Understanding the Origins of Back Pain and Its Management

Back pain can be a debilitating condition with various origins. One common cause is slip disks, medically known as “Herniated nucleus pulposa” (HNP). These ruptures occur in the intervertebral disks, which rest between the vertebrae of the spinal column. In this blog, we’ll delve into the factors that contribute to slip disks, the resulting pain, and how doctors manage this condition.

  1. Causes of Slip Disks:
    • Slip disks can result from multiple factors, including:
      • Neck and back strains.
      • Trauma or injuries.
      • Congenital bone malformations.
      • Heavy lifting.
      • Degenerated disks.
      • Weakness of ligaments.
  2. Pathophysiology of Slip Disks:
    • Pathophysiology involves protrusions of the nucleus pulposus, which can compress the spinal cord or nerve roots, leading to back pain.
    • Compression of the spinal cord may result in numbness and motor function issues.
  3. Symptoms and Assessments:
    • In the case of Lumbrosacral slip disks, symptoms may include lower back pain spreading to the buttocks and legs, weakness, numbness, and tingling in the legs and feet.
    • Cervical slip disks can cause neck rigidity, numbness, weakness, and tingling in the hands. If the pain extends to the arms and hands, slip disks are considered.
    • Lumbar curve issues are also examined, particularly if there’s difficulty straightening the lower back.
  4. Diagnostic Tests:
    • Doctors use various diagnostic tests, including tendon reflex tests, x-rays, EMG (electromyography), myelograms, CSF (cerebrospinal fluid) analysis, and Laséque signs.
    • These tests help doctors evaluate the extent of the condition and its impact on the spinal nerves and cord.
  5. Management of Slip Disks:
    • Treatment plans are designed to alleviate back pain and may include:
      • Dietary adjustments to meet metabolic demands and increase fiber intake.
      • The use of hot pads and moist heat for pain relief.
      • Prescription pain medications, such as NSAIDs (e.g., Motrin, Naproxen, Dolobid, Indocin, ibuprofen).
      • Muscle relaxers like Flexeril (cyclobenzaprine hydrochloride) and Valium (diazepam).
      • Orthopedic devices like cervical collars and back braces to support the spine.

Understanding the origins and management of slip disks is crucial for those dealing with back pain. By identifying the causes, undergoing diagnostic tests, and following a tailored treatment plan prescribed by a healthcare professional, individuals can work towards relieving back pain and improving their quality of life.

If you’re experiencing back pain or suspect slip disks may be the cause, consult a healthcare provider for a thorough evaluation and personalized treatment plan. Don’t let back pain hinder your daily life; take action to address it effectively.

Understanding and Managing Back Pain: Your Comprehensive Guide

Back pain is something you can’t fully grasp until you experience it yourself. Surprisingly, many people worldwide suffer from back pain to some extent. Some endure this pain without any prior injuries, while others face it as a result of accidents or medical conditions like multiple sclerosis. In this blog, we’ll dive into the causes of back pain, ways to control it, self-care tips for prevention, and available treatments.

Whether it’s due to foot problems, sports injuries, accidents, or daily activities, understanding the structure of your spine and how disruptions can lead to pain is crucial. Let’s begin our journey to understand and alleviate back pain for a better life.

  1. What Causes Back Pain?
    • Back pain can stem from various sources, including:
      • Foot conditions like swelling, heel pain, and strained ligaments.
      • Sports injuries.
      • Car accidents.
      • Improper bending and lifting techniques.
  2. Understanding Your Spine:
    • To tackle back pain effectively, it’s essential to comprehend the structure of your spine.
    • Learn how disruptions in this structure can lead to pain.
  3. Controlling and Preventing Back Pain:
    • Discover strategies to control and prevent back pain.
    • Self-care tips to ease discomfort in your daily life.
  4. Available Treatments:
    • Explore the treatments and therapies available to manage and alleviate back pain.

Back pain is a common issue that affects many aspects of our lives. By understanding its causes, taking preventive measures, and seeking appropriate treatments, you can minimize its impact and lead a more pain-free life. Don’t let back pain hold you back; take control of your well-being today!

If you’re struggling with back pain or want to learn more about managing it, reach out to us for personalized guidance and support. Your journey to a pain-free life starts now.

7 Tips for Fitness Women

Would you like to be a fitness woman? Or are you a fitness woman but would like to be effective? Here are 7 great tips on how to become an effective fitness woman:

1. Get a program that will best suit you. Every fitness woman is different. You may have surgical history where a program may not be suited for you. Always consult a qualified trainer to make sure that the fitness program will not hurt you. If the fitness program is not for you, it will only be a cause of frustration and injuries.

2. Set realistic targets. Wouldn’t you be frustrated if you set your mind into reshaping your body in month? Make sure that the body you prefer in a period of time is achievable and realistic. The program should also be practical and will not give you false hopes. It is important to be aware of the blocks you encounter in your daily living. This will help you know what program is satisfactory. And once a program has been reached, then you can set goals and timelines that are realistic.

3. Exercises should work on the parts of your body where muscles are. The reason mainly is, when you develop muscles, you burn more calories and then you lessen the fats in your body. Multi-joint exercises and weight lifting are recommended. Learn what exercises work on certain parts of your body. Multi-joint exercises are also said to be effective but time saving.

4. Be systematic on working on your muscles. Your muscles should be working harder over time. Repeating the same sets of exercises and same weight without getting your muscles to work harder will not give satisfactory results. You can record your daily results and make the progression based on your previous data. A daily log will also motivate you since you are able to track how far you have gone. It builds confidence since there is a written proof something that was successfully accomplished.

5. Perform a set of exercises in 10 repetitions. Every number that was accomplished is called a repetition. Try to make every repetition with less momentum as much as possible. The lesser the momentum, the harder your muscles work. And the harder they work, the bigger they become. To check if there is much momentum when lifting, see if the arm is floating. If the arm does float, then there is much momentum.

6. Be flexible and perform a variety of exercises. Every exercise program should have a variety. You can change your exercises, goals and sets every month to keep you motivated and on the go. Doing this will help you prevent being bored and losing energy physically and mentally.

7. Be Motivated! The best way to keep the energy levels of trainees is to allow a healthy competition and allow them to have a sense of control. Having control is having the sense ownership where everybody gets a part in implementing a program. To do this you also need to be consistent in demonstrating your skills.

Not all programs work for all types of people. There is no workout that is best for everyone. But you learn from experienced people. Learn to acknowledge blocks and demonstrate self-discipline, keep yourself motivated and work harder everyday and add variety. Doing these things, you will discover that a lot of programs will work for you.


You Are Using The Wrong Shoes For Netball!!!!

Have you ever wondered how important it is to use the correct footwear?

Many times I see parents buying sport shoes fir their toddlers from the cheapest places they can find without knowing what unjust they are pyrting their child through.

Being a busy parent can be stressful at times but that does not give you as parent the right to put footwear on your child just because its cheap or because they still don’t understand they have the right to wear equipment that support their activities.

Shoes are made with a specific purpose in mind and each sport has specific movements participants have to master to be able to participate.

One of the main sports I see this happen with is usually netball.

If you are a player that wear running shoes or you are a parent that buy running shoes for your daughter’s netball games you are one of the people that unfortunately have fallen into the trap of not knowing.

Perfect technique assists in maximum power output with minimal injuries .. and if your equipment does not support this you have to change as soon as possible.

The questions you should ask yourself are:

1. Does my shoe allow me to be quick off the mark?

2. Does my shoes allow me to do short sprints or do they support bursts of energy?

Here comes the tricky part ..

3. Does my shoes allow me to stop quickly?

4. Does my shoes have maximum supoort for side to side movements?

5. Does my shoes have maximum support for side to side movements while experiencing shorts bursts and quick stops?

If you are using shoes made for basic gym practice the shoes does not have enough support underneath your foot for the load you will put on your feet

If you have over cushioned runners your feet “search” for stability while it should assist with direction change.

If your shoes does not have reinforced ankles you can be sure your feet will get injured at some point.

So, what shoes are made for netball?

The answer you this question is easy … COURT SHOES!

Court shoes come in a wide range of different soled shoes; some are made for grass, some are made for clay, some are made for all weather surfaces, some are made for carpet, some are made for wooden floors … but they all have the same characteristics.

You will find no better shoe for your netball match than TENNIS SHOES.

From lacing up to support your heal, to shoe soles that are not overly cushioned and reinforcement over the heals and sides of your feet that assist with quick sideways movements you can be sure that high quality tennis shoes MUST be worn during netball.

We have a great range of court shoes that will help with your next netball practice.

Come to LAFFIES GEAR for more info on which shoes are correct for your sport.

Visit our website on www.laffies.co.za ir come in store in Midstream Estate to view our range of running, hockey, rugby, cricket, sprinting and tennis shoes.

Abdominal exercise machines

Abdominal exercise devices are many in number and range form simple inflatable balls to complicated structures with springs hinges and hydrolic resistance mechanism.
The Exercise equipment industry also recognises the the motivation for many people to exercise is to reduce a growing layer of fat around the mid-section, so an obvious choice for any one looking to loose weight in this area would choose a device to directly taget this area.

Althogh this strategy seems to be logical, the effectiveness of an abdominal exercise device on the abdominal area is much less than one would think, in fact the effects of abdominal exercises are far less than that of walking, jogging or cycling for a similar level of perceved effort. The fact that most abdominal exercise devices use a muscle isolation form, will give a far greater feeling of a good workout because the lactic accid build up during exercise causes some discomfort which is normaly ascociated with vigerous exercise and thus giving a percieved level of exercise which has actually not depleted the normal level of blood sugar in the bodies energy system and thus not effected the bodies energy system to break down stored fat into usable energy.

Many people also use fitness product purchases as a means of motivation for a healthy lifestyle. I thin every one at some point in there life has bought something as a means of motivation a lifestyle change, when in actual fact these changes are usually short lived and have very litle effect. My advice would be to change your lifestyle then buy devices or gadgets to re-enforce the changes.

All About The Best Stomach Exercises

It is only natural, most people want to look their best, and exercising their stomach muscles is usually a huge part of most fitness programs. If so much time and energy is going to be focused on this muscle group, it is a good idea to know what the best stomach exercises are. There are many resources available for finding the best stomach exercises, and plenty of people to say what they consider the best, so how can a person decide for themselves which truly are the best exercises for working their stomach muscles?

First of all it is important to note that the best stomach exercises are those that a person is willing to do. No matter how effective the exercise is, if a person isn’t going to do them consistently the exercise will not benefit that particular individual. It is also important to note that the best stomach exercises do not necessarily require equipment to perform them, although some machines and equipment may work quite well for some people.

When a person decides on a fitness program that includes stomach exercises, it is best to include stomach exercises that work the different parts of the stomach. If a person simply concentrates on one area of their stomach, there workout will not be as effective. The best stomach exercises, combine working the oblique, which are the side muscles, the lower abdominals, the mid section and also the upper section.

Some of the most popular stomach exercises are crunches. These are a very effective exercise and very convenient since they can be performed anywhere without any equipment. The next stomach exercise that is also very popular and goes along with the basic crunch is the side crunch, which works out the oblique.

Some people consider the best stomach exercises to be included in a Pilate’s workout. The reason for this is because in Pilates, the whole focus is on the core of the body which is the abdominal, or stomach muscles. Every movement in a Pilate’s workout will work the stomach muscles either directly or indirectly. These exercises can be found on the internet, either the exercise itself or video’s that can be purchased.

Another good exercise that some fitness experts considers to be one of the best stomach exercises involves laying flat on your stomach, leg straight and then raising your body up using your arms as your hands are clasped together and keeping your body straight as if doing a pushup. Hold this position as long as you can stand. This is an excellent movement to strengthen the whole stomach.

Remember again though that just because one person may consider a specific exercise to be the best stomach exercise that does not necessarily mean it is the best for everyone. Each person’s body is different and will respond differently to certain movements. Any one serious about working on the abdominal muscles will find it most helpful to try several different stomach exercises and then determine which one they can both feel and see results with. If one exercise is simply too hard to do correctly, or does not feel like it has done anything for the muscle group worked, that exercise is clearly not the best and the person should find what works best for them.

Is Your Treadmill Belt Worn

Is your treadmill belt worn, torn or curling up on the edges? Does your treadmill slow down after you step on the belt and begin your workout?

If this is the case then it may be time to replace the belt.

Here are some thing to check before replacing your belt.

*1. You need to make sure the deck of the treadmill is in good shape. If it looks good then it may only need to be waxed or lubricated.

*2. If the deck shows obvious signs of wear, or has grooves worn into it then you may need to replace the belt and the deck.

*3. If the deck looks good, and the belt is worn or starting to turn up on the edges then it is time to replace the belt. Here are the instructions for doing that. Most treadmills are basically the same so this is a generic set of instructions. If you have an owners manual please follow the manufacturers instructions.

To begin the belt replacement unplug the POWER Cord and remove the motor cover or hood. Then locate the screws or bolts that are used to adjust the belt tension. They are normally on either side at the rear of the treadmill. Loosen both sides and push the rear roller toward the deck.

Now loosen and remove the front roller. If your treadmill inclines, turn on the power and raise the treadmill a few degrees so the roller can be removed. After the front roller is removed, remove the rear roller. Now you are ready to remove the belt.

I know it would be easier to just cut the old belt off, but if you take it off in one piece then you will remember how to put the new one on. Along the sides of the treadmill you will find bolts or screws that hold the deck in place. Remove these and lift the deck and old belt out together. Now is the time to wax or lubricate the deck.

Look at the old belt and the new belt. There will probably be a visible seam on the belt. Normally the belt should be installed so that the seam goes downward from left to right, much like a backward slash. Some belt manufacturers will mark the belt on the inside with an arrow pointing in the direction the belt should travel.

Slide the belt over the deck in the proper alignment and lay the belt and deck together back onto the treadmill. Start all of the screws or bolts before tightening them securely. Decks tend to get warped after a while so you may need to push or pull a little to get the screws started. I have found that it is a good idea to install the rollers before securely fastening the deck to the frame.

Pull the belt to the rear of the treadmill and slide the rear roller through it. Start the adjusting screws in the roller just enough so they do not fall out. Now slide the front roller inside the belt and replace the drive motor belt over the drive gear. Do this before you tighten the roller. After you get the front roller tight, then tighten the rear roller with the adjusting screws. Tighten each side equally until the belt feels snug on the deck.

Now turn the treadmill on. If the belt starts moving, carefully step on the treadmill while holding the side rails. If the belt stops then you need to adjust more. Step off the treadmill,and tighten each screw one full turn and step on the belt again. Repeat this process until the belt does not stop.

Now increase the speed to a fast walk, hold the handrails and apply downward pressure as you walk on the treadmill. If the belt stops or hesitates then adjust some more. Now increase the speed to a jog, probably around five m.p.h. Once again if you feel hesitation in the belt when your foot hits it, adjust it some more. Continue this process until you are satisfied that the belt is not slipping.

PLEASE be careful, if you do not think you can do this then pay someone to do it for you.

Please follow these directions for safe and efficient use of your treadmill for you and your family.



Ab Exercise Equipment – An Honest Review

Are you in perfect shape for summer yet? Those sunny days are just around the corner and everyone is out shopping for their revealing, sexy bathing suits. How will your new swimwear fit on you? Let’s run a quick check. Are those legs toned and those arms fit? Have you been keeping up with your daily crunches and sit-ups?

Uh-oh, that one always gets people, I know it . Those darn abs workouts. Let me tell you the truth. Although they can be a little annoying at times, they’re necessary to say the least. I can’t overemphasize them. Come on, we all want to display a great set of abs and walk around showing them to everyone. Why else do you think we have so much abs exercise equipment reigning the fitness market at all times? Regardless of your gender, the abs are absolutely critical. Are you testing out some of the new-age abs exercise equipment?

When it comes to abs exercise equipment, I don’t have any. I prefer to do all my exercises without machine interference. You know, all those traditional exercises like pull-ups, push-ups, leg-raises, dips, etc. Now, this is not the chosen route for every individual who is striving to stay fit. Many people prefer some of the latest benches, treadmills, stairmasters, and abs exercise equipment on the market. This stuff is great if you can afford it. Why not take advantage of any contemporary aids if available? If you have the money and think it fits you, I say go for it.

Let’s take my wife as an example. My wife has one of those big rubber balls you see pretty girls swear by on television ads. While I’m pretty certain that they have a more politically correct name, I don’t know what it is. She uses this abs exercise equipment for a wide array of stomach and back workouts. I have to admit that I was rather surprised the first time I saw it. I could certainly see how it would provide you with a strenuous workout and build your muscles. She continues to use it daily for a variety of exercises.

What abs exercise equipment do you prefer? Maybe you get your frequent dose of abs exercise equipment at the local gym or fitness club. They typically have a variety of abs exercise equipment ready at your service. Regardless of what regimes you prefer, you know that your daily dose of abs workouts are compulsory for keeping that bare, tight, flat tummy. If you are in need of advice concerning abs exercise equipment or just simple routines, you can hop online and acquire anything your heart desires. From diet plans, to fitness regimes galore, you will find it all on the World-Wide-Web. They are abundant and free! Get started today and get those abs you’ve always wanted!


A Guide to using T-Shirts for marketing

Promotional T-shirts have been a part of business promotion and marketing of brands for a long time. Promotional T Shirts can be given to clients, to prospective customers, and also to your employees to give them the added feeling of belonging to a brand. You do not need be a world famous brand to benefit from promotional T-shirts. Even new busineses have used T Shirts to create awareness of their product, brand or business.
giving Promotional T Shirts to your employees is a great way for brand endorsement. You can design T Shirts with your company brand and marketing message for your employees and if you are hosting a conference, exibition or promotional event, make it mandatory for your employees to wear promotional T Shirts. It is a very inexpensive method to make your staff stand out from the crowd and you present an orderly unity among your employees, the same way in which a uniform serves.
Some businessesthink that it is too expensive to buy a t-shirt online but they are often incorrect. Purchasing t shirts online is a fast and easy process and the choice of online shops is very much better than you expect it to be with some allowing you to undertake the entire design process and payment online.
Corporate branding on T-Shirts can significantly improve the brand awareness of a business in a very short period of time and aside from the obvious marketing advantages branded T-Shirts and other clothing can enhance the perception of customers to your business. Considering the relatively low cost of purchase and printing T shirts against the length of time a good quality T Shirt can last makes branded T shirts one of the most cost effective methods of marketing for many businesses.

It is widely believed that DTG tshirt printing is more environmentally than screen printing. DTG uses water-based inks to print directly onto clothing, this means that there are no excess inks used in the actual printing and the only waste that occurs is from the occasional print head cleaning – it’s worth noting that head cleaning does not involve any external materials only ink. Then as long as waste ink is disposed of correctly, printing tshirts using the DTG method should have virtually no environmenal impact. Screen printing however has excess inks from parts of the stencil not printed to the tshirt and when screens are cleaned these excess inks are usually washed down the drain.


10 Secrets to a Fit Family

It’s no secret that many parents and their children are overweight. These 10 simple ‘secrets’ can help you change your family’s lifestyle so that you can all become fit and healthy.

1) Eat Whole Grain Foods

Processed and refined grains, such as white bread, white rice, cereal, pasta, and other foods made with white flour have a high glycemic index, low amounts of fiber, and less vitamins and minerals as foods made with whole grains. Making the switch to whole grain foods, including whole wheat bread, whole grain pasta, brown rice, and cereals made with whole grains, are an easy and healthy way to make your family’s diet more nutritious.

2) Limit Soda and Fruit Drinks

Soda and fruit drinks have low nutritional value and a lot of calories. At about 150 calories per 12 ounce serving, your kids will gain an extra pound about every 3 weeks if they drink just one can of soda each day.
Cutting back or eliminating soda, fruit drinks, and even fruit juice, can be a good way to get rid of a lot of extra calories and leave room for your kids to eat more nutritious foods.

3) Eat More Fruits and Vegetables

Most children don’t eat enough fruits and vegetables and that usually means that they are eating other less nutritious foods. With a high fiber content and lots of vitamins and minerals, fruits and vegetables are an important part of a healthy diet. And because they have lots of water in them, eating fruits and vegetables can help you to feel full and satisfied so that you don’t overeat.

4) Eat More Foods with Calcium

A common mistake people make when trying to lose weight is that they stop drinking milk, eating cheese and yogurt. Calcium is important to build healthy bones and to help you lose weight. You should encourage your kids to drink low-fat milk, eat portioned amounts of cheese and yogurt to help lose weight and maintain a healthy weight.

5) Be More Active

Everyone knows that part of the cause of the current obesity epidemic is that people are much less active then they used to be. Getting kids involved in organized activities, which can be either team or individual sports, and cutting back on the amount of time in front of the TV, computer and playing video games will burn calories and improve fitness levels.

Family activities are also a good way to be more physically active. Even simple things, like walking across a parking lot, using stairs, and going for short family walks or bike rides, can make a big difference.

6) Know Where Calories Come From

While you don’t necessarily need to do daily calorie counts, keep a diary of what your family eats for a few days can help you see where extra calories are coming from. Are your kids overweight because of the calories they get from a bedtime snack or those two glasses of Kool Aid or soda he drinks? Or maybe because his portion sizes are too large?

If you know where your kids’ calories are coming from, you will know where to make changes and how you can cut back, especially on foods that have a lot of empty calories.

7) Learn About Carbs

Carbs get a bad wrap, especially with all of the proponents of high protein diets, like the Atkins and South Beach Diet. Not all carbs are created equal. While it is a good idea to avoid foods that have refined such as white bread, foods made with white flour, and foods and beverages sweetened with sugar, other carbs should be part of a balanced diet.

Instead of avoiding all carbs, just learn about how to choose foods with ‘good’ carbohydrates, which includes fruits, vegetables, beans, and whole grain foods.

8) Learn About Fats

Like carbs, there are ‘good’ and ‘bad’ fats. Instead of making the mistake of trying to stick to a low fat diet, and simply substituting other foods that are often just as high in calories, you should eat foods that have ‘good’ fat in them. This includes foods with polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats. On the other hand, you should avoid saturated fats and trans fats.

9) Choose Healthy Meals when Eating Out

Even if your family eats healthy at home, if you eat super-sized fast food meals a few times a week, they are probably still at risk for becoming overweight. If you eat out a lot, review the nutritional facts of the restaurant’s menu and watch your portion sizes. Calories and fat quickly adds up when eating out!

10) Stay Motivated!

Most people know what they need to do to be healthier however, eating healthy and exercising is not easy. Education about the specifics of a healthy diet, getting the whole family involved, and setting goals, can help your family stay healthy and fit. Hire a personal trainer or seek the counsel of a dietitian to keep you on the healthy track.