Ventura  pain: You’ve probably heard, or uttered, those words. Doctors and Ventura chiropractor hear them often. Back pain is one of the most common complaints in medical practice.

Causes of Neck and Back Pain

What would cause a sharp searing pain on my right back side? What causes upper back shoulder pain and neck pain? What causes neck and back pain?

These are but a few of the questions asked by millions who suffer back pain each year – about 6 million in the U.S. alone. An estimated 80% of us will experience back pain sometime in our lives. It may occur by itself, or be accompanied by other symptoms such as fever and chills.

The causes of back pain are many, making diagnosis difficult and critical. We recommend that you see your doctor for all back pain. Most causes of back pain involve no serious underlying problem, and the pain can be relieved in a few days or weeks. If the causes of back pain you experience involve other symptoms, the tips offered here are not to be followed without medical advice.

Causes of Back Pain in the Lower Back

Low back pain affects the lower part of your back – between the bottom of your ribs in back down to the top of your legs.

Doctors break down low back pain into three categories according to how long you have had it:

1. Acute Low Back Pain – you have had it less than 6 weeks
2. Sub-acute Low Back Pain – you have had it 6 to 12 weeks
3. Chronic Low Back Pain – you have had it longer than 3 months

Causes of back pain in the lower back are most often linked to strain of back muscles, ligaments, or tendons. Sometimes the cushion between the bones is strained. Sometimes you will know the exact causes of back pain in your lower back. Other times, it may hit without warning.

Causes of back pain in the lower back include:

* past injuries that are not fully healed
* incorrect lifting techniques
* incorrect posture
* little exercise
* vehicular accidents
* improper setup of your work area
* long hours at a desk
* long hours by the TV
* obesity
* pregnancy

Causes of Back Pain in the Mid Back

The causes of back pain in the mid back usually fall into the category of irritation or injury to muscles and ligaments of your middle spine – the area along the backs of your ribs.

Some or all of the following may be causes of back pain in your mid back:

* past injuries that are not fully healed
* incorrect lifting techniques
* incorrect posture
* little exercise
* vehicular accidents
* improper setup of your work area
* long hours at a desk
* long hours by the TV
* obesity
* pregnancy

Causes of Back Pain in the Upper Back and Neck

Some people refer to this as upper back shoulder pain and neck pain. This pain is felt in the area between the back of your chest and the base of your skull.

Causes of back pain in your upper back, unrelated to the shoulders and neck, are usually muscular irritation and joint dysfunction.

Shoulder and neck pain are more common than pain in the center of your upper back. Your neck supports your head. Made of seven, stacked vertebrae bones that are cushioned by cartilage discs bound together with ligaments, your neck is very mobile. Muscles provide movement and support to your neck.

Your neck is more susceptible to injury than the rest of your upper back. Trauma, poor posture, and degenerative diseases such as arthritis, are the most common causes of back pain in the neck area. Whiplash is another cause of back pain in the neck.

If you were a vehicle passenger involved in a rear end collision, you may have suffered whiplash injury to your neck. The impact of the collision would force your head back and then forward at a great speed. This would stretch your neck and upper back too much and too quickly, resulting in a strain or tear to supporting ligaments, muscles and discs. It could even irritate your upper back nerves.

Your shoulder is a ball and socket joint that offers a large range of movement. Like your neck, this mobile joint tends to be more susceptible to injury. Your shoulder joints depend on shoulder muscles to keep them stable. Causes of back pain in the shoulder area usually involve these muscles.

Incorrect posture can cause both neck and shoulder pain.

* Standing with your shoulders slouching, chin jutting forward, can put extra strain on your ligaments and muscles.
* Sitting with your head down for long periods of time as you work at a desk or read can exert similar strain.
* Slumping in your seat is another cause of shoulder and neck pain.
* If you tend to sleep on your stomach, your sleeping posture could be the cause of back pain.

Other Causes of Back Pain

As shown above, causes of back pain are most often linked to strain of back muscles, ligaments, or tendons. There are many conditions other than strain, however, that can cause back pain. Below is a partial list:

* Arthritis – causing joint inflammation
* Herniated disc – irritating nearby nerves
* Spinal stenosis – spinal canal narrowing that compresses nerves
* Spondylolisthesis – slipped vertebrae resulting in pinched nerves
* Vertebral fractures – resulting from trauma or osteoporosis
* Degenerative disc disease – aging process that breaks down discs

Whatever the causes of back pain, the most effective prevention is to overcome incorrect posture and incorrect lifting techniques.

Technorati Tags: neck, pain, Ventura

Ventura neck pain: Different types of core exercises exist. Many of you are
probably familiar with an exercise such as the sit-up, which is
a great exercise that can be utilized to train the core. If you
have read any of our other articles, you are well aware of what
the word core means, and its relation to the golf swing. Let us
do a quick review for your benefit, and introduce the types of
core exercises to perform for your golf swing.

According to Ventura chiropractors the core is an anatomical region of the body. It can generally
be defined as the part of your body between the hips and chest.
It in encompasses many muscles groups on the front, side, and
backside of the body. In general the core consists of the
muscles that make up your; abdominals, lower back, obliques, and
hips.

The core region is important to the golf swing for many reasons.
The core is essentially called the “engine” of the body. It is
the area that “drives” the body for most any human movement,
including your golf swing. It is primarily responsible for the
capacities of: balance, stability, and power development within
the body. For these capacities to occur efficiently it is
necessary to train the core for improved performances.

Core Training Concepts

Many of us correlate core training to only the abdominal section
of the body. In order to develop the core correctly for the golf
swing, we must train all areas of the core equally. This means
to address the obliques, hips, and lower back with the same
number of exercises and repetitions as you do for the commonly
trained abdominal region.

A quick note from experience: More times than none, the majority
of individuals have what are termed “imbalances” in the core
region. This statement means that certain muscles or muscle
groups are weaker than others. The key for optimal performance
in golf is to have a balanced core when it comes to the
strength, endurance, and power levels in the muscles within this
area of the body. Keeping this thought in mind, many times the
lower back region is “weaker” than the abdominals (imbalanced
core or not balance core as we like to say). If this is the
case, additional attention/exercises are needed for the lower
back, to bring it “up to speed” so to speak, in level with the
abdominals.

Moving forward, knowing that we must train the entire core and
create balance between all the muscles. It is time to discuss
what type of exercises to utilize in training the core region.
To develop the core region for golf you will want to perform
exercises in the following categories: stability (balance),
strength, endurance, and power. All four of these categories are
necessary for an optimal swing. Leaving one of the categories
listed above out of your training program is like building a
boat with a hole in it. It won’t work!

Let us define the differing training categories of a “golf
specific core program” to help you better understand the purpose
behind each category. The categories of core training are
incorporated in golf training are: 1) Stability (balance)
training, 2) strength training, 3) endurance training, and 4)
power training.

Stabilization exercises are exercises that develop the balance
capabilities of the body. A large portion of your balance
capability is directly related to the core region of the body.
We know that if you are unable to maintain your balance through
out the golf swing. The efficiency of the swing, contact with
the ball, and club head speed, will be compromised. For example,
when you swing your driver and are not able to maintain that
perfect “finished position”, the problem may be related to you
ability to balance.

Balance training develops the integration of your neural and
muscular systems. Improvement in the functioning of these two
systems of the body and integration of these two systems will
result in a better swing. Follow the logic and it will all make
sense. If you improve the ability of your body to balance, then
the ability to maintain balance within your golf swing will
become easier. Implementation of exercises into your core
program that improve your balance (stabilization) capacities
then a direct transfer into your golf swing will result.

The golf swing requires that certain body parts remain in a
stable position, while other body parts are moving. These
actions occur simultaneously. To perform a powerful golf swing,
the body must have the capacities to perform this action.

In order to perform the above activity it is required to develop
the strength parameters of the core. If you have a weak core
then the ability to maintain a posture, keep a posture, and
perform this over a period of time will be compromised. To
repeat, the core region of the body is involved in the
stabilization process of the body. To improve this capacity, we
must train the body to be more efficient at stabilizing itself
during the golf swing. Strength exercises develop and improve
this capacity within your body for the purpose of improving your
golf swing.

The golf swing is a repetitive movement performed by the body.
You are doing the same activity over and over. An efficient golf
swing and good scores require that you perform the same swing on
the 18th hole as you do on the 1st hole. If you are unable to
repeat your swing mechanics of your swing will suffer, as will
your scores. To eliminate this situation it is necessary to
develop the endurance capacities of the core region. Endurance
exercises allow the body to perform the same activity over and
over without getting fatigued. As a result of the golf swing
being a repetitive athletic movement, endurance training will
enhance the ability to maintain your optimal swing mechanics
over an extended period of time.

Power Exercises are geared towards improving the power outputs
of the body. The core region of the body is directly related to
torque development in the golf swing. Power can also be defined
as torque (rotational power) when discussing the golf swing. In
order to create high amounts of club head, it is required of the
body to create large amounts of torque. Creating greater power
in the golf swing is the result of inputting power exercises
into a comprehensive core training program.

Summary

In this article we have describe the core and how to train the
core specifically for the improvement of your golf game. A few
points to keep in mind from this article: 1) the core is a
region of the body that includes all muscles from your hips to
your chest, 2) you must develop the capacities of stability,
strength, endurance, and power within the core for a benefit in
your game, and 3) the development of the core must be balanced
in terms of all muscles involved, and in all the training
components (equal amounts of stability, strength, endurance, and
power) within the core. For more information of golf specific
training please look at our website www.BioForceGolf.com

Technorati Tags: neck, pain, Ventura

Ventura neck pain: Just about everything you do during golf practice and/or a game
involves the core region of your body.

Hitting a long drive off the tee, iron shots, pitch shots and
blasting out of the bunker and even putting. Heck, even picking
up the ball in the cup takes strength in your core region.

So, it would make sense then that many of your struggles in golf
originate in the weaknesses in the core of your body.

How do you fix it? Well, there’s no magic core strength pill or
patch. It takes some good, old-fashioned flexibility training
and exercise. Now, I’m not talking about hitting the gym every
day of the week and pumping iron like some of those puffed up
body builders. This is simple stuff you can do right in your
home or office; just minutes a day, maybe 15 to 20 minutes,
that’s it.

I already do my sit-ups every day!

Different types of core exercises exist. Many of you are
probably familiar with exercises such as the sit-up, which is an
exercise that can be used to train the core. If you have read
any of our other articles, read our manual Your Body and Your
Swing or watched the DVD, you are well aware of what the word
core means and its relation to the golf swing.

Let us do a quick review for your benefit and introduce the
types of core exercises to perform for a better golf swing.

The core is an anatomical region of the body. It can generally
be defined as the region of your body between the hips and
chest. It encompasses numerous muscle groups on the front, side,
and backside of the body. In general the core consists of the
muscles that make up your abdominals, lower back, obliques, and
hips.

The core region is important to the golf swing for many reasons.
The core is essentially called the “engine” of the body. It is
the area that “drives” the body for most any human movement
including your golf swing. It is primarily responsible for the
capacities of: balance, stability, and power development within
the body. For these capacities to occur efficiently it is
necessary to train the core for improved performance.

Core Training for the Golfer

Many of us correlate core training to only the abdominal section
of the body. In order to develop the core correctly, we must
train all areas of the core equally. This means to address the
obliques, hips, and lower back with the same number of exercises
and repetitions as you do for the commonly trained abdominal
region.

A quick note from experience: More times than not, most golfers
have “imbalances” in the core region. This means that certain
muscles or muscle groups are weaker than others. To improve your
performance on the golf course, you need to have a balanced core
for optimal strength, endurance and power. Keeping this thought
in mind, many times the lower back region is “weaker” than the
abdominals (an imbalanced core). Picture the golfer picking up
his ball from the cup. We’ve all seen them, creaking as they go
down, maybe a quiet groan as if no one hears it. If this is the
case, additional attention/exercises are needed for the lower
back to bring it “up to speed,” so to speak, in level with the
abdominals.

Moving forward, knowing that we must train the entire core and
create balance between all the muscles, it is time to discuss
what type of exercises to utilize in training the core region.
To develop the core region for golf you will want to perform
exercises in the following categories: stability (balance),
strength, endurance, and power. All four of these categories are
necessary for an optimal swing. Leaving one of the categories
listed above out of your training program is like building a
boat with a hole in it. It won’t work!

Ventura Chiropractors let us define the differing training categories of a “golf
specific core program” to help you better understand the purpose
behind each category. The categories of core training that are
incorporated in golf training are: 1) stability (balance)
training, 2) strength training, 3) endurance training, and 4)
power training.

Balance and Stability

Stabilization exercises are exercises that give the body the
ability to have better balance. A large portion of your balance
capability is directly related to the core region of the body.
If you are unable to maintain your balance throughout the golf
swing, the efficiency of the swing, contact with the ball, and
club head speed will suffer. For example, when you swing your
driver and are not able to maintain that perfect “finished
position” of swing, the problem may be related to your balance
capacities throughout the entire swing.

Balance training develops the integration of your neural and
muscular systems, your brain and your body. Improvement in the
functioning of these two systems of the body and integration of
these two systems will result in a better swing. Follow the
logic and it will all make sense. If you improve the ability of
your body to balance, then the ability to maintain balance
within your golf swing will become easier.

Strength

The golf swing requires that certain body parts remain in a
stable position while other body parts are moving. To perform a
powerful golf swing, the body must have the strength and
flexibility to perform these actions simultaneously.

In order to perform the above activity it is required to develop
the strength parameters of the core. If you have a weak core
then the ability to maintain a posture, keep a posture, and
perform this over a period of time will be compromised. To
repeat, the core region of the body is involved in the
stabilization process of the body. To improve this capacity, we
must train the body to be more efficient at stabilizing itself
during the golf swing. Strength exercises develop and improve
this capacity within your body for the purpose of improving your
golf swing.

Endurance

The golf swing is a repetitive movement performed by the body.
You are doing the same activity over and over. An efficient golf
swing and good scores require that you perform the same swing on
the 18th hole as you do on the 1st hole. If you are unable to do
this then the mechanics of your swing will suffer, as will your
scores. To eliminate this situation it is necessary to develop
the endurance capacities of the core region. Endurance exercises
allow the body to perform the same activity over and over
without getting fatigued. As a result of the golf swing being a
repetitive athletic movement, endurance training will enhance
the ability to maintain your optimal swing mechanics over an
extended period of time.

Power

Power Exercises are geared towards improving the power outputs
of the body. Training for power gives you the opportunity to hit
the ball farther. The core region of the body is directly
related to torque development in the golf swing. Power can also
be defined as torque (rotational power) when discussing the golf
swing. In order to create high amounts of club head speed, your
body has to create large amounts of torque. If you want to
create greater power in your golf swing you must include power
exercises in your core training program.

If you are really serious about improving your game, start at
the core of the problem!

In this article we have described the core and how to train the
core specifically for the improvement of your golf game. A few
points to keep in mind from this article: 1) the core is a
region of the body that includes all muscles from your hips to
your chest, 2) you must develop the capacities of stability,
strength, endurance, and power within the core for a benefit in
your game, and 3) the development of the core must be balanced
in terms of all muscles involved and in all the training
components (equal amounts of stability, strength, endurance, and
power) within the core

Technorati Tags: neck, pain, Ventura

Ventura neck pain: Your back hurts. It hurts a lot. You ask, “What are the exercises to stop the back pain now?” or you plead, “Give me information on back pain exercise!”

Surprisingly, too much rest during an encounter of back pain will often make the condition worse. A day or two of rest should be followed by specific back pain exercise for complete recovery.

How Can Exercise Stop Back Pain?

Careful, thoughtful back pain exercise will help distribute nutrients up and down your spinal column, feeding your muscles, ligaments, nerves, and joints. Specific back pain exercise will stretch you back, making it supple. Other back pain exercise will strengthen your back, and make it strong. Weakness and stiffness, increased by rest, can be overcome by back pain exercise.

Exercises to stop the back pain now will also prevent future back pain, since you will be increasing your back’s ability to handle extra stress or injury.

CHOOSE EXERCISE, NOT REST, TO STOP BACK PAIN NOW

Before you begin back pain exercise, check with your health care provider. Not every back pain exercise will be right for you. If your injury is severe, a spine care specialist will recommend specific exercise techniques to meet your need. Your back pain exercise program should work the entire body, even though your primary target is the back.

What Are the Exercises to Stop Back Pain Now?

Once you decide that back pain exercise is essential, you will want to choose appropriate exercises. We recommend a doctor’s advice, and suggest that you show your doctor these possibilities.

1. Back Pain Exercises – Stretching

Stretching muscles, ligaments and tendons is essential for back health. Whether or not you are currently experiencing back pain, regular stretching of the back will give strength to overcome or prevent injury and trauma to the back. If yours is chronic back pain, plan on regular, daily stretching for as much as six months to give your back the flexibility and strength it needs. You may want to schedule more than one stretching session per day, but work carefully. Eventually, you will find that back pain exercise keeps back pain from recurring.

Set goals (expectations with due dates) for each muscle group. Decide a date by which you want each of these muscle groups to be strong. Write down each date, and determine to meet it.

Warm Up First for Safe, Efficient Back Pain Exercise!!
If there is any pain, stop or take it more slowly.
Cool down after your back pain exercise.

* Gluteus muscles. The muscles in your buttocks support flexibility in your hips as well as your pelvis. Back pain exercise should include these muscles daily.

The gluteus stretch. Sit in a straight back or folding chair. Move your bottom only forward several inches from the chair back. In that position, lightly press your feet against the floor. Now squeeze your gluteus muscles together, and hold for 5 minutes. This stretch allows you to get back pain exercise while watching TV.

* Hamstrings. Located in the back of each leg, your hamstrings help give you correct posture.

The hamstring stretch. Place one foot on a chair, keeping the other leg straight. Bend over until your chest touches the knee of the foot on the chair. Keep your chest on the elevated leg as you slowly back the other leg away from the chair. Hold your stretch for 20 to 30 seconds. This stretch gives good back pain exercise without equipment.

* Piriformis. The piriformis syndrome is caused by the piriformis muscle irritating the sciatic nerve. You feel pain in the buttocks, and referred pain from the back of your thigh to the base of the spine. Many people call this lower back pain “sciatica”.

The piriformis stretch. Lie on your back, right hip and knee flexed. Grasp your right knee with your left hand, and pull the knee towards your left shoulder. In this position, grasp just above the right ankle with the right hand, and rotate the ankle outwards. Repeat with your left side. You might want to do this back pain exercise with gentle music.

* Psoas Major. Lower back mobility can be greatly limited by a tight Psoas Major. This muscle often causes back pain that makes it difficult to kneel on both knees, or to stand for extended periods.

The Psoas Major stretch. Kneel on your right knee, left foot flat on the floor, left knee bent. Rotate the right leg outward. Place your hand on the right gluteus muscle and tighten the muscle. Lean forward through your hip, careful not to bend the lower spine. You should feel the stretch in the front of your right hip. Hold for about 30 seconds. Repeat with your left leg. If you have young children, include them in your back pain exercise.

2. Back Pain Exercises – Strengthening

Back pain can be stopped now, and greatly avoided in the future, by decreasing lower back stress. These exercises develop critical muscles in the abdomen, lower back, and gluteus. Both of these back pain exercises are learned better when working with a trained physical therapist, but if you are careful, you can learn them alone. Although you may do daily stretching back pain exercises, it is important to take a few days off each week from strengthening back pain exercises.

Lower Back strengthening. Begin by lying flat on your back on the floor. Do not push your back down on the floor. Bend both knees. Pull your navel (belly button) in toward your back while keeping your back relaxed. As you breathe out, stretch your arms upward as though you are reaching for an overhead chandelier. Gradually raise head and shoulders from the floor until your shoulder blades are barely touching the floor. Hold the position one to two seconds. Repeat 8 to 12 times. If you feel pain with this back pain exercise, stop or try to do it more gently and slowly.

3. Back and Leg strengthening. This is one of the McKenzie Exercises, named after a New Zealand physical therapist. Lie on your stomach, and push up off the floor with both hands, raising only your chest. Keep your pelvis flat on the floor. Raise your back to a comfortable stretch and hold for 8 to 10 seconds. Repeat 8 to 12 times. You should feel no pain with this back pain exercise, only a pulling up of the spine.

It is strongly suggested that any back pain exercise be done only after seeking professional Ventura chiropractor for medical advice.

Technorati Tags: neck, pain, Ventura