Avoidance of Back Pain

I'm not a medical doctor, but in my past work as a disability examiner and also from my own experiences with severe back pain (e.g. hearing my back go "crunch" and then being in bed for five days straight on pain killers and muscle relaxants), I've gained some insight into degenerative disc disease, and, of course, quite a bit of empathy for those who suffer with debilitating back pain.

Back pain is one of the top reasons Americans visit their doctors. From pulled muscles, burning sensations, sciatica and muscle spasms or sprains, to ruptured discs, or spinal stenosis, back pain can be debilitating. Overdoing exercise, being overweight or being inactive and then overdoing an activity are the most common reasons for back pain.

To avoid back pain, always stretch before taking on an activity that may cause back stress, like yard word or heavy lifting. If you know about the activity ahead of time, stretch for a few days before to get your muscles limber. If lifting, always use a pulling motion instead of pushing, keep your back straight and bend your knees. If you feel discomfort, stop and stretch. If the discomfort is too much, stop altogether.

If you are unable to avoid back pain, relieve minor pain with an ice pack followed by a warm compress and if needed, take an over-the-counter pain reliever.

If the back pain is severe and is accompanied by weakness, difficulty in urination or a radiating pain in the back that moves to the legs, see your doctor immediately.










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Social Security Disability Requirements













Additional Entries
Will Social Security disability cover sleep apnea as a disability?
I Did All The Work On My Disability Case - Why Should I Pay My Lawyer?
When should you get a Representative for Social Security Disability or SSI?
Working and Applying for Social Security Disability

Are Alcoholism and Anxiety Connected?

Though it may seem common knowledge that alcoholics deal with anxiety, researchers are searching for a medical reason that the two may be inextricably linked.

In their search, researchers from UIC conducted animal laboratory tests that showed how a protein in the neurons in the amygdala, the area of the brain associated with anxiety, affects alcohol withdrawal symptoms. Normally, the neuron sends signals through dendritic spines to communicate, but when exposed to alcohol dendritic spines increase in the amygdala, creating an anti-anxiety effect through a protein called Arc and a hormone called BDNF.

They also found that when the animals were withheld alcohol they developed high anxiety and when they raised the BDNF and Arc levels back to normal, the animals were okay. Lowered Arc and BDNF in the amygdale showed increased anxiety.

The researchers believe this proves that molecular processes taking place within the neurons are responsible for anxiety and alcoholism. They also believe that people with anxiety may use alcohol to deal with the anxiety and then in turn, they feel more anxiety when they are going through the withdrawal period of alcohol.

This may help to explain why alcohol relieves stress, but then continued alcohol use is required to keep stress levels down.









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Social Security Disability Requirements














Additional Entries
Will Social Security disability cover sleep apnea as a disability?
I Did All The Work On My Disability Case - Why Should I Pay My Lawyer?
When should you get a Representative for Social Security Disability or SSI?
Can you get a second Social Security Disability Hearing if a judge denies you?
Working and Applying for Social Security Disability

Working and Applying for Social Security Disability

Working and applying for social security disability or SSI disability can present certain issues and problems, depending on the specifics of the situation. What are some of those scenarios? Here are two of the more common ones.

A) A person is working and earning more than the allowable amount set forth by the social security administration (known as SGA or substantial gainful activity). If this is the case, of course an individual will be unable to receive disability benefits. They will be able to apply for disability; however, with their earnings in excess of the allowable limit, they will quickly receive what is known as a technical denial. What do I tell people who are considering filing for disability, yet are still working and earning too much money? I simply tell them this: if your medical condition or mental condition progresses to the point where you are unable to continuing working, contact social security immediately and file a claim.

Note--an important point to remember is that an individual can still work and file for disability as long as they are not earning more than the current SGA amount (see the link to the definition in the second paragraph above).

B) A person is considering leaving their job because they can no longer perform the requirements of their job. Should they file for disability? The answer depends on a number of variables, including their ability to perform other types of work (which may include their ability to transer their existing job skills to other forms of work). In all candor, it may be to a person's advantage to apply for disability once they leave their job (due to a disabling condition) for the following reasons:

1) Disability applications and appeals take a very very long time to process.

2) An individual who is no longer able to perform the duties of their most recent job may not have a clear idea as to whether or not they can return to their job at some point, or transition to some form of other work.









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Social Security Disability Secrets














Additional Entries
Will Social Security disability cover sleep apnea as a disability?
I Did All The Work On My Disability Case - Why Should I Pay My Lawyer?
When should you get a Representative for Social Security Disability or SSI?
Can you get a second Social Security Disability Hearing if a judge denies you?