Back Pain Expert Steve Hefferon

Is Bottled Water Really Healthy?

By Herb Borkland

Forget the ad images of high mountain streams and diamond-pure glaciers. Did you ever stop and ask yourself why you really think bottled water is better for you than drinking tap water?

"The bottled water industry promotes bottled water as pure, safe, healthy and superior to tap water, but bottled water is actually less regulated than tap water," says Corporate Accountability International Associate Campaigns Director Gigi Kellett.

And in fact, an estimated 25% or more of bottled water is actually only tap water in a bottle — sometimes further treated, sometimes not. Water drinkers, it's time to take a closer look at the bottle in your hands and to ask yourselves, "What's in it for me?" Here's why...

Finally, Proof that your diagnosis is not causing your pain... Find out what is and how to eliminate it

Would you have back pain if every part of your body were in perfect balance? The answer has to be NO... It's pretty safe to say you wouldn't have any pain if your body were perfectly aligned, perfectly balanced and in a perfect state of being.

But here's the thing—you don't have to be perfect to be pain-free. In fact, you can have serious conditions like Spinal Stenosis and even a Herniated disc and still have no pain—regardless of the type of job you have or how you think the condition developed or even the unique situation that you find yourself in today.

Don't believe it? The prestigious New England Journal of Medicine just reported it. Click here to read the the rest of the story...

Don't Play "Pharmaceutical Roulette!"

Take Charge of Your Own Health Now

By Herb Borkland, Health Writer

Global is good. But when it comes to the international drug industry, Chinese and Indian manufacturers don't measure up to the strict regulatory environment we Americans rightly demand for ourselves. Not altogether surprising. That's why the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is supposed to protect us.

Advocates of health-conscious living may not be feeling safer, but they have been vindicated in their suspicion of the FDA. But the problem turns out to be much worse than shoddy inspections.

The hard fact is FDA's love affair with China has already killed American patients!
Click here to read more... and to find out how you can protect yourself.

Back Surgery: How to get relief from post surgical scar tissue…

If you have had a back surgery either on your neck or lower back and have failed to get relief there could be an underlying issue that most treatments fail to even mention.

 

Any and every surgery will develop some amount of scar tissue all be it that new techniques are getting better at minimizing the amount, its still an issue that you are most likely dealing with right now and most likely nothing you have tried has helped…

 

Here it is short and sweet, Scar tissue and Fibrous Adhesions are a dirty little secret and a contributing factor of post surgical pain. And if left untreated could take years to diminish.

 

Scar tissue needs to be what is called released or Myofascially manipulated and there are many different techniques that work great for this and most good and well trained massage therapist can do and excellent job of it but there is one more component to getting relief and that is the absorption of the excessive scar tissue from a cellular level.

 

As we get older, the more stress we are under and the less fruits and vegetables we eat the less enzymes our bodies will get and produce on a daily basis allowing for the over development of excess scar tissue.

 

And that is why it is critical that anyone who has had any type of surgery should eat 5 to 7 servings or fruits and vegetables a day and supplement with enzymes.

 

Click here for more information on Enzymes Therapy:

Golf, news, instruction, equipment and exercises

The golfer's checklist to ensure a healthy back:

1. » Visit a physical therapist or chiropractor well versed with golfers for a golf-specific physical assessment and conditioning program.
2. » Take a lesson from a PGA professional about basic fundamentals and how the body should move during the golf swing. Hopefully the PGA instructor uses video to analyze your swing.
3. » Practice golf specific drills that teach the correct movements in your swing, which will decrease the chances of injuring your back.
4. » Ensure your clubs are fitted properly for you, e.g. are your clubs too short or long? Are the shafts too flexible or stiff?
5. » Make sure you do a golf-specific warm-up routine prior to hitting balls or playing golf.

To Read the complete article on golf and back pain click here:

Rub It On and The Pain is GONE

Rub on Relief is now available... and you can grab some here

And for those of you who don't know the story, here it is...

About two years ago we came across a pain relief cream
that worked like magic. So we bought 500 tubes of the stuff
and offered it to our customers.

We never would have guessed it, but we sold out in less than
2 weeks.

But that wasn't what amazed me...

What amazed me was that ever since then we have been
getting emails, phone calls and even letters from people
begging for us to carry it again.

Well, the day is finally here.

This clinically proven pain reliever works like magic...
simply rub a little on and in minutes the pain disappears.

Here's what people have been saying:

"Glad I No Longer Have To Use Viox..."

"After years of suffering chronic pain, I have found relief with
RUB ON RELIEF.  Having tried NSAIDS, prescription pain
relievers, VIOX, Neuronitin, etc., it is a great feeling to know
I am helping heal my body with this product by modulating
the pain mechanisms, rather than just covering up the
symptoms. Every fibro/cfs/chronic pain patient should be
using this product on a daily basis. Even exercise becomes
possible by using the cream before and after workout."

--Jon Shallit - Oswego, NY

"Within Minutes The Pain Was GONE!"

"I was so happy to speak with you yesterday. I just wanted
to let you know how much I like RUB ON RELIEF. I bough it
from a Naturopath in Bridgton, ME who recommended that I
use it instead of advil to relieve my 3 years old son’s leg
cramps. Since then, my husband and I use it all the time.
We use it on all of our muscle and joint aches. It works very
quickly and effectively.               

We both play tennis and ski and my husband play basketball
so we have lots of  opportunities to use RUB ON RELIEF. I
use it for my sore Knees after I play tennis. It really helps! Last
night, I went to bed with a sore, stiff back. In the middle of the
night, my son climbed in our bed and landed knees first on my
back. Oh the pain!! I immediately grabbed the RUB ON RELIEF. 
Within minutes, the pain was gone and I was able to sleep.
I like it so much I ordered 15 tubes for my USTA tennis team.
I have been telling all my teammates about it, but didn’t know
where to get it. I am glad I found you."

--Joey Avantaggio - Bremen, ME

If you ever suffer from any type of ache or pain, you have got to
try this stuff.

And I'm pretty sure it will be just like last time and we'll sell out
very fast so you may want to grab some now

Because if we do sell out, it can be 6-8 weeks before we will
have more available.

I can't wait to hear of your results using this proven pain
relieving formula.

The Sedona Method and Back Pain

As a daily user of the Sedona Method for many years, I love the fact that it starts with the belief that I am (all of us are) perfect, whole and complete. “Thank you, for helping me see that in myself.”

 

What made the Sedona Method so successful for me, is that it did not try to change my mind about any of my beliefs but cleared my mind of the endless cutter floating around in my mind which allowed me to find my purpose in life, set my vision and it continues to help me achieve my everyday goals. “Nothing more powerful in life than that”

 

What I found to be amazing was that every issue I thought I had to work on, either physical pain or mental anguish, was addressed at the root cause level and with the guidance from Hale and his intuitive ability to communicate through the program, almost as if he was talking directly to me, it just worked. I just keep asking myself how did he know that of me, how did he know that was exactly what I need to work on? Just Amazing!

 

I work with Individuals dealing with physical pain and mental stressors every day and they believe their situation is so different because it is either unique to them or has challenged their life for such a long time and they begin to believe that nothing or no one can help them.

 

I urge you to keep an open mind that anything is possible…The last 10 years of my life were not easy by any measure, but I have seen and been a part of many miraculous events in my life and in my work and I would not be where I’m today without the ability to let go of the past and see the possibility in the future. “Hint – Hint”

 

One last thing, when I started the program, I had no clue what it was about or if it would do anything for me, but rest assured my experience was profound -- so much so that my five-year- old will benefit from the gift of being able to use the method her entire life, compared to the rest of us who will start the method much later in life, and then there are those who will never know…

 

Because of your affiliation with the Healthy Back Institute, Hale is offering you $50 off The Sedona Method Audio Course. Click here to get your special pricing.

You’ll thank me for it!

 

Thank you, HaleJ

 

Steven Hefferon, co-founder, the Healthy Back Institute and Lose the Back Pain System

How to get relief from post surgical scar tissue…

If you have had a back surgery either on your neck or lower back and have failed to get relief there could be an underlying issue that most treatments fail to even mention.

 
Any and every surgery will develop some amount of scar tissue all be it that new techniques are getting better at minimizing the amount, its still an issue that you are most likely dealing with right now and most likely nothing you have tried has helped…

Here it is short and sweet, Scar tissue and Fibrous Adhesions are a dirty little secret and a contributing factor of post surgical pain. And if left untreated could take years to diminish.

 
Scar tissue needs to be what is called released or Myofascially released and there are many different techniques that work great for this and most good and well trained massage therapist can do and excellent job of it but there is one more component to getting relief and that is the absorption of the excessive scar tissue from a cellular level.

As we get older, the more stress we are under and the less fruits and vegetables we eat the less enzymes our bodies will get and produce on a daily basis allowing for the over development of excess scar tissue.

And that is why it is critical that anyone who has had any type of surgery should eat 5 to 7 servings or fruits and vegetables a day and supplement with enzymes.

Click here for more information on Enzymes

Does inversion Therapy work? YES and HOW...

What is Inversion Therapy like?

Let's take a look at what a back pain sufferer will go through in a typical session. First, you do not need to go into full inversion to get the benefits. (Note: It will take time before you will be able to tolerate full inversion.) Here is a simple guide for beginners:

First 2 Weeks: Adjust the table to go to 20-30 degrees for 1 to 2 minutes, once or twice a day. Slowly increase your time until you become comfortable with the process and the position. The best way to tell if you're getting used to the inversion table is whether or not you can relax while you're using it.

Click here to read about inversion therapy:

When to Stretch: Before or After Exercise?

One frequently-asked question is, "Should I stretch before or after I exercise?"

The answer is: Both. This is not an either/or option; stretching both before and after physical activity is a must. And no cheating; please.

Stretching after exercise to get a jump on your next session without stretching beforehand will not do you any good either, and here is why:

The purpose of stretching before exercise is to help prevent injury. Stretching does this by lengthening the muscles and tendons, which in turn increases your range of movement. This helps you move freely without restriction or injury occurring. However, the reason why you stretch after exercise is very different.

Why Stretch After Exercise?

Stretching after you exercise is necessary for a very different reason. Any strenuous activity, particularly weightlifting, causes a small amount of damage to the muscle and associated soft tissues.

These small rips and tears are what force the muscles to grow when they begin the process of repairing themselves. Stronger tissue replaces the damaged tissue, which often causes soreness up to 48 hours after exercising.

This is called delayed onset muscle soreness or DOMS. You might not feel sore immediately following a workout, but think how many times you or someone else has said, "I'll pay for this later."

Stretching after your exercise routine helps release the tension and prevents the muscles from becoming tight. Right after your workout, your muscles are warm and elastic. The post-workout stretching session affords you a second chance to increase your flexibility and range of motion, particularly around your joints. Regardless of the type of activity, you should stretch all major muscle groups.

Is Stretching Considered Cooling Down?

No, stretching and cooling down after a workout are two very different things. Some experts say you should cool down first and then stretch, and others say that stretching can be incorporated as part of the cool-down process.

The purpose of cooling down is to help your heart rate return to normal. Your heart, lungs and blood flow all worked hard to get you through the exercise, and without a sufficient cooling-down period, you may feel sick or dizzy. You might want to take a leisurely five-minute walk on a treadmill to relax your body and then do your stretching. Your muscles will still be warm and you will still reap the benefits of a post-workout stretch.

For more great stretching tips I suggest you sign up for the free stretching e-course offered by my good friend and stretching expert, Brad Walker.

Get his free e-course here:

5 simple steps for back pain relief

Millions of people suffer from back pain unnecessarily when there is actually a very simple solution, according to Jesse Cannone , certified personal trainer and back pain specialist.  "Unfortunately, many people are led to believe that back pain is normal and were all supposed to experience it... well, thankfully, that's not the case. Eliminating back pain is not nearly as difficult as most people think or are led to believe... it can actually be easy!" says Cannone. 

Here's the simple system that MUST be followed if you are looking for real, long-term, lasting relief:

1. Identify the cause - nearly all of the treatments people receive for back pain only focus on the symptoms and the healthcare professionals zoom in on only the problem area. The real key in eliminating back pain is to find out exactly what’s causing the problem... and most of the time it's not even the back!

2. Address both the cause and the symptom - the best approach is a combination of treating the symptoms for pain relief while also addressing the underlying cause.

3. Be aware - many people suffering from back pain are not in tune with their bodies and during their treatment they do not realize what is working and what is not. In order to achieve long-term relief you have to understand how your body works, what's causing the problem, and what changes have to be made to correct it.

4. Consistent Focused Action - achieving success in anything requires consistency and focused action. Most people with back pain won't make the time to work on their problem each day... instead they take pain killers which mask the pain and allow them to cause more damage while they continue with their life.

5. Don't do what doesn't work - we already know that most traditional treatments for back pain don't work.... why waste your time, energy, and money? The real key to eliminating back pain is to identify the true cause of the pain and then address it with a combination of treatments to treat both the cause and symptoms. Over 80% of all back pain is caused by muscle imbalances... NOT a lack of pain killers or surgery! Fid out what's going on in your body and take action.

Click here to read more about back pain exercises:

“Bodybuilding Sins” Article #5 - Rest, Recovery, and Injury Prevention

Many of the injuries that bodybuilders suffer from could be easily prevented just by allowing the body enough time to rest...

While most bodybuilders dread hearing the word “rest”, many fail to realize that there is far more to rest than just avoiding overtraining. When you perform a tough workout you not only stress that muscle or muscle group, you also place stress on the cardiovascular, neuromuscular and components of the immune system...

For example, many bodybuilders will train their chest 2-3 times a week and spend an hour or more performing dozens of exercises just for the pecs...

While this may sound ok to some, when you add in the stress of other workouts it can quickly add up to too much stress in one or more ways. I hear bodybuilders all the time say “I let my body rest by splitting up my workouts” and “I worked chest yesterday so today I'll train my back”... that's NOT rest!

Click here to read more about propper workout recovery:

“Bodybuilding Sins” Article #4 - Targeted Exercises

What is a Targeted Exercise and Why You Need To Be Doing Them?

While performing three different exercises for each area of the chest may sound “targeted” and it may work great for targeting the chest itself... this is NOT what we mean by targeted...

What we are talking about is choosing exercises with more than just size increases in mind... remember, there is far more to muscle than just how it looks... You can be really big, but also weak, slow and inflexible.

To drive this point home some more, remember the “Turtle Back Syndrome” we covered in article #1? So many body builders are plagued with this gruesome condition and they don't even know it! Are you?

The Turtle Back condition is a direct result of too much focus on building up the pecs and lats and not enough focus on the upper back. Also, the lack of focus on flexibility in the chest and shoulders makes it even worse...

Not only does this look stupid, but it sets you up for back, neck and shoulder problems like rotator cuff tears and the like... and I know you don't want any of those!

So by targeted, we mean exercises that will not just develop muscle strength and size, but more importantly work towards correcting muscle imbalances which will mean less pain and missed workouts, better performance and function, and most of all better and balanced total body development!

Click Here to Find Out Which Ones You NEED To be Doing?

Body Buiulding and the need for Training Variations when looking for Pain Relief and Maximum Results

Bodybuilders are a stubborn bunch... almost as bad as runners! And they tend to follow the “HERD” doing whatever exercises and routines the “pros” are doing...

Now, if your goal is to be as big as possible and you are not at all concerned with your health and fitness, don't even bother this article... this article is for bodybuilders who ARE concerned about their health and want to be big, strong, powerful, and agile... if that's you, read on...

The reason so many bodybuilders suffer from so many different injuries is because there are several things the “pros” don't tell you...

First off, the articles that you see in all the muscle mags aren't even written by the “pros”... and the workout routines they recommend are always extreme and often not even used by the “pro” who supposedly wrote because their main goal is to sell magazines... not give you the real deal on bodybuilding.

If you are serious about bodybuilding and want to achieve your true peak, you need to stay injury free... and that's just about impossible if you train they way most bodybuilders do.

There are several key strategies that you can use right now to not only eliminate any aches, pains and injuries you currently have, but also keep from creating more muscle imbalances in the future. For a more detailed article on muscle imbalances go to Aches and Pains Articles

Click here to learn Strategy #1 - Target the Weaklings!

Can Proper Nutrition and Supplementation Heal Your Back Pain?

Anyone looking to achieve optimal health has to consider nutrition as the single most important ingredient for success. In a perfect world, all of our nutrition should come from the food we eat. Supplementation should not even be an issue.

In the real world, however, most of the foods we eat are riddled with fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides, and hormones - not to mention that they are often hydrated with polluted water. In addition, an ever-growing percentage of our food comes from other countries, which don't always have the best inspection track record.

And if all that weren't bad enough, the natural nutrient value of the soil that produces these foods has also been diminishing over the years, a trend that will only continue. This is why it's necessary for us to take a hard look at our diets and make a decision about whether we may need supplements.

As you can see, proper nutrition nowadays is not that easy; it does take some time to educate yourself. By proper nutrition, I mean eating clean and safe foods that have the nutrients your body requires to get and stay healthy.

Recipe for relief

Your two main purposes for eating a healthy diet and taking supplements are to give your body what it needs to heal itself and to minimize the level of inflammation that is in your body. The inflammation is what is causing your pain.

Click here to read more about proper nutrition and supplementation for back pain:

Alternative Techniques You Would Never Guess Would Reduce Pain and Bring Healing - Mind-Body Techniques

Why do we call mind-body techniques such as massage, meditation, hypnosis, or acupuncture "alternative" treatments when they've been around since the dawn of Man? If these techniques have been around and used for that long, surely there must be something to them.

Truth is, you're already a bit of an expert in some of these techniques. Let me explain. Say you stub your toe. You know full well you're going to grab that toe and rub it (massage). Next, your breathing is going to change, you're going to belt out a few choice words, then you're going to find a place to sit down and relax for a minute (meditation). And don't forget your need to show everyone where it hurts by pointing to it and pressing on the most painful spot (acupressure).

I know what you're thinking right now: How would any of these techniques help heal my herniated disc or Spinal Stenosis or Sciatica? First of all, none of these techniques can change the physical aspect of your condition. But when you examine the goals of each of them, they all make sense. And, if used together, they can deliver better and faster results.

Here's a quick look at the benefits of a more extensive list of alternative treatments to help you understand how you might incorporate one or all of these techniques into your life. Study this list and then find practitioners to teach you or work with you one-on-one.

Massage: There are literally hundreds of styles of massage. Which one is best for you will depend on your comfort level. I would recommend finding some one skilled in Deep Tissue combined with Trigger Point as well as Myofascial Release the combination offers calming of the muscles and manual removal of inflammation by getting rid of the source of the irritant and pain.

Click here to read about more Mind Body Techniques:

Could Muscle Balance Therapy™ be the long term solution to your back pain.

When it comes to back pain, knowledge is power. Our mission here at the Healthy Back Institute is to help you learn all you can about your particular condition because we know that informed people get better care and faster results. The more you know, the more you can be in control of your own treatment, and Muscle Balance Therapy™ is one of the most powerful tools you can use to help you take control of your situation.

A basic fact about back pain is that most treatments fail because they begin at the end - that is, they merely focus on the pain, which is just a symptom of a larger problem. A word of caution: If you feel even minor back pain, you should take it very seriously - your body is telling you that something is not right. Failing to address this situation now will likely result in a higher level of pain and having to work much harder and much longer to get yourself back to a pain-free state.

Whether your goal is to stay healthy or to get lasting relief from your pain, you should know that back pain - or any disease, for that matter - develops as a process. Muscle Balance Therapy™ addresses the underlying cause of your condition while at the same time brings relief to your symptoms. In essence, it attempts to reverse the process that brought you pain and bring your body back to a more neutral state.

The Greeks knew about the principles behind Muscle Balance Therapy™ 2500 years ago, but some how this simple, sensible approach was replaced by today's medical treatments that merely focus on symptoms rather than the source of your pain.

Click here to read more about muscle balances therapy: