Generic Celebrex

Active Ingredient: Celecoxib
Typical Brand Name: Celebrex

Overview:
Celebrex is a once-daily prescription medicine that provides 24-hour relief of osteoarthritis joint pain. Celebrex also helps relieve acute pain in adults, as well as primary dysmenorrhea.

Direction:
It can be taken at any time of the day with or without food. It is available in 100-mg, 200-mg, and 400-mg capsules. For osteoarthritis; the recommended dosage is one 200-mg capsule every day or one 100-mg capsule twice a day. For adult rheumatoid arthritis, the recommended dosage is one 100-mg or one 200-mg capsule twice a day. For acute pain, the recommended dose is 400 mg initially, followed by an additional 200-mg dose on the first day if needed. For primary dysmenorrhea (painful menstrual cramping), the recommended dose is 400 mg initially, followed by an additional 200-mg dose on the first day if needed. On subsequent days, the recommended dosage is one 200-mg capsule twice a day, as needed.

Side Effects:
The most common side effects were indigestion, diarrhea, and abdominal pain. As with other NSAIDs, serious stomach problems, such as bleeding, can occur without warning.

Precautions:
Consult with your doctor if you have an unusual allergy to aspirin, other NSAIDS, foods, dyes, or preservatives, anemia, asthma, you are a cigarette smoker, diabetes, drink more than three alcoholic beverages a day, heart or circulation problems, high blood pressure, kidney disease, liver disease, nasal polyps, stomach or bleeding ulcers, taking blood thinners, pregnant or trying to become pregnant, or breast feeding.

Drug interactions:
Inform your doctor about all the medicines you use; including prednisone, other NSAIDS, alcohol, blood thinners, aspirin, cyclosporine, feverfew, garlic ginger, lithium, methotrexate, and water pills.

Whether we realize it or not, we have immediate power over certain aspects of our health. Sure, you’re thinking. Tell THAT one to my doctor. Well, your doctor would agree with you. What we eat, how much we sleep, what kinds of stress we’re under, how much we exercise, all of these things are under our control. If we’re looking for better health, then we have to start the process and be willing to take the initiative and make a commitment to taking better care of our body.

Picture this scenario: if you’re suffering from musculoskeletal pain you’ll go to your doctor, and he or she will make a diagnosis. There are usually four options you’ll get from them: therapy, medication, surgery, or a combination of all three. After the initial diagnosis your doctor will become more of an evaluator, checking up on your progress and deciding whether the treatment should be increased, changed, or stopped.

After you’ve been in treatment for a while, however, the doctor’s assessment of your recovery may not match your own assessment of how you’re doing. They may feel you’ve made improvements, and you may feel that you’re still living in pain and haven’t progressed that much. This is where you and your doctor may hit a crossroads. Although you may not feel like you have control in what happens, you do. You can decide to continue treatment, or to try something new. Your doctor may provide you with new medications, and you must decide whether or not to take them.

Although many people put medications at the top of their list for treatment, much of the time, especially with musculoskeletal pain, it’s not necessary. Medicines are used to control pain, not treat it. If you make the effort with a qualified professional to find the root cause of your pain, many times it can be found and the pain eliminated without you having to jump on the prescription drug bandwagon.

Latching onto the idea that you’re the head coach of your team (your body), can create significant, empowering changes. You’re in charge, and as long as you have a dedicated support staff, which consists of your doctors, therapists, chiropractors, acupuncturists, and so on, you can really start down a road towards better health.

The path of pain is rarely a straight and narrow course. We’ll take Sam as a classic example. Sam is a marathon runner and competes in at least 5 or 6 marathons every year. She does great until about the 10th mile, and then like clockwork her knee starts acting up. By mile 20 it’s all she can think about, and by the finish line she’s practically hobbling to make to through.

After each race it’s not just her knee that is in pain, however, it’s her whole body. Because of the stress that her knee problem puts on her hip, which in turn makes her back out of whack. It’s a domino effect that has serious consequences. Sam knows if she can’t figure out what’s causing this to happen, she’ll have to stop running.

Sam’s case is a common one. The human body was designed to work as a seamless machine, and if there is a problem or lack of movement in one part the body will make up for it somewhere else so it can keep functioning. What starts out as a small injury can quickly turn into muscle imbalances that affect movement and stability in many other parts of the body, increasing pain in places you’d never expect.

When most people seek out treatment for chronic pain, they often look at the immediate “source” of their pain, the knee, the back, or whatever it is that is hurting. That one part is the focus of their treatment, and nothing else is really looked at.

What most people don’t realize, however, is that pain very often is the result of stress from a completely different source. In Sam’s case, it wasn’t until she sought out the advice of a corrective exercise specialist that she discovered that her knee wasn’t really the problem. The root cause began with her posture, of all things. Once she began teaching her body how to stand and move properly, over time her pain disappeared completely and she continued competing.

By focusing on her body’s function and not her pain, the root cause was addressed and Sam’s problem was solved. This technique could by applied to anyone, and with the help of a corrective exercise specialist the true cause of your own pain can be located and treated.

We must become the architects of our own healing. Life is traumatic. From the big trauma of being born and taking our first breath to the lesser traumas of day-to-day life we are here to be beaten up and to one degree or another develop an inner support system to heal. Like the pulsing of the heart and the ebb and flow of the tides, the body’s trauma/healing interplay is as natural as breathing.

Our world has moved in strange directions in the last half-century. Every year Americans are turning more and more to surgical fixes for their injuries and ailments. With every ache and pain we take an advil or alleve. We are a society of external fixes, in search of a magic blue pill that will fix what ails us. The shift must be towards self-care and a belief that no one knows your body better than you. Doctors, nurses and body worker’s all serve a purpose. We need them to help facilitate our care and our health. But we have to take them off of the pedestal that we have created and become more pro-active in our own healing process.

What can and will fix us is easily found inside. We have a beautifully specific design that when embodied and enacted becomes a self-healing machine. Everyone knows what cancer is. Everyone knows what asthma is. Most people have heard of the word melanoma and can visualize a tumor but most people have not heard of the word psoas. Very few people know what the hyoid bone is. We are painfully familiar with external circumstances or things that work upon us when we’re really not all that familiar with the wonderful, magical body that we inhabit which can help us prevent so much of what ails us.

Our bones hold us up, our muscle move the bones after getting direction from the nerves. If the bones are aligned and the muscles toned every movement you make will tone and stimulate all of your internal organs. Learn how your body works and discover that you are your best doctor. Cultivate a dialogue with your body that prioritizes instinct and trust. Get to know yourself. There is no better means to prevention. Be your own healer.

If you’re currently suffering from chronic musculoskeletal pain, then there is a very high chance that you didn’t get to this point overnight. Most people don’t stop and think about their bodies when they sustain a mild to moderate injury. A major one, such as a crushed knee sustained in a car accident, will of course make you stop and think about your body. How could you not, when you’re unable to walk?

Minor injuries, however, are rarely given the time and consideration that they deserve. It’s often the minor injuries now that turn into major problems down the road.

There are usually three steps that lead long-term musculoskeletal issues.

The first is denial.

Most people deny the seriousness of their injury, especially when it’s something like a sore elbow from working on a computer all day. If it’s not broken or gushing blood, then it’s nothing to worry about, right? Wrong. Thinking that your sore elbow is no big deal, or that it will clear up on its own is a mistake. Denying that there is anything seriously wrong enables you to miss a very important window at the onset- the very beginning is when you can do so much to avoid problems down the road.

The second step is pain avoidance.

We all know that the body doesn’t like pain, so when we experience pain we begin to change our habits and mannerisms in order to avoid it. People who have chronic lower back pain are prime examples of this. When they stand for a certain period of time, or garden, or walk, it hurts their back. What do they do? They start to avoid activities that are going to hurt them. Eventually, any movement or activity that is similar to those that initially caused the discomfort will cause pain as well. It’s a snowball effect that gradually gets worse.

The last step in chronic pain is shortsightedness.

When people finally DO take action against their pain, most of the time they stop treatment way too soon. Often this is because their insurance will only pay for a minimum amount of physical therapy sessions, or because they’re just “too busy” too keep up with the therapy. Many times they quit, thinking they’re recovered, when the reality is that they’re only 50-60% recovered.

Don’t let this “unholy trinity” affect you the way it does so many others! If you’re experiencing musculoskeletal issues now, stop and examine what may be causing them. Don’t blow it off, and if you do need to seek therapy, keep going until you’re 100% recovered. Do you your homework, and don’t depend on others to carry you along.

Most of us have a vague idea of what sciatica is. If you know anything, it may be that sciatica is some sort of pinched nerve and lower back problem that afflicts the over-40 crowd.

But there is more to sciatica than that, and some of it might surprise you.

What is Sciatica?

In clinical terms, sciatica is pain resulting from irritation of the sciatic nerve. It is usually caused by one of three things: piriformis syndrome, irritation of the sacroiliac, or herniated disc.

Piriformis syndrome occurs when the piriformis (or large muscle inside your butt) gets irritated, swells and squeezes your sciatic nerve. Piriformis syndrome is literally a “pain in the butt”.

Irritation of the sacrum ligaments (called sacro-iliac) - The sacrum is a bony wedge that sits at the base of your spine and keeps your pelvis in place. What’s strange about it is that there are no muscles to hold it in place–only ligaments–which means that your sacrum depends on body balance and alignment to stay in place. It’s easy to see then, that if your hips or pelvis get nudged out of alignment, those ligaments will twist and turn, causing sharp, excruciating pain in the pelvis, hip and numbness down the leg.

A herniated disc happens when the outer wall of a disc in your back ruptures and allows the pulp of the disc to squeeze out and rake against the largest nerve in your body (the sciatic nerve). Ouch! Lots of things can cause the disc to erupt, but for the most part, the disc starts with a tiny, insignificant tear that left alone would heal. But under pressure that outer wall (called the “annulus fibrosis”) gets squeezed and pinched, until it cannot hold any longer. The wall ruptures!

How Sciatica Happens at Any Age

There is a long list of scenarios and lifestyles that can create the kind of torque needed to twist your sacroiliac, irritate your piriformis and burst the wall of a disc. But chief among them are: leaning to one side, sitting on uneven surfaces, straining with one leg over and over again, and recovering from knee surgery. A 45-year-old man driving an 18-wheeler 10 to 12 hours a day, day after day. A thirty-something woman standing in front of a class of fifth graders while leaning on one leg, year after year.

What’s interesting is that, with all we know today about ergonomics and back strain, you’re probably not surprised that truck drivers and teachers get sciatica at a pretty steady clip. But what about the hip hop crowd? Those 16-year-old boys with their oversized pants slung low and cool with deep pockets. Those pants have created a whole generation of young men who sit tipped sideways atop their wallets. Day after day, hour after hour, they are tipping their backs out of alignment, and putting their sciatic nerve under intense pressure.

Treating the Symptoms or the Root Cause?

You have a lot of choices when it comes to treating sciatica, and each depends on where the symptoms originate. Some choose surgery to fix a herniated disc, some choose steroid shots poked directly into their hip to get at the piriformis. Others choose anti-inflammatories to reduce swelling around their sacroiliac ligaments. But none of those treatments gets to the ROOT of the problem.

As mentioned above, all sciatic nerve problems have similar symptoms: pain in the lower back or pelvic area and numbness down one leg. But the ROOT of all of them is EXACTLY the same — a body out of alignment. And for that, Structural Integration is the only answer. Structural Integration (SI) is designed to relieve pain AND to get inside and fix the root cause of the problem.

What is pain exactly? We all have suffered pain to various degrees, but what is it and how does it work. Unfortunately, it is a bit complicated to explain to a layperson. Ok, basically pain is an unpleasant feeling that is conveyed to the brain by sensory neurons. This discomfort signals actual or potential injury to the body. However, pain is really not that simple. It is not just a matter of sensation or the physical awareness of pain. Pain is something that is very subjective and can be interpreted in different ways. Perception plays a major role in the degree of pain felt, it gives us the location, and intensity and can give us something about its nature. Pain can further be defined by emotional response and unconscious responses to both sensation and perception. Look at it this way: if you think it is going to hurt it probably will, you have already subconsciously told your body that what is going to happen is going to hurt and your body will respond to that.

The neurology of pain:
Nerve cells, or neurons, perform many functions in the body. Certain types of neurons are capable of transmitting a pain signal to the brain. These are called nociceptors and pretty much every surface and organ in the body has them. There are several types of nociceptors:
- thermoreceptive - stimulated by temperatures that are potentially dangerous
- mechanoreceptive - respond to a pressure stimulus that may cause injury
- polymodal - most sensitive and can respond to temperature and pressure
- also respond to chemicals released by the cells in the area from which the pain originates

The receptors, are at the front end of pain sensation. When stimulated the nociceptor sends a cascade of neurotransmitters (chemicals that transmit information within the nervous system) in the spine. Each of these neurotransmitters has a specific purpose. Neurotransmitters may also stimulate nerves leading back to the site of the injury. This response prompts cells in the injured area to release chemicals that can trigger an immune response (swelling, heat and/or redness),but also influence the intensity and duration of the pain.

Millions of Americans suffer from restless, uncomfortable sleep, and poor body support at night may be the root of the problem. Aligning your body the way nature intended can minimize tossing and turning, relieve aches and pains and alleviate morning stiffness, helping you feel better all day.

Dr. Scott Donkin, an ergonomics specialist who has created an educational pamphlet series including Sleeping Fit and author of “Sitting On The Job,” says that the importance of leg support at night is often overlooked. “Stress and discomfort often result from the upper leg and knee being unsupported during side sleeping. The sleeper instinctively shifts the upper knee forward, causing the hips and spine to rotate, putting a twisting force on the lower back. This often leads to low back pain at night and can aggravate an existing condition.

“The solution is to place a leg pillow between your lower thighs. This keeps the upper legs even, eliminating pressure on the knees and drastically reducing the tendency to twist the hips. Maintaining a comfortable open side posture helps keep your spine in a natural, relaxed position for a great night’s sleep.”

“Sleeping with better alignment is easy and affordable if you know what can help,” says Scott Davis, CEO of Contour Living, a leading U.S. ergonomic sleep and comfort company. “Consumers are beginning to recognize the effectiveness of sleep support and alignment products as a natural means for getting good rest and minimizing aches and pains.”

Here are some tips to help you properly align your body for restful sleep:

• The National Institutes of Health recommends sleeping with a pillow between your legs as a treatment for low back pain.
• Head pillows should be shaped to support the curve of your cervical spine.
• Leg pillows should fit the shape of your legs to comfortably stay put at night.
• Look for mattress pads that support the curve of your lumbar spine, rather than just a flat piece of foam.
• The two most important features to consider when choosing body alignment products are shape and material. Memory foam best relieves pressure points, while fiberfill offers a softer feel and more ventilation.

Constant headache is a headache, which generally arises out of tension, from any type of stress, changes in temperature or weather, lack of enough rest, or by eating the types of food to which you are allergic. It is very common in nature and nearly everybody suffers it. This headache causes pain in your head and makes your neck and back muscles tighten. That’s why people are so afraid of constant headache.

What You Need To Know About Constant Headaches

Some of the symptoms of a constant headache include pain and tension in your neck, back and head, as well as emotional fluctuations. Whenever a person has this headache, he loses his temperament very easily and feels exhausted and enervated. If he tries to work with a constant headache, he probably finds difficulty in concentrating and doing his job.

Usually, a tension headache develops more gradually than a migraine headache.

However, a person having constant headache may feel it for weeks or may last for years. Usually he feels pain throughout the entire day without a break. Of course, the intensity of his headache may vary from hour to hour. These headaches usually begin once a person hits middle age. The ailment is more common in women than men.

If you have a constant headache and it is affecting your normal life, then you need to consult doctor. Many a times it is seen that people indulge in self-medication, which is very dangerous. You might take overdose to alleviate your pain and even then, you won’t able to get relief from it. In addition, you should call doctor immediately if your headache begins suddenly with severity and causes you to feel weak, numb or dizzy as well.

Quick relief remedies an ice pack on your head and neck, taking a hot shower, or getting some rest works wonders.

Relieving pain has been a primary goal for many doctors, specialists, and individuals. With some many drugs available, it is important to find the right medicine that will help and natural pain relief is very important. Often, individuals are wary of using prescription drugs and over the counter medicines because of the purported side effects. No one wants to suffer from pain, especially when it is debilitating to our normal functions. Arthritis is an especially painful malady that affects a great many individuals. This malady affects individuals daily and they must seek relief from any pain reliever that might help.

Speaking with a physician about natural methods may help you find a better way to deal with the pain you might feel. Natural pain relief is an idea that is becoming more important to solving a great deal of pain. We are going back to our roots when medicines did not exist as widely as they do today and individuals sought herbal remedies. Today herbal remedies utilizing anti- inflammatory agents found in nature are becoming more widely used. These herbs and botanicals that grow in the wild are a natural remedy for inhibiting pain. One of the best ideas behind natural pain relief is a reduction on the side effects.

Modern medicine has a bountiful amount of side effects. We see these in commercials where they list the disadvantages of these medications after listing what it can help. They often ask an individual to seek a physicians advice before taking these products. With the natural pain relief method you do not have to worry about side effects other than an allergy to the herbs and botanicals that might be involved in the remedy.

No matter which method you choose, whether it is natural or prescription or over the counter you need to consult a physician about what is best for you. Trying the natural remedy may not ease the pain, however it is worthwhile if it does.

Once you have consulted your doctor and begun treatment it is important to see if the affects of the remedy do indeed decrease your pain and therefore increase your mobility. Arthritis is one such malady that can be treated with a natural method. Arthritis is an inflammation of joints limiting your mobility and causing undue pain. Natural pain relief using anti- inflammatory herbs and botanicals can lessen that pain to a great extent.

This is not said to detract from the benefits of prescription or over the counter medicines. They have their purpose. Individuals over time have found the decreased pain in using these methods. Knowing what will work for you is important after all it is your pain doctors wish to decrease. Prescriptions and over the counter medicines have their place in helping reduce pain. If you experience no undue side effects, sticking with what works can be the best option. It is you who must decide whether natural pain relief will benefit your needs more than other remedies.