Got Back Pain?

In the Journal of Neuroscience, November, 2004, researchers at Northwestern University, concluded that sufferers of chronic back pain had brains that aged 20 times that of normal healthy folks.

They went further and reported that the brains of those with chronic back pain had as much as 11% brain shrinkage. It is gray matter that is lost, which is responsible for information processing (I.Q), and memory.

The leading researcher, A. Vania Apkanian, said the average healthy person loses 0.5% of gray matter annually, but having sciatica, chronic back pain, produces 10 to 20 years of normal aging. The longer one suffers from chronic back pain (years), larger the brain loss. Yes, really.

The reason for brain shrinkage appears to be the almost permanent state of a negative mood and attitude, and the stress associated with it. Apkanian believes brain shrinkage (loss of gray matter), is a result of nerve cells in a constant state of activity they are overworked to the extreme.

He concludes, that the longer the back pain persists, the greater its irreversibility because the brain structures and functions change permanently.

What is New?

In 2006, Dr. sean Mackey, Stanford University, reported a different approach in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Dealing with chronic back pain, his research indicates that patients looking at their own live brain scans can learn to control pain activation.

There are two brain systems involved in pain - pain perception and pain modulation. Wait there is no single pain center, but 5-10 areas that transmit pain feedback.

Here is the killer conclusion of Dr. Mackey, top-gun at Stanford medical school:

Pain modulation (change, alteration), is triggered by BELIEF. A placebo (sugar pill or an injection of plain water), can shut down the pain, while a nocibo (belief in harm), will augment the pain, when your brain is convinced you are being hurt.

How Come?

The brain releases its endogenous (originating from within), endorphins (pleasure hormones), an opiate-like substance.

The reason a placebo works is the brain releases a chemical that attaches to our Mu Opioid Receptors. Get this fake opiates cause the brain to produce its own real ones in response. It is the bandwagon effect.

Does Believing in Change Cause Change in Reality?

The answer is yes, with practice, as the mind unites with the body.

It appears to be a brain thing called the power of suggestion. The same one used in hypnosis and auto-suggestion, where you convince yourself.

A physician telling a group of patients in an experiment, that the pain they were feeling would positively be relieved by their (placebo) medication, resulted in 99% effectiveness. We believe in the authority and his/her expertise. It sounds weird, but our belief changes our state-of-mind, which in turn alters our body receptors.

Hold it! Thinking about pain produces physical changes in our - pain, no-pain - perception. It is visible on the fMRI (functional Magnetic Resonance Imagery), and is not a schizophrenic episode.

They have zeroed in on the area that produces human awareness of our mind-numbing pain it is called - rostral Anterior Cingulate Cotex (rACC). We can see it in action, in living color, on the fMRI, and see it modulated by our Prefrontal Cortex, the brain area that makes decisions.

The scientists do not claim they know why cognitive effort can reduce the activation of the rACC, it just does. Thinking too deeply about the why, delivers us to the realm of Huh? We are rational creatures motivated by emotion, let us not go any further.

Soft Wired

You have heard that our genes make us hard-wired, we come to life preprogrammed to a substantial degree.

Another reality is that our brain is Soft-Wired, (plastic), so that we can learn. When we learn it is followed by structural and functional changes in our brain. Practice, according to the experts, can reduce pain an average of 64%, no mean trick.

one more once what you believe and expect, creates your reality. It does not alter the world, only your world. Another thing we do not know a whit about the source of consciousness. It is not neurons firing, but depends on our neurons that are wired together, to fire together.

Endwords

It is intuitive that having a positive attitude is better than holding a belief that you will fail. We are at the next threshold of reason what you actively believe, mentally visualize and expect come to pass in your brain, and perhaps in your motivations and behaviors.

Professor William James, 1890, at Harvard, created the Law of As-If. Whatever your mind consistently thinks and feels drives your brain to discover and bring to pass. If you Act, Think, Feel and Believe AS-IF you have already obtain the goal you are chasing it is a direction to both hemispheres of your brain to attract it.

The latest research states that folks with chronic back pain have annual brain shrinkage of an extra 1.3%. That is far too much. We have over 100 billion brain cells, so it is not an immediate ticket to Alzheimers, but it does you no good.

Here is the core of it meditation, hypnosis, distractions, mental visualizations, and placebos all offer a method to train the brain to obey our prefrontal cortex our active consciousness. It works for me personally, to reduce pain, and enhance healing.

It is your assignment to check it out. The Indian charkas are real, seven subtle areas of energy that can be manipulated by acupressure and acupuncture to help you heal faster, and reduce pain. My personal favorite is daily chanting Uh-(as in Accountant, OO (as in Book), and Mng as in Mee-ing (Uh-OO-Mng) for 20 minutes twice a day. Google Mudras (hand gestures), too

Now I know that you are far too busy to find a total of forty minutes daily to maintain your health, reduce if not eliminate pain, and actively live to age 90.

Deal-Or-No-Deal?

See ya,

copyright
H. Bernard Wechsler
www.speedlearning.org
hbw@speedlearning.org

Author of Speed Reading For Professionals, published by Barron's Educational, original partner of Evelyn Wood, creator of speed reading, graduating 2 million, including the white House staff of four U.S. Presidents.

Yoga For Healthy Living Presents Daily Yoga Cl

Give Yourself A Boost At Work With These Simple, Refreshing Tips

Continued concentration over long periods required in the modern workplace can be demanding on your mind and your body. The stress and fatigue felt by many of us can impact our work performance and lead to ongoing stress and exhaustion when you get home.

However taking a short break to complete a few simple yoga postures at your desk can help to relieve stress and tiredness and refresh you for another work session.

Office yoga part 1

Start by vigorously rubbing your hands together until you feel warmth on your palms. Place your hands on your face with your palms cupping your eyes and your fingers on your forehead making sure that no light gets to your eyes. Hold your hands here with your eyes open and relaxed to relieve eye muscle tensions and eye strain related headaches.

Nadi Shodhana (alternate breathing)

Sit comfortably in your chair with your back tall and straight. Hold your right hand in front of your face with the middle two fingers resting between your eyebrows. Your thumb should be above your right nostril and your ring finger above the left. Close your right nostril with your thumb and breathe in slowly and silently through your left nostril, until your lungs are full without straining. release the right nostril and close the left nostril with your ring finger. Exhale through the right nostril slowly, keeping the duration of the exhale the same as the inhale. Inhale slowly through the right nostril. release the left nostril and close the right nostril with your thumb while you exhale. Repeat the sequence 10 times making sure that your breathing is silent.

Mushtika Bandhana (Hand Clenching)

Hold your arms out straight in front of you at shoulder height, palms down, stretching the fingers wide. Close your hands into a fist with the thumb held inside, as you slowly exhale. Slowly inhale as you open your hands and stretch your fingers. Repeat 10 times.

Manibandha Naman (Wrist Flexing)

Holding your arms straight out in front of you, at shoulder level palms down. Inhale as you slowly bend your hand backwards, fingers pointing towards the ceiling. Exhale as you slowly bend the wrist downwards, fingers pointing towards the floor. Repeat 10 times

Manibandha chakra (Wrist circling)

Hold your right hand straight out in front of you at shoulder level, making a fist with the thumb tucked inside. Rotate the hand in a clockwise circular motion, making as large a circle as possible while keeping the elbow straight and still, keep your breath slow and smooth. Make 10 circles in a clockwise direction, then 10 in the opposite direction. Repeat with the left hand. Alternatively you can work both hands at the same time.

Kehuni Naman (Elbow Bending)

Hold your arms straight out in front of you at shoulder level hand open with the palms facing upwards. As you exhale, bend your arms at the elbow and touch your shoulders. Inhale as you straighten your arms. Repeat 10 times.

Skandha chakra (Shoulder rotation) Hold your arms out sideways at shoulder level, bend your elbows and touch your shoulders with your fingers. Rotate your arms in a clockwise direction, making sure that your elbows touch your chest, ears and sides as you make the circle. Keep your breath slow, inhaling as your arms move up, and exhaling as your arms move down. Make 10 complete rotations then repeat in the opposite direction.

Greeva Sanchalana (Neck Movements)

Sit comfortably facing forward with your eyes closed. Exhale as you lower your head trying to touch your chin to your chest. Inhale as you lift your head backwards as far as possible without straining. Repeat 10 times.

Sit comfortably facing forward, eyes closed. Without turning you neck, exhale as you lower your head to the right, trying to touch your right ear to your right shoulder. Breathe in as you raise your head and exhale as you lower it to the left side. Repeat 10 times.

Sit facing forward, eyes closed. Inhale as you turn your head to the right to look over your right shoulder. Inhale as you return to center. Exhale as you turn to the left to look over your left shoulder. Repeat 10 times.

In the same position eyes closed, rotate your head in a clockwise circular motion bringing you head down, to the right, backward and to the left. Exhale as you move your head down, inhale as you move your head up.

To find out how Total.yoga.Practice can help you fit a full yoga practice into your busy schedule with our 24/7 professional instruction, visit http://www.TotalYogaPractice.com/

Please note the following important cautions before using Total.yoga.Practice. Not all exercise is suitable for everyone, and this or any exercise programme may result in injury. Consult with your doctor before you use the Total.yoga.Practice services. To reduce the risk of injury, never force or strain yourself during exercise. If you feel pain, stop and seek medical attention if necessary.

Any liability, loss or damage in connection with the use of Total.yoga.Practice and its yoga instruction, including but not limited to any liability, loss or damage arising from the performance of the exercises demonstrated here, or any advice or information provided by Total.yoga.Practice in the videos, or on the website, is expressly disclaimed

To help you reduce the effects of working long hours at a desk or in front of a computer, Total.yoga.Practice suggests you periodically perform 2 simple yoga practices at your desk. The first practice is described in this newsletter. The second part of this work relaxation series can be found in our Free yoga newsletter

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Jez Heath is helping real people learn yoga online so they can make the commitment necessary to improve their yoga and their health - mind, body and soul. Learn how yoga streaming video can help you transform your life

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