If you have been experiencing endometriosis back pain for some time, you probably have your own self-medication to alleviate the pain. You also probably already conditioned to and used to experiencing this endometriosis symptom on a regular basis.

But did you know that there are several treatments and measures that are aimed at helping you overcome these back pains?

Before seeking out these treatments, it’s important to understand how back pain caused by endometriosis occurs.

It is worth remembering that endometriosis is not actually a disease. It is a condition that occurs when misplaced endometrial tissue brings discomfort due to the influence of the female hormone estrogen.

Endometrial tissue normally grows and thrives within the lining of the uterus. However, due to yet unknown reasons, this tissue can grow in other parts of the body.

The common areas that this misplaced tissue can be found are on the outside of the reproduction organs and on the other organs found in the abdominal cavity.

During menstruation, the swollen endometrial tissues shed and bleed. So, the area where this tissue is attached experience pain and discomfort and scaring.

Over time the scar tissues and areas of inflammation increase forming adhesions. These are ropes of scar tissue that connect organs together, sometimes even fusing the pelvic cavity into one mass. It is the adhesions that cause most of the pain associated with endometriosis, including back pain.

When experiencing endometriosis back pain, the initial and probably most practical medication you are likely to take without prescriptions would be over the counter pain relievers. Pain relievers alleviate endometriosis back pain albeit temporarily.

If you are looking for long-term treatment, you will need to address the endometriosis problem, not just the symptoms.

There are many treatments now available to help provide endometriosis relief.

First, and probably the most used remedy is to take birth control pills. Just make sure you are only taking the active pills in the pill mats and not the “filler” pills.

Birth control pills regulate hormones and keep estrogen levels low.

Surgery is also be an option. It targets the adhesions and visible spots of endometriosis growth. Most sufferers report improved or no symptoms for up to 18 months after surgery, however, the symptoms normally return over time.

There are a number of natural remedies available that have proven results in combating endometriosis. Sign up the free newsletter below to discover more about these.

Endometriosis back pain can be debilitating and effect the quality of life. But by treating the endometriosis, the back pain can be reduced or eliminated.

Shelley Ross
http://www.articlesbase.com/women’s-issues-articles/how-to-deal-with-endometriosis-back-pain-136481.html

Technorati Tags: Abdominal Cavity, back pain, Back Pains, Birth Control, Birth Control Pills, Endometriosis, Experience Pain, Female Hormone Estrogen, Inflammation, Lining Of The Uterus, Medication, Organs, Pain Relievers, Pelvic Cavity, Prescriptions, Remedy, Ropes, Scar Tissue, Scar Tissues, Self Medication

At large, back pain is predominantly caused due to improper positions of sitting and standing. But injuries in muscles or bone tendons also contribute to back pain in many people.

Your body is made of many different types of muscles, which aid in the locomotion of the different body parts. But, in all of them, the Hamstring muscle is the most important. Hamstring muscles are a set of the most sensitive muscles that are present in your body. They are present in and around your lower limb. Being so sensitive, they are prone to injuries very easily. Hamstring muscles are located at the back of your thigh.

Hamstring muscles are basically present in a set of three distinct muscles. These muscles help in the movement of the legs, hip movement and also the knee movement. Pulling of the hamstring muscles, form the most common form of muscle injury. The muscle pull will generally start with a mild pain in the stretched area of the limb. If not taken care of in time, the pain may aggravate, moving towards the thigh area and eventually to the back.

With this cascading movement of pain, the magnitude of the pain will also increase. Eventually the pain will become sharp and unbearable. This pain can become so intense that it can even handicap you by acting as a hurdle in managing your day to day activities.

Therefore, the best advice here is to give a little more attention to your torn-out or stretched hamstring muscle and avoid back pain. There is a set of procedures that you need to follow in dealing and curing your worn hamstring muscle.

Start with giving as much rest to the affected area and try to keep the movement in that part of the body as low as possible. Also, ice the area regularly. Icing provides relief to the tensed muscles causing back pain. Once you think that you have sufficiently iced the stretched area, compress the injury with the help of a bandage. Last, but not the least, follow the elevation process with the help of an elevation device.

And not to forget, exercises are the best help that you can give yourself in relieving back pain caused due to hamstring muscles. The exercises to be followed should be mild, concentrating more on the affected area, rather than the other body parts.

Just a little attention and care, you can avoid the back pain that can occur due to the pulling of the hamstring muscles.

Ashish Jain
http://www.articlesbase.com/medicine-articles/can-a-hamstring-muscle-injury-be-a-reason-for-your-back-pain-132639.html

Technorati Tags: Back Muscles, back pain, Bandage, Body Parts, Elevation, Hurdle, Legs, Locomotion, Lower Limb, Magnitude, Many Different Types, Many People, Mild Pain, Moving, Muscle Injury, Muscle Pull, Sharp, Tendons, Thigh Area, Types Of Muscles

Before I tell you about what you can do to cure your back pain I will share a story of a 2 Kilometers road with you. There is a 2 Kms road that stretches in one of the busy suburbs in a metropolitan city. Walk on it, or drive through it. The jerks and the hop-step-jumps that will you do to tackle that road, the breaks, the sudden change of gears and the bumps of the vehicle by the end of the journey it will be cured. If you don’t have one, you will get one!

In the normal course, unless there are any special reasons, weak, stressed back or abdominal muscles are the cause of back pain. Apart from the disc problem, the other causes of back pain are poor diet, weak bones due to inadequate calcium, wrong lifting techniques and poor posture.

If your work is the continuous type of desk-work, stand up occasionally and stretch frequently. It breaks the monotony of sitting and helps the body correction. Your chair must support the lower back when you are seated. If your back pain is accompanied by vomiting or fever consult your physician immediately, and if he suggests surgery, take a second opinion.

Massage is another natural option to treat back surgery, but you are so over busy, with your normal lifestyle, that you don’t have the required time to look after yourself. So, is there any alternative to receive the relaxing benefits of the massage?

Massage chairs are ‘born’ to meet this requirement of the busy man. They are trendy and therefore more and more popular these days. They arrived in the market for the first time in the year 1980. The massage benefit that you get out of these chairs is almost equivalent to the one you will get from a professional massager.

The main advantage of the massage chair is that you can have it in the comfort of your house, and no wastage of time is involved. After a day’s tiresome office activities and the subsequent travel, sink into your massage chair. With a touch of the button, the massage is on. With the advanced technology, you have many new models, fully programmed and customized, to meet your individual requirements.

So, your office chair might be the one that is back-pain giver. This massage chair is the pain and stress reliever, including your back pain. Some chairs have the massaging footrests. You can massage your feet as well as the calves.

So your chair for back pain will also give you several ancillary advantages. It certainly helps to better the blood circulation.

Ashish Jain
http://www.articlesbase.com/advice-articles/massage-chair-offers-you-easy-back-pain-relief-70288.html

Technorati Tags: Abdominal Muscles, back pain relief, Busy Man, Cause Of Back Pain, City Walk, Desk Work, Disc Problem, Inadequate Calcium, Massage Chair, Massage Chairs, Massage Massage, Massager, Metropolitan City, Monotony, Natural Option, Poor Diet, Poor Posture, Second Opinion, Sudden Change, Wastage

Intelligent management of your body mechanism is the best answer to your back pain. If you had given serious consideration to this aspect well in time this back pain problem would not have arisen at all.

Proper living and improper living are the two contending forces. The later always wants to score over the other. Your back pain is one of the gifts of your wrong living! Reject this gift and revert to painless and happy living.

With back pain bothering you, you can’t be the normal human being, even though you try your best. Your day to day activities are hampered. A majority of back pain cases can be treated without surgery. You just need to take proper care so that the condition does not worsen and turn chronic.

The idea that is being given to you above is very simple and if followed with discipline assures a painless life. Plus, it woks for back pain of all types. Here is a quick list of tips to get relief from back pain.

Be Active

Don’t be a lazy drone. That is relaxing here, lying down there, and taking naps at odd hours. Be on the move. Do such movements that won’t hinder your back. Remaining inactive is invitation to sickness.

Give Up Smoking

Don’t argue over this topic, in spite of your best defenses. Smoking is bad, viewed from any angle. It is proved beyond doubt that smoking sets fire to your body mechanism from within. It doesn’t spare any part of your body. It weakens the ligaments and the bones. It damages the spinal disks.

Walk Straight

Don’t be a jay-walker. Develop some military discipline as far as your walking is concerned.

Have Right Posture

Sitting with proper posture is also one of the positive steps to tackle back pain.

Sleep With Right Mattress And Pillow

Sleep on the bed that suits your condition. Do not use too soft or too hard a mattress. To reduce back pressure, use a pillow under your knees.

Don’t Be Overweight

If you are obese, it means that you are carrying unnecessary luggage that will cause extra strain on your back. So shed extra weight now.

Exercise Wisely

There are many specific exercises to treat the back pain as such. You need to have the initial training for these exercises, from an expert teacher. This is important form there some exercises that are capable of causing you harm if you don’t follow an expert’s advice.

Keep A Balance

Try to live a balanced life. Proper balance with regard to all the aspects of your life, such as diet, exercise, and rest is required. Excess of everything is bad.

And finally your efforts will help you cure your back pain soon. All the best!

Ashish Jain
http://www.articlesbase.com/advertising-articles/top-tips-for-back-pain-relief-67730.html

Technorati Tags: back pain relief, Bones, Contending Forces, Doubt, Drone, Intelligent Management, Invitation, Jay Walker, Knees, Ligaments, Luggage, Mattress, Military Discipline, Naps, Odd Hours, Painless Life, Posture, Proper Posture, Sleep, Spite

The Worst of Both Worlds

You have acid reflux. Now to add insult to injury, you have back pain too! People who suffer from acid reflux often feel helpless to do anything to find relief from their pain, but to add back pain as well, sometimes it just too much. However, if you are one of the people who suffer from both acid reflux and back pain, do not give up hope, for there are solutions available to you. It will just take a little personal research to learn about what they are and which one is best for you.

Your Options

The Answer May Already Be In Your Kitchen

According to acid reflux and back pain sufferers, one of the best treatments for acid reflux is a very simple remedy – vinegar! Vinegar is a natural and safe way of treating both acid reflux and back pain. You simply drink a tablespoon of vinegar each day, preferably in the morning. This helps to reduce acid reflux by basically counteracting the overproduction of acid in your stomach.

For those who thing they may not have the stomach (or the tastebuds) for vinegar, apple cider vinegar can replace the regular vinegar. With the apple cider vinegar you take about one tablespoon before each meal. Using the vinegar method to treat acid reflux, you should begin to see results within a few weeks, although some people state they notice relief after only a few days. However, it is important to continue to take the vinegar on a daily basis, even after you begin to notice improvement. Otherwise your pain and acid reflux may return.

Or It May Be In Your Medicine Cabinet

For those who prefer the drug store treatment of acid reflux, another method is to combine antacids and pain medication for the relief of both the acid reflux and the back pain. The antacids will work for the acid reflux by neutralizing acid in the stomach, while the pain medication will offer relief from the back pain. In general, antacids are a gentle medication and can usually be taken safely in conjunction with other medications. However, be sure to consult with your doctor to determine which antacid/pain reliever combination is best for your particular condition.

For specific back pain relief, there are several over-the-counter options as well as prescription drugs that are now available. Some of the most commonly used ones are acetaminophen and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. These over-the-counter medications tend to show results in a few days. If you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant you should not take ibuprofen. Be sure and talk with your doctor in detail before taking any other pain medications.

Prescription pain medications and muscle relaxants may also be used, but these should not ever be considered as a long term solution, and if used for a prolonged period of time they may actually end up making the condition worse.

Choosing The Right Option for You

As difficult as it is when you are suffering from both acid reflux and back pain, try to maintain a positive outlook. There are effective solutions available, it may just be a matter of time and trial and error before you find the method or combination that works best for you. It is also extremely important to consult a medical professional rather than try to diagnose and treat yourself. A medical professional will be better able to asses and diagnose your condition and determine which specific combination of medications or treatment would be most suitable for you. It is also important to stay in close contact with your physician, so that they can track your progress and make any changes necessary for your overall recovery and health.

Stefani Padilla

Technorati Tags: Acid Reflux, Acid Stomach, Antacids, Apple Cider Vinegar, Both Worlds, Daily Basis, Drug Store, Insult To Injury, Medication, Medications, Medicine Cabinet, Overproduction, Pain Medication, Pain Sufferers, Personal Research, Remedy, Safe Way, Stomach Pain, Tablespoon, Tastebuds

The Worst of Both Worlds

You have acid reflux. Now to add insult to injury, you have back pain too! People who suffer from acid reflux often feel helpless to do anything to find relief from their pain, but to add back pain as well, sometimes it just too much. However, if you are one of the people who suffer from both acid reflux and back pain, do not give up hope, for there are solutions available to you. It will just take a little personal research to learn about what they are and which one is best for you.

Your Options

The Answer May Already Be In Your Kitchen

According to acid reflux and back pain sufferers, one of the best treatments for acid reflux is a very simple remedy – vinegar! Vinegar is a natural and safe way of treating both acid reflux and back pain. You simply drink a tablespoon of vinegar each day, preferably in the morning. This helps to reduce acid reflux by basically counteracting the overproduction of acid in your stomach.

For those who thing they may not have the stomach (or the tastebuds) for vinegar, apple cider vinegar can replace the regular vinegar. With the apple cider vinegar you take about one tablespoon before each meal. Using the vinegar method to treat acid reflux, you should begin to see results within a few weeks, although some people state they notice relief after only a few days. However, it is important to continue to take the vinegar on a daily basis, even after you begin to notice improvement. Otherwise your pain and acid reflux may return.

Or It May Be In Your Medicine Cabinet

For those who prefer the drug store treatment of acid reflux, another method is to combine antacids and pain medication for the relief of both the acid reflux and the back pain. The antacids will work for the acid reflux by neutralizing acid in the stomach, while the pain medication will offer relief from the back pain. In general, antacids are a gentle medication and can usually be taken safely in conjunction with other medications. However, be sure to consult with your doctor to determine which antacid/pain reliever combination is best for your particular condition.

For specific back pain relief, there are several over-the-counter options as well as prescription drugs that are now available. Some of the most commonly used ones are acetaminophen and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. These over-the-counter medications tend to show results in a few days. If you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant you should not take ibuprofen. Be sure and talk with your doctor in detail before taking any other pain medications.

Prescription pain medications and muscle relaxants may also be used, but these should not ever be considered as a long term solution, and if used for a prolonged period of time they may actually end up making the condition worse.

Choosing The Right Option for You

As difficult as it is when you are suffering from both acid reflux and back pain, try to maintain a positive outlook. There are effective solutions available, it may just be a matter of time and trial and error before you find the method or combination that works best for you. It is also extremely important to consult a medical professional rather than try to diagnose and treat yourself. A medical professional will be better able to asses and diagnose your condition and determine which specific combination of medications or treatment would be most suitable for you. It is also important to stay in close contact with your physician, so that they can track your progress and make any changes necessary for your overall recovery and health.

Stefani Padilla

Technorati Tags: Acid Reflux, Acid Stomach, Antacids, Apple Cider Vinegar, Both Worlds, Daily Basis, Drug Store, Insult To Injury, Medication, Medications, Medicine Cabinet, Overproduction, Pain Medication, Pain Sufferers, Personal Research, Remedy, Safe Way, Stomach Pain, Tablespoon, Tastebuds

Having realized that back pain is a problem that can easily be avoided, provided you adopt a lifestyle that prevents back pain, it is time to examine other ways of preventing this disorder. Since it is established beyond doubt that back pain results form jerky movements and careless and occasional lifting of heavy items of furniture, it can be avoided by not lifting such loads. But such a tall order is easier passed than followed.

There are occasions when you are bound to lift heavy bits of furniture and other items. So, how do you take cover under the excuse of back pain and shun this task altogether? A sure-shot answer is a definite ‘No”.

To prevent hurting the back and causing back pain, you should bend over the furniture being lifted and use your knees rather than your lower back to lift heavy things. Another alternative is to put a heavy padding under heavy items of furniture and then push the furniture from one place to another. In that way the back is left perfectly safe and there is no question of back pain resulting from furniture lifting.

A note of caution is sounded when you are tempted to pull the item of furniture half way through the pushing process. This is a danger sign and can immediately lead to the onset of back pain. Thus pulling of heavy objects at once is equally detrimental to the back and can result in back pain.

Sometimes back pain can result from other causes. You might not be standing near a furniture item- forget the lifting part, but still you could be a victim of back pain. To prevent such occurrences of back pain, you must always be on an alert when in the driver’s seat on a long journey in the car. Sitting in the same position in a car, truck or even at an office desk can cause back pain and the way out is to take short breaks continuously throughout the working day, to prevent back pain setting in.

Even when sitting on a chair, care must be taken to choose the right kind of chair to prevent the onset of back pain. In fact, the designing and crafting of suitable office chairs has become a science and has given rise to a large body of research on that front. But without going into so much detail, as an everyday precaution, it is best to inculcate the habit if sitting up on a chair and not slouching on it. Thus the use of a high back chair gives the lower back the right kind of support and prevents the onset of back pain despite being in a chair for long hours.

When relaxing in a chair after a hard day’s work it is best to prop up your feet on a low stool. This will give tremendous relief to your back and prevent aches and pains in the back from occurring.

In case, you turn your posture and reach out for something while in this relaxed position, turn the whole body and not just from the waist. For, a partial turn of from the waist can result in a twist and may lead to back pain in the bargain.

Even when in a standing position you must be conscious of the need to prevent back pain from occurring. This can be done by standing erect and not slouching or bending the shoulders. If you keep standing for a long time, as when doing a task in a standing position, then it is wise to rest your foot occasionally and alternatively on a low stool to give relief to the muscles and alleviate the danger of back pain.

When you have a little time to spare, the best thing to do is to lie on the floor and gently stretch your back muscles and lift the legs up to the level of the knee. This will give immediate relief to the leg and keep the back from developing any symptoms of back pain.

Ashish Jain
http://www.articlesbase.com/advertising-articles/sudden-jerks-cause-back-pain-66514.html

Technorati Tags: back pain, Car Truck, Caution, Danger Sign, Doubt, Excuse, Furniture, Heavy Things, Jerks, Jerky Movements, Knees, Lifestyle, Long Journey, Occasions, Occurrences, Office Desk, Padding, Pain Results, Short Breaks

Most people have heard the saying “a wolf in sheep’s clothing,” but what about a SHEEP in WOLF’s clothing?

At first glance, chronic neck and back pain may appear to be your enemy but look a bit deeper and you’ll find that discomfort is actually your body’s strongest ally. Pain is your body’s natural way of telling you that something is wrong and change is needed.

Rather than ignoring the signals of your back and neck pain listen to what your body is trying to tell you and prepare to make the changes that will propel you towards complete neck and back pain relief. That nagging twinge in your lower back is trying to tell you something. Your painful stiff neck has an important message it wants to deliver to you. Are you listening?

Many people head straight to the medicine cabinet for a quick fix when they’re looking for neck and back pain relief. But masking the pain with medication does not eliminate the cause. Simply hiding the pain just hinders your ability to naturally heal the actual cause of pain. This allows the underlying problem to become progressively worse as time passes.

If your home was infested with termites, I doubt you would just slop on a fresh coat of paint and hope that the termites would just go away – would you? All you would have then is a freshly painted house that was ready to collapse.

Back and neck pain is a lot like that, you can take potentially toxic medications to hide the symptoms of the pain, but the underlying problem is still there – and will be until you address it and harness the natural healing powers that lie within your body.

Accept the fact that your body is very wise. If you understand the power behind the message of pain, it can be a great motivator. If we listen to our pain we will find that it reflects our body and soul and it is likely to lead us to what we need to do to get neck and back pain relief.

Treating back pain and neck pain is definitely not an exact science, which is why many traditional medical back treatments fail. Traditional treatment protocols are expensive, dangerous and in many cases, ineffective.

While modern medicine is helpful and even necessary in certain cases, its biggest downfall is a disregard for the body’s natural ability to heal itself. Medical researchers spend extravagant amounts of time and money looking for outside solutions, when the real answer to neck and back pain relief lies within.

In order to find lasting pain neck and back pain relief you must accept and acknowledge that your body has the potential to heal itself, especially when you encourage it to heal using a combination of the best treatments and strategies.

So the next time the big bad wolf called pain knocks at your door, open up and let the healing begin.

Charles Gaudet

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Lower Back Pain, affects both those unaccustomed to physical activity and regular exercisers.

The first step to understanding the various causes of low back pain is learning about the normal design anatomy of the tissues of this area. Important structures of the low back that can be related to symptoms there include the bony lumbar spine vertebrae, discs between the vertebrae, ligaments around the spine and discs, spinal cord and nerves, muscles of the low back, internal organs of the pelvis and abdomen, and the skin covering the lumbar area. Many muscle groups that are responsible for flexing, extending, and rotating the waist, as well as moving the lower extremities, attach to the lumbar spine through tendon insertions.

Fortunately, most occurrences of low back pain go away within a few days. Acute or short-term low back pain generally lasts from a few days to a few weeks. Low back pain may reflect nerve or muscle irritation or bone lesions. Most low back pain follows injury or trauma to the back, but pain may also be caused by degenerative conditions such as arthritis or disc disease, osteoporosis or other bone diseases, viral infections, irritation to joints and discs, or congenital abnormalities in the spine. Obesity, smoking, weight gain during pregnancy, stress, poor physical condition, posture inappropriate for the activity being performed, and poor sleeping position also may contribute to low back pain. Occasionally, low back pain may indicate a more serious medical problem.

Nearly everyone has low back pain sometime. The risk of experiencing low back pain from disc disease or spinal degeneration increases with age. Low back pain unrelated to injury or other known cause is unusual in pre-teen children.

A variety of diagnostic methods are available to confirm the cause of low back pain:. Discography involves the injection of a special contrast dye into a spinal disc thought to be causing low back pain. Computerized tomography CT is a quick and painless process used when disc rupture, spinal stenosis, or damage to vertebrae is suspected as a cause of low back pain. Most low back pain can be treated without surgery. Exercise may be the most effective way to speed recovery from low back pain and help strengthen back and abdominal muscles. Medications are often used to treat acute and chronic low back pain. Musculoskeletal pain syndromes that produce low back pain include myofascial pain syndromes and fibromyalgia. Other skeletal causes of low back pain include osteomyelitis orsacroiliitis infections of the bones of the spine.

Most low back pain is triggered by some combination of overuse, muscle strain, and injury to the muscles, ligaments, and discs that support the spine. When low back pain strikes, we become acutely aware of just how much we rely on a flexible, strong back. The causes of low back pain tend to be interrelated. Most people have at least one episode of recurrent low back pain. The term “low back pain” is used to describe a spectrum of symptoms. Depending on the cause, low back pain may be dull, burning, or sharp, covering a broad area or confined to a single point. Leg symptoms can be caused by lower spine problems that place pressure on a nerve to the leg; they can occur on their own or along with low back pain. Your health professional can assess acute low back pain by talking to you about your medical history and your work and physical activities, and doing a simple physical examination. However, some episodes of low back pain are signs of more serious conditions. Low back pain can result from something simple, like cleaning house or lifting a heavy box, or it can be caused by a diagnosable spine condition like a herniated disc or degenerative disc disease.

Effective pain relief may involve a combination of prescription drugs and over-the-counter remedies including BioFreeze. Some type of Lumbar Support is also important for constant support for low back pain. Wonder-Roll which is a self inflating lumbar support pillow is a good solution that you can take anywhere with you.

The vast majority of lower back pain conditions will get better with time and can be addressed with non-surgical treatments, such as osteopathic or chiropractic manipulation, physical therapy, pain medications, etc.. Low back pain responds very well to appropriate conservative treatment such as physical therapy and proper medication which can be prescribed by your physician.

Author: Donna Nocero

Aniruddha Badola

Technorati Tags: Bone Diseases, Bone Lesions, Cause Of Low Back Pain, Causes Of Low Back Pain, Congenital Abnormalities, Degenerative Conditions, Diagnostic Methods, Disc Disease, Disease Osteoporosis, Internal Organs, Low Back Pain, Lower Back Pain, Lower Extremities, Lumbar Area, Lumbar Spine, Smoking Weight Gain, Spinal Degeneration, Spinal Disc, Teen Children, Weight Gain During Pregnancy

Last Monday I sought and secured an apt with an acupuncturist seeking relief from excruciating leg and back pain.  I’ve had some pain these past months, but Sunday it flared up in a new way–uber pain–and I needed relief.  The highly trained and expert acupuncturist explained to me that in a perfectly healthy body oxygen and blood flow freely through our veins and arteries to feed our organs and muscles.  Yet when blockages occur in our arteries and veins, the potential for disease erupts, often followed by symptoms; i.e., pain.  Well, yes, I was definitely in the pain category!

After pressing on various locations on my leg, ankle and hip he nearly had to scrape me from the ceiling where I rocketed to from the pain.  He deduced that I had obstructed circulation.  Basically a narrowing of the all important arteries & veins was causing poor circulation and the pain was symptomatic of that.  Always curious I asked, “What are the principal causes of these narrowed arteries?”   He replied, “Well genetics is #1, followed by a couple other potential causes.”  I leaned forward, “what’s #2?”  He answered, “Stress.”  I didn’t feel any need to ask about #3; the conversation turned another direction from there.

He warned me that one treatment wouldn’t be viable.  I would need to commit to at least 3 treatments, to which I readily agreed.  He inserted several needles and immediately I felt relief.  He chattered about the different treatments-pain relief or symptom cure-listed on his intake form.  Not being an acupuncture specialist, I had checked the box stating, “Whichever the doctor recommends” so we agreed on both pain relief and addressing and curing the cause of the blockage(s).

One day later as I luxuriated in all the TV coverage of the inauguration of our 44th United States’ President, it dawned on me.  Of course!  We, in the United States of America were in pain of one sort or another-lost job, foreclosed home, inability to afford health care, failure to sell our homes, battered investment portfolios, general depression or dismay at our downward slide as a nation on so many fronts.

We had managed to obstruct the healthy circulation of money in our banking systems and on Wall Street.  We had also managed to obstruct the healthy circulation of truth and honor in our government such that we were as a nation suffering from VERY poor circulation indeed.  Our collective organs were suffering and our muscles weakened.

The powerful Wall Street executives had blocked the flow of capital; lies had obstructed and narrowed the flow of truth, such that we were plenty diseased, and plenty pained.  No longer is that pain reserved primarily for ENRON, WorldCom, Lucent or Lehman employees.  I hearken back to April 13, 1958 when Harry Truman stated in the Observer, “It’s a recession when your neighbor loses his job; it’s a depression when you lose yours.” Ouch!  Indeed our nation and many of her people are pained amidst disease; the perfect storm of the confluence of our financial, regulatory and government impotency and failures.

Yet on this day, this 20th day of January, we gathered together-amidst our pain-in spirit and flesh to witness the swearing in of Barack Obama, the people’s president.

Over a million (maybe 2) people-some famous, most commoners–somehow planned ahead, fought traffic and security check points, and reassured their bodies of their warmth amidst freezing cold temperatures, to attend.  No, they weren’t crazy; they were committed.  They exchanged emails and texts and formed community in a few short hours.

I digress to the analogy that we rally behind our athletic teams or sport stars because it interests us, and it focuses us/joins us together, we share a common bond.  We’ll not be “in their league” yet we find ways to relate.  I, for one, bought a #10 NY Giants Official NFL blue jersey after watching Eli Manning deftly dodge that sea of New England Patriots’ defenders last Super Bowl and I don it when I need or want a confidence boost.

Somehow however I felt differently about an Obama jersey…kinda like it wasn’t adequately “befitting” to honor my President by wearing his image on a jersey.  Mind you, I don’t begrudge anyone’s buying Obama paraphernalia-God knows the economy sorely needs consumer spending-and moreover it certainly did seem to unite people, allowing folks to display their unwavering support.

Yes he is; President that is.  Yes, this President IS different.  In the past weeks, we’ve seen a man who despite his polish and cloak of calm, chattered freely about the verdict on what breed of dog that he and Michelle will give to Malia and Sasha, to fulfill their campaign promise.  We’ve seen a man who despite the continued swirl of economic ills and world unrest since his resounding victory on November 4th reminded us respectfully that we have only “One president at a time.”  We’ve seen a President-Elect that has been uncharacteristically committed to bi-partisanship within his cabinet.  And on the eve of the Inauguration President-Elect Obama graciously hosted a dinner honoring his general election rival, John McCain.

This time we see a President who more than tapped into young people’s social networking-he actually evoked and enlisted the interest of our youth and they responded….VOILA!  Mutuality at work.  I’m jumping ahead of myself here, yet as President Barack & Michele Obama danced at the Inauguration Youth Ball-wasn’t that a 1st?-he paid a very gracious and more-than-fitting thank you to those under age 35 in his speech.  Apparently his new interactive White House website (another first) was up before he even uttered the oath.

Yes, this Inauguration was different.  While millions watched what otherwise was an expertly choreographed MEGA event (during which not 1 arrest was made) it was the brilliant Chief Justice John Roberts who flubbed” his once-memorized 35 word President’s oath of office.  Wasn’t that graceful how Barack stopped, allowing the Chief Justice to correct himself?  I think Barack’s rolling with Roberts’ colossal misstep bodes confidence for his handling future “mistakes”.

The speech was crafted with Kennedy, Lincoln and FDR overtones and was delivered with a masterful balance of force and feeling.  It was a speech that expertly addressed both the pain and the proposed symptom cures.  Forget the nation’s expectations.  Forget Black American’s expectations.  Forget non-black American’s expectations.  Malia’s words delivered to her father atop the steps of the Lincoln Memorial last weekend were, “First African-American President.  Better be good!”

The media nearly immediately fed us the line, “not a Home Run acceptance speech” which I will comment on in a separate blog.  “He got millions there,” one commentator aptly retorted.  Malia beamed.  Even my father, a right-wing Christian fundamentalist, who surely has voted Republican every election including this one, uttered “good job” immediately after Obama uttered, “God bless the United States of America.”  I was so moved and relieved—THAT gave me hope right there in my own living room!  A `Morrison microcosm’ of hope over fear that regardless of whomever we campaigned or voted for, we can indeed put aside our differences and come together as one nation under God.

Debra L. Morrison
http://www.articlesbase.com/politics-articles/inauguration-provided-much-needed-pain-relief-745923.html

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