European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - November 24, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse                                To your health parlance part or Allol it bulges out from its usual setting Between the Bone s. The resulting protrusion might cause Lilloo or no discomfort or it might press on the Root of the sciatic nerve causing pain numbness or muscular weakness anywhere from the Middle of the Bullocks to the Bottom of the toot the taller condition known As sciatica is often but not always caused by disk disease. Muscle spasms in the Back can also irritate the sciatic nerve and trigger the characteristic symptoms of sciatica. The existence of medically proven disc disease does not necessarily mean that surgery is the Only answer or even the Best answer. The vast majority of disc problems most experts say 90 percent respond Well to conservative treatments a program of Back strengthening and stretching exercises and lessons in How to Bend lift sit and stand to avoid undue stress on the Back. However few people see a physician when they hurl their backs and some who do Are often not Given sufficient information or preventive exercises. In the past the recommended remedy for Back pain was bed rest on your Back with Knees raised by two pillows or a Blanket Roll or on your Side in the fetal position aspirin or an equivalent pain killer and heat. Today most experts recommend cold packs rather than heat to reduce the pain of Back muscle Strain and to help break up the muscle spasm immediately alter the injury wrapped ice packs should be applied to the area for 10 to 20 minutes at a time Over a period of 48 hours according to or. William Southmayd. Author of sports health the Complete Book of a thelic injuries. But Southmayd still uses heat As a treatment for a sudden attack of disc disease if you see a doctor you might also be Given a muscle relaxant whether a disk or a muscle is causing your pain. When should you consult a doctor about Back pain most experts say any of the following conditions surrounding Back pain warrant a medical visit when the pain is severe and disabling and is not relieved by rest and an Over the counter analgesic like aspirin acetaminophen or ibuprofen. When Back pain is accompanied by pain that shoots Down the leg by numbness or weakness of the leg or foot or by the loss of bladder or Bowel control or difficulty in urinating. When you also have fever nausea or vomiting or pain on urination. When the pain is the result of an Accident such As a fall or automotive collision. When the pain is not relieved by changing position or gets worse when you Are lying Down. When the pain wakes you up at night or prevents you from doing anything at All. The doctor should perform a comprehensive examination of your Back and the affected leg checking reflexes sensation and muscular strength As Well As the mobility in your Back. An a Ray might be ordered to Rule out the possibility that a Bony abnormality or tumor is the cause of the problem if you have accompanying symptoms like fever the source should also be checked. Assuming nothing untoward is found it will take anywhere from three Days to three months for your Back to heal. The usual recovery time is 10 Days to three weeks. Experts like or. Augustus a. White an orthopaedic surgeon at Beth Israel Hospital in Boston say that More aggressive remedies should be considered Only when conservative remedies fail to alleviate the problem in a reasonable Lime or when symptoms of weakness or numbness in the leg Worsen significantly. If unrelenting disc disease is suspected and surgery is a possibility a cat scan computerized a Raya Melogram or both will probably be recommended. Surgery would remove the damaged portion or the entire disk. Some exercise Ean help for Active people the most depressing aspect of Back pain is probably the realization that a favorite form of exercise will have to be abandoned at least temporarily. Many activities can add insult to an already injured Back. For example a bad Back might not take kindly to the stressful pounding associated with logging or jumping rope the sudden starts stops and twists of Tennis football or basketball or me Strain of sitting Bent Over a racing Bike. That s the bad news. The Good news is that activities can be modified to spare your Back or can be replaced by activities that might even strengthen your Back. For example a swimming buddy switcher from the crawl to the backstroke until her Back pain disappeared. A biking Friend traded his 10-Speed racer for a 3-spced Bike that allowed him to sit upright another cyclist worked out on an indoor exercise Bike until his Back healed and a third took up the rowing machine. A rope jumper did Low Impact aerobics to an exercise video. I switched from jogging to brisk walking. Furthermore even though your Back might Hurt now when you attempt your favorite sport chances Are that by doing a 10-Minuto exercise routine every Day to strengthen and stretch your Back and by adopting Back protecting habits you can soon resume your usual activities without pain or risk of further injury. Or. George Lewinnek an orthopaedic surgeon at Beth Israel Hospital in Boston said that most patients can eventually return to their previous level of activity although adjustments might be needed in the exercise routine. The 28-year-old Man May not be Able to play sandlot football on saturday mornings anymore he said but he can play Squash or Tennis for the rest of his  Ortho pudists usually advise Back pain sufferers with medically established disc disease a herniated or slipped disc or a degenerated disc to avoid sports that put severe stress on the Back even after the pain of an acute attack is but a dim memory. But a disc problem should not doom you to lifelong inactivity. Or. William Southmayd an orthopaedic surgeon and the medical director of sports Medicine resource in Boston said that in general people Are filler of slaying Active. Most important when a Back flares up is to give it adequate time to heal most Ortho pudists agree with Lewinnek who said people who have tried to be too Active with Back pain have made themselves worse. Limiting activity is the single most important  Southmayd s recommendations for treating Back pain include staying in bed for 48 hours and taking muscle relaxing pills if they have been medically prescribed. If you jump on these attacks quickly and Early you can minimize their effect he said. Take it easy for a week and do not return to sports for two  but As soon As you can do so comfortably you would be Wise to Start special daily exercises to protect your Back. In general these Are exercises designed to strengthen the Muscles that support the Back especially the abdominal Muscles to stretch Overly tight Muscles and ligaments in the Back so that they Are less Likely to be injured and to reduce the defects in posture that Strain the Back. Following Are the most frequently recommended exercises strengthen your Abdomen by doing Bent leg sit ups. Lie on your Back with Knees up. Feet on the floor. Arms folded across your Chest and Chin tucked to your Chest. Slowly Iai a your upper body toward your Knes and gradually return to Starling position then repeat without resting in Between gradually work up to three to five sets of 10. Strengthen buttocks Muscles and reduce curve in lower Back by doing the Pelvic tilt Lio on your Back with Knees Bent and feet on the floor. Press your lower Back toward the floor to flatten it and simultaneously raise your hips lightening the Muscles in the Bullocks and thighs. Hold Lor a count of 10, return to starting position or a count of 5. Hen repeat. Work up to 20 sets. Stretch the Back Muscles by sitting on the floor with Knees straight and legs As far apart As possible place both hands on the same knee and gradually move the hands toward your foot going no farther than is comfortable hold this position for 10 seconds and then slowly release. Do 10 repeals then do the same Over the other leg other Back stretching exercises Are toe touches while silting on a chair or from a standing position with Knees straight which is More difficult. Equally important is learning How to perform Ordinary movements so that you Don t Strain your Back Here Are some suggestions never Bend from the Waist Only. Lower your upper body by bending irom your Knees and hips. Tennis players would be Wise to pick up balls by lifting them Between a foot and the Racquet. To lift a heavy object Bend from the Knees to reach it hold it close to your body and then stand up by straightening your Knees. Do not try to lift heavy loads above your Waist. Balance the weight of Wii at you carry Between both hands or shoulders. Never try to carry More weight than your can easily manage. Use a Dolly or Luggage cart to carry heavy bags. Avoid Silling on soft chairs and deep couches sit with a firm support for your Back and with your Knees higher than your hips if necessary put something under your feet to raise them. If you must do jobs thai involve prolonged standing place a Footrest under one foot. This will help to straighten your Back and reduce Strain on lower Back Muscles. If you must Slano somewhere where you cannot raise one fool periodically do a standing Pelvic till tighten your abdominal and buttocks Muscles to reduce the curve in your lower Back. Avoid sleeping on your stomach. Sleep on your Back with a soft Pillow under your head and with two pillows or a Blanket Roll under your Knees or sleep on your Side with Knees Bent in the fetal position. Wear Flat shoes or shoes with moderate heels. Women should avoid heels higher than 1 Vij inches and should especially avoid repeatedly switching irom High to Low heels. Avoid other activities that Strain the Back such As raising and lowering stuck windows opening very heavy doors moving or lilting heavy furniture lilting shove Fuls of heavy Snow pushing vehicles or pulling heavy carts. For example a shopping cart with four. Wheels that can be pushed in front of you is Likely to cause less of a Strain on your Back learn to move deliberately avoid sudden movements that overload the Muscles avoid unnecessary twists and turns for further Reading about Back and other sports related injuries read sports health the Complete Book of athletic injuries by Southmayd and Marshall Hoffman Quick Fox. 1981 $14 95 tuesday november 24, 1987 the stars and stripes Page 17