There is a misconception that people who are stressed out only lose weight. Even though people do lose weight when stressed out, the opposite is also true. Some people gain weight when they are feeling stressed. In this article we will talk about relief for stress of High Blood Pressure and Diabetes, and how you can control or avoid it.

Blood Pressure

Even though people have many answers when asked, ” does stress cause high blood pressure?” The fact of the matter is, stress may not cause (HBP), but it does raise your heart beat because your body produces a surge of stress hormones which temporary cause your heart to beat faster.

You may experience headaches, dizziness, or blurred vision. People do not seek medical care until they have symptoms arising from the organ damage caused by chronic long-term high blood pressure. Some of  these organ damage from chronic high blood pressure are: heart attack, stroke, kidney failure, eye damaged with loss of vision, and peripheral arterial disease.

To decrease your chance of (HBP), try getting plenty of sleep. When you do not have enough sleep, your problems may seem worst than they really are. Also try exercising. Just make sure to get approval from your doctor before you start any new program. Exercise is one stress-reducing activity that can actually lower your systolic blood pressure by as much as 5 to 10 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg).

Diabetes

As a diabetic, both physical and mental stress can cause your blood sugar to swing out of control very rapidly. Some symptoms are Increased fatigue, unusual weight loss, frequent urination, excessive thirst, and etc. When you are stressed, your blood sugar levels rise. Epinephrine and Cortisol are stress hormones which can raise your blood sugar usually when you need it the most. They are most needed when you find yourself in some type of danger. However, the way we respond to certain situations often cause this same reaction.

The best prevention of Diabetes is to educate yourself as much as you can. One of the first thing you should know if you already have diabetes is to find out what type you have. Example, if you have type1 diabetes, you need to take insulin every day; formally called juvenile diabetes this type is less common.

Type 2 Diabetes is most common and is controlled usually by diet and physical activity. Most people will also need to take pills or insulin to control it. Many people with type 2 diabetes have no symptoms and do not know they have diabetes.

People who are at risk are people who are inactive, or have high blood pressure, are African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian American or Pacific Islander, or American Indian. No matter what stage you’re in, you should take it very seriously and do what ever you can to prevent or control it.

The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc. has released a one-of-a-kind publication intended to educate anesthesiology residents in the art and science of advanced battlefield regional anesthesia techniques and acute pain medicine. Its aim is to serve as a resource to manage the pain of combat trauma.

“The Military Advanced Regional Anesthesia and Analgesia Handbook” is the first field guide for pain management intended for use by deployed medical forces. The illustrated manual was developed as a supplement to Emergency War Surgery - Third United States Revision.

“This book project represents the culmination of hard work by a dedicated collaborative group of anesthesiologists at MARAA. It is the first source for the military that addresses pain management and demonstrates protocols and techniques that we can apply in present and future conflicts,” said Col. Chester Buckenmaier, M.D., chief of the Army Regional Anesthesia and Pain Management Initiative and MARAA founding member.

Until now, detailed instruction, photos and illustrations on how to provide advanced regional anesthesia and acute pain medicine services on the modern battlefield were unavailable. The book, formatted for easy reference, provides a quick review of the anatomy and technique of each nerve block. The manual also features chapters on peripheral nerve block equipment, acute pain nursing in the field, acupuncture and evacuation medicine.

“Pain management is getting recognition that it hasn’t received in the past. One accomplishment of MARAA and the pain initiative is raising awareness of pain management in the military. As a result of that awareness, and the significant achievement done on the battlefield, pain management is now a priority in the military,” Buckenmaier said.

MARAA was formed as a tri-service platform to develop consensus recommendations from the Air Force, Army and Navy anesthesia services. The group studies new technology and recommends improvements in medical practice to promote regional anesthesia and analgesia in the care of military beneficiaries.

Through the organization, anesthesia providers have greatly improved the management of pain for combat wounded through the application of modern pain treatment medications and technologies, including advanced regional anesthesia. The organization serves as an advisory board, leading the knowledge transfer to individual service anesthesia consultants and the military’s surgeons general. The group has been instrumental in promoting the benefits of pain management across the continuum.

The Borden Institute, an agency of the U.S. Army Medical Department Center & School, released the handbook. The manual is printed on waterproof paper and includes a multimedia DVD. Military medical personnel may obtain a copy of the book through the Borden Institute at http://www.pain-killers.net. An electronic version of the book is available for free download at http://www.pain-killers.net. The general public may order the book online from the Government Printing Office at http://www.pain-killers.net.

The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc. (HJF) is a private, not-for-profit organization established in 1983 and authorized by Congress to support medical research and education at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences and throughout the broader military medical community.

The Military Advanced Regional Anesthesia & Analgesia (MARAA) is a tri-service collaborative group of anesthesiologists that work to develop consensus recommendations from the Air Force, Army, and Navy anesthesia services for improvements in medical practice and technology that will promote regional anesthesia and analgesia in the care of military beneficiaries. The organization serves as an advisory board to the individual service anesthesia consultants to the surgeons general.

The Army Regional Anesthesia & Pain Management Initiative (ARAPMI) is a collaborative research partnership between Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington D.C. and the Conemaugh Health System, Johnstown, PA. ARAPMI seeks to improve the management of pain in military and civilian medicine. ARAPMI serves as a model of integrated acute and chronic pain management. Emphasis is on preparedness of civilian and military medicine for austere medical environments during national disasters or acts of terrorism. Through clinical and research efforts, it has become a model for effective integration of acute and chronic pain management.

Source:
Douglas Schauss

Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine

Coronary heart disease is the leading cause of death among all the major diseases. In the United States 36 percent of the people who die do so because of some form of heart or cardiovascular disease. This number is simply staggering and points to the importance of controlling and preventing the suffering that heart disease brings. The good news is that the majority of people can successfully prevent or reverse the effects of this deadly disease with some rather simple lifestyle changes.

The first change that anyone with heart disease must make is dietary. Today’s fast food and processed meal in a box are some of the worst choices anyone can make when it comes to the health of their cardiovascular system. By avoiding saturated and trans-fat that are found in fried foods and some red meats we can significantly reduce the risk posed by coronary heart disease. Both these types of fat cause LDL cholesterol (the bad cholesterol) to increase in the blood stream. This can lead to a build up of plaque which hardens and narrows the arteries leading to a heart attack or stroke.

A diet high in fiber and low in fat is the way to go in preventing heart disease. Fruits, vegetables, low fat products, and whole grains cannot only prevent heart disease it can also reverse the effects of this dangerous condition.

The second lifestyle change that needs to be made to fight the effects of coronary heart disease is exercise. It doesn’t have to be a drastic undertaking. It can be something as simple as taking a walk everyday or using the stairs instead of the elevator. The point is to gradually build up your cardiovascular strength and add to it as you get stronger.

If you smoke then you need to quit. There is nothing that increases the risk of coronary heart disease quite like smoking. Every year more than 135, 000 people in the United States die from heart disease that is caused or exacerbated by the use of tobacco. The risk of death from this disease increases two to three times with the continued use of cigarettes.

There are also certain medical treatments and procedures that are effective in the fight against coronary heart disease. There are a number of medications that help reduce blood pressure or lower levels of LDL cholesterol, but like any drug there are also side affects to using them. Surgery is also an option when the disease has reached the life threatening stage but for most people living a healthy lifestyle will prevent them from ever having to see an operating room.

Avoiding the type of lifestyle that leads to coronary heart disease can help millions of people live long and healthy lives without the fear that they may fall victim to this deadly disease.

The Food and Drug Administration issued a final rule today that requires manufacturers of over-the-counter (OTC) pain relievers and fever reducers to revise their labeling to include warnings about potential safety risks, such as internal bleeding and liver damage, associated with the use of these popular drugs.

Products covered by the FDA action include acetaminophen, and a class of drugs known as the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). NSAIDs include aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen, and ketoprofen. Acetaminophen is in a class by itself. The revised labeling applies to all OTC pain relievers and fever reducers, including those that contain one of these ingredients in combination with other ingredients, such as in cold medicines containing pain relievers or fever reducers.

“Acetaminophen and NSAIDs are commonly used drugs for both children and adults because they are effective in reducing fevers and relieving minor aches and pain, such as headaches and muscle aches, ” said Charles Ganley, M.D., director, FDA’s Office of Nonprescription Drugs in the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. “However, the risks associated with their use, need to be clearly identified on the label so that consumers taking these drugs are fully aware of the potential harm they can cause. It is important that they know how to take these medications safely to reduce their risk.”

Under the final rule, manufacturers must ensure that the active ingredients of these drugs are prominently displayed on the drug labels on both the packages and bottles. The labeling also must warn of the risks of stomach bleeding for NSAIDs and severe liver damage for acetaminophen.

Since 2006, some manufacturers have voluntarily revised their product labeling to identify these potential safety concerns. However, the voluntary changes to labeling do not address all of the labeling requirements in the new rule. For example, the new rule includes a warning on products containing acetaminophen that instructs consumers to ask a doctor before they are taking the blood thinning drug warfarin. The new rule requires all manufacturers to relabel their products within one year of today’s date.

Safety data reported in medical literature indicate that people sometimes take more acetaminophen than the labeling recommends. Others unknowingly take multiple products containing acetaminophen at the same time. Exceeding the recommended dosage of acetaminophen may increase the risks for severe liver damage. Alcohol use can also increase the risk of liver damage with acetaminophen.

The risk for stomach bleeding may increase in people who use NSAIDs and who are taking blood-thinning drugs (anticoagulants) or steroids. Stomach bleeding risks also increase for people who take multiple NSAIDs at the same time, or in people who take them longer than directed. Alcohol use can increase the risk for stomach bleeding with NSAIDs use.

An FDA Advisory Committee meeting will be convened on June 29 & 30, 2009, to discuss further steps the FDA could take to reduce the risk of liver damage associated with acetaminophen overdoses.

To read the final rule on the relabeling of OTC pain relievers and fever reducers, go here.

To read the FR Notice announcing the FDA Advisory Committee meeting, see link.

Source
Food and Drug Administration

It is almost common knowledge that when a person suffers from kidney stones, he or she is in a great deal of pain. Although kidney stones are often linked to genetics, your diet can also be a factor. It has been proven that in many cases diet and kidney stones can be linked together.

Here are some suggestions to assist you in keeping your diet and kidney stones under control. The most important thing for you to always stay on top of is drinking plenty of fluids. Dehydration is a large, heavily weighing factor in the formation of many kidney stones.

More than likely your medical care professional is going to do some testing in order to determine the type of kidney stones you have. Because there are different types of kidney stones, there are different methods for treating them and minimizing the possibilities of new ones forming in the future.

One of the common types of kidney stones are calcium stones. In the event this is determined to be the type of kidney stones you have, your medical care professional might suggest that you reduce the sodium and salt intake in your diet. Generally, a doctor will suggest you limit your sodium to about 3,000 mg per day at the most.

Another common kidney stone is one that is formed from oxalates. With this type of kidney stone it is wise to limit the amount of foods you consume that have oxalates in them. Here are a few of the foods you might need to avoid because they are high in oxalates:

* instant coffee
* dark leafy greens
* draft beer
* peanuts
* oranges
* sweet potatoes
* strawberries
* tea
* beets
* tofu
* concord grapes
* rhubarb
* chocolate
* beans
* blackberries
* gooseberries

As previously mentioned, fluids are vital to eliminating kidney stones of all types. Water is going to be the best liquid for you to drink. It is suggested that a person drink about 8oz of liquid (non alcoholic) every hour.

Although almost any liquid is going to prove to benefit you, you should avoid grapefruit juice and any other citrus fruit juices. Try to drink juices that are all natural if you will be drinking fruit juices.

Another modification used for controlling diet and kidney stones is avoiding animal protein. You might also want to discuss with your doctor the benefits of incorporating a vitamin supplement into your daily routine. However, before you make any changes to your diet it is of the utmost importance that you first speak with your doctor.

Alvin Hopkinson is a leading health researcher in the area of natural remedies and kidney stone removal. Discover how you can get rid of your kidney stones for good using proven home remedies, all without using harmful medications or drugs. Visit his site now at http://www.pain-killers.net

It is important that kidney stones are removed from the body as soon as possible. The longer they are in the body the bigger they become. As they increase in size the discomfort will increase. This can also cause a greater risk for needing surgery to remove the kidney stones from the body.

In the majority of situations, a person will be able to pass their kidney stone through their urine. Although it might be painful, it generally is not necessary for invasive surgery to be performed.

Kidney stone removal surgery not a one option procedure. There are several different surgical procedures that can assist in removing kidney stones. Many of them are not invasive.

Kidney stones are an extremely common health condition. Unbelievably, an estimated 10% of the population of the United States will have at least one kidney stone in their lifetime.

An estimated 1% of those individuals will need to have a kidney stone removal surgery. An even smaller percentage have to undergo an invasive surgical procedure, where he or she will be put to sleep.

There are several reasons a person can end up having a kidney stone, and often the doctors are unable to narrow the cause down to one thing or another. Some cases with kidney stones can be considered genetic or heredity and others are caulked up to be caused by the diet of the individual.

Treating kidney stones can vary depending on the cause for the stones. Your treatment can vary from increasing your fluid intake daily to surgery. Although there are some non-invasive procedures, it is slightly possibly you will need to undergo an invasive procedure.

Non-invasive surgical procedures consist of a small instrument being guided into the uterer and then removing the stone with a gripping type mechanism. Others will use a laser to destroy the kidney stone.

The more invasive kidney stone removal surgery include actually having a general anesthetic and a recovery period. You will have an incision done, it is a very small incision that is only big enough to allow the tube to pass into your body.

Depending on the size of the kidney stone and where it is will be a weighing factor in your individual procedure. It might be necessary for the doctor to use another tool to break the stone into smaller parts for easier removal.

Alvin Hopkinson is a leading health researcher in the area of natural remedies and kidney stone removal. Discover how you can get rid of your kidney stones for good using proven home remedies, all without using harmful medications or drugs. Visit his site now at http://www.pain-killers.net

Expired medications are commonplace and inertia notwithstanding, many of us tend to rely on an intuitive sense of their value in continuing to store and use them. Such drugs can be harmful to health in several ways; they can be unpredictable in effectiveness, simply ineffective, or even toxic.

The formal way of classifying a medication as having expired is through it’s labeled expiry date. This date is often set based on a combination of the common properties of the dosage form as well as the stability and expiration studies of the product that have been conducted by the manufacturer. Importantly, this expiry date is contingent on specific storage conditions of the product. Although a medication may pass it’s labeled expiry date, it may not necessarily be any less effective or dangerous to consume depending on the product itself, the storage conditions and the circumstances leading up to expiry.

When most medications pass their expiry date under appropriate storage conditions, they are generally taken to have become so variable in effectiveness as to have become unsuitable for use. This often comes about as a result of the degradation of the active ingredients of the medication with exposure to physical, chemical or microbiological variables like temperature, pressure, humidity, light, bacteria as well as other components of the product known as excipients.

Creams may “crack” once their expiry date is passed, leading to a separation of the components and hence provide a non-uniform delivery of active ingredients. This can lead to the poor control of conditions like eczema or acne. Tablet medications can mechanically “powder” off, change in consistency with exposure to water vapor or even experience the contained drug itself becoming ineffective on prolonged exposure to air as occurs with glyceryl trinitrate, an emergency medicine that can easily become ineffective in relieving acute symptoms of chest pain. With common injections, should the acidity change to fall outside a fairly narrow range, significant pain and tissue damage can result from use. With most eye drops, an expiry date of one month after opening is accepted to minimize the potential for dangerous bacterial contamination.

With any medication, once a specific threshold of remaining active ingredient is passed, the medication can no longer be relied upon to deliver accurate doses. This loss of reliability is often exacerbated by the fact that the active ingredients can degrade into various combinations of active, inactive or toxic breakdown products. The common aspirin is for instance, known to react with moisture to breakdown into salicylic acid, which is active, and acetic acid, which is inactive and can lead to toxicity in excess.

While the expiry date provides a useful gauge of when to stop using a medication, there are also many other factors that can informally accelerate the expiry of a medication and make it dangerous to use, chief among which is how the medication is stored. It is oftentimes not just the medication that is affected by storage conditions but also the storage container. Under inappropriate storage conditions, certain containers can leech material into liquid medication preparations, or medication particles can stick to the container rather than remain separated. On average, a 10 degree rise in temperature doubles the rate of chemical reactions that occur to a medication product and can accelerate the rate of bacterial contamination several fold. Just like an ice cream can simply melt or a loaf of bread becomes mouldy much quicker if not refrigerated, many medication products can easily expire much faster when not stored appropriately.

With oral liquid and topical medications, potentially dangerous changes associated with expiry can at times be detected by color or consistency changes, component separations, altered smell or taste (oral preparations). Should a suspicion of expiry arise, a medication expert should be consulted regardless of whether or not the labeled expiry date has been passed.

“Expiry” should also be understood to occur once a supply of medications is no longer used appropriately for it’s intended purpose. Consultation with a medication expert is always advised to prevent the inappropriate use of existing medication supplies. Inappropriate use can often occur with self-medication and is harmful. An unfinished supply of a previously used antibiotic may be tried to treat a new infection that is actually untreatable by or resistant to that antibiotic. This practice may not only delay recovery but can also encourage the proliferation of “super bugs” that have resistance to many antibiotics. Another incorrect purpose involves sharing medications and this can be especially harmful if another is allergic to the shared medication or a child or pet is medicated with an adult’s medication. Children often require dose adjustments to accommodate their size while many human drugs are often unsuitable for pets. Even a simple food like chocolate that we may enjoy can easily be toxic to a pet dog.

Another mechanism whereby medication expiry is dangerous occurs when an unfinished supply is used despite new information that points to increased precautions associated with the medication or that has led to it’s recall. An example is obtaining pain relief from a previous supply of a painkiller like Vioxx (rofecoxib) or Celebrex (celecoxib) in spite of an existing heart condition that is now known to relate to an increased risk of fatality under those circumstances of consumption.

Expired medications that are kept instead of discarded not only take up space but can actually discourage the appropriate use of new supplies in the treatment of illness. A medication cabinet, if not tended to regularly, could eventually contain more expired medications than viable ones and this can lead to the accidental consumption of an expired medication in place of a viable one. It is definitely advisable to clear the medication cabinet of expired medicaitons at least annually if not more often.

A further danger however, lies in how expired medications are disposed of. Expired medications and pharmaceutical byproducts can be harmful to the environment especially when they end up in our rivers and drinking water supply. Hormonal compounds like estrogen from birth control pills and patches as well as antibiotics have been linked to being flushed by individuals and institutions into sewage, draining largely unchanged and collecting in rivers and streams, then returning in tiny amounts into drinking water. Traces of antibiotics could worsen bacterial resistance while estrogens and other steroids are known to change the reproductive characteristics of fish. Even trace amounts of chemotherapy medications have emerged in tap water and this could be severely detrimental to the unborn babies of pregnant women who drink such water. The long-term impact on human health of medications in our rivers and drinking water is as yet unknown but no one would want to wait to find out. We can all play our part by inquiring on and using pharmacy or state-run programs for the disposal of expired medications instead of sending them down the sink or the toilet bowl.

A pharmacist is the expert of choice to approach in handling medication expiry and should be consulted if in doubt. As a general rule, it is always best to safeguard your own health and that of those around you by expeditiously and appropriately discarding all expired medications.

Numerous people in the world will have an allergic reaction to something. One of the more standard of these are food allergies. A person may be susceptible to almost every type of food out there or they could be affected by only one in particular.

When they eat a distinct kind of food the individual’s immune system will think that it is hurting the body and will work to fight it off. There is no clear explanation as to why the body will do this although numerous health experts consider that it may be genetic. The most ordinary food allergies are milk, shellfish, and peanut.

The problem with suffering through this type of allergy is that they are not granted to consume it in any form. For several people just the slimmest touch of it or utilizing it in a little quantity in food dishes could give them a chemical reaction or push them into anaphylaxis. This is the most extreme kind of response to any allergic reaction that can cause them to stop breathing and can be fatal if not addressed speedily.

Milk

This is one of the easiest foods to ward off and to substitute for cooking. Rather you can utilize water or juice. Certain foods that you have to avoid when you cannot eat milk are certain brands of canned tuna, cheese, butter, and any food dish or food gadget that might have utilized or touched it. Analyse the labels of everything you purchase to ensure that it does not utilize it in any form.

Shellfish

This is considered to be one of the more popular allergies Both children and adults who have this allergy should avert all types of shellfish and not just one in particular. It is never wise to try out to see what will affect you and what will not. Some other foods to stay away from include; caponata (this is made up of anchovies), Caesar salad (also anchovies), and surimi (imitation crabmeat).

Peanut

Someone who is allergic to peanuts can also be allergic to most other types of nuts so it is advised to avoid the artificial kinds. Other foods to stay away from include Arachis oil (also known as peanut oil), Chinese, Mexican, Vietnamese, African, Thai, and Indonesia food dishes, and food that can be sold through ice cream shops or bakeries, sunflower seeds, and any appliances that might have come into contact with it.

 Have you ever wondered exactly what process causes heartburn? There’s a lot of research into the whole deal and how different treatments work to control your heartburn. I’ll be explaining how it all works in a bit of detail, shouldn’t be too technical but it’ll give you an in depth look at what’s happening.

First of all for a bit of anatomy, at each end of the stomach you’ve got a sphincter which is like a valve that controls the flow of food into and out of your stomach. At the top of your stomach you’ve got the LES (Lower Esophageal Sphincter) as in at the lower end of the esophageus. And at the other end of the stomach is the Pyloric Sphincter. Now the Pyloric Sphincter has to open to let broken down food through into the duodenum (the top part of your intestine) and what controls this is acid receptors or sensors at the bottom of the stomach. These receptors respond to the acidity reaching a certain level which means that the food has been broken down enough.

But what happens if the acid isn’t strong enough to trigger the sphincter to open? Well then, the food and stomach acid stays in your belly and churns around and it all begins to ferment! This process releases gases and that increases the pressure inside the stomach. All this time the body is trying to get the food to go on down the digestive tract and so the stomach is contracting to get things moving, but if the pyloric sphincter won’t open…

At the end of the day the LES is weaker than the pyloric sphincter so the build up of pressure will go up the esophageus rather than down the gut. So the burping and acid reflux is the end result of this whole process. Bit of a process I know, but I hope this makes it all a bit clearer for you. PPI’s Now, if you go a doctor with GERD (gastro esophageal reflux disease) you’ll likely be given a prescription for a PPI medication. PPI stands for Proton Pump Inhibitor and what this does is blocks the action of your stomach to produce as much acid.

This is how it works to stop heartburn, but the effects don’t stop there. Since you’ve decreased the acidity in the stomach, your food won’t be broken down as much by the time it gets into the intestine and also more bacteria will pass through the stomach and into the duodenum. This can make you much more susceptible to “stomach bugs” and excess bacteria living in the stomach. Over the longer term PPI’s have been linked to calcium deficiency as your body can’t absorb it is easily to become reliant on the PPI’s considering that as soon as you stop taking them you’ll get the heartburn back again! This could be considered a great thing by the companies that produce the PPI’s but not necessarily by the individual!

So it would seem that if you could increase the amount of acid in the stomach the pyloric sphincter would do it’s thing as it’s supposed to and the acid would go down instead of up and it’s all good. So how do you increase the acidity in the stomach? Quite simply, increase the micro nutrients that the body requires to produce stomach acid! In most cases these are a few B vitamins. Specifically Vitamins B2 (riboflavin), B3 (niacin) and B6 (pyridoxine) are the most common ones. Just supplementing these I your diet can fix the whole problem at it’s root.

There’s plenty of cases of chronic GERD sufferers taking B vitamins for only a few days and getting rid of most of their symptoms, without drugs and for the long term. This information isn’t meant to replace your doctors advice but hopefully it’ll all work to cure your heartburn for good!  If this information was helpful then you should check out my blog here for more great tips and information.

All the best,

Mark Syme  

Spondylolisthesis is one of a great number of structural abnormalities in the spine which are often blamed for creating the ideal circumstances for chronic back pain.  However, evidence suggests that the vast majority of cases of vertebral misalignment are completely harmless and asymptomatic.  This should be of no surprise, since medical sciences’ pre-occupation with the many suspected anatomical sources of back pain have led many a patient down a long and winding road of unsuccessful treatment and failed back surgery.

Spondylolisthesis is defined as an abnormal shift in typical vertebral bone position in relation to surrounding vertebrae.  It can happen virtually anywhere in the spine, but most frequently occurs at L4 or L5.  Congenital and idiopathic spondylolisthesis generally entails a forward movement of L5, while degenerative vertebral slippage usually involves L4.  Often, there is a defect in the bone, called spondylolysis, which precedes any actual vertebral shift.  Most spondylolisthesis cases are congenital and are often not discovered till much later in life.  Other cases are directly linked to traumatic spinal injury.  The degenerative variety is directly associated with aging and arthritic processes which occur in the spine as a normal part of getting older.

Spondylolisthesis is rated on a standardized scale according to how far the affected vertebra has moved.  The majority of cases include the lowest level of vertebral slippage, rated at less than 25%.  The next most common variety is moderate slippage rated at 25% to 50%.  Severe vertebral slippage is rated at 50% to 75% misalignment, while extreme spondylolisthesis is consistent with 75% to 100% slippage or more.  The mild and moderate varieties are almost always harmless, although they may appear frightening when visualized using x-ray or MRI technology.  Severe and extreme vertebral slippage has the potential to be problematic and even create spinal instability in rare instances.  However, a sizeable percentage of advanced cases are still not a source of pain or related symptoms in many patients. 

Doctors are obsessed with the Cartesian philosophy of medicine, which states that the mind and body are 2 distinct entities and should be studied and treated independently on one another.  It is this philosophy which has doomed many spondylolisthesis sufferers and ironically, is also proven completely wrong when applied to treating chronic pain of any sort.  Medicine has developed a host a treatment options for vertebral slippage and back pain, in general.  Very rarely do any of these modalities, conservative, drastic or invasive, ever lead to a cure.  Most patients are lucky to even receive some measure of symptomatic relief for all their trouble.  However, it is not a wasted fact that vertebral slippage is not even discovered on purpose in many patients.  It is often found when testing for some completely unrelated condition and the patient has never endured any back pain. However, once the condition is discovered, the nocebo effect of the diagnostic process sets in, creating symptoms in many people, when none previously existed. This process is well documented in the medical literature and flies in the face of the previously mentioned spirit of Descartes, by providing concrete proof that the emotional consequences of the diagnosis are directly responsible for the pain!

Patients who do have back pain which is eventually diagnosed as sourced from the vertebral slippage often go through a gauntlet of treatments only to still have pain.  This is particularly cruel when the surgery used to fix the condition, spinal fusion, is one of the most barbaric and incapacitating in the entire healthcare industry.  The reason for the failure of most therapy plans and surgical procedures comes down to one basic fact.  The diagnosis is wrong and therefore, the subsequent treatments are bound to fail…miserably.  It is all at the expense of a human soul who must endure seemingly endless pain and torture, all for nothing.

Personally, I have seen far more promising results treating spondylolisthesis patients using the same knowledge therapy principles used to treat other psychogenic pain conditions, such as TMS, ulcers, TMD/TMJ and carpal tunnel syndrome.  Best of all, there is no cost and no risk from this conservative and enlightened approach to care.  Descartes is long dead and so should be his antiquated theories.