An Exercise-Free Method of Reducing Back Pain

I don't know about you, but I sit at my computer A LOT! And my back suffers from it. I found the following article by Ben Rifkin at Early to Rise. It helped me; maybe it can help you, too:

"Today, I'm going to let you in on a secret for reducing your back pain without doing any strenuous exercise. In fact, the only thing you have to do is eliminate a harmful habit that's destroying your body - and you don't even know it.

I'm talking about sitting in a chair.

Yes. You read that correctly. It doesn't matter if you're at the office, using a computer, driving a car, or watching a movie. Sitting in any seat is one of the worst kinds of abuse you can put your body through.

Here's why. A chair allows virtually all your major muscle groups to relax. Now you might think this is a good thing - but when you totally relax in a seated position, you start to slouch. And when that happens, you overstretch - for hours on end - the muscles in your neck, shoulders, and lower back.

You can easily spot someone in a permanent hunch from long-term slouching. To reverse this and eliminate your back pain, perform this simple exercise:

Stand with your back to a wall. If you feel the two sharp points of your shoulder blades against the wall... you are slouching. Your goal is for your shoulder blades to rest flat against the wall without tension. Use the wall to gently guide them down as you press your chest up and draw your shoulders back. At the same time, use your abs to press your lower back against the wall.
This exercise can and should be done any time you have been or are going to be seated for a long period of time. Don't be surprised if the effect is instantaneous and you feel much more energized and pain-free. But even if you don't feel that way at first, keep practicing your good posture - and back pain caused by sitting will become a thing of the past. "

You can have a massive impact on your health just by making simple, small changes to your lifestyle. Learn more easy-to-follow techniques for feeling better and getting healthier right here."

This article appears courtesy of Early To Rise, the Internet’s most popular health, wealth, and success e-zine. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.earlytorise.com.

Natural UTI Treatments That Get Results

The antibiotic your doctor gave you for uti treatment worked really fast. By the end of the second day you were feeling much better. It’s been a few months, and now the urinary tract infection is back. Should you get more antibiotics to treat it?

Antibiotic uti treatments work against E coli, which can become resistant to the drug over time. What took two days to relieve the first time can end up taking over a week for later attacks. Plus, the antibiotic doesn’t know a good bacterium (that your body needs) from a bad bacterium – so it kills them all. You have to be careful, or you can end up with something else, like a yeast infection, or worse. Some of the side effects of an antibiotic, like nausea, diarrhea, headache, rash and abdominal pain, can be as bad as the uti.

You might want to consider a natural remedy this time instead. Herbal uti treatments relieve the infection without harming other body systems. Rather than causing your body to become resistant to them, natural remedies actually work to keep you healthy and your body in balance. (However, if you are pregnant or breastfeeding you should not use these treatments.)

The two most effective herbs for treating a urinary tract infection are Buchu (Agathosma betulina) and Bearberry Leaf (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi).

Buchu, or Round Leaf Buchu, is found near streams in scrublands in the lower elevations of mountains in western South Africa. The leaves of the plant produce a natural tonic that cleanses and flushes the entire urinary tract system. Its active oils, isomenthone and diosphenol, have diuretic properties (they increase the production of urine). Flavonoids, also found in Buchu, provide anti-oxidant and anti-infection properties, causing the body to combat bacteria, allergens and inflammation.

Bearberry is a small, woody evergreen found in the cooler northern climates of North America, Europe and Asia. Further south, it can also be found in mountain ranges. Arbutin, the active ingredient, is found in the leaves of this plant as well. Besides being a diuretic and antiseptic, arbutin also has astringent properties, tightening and strengthening the urinary tract.

Alternative remedies for urinary tract infections often contain one or both of these herbs, usually in a medley with other natural ingredients that help relieve symptoms of the infection such as Yarrow (Achillea millefolium), Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis), St John’s wort (Hypericum perforatum), Echinacea and Billberry (Vaccinium myrtillus).

When choosing a natural remedy for uti treatment, be sure to do your homework. Search for products that use ingredients taken only from the active parts of the herbs, not a mish-mash of all parts of the plant. Find companies that have rigorous testing and manufacturing standards. This will help to assure that the product is effective and safe to use. Be sure to check the ingredients carefully in case you may have allergies to any of them. Be sure to talk with your doctor, or with a licensed naturopathic physician, about using herbal uti treatments for your urinary tract infection, and for ways to improve your overall health.
Four Seasons Herbal Shop carries a proven, safe herbal remedy for urinary tract infections called Uti-Clear.