start on the right path, get this FREE book:

The 7 Day Back Pain Cure, it is a marvelous resource and it will get you pointed in the right direction immediately!

For an excellent program, one that deal effectively with every issue you may face as a neck pain, back pain, and/or sciatica sufferer, one I own myself and still use daily…after 14 back surgeries:

http://TheBadBackGuy.net This will change your life! And it is 100% guaranteed!

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