Tackling Four Sources of Back Pain, Part 1
By Robert Gibson
Epoch Times U.K. Staff
Feb 25, 2006
BACKACHE: May have a hidden cause (Photos.com)
Back pain and all forms of spinal malfunction are poorly understood by most of us. This leads to delay in seeking early treatment, and can also lead to inappropriate diagnosis and treatment. Back pain is often referred pain, that is, the origin of the pain is not the back itself.
If you have an aching hip, the cause could be in your foot; if you get blinding headaches, you may have a problem with your jaw; your recurring back pain may come from your intestines and your sacroiliac joint may be the cause of your sciatica.
A Compromised Organ
The ileocecal valve, normally a one-way valve, safely separates the contents of the small intestine from the large intestine. When this valve is malfunctioning, the following problems can occur: palpitations, chest pains, back pain, pain in the right arm/shoulder, migraines, swollen ankles, hemorrhoids, arthritis, skin and digestive conditions.
When this valve is the cause and the malfunction is corrected, these signs and symptoms will disappear.
Stress and other causes can make this valve malfunction. The one-way flow of the valve is compromised and the toxic contents of the colon push back into the small intestine, causing irritation.
Associated nerve fibers become inflamed and irritated, causing reflex lesions of the spinal nerve roots. These occur at the spinal nerves of lumber 1–2, thoracic 4–5 and/or cervical 3–4, causing the above-mentioned symptoms.
Obviously, these symptoms can have other causes. Nevertheless, when conventional diagnosis or treatment fails, the cause may be a malfunctioning ileocecal valve. The incidence of this condition is quite high among those with recurrent back pain.
Slipped Disc or Sacroiliac Slip?
The sacrum and iliac bones form the sacroiliac joint. The pitted surfaces form interlocking irregularities, which limit and direct any movement. Yet, the joint is lubricated, similar to a moving joint. In the front of our bodies, about four inches below our navel, the pelvic bones meet with a "disc-like" cartilage pad between, to form the joint known as the symphysis pubis. This limited "play" in these two joints is important in everyday walking and during childbirth. The main function of this type of joint is to absorb the jarring shock of the feet walking on hard ground.
When normal joint play is lost, the pain generated can be agonizingly similar to—and is often assumed to be—a vertebral "disc" problem and can lead to ineffective treatment.
The causes of sacroiliac "slip" are various; a blow to the heel, uneven weight bearing on the pelvis, dental problems and childbirth are the most frequent. Clinical experience and studies suggest that 50 to 70 percent of sciatica and low back pain are associated with sacroiliac slip. The pain can be in the hip, buttocks or the thigh, since the pyriformus muscle in spasm squeezes the sciatic nerve.
Next week we will look at our jaw and feet as possible sources of back pain.
Robert Gibson is a retired member of the London and Counties Society of Physiologists. He co-founded the Body/Mind Clinic in Fife, Scotland, where he was a therapist for 10 years. Link to article http://www.theepochtimes.com/news/6-2-25/38675.html
Tackling Four Sources of Back Pain, Part 2
By Robert Gibson
Epoch Times U.K. Staff
Mar 09, 2006
Fallen arches put strain on the lower back (Joel Benjamin/The Epoch Times)
Last week we said that back pain, spinal malfunctions and their origin are poorly understood by most of us.
This week we will look at our jaw and feet as unlikely sources of back pain.
The Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ)
This is the most used joint in the body. We use it while talking, chewing, swallowing and yawning—even snoring.
This joint can be the principal cause of tension down one side of our body and can cause one leg to be shorter than the other, sacroiliac slip, tension headaches, burning cheek pain, neck and back pain unyielding to treatment, dizziness and tinnitus.
There is a close functional relationship between the head, neck, shoulder, pelvic girdle and jaw movement—a short leg could cause a sore jaw or the other way around!
In the healthy stance, the teeth close symmetrically, with head weight transferred through the teeth to the lower jaw and with the facial muscles relaxed.
During motion, the locked jaw first unhinges, and then is drawn forward to allow the mouth to open. The lock/hinge mechanism is crucial to normal jaw function and to its harmonious relationship with the head and neck.
From a variety of causes, one side of the jaw fails to engage the hinge/lock and is then held by muscular spasm. This tension is transmitted to the neck and then spreads down the spinal attachments. TMJ syndrome ranges from minor to severe, depending on the type of trigger involved. In some cases, an orthodontist may be needed for a treatment program. In others, dental treatment may have caused the problem.
Conversely, the TMJ, when relaxed, may be the key to total body relaxation.
Fallen Arches
The foot is a superb piece of bioengineering, consisting of 26 bones, each shaped differently, and arranged to form two arches. These arches enable the foot to provide an ideal distribution of body weight—yielding and springing back as weight shifts with all bodily movement and absorbing shock with each new contact with hard ground.
The integrity of all the other musculoskeletal structures of the body depends on the feet performing these tasks.
The bones composing the arches are held in position by ligaments and tendons, with the cuboid bone acting as a keystone. A decreased or fallen arch results from a weakening and stretching of the ligaments and tendons. The tendons are extensions from the muscles of the lower leg, attached to the bones of the foot, at the other end.
A diminished or fallen metatarsal arch interferes with the proper function of the foot, causing stress on the knee, hip, sacroiliac joint and/or the lower lumbar vertebra from the strain imposed by the shift in weight distribution. Under these conditions, unless we correct the problem with the foot, all other treatments will be only temporary.
Treatment
The bones need to be restored to their normal position. The cuboid bone is most commonly slightly displaced.
The muscles of the lower leg and the short muscles of the foot need re-toning.
In addition, arch supports may be necessary to reduce strain on the ligaments.
The body is very clever at compensating for back pain, but in a way that may not be beneficial in the long term.
