Category: back pain conditions

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LUPUS AWARENESS MONTH 1st – 31st OCTOBER 2022…

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Lupus Awareness Month October 1st – October 31st – Lupus Awareness Month takes place during October in the UK every year. It is an important opportunity to raise awareness of the disease amongst the public and medical profession as well as improve the understanding of the impact that lupus can have.

What is Lupus?

Lupus is an incurable immune system illness, probably genetic in origin and mainly suffered by females. It can affect any part of the body and that’s the danger.

There are two main types of lupus:

  • discoid lupus
  • systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).

Discoid lupus only affects the skin, causing rashes. People can get it in one small area on the skin, or it can be widespread. SLE can affect many parts of the body in several ways. It can range from mild to severe. There is no cure, but early treatment can help to keep symptoms under control.

Symptoms of Lupus

The three most common symptoms of lupus are:

  • joint pains
  • skin rashes, which may become noticeable after being out in the sun
  • extreme tiredness, known as fatigue.

Some people with lupus will only have these symptoms, though they can still have a big impact on daily life.

Other general symptoms are:

  • ulcers in the mouth or nose
  • hair loss
  • fever
  • weight loss
  • swelling of the lymph glands, in the neck, armpits or groin, or under the chin
  • depression
  • anxiety.

Lupus can affect many different parts of the body, and when internal organs such as the heart, lungs, brain or kidneys are involved it can be much more serious. It’s important to have regular check-ups, and to report any new symptoms to your healthcare professionals.

Most people will only have one or a few of the possible symptoms, and many people find that the symptoms come and go.

It’s unclear why some people get lupus. It’s thought to be the result of a mix of genetic, hormonal and environmental factors. For example, the immune system makes proteins called antibodies that fight infection. In lupus, the body also makes autoantibodies that are similar, but attack the body’s own tissues instead. We’re not sure why this happens. There are some factors that probably make this more likely:

  • an illness or infection
  • strong sunlight
  • hormonal changes, such as during puberty
  • smoking cigarettes
  • some medications – this is known as drug-induced lupus, and this usually gets better when people come off the medication that caused it.

Lupus isn’t directly passed on from a parent to their children, but if you have a close relative with lupus then you may be at increased risk of developing it.

Lupus isn’t contagious, so you can’t catch it from anyone else.

By making people more aware of lupus you can help control its impact. They need your help to raise awareness of lupus, its symptoms and the effects it can have on people’s lives this Lupus Awareness Month.

You can help raise awareness by taking part in the 31-Mile Virtual Challenge – Take part in this fun new virtual challenge and help raise awareness during Lupus Awareness Month! The event takes place in October, and anyone can take part! Walk, run, wheelchair or cycle a total of 31 miles throughout the month by completing 1-mile a day or by taking on three 10.3-mile challenges! It’s not to late to sign up. Sign up HERE

There are lots of ways that you can join the fight against lupus this Lupus Awareness Month just pop down to the Lupus Awareness Month website for more details.

Source: Lupus UK, Versus Arthritis

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CHOCOLATE WITH CBD IN IT TO HELP EASE PAIN…

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Chocolate with CBD in it sounds like a match made in heaven to me I don’t know about you?

I researched it and found out that according, to the website Cheerful Buddha, CBD infused with dark chocolate has a high content of antioxidants in the form of flavanols and polyphenols both of which have been linked to heart health and increasing blood flow to the brain.

It wasn’t long before I found lots of information about how chocolate with CBD in it can definitely help with pain. “THC is the main psychoactive cannabinoid found in cannabis, and that is what causes the feeling or sensation of getting “high. However, unlike THC, CBD is NOT psychoactive.” This feature makes CBD a very attractive option for those looking for a pain reliever, or other symptoms without having the mind-altering effects of marijuana or other pharmaceutical drugs. Not only is CBD a pain reliever, but it can also reduce anxiety and depression, alleviate cancer-related symptoms, may reduce acne, and as mentioned before is good for the heart and many other potential benefits, writes Maui Chocolate & Coffee.

It is also known for its potent antioxidants, anti-inflammatory, and neuroprotective effects.

The effects of a CBD chocolate bar are very similar to any other consumption method. Of course, these will vary from person to person. Most CBD users say that chocolate edibles help them to feel relaxed and calm, and allow them to unwind from daily stress, writes Premium Jane and they can also explain how you can make it yourself.

CBD coffee is also another find which seems to be on most websites that advertise CBD chocolate. Cheerful Buddha sell it ground, beans, decaffeinated, and they offer 10% off if you sign up to their newsletter, but most offer that for your first purchase.

All of the above information has made me want to give it a try as I am a chocaholic through and through. I found such a variation on the prices from £2.90 to over £20.

Some of the sites that caught my eye were Themptation who have quite an array of CBD Chocolate including CBD Mint Chocolate (one of my favourites) 40g bar for £3.55 melt in the mouth 74% Organic dark chocolate infused with our raw CBD oil. The 40g bars are also wrapped in a 100% home compostable film wrapper.

If you are not into dark chocolate then Radek’s Chocolate have a milk chocolate bar at £2.90 for 32g. Radek’s Chocolate have combined forces with Bristol CBD to offer this delicious, (and surprisingly vegan!) velvet smooth, Cashew Milk CBD Chocolate Bar. For an extra rich and satisfying experience, we’ve blended our carefully crafted cashew cream taste with the many benefits of CBD oil in this organic, vegan chocolate bar. Each 84g Cashew Milk CBD Chocolate Bar contains 42mg of Bristol CBD’s legendary 5% whole plant CBD oil made from organically grown hemp extract. Each 32g bar contains 16mg CBD. THey also sell CBD Brownies and CBD Coffee.

The funny thing was that I was actually going online to look for some CBD Tea when a chocolate bar popped it’s head up…..

Source: Cheeful Buddha, Maui Chocolate & Coffee Premium Jane Themptation Radek’s Chocolate

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WHAT DOES A SLIPPED DISC REALLY MEAN?…

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Do the discs in your #spine ‘slip’?

A slipped or herniated disc is amongst the most debilitating back pain problems – sometimes with added symptoms such as the grinding leg pain of sciatica.  There are many levels of back and neck pain but a herniated or ‘slipped’ disc is one of the most painful and it can cause long-term immobility if it’s not treated correctly.

The spinal disc acts as a solid elastic pivot for each joint segment of the #spine, providing stability and allowing a relatively wide range of motion in all directions in the lower back and neck. When a disc starts to lose its strength and pliability, it can cause a range of painful and potentially debilitating symptoms.

It is a condition where the centre of a spinal disc bulges outwards and presses onto a nerve.  The spinal discs act as shock absorbers and through a variety of causes, including injury, poor posture and general “wear and tear” (meaning gradual deterioration), the walls of the disc can become weaker. If the centre of the disc pushes out, this can cause the disc wall to bulge and that can be when pain strikes!

There are 24 moveable vertebrae on your #spine which are separated from one another by your discs.

When you have a slipped disc, the soft part escapes between the vertebrae and can press on a nerve. The NHS point out that –

A slipped disc (also called a prolapsed or herniated disc) can cause:

  • lower back pain
  • numbness or tingling in your shoulders, back, arms, hands, legs or feet
  • neck pain
  • problems bending or straightening your back
  • muscle weakness
  • pain in the buttocks, hips or legs if the disc is pressing on the sciatic nerve (sciatica)

Each disc consists of a soft inner part surrounded by a fibrous coating. Sometimes the coating gets torn which allows the softer material to bulge out. The pain when the softer material bulges out can be excruciating and this condition is known as ‘a slipped disc‘.

However, discs are tightly attached to the vertebrae and cannot physically ‘slip’ in any way. The actual medical name for this is a ‘spinal disc herniation’.

This type of back problem can settle down after a few days and you may never have the problem again. But some people suffer from this happening on a regular basis which could result in needing an operation to fuse the discs together to stop the bugle.

Another cause could be that the disc is damaged through strain and pressure. If you lift or bend awkwardly or injure your back in an accident this could cause a disc to prolapse.

Smoking, obesity and a sedentary lifestyle could all be factors in a slipped disc as well as sports that involve a lot of weight. It can also happen when you sit or stand for long periods, with your lumbar spine flattened, instead of maintaining it with the correct curve.

Lifting a weight by bending forwards can also put a strain on the front of the disc which can then also force the slipped disc to damage the ligaments of your spine, facet joints or your vertebrae and nearby muscles.

Other causes of a slipped disc include age as our spinal discs degenerate over the years through wear and tear.

There are six ways of dealing with this situation:

1) Pain Killers

2) Manual therapy

3) IDD Therapy

4) Injections

5) Surgery

6) Other options include exercise and acupuncture

Source: Spine Health, NHS