Dr. Oliver recently met Elena, a 45-year-old woman who came to the ER with severe back pain. Elena said that she had always had "a bad back," but in the last few weeks her pain had become much worse. Her family doctor had prescribed an antiinflammatory medication, which Elena, whose name and identifying details have been changed to preserve patient confidentiality, was taking faithfully along with Tylenol. Nevertheless, Elena was severely limited in her daily activities because of her back pain.

Elena's mood was suffering and she was becoming increasingly tearful and irritable. Previous tests performed by her family doctor indicated that surgery would not be a remedy. Her family was growing worried, as Elena was in constant pain, so in frustration they brought her to the ER to seek other treatment options.

Cases like Elena's are common, and low back pain affects up to 85 per cent of the population at some point. Fortunately, most low back pain resolves relatively quickly on its own. But one in 10 people end up like Elena, with chronic back pain that imposes serious restrictions on their lifestyle. This minority of back pain sufferers actually account for the majority of doctor's visits and healthcare costs related to the condition. In 2001 in Alberta, more than a quarter of work-loss claims were associated with lower back pain.

While opioid medications like Tylenol 3 can be effective for low back pain, Elena was concerned about their possible side-effects. (And rightly so - these medications are associated with stomach upset, constipation, and some risk of addiction if taken improperly). And not all patients can take anti-inflammatory medications like Elena can, due to their adverse effects on the stomach and kidneys.

Are there other options other than medication for low back pain sufferers? Certainly. Different lifestyle therapies have been studied, including changing one's mattress, patient education, and exercise/ physiotherapy programs. The American Pain Society has previously stated that one form of yoga, called Viniyoga, can be a useful adjunct for patients with chronic low back pain.

The core strengthening, stretching, and relaxation exercises central to yoga practice are thought to address both the physical and mental aspects of chronic low back pain. While this seems intuitively sensible, is there hard proof that yoga could work for someone like Elena?

In fact, the benefits of yoga are not limited to the theoretical - there is a scientific basis for recommending yoga for back pain. In the Clinical Journal of Pain, researchers recently published the results from a combined analysis of ten separate studies looking at the effect of yoga on pain and quality of life in back pain sufferers. For the most part these studies looked at patients with at least several weeks of back pain. Through a process akin to a coin flip, patients were assigned to yoga or to effective alternatives such as exercise or physiotherapy.

In the first few weeks after starting yoga, patients experienced an almost 50 per cent reduction in pain, and a 60 per cent reduction in back-pain related limitations. One year out, the long-term benefits were not quite as impressive, but there were positive effects seen nonetheless. It's important to note that overall quality of life did not appear to improve with yoga - but only four of the 10 included studies measured quality of life so these results are less certain.

Now before we suggest that all chronic back pain suffers sign up for yoga classes there are a few issues to keep in mind. For one, the nature of these studies makes it possible for a strong placebo effect to come into play. When researchers test medications they can give patients a sugar pill that looks identical to the medication under study. This helps sort out whether any benefits seen are due to a true effect from the studied medication, or whether the simple act of taking a pill (even a sugar pill) is providing symptom relief.

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Yoga shows promise for back pain

Budgets not exactly the most fun topic around, right? However, I think that the reason people find budgets to be so restrictive and frustrating is not because of the act of budgeting itself but rather the way we talk about it.

So many approach budgeting as a one-size-fits-all philosophy, but that couldnt be further from the truth. A budget has to fit your life like a glove in order to work.

What if we compare budgets to physical fitness regimens? Sure, you can try a fad diet and maybe lose a few pounds fast but how long will the weight stay off? Probably not for long. Fad diets are hard to maintain, one size fits all philosophies. But if you adopt a whole new fitness and eating regimen that fits your lifestyle and your personality, then you are much more likely to have long-term success.

The same goes for budgeting. To have long-term success you need a holistic approach that you can maintain for years to come. So how can you find out what approach works for you? Try looking at it like your favorite fitness regimen (or the one that seems most like one you would try)!

Crossfit = Gazelle Intensity

Crossfit is a workout regimen so intense many are known to be physically ill after their first session. Crossfit pushes you to the extreme, but its all about giving it your all. You may not have had perfect form in your workout, but you finished and youll do it again and do it better next time.

Crossfits converts often find themselves changed people after only a few short months often stronger than they had been their whole lives, no matter what their age. But it takes a serious commitment and a fighter mentality. If this workout sounds like something youd like to try, then youd probably also be a gazelle intense budgeter.

Gazelle intensity is a financial philosophy first articulated by Dave Ramsey that focuses on stopping at nothing to reach your financial goals. There are no breaks, no excuses. Someone using gazelle intensity to pay off debt or reach financial goals doesnt just set a budget and stick to it, they find every avenue possible to reach their goals faster. This type of budgeting isnt for the weak of heart but it is for those who want to get rid of debt as fast as humanly possible and have a tunnel vision focus to succeed.

Yoga = Homesteading

So what if you like the commitment level of Crossfit, but prefer to take things at a slower pace? Yoga lovers are equally as focused on committing to the process but believe in never pushing your body too far. The most important thing in yoga is to focus on your breath and listen to your body. Only go as far as your body can go each and every time and slowly your strength, flexibility, and yoga practice will improve. Each day is a new journey in yoga and a new opportunity to explore the possibilities of what you can do.

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Yoga for Your Finances?

GOLDEN, CO--(Marketwired - Aug 28, 2013) - Miracle of Yoga announces the release of its new line of yoga videos, which are created specifically for women practicing prenatal yoga. All the yoga positions will be safe and health-building for both the mother and the baby.

Owner of the studio, Christian Leeby, has wanted to provide these helpful videos for some time now. They are part of a move to diversify the ever-growing body of videos and instructions available on the Miracle of Yoga website. By teaching yoga for pregnant women, Leeby is able to address a growing need in the community.

The new line of yoga videos will be geared toward meeting the various needs of pregnant women. Topics will include working toward safe fitness, maintaining body stability, relieving physical tension, breathing properly, and reducing many of the common pregnancy pains. Yoga positions and instructions will be geared specifically toward varying stages of pregnancy. All classes will help to calm mental and emotional stresses as well as mitigating physical tension.

The yoga studio will add at least one new prenatal video a month. These videos will be posted in a growing library that includes 15-minute classes, sun salutations, back care, and office yoga.

"Yoga is the best exercise for pregnancy," states Leeby, "as long as you are careful to avoid those yoga poses that should not be practiced. Yoga is safe and effective in helping the soon-to-be mom deal with the physical and mental stresses of carrying a baby."

Since prenatal care differs from general physical wellbeing and often requires more thoughtfulness on the part of the mother, this line of classes will meet an important need. Yoga for pregnant women is a category often overlooked by teachers, but Leeby aims to change that. These videos will explain essential elements of prenatal care, not only for women in the yoga community but also for those women simply seeking the best care during their pregnancies.

For more information and to begin watching prenatal yoga videos, please visit http://www.miracleofyoga.com.

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Miracle of Yoga Launches Line of Prenatal Yoga Videos