This is Why I Am The Bad Back Guy!

NOT because I have a “bad back!”

While I have suffered with a bad back for years, I no longer suffer from the consequences of a bad back.

As many of you know, once you have a bad back, there are certain strategies, bad back strategies, you must apply to your day-to-day life in order to get through the day in one piece.

However, it is possible to reclain your life and live pain free!

Neck pain, back pain, and sciatic nerve pain do not have to be your constant reality…or a life sentence…I am living proof!

After 14 major spine surgeries, surviving advanced and aggressive osteomyelitis, almost 15 years of pain medication addiction (yes, addiction!), everything from T12 to S1 fused, a herniated disc at T7-8, and compressed vertebrae at C5 and C6, I live pain free. If I can live pain free…you can too!

Meaning, I now longer suffer from:

• Neck Pain
• Back Pain
• Sciatica
• And the myriad of other consequences associated with a “bad back”

You can apply the same strategies I have and reclaim your life! No spam, no scam, no B.S. Just common sense bad back strategies combined with a neck pain, back pain, and sciatic nerve pain relief program that works!

Ultimately, it is up to you!

But this is why I do what I do…this letter from “Bill,” and a follow-up, is why I am The Bad Back Guy!

NOTE: Even with Bill’s permission to sue these, I feel funny about using his name on the Internet…so I am using “Bill.” If “Bill” wants to reveal himself in a comment or in some other way, that is entirely OK with me. He is a great guy!

This is just one example of the letters, emails, Skypes, phone calls, and emails I get daily from people all over the world…people reclaiming their lives…as I have:

Hi John-

I was up to 281 and now am 233. I need to get to around 195-200ish. I seem to have a lot of muscle imblances I am working on.

I had back surgery in 1988 for a synovial cyst removal. Hemilaminectomy and made a full recovery after 5 yrs of pain.

Fast forward to 2004 where i was throwing heavy logs and pop. I thought it was lumbar because my back and leg were killing me. 2 MRI’s and many docs later no back injury. However, i continued to get worse and eventually could not work. It had what they call pubalgia. It is where the adductors and rectus abdominis tear off the pubic bone causing massive pain in the pelvis and back. I had surgery in May 09 and it is finally healed, however now i am left with opposite side back pain and burning in both hamstrings throughout the day. I am extremely tight in the legs and psoas muscles which they say put me into an excessive lordosis. I work out hard but it is hard to because I flare up so easily. i go for massages as well. I am loads better than i was but still have pain daily. I must foam roll and stretch daily. I have blown through my life savings pretty much except 50k of my retirement left. I hope i can go back to work again. By looking at me you would never know but the pain has beaten me down.

That is why your story is important to me. (emphasis added)

Cheers!

“Bill”

“Bill” also sent me the following after a recent blog post, a blog post in which I mentioned some of the attacks from people looking for ulterior motives in my message:

John-

Great work. We believe and are not naysayers. I think many people > doubt because they are afraid…same with the fact that some of Dr. Sarnos work has validity. Many can just not grasp they can get better and sometimes it comes out as anger, doubt and jealously.

Keep up the inspirational postings. It means more than you know. (emphasis added…and it is “Bill” who inspires me!)

“Bill”

For the FTC, I have these emails, and others, on file and have “Bill’s” permission to use them!

JOHN-

you can use anything i post

“Bill”

This is why I do what I do! This is why I am The Bad Back Guy!

I said a long time ago, in Bad Back Guy years, not in geological time (a little paleo-humor there!), I would continue to offer assistance and inspiration as long as one person was inspired to reclaim their life…and I meant it!

What has happened is remarkable!

You have inspired me!

On my way to helping others with their neck pain, back pain, and sciatica?

My readers and viewers have helped and inspired me! In fact, you have given me many times more than I have have given you!

You have inspired me!

So, I want to thank all of you for your emails, letters, Skypes, phone calls (yes, phone calls! How cool is that?!), and comments.

Comment more!

Keep your inspiring stories, questions, and comments coming and I will provide as much useful information as I can, information you can apply to your lives, as I have, to reclaim your life, a life free of neck pain, back pain, and sciatic nerve pain (sciatica).

Contact me any time!

John

Professor John P. J. Zajaros, The Bad Back Guy
216-712-6526 (home)
216-539-7412 (office)
Skype: johnzajaros1
Bus email: johnz@ultimatebadbackstrategies.com
Personal email: excellencepaidforward@gmail.com

PS, Any advice I offer is anecdotal, I am not a medical practitioner, I am a physical anthropologist! Before beginning any sort of a neck pain, back pain or sciatica relief strategy make sure you are cleared by a medical practitioner, preferably one specializing in orthopedics or neurology. Disclaimers are the essence of CYA, and a necessity, in today’s world…unfortunately!

So exciting to be able to go around the block on a walk with the dogs…the big block!

A year ago I was in the hospital and could barely make it to the bathroom without passing out in pain! Today? Well, today is Day 2 of my 30 Day Walk Away from Back Pain and Sciatica! It is so nice to not have to rely on pain medication any more, to constantly have to ice my back, never sleeping more than a couple of hours at a time.

Now? I have my life back! I can pick up my granddaughters, Kailyn and Brynn. I was able to take Kailyn to the park last Saturday and we walked at a quick pace, the way only 2 year olds can. I am walking the dogs again and enjoying my pain free life!

Do you wish to be pain free? Do you want your life back too? Go to How to Stop Sciatica and reclaim what is yours, you life! How to Stop Sciatica is an amazing resource for all back pain sufferers: neck, back and sciatica included! So, what do you have to lose? The Pain!

Good luck to you and try us on Day 3! Go to http://HowToStopSciatica.com and you will be so glad you did! You can join TuffGuy, Bart, and I as we Walk Away the Back Pain and Sciatica over the next 30 days!

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

I invite you to join me as we walk away from back pain and sciatica over the next 30 days!

If you are in severe pain, and I know exactly how difficult that can be, go to http://HowToStopSciatica.com right now!

How to Stop Sciatica is a total back pain and sciatica program, one that can help you with any sort of bad back problem! Any and all! It is the best program I have ever come across for those of us failing to get relief through conventional means, meaning the medical community operating on us and offering liuttle else in the way of hope or alternatives. How to Stop Sciatica will help you almost immediately, it is guaranteed! It has restored my life after 14 back operations! I can walk the dogs, lift up my granddaughters, and even wake in the morning pain free…after sleeping through the night! You can too but you must act! Why wait one more day, experience any more pain, if you don’t have to! Join me as I walk away the pain over the next 30 days! Go to How to Stop Sciatica and get your life back and join me in a celebration of life, instead of in agony one more day!

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

A Simple and Easy Program of Exercise for Back Pain and Sciatica Relief

We will discuss the piriformis muscle stretching exercise, the psoas major muscle stretching exercise, and the hamstring (also known as the leg biceps) muscle stretching exercise.

In order to live a comfortable life in retirement, millions of Americans sacrifice now by putting money into their 401K and other retirement plans. One question to consider is: What good is it to have this nest egg when my hips and back hurt so badly that I can’t enjoy it? Like a financial plan, ensuring a future without low back pain and activity restrictions requires regular and consistent diligence. This article outlines an exercise program that is simple and easily done at home—without requiring exercise equipment or access to a gym or fitness facility.

Exercise program to stretch the back and legs

The following are some stretches that aid in pain relief by helping take stress off the low back and hips and may greatly reduce the advancement of arthritis in the spine. These exercises should be performed in a pain free manner. If pain is experienced, it is best to discontinue the exercises and consider being evaluated by a licensed physical therapist that specializes in treatment of the spine. If one already has low back pain or other health condition, it is advisable to first be evaluated by a physician and, as appropriate, receive guidance on how to do the following exercises by a spine specialist.

1) Piriformis muscle stretching exercise

The piriformis muscle runs from the back of the femur (thigh bone) to the sacrum (base of the spine). Tightness in this muscle has been linked to sacroiliac joint dysfunction and even sciatica-type pain along the sciatic nerve. To stretch the piriformis, lie on your back and cross the involved leg over the other. With both knees bent, place both hands together under the knee of the other leg (the lower leg), and gently pull the bottom leg toward your chest and hold both thighs closely until a stretch is felt in the buttock area.

Hold 30 seconds

Repeat

1-2 times per day

2) Psoas Major muscle stretching exercise

The Psoas Major muscle attaches to the front portion of the lower spine (from thoracic vertebra 12 through lumbar vertebra 5) and can greatly limit low back mobility when tight. It often is one of the sources of low back pain in patients who have difficulty standing for extended periods or kneeling on both knees. This muscle can be stretched in a half kneeling position (kneeling on one knee). Rotate the leg outward and tighten the gluteal muscles on the side you’re stretching. Next, lean forward through the hip joint rather then bending through the lumbar spine. A stretch should be felt in the front of the hip that the patient is kneeling on.

Hold 30 seconds

Repeat

1-2 times per day

3) Hamstring muscle stretching exercise

The hamstrings run from the back of the ishial tuberosity (pelvic bone) to just below the back of the knee. They are responsible for bending the knee and assisting the gluteal muscles to extend the hip. These muscles are very important to stretch because, when tight, they make it nearly impossible to sit up straight. People who do not sit with an erect posture run the risk of early onset of degenerative disc disease and neck pain. Tight hamstring muscles are also associated with low back pain. One way to gently stretch hamstring muscles is to lie on the back and grasp the leg behind the knee with the hip flexed to 90 degrees and the knee bent. Attempt to straighten the knee with the toes pointed back toward you.

Hold 30 seconds

Repeat

1-2 times per day

This is meant to be a stop-gap measure, something to get you going until you can initiate a complete, individualized program…such as those below!

For further information and 3 intelligent programs of treatment and/or exercise, one that will work for your neck pain, back pain, and/or sciatica, guaranteed, go to:

http://www.HowToStopSciatica.info

For additional information and links to several excellent back treatment programs; ice-compression braces for inflammation and swelling; New Balance running shoes, the best for heel cushioning when pain is at its worst; other heel and foot cushioning devices; orthotics for days when running shoes won’t get it and you need cushioning and support; and, and awesome array of other products for neck pain, back pain, and sciatic nerve pain sufferers you can also visit:


http://www.UltimateBadBackStrategies.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=John_Zajaros

How to Stop Sciatca: Understanding the Age-Progressive Phenomena and Processes Affecting the Spine

The process of aging may have multiple impacts and/or effects on the spine, with myriad symptoms expressed. Some symptoms of a more severe, underlying condition may include neck pain, back pain, and sciatica nerve pain, also known as sciatica. Some consequences of aging that lead to pain are degenerative disc disease, spinal stenosis, and herniated discs. In addition to these conditions or pathologies, an individual may develop osteophytosis, bony spurs or bridges from one vertebral body to the next, osteoarthritis, sacroiliac joint dysfunction, and a myriad of other, often related pathologies.

Sciatica is often a consequence of one or more of the above mentioned conditions. The medical term for sciatic nerve pain, also known as sciatica, is radiculopathy. Radiculopathy is a term that means, in layman’s English, that the disc in between the vertebral bodies is out of position and is irritating the nerve root, the radicular nerve. Sciatica may be experienced at any point along the nerve route. Specifically, sciatica is a symptom or set of symptoms. Sciatic nerve pain is not the ultimate diagnosis but rather an expression of the pain itself. In its simplest expression, sciatica is pain that generally radiates across the buttocks and down one or both legs. The reason sciatica is referred to as a set of symptoms instead of as a diagnosis is because it does not explain the underlying cause of the pain. In fact, there may be many causes and or many factors that are contributing to what we commonly referred to as sciatica.

Sciatica may range from a slight discomfort in the buttocks or behind the knee to a severe, debilitating, and even disabling and/or crippling level of pain. In most cases, sciatic nerve pain will affect or impact only one side of the body, pain may be limited to a single region or it may express itself all the way down the leg and even into the toes. The actual sciatic nerve pain or sciatica may range from mild discomfort and tingling to a burning sensation that worsens upon sitting. Weakness, loss of feeling, and even loss of function may be a consequence of sciatica. Because the condition is a symptom and not the ultimate diagnosis, if it should last more than 48 to 72 hours, a medical practitioner should be consulted.

Degenerative disc disease is but one cause of sciatic nerve pain or sciatica. However, it is one of the most common, if not the most common, of the many causes of not only sciatica but also back pain and neck pain. Degenerative disc disease is one of the most misunderstood of all spinal pathologies. Because it is termed “degenerative” people often assume that there is a progression, ultimately worsening with age. In fact, the opposite seems to be true, the degeneration of the intervertebral discs (IVDs) is a natural consequence of aging. Pain associated with degenerative disc disease, like sciatica itself, ranges in its expression from mild to severe. Degenerative disc disease is, in fact, completely mislabeled, for it is neither degenerative in the sense that it is a relentless, ongoing pathology, nor is it a disease in the sense that it is an illness. It is not! Finally, if diagnosed with degenerative disc disease, you are not doomed to a progression ultimately leading to disability but, rather, it is within your power to deal effectively with the symptoms of low back pain and sciatica.

Spinal stenosis or simply stenosis generally refers to a narrowing of the nerve canal through which a nerve or bundle of nerves pass through. So, if you picture a small hole, one that over time becomes narrower and narrower, eventually becoming so restrictive that the nerve becomes pinched and pain ensues, you have a basic idea, a picture, of what stenosis is. There are many causes for stenosis, some having to do with bone deposition due to stress, others with inflammation, still others with a complex of factors. Ultimately, they all lead to the same set of symptoms, neck pain, back pain, and/or sciatica. Stenosis may be the most difficult condition, pathology, to deal with and may ultimately require surgery to reopen the passage so the nerve can pass through unrestricted. However, there are alternative treatments strategies available for those unwilling or unable to undergo surgery.

Herniated discs often cause severe, even debilitating neck pain, back pain, and sciatica. The condition is most common in white males 35 to 40 years old, and older. The IVDs most affected are those of the secondary curvatures of the spine, the cervical (neck) and lumbar (low back) areas or curvatures. However, other sectors of the population and the other curvatures of the spine can be and are affected as well. Picture a jelly doughnut, that’s right, a jelly doughnut! The intervertebral disk or IVD is very much like a jelly doughnut. The IVD is made up of circular rings of cartilage surrounding a fluid center. When a disc herniates or ruptures, the fluid center bulges out from the center placing pressure on the nerve root. The pressure on the nerve root causes neck pain, back pain, and/or sciatica, varying from mild to debilitating. Once again, as with spinal stenosis, the prognosis depends on the severity of the herniation or rupture, and degree of damage or possibility of damage to the surrounding area. A herniated disc, putting pressure on the nerve root, depending on the level affected, may express itself in myriad ways. In all cases in which pain presents itself for more than 48 to 72 hours, a medical practitioner should be consulted.

Age-progressive phenomena such as osteoarthritis, osteophytosis, and others will be discussed more completely in a subsequent article. However, many age-progressive phenomena are a consequence of a complex of issues related to aging, combined with muscle atrophy, due to a sedentary lifestyle, and our body’s attempt to strengthen the primary and secondary curvatures of the spine. Because we stand erect, our secondary curvatures, those of the cervical and lumbar regions of the spine come under tremendous stress and pressure, particularly as we age and muscles weaken. The complex of weakening muscles, aging, and other factors leads to an adaptive response by the body, particularly by the spine, to strengthen an area under stress. Osteophyte bridges, also known as bone spurs or bony bridges, occur as an adaptive response to the weakening of muscles responsible for supporting the curvatures of the spine, particularly the secondary curvatures. Ultimately, this condition is avoidable, through a program of exercise and stretching to maintain those muscles, avoiding excess stress and pressure in the IVD and the vertebrae themselves.

Degenerative disc disease, spinal stenosis, herniated discs, and even osteophytosis may be effectively dealt with by adding an individualized and intelligently maintained exercise and stretching program to your daily routine. Because there are so many factors involved in any pain complex, particularly when expressed as neck pain, back pain, and/or sciatica, when unsure we should always defer to our medical practitioner. A pain reduction strategy that includes exercise, stretching, ice-compression braces, the proper shoes, orthotics for those times when soft-soled shoes are inappropriate and even anti-inflammatory medication may be more than adequate for most expressions of neck pain, back pain, and sciatica symptoms and/or expressions. Once again, should pain continue for more than 48 to 72 hours, individuals suffering from severe back pain and sciatica should see their medical practitioner.

For further information and 3 intelligent programs of treatment and/or exercise, one that will work for your neck pain, back pain, and/or sciatica, guaranteed, go to:

http://www.HowToStopSciatica.info

For additional information and links to several excellent back treatment programs; ice-compression braces for inflammation and swelling; New Balance running shoes, the best for heel cushioning when pain is at its worst; other heel and foot cushioning devices; orthotics for days when running shoes won’t get it and you need cushioning and support; and, and awesome array of other products for neck pain, back pain, and sciatic nerve pain sufferers:

http://www.UltimateBadBackStrategies.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=John_Zajaros