Diabetes and Your Feet

Footcare is Important for Diabetes

When most people think of diabetes they don’t immediately think of the slew of related foot problems that occur. Diabetes can affect many areas, and some including blood pressure and heart problems seem to capture more of people’s attention. Even those suffering from diabetes may fail give the proper attention or time to the foot problems that are associated with the disease. But the facts are that 1 in 5 people with diabetes who go to the hospital do so for a foot problem of some kind. Overlooking these problems can lead to very serious issues and you don’t want to wait until it’s too late.

problems from diabetes

Foot problems from diabetes can be caused by one of two main ways. The first of which is diabetic neuropathy, which is essentially a dulling of the sensory nerves that help signal various sensations to you. These sensations include temperature and pain and without that you can have problem noticing injuries such as cuts or swelling on your feet. Not noticing these injuries can lead to a worsening of them including infections and other problems such as foot ulcers.

Additionally, peripheral vascular disease can also lead to serious foot problems for those with diabetes. This is essentially a problem of poor blood circulation, particularly in the extremities. Poor blood flow can cause many problems, chief among them is gangrene. Gangrene is the death of an area of tissue on your body due to a lack of blood flow and circulation to keep it alive. Your tissue literally begins to rot while still on your body and it can lead to necessary amputation, additional resources.

Less severe foot problems associated with diabetes include a wide range of normal issues such as blisters, bunions, ingrown toenails and calluses. These are all caused by increased pressure on specific areas of your foot, and they can be made worse by not knowing about them. Infections such as fungal nail problems and athlete’s foot can also occur.

To help prevent foot problems for those with diabetes it is essential to carefully examine your feet each day for any problems such as swelling, bruising, cuts, blisters or anything else. It’s also important to carefully wash and dry your feet each day, being sure to pat your feet dry gently rather than rub them harshly. Lotion should also be used to you’re your skin soft and moist to help prevent cracking and cutting.

You must wear comfortable shoes that aren’t too tight or restrictive, particularly during exercise or periods of lots of movement. You also need comfortable, unrestrictive and soft socks to maximize your protection as well.

Few people realize how serious foot problems can be for those with diabetes. But when the possible end result is amputation, it’s a problem that cannot be taken lightly. Additionally, when 1 in 5 people hospitalized with diabetes are there to take care of serious foot problems, it further solidifies who serious this area can be. Protect your feet and take good care of them to prevent unnecessary and unfortunate consequences.

Motivation: The Driving Force in Productivity and Success

Many people believe that they are the masters of their own destiny, but is it true? Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going. Jim Rohn quoted this book “The Seven Levels Of Communication”. To succeed, self-motivation has to be present and a habit created to keep the motivation active. If you think that you are a loser, then there will not be enough motivation for anything because everything feels like too much work.

What is Self-motivated Activity?

What is Self-motivated Activity

A self-motivated activity is an action that you do on your own, without being told to. It’s something that will make the person feel like they accomplished something. Whenever someone does a self-motivated activity there’s always a sense of accomplishment afterward and it makes them more motivated for future activities because they know their potential.

How important is self-motivation?

The importance of self-motivation cannot be understated. If you believe that you can do anything, then it will not matter what anyone else says to make you feel bad about yourself or your actions. The most important thing is believe in oneself and also feeling good when doing something well. It’s difficult for someone who believes they are a loser and feels like they cannot achieve their goals to get out of the self-sabotaging rut because there is too much negativity going on inside the person’s head.

If one were to analyze those successful people from history such as Abraham Lincoln, George Washington Carver, Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks – all these great men had some form of self-motivation which helped them overcome challenges while many others failed.

A few effective ways to create self-motivation

There are many ways to create self-motivation. When you have self-motivation, your life will be much easier and happier.

Show yourself appreciation

Acknowledge the good things that happen to you every day. Do not underestimate all of the small successes in your life because they are what motivates us the most. You should also give some recognition to people who help you along the way too!

Believe in yourself

If we do not believe that we can achieve something then why bother trying? Believing is a key part of being motivated so we must find ways to keep ourselves confident during our struggles. Remembering how strong you were when past obstacles seemed impossible might inspire others to try again as well if they

Reading self-motivation books

One of the best ways to self-motivate is by reading motivational books. They give you a variety of ideas and stories that create inspiration and motivation for different people. Some might need some new insight into their current situation while others may be feeling overwhelmed with life’s challenges. Books provide personal examples from many sources so there will never be a shortage in what one can read when it comes to finding something motivating or helpful.

Taking time for yourself

It sounds counterproductive but sometimes we must take time off work to accomplish other things like exercise, enjoying our hobbies, spending quality time with family members etcetera; this way we will have more energy during work hours which leads us back into being productive!

Conclusion

Self-motivation is one of the most powerful tools in your arsenal to get things done. It’s not uncommon for people who are self-starters or have a strong drive, to be more successful than those without it. The good news about motivation is that you can find and develop yours at any time! You just need some knowledge on how this process works so you can start taking action towards achieving success today!

Lose Weight by Having More Sex

If you are in the process of trying to lose weight, I have the perfect exercise for you that will burn 150 to 250 calories per half hour. Sex. That’s right. According to https://www.emailmeform.com/builder/emf/rev/k-drops-beoordelingen, sex is a great way to burn calories effortlessly. Sex is fun, and because of that, you are more prone to opt for a romp in the bed with your honey than you are to get on the treadmill.

Sex is especially beneficial if you try different positions. This will ensure that all of your muscle groups get a work out. According to WebMd., recent studies have shown that short bursts of exercise can be as beneficial as a 30 to 40 minute workout. You can use sex as an addition to your regular exercise routine or alternate days. Whatever combination you use is sure to have some great health benefits for both you and your partner.

beneficial if you try different positions

A pre-sex naked workout with a partner can be a wonderful way to combine muscle stretching and great foreplay. Take your time in touching and stretching, paying attention to one another’s bodies. It can be quite an aphrodisiac

Not only is sex good for your cardiovascular and muscular health, it is also a mood enhancer. Sex raises those good endorphones, which lowers your stress level. Since much overeating is due to emotional overeating, you are less prone to do this if you feeling good emotionally.

People who are lonely also tend to eat more and gain weight. Those who are involved in healthy loving relationships generally have more sex. As a result, they are happier and more emotionally satisfied, which will lead to less emotional overeating.

One important consideration, however, is to remember that lots of sex with lots of partners may burn calories, but it can also lead to a lot of stress. You will have to worry more about sexually transmitted diseases, pregnancy, and the emotional component of not having a steady loving relationship with someone. In this situation, you are more likely to gain weight due to the emotional aspects.

If you are in a loving relationship with someone, try increasing the amount of sex you have with your partner. Watch the pounds melt away as you develop a more toned and flexible body. Watch your desire to emotionally eat go away. I guarantee you will find increased sex much more enjoyable than spending an hour on the treadmill or elliptical trainer.

Five Must-Have Supplements for Your Medicine Cabinet

Are you worried about your health? Do you feel like you’re not getting the proper vitamins and minerals from your diet? If so, don’t worry-help has arrived.

While they can’t replace a healthy and well-balanced diet, here are five dietary supplements no medicine cabinet should be without.

Multivitamins

Multivitamins

If you had to choose only one supplement to take every day, make it a multivitamin; it’s the foundation of any decent health plan. Unless you spend your entire day eating a seemingly infinite assortment of food groups, you will never reach your overall nutritional needs. Multivitamins are designed to be a convenient supplement to your diet, adding only the vitamins and minerals most essential for good health–Vitamin C, Magnesium, Zinc, Lycopene, and so on. Most multivitamins only need to be taken once a day, can be found in any grocery store, and are relatively inexpensive.

Suggested use: Once daily with a full glass of water, preferably after a meal.

Omega -3 Fish Oil

Fish oil is a dietary supplement that is vital in building and maintaining heart health. It contains the essential fatty acids EPA and DHA; EPA supports heart health and cellular integrity while DHA supports the operation of memory and the nervous system. Fish oil has also been shown in studies to have a positive effect on weight loss. Fish oil is widely available and can be found in most grocery stores at a low price.

Suggested use: Varies; for adults, typically 2000 mg (2 softgels) per day with food. Should be stored in a cool, dry place; some brands suggest the bottle be refrigerated after opening.

Ginkgo Biloba

Ginkgo Biloba

Ginkgo Biloba (commonly misspelled as Gingko Biloba) has been shown to help improve memory, especially mild memory loss associated with aging. It has been used as a treatment to delay the onset of Alzheimer’s disease. It also helps promote blood circulation to the legs, arms and brain, and has been known to help treat diabetes patients suffering from poor blood circulation to the extremities (feet, hands). It is available in most any grocery store and is very inexpensive.

Suggested use: For adults, 120 mg daily with a meal.

Red Wine Extract (with Resveratrol)

Red wine extract provides the benefits of heart-healthy red wine without the hangover. Red wine contains Resveratrol, a powerful antioxidant which aids in the support of the cardiovascular system by strengthening capillaries and encouraging healthy blood flow to and from the heart. Red wine extract also contains polyphenols and anthocyanidins, antioxidants that assist in balancing the immune system. Red wine extract is relatively expensive and is available in a wide range of forms and sizes, including vegetarian tablets.

Suggested use: Varies by brand.

Green Tea Extract

Green tea is all the rage right now, and for good reason: it carries powerful antioxidants called polyphenols, such as EGCG, that can inhibit the growth of cancer cells and lower total cholesterol levels, among other things. Studies have shown that those who consume green tea on a regular basis are far less likely to suffer from heart disease, regardless of diet. Green tea may even be helpful in weight loss. It can be found in few grocery stores, but is available at larger retailers and vitamin stores at an extremely low cost.

Green Tea Extract

Suggested use: Varies; typically 200-300 mg daily.

Having trouble finding one or more of these items at your local grocery store? Online vitamin stores such as https://www.otcmedstore.com/equazen-eye-q-baby-n30 have a wide variety of these supplements in stock.

Attune Probiotic Chocolate: The Easiest Way to Take Probiotics

What Is Attune?

Attune is a company that makes chocolate bars, granola bars and granola with probiotics in them. I tried three Attune chocolate bars to see how they tasted and whether they really worked. I tried the Attune chocolate bars right as I was in the middle of taking a round of antibiotics to see if they work as well as other probiotic products.

What Are The Health Benefits of Attune?

Probiotics

Attune chocolate bars contain probiotics, which help support digestion and protect your digestive tract from harmful bacteria. It is always good to have probiotics in your diet, but it is especially important to have them when you are on antibiotics because they can kill off the beneficial bacteria along with the harmful kinds. The probiotics in Attune chocolate bars do work, because I had no stomach pain from the antibiotics after I started eating the Attune bars. Click here at https://miastodzieci.pl/wydarzenia/probiotyki-dla-dzieci/ website to read review on attune probiotic.

The chocolate bars are also low calorie, each containing only 80, 90, or 100 calories depending on which flavor you try. The bars are fairly large and filling, so even 100 calories is not a bad amount at all.

What Does Attune Taste Like?

Attune Probiotic

Attune chocolate bars taste just like normal chocolate bars, only they are full of probiotics and have only a fraction of the calories of normal chocolate bars. If you like white chocolate and blueberries, the white chocolate blueberry bar is absolutely delicious. The chocolate mint bar is my favorite because it has just the right amount of mint flavor to balance the creamy chocolate. I also enjoyed the chocolate crisp bar, which had a nice crunch from the puffed brown rice to counter the creaminess of the chocolate. Overall, these chocolate bars were delicious and I look forward to trying all the other flavors as well.

Buying Attune

You can buy attune bars online or in a number of grocery stores, including Whole Foods, Safeway, and A&P.; Online, a single bar sells for $1.52, and a 28-pack sells for $38.86. This is not too expensive if you buy these bars as a replacement for your regular dessert, although the shipping will add up, so I suggest you check your local grocery stores before buying online.

The Verdict on Attune

I recommend Attune chocolate bars for anyone who needs more probiotics, or anyone looking for a healthier chocolate bar. These bars taste great, come in many different flavors, and provide real health benefits for only a few calories.

Fish Oils: How to Determine Cost Effective Fish Oil Consumption

Fish oils are one of the most important supplements that you can add to your daily diet regime. They provide
you with essential fatty acids that you are most likely not getting in your diet and are crucial for cellular health.
The important fatty acids they provide allow your cells to age properly and stay flexible, which promotes
cardiovascular, cellular, respiratory, and holistic health in general. The beneficial fatty acids that most people
think of when fish oil is mentioned are called omega 3 fatty acids. In this article we will look at some specifics as
they relate to how much fish oil you should take each day, and how to make sure the brand you are currently
taking, or decide to take, stack up on a price per dose basis.

First we will look at what ingredients Omega 3’s provide for your health benefits. EPA and DHA are the most
heavily studied Omega 3’s and are the reason every doctor, regardless of their discipline, can agree that fish oils
would benefit your overall health goals. These fatty acids help to make the barrier between your cells and the
outside world. The walls need to be flexible so your cells can fit into different areas easily, and they also need to
let nutrients in and waste products out. If the walls take nutrients in but do not let waste out you get a car running, visit this web-site.

Fish Oils

in the garage effect, the waste products build up and the cell becomes toxic. If your blood cells become too rigid
from lack of Omega 3’s, they have a hard time getting through small areas, like the blood vessels in your lungs.
Red blood cell walls need to stay flexible in order to squeeze flat while traveling through your lungs, which
increases their surface area, allowing you to maintain the proper oxygenation levels in your blood; otherwise, you
become tired and have a hard time getting energy to your body. Rigid cells also contribute to a myriad of health
concerns including high cholesterol, heart disease, and atherosclerosis to name a few.

Now that you know which fats are important let’s do a little label reading. Most fish oils on the market are labeled
in a way that is misleading, for instance if you go to a local chain store and pick up a labeled 1200mg/ dose
bottle of fish oil and look on the back to check for the actual active ingredients of EPA/DHA you will most likely find.

It adds up to between 350-450mg. This is approximately 800mg less than you were led to believe you were
taking and results in you not getting enough of what you paid for. The analogy I use to describe this to patients is
as follows, you go to the liquor department and find a liter bottle of liquor how do you know how potent it is? You
look at the alcohol content. Think of EPA/DHA as the alcohol content and the bottle of fish oil as the liter of liquor.

You want as high an alcohol (EPA/DHA) content as possible to get the most bang for the buck. The minimum
EPA/DHA should add up to 2,000-3,000mg or 2-3grams. This is widely accepted as the minimum effective dose,
and this is where you can start to reap the health benefits with continued use.

Fish Oil Consumption

What does it cost to plant the seeds of health in regards to fish oil? This is a variable that I would like to help you
lower while still getting the minimum effective dose. You must get 2-3grams/day, so to have a single dose that
adds up to this would be the easiest to practically maintain and would also be the easiest to analyze on a cost
per dose basis. There is no pill that I have seen that offers this solution, so we will first look at oils. The best oil I
have found and use myself is from Innate Choice™, and figures in @ approximately 2g of EPA/DHA per dose
and costs approx 45-50 dollars. This sounds expensive until you see there are 100 doses per bottle, which will
last over 3months! If you do the math the cost/dose is around 48 cents per dose, and you only have to take it one
time/day making it easier to maintain than multiple pill regimens. Compare this to anywhere from 6-18 pills from
a chain brand (depending on the potency of EPA/DHA) at $12 avg per bottle and you have a cost of 48 dollars per
month for the generic pills, or 1.50 per effective dose of 2-3grams EPA/DHA. To follow the liquor analogy, that
would be like paying 3 times as much for Boone’s Farm as you do for Crown Royal.™ The fact that you only have
to take one dose/day and that it costs approximately 3 times less makes the oil a smart choice.

In closing, you need Omega 3’s to stay healthy. You require 2-3g of EPA/DHA to get an effective dose of Omega
3’s per day. The easiest and most cost effective way to get enough is one dose of liquid fish oil that is
pharmaceutical grade. Follow these easy steps for increased health and a more productive, happy you.

How to Relieve an Infant’s Pain Caused by Teething

After my daughter cut her first couple of teeth, I thought this was going to be a breeze. Boy, was I wrong! After those first two teeth came through, all hell broke loose! She was fussy, had a runny nose, pulled at her ears, ran a low fever (make sure your child’s fever doesn’t go over 100 degrees, that can mean illness). All the classic symptoms along with blood curdling screams! I began to do a little research and was fascinated in some of the things I found!

Naturally, the first thing I tried was Ibprofen. I dosed her up every 6 hours. That seemed to help a little bit, but it just seemed to ease her pain enough to let her sleep, not while she was awake. I needed something to help give me some sanity and her some relief!

Take wash cloth and get it wet. Squeeze out the excess water and put it in a plastic bag. Throw the bag in the freezer for approximately five minutes. Take the rag out of the bag and let your infant chew and suck on it. My daughter loved this one, and it doubles as a drool catcher! BONUS!

Teething rings are a great thing, but they are even better when popped in the freezer for 5 minutes, like the wash cloth. This is a little less messy or time consuming than the wash rag. Like the teething rings, if your child takes a pacifier, you can put those in the freezer for a cool chew as well.

Massaging your child’s gums is another great way of giving them a little relief. They already like to chew on your finger, so you might as well put it to good use. The massaging equalizes the pressure the tooth is creating on the gums, know more. When I was getting my wisdom teeth, I loved applying pressure to the gums back there, so you know your children would love it, too! Just make sure that finger is clean!

You can always purchase those over the counter pain gels for your infant’s gums. I found that it only relieved the pain very briefly and was not worth the expense.

Depending on your child’s age, you can use teething cookies for your child to slobber on. I tried these with my son, and although he loved them, I thought they were the biggest mess and created more of a headache than my screaming child! Depending on your desperation level, I didn’t feel they were worth the enormous clean up!

Some people swear by rubbing vanilla extract on your baby’s gums. Although, not proven, it can warm your child’s gums or some believe the vanilla itself is just very calming. It can also calm a baby’s upset stomach!

A small cool spoon is also a favorite of infants. Just make sure you’re holding the spoon in your hands at all times and constantly supervising this remedy. The baby can easily gag or choke itself on such an item.

Those are just a few of the remedies that I found when trying to sooth my baby’s teething. I hope they have offered you some hope to pull your fingers out of your hair and to take a large sigh of relief as your child’s poor teething experience continues.

5 Best Ways to Lose Weight

1. Do not overeat. Food is good but only to a certain amount. Eating the right amount of food is a very hard challenge. You need to educate yourself to eat the right food at the right time. Always think that you are eating for a purpose. It’s to fuel your body so you have energy to do what needs to be done. You are not eating to enjoy food; you are eating because you need food.

2. Exercise – Move. Moving will make you lose weight. Other people never like the thought of exercising. Think of something you like to do such as dancing, hiking, biking, martial arts, stretching. If you have a toddler, you have so many ways to exercise and enjoy at the same time. Play with your toddler and do the same thing they are doing, you will be surprise how it will work for you. It’s the best bonding moment too.

Lose Weight

3. Drink water- Water works wonder. Not just for weight loss but health wise in general. Ideally you need to drink half of your weight in pounds number of oz in water. Let’s say you weigh 140lbs, ideally you are supposed to drink 70oz of water a day or more but not more than 120oz, more helpful hints. Try to have a glass of water beside you every time and drink every hour or two hours. Keeps you hydrated and may help you not think of food as much.

4. Set a realistic goal and be consistent about reaching it. To avoid getting disappointed set a realistic goal. Remember that losing weight is a lifestyle change not a temporary. Do not feel obligated to lose weight very soon coz it will put a pressure on you. Make small changes every day and be consistent with it. The weight will started to lose when you started living the right way. Try not to concentrate with numbers or figures. Set your ideal weight but do not set when you want to be there, start your changes and be consistent with reaching it.

5. Be stable emotionally. Be happy. Sleep right. Sleeping has a big impact with your emotion. Trying to get a good amount of sleep every night will help you concentrate with your goal for the next day. If you feel light and bubbly, it’s very easy to be happy. Start your day with a morning prayer, meet yourself in the bathroom with a smile and have a very optimistic day ahead of you.

Now you get a paper and right a promise to yourself. First write your goal. Let’s say my goal is to reach my ideal weight of _______lbs. Do not set when you want to be at your ideal weight to avoid pressure so we can concentrate with it.

Next is making a list of good food you may eat without guilt such as your favorite fruits or vegetables. Make also list of your favorite food that you know you can only eat in moderation, or better make them your cheat food. A food you can eat when you’ve reach certain small goal. The idea is knowing the food you like so you can still enjoy eating.

Lastly make an appointment with yourself. Set 30 minutes every day to move or 1 ½ hours three times a week whichever is applicable to you. This is a time you allotted to meet your goal. Losing weight is a job you need to take seriously. Do something good to feel good about yourself. Everything will start in you. Be kind to yourself.

Lose Weight – the 10 Best Ways to Lose Weight and Keep it Off

I am a distance runner, yet still had issues with maintaining weight. I fell into a mindset shared by many; if I worked out a lot I didn’t have to worry about what and how I ate. Nothing could be further from the truth! Active or not, below are 10 lifestyle changes that have made all the difference for me in losing and maintaining weight also see details.

1. Eat smaller meals but more frequently through the day. Each time you eat you fire up the furnace, so to speak, you burn more calories. It’s a way of revving up metabolism.

2. Cut back on carbohydrates and eat more protein, fruits, and vegetables. You can load your plate with the right foods, achieve that “full” feeling (protein stays with you longer), and not come away feeling cheated by small portions. Carbohydrates that aren’t burned in activity get stored by the body as fat.

Lose Weight

3. Move! Walk, run, bike, garden, take the steps rather than the elevator, swim, anything that gets you up and moving. And don’t allow your exercise to be your only attempt at weight loss. Exercise is not enough. Let me say that again…EXERCISE IS NOT ENOUGH! Many people adopt an exercise routine and then reward themselves with treats, which negate all that they did. Keep in mind when you eat that Oreo cookie it will require almost a mile on the treadmill. Is it worth it?

4. At the same time, don’t cut yourself off from all the foods you love. Anything in moderation. You are not on a “diet”: A diet is a temporary plan. Lasting weight loss requires a commitment to a lifestyle change. Who wants (or who can) forego ice cream for a lifetime? Really, you don’t have to. Just don’t make it an every day occurrence.

5. Drink more water. Drink an eight ounce glass before a meal to help you feel full faster. Water cleanses our insides, helping us flush waste products. Many of us don’t drink enough.

6. Avoid yo-yo dieting. “Diet” should not be in your vocabulary. A common mistake is to fast, wanting quick results, only to gain everything back and then some when we start eating again. We train our body to conserve when we fast. Yo-yo dieters eventually find themselves unable to lose weight, even when they cut back, because the body has been trained to hold on to what it takes in.

Best Ways to Lose Weight

7. Buy good foods and have them available for snacking. If there are no cookies in the house it’s hard to eat them. If there are cleaned fruits or veggies on hand, that is what you will reach for. And once you get in the habit of snacking on those you learn to love them and crave them rather than the starchy, sweet snacks you once craved.

8. Avoid processed foods. Most have the preservatives, starches, and carbohydrates that will sabotage your goals. Eat fresh!

9. Eat off a plate rather than from a container. Watch portion sizes by reading labels. It’s so easy to forget how much has been eaten when you snack directly from the package.

10. Limit alcohol. It’s full of calories, dehydrating, and lowers metabolism. Drinking alcohol usually is accompanied by some sort of noshing, too. Double whammy! Have that occasional glass of wine or beer but remember, liquids count as calories.

Follow these basic, easy, common-sense habits and you will be amazed at the results. I can attest to their success and know you will be successful, as well. To your health!

Neck Pain, Painkillers and your Mercedes Car

When it comes to neck pain or any pain for that matter and you go to see your doctor he will normally spend an hour or so with you. He will give you some massage for about twenty minutes, heat packs to ease muscular tension, talk to you about your posture and the effect it has on neck pain, show you how to do some self myofacial release techniques to ease neck pain and give you a whole host of other information about how you can remove the causes of your neck pain to help you become Pain free.

Yeah right.

If you are reading this and have seen a doctor for your neck pain I will almost guarantee you that this is how your visit site:

You walk in and waited for what seemed like eternity, you finally finish waiting and get out of the ‘waiting room’ because its now your chance to see the doctor. Sure, its now 30 minutes later than your scheduled appointment but that’s what is considered normal when seeing a doctor. You have to wait. The you see the doctor, he may press around your neck somewhat for a few moments, tell you that you have lots of tension and you are given a long list of drugs to take, muscle relaxants, pain killers and anti inflammatories. You are told to see how that goes and if you are no better you will be then prescribed stronger pain killers, perhaps now steroidal ones and maybe even some new ‘nerve healing’ drugs whether you have nerve impingement or not.

If that doesn’t work, then you will probably be recommended to see an orthopaedic surgeon who will ask for an xray or, if you have good insurance or look like you can afford it, schedule an MRI to see whats going on. The problem with getting an MRI or an xray is that it can show degenerative changes and/or disc bulges but this too does not mean that your pain is coming from these structures. You could have a MRI and it shows disc bulges at C6-7(for example) and he recommends that you have surgery( with him of course) when the pain is coming from several trigger points in your sub occipital muscles- a few good trigger point sessions with a good myofacial therapist  and corrective postural advice would have been your answer instead of surgery.

In fact, 95% of people over the age of 60 have degenerative changes in their necks. Its simply wear and tear which may or may not be causing you pain-and more often than not is not causing your pain. When you look at the major cause of neck pain on any website you will see consistently that the major cause is postural-this should immediately give you a heads up to your pain. the first question I would have for you is ‘is your pain worse when you are at the computer or driving or reading?’ If the answer is yes to any of these I would immediately start looking at fixing your posture to help ease your pain.

But lets take a look at what you are doing when you take painkillers to help your pain.

If you have pain coming from poor posture(the most common cause) which is straining your ligaments, pushing your discs against nerves and causing chronic muscular pain and tension what is a pain killer doing to help this?

Nothing.

Is a Pain Killer Getting to the Cause of your problems?

Is a Pain Killer Getting to the Cause of your problems

No. in fact, its allowing you to get away with your bad habits which is making your problems worse in the long run. The same goes for those of you who suffer from lower back pain. if your lower back pain is caused from sitting badly in your  chair at the computer and/or lifting badly then taking a pain killer is just allowing you to mask the bad habits and is setting you up for a big injury.

Pain is your warning system that something is wrong!

And what are you doing to your body’s natural warning system that is there to help you?

Deadening it.

I don’t know about you but I think this is just a little bit STUPID!!!!

Think About this for a Moment:

You are driving along in your nice Mercedes car and your oil light comes on whilst you are driving. You know that the oil light coming on is your cars way of telling you that the engine has a problem-it’s the cars warning system so that you don’t do major damage to your engine which will cost you thousands more if you don’t do something about it. So what do you do?

 Of course you go to a mechanic to see what is wrong. However, your mechanic says he will tape some masking tape over the oil light on the dash board so that you can no longer see the light anymore. He tells you to come back in two weeks if you still have a problem.

Now, you may not know much about mechanics and cars but you do know that putting masking tape over the oil light so that you can no longer see the light has not fixed the problem and that you will still have this problem in two weeks. You also know that if it doesn’t get fixed properly( by fixing the cause) you will do some major damage to your engine. This will then cost you thousands!

Hmmm..

Anyone See a Pattern Emerging Here?

But wait I hear you cry, my car is worth thousands of dollars and I wouldn’t put it at risk. It cost me a lot of money I hear you say and you wouldn’t be that stupid I hear you tell me. Hmm..ever wondered just how much you have spent on your body over the years? Food, clothing, education, health-shall I go on?

Anyone See a Pattern Emerging Here

Your body is the most sophisticated, most expensive thing you own. And you are happy to just tape over your body’s oil light time and time again by taking pain killers and hoping that the pain will go away. There is a much better way.

Remove the causes of your pain. Fix the problem rather than masking the symptoms. For this you need to know what is causing your pain first and foremost rather than guessing and hoping right? Right. For more on this read these articles to become more aware of how to fix your own pain.