Relieve Back Pain Without Drugs

Are you plagued with back pain? Are you the Weekend Warrior who wakes up on Monday morning with back pain or tightness? Would you rather avoid costly and sometimes dangerous prescription drugs? Try these remedies to help with your back pain courtesy:wikihow.com.



Caution: Make sure your back pain is not from a major injury like a fall or a car crash. Check with your physician to rule out spinal trauma or ruptured disc. These injuries will almost always require rehabilitation.

Start your recovery from back pain--after you are sure that there is no major trauma--with simple basic exercises. The best and most beneficial recovery exercise for any back pain is to get out of bed or off the couch and start walking. Inactivity is clinically proven to make back pain worse! Begin your recovery program (ideally) with 30 minutes of daily walking.

Learn stretching for lower back pain or learn yoga to help align the joints of your body. Incorporating a daily stretching and yoga practice may help to relieve back pain. Stretching and yoga (for people in pain) are best learned from a physical therapist or yoga therapist.

Study tai chi to learn how to protect the spine by keeping it in an neutral position while pushing, pulling and lifting.

Practice relaxation and meditation every day. Numerous medical studies have shown that much back pain is caused by tightness due to mental stress! Practicing meditation allows you to relax the mind and the body and release tension that can tighten the back--causing pain.

Develop a daily resistance training program on a machine (or weight lifting) to improve your core (back and abdominal muscles). Before you begin and unless you are an experienced athlete, seek the advice of a certified personal trainer before you begin your resistance training program. Resistance training allows you to develop weak muscles that can cause your back to be misaligned. Using resistance training is extremely beneficial for the development of a strong torso (body core) and for relieving back pain. One of the best tools in resistance training is using a core ball during your workouts.

Improve your posture ! It really helps to always have your back straight. By this, I don't mean putting your back into uncomfortable or weird positions (this only worsens your back!) but learn how to have good posture all the time--whether you're standing, sitting, or even sleeping!

Change your outlook on life. Many times depression and loneliness can cause tension and back pain. Getting out of your normal daily routine is the trick to relieving back pain. Try volunteering one day a week for your favorite charity to change your routine. Call a local senior citizens home and ask if you can visit a couple of times a month to help out. Get involved with your local community and seek out ways to help the community. Call your local hospital and ask how you can help out. Getting involved and helping other people is a great way to develop friends and get your mind off of your problems.

Get a dog! Getting a pet has two benefits for relieving back pain. First, it has been medically proven that owning a pet can lower blood pressure and relieve tension. Second, having a dog means you might need to get outside and walk Fido. Dog owners tend to spend more time outdoors and receive more exercise. So grab that leash and go for a long walk.

Swim like a fish ! Swimming is one of the best workouts you can do for a bad back. Not only does it open up stiff and sore muscles but your heart gets a great aerobic workout too. Go to your local YMCA or health club and jump in and swim. If you can’t swim sign up for lessons. You will be swimming like a fish in no time!

Get a massage --it can help--but be sure you tell the massage technician about your touchy area of back pain, and what causes it to flare up.

If you have a sedentary job that requires you to sit on the desk for long hours, take breaks through the day to stretch yourself. Raise your hands over your head and stand on your toes. Then allow yourself to fall. Sitting long hours does not allow enough fluid movement in and out of your disc (ever noticed how you are just a bit taller in the mornings than after a long day? The "water" in the discs between your vertebra oozes out by the end of the day. Allow it to be reabsorbed by stretching and extending)

Spot jogging also helps.

Another simple exercise to strengthen your back muscles would be lie on a mattress (not soft), bend your legs at the hips and knees and flatten your back. Hold for a count of 10 and release. Do this 5-8 times.

* Stop immediately if you have any numbness or unexplained weakness and go to your physical therapist or doctor.

* Get a physical therapists or doctors approval before you begin a back pain recovery program.

* Never attempt to do resistance training on your own or without the supervision of a physical therapist or certified personal trainer.

Calm Your Imagination Before Sleep

Having an active and creative imagination is a great gift. However, at night it is sometimes not so great; it can be quite miserable. However, do not despair, as there are ways of dealing with this problem.
In other cases, you may lie awake because you cannot stop thinking about a personal problem, such as trouble at work or an argument you had with a good friend etc..courtesy:wikihow



The most traditional way of dealing with an over-active mind late at night is to count something. Sheep are very popular for this purpose, but most things will do. The logic behind this approach is that it bores you into falling asleep. Thus boring things (such as sheep) are better.

A second method is to focus on one, boring thing, with the purpose of stopping your mind from running so fast. This requires more practice, as your imagination may not be pleased with this. It is particularly useful to focus on something that is far away from your head, such as the tiniest toe on your left foot. Try to feel your toe, and think only about the toe. If you slip up, return to the toe.

Another thing to focus on, is to imagine you are riding a bike. Imagine a particular route in your neighbourhood that you frequently walk, drive, or bike (for example from your house to your work or the city center). Imagine you are biking along this road, and imagine it in exacly the same pace as it would take if you were actually on a bike. While you are "biking", have a look around and imagine all the streets, houses, shops, and other things that you pass along the road. This is a very tiring thing to do for your mind, and you may not get further than a hundred meters the first times you try (because you start thinking about other things or fall asleep). With some practice, you will be able to cover greater distances.

Another great way is to imagine you've won a million dollars, then imagine you're spending it. Calculating how much you'd need to get that boat, dream house, charitable contributions, new wardrobe, etc., can be fun.

It is also possible to try to calm down your mind before going to sleep. Doing a crossword puzzle, sudoku, or reading a little may calm your mind down so that you fall easily asleep. Note: for some people this has the opposite effect, making them more awake, especially if you are reading an extremely exciting book. One of the best choices for this type of bedtime reading is an exciting book that you've read before where you know the ending. The cliff hangers have less impact but the story is just as engaging and just as far from your own worries as it ever was. Trust yourself to know which genre keeps you awake and which one puts you to sleep. Some people read Stephen King to get to sleep well - but it's still often better to enjoy a King reread than to dive into a new one where you don't know how it comes out yet.

Instead of focusing on your mind, you may wish to focus on your body. Doing some exercises (such as running) earlier in the evening, or some yoga right before you go to bed will make your body sleepier. Some people have problems sleeping after running, however.

Take up meditation, and practice before you go to sleep. Meditation calms the mind, and some types of meditation teach you how to clear your mind completely.

Try creating a very detailed story to yourself, something that interests you. You will fall asleep far before you come to the end of the story.

Concentrate on each breath you take. Breathe more slowly, and enjoy each breath, concentrating on how good it feels to be able to breathe. When you slow your breathing, this tends to slow your heart rate as well, which ultimately calms you down.

Clear your head of all thoughts, focus on how good it feels to have your mind completely empty. if a thought comes into your mind, refocus, and just relax

Clear your head by 'throwing away' the thoughts that keep you awake. Imagine a garbage bag. Lift up the predominant thought that keeps you awake from your head, and imagine you put it in the bag. Now that this thought is out of your head, you can notice a previous thought popping up in your head. Throw this in the bag as well. Keep doing this until your head feels clear of thoughts. Then, tie up the bag and throw the bag as far away as you can imagine. You have now let go of the things that keep you awake, and you are ready to start falling asleep.

Eat a small snack and drink some warm milk. Having some food in your stomach can help to keep you from thinking about hunger. This doesn't mean that you should pig out, but eat a banana or some warm bread, but nothing salty. This will make you thirsty and keep you awake.

Keep a water bottle by your bed, and take a sip whenever you are thirsty.

Concentrate on your favorite activity (baseball, a cartoon, eg.) and put yourself "in the game".

Some people have the strange but amazing ability to use a 'backup dream.' What is that? It's a dream that has been repeatedly tested and proven to lull them into sleep. What's yours? Try imagining something like that, where you change one of your flaws using magical powers or something. Don't be afraid to experiment.

Imagine being able to change anything about you (eyes, superpowers, hair etc...) Imagine what you would do if you could do anything.

Go through the alphabet and think of items in a single category, a to z. Animals, Aardvark, Bumble Bee, Crayfish, Dog, etc.

Slowly paralyze yourself starting from your toes, working slowly until you are all the way up to your head. Usually you will be asleep by then. If not, try it again and go slower. If you have an itch, try to ignore it or just start over.

Evolve in Your Spiritual Practice

No matter what religious tradition you come from, having a spiritual practice allows you to develop as a person and deal with life's difficulties in a healthy manner courtesy:ehow.com.



Steps to try:

> Keep a spiritual diary. A spiritual diary is invaluable to today's spiritual seeker. No matter what spiritual tradition you follow, a spiritual diary acts as the guru, or guide in keeping you on the spiritual path. Each day keep track of the total number of hours you spend in meditation, japa, pranayama, asanas, sleep, selfless service, etc. By doing this, you become aware of your strengths and weaknesses.

> Practice karma yoga or selfless service. By doing things in an unselfish way for others, we purify the heart and become closer to God. Karma yoga reminds us that we are all connected. By helping others we forget about our own problems, reduce our ego and learn to see things from another point of view.

> Practice asanas and pranayama. These yoga practices keep the body and mind strong and healthy enough to deal with daily stress. They also help us gain control over our thoughts. With a clear mind and more energy, we make better choices.

> Study spiritual books. We all need inspiration during life's trying times. These books teach us how to live in this world. They help develop our powers of discrimination which we need to decide what is good for us in and what isn't. This practice also helps to develop good character and ethical conduct.

Quickly Calm Your Nerves

There's little argument that to stay healthy and happy, you must eliminate undue stress and calm your nerves. Those who are "on edge" rarely have positive relationships, as stress almost always has a negative effect on our interactions with each other. Instead of accepting stress and actually becoming accustomed to living life this way, begin the promise to calm your nerves as soon as you realize you need it. For some people, a warm bath in a candlelit room is enough to bring down their stress levels. But for many, a more intensive regimen is necessary. It's not in your head. It is a medically acknowledged problem.courtesy:ehow.com



Some of the most familiar techniques incorporate one or more of the following into your life:

> Yoga

> Tai Chi

> Music

> Exercise

> Meditation

> Hypnosis

> Massage

The prestigious Mayo Clinic has noted how essential it is to calm nerves, noting that relaxation isn't just about peace of mind or enjoying a hobby. Relaxation is a process that decreases the wear and tear of life's challenges on your mind and body.

Practicing relaxation techniques can improve how you physically respond to stress by:

* Slowing your heart rate

* Lowering blood pressure

* Slowing your breathing rate

* Reducing the need for oxygen

* Increasing blood flow to major muscles

* Reducing muscle tension


Here is what the Mayo Clinic recommends for calming nerves, based on their latest findings:

> Autogenic relaxation. Autogenic means something that comes from within you. In this technique, you use both visual imagery and body awareness to reduce stress. You repeat words or suggestions in your mind to help you relax and reduce muscle tension. You may imagine a peaceful place and then focus on controlled, relaxing breathing, slowing your heart rate, or different physical sensations, such as relaxing each arm or leg one by one.

> Progressive muscle relaxation. In this technique, you focus on slowly tensing and then relaxing each muscle group. This helps you focus on the difference between muscle tension and relaxation, and you become more aware of physical sensations. You may choose to start by tensing and relaxing the muscles in your toes and progressively working your way up to your neck and head. Tense your muscles for at least five seconds and then relax for 30 seconds, and repeat.

> Visualization. In this technique, you form mental images to take a visual journey to a peaceful, calming place or situation. Try to use as many senses as you can, including smells, sights, sounds and textures. If you imagine relaxing at the ocean, for instance, think about the warmth of the sun, the sound of crashing waves, the feel of the grains of sand and the smell of salt water. You may want to close your eyes, sit in a quiet spot and loosen any tight clothing.

Read People's Minds

Some scientists will say that it is impossible to read minds. They will also tell you that you can read body language, or use empathy, or that you even have neurons that help you make educated guesses on what a person might be thinking or feeling. Perhaps there really is nothing mystical about the power to read minds. Perhaps it is simply human intuition based on observation and educated guesses after all, but that doesn't make it any less useful an ability to learn. courtesy:ehow.com



Following are some of the ways you can try:

> Learn body language. How a person moves, holds their hands, even what their eyes are doing are very telling about what is going on inside of their head. For example, pupils tend to grow larger when you are interested in or excited about something. If you are talking to someone and making eye contact, finding their pupils are large and round, chances are they are not feigning interest in the conversations. Someone who is fidgety or biting their nails is likely nervous. Someone who folds their arms across their chest when they are not cold is probably trying to put a barrier between you and themselves, or if they draw themselves inward, with their shoulders hunched, there is probably something they don't want you to know. There are many variables. Large pupils can also mean they've recently had their eyes dilated, and fidgeting could be the result of the recent consumption of a large caffeinated beverage.

> Learn to mentally put yourself in another's place. Scientists have recently discovered that your brain has neurons that fire when you watch someone do something the same as if we had done the action ourselves. They have dubbed these “mirror neurons, and they explain our ability to have empathy. When you are able to open yourself to understanding how other people are feeling, you are able to figure out reasons and anticipate future actions, reactions, even thoughts.

> Know that if you do believe that there is some kind of undiscovered energy that allows for a psychic connection between people, you can try to tap into this energy and use extrasensory perception to read someone's mind. This doesn't mean you'll literally be able to read their mind like a book, or that you will hear their thoughts like a radio broadcast. Instead, you will receive inexplicable impressions, feelings, perhaps even images or words will pop into your head.

> Take up meditation. Meditation helps to discipline the mind so that you can alter your state of consciousness at will. Psychics are most receptive to impressions when they are able to slip into the Alpha state, a state of relaxed awareness, somewhere between sleeping and full alertness. If you have ever found yourself zoning out; in front of the television, or while riding in a car or doing a monotonous chore, you have experienced the alpha state. Learning to meditate can help you purposely put your brain in the alpha state, where you will be more successful in reading people and receiving impressions.

> Practice and combine all of these steps. You will soon find yourself able to intuit the things going through another person's mind, even if it is contrary to what they are actually saying. Whether it is a paranormal ability, or plain old observation and deduction, it certainly is a skill worth learning.

Overcome Your Fear of Being Shy

If you feel extremely shy and self-conscious, you might be experiencing problems with your friends, family and colleagues. Not only does excessive shyness cause a struggle to build relationships, but it also forces you to avoid situations and opportunities that you might potentially enjoy. Fortunately, there are ways to overcome shyness, even if the feelings don't subside immediately.



* Make a list of everything you like about yourself. Include personality traits, abilities, skills and hobbies you excel in. If you feel self-conscious and shy, it might be because you feel inferior to people around you. Instead of comparing yourself to your peers, think about what you are good at and write down all of your strengths. When you start to feel shy in a situation, think about your achievements and how you would like to be perceived.

* Practice meditation, relaxation or deep-breathing techniques. Although you might feel shy or uncomfortable in social situations, you must force yourself into these conversations in order to overcome your fear. Take deep breaths and relax while telling yourself that you will be okay. Visualize a positive outcome of the situation and smile before you start a conversation. Smiling will cause a natural release of endorphins that will elevate your mood and also the perceptions of those around you.

* Condense the situation. If you are at a large party or gathering, avoid trying to take in the whole atmosphere. Focus on the individual you are conversing with so that you don't feel overwhelmed and that you are under scrutiny from other people.

* Show interest in the conversation, not the individual. Take the focus off of yourself and avoid using "I" as much as you can. Try to show as much interest in the other person as you can while asking numerous questions. Listen to what they say and take note of their body language. Relax yourself if they look comfortable talking to you. If you are asked questions, don't provide long answers and stories if you are not comfortable with the situation. Even if you are just making small talk, it will help you to overcome your shyness and help you to build longer, more intense conversations and relationships.

How to Stop Hair Loss Naturally

Using natural products to help prevent hair loss is cheaper than trying to replace lost hair once it's already gone. Consider the power of these natural ingredients to stave off thinning hair.



Saw Palmetto: This herb is sometimes used to treat enlargement of the prostate. This is because Saw Palmetto blocks the production of DHT (a metabolite of testosterone), a contributing factor to enlarging of the prostate. Because DHT production also causes hair loss, Saw Palmetto has been shown in some small studies to be effective for preventing hair loss in some men. It was first used by the American Indians to treat and maintain healthy hair and skin.

Nettle root: Those little plants with the big sting are good for something after all. Nettle root is another treatment which blocks the production of chemicals which enlarge the prostate

They are the same ones that can cause hair loss. Evidence suggests that nettle root may not only stave off baldness, but may actually regenerate hair growth.

Vitamins: Your mother told you they were good for you, but you may not know they're good for your hair too. Vitamin A is an anti-oxidant which promotes healthy production of sebum in the scalp.

Vitamin E stimulates circulation. Good blood circulation in the scalp is important in keeping hair follicles productive. The 'B' vitamins contribute to melanin, which gives hair its healthy color and also stimulates blood circulation.

In addition to these ingredients, which help stop hair loss naturally, massage is also beneficial. Massage stimulates circulation. As already noted, good circulation in the scalp keeps hair follicles active. Experts suggest a few minutes of daily head massage by hand. Circulation through massage may be improved by using a few drops of lavender or bay essential oil in an almond or sesame oil base with massage.

Try rubbing your scalp with garlic juice, Onion Juice or Ginger Juice(you can either of one out of three, Do not mix any of two or three).( but if your head gets wet you will be able to smell it )

Try rubbing your hair with rangoli henna.

Practise Meditation. Most of the times, the root cause for hair loss is stress. Meditation can help in reducing that and restore hormonal balance.

relax the GALEA using the techniques of the MALINIAK METHOD