5 Ways to Treat Back Pain at Home

back painThe many tasks at home and at the workplace that we have to accomplish everyday can cause us back pain at the end of the day. We always want to accomplish as many tasks as we want because we want to have a better life. However, acquiring back pains and not minding about it will cause us serious health problems in the future, which may put to waste our efforts why we work very hard today.

So, whenever we feel uncomfortable about our body, we should always take the necessary steps to help our body feel good again. When it comes to back pains, we could always rely on over the counter medicines. However, being too dependent on drugs has some side effects too in the long run. So, a better way to get rid of back pain is to consider home remedies that are safe and natural. Some of them are listed below:

Get Immediate Relief from Massage Cream 

When your back pain is no longer tolerable you’d want to have an immediate relief. This can be achieved using back massage. So, when you’re back at home ask your partner or parent to do the massage. The best way is to use a cream or ointment with menthol for that relaxing feeling. Use the cream to gently rub the area that aches.

But if you’ve been enduring the pain for days, it would be better to seek the service of a professional massage therapist. The therapist has the knowledge and skills on how the ease your back pain using massage techniques such as pressure. Since you most probably have time for a massage session after work, you can rely on an after hours physiotherapist in Prahran VIC.

Indulge in a Hot Bath 

One of the common reasons why we get back is because of the incorrect posture when at work. For example, sitting for longer hours at the office affect how we discipline our body in terms of following the right posture. So, to ease back pain that arose from this condition, taking a hot bath can be helpful. The hot water will relax the muscles and staying in the tub with hot water for around 20 minutes can be very soothing.

Women who are pregnant though should not stay too long in hot tubs. The high water temperature will also increase the body’s temperature, which is dangerous because it will most likely cause birth defects. It may even cause miscarriage.

Get Enough Sleep Every Night

One reason also why we get body and back pains is because we lack sleep or we abuse our body and sleep very late in the night while waking too early in the morning to catch up with the time in at work. With this, you have to always remind yourself that you need to be strict in disciplining yourself. Take at least eight hours of sleep every night. When the body lacks sleep and is faced with a lot of work the next day, it will fire back by giving your body pains.

Practice Yoga 

Treating back pain from the outside is just one side of the treatment. It is also necessary and actually more beneficial to treat it self-healing practices such as yoga. Doing yoga for a few minutes in the morning or anytime of the day you feel comfortable, your muscles are stretched in such a way that it brings a relaxing feeling to the body. It somehow loosens the muscles and breaks the stiffness of the tissues.

According to the “Annals of Internal Medicine”, a study published in Europe, the body experiences an improvement in its functions after taking one yoga class weekly for three consecutive months. This is a result that the conventional physical therapy and medicine cannot deliver. Just imagine when you do yoga more frequently.

Do Stretching 

This is not as complex as yoga but the right stretching technique can also give you immediate back pain relief. There are also studies that prove stretching is effective in relieving back pain. One way to do this is to stand straight behind the walls, raise your hands and hold them together at the top. Do this for a few minutes. You may repeat if you feel the need to.

With these natural home remedies, you can effectively relieve yourself of back pains. You need to take back pains seriously because it may lead to more serious back problems that may hugely affect your spinal cord or your whole body in general. Since back pain affects our productivity, it is a must to acquire treatment at the soonest time. Whether it be natural remedy or clinical intervention, spending into any of these is a good investment. It is a great advantage to pay attention to your health.

Filling Nutrient Deficiency with Food Supplements

With the fast-paced lifestyle that we live today, many people are prone to getting sick. We all know that illness and diseases cause paralysis to our daily routine therefore, we must keep ourselves in the best of health. In the next passages, you will learn the importance of taking supplements as a method in achieving good health.

Needless to say, enriching your food with vitamins and minerals is fundamental for staying fit and healthy. In order for you to have a normal, happy life you need to be in a good shape. Numerous people try to stay in their best shape by combining strenuous physical exercises with suitable food regimens, while trying to reduce stress and bring positive improvements in their lifestyle. Eating healthy, organic meals will contribute to a healthier body and will provide one with a better perspective on life.

Experts advise that people eat healthy and consume primarily fresh veggies, red meat, nuts and yoghurt, while avoiding fatty and sugary meals. Nutritional professionals also prefer to evaluate the condition of every person on an individual basis before assigning the right regiment for them. In all cases, a healthy diet should be effectively combined with good-quality meals. Your food regiment should be so diverse that you should leave little room for illness, immunity breakouts or nutritional deficiencies. 

Only a qualified professional can provide you with the tips to stay healthy based on your personal needs.  A professional will also recommend places where you can buy high-quality dietary supplements. There are numerous reputable nutritionist and doctors in the Melbourne area. You are advised to find someone with the right qualifications and years of experience before booking your appointment.

Also, you have to make sure that you find the right place to purchase your medications and supplements from. You have to identify some Melbourne’s trusted health food stores. These will provide not only a plethora of selections, but will also help one find good supplements from well-known providers. Numerous people hesitate whether it’s a good idea to take vitamins and minerals as supplements, or enhance their diet naturally with the right food.

Why taking vitamins and supplements is a good idea?

Vitamins and supplements cannot do more than enhancing your diet. It is not recommended to replace your diet regiment with any of those. It’s best to extract the nutritional benefits from natural food, and if doctors find out about some deficiencies.

Common supplements include Vitamin D for those who have not been sufficiently exposed to the Sun. Those who are low in vitamin D should consult with a doctor who will prescribe the best for their specific condition. Also, numerous doctors claim that vitamins and supplements on their own cannot promote health. They can only assist the body with coping with a disease and strengthening the body’s defense mechanisms.

Another important supplement is Folic Acid which is strongly recommended to pregnant women for baby growth and development. Typically most grain products in the United States contain folic acid but numerous doctors recommend additional intake for a completely healthy pregnancy. Also, there are numerous vitamins, including vitamin A, vitamin C and vitamin B that are good to enhance your diet regimen.                                 

Vitamins and supplements can be very effective tools for improving one’s condition and strengthening their immune system. One of the best ways to determine their quality is to get background information about who produces them and their certifications. 

After you identify a few chains that provide healthy meals and healthy supplements, you can turn into their loyal client and enjoy a new healthy routine.

It is important to note that vitamins and supplements are not replacements to food products. The normality of the body functioning is always dependent on the kind of food that enters the body. This is the reason why many of us should be cautious on the types of food that we eat because these must contain the right amount if nutrients that will keep our body healthy.

In the event that nutrients are lacking in the food that we eat, this is where the food supplements come in. They fill in nutrients which make a well-balanced diet. The completeness of vitamins, minerals and nutrients allow the body to functioning normally, preventing the entry of sickness and diseases.

If you think that your daily meals aren’t proving the necessary nutrients then incorporating the right food supplements can be a good idea. With this, asking advice from a doctor or health professional is the best way to learn the correct amount and frequency of food supplements to take on a daily basis.

A lifestyle is a balance of everything – proper diet, ample amount of exercise and use of supplements that complete the needed nutrients in every meal. Getting sick cannot be avoided but this can always be prevented.

Prevent Diabetes Even Before it Starts

diabetes 1
Diabetes is a growing pandemic not only in third world countries, where close to 80 percent of diabetes cases are attributed to low income conditions, but also in the Western world, including the United States.  
Close to 350 million people all over the world have diabetes, with experts believing it could very well rise to become the world’s number 7 in the leading cause of death by 2030. In 2012 alone, more than one-and-a-half million people died because of diabetes. The good news is that Type 2 diabetes is highly preventable.

Understanding Diabetes

When you eat, carbohydrates are converted into energy-giving molecules known as glucose, or simply sugar. The sugar is transported from the blood and into the different cells of the body by a hormone called insulin. Insulin is the critical transport mechanism needed to move sugar from the blood and into the cell. 
In diabetes, there is a problem with insulin. In Type 1 diabetes, the body is not producing enough insulin or none at all because of a defect in the pancreas, the organ that produces insulin, or a problem in the production of insulin. In Type II diabetes, the pancreas is otherwise healthy and there is enough insulin in the body. But the main problem is that it cannot get inside the cell.

The end result of all these processes is that sugar in the blood accumulates while cells starve to death. This is because there is no insulin to carry the sugar from the blood and into the cell or that there are certain factors that are preventing insulin from carrying out its job.

Can it be Prevented?

Obviously, the problem with Type 1 is a genetic flaw with the production of insulin in the pancreas. So, there is very little that can be done to prevent it. However, Type II diabetes is highly preventable. 

Diabetes has been closely associated with obesity. Experts have compelling evidence that addressing obesity can significantly reduce the risk of diabetes. Prevention therefore will be directed towards the prevention of obesity or the management of weight issues.

  • diabetes 2Regular exercises are essential to diabetes prevention. The greater the physical inactivity, the higher the risk for obesity and the greater the chances for diabetes. It is recommended that exercises should be performed at least three times a week.
  • Eat healthy. Include whole grains and a lot of fiber in your diet. Think about portion control and the variety of foods that you eat. High fiber foods can significantly improve your ability to control sugar. Lose weight. Excess fat increases resistance to insulin making it more difficult to bring sugar into the cell. 

Diabetes prevention is more of a choice. By starting at a young age, having enough exercise and a healthy pattern of eating can significantly reduce your risk of diabetes. If you are health buff and would like to read more health topics visit this site.

5 Things to Avoid to Have Healthier and Happier Life

happy lifeIt is true that happiness and health are subjective terms and vary significantly based on our experiences in life. As we grow older, life begins to take a new form, priorities and goals change, and the dreading issues of midlife crisis associated with old age has a tendency to lower the levels of happiness, which in turn can affect  our physical health. The following are the 5 things to avoid in order to have a healthier and happier life.

Negative Thinking

Intense emotions, loss of a family member, breakups, and so on, make you feel low. These negative and stressful situations can leave you feeling miserable. If you bottle up your feelings, they can come out in the form of negativity, anger, rejection, aggression, etc. Negative thinking can do incomparable harm to yourself on various levels. Just imagine a someone who has only negative thoughts filled his mind. Constant negativity can result in many harmful effects such as restlessness and anxiety. It can bring you down and develop a low self-esteem. Therefore, it prevents your growth as a person and from achieving your full potential.

Sitting All Day

Recreational sitting such as sitting in front of a TV for a long time increases the risk of heart related problems, in spite of your physical activity. Naturally, sitting at a desk for longer hours is not good either. People are usually engrossed in their work the whole day. Some even take their work home while others remain mentally occupied with their work. It eventually starts to take a toll on the mind.

Research has shown that sitting all day is bad for the health, no matter how much exercise you perform. Moreover, studies have connected excessive sitting to being obese, overweight, type 2 diabetes, premature death and certain types of cancer. Prolonged sitting is considered to slow the metabolism, which can affect the ability of the body to regulate blood pressure, blood sugar, as well as break down fat deposits.

Drinking Alcohol

Alcohol disrupts the communication pathways of the brain, which can affect the way it functions. These disturbances can change the behavior and mood, making it more difficult to move with coordination and think clearly. Drinking excessively can weaken the immune system, causing the body an easier target for illnesses. Chronic drinkers are also at risk of contracting diseases such as tuberculosis and pneumonia. In addition, drinking too much on one occasion reduces the ability of the body to ward off infections, even until the following day after getting drunk.

Eating Alone

Our diet is not fixed, as it changes after some time. Also, the ability to eat a healthy diet is influenced by the social environment, which includes factors such as friendships, marriage, cohabitation and general social interaction. As we age, we are less inclined to eat well, and the diet often suffers for those older people who are living alone.

People who eat alone are more prone to have a binge feeding. In addition, the eating habits suffer when a person eats alone. Lonely diners tend to eat less healthy meals and fewer vegetables. It seems that people make less effort to eat well when we are eating by ourselves as compared to when someone else is around. Seeing that an estimated one out of three employees eat lunch at their own desk alone, it is easy to figure out how this can contribute to major health problems in the long run.

Bad Relationships

There are people out there who are constantly involved in disappointing relationships. There seem to be always missing. Your needs are not met and your emotions undergo a roller coaster whenever that wrong person is around. If you are in a bad relationship now, you are in for failure without probably knowing it.

Those who are in a disruptive relationship are more likely to have a heart problem. It shows how crucial the quality of the relationship between two persons to the development of chronic illnesses, including congestive heart failure. Moreover, criticism and hostility, the two common behaviors in a negative relationship, can deteriorate the mental health of the person.

As you can see, your happiness and the well-being are related and you should not compromise these two. Ultimately, these positive elements can also reflect your financial and social success. Learn more about wellness and living a healthy lifestyle as you check out my previous article here.

Why Walking Should Be Considered The Best Exercise Ever

walk

If you are keen in maintaining your overall health then walking for thirty minutes every day will help to strengthen bones, reduce excess body fat, increase cardiovascular fitness; and boost endurance and muscle power. You will also be able to eliminate the risk of developing conditions such as osteoporosis, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and some cancers. Walking unlike some other forms of exercise is free and doesn’t require any special equipment or training.

Walking is low in impact, requires minimal equipment and the best part of walking is that you can do it at any time of the day and at your own pace. Walking also serves as an excellent form of physical activity for people who are elderly, overweight and even those who haven’t exercised in a long time.

When you walk for fun and fitness, you will not be limiting yourself when you stroll all by yourself around local neighbourhood streets. Numerous types of clubs, venues and strategies are available that you can use to make walking a social as well as an enjoyable part of your lifestyle.

Health benefits of walking

When you walk, you carry your own body weight which is referred to as weight-bearing exercise. Some of the benefits include:

  • Improved balance and stronger bones
  • Improvised management of conditions like that of muscular and joint pain, high cholesterol hypertension as well as stiffness and diabetes
  • Increased muscle strength and endurance
  • Increased pulmonary (heart and lung) and cardiovascular fitness
  • Reduced body fat
  • Reduced risk of stroke and heart disease
  • Walking for 30 minutes a day

In order to avail of the maximum health benefits, try to walk for at least 30 minutes as briskly as you can. A brisk walk means that you cannot sing but you can still talk and you may be puffing slightly. Disciplined activities like walking bear little health risk but, if you have any sort of a medical condition, it’s always best to consult your doctor before starting any new exercise program of physical activity.

You should try and make walking a routine – for example, every day you should walk at the same time. Remember to use the same amount of energy, irrespective of when you walk. This is why you should do what is easier for you. If you are able to find someone to walk with you will help make it a regular activity.

In order to measure the number of steps you take, you can use a pedometer. It can also be used to measure your movement all through the day so that you can compare it with the other days. You may be motivated to move more. In order to avail of the health benefits, you should undertake 10,000 steps or more which is the stipulated number of steps accumulated per day. brisk-walking

Here’s why walking is good for you

  • It lowers disease risk: Apart from heart disease, walking as a habit can reduce the chances of your developing asthma, type 2 diabetes and some types of cancer. It has been revealed that every day when you take more steps it can help keep diabetes at bay.
  • It makes a perfect fitness date: If you are interested in catching up with your friends then swapping some happy hours for a walking date means you’ll also be able to indulge in all the gossip you can handle while burning a few calories
  • It bolsters your heart: It has been revealed that regular walking helps to minimize stroke and heart disease. It reduces levels of LDL or bad cholesterol and at the same time it also enhances levels of HDL or good cholesterol. Your blood pressure is also kept in check.
  • It tones your bum, legs and tummy: When you take a good walk, it can help build up the shape of your legs thereby providing excellent definition to quads, calves, lifting your gluts (buttock muscles) and hamstrings. However, while walking if you keep a check on your posture, it can whittle your waist and tone your abs too.
  • It acts as a calorie burner: Walking @ 20-minute-mile pace, it helps to burn every hour some 103 calories which is not bad at all. You can burn some more calories every hour when you pick more pace. You will be able to burn about 118 calories when you undertake a 15-minute-mile pace.
  • Walking will be able to ward of that uncomfortable big meal feeling: When you go for a walk after a heavy meal, it will help in digestion and at the same time it will also help fight heartburn.

These are therefore some of the major health benefits of walking.

So, here’s to happy walking and a happy you!

READ: Honey and Healthy Skin Care

3 Ways to Get More Out of Your Physical Therapy

sicalInjured or being ill isn’t pleasure. The purpose of physical therapy will be to return you to normal-self by helping your body recover so that you can get your freedom back. Even though the procedure may be long and sometimes hurt, the outcomes are well worth the attempt. While you’ve got a well-informed medical professional plus regimen and a scheduled time to assist and educate you, there are things that you can do in order to help optimize your efforts. Maybe you can get better more rapidly, or feel more relaxed through your attempts that are added. Either way, it’s worth it to put in the additional work.

1. Take notes

There will probably be several distractions during your physical therapy session. Don’t forget the exercises given to you personally, bring something to record the progress. Whether it’s paper and pencil, the therapist’s own handout, or a camera, shoot lots of notes that are great which you can reference later. In addition, ensure they take notes in your advancement, so time is not wasted redoing work during your next session or answering questions.

2. Certainly describe your pain

therapySome say that pain is the same… certainly not true. Nevertheless, there are a number of methods for pain to establish. Your therapist must understand what type you’ve got to be able to assist you. Describe whether the pain is not dull, throbbing, stabbing, or achy. Allow the PT understand only when you do a specific measure, or whether it continues consistently. Additionally, make sure you develop a system for how intense the pain is… not much, or just competent to manage it. Equipped with the proper knowledge of what pain the physical therapist can discover what is and isn’t working. They are able to let you know should you take it easy or if it’s standard and needs to be worked through.

3. Be prepared

Make sure you get there punctually and correctly dressed for your sessions. You simply have restricted time with your PT before their next appointment. It’s a pity to squander your cash as well as their time by missing portion of your session as you’re not fully prepared or late. Your clothing ought to be loose enough to encourage any motion demanded of you and comfortable. In addition, it might be wise to switch your telephone off, so there aren’t any distractions.

Honey And Healthy Skin Care

honey

Is honey great for your skin? You can believe it or not but actually it is not bad for your skin. Honey and skin care go together rather nicely. Honey has excellent moisturizing advantages, plus, it has antibacterial and antioxidant properties also.

Moisturizing Properties

The humectant qualities in honey will keep your skin. Honey also includes great nutrients like minerals, amino acids and vitamin B and C. These components that are significant will keep your skin nourished and healthy-looking.

Antioxidant Properties

The all-natural antioxidants in honey will fight free radicals which may cause your own skin to age prematurely. Free radicals are only organic molecules which were known to cause skin tissue damage.

Antibacterial Properties

In the event that you suffer with acne, the antibacterial properties of honey can help fend off blemishes. It’s possible for you to put some honey on the blemish or use it as a facial mask weekly. With routine use, honey can slow down or prevent new acne from developing. It is also possible to set honey on skin abrasions. The antibacterial properties will assist the region to cure faster.

Honey Contains Properties for Your Hair to remain Healthy

It surely does work because honey contains humectant properties which prevent your hair from becoming damaged and dry. The sugar content in honey also helps stop moisture reduction. Keeping your hair moisturized helps to reinforce your hair follicles. Honey also has powerful germicidal, fungicidal and antioxidant properties too. All these characteristics work to stop baldness.

What Skin Kinds may reap the benefits of Honey?

All skin types may reap the benefits of using honey. The majority of us had some kind of skin problem, and honey actually will be able to allow you to fight the issue most of the time. People who have skin kinds that are dryer will need to make use of honey on a regular basis to maintain their skin supple appearing.

Honey Facial Mask

Among the simplest methods to use honey for your face would be to use it as a facial mask. Only use it all over your face and allow it to stay on for about 5 minutes. It may be a bit tricky in the beginning, however the following program will be simpler when you get the hang of it. Simply rinse the honey off with warm water.