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The Top 3 Things You Can Do at Home to Relieve L5 / S1 Bulging Disc Pain

2008-08-15T13:15:00.000-07:00

Alleviating bulging disc pain can be a very frustrating thing for many people, particularly because disc problems in general are very stubborn to heal. After helping people alleviate bulging disc pain over the past 7 years, I’ve found that there are certain things people can do at home to alleviate even the most stubborn pain.

Before I detail the top 3 things you can do at home to relieve your L5 / S1 bulging disc pain, however, I need to explain the cause of the pain you are experiencing.

The discs of the spine are cushions between the bones. Their primary purpose is to act as shock absorbers, and prevent the bones from rubbing together, which would be very painful. I often refer to the discs of the spine as “jelly doughnuts,” because they have a firm outer covering (called the annulus), and a jelly center (called the nucleus).

When a disc bulges, the annulus tears partially, and the jelly starts to shift where the disc is weakest. In most cases, the tear occurs at the back of the disc, which is right where the spinal cord and the nerves of the spine are located.

The reason a bulging disc is so painful is because the disc bulge applies pressure to the nerves of the spine, which can not only be incredibly painful – it can also be very disabling. If there is pressure on a nerve, the area will get inflamed, which means that the body will send a lot of blood to the injured nerve to try and fix it.

Well, although that sounds like a good plan, in reality, what actually happens is that the increased blood causes a lot of swelling and heat around the injured nerve, which just aggravates the nerve even more.

In the case of an L5 / S1 bulging disc, the nerves in this area control the bowel, bladder, and legs. So it’s very common for a person with this condition to experience changes in their bowel and bladder (not being able to go to the bathroom like normal, having pain while going to the bathroom, or losing control of the bowel or bladder), as well as to experience pain, weakness, and muscle cramps in the legs.

The 3 steps I’ll teach you here will reduce the inflammation around the nerve, which will effectively reduce the pain.

The first thing I would recommend you use is ice. Now, although I know that sounds pretty simple, I can’t even tell you the number of times I’ve heard a bulging disc pain sufferer tell me that they are using heat. Heat is one of the worst things you can do when you are experiencing pain – think about it – if the area is swollen, hot, and inflamed, do you really want to put more heat on it? Of course not!

Now, in order to get the best results with ice, you need to follow these rules:

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Ice for 15 minutes every hour – consistency is the key here! It’s not likely that you’ll experience relief after the first time using the ice, but if you stay consistent and do it every hour, you’ll start to see improvement in the pain level after the 3rd or 4th treatment.

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Use real ice – no frozen vegetables!

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Apply directly to the skin – most people want to put a towel under the ice, or place the ice on top of their clothing because it is uncomfortable. Applying the ice directly to the skin will numb the area more quickly, and slow the inflammatory process more effectively.

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For an L5 / S1 bulging disc, apply the ice over the low back (where the disc is) first, and then apply the ice pack to other areas where you are experiencing pain (such as the leg).

The second tip I’ll recommend is to use a pain-relieving gel called Biofreeze. Biofreeze can be found in most chiropractic clinics, as well as online, but basically it is a lotion that you apply to the skin over the injured area, and it provides relief for about 4 – 5 hours.

The way this works is that the biofreeze has an herb inside of it called Ilex. This herbal remedy reduces inflammation and swelling, numbs painful nerves, and helps muscles to relax. Obviously, these benefits are exactly what we’re looking for when trying to alleviate bulging disc pain!

You can use biofreeze over any painful area, so feel free to not only apply it over the low back, but also wherever you are feeling pain.

My third tip is to bounce on a therapy ball. Now, I know this may sound a little silly, but this simple exercise really makes a big difference for many people suffering with an L5 / S1 bulging disc.

Basically, you want to buy a therapy ball (those are the large balls that you see in physical therapy clinics, or at the gym), and simply sit on it and bounce up and down gently for 4 – 5 minutes every day.

Here’s the reason this will help with the pain – the disc itself does not get very much blood going to it normally, which is really a problem because blood is what transports oxygen and nutrients throughout the body for healing. So, how does the disc get the oxygen and nutrition it needs to be healthy? Through the jelly in the center of the disc (the nucleus).

The only way new oxygen and nutrition can enter the disc for improved healing is by physically pumping the disc. This exercise allows you to do that very easily from the comfort of your home.

These 3 tips will help you begin to experience relief. You can find more information and tips about alleviating L5 / S1 bulging disc pain at www.HealYourBulgingDisc.com.

All about ALOE

2008-08-04T11:06:00.000-07:00

Right this minute, someone – somewhere – is using aloe vera to heal something. Millions grow the plant themselves and others keep a container of aloe on hand for those times when nothing else will do.

Although the most common use in the US is for burn treatment, including sunburns, aloe has five major applications. The first three are wound healing, skin conditions, and digestive disorders. These are also folk uses of aloe known since ancient times. The other two may be surprising: cholesterol management and immunes system enhancement. All five areas are backed by science.

IS IT MAGIC?

For our ancestors, effectiveness determined aloe vera’s use. Today, science is validating its healing properties. The aloe plant is between 99 and 99.5 percent water. All the power of the plant is in that tiny one to one-half percent. Water acts as a carrier for those potent nutrients. The solid material contains over 75 different ingredients, including vitamins, minerals, enzymes, amino acids, anthraquinones, sterols, lignins, saponins, salicylic acid, and perhaps most interesting, biological sugars. Before discussing the sugars, let’s look at the other components.

Aloe contains most of the major vitamins, excepting vitamin D, but including the important antioxidants vitamins A, C, and beta-carotene (the vitamin A precursor). The B vitamins thiamine, niacin, riboflavin, choline and folic acid are also present.

. As many as 13 of the 17 minerals necessary for human nutrition have been found in aloe. These include sodium potassium, calcium, magnesium, manganese, copper, zinc, chromium, sulfur, and iron.

The presence of magnesium may explain aloe’s facility for soothing itchiness. As people with allergies know, a substance called histamine is released in many allergic reactions. Histamine causes intense itching, watery eyes and nose, and pain. Magnesium inhibits the formation of histamine.

When taken orally, several of the enzymes found in aloe, such as amylase and lipase, aid digestion by breaking down sugars and fats. Another important enzyme produces an anti-inflammatory effect. This adds to aloe’s reputation for pain relief.

As you recall, amino acids are the building blocks of proteins. The body needs 22 amino acids to build the proteins it needs. Of these, eight are called essential amino acids, because (like vitamins) the body cannot synthesize them. Instead, we must get them from food. Aloe vera is a rich source of amino acids, providing 20 of the 22 necessary amino acids and 7 of the 8 essential amino acids.

Anthraquinones is a long word for important phytochemicals found in the yellow sap of the aloe plant. In large amounts, these compounds have a laxative effect. However, in smaller quantities, their general bitterness appears to stimulate digestive secretions, bile flow, and the upper digestive system as a whole. Secondly, anthraquinones are potent antimicrobial agents, especially toxic both to Shigella dysenteriae (the well known dysentery-causing bacillus) and to Staphylococci (cause of the notorious “staph” infection).

In 2004, the Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology published a study by Chen, et al, demonstrating that anthraquinones are also anti-inflammatory in nature. Used topically, these compounds give aloe its capacity to absorb ultraviolet light and reduce the formation of melanin and any tendency to hyper-pigmentation (patches of darkened skin).

Sterols are the secret to aloe’s cholesterol-lowering potential. This capacity of plant sterols has been known for over 50 years. They are essential components of plant cell membranes and resemble cholesterol. Sterols inhibit the absorption of cholesterol in the small intestine by up to 50%. In turn, this can lower LDL blood cholesterol by up to 14%.

Salicylic acid is an aspirin-like compound possessing anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties. Used topically, it helps wounds to heal more quickly without scarring. Lignin found in all plants (and different from lignan, the fiber in flaxseed) is an inert woody substance that gives topical aloe preparations their singular ability to penetrate to the dermis, carrying other active ingredients deep into the skin. Last, saponins are soapy substances with antiseptic properties. When making a purchase of aloe for internal use, shake the container. Some bubbles should result. No bubbles, not enough aloe.

HOW SWEET IT IS

This is no ordinary sugar. It isn’t in the baking aisle or in packets for coffee. These are biological sugars that are essential to life. They are structural components of our cells, involves in cell-to-cell communication. Each of our cells is coated with eight essential sugar communicators. Without them, cellular communication is greatly compromised.

Individual sugars are called saccharides. In nature, they hook together in chains as polysaccharides. Currently the main focus of aloe research is a group of polysaccharides called mannose. Amazingly, mannose is one of those eight essential sugars. Research on the functions of mannose explains aloe’s healing properties more than any other single constituent.

Mannose molecules occur in many lengths, weights, and sizes called chains. The varying sizes determine healing properties. Like pearly in a necklace, ranging from short strands with small pearls to very long heavy strands with large pearls, the heavier and longer the polymannose chain, the more biologically valuable its function in the body.

ALOE FOR YOUR HEALTH

The number of aloe studies has tripled since 1990. Folk uses are being reinforced while the healing potential of its components is being defined and substantiated. Work with the essential biological sugars in particularly important. In this section, we look at the five major aloe applications and more.

Immune Boosting

Mannose is so stimulating to the immune system that one company is allowed to make the claim that their product “enhances the immune system.”

According to a 1988 study published in the Journal of Immunopharmacology, mannans activate white cells, stimulate communication between immune cells, and stimulate bone marrow activity (where some immune cells are formed). Mannans enhance TNF release, producing an anti-tumor effect, helping to destroy abnormal cells. For over two decades, research has found aloe mannans to be antiviral and helpful in the treatment of AIDS.

Lastly, aloe counteracts the immune-suppressing effects of ultra violet B exposure (sunburns). Keep in mind that all whole leaf aloe preparations contain mannose.

Skin Repair

Aloe’s effects on skin and on wound healing have been recognized for thousands of years. According to James Duke, Ph. D., studies since the 1930s have shown that aloe speeds the healing of burns, wounds, frostbite, and other skin conditions. It relieves itching, pain and swelling from all kinds of rashes including heat rash, diaper rash, rash caused by poisonous plants, hives, scabies, ringworm, and athletes foot.

Approved by the FDA for use with oral ulcers/canker sores, a 2005 article in General Dentistry supports the successful use of aloe for the treatment of many oral health problems. These include canker sores, cold sores, herpes virus, gingivitis, and lichen planus. Aloe was used topically and ingested.

Beyond this, studies have shown that aloe can provide extremely effective treatment for psoriasis. A 1996 year-long double-blind, placebo-controlled study of 60 people with psoriasis found that applying a .05% aloe vera cream 3 times daily eliminated symptoms in 86% of cases.

Aloe’s capacity to penetrate to the dermis, bringing nutrients and removing toxins, is behind its speedy and impressive healing ability. Not surprisingly, aloe brings relief to dry skin, and is found in many lotions and moisturizers.

Good Digestion

Whole leaf aloe vera is an herbal bitter. Studies at the Linus Pauling Institute show that six ounces of aloe juice taken three times daily increase protein digestion and absorption, decrease bowel putrefaction, and improve intestinal pH.

Aloe’s anti-inflammatory properties are soothing to mucous membranes and have been shown to reduce pain and inflammation in the digestive tract. The mucous lining of the gastro-intestinal tract resembles the skin. The same phytochemicals that soothe our skin can soothe our insides. Food allergy relief is another benefit of healing the gut limit.

Important to ruptured diverticula, aloe soothes and reduces bleeding time. The editors of The Sensitive Gut: A Harvard Medical School Book (2001) recommends it for functional dyspepsia (indigestion with no known cause) and garden-variety indigestion. Other sources cite it for Irritable Bowel Syndrome and leaky gut. Aloe has shown some success in the treatment of peptic ulcers because it relieves symptoms and helps control the overgrowth of bad bacteria such as H. pylori, the bacteria implicated in this condition.

At the far end of the line, aloe has been suggested as a stool softener for the hemorrhoids and anal fissures by physicians of Germany’s Commission E and by Ayurvedic practitioners. (Drink a half-cup 3x/day until the condition has cleared.) Constipation is a condition often associated with hemorrhoids. In this case, take 4 ounces of aloe with 4 ounces of apple juice first thing in the morning on an empty stomach.