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Senior Correspondent

One of my back pain blog readers sent me a very nice email the other day. This lady has suffered with chronic back pain for eleven years. "Not that long,” she says. Brave lady.

She tells me her work involves sitting at a desk in front of a computer which does her back no good at all.

Well Denise, I have found a good video which might help you and others in the same situation. This is a nine-minute video by Charlie Murdach, demonstrating a neck and back pain exercise that you can do sitting in your chair while sitting at your desk. I hope readers find it useful. You can view it using this link.

Neck Pain? Zap It With a Laser!

Doctors led by Roberta Chow of the Brain and Mind Research Institute at Australia’s University of Sydney have been studying the results of 16 trials, involving a total of 820 patients, on the efficacy of low-level laser therapy in the treatment of neck pain.

This is known as “cold” laser treatment, which is low level, but sufficient to to stimulate tissue repair and ease pain.

According to independent.co.uk this treatment resulted in a marked reduction of pain. The improvement lasting for up to 22 weeks. It is non-invasive and the side effects are minimal.

As in many of these pioneering treatments, just why it works is still unclear, although current thinking suggests that it could interfere with pathways of inflammation, muscle tiredness and the transmission of pain signals along nerves.

This treatment is readily available, and you can even buy your own machine if you have hundreds to spare! Read the full story here.

I’ve also found a short video of a patient receiving this treatment. If you want to see what it entails just use this link.

Shoes for Back and Knee Pain

I suppose it’s pretty much a given that we have known for some time that bad (incorrectly fitting) shoes can cause us problems. Aggravating existing conditions, especially back pain and knee problems, and making us prone to them if we don’t already have them.

In this story on express.co.uk by Cheryl Stonehouse, it is reported that a 48-year-old supermarket manager from Warwickshire U.K. has been wearing a particular brand called FitFlops, an Italian Ciabasan half-shoe slipper that is said to boost circulation, for around a year.

She says they have also contributed to a weight loss of two stone (28 pounds) as well as curing her painful feet. Not a bad bonus!

She is quoted as saying: “My doctor diagnosed plantar fasciitis 18 months ago and said there was very little that could be done. Since I started wearing the FitFlop sandals and a pair of their boots for the winter the pain has almost disappeared." I wonder if they’d work for gout?

Medical opinion is divided, but there is no doubt that anything that encourages a decent posture can do nothing but good for our backs and knees.

To learn more go here, where you can also find reviews of four different brands.

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