This is my wife’s story about Chronic Back Pain and how she gained relief from the never ending pain that was ruining her life.

She went from Doctor to Doctor trying to find some relief from the pain in her lower back and right knee. Every Doctor she saw, prescribed pain medications and muscle relaxants. Nothing seemed to alleviate the pain. Over the next two years, she went from mild pain relievers, such as aspirin, massive doses of Ibuprofen and Motrin , weak opioids, such as codeine, and strong opioids, such as morphine, and all the narcotic pain medicines including a patch that she wore on her back. My wife was slowly becoming drug dependent because of the pain. She had seen what drug addiction had done to her nephew and she did not want to be in that situation. She had gotten to the point, that she stated, ” If I have to live like this for the rest of my life, I do not want to live”! She had no quality of life at all. I eventually had to leave my full-time employment and work just part-time in order to be at home to care for her. She wasn’t able to get in or out of bed, use the bathroom, do menial household chores or practically anything! We even had to rent a hospital bed for her to sleep in to relieve the pressure of laying on her back.

During the next year, she was evaluated by three (3) different neuro-surgeons and back specialists, two (2) pain management specialists and a chiropractor. All the surgeons diagnosed her condition as two (2) Prolapsed Discs, and Neuropathy. The prognosis was the same, from all three surgeons; surgery was NOT an option, because of the condition of her back and spinal column. They all stated that surgery would possibly leave her worse than her condition was already.

On one of the visits to her pain management Doctor, she had asked him if there was anything at all that could help her with the pain and to get off of all the narcotics that she was on. The Doctor said that there was a device called a neuro-stimulator that she might be a candidate for. For some patients it would work and for some it would not. He even said that some patients could not get used to the way the device felt and asked for it to be removed. She said, ” WHEN can I try it?” The neurostimulation system is typically implanted in a two-stage procedure, separated by a trial screening period lasting approximately 1 to 10 days. Stage 1 involves implantation of a lead for trial screening, and Stage 2 involves implantation of the complete neurostimulation system.

The following article, is an excerpt from Medtronic’s Web-Site about how the Neurostimulation device works. (http://www.medtronic.com/neuro/paintherapies/pain_t reatment_ladder/neurostimulation/neuro_neurostimulat ion.html).

How Neurostimulation Controls Pain

Neurostimulation delivers low voltage electrical stimulation to the spinal cord or targeted peripheral nerve to block the sensation of pain. One theory, the Gate Control Theory of pain developed by researchers Ronald Melzack and Patrick Wall, proposes that neurostimulation activates the body’s pain inhibitory system. According to this theory, there is a gate in the spinal cord that controls the flow of noxious pain signals to the brain. The theory suggests that the body can inhibit these pain signals or “close the gate” by activating certain non-noxious nerve fibers in the dorsal horn of the spinal cord. The neurostimulation system, implanted in the epidural space, stimulates these pain-inhibiting nerve fibers, masking the sensation of pain with a tingling sensation (paresthesia).1,2

1Melzack R, Wall PD. Pain mechanisms: A new theory. Science. 1965; 150(699):971-9.

2Shealy CN, Mortimer JT, Reswick JB. Electrical inhibition of pain by stimulation of the dorsal columns: Preliminary clinical report. Anesth Analg. 1967; 46(4):489-91.

As soon as she came out of the Doctor’s procedure room, from having the trial neurostimulator attached, she had the BIGGEST smile on her face! One that I had not seen for several years. Just that soon, and she was not experiencing any pain! Well, for three (3) days, she was acting like a different person. When she went back to have the trial device removed, her pain immediately returned. The next step, was the actual implant procedure. For two (2) weeks, she had to live with pain once again.

On the day my wife’s surgery was scheduled, she could hardly wait to get to the hospital! The procedure itself, took just a little over four (4) hours, and she would be admitted for observation overnight. After she arrived in her room, still a little under the anesthesia, I could tell that she was OK! She had that same smile on her face! The Representative from Medtronic went over the procedure with me and explained how the device would work.

My wife had the procedure on Jul 12, 2007. To this day, she has been virtually pain free. There are times when she has slight pain, but she can adjust the neurostimulator to her comfort level. Occasionally, she has to return to the Pain Management office for “tune-ups” just to fine tune the device for optimal performance. It takes approximately 15 minutes, the Medtronic Representative uses a hand-held device simular to a palm pilot to make the changes, and that is it.

We can never thank Medtronic enough for this method of managing her pain! It has made all the difference in the quality of life that my wife has now. She can do almost anything she wishes now, with moderation, and she even is able to enjoy working in her flower garden again. Something she had not been able to do for the last two (2) years.

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Referred to as the “Grand Prix of epidemiology” by The New York Times, this study examines more than 350 variables of health and nutrition with surveys from 6,500 adults in more than 2,500 counties across China and Taiwan, and conclusively demonstrates the link between nutrition and heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. While revealing that proper nutrition can have a dramatic effect on reducing and reversing these ailments as well as curbing obesity, this text calls… More >>

The China Study: The Most Comprehensive Study of Nutrition Ever Conducted and the Startling Implications for Diet, Weight Loss and Long-term Health

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• help relieve lower back pain, hip pain, & knee pain with better support

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Studies by the Better Sleep Council show that 85% of the American Population sleep on their sides. The Back Buddy is mainly designed for side sleepers. Back Buddy knee pillows support the leg, hips, knees, & lower back. This can help to relieve discomfort from lower back pain, sciatic pain, arthritis and gout.

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Back Buddy Knee Pillow – Better Alignment of Your Knees, Hips, & Lower Back

Barack Obama’s ambitious health care plan is fairly simple and straightforward. His plan seeks to dramatically and swiftly increase the number of people that have health insurance. He insists that this plan will save the typical American family approximately $2500 in annual costs. Since the average Ohio health insurance premium is less than most other states, savings to Ohio residents may average less than $2500.

The Obama plan is designed to give the federal government more control over health care decisions and dollars, a major difference from the current decentralized system of employer-based insurance and state-based insurance regulation. Here in Ohio, health insurers have been effectively held in check by the Ohio Department of Insurance. This, however, is not the case in many other states.

The Obama Plan

Many parts of the Obama plan resemble initiatives from the Clinton health plan of 1994 and the Kerry Health plan of 2004.
Essentially, Obama’s health care plan is divided into three sections:

1. Modernizing the US health care system to lower costs and improve quality
2. Promoting prevention and strengthening public health
3. Quality, portable and affordable health coverage for every person

The “Savings”

The $2500 in savings will come from health care reform, using some of the following initiatives:

*Making health insurance universal, which may reduce spending on uncompensated care.
*Improving management and prevention of chronic conditions.
*Increasing insurance industry competition and reducing underwriting costs and profits.
*Providing reinsurance for catastrophic coverage, which will reduce insurance premiums.

Shifting Cost Burden

While all of these ideas are feasible, the underlying theme seems to be simply shifting some of the cost burden from the private sector to the government. And of course, much more control of our health dollars and decisions would come from Washington D.C and not Anthem or UnitedHealthCare.

The Obama plan will actually compete directly with Ohio private health insurance companies in a “National Health Insurance Exchange.” The federal government (not health insurance carriers) would determine the quality of health benefits that Americans would receive. And these new rules would apply to both the new national health plan and all participating private health plans.

Preventative Coverage Would Be Emphasized

Obama’s health care plan will encourage “healthy lifestyles” with specific emphasis on wellness. Employer wellness programs will be increased, and cafeterias and vending machines in the workplace may see healthier food.

School-based health screening programs may increase along with increased support for physical education.

For Ohio individuals and families, the Obama plan would require preventative services on many federally-supported health programs such as Medicare, Medicaid and SCHIP. One benefit may be possible discounts to on health insurance premiums for enrollment in wellness and prevention programs.

Currently, some Ohio individual health insurance policies offer a similar discount, such as Anthem’s Lumenos Health Incentive Account (HIA).

Ohio Group Health Insurance

Employer-based health insurance would radically change under the Obama plan. Here in Ohio, both small and large employers are able to choose among many different health plans for their employees. The Obama plan would force employers to offer a specific level of health benefits to their employees or pay a tax to finance a national health program. Currently, the amount of provided health benefits and the size of the tax have not been specifically discussed.

Perhaps the best and most economical health insurance plan for Ohio residents would be a concept already in place…HSAs (Health Savings Accounts). Thus, instead of imposing a top-down change on the health care system, it would seem to be prudent to transfer direct control of health care dollars to individuals and families. This would allow Americans to choose their own health plans and benefits, while making health insurance companies compete directly for consumer’s dollars by providing a real value to patients.

All of this could be accomplished by specific tax and regulatory changes designed to utilize the power of free-market competition. Health care spending could be reduced, preventative treatment could be emphasized and portability could be promoted. Reforming the tax treatment of health insurance and aiding employers that help their employees buy health insurance would help quite a bit.

For now, Ohio health insurance rates are remarkably low compared to many other states. There are many reputable health insurance companies that offer a wide array of policies, including Health Savings Accounts. That shouldn’t change much for the next two years. In 2011, things might change…hopefully, for the better.

For additional information on Ohio health insurance plans, or an instant Ohio health insurance quote, please visit http://www.ohioquotes.com

Barack Obama’s ambitious health care plan is fairly simple and straightforward. His plan seeks to dramatically and swiftly increase the number of people that have health insurance. He insists that this plan will save the typical American family approximately $2500 in annual costs. Since the average Ohio health insurance premium is less than most other states, savings to Ohio residents may average less than $2500.

The Obama plan is designed to give the federal government more control over health care decisions and dollars, a major difference from the current decentralized system of employer-based insurance and state-based insurance regulation. Here in Ohio, health insurers have been effectively held in check by the Ohio Department of Insurance. This, however, is not the case in many other states.

The Obama Plan

Many parts of the Obama plan resemble initiatives from the Clinton health plan of 1994 and the Kerry Health plan of 2004.
Essentially, Obama’s health care plan is divided into three sections:

1. Modernizing the US health care system to lower costs and improve quality
2. Promoting prevention and strengthening public health
3. Quality, portable and affordable health coverage for every person

The “Savings”

The $2500 in savings will come from health care reform, using some of the following initiatives:

*Making health insurance universal, which may reduce spending on uncompensated care.
*Improving management and prevention of chronic conditions.
*Increasing insurance industry competition and reducing underwriting costs and profits.
*Providing reinsurance for catastrophic coverage, which will reduce insurance premiums.

Shifting Cost Burden

While all of these ideas are feasible, the underlying theme seems to be simply shifting some of the cost burden from the private sector to the government. And of course, much more control of our health dollars and decisions would come from Washington D.C and not Anthem or UnitedHealthCare.

The Obama plan will actually compete directly with Ohio private health insurance companies in a “National Health Insurance Exchange.” The federal government (not health insurance carriers) would determine the quality of health benefits that Americans would receive. And these new rules would apply to both the new national health plan and all participating private health plans.

Preventative Coverage Would Be Emphasized

Obama’s health care plan will encourage “healthy lifestyles” with specific emphasis on wellness. Employer wellness programs will be increased, and cafeterias and vending machines in the workplace may see healthier food.

School-based health screening programs may increase along with increased support for physical education.

For Ohio individuals and families, the Obama plan would require preventative services on many federally-supported health programs such as Medicare, Medicaid and SCHIP. One benefit may be possible discounts to on health insurance premiums for enrollment in wellness and prevention programs.

Currently, some Ohio individual health insurance policies offer a similar discount, such as Anthem’s Lumenos Health Incentive Account (HIA).

Ohio Group Health Insurance

Employer-based health insurance would radically change under the Obama plan. Here in Ohio, both small and large employers are able to choose among many different health plans for their employees. The Obama plan would force employers to offer a specific level of health benefits to their employees or pay a tax to finance a national health program. Currently, the amount of provided health benefits and the size of the tax have not been specifically discussed.

Perhaps the best and most economical health insurance plan for Ohio residents would be a concept already in place…HSAs (Health Savings Accounts). Thus, instead of imposing a top-down change on the health care system, it would seem to be prudent to transfer direct control of health care dollars to individuals and families. This would allow Americans to choose their own health plans and benefits, while making health insurance companies compete directly for consumer’s dollars by providing a real value to patients.

All of this could be accomplished by specific tax and regulatory changes designed to utilize the power of free-market competition. Health care spending could be reduced, preventative treatment could be emphasized and portability could be promoted. Reforming the tax treatment of health insurance and aiding employers that help their employees buy health insurance would help quite a bit.

For now, Ohio health insurance rates are remarkably low compared to many other states. There are many reputable health insurance companies that offer a wide array of policies, including Health Savings Accounts. That shouldn’t change much for the next two years. In 2011, things might change…hopefully, for the better.

For additional information on Ohio health insurance plans, or an instant Ohio health insurance quote, please visit http://www.ohioquotes.com

Chest pain is merely a symptom, not a diagnosis. Many medical problems can cause chest

pain, and before the chest pain can be adequately treated, the actual underlying cause needs

to be identified. The following is a list of the more common causes of chest pain, roughly in

order of the frequency in which they are seen in the emergency room. Chest pain is one of

the most frightening symptoms you can have. It is sometimes difficult even for a doctor or

other medical professional to tell what is causing chest pain and whether it is life threatening.

Chest pain is one of the most common reasons people call for emergency medical help.

Every year emergency room doctors evaluate and treat millions of people for chest pain.

Chest pain isn’t just a problem for adults. It may occur in a child as well. Many of the causes

aren’t serious, but they may require a doctor’s attention. Follow this chart for more

information about chest pain in infants and children.

Physical activity that involves the chest muscles, especially when it is new or more strenuous

than usual, can cause muscles soreness. The pain is longer-lasting than most episodes of

ischemic pain and is often made better or worse by a particular position. Taking a deep

breath may make the pain worse, and it may only affect a specific area of the chest. Pressing

on this area of the chest usually causes the pain to become worse.

Angina: Angina is chest pain related to an imbalance between the oxygen demand of the

heart and the amount of oxygen delivered via the blood. It is caused by blockage or

narrowing of the blood vessels that supply blood to the heart. Angina is different from a heart

attack in that the arteries are not completely blocked. Also, angina causes little or no

permanent damage to the heart. Stable angina occurs while exercising and goes away with

rest. Unstable angina is not relieved by rest or actually occurs at rest.

Chest pain is a common symptom which can be caused by many different conditions. Some

causes of chest pain require prompt medical attention, such as angina, heart attack, or tearing

of the aorta. Other causes of chest pain can be evaluated electively, such as spasm of the

esophagus, gallbladder attack, or inflammation of the chest wall. Therefore, an accurate

diagnosis is important in providing proper treatment to patients with chest pain. The

diagnosis and treatment of angina is discussed below, as well as the diagnosis of other causes

of chest pain that can mimic angina.

Fortunately, chest pain doesn’t always signal a heart attack. Often chest pain is unrelated to

any heart problem. But even if the chest pain you experience has nothing to do with your

cardiovascular system, the problem may still be important — and worth the time spent in an

emergency room to have your chest pain evaluated.

Heart attack — A heart attack, or myocardial infarction (MI), occurs when a fatty plaque

ruptures. A blood clot (thrombus) can form on the plaque, which can partially or completely

block the artery. This blockage slows or blocks blood flow to the area of heart muscle fed by

that artery. If this continues for more than 15 minutes, the muscle can become damaged or

infarcted (that is, the tissue in that area dies). During a heart attack, the

patient may feel a discomfort that is similar to an episode of ischemia. A heart attack results

from a prolonged period of angina.

Sudden sharp chest pain mimicking the same symptoms of a myocardial infarction or

angina. The chest pain my be affected by breathing and may persist for several days and may

recur. Generally, pericarditis is presumed to have a viral cause and therefore show flu like

symptoms prior to the attack.

Causes of nerve pain are numerous but the main ones include:

>Damaged and/or compressed nerves due to a traumatic event such as a fall,
>Nerve damage following surgery,
>Sciatica,
>Plantar fasciitis or foot pain in general,
>Fibromyalgia, pain in the muscles, ligaments, and tendons,
>Nerve damage caused by drug abuse,
>Post-herpetic Neuralgia (PHN), the onset pain from the Shingles Rash,
>Diabetes, neuropathy and neuropathic pain.

To get pain relief, you have several options, but none of them work all the time, and most are not without risk to your body one way or the other. The body has the unique ability to adjust to most medications, in that, over time given sustained use; it requires more and more of the same pain relief medicine to achieve the same level of pain relief.

* The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney diseases reports that over the counter NSAIDS such as aspirin, ibuprofen and the like may temporarily ease your pain but their use is not without risk to other areas of your body.

* Any product with capsaicin as an ingredient may offer temporary pain relief.

* Certain depressants such as amitriptyline, imipramine, or nortriptyline are sometimes effective.

* Clinical trials indicate that Mexiletine is effective in treating pain.

* Codeine can be used for a short time to relieve pain, but it can be very addictive.

* Homeopathic Drugs and Applications can be very effective.

* Alternative medicines such as Menastil, EZ Pain Relief and Heartland are topically applied.

* Other pain treatments…

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Barack Obama’s ambitious health care plan is fairly simple and straightforward. His plan seeks to dramatically and swiftly increase the number of people that have health insurance. He insists that this plan will save the typical American family approximately $2500 in annual costs. Since the average Ohio health insurance premium is less than most other states, savings to Ohio residents may average less than $2500.

The Obama plan is designed to give the federal government more control over health care decisions and dollars, a major difference from the current decentralized system of employer-based insurance and state-based insurance regulation. Here in Ohio, health insurers have been effectively held in check by the Ohio Department of Insurance. This, however, is not the case in many other states.

The Obama Plan

Many parts of the Obama plan resemble initiatives from the Clinton health plan of 1994 and the Kerry Health plan of 2004.
Essentially, Obama’s health care plan is divided into three sections:

1. Modernizing the US health care system to lower costs and improve quality
2. Promoting prevention and strengthening public health
3. Quality, portable and affordable health coverage for every person

The “Savings”

The $2500 in savings will come from health care reform, using some of the following initiatives:

*Making health insurance universal, which may reduce spending on uncompensated care.
*Improving management and prevention of chronic conditions.
*Increasing insurance industry competition and reducing underwriting costs and profits.
*Providing reinsurance for catastrophic coverage, which will reduce insurance premiums.

Shifting Cost Burden

While all of these ideas are feasible, the underlying theme seems to be simply shifting some of the cost burden from the private sector to the government. And of course, much more control of our health dollars and decisions would come from Washington D.C and not Anthem or UnitedHealthCare.

The Obama plan will actually compete directly with Ohio private health insurance companies in a “National Health Insurance Exchange.” The federal government (not health insurance carriers) would determine the quality of health benefits that Americans would receive. And these new rules would apply to both the new national health plan and all participating private health plans.

Preventative Coverage Would Be Emphasized

Obama’s health care plan will encourage “healthy lifestyles” with specific emphasis on wellness. Employer wellness programs will be increased, and cafeterias and vending machines in the workplace may see healthier food.

School-based health screening programs may increase along with increased support for physical education.

For Ohio individuals and families, the Obama plan would require preventative services on many federally-supported health programs such as Medicare, Medicaid and SCHIP. One benefit may be possible discounts to on health insurance premiums for enrollment in wellness and prevention programs.

Currently, some Ohio individual health insurance policies offer a similar discount, such as Anthem’s Lumenos Health Incentive Account (HIA).

Ohio Group Health Insurance

Employer-based health insurance would radically change under the Obama plan. Here in Ohio, both small and large employers are able to choose among many different health plans for their employees. The Obama plan would force employers to offer a specific level of health benefits to their employees or pay a tax to finance a national health program. Currently, the amount of provided health benefits and the size of the tax have not been specifically discussed.

Perhaps the best and most economical health insurance plan for Ohio residents would be a concept already in place…HSAs (Health Savings Accounts). Thus, instead of imposing a top-down change on the health care system, it would seem to be prudent to transfer direct control of health care dollars to individuals and families. This would allow Americans to choose their own health plans and benefits, while making health insurance companies compete directly for consumer’s dollars by providing a real value to patients.

All of this could be accomplished by specific tax and regulatory changes designed to utilize the power of free-market competition. Health care spending could be reduced, preventative treatment could be emphasized and portability could be promoted. Reforming the tax treatment of health insurance and aiding employers that help their employees buy health insurance would help quite a bit.

For now, Ohio health insurance rates are remarkably low compared to many other states. There are many reputable health insurance companies that offer a wide array of policies, including Health Savings Accounts. That shouldn’t change much for the next two years. In 2011, things might change…hopefully, for the better.

For additional information on Ohio health insurance plans, or an instant Ohio health insurance quote, please visit http://www.ohioquotes.com

Copyright (c) 2008 Stephen Lau

Achieve pain control through diet, not painkillers.

Pain is not a disease, but often a result or a symptom of disease.

Pain is a subjective experience – the perception of pain varies with individuals. Pain is often difficult to describe, but you know it when it strikes you. Nobody is immune from pain throughout lifespan. Some learn to accept pain as part of the unpleasant side of life, while others fight pain tooth and nail.

Your diet plays a significant role on pain control.

Pain is often connected with diet, given that it is related to disease, which may be a result of a poor diet. You reap what you sow, and you become what you eat.

Fortunately, foods not only can prevent pain but also effectively fight pain.

Research findings have shown that foods work against pain, even acute and chronic pain. Research studies have also shown how and why foods work against pain.

Foods have nutrients (not junk foods), which can work miracles in the human body against disease and pain.

At the site of injury, nutrients can reduce further damage done to cells and tissues. In addition, appropriate nutrients can cool your body’s inflammatory response to the injury inflicted. Furthermore, they provide analgesia on pain nerves, thereby instrumental in alleviating, if not suppressing, the pain. Finally, good nutrients from foods may enhance your brain’s chemicals to reduce pain sensitivity.

Different types of pain require different types of foods or nutrients for optimum pain control. For example, if you have arthritis, you need to use diet to stop the joint damage as well as to suppress the pain caused by the damage. If you have cancer pain, you may want to use foods to control the disease progress, thereby minimizing the resultant pain.

Research has shown that certain foods have certain food nutrients for different kinds of pain. For example, brown rice (not bleached white rice, which is partially depleted of its nutrients) soothe your digestive tract. Ginger has been used by the Chinese for thousands of years to cure migraine and headaches. Cranberry can alleviate pain due to bladder infections. Vitamin B6 enhances your brain’s resistance to pain or its pain sensitivity.

Therefore, it is important to choose pain-free foods as your staple foods to avoid pain in the first place.

Pain-free foods are foods that do not cause any pain or allergy leading to pain. They include rice, green vegetables, colored vegetables (with the exception of tomatoes). They are all safe for consumption in any amount.

Then, you should add other foods that may ease your pain, that is, foods that improve your blood flow to prevent inflammation or stagnation; or avoid foods that tend to cause blockage in your blood vessels. All dairy products and foods rich in animal protein are not friendly to blood flow. Foods rich in fiber help your body remove unwanted fats and cholesterol, which may cause blockage and inflammation. It is also important that you eliminate any food that causes allergy and reaction in your body.

If intake of foods is inadequate in pain control, you may consider taking supplements of herbs, extracts, and vitamins to enhance your pain control.

I know COBRA is available for many, but it is very expensive to keep up and runs only for a limited period. Questions like this have been asked before and those against governement supported health care just accused those who didn’t have health insurance as lazy losers. But with the economy crashing, the scenario has changed. If you aren’t employed anymore and have no income and little savings, what are you doing for health insurance?