lower back pain

February 6, 2013 Uncategorized

Simple Exercise to Decompress Your Spine

Are you stuck at a desk job, sitting all day long? That’s probably THE biggest complaint I hear on a daily basis. You go to work and sit for eight hours, getting up just long enough to fetch lunch (if you’re lucky) and then right back to sitting again. And at the end of the day, you’re so tired from sitting, you collapse on the couch and sit some more!

Believe it or not, sitting still is exhausting, especially if you’re doing it wrong. I definitely know all about this. Before I went off to Rolfing School, I pretty much worked exclusively in offices, answering phones and managing a never ending tornado of paper. My back has never hurt so much as it did daily when I was working in front of a computer all the time.

Of course, you should have a good strength and stretching program in place to make sure all your muscles are getting worked on a regular basis, but if you need a little quick relief for your aching back, try this simple stretch.

Sidenote: the brilliance in this stretch (called Child’s Pose in yoga) is not in flopping down into it, limp as a noodle. Reach out behind you with your tailbone while at the same time stretching your fingertips further in front of you on the mat. This gives your spine a gentle traction and creates space between each of the vertebra.

And for an extra bonus, I show you how you can get some very gentle spinal traction just using the ground and nothing else. Basically, you start from a seated position and roll your back down on to the floor, imagining that you’re setting down one vertebra at a time and then stretching as much as you can before setting the next one down. By the time you’ve got your back all laid out on the floor, you’re getting a gentle stretch down the length of your spine that you can hold for five to ten minutes, or longer if you like!

Of course, if you have spinal injuries of any sort, check with your doctor before doing any type of exercise, including these. You don’t want to put yourself in danger of further damaging your back!

October 30, 2011 Pain Relief

Can Resistance Training Speed Lower Back Pain Recovery?

Lower back pain is perhaps the most wide-spread health affliction in western cultures. 81 million Americans report experiencing lower back pain at some point in their lives, and lower back pain is the second most common reason for visiting a medical doctor.

All this pain racks up a $50 billion dollar medical bill every year, but the frustrating part is that most back pain conditions are labeled non-specific lower back pain, meaning it’s generalized pain with no precise cause.

Generally, lower back pain sufferers receive prescriptions for non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (pain killers) and the suggestion of light activity until the back pain goes away. Acute cases are treated with surgery.

What Else Can You Do for Back Pain Relief?

It’s no secret that pain killers merely mask the symptoms of back pain instead of addressing the root cause. They mask the pain, your body’s signal that something is out of alignment. Clearly, something’s not right or your body wouldn’t be in pain.

It could be the way you walk, it could be the new training protocol, there are many factors affecting lower back pain, from obesity to sitting in front of a computer or training at extremely high levels for sports; even smoking has a correlated risk factor for lower back pain.

In a 2009 study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, two groups of chronic non-specific lower back pain sufferers were assigned either aerobic training or periodized resistance training for sixteen weeks. Periodization is a method of cycling training to build muscular strength, speed and endurance.

While both groups saw a reduction in body fat, the resistance training group measured a 27% increase in muscular strength and a 63% reduction in lower back pain!

Why Does Resistance Training Work for Lower Back Pain?

Resistance training has shown very little in the way of results in previous lower back pain studies, so what was different about this resistance training protocol?

The difference was the periodization and whole-body approach. In most studies, participants focus on strengthening their “core,” the muscles of the abdomen and lower back. While these are indeed important postural muscles, they may not be the ones at fault in lower back pain.

For example, weak leg strength may cause you to rely heavily on your arms and torso to lift boxes and move furniture. Thus, excess strain is placed on your lower back, resulting in pain. The solution to this problem is not to strengthen your back but rather your legs.

Your muscles do not function in isolation. Every muscle that flexes affects another part of your body; therefore, it’s not helpful to train your muscles in isolation. This kind of training – bicep curls and calf raises and the like – is born of the bodybuilding culture where perfectly toned muscles win big competitions. Unfortunately, those muscles don’t help get you out of pain, so if you want lower back pain relief, train like an athlete instead of a bodybuilder – focus on function.

December 15, 2010 Pain Relief

Arnica: The Pain Reliever No Household Should Be Without

Aches and pains happen, especially when you’re training at the gym or exerting yourself in any heavy lifting activity, like moving. And as we age, we’re prone to other painful conditions like osteoarthritis.

But you don’t have to suffer with muscle soreness and stiffness. You can get relief without risking some of the frightening side effects of NSAIDs (non steroidal anti inflammatory drugs) such as nausea, upset stomach, shortness of breath, heartburn or skin rashes.

There is a natural solution that I highly recommend instead: Arnica Montana. Arnica is a plant native to mountainous regions of Europe and North America that has been used for centuries as a topical pain relieving agent.

A controlled randomized study from 2007 found that daily applications of arnica gel were just as effective as ibuprofen for relieving pain from osteoarthritis.

There is a slight risk of allergic reaction to a compound called hellanin found in arnica, so test on a small bit of skin before rubbing it all over. If you do experience a slight rash, simply stop using the gel.

While arnica gels abound in health food and supplement stores, the brand that I most recommend is Traumeel. It’s widely available and extremely effective with a synergistic blend of arnica and other anti inflammatory homeopathic agents.

So, the next time you find yourself stiff, sore and achy, get yourself some arnica gel, rub it on, and breathe a sigh of relief as the pain melts away!

February 12, 2010 Pain Relief

Pain, Pain, Go Away…The 7 Mistakes That Are Making Your Pain Persist

So often, pain plagues us for years, rearing its ugly head at the most inopportune times, like right before a sporting event, while we’re on vacation, or when the weather finally turns to sun and it’s time to get outside and play.

Even worse, it can be a persistent thorn in your side for years; you might find that you wake each morning covered in aches, stiff, and unwilling to move.

Those who suffer with chronic or acute pain don’t do so willingly. In fact, according to the American Chiropractic Association, Americans spend at least $50 billion each year on back pain, and experts estimate that as much as 80% of the population will experience back pain at some point in their lives.

Most doctors, if they are unable to find a direct medical cause of the pain such as a herniated disk or spinal stenosis, chalk pain up to “just a part of getting older,” leaving patients with little hope of long term healing. The truth is that aging does not have to be accompanied by the myriad aches and pains our Western civilization has come to expect.

In his lecture series, The New Physics of Healing, Deepak Chopra refers to studies done on indigenous tribes where the perception of a person as he or she ages actually increases in value. So, for example, a 30 year-old is much more highly regarded in athletic ability and mental wit than a 20 year-old, and so on and so forth. In this culture, the population did not decline as they aged, but actually improved in cardiovascular health and athletic ability (as measured by their ability to run long distances – their main form of delivering messages between tribes). Similar studies also invalidate the notion that aging necessitates physical and mental decline.

So, if pain isn’t a necessary part of aging, why are so many people plagued by chronic discomfort? Following are the seven reasons I see clients get stuck running in circles, unable to achieve the results they’re dreaming of.

Mistake #1: Continuing to do what doesn’t work

It’s common for someone to try a healing modality because a friend or family member had success with that path. Usually, clients will go to the same therapist that treated the referrer. This is generally a good strategy, but if you’re not getting the results you want, don’t keep flogging a dead horse. It may be that the therapist isn’t a good match for you or that you need someone with slightly different skills. Your body may respond better to a different modality. Don’t be afraid to end treatment if it’s not getting you to where you need to be.

Mistake #2: Assuming there is only one solution

In contrast, some people bounce from practitioner to practitioner, seeking the “miracle cure” that will banish their pain. They try one session of massage, two with an acupuncturist, and then hit up a Rolfer for three sessions, never sticking with anything long enough to evaluate whether or not they’re getting results.

When you set out to heal your body, you have to understand that there is no magic bullet. Accepting that fact will allow you to be proactive and engaged in your healing process. Ask lots of questions and educate yourself about the different therapies. If you’re getting results, however small the measure, keep working with the therapist or modality that is moving you forward. Slowly add additional modalities, one at a time, until you find two or three that have a symbiotic relationship for your body. And, most importantly, keep an open mind. Assuming that you know it all, have tried everything, and that you know what does or doesn’t work will tend to keep you stuck in a rut. You never know what new tidbit of knowledge will be the secret key to unlocking your vitality.

Mistake #3: Not working with the right mentors

Commonly, clients show up asking to be “fixed.” They say, “I just want you to fix me so I can get back to my old life.” I hate to break it to you, but a) you can’t time travel backwards – the body you have now is the body you have to work with from this point forward, and b) no one can “fix” you; it’s an inside job.

Healing pain runs deeper than just “fixing” a sore spot on your body. Pain is intricately linked with our mental and emotional states as well as our physical well being. At the very least, if you are stepping out on your healing journey, it’s essential to have the support of a body mentor, spiritual mentor, and counselor or therapist. You may find that you have several in one category, such as an acupuncturist and structural integrator for your body, or one individual may be ideal. Dealing with all aspects of pain will help you to change the patterns that got you into your current state, developing healthier habits that will support whole body wellness.

Mistake #4: Treating only the symptoms

This could be the most common stumbling block that I see my clients facing. Western medicine, in its endeavor to divide and categorize the body, has given us the false notion that we are some sort of soft machine, a marvel of engineering with interchangeable parts, where organs and tissues can be extracted and replaced with no effect whatsoever on the organism as a whole.

Please don’t get me wrong; western medicine has produced marvels in healing and definitely has its place in the world. Believe me, if I am in a serious car accident and need to be taken to the ER, I want the best MD in the world there to sew me back up!

But, when it comes to back pain, the tendency to want to pinpoint one tiny fulcrum of pain tends to leave the patient struggling and without solution. Here’s why: Your body is intricately linked together; each tiny, microscopic cell is connected to the one next to it, and the one next to that, and so on. Every joint in your body affects the functioning of the joints that immediately surround it. If you injure a joint, there is a ripple effect through the body, much like the rings in a pond when you toss in a stone. It is impossible to focus solely on a knee, a hip, or a facet joint of the spine without also looking at the joints above and below it.

Most treatments only focus on the condition or diagnosis, i.e. sciatica, herniated disc, etc. In reality, your body underwent many stages of misalignment before developing severe conditions and debilitating pain, all starting with an imbalanced physical structure. Treating only the condition equates to treating only the result of the imbalance instead of going directly to the root cause of the pain. And, if there is no medical condition, doctors will often tell you that the pain and discomfort you are experiencing is “just part of getting older.” In fact, it’s usually indicative of an underlying imbalance that will worsen if you don’t intercept it.

I highly recommend working with therapists who take a whole body balance approach to healing pain, such as a structural integrator. Your results will be deeper and tend to last much longer than treatment that only focuses on the symptom.

Mistake #5: Not dealing with pain the first time

We’re all busy, and no one wants to put a halt to their life just because of a little back stiffness, right? Even worse, we don’t want to sound “whiny” or get labeled as a hypochondriac. So, it’s no surprise that most people don’t treat back pain the first time it happens.

Barring any major bodily injury such as a bad fall from a horse or a horrendous car accident, back pain doesn’t come on suddenly or overnight. It’s a progression, a slow deterioration perpetuated by daily habits. If you are experiencing even mild discomfort in your back, neck, and shoulders, it’s a sign that all is not well and if you don’t get treatment immediately, you’re setting yourself up for a much more difficult healing task down the road.

This is exceptionally challenging for athletes to come to grips with as excelling in sports necessitates a tough mentality. If you quit at the first sign of pain and discomfort, it’s unlikely that you’ll make it very far as an athlete; therefore, I recommend that athletes find a solid core of body care professionals, set up a scheduled treatment program, and stick to it (no canceling appointments just because you feel healthy and well this week)! This will help to catch any minor imbalances in their early stages, reducing the risk of greater injury and pain later on.

Mistake #6: Not understanding that healing back pain is a process

In a world of quick fixes and magic cures, we all want to take the fastest road to health that we can. But, like losing weight, healing pain is a process and can take some time. The only way to get from A to B is to put one foot in front of the other, keep walking, and don’t let minor setbacks discourage you. Healing your body is a journey of self discovery, and it can be uncomfortable to say the least. It forces you to take a look at your life, at the areas that are serving you and those which are not. Just like losing weight means letting go of habits that are destroying your health, facing your back pain head on will mean that you must change the way you are living to some degree.

Pain is almost always correlated to an emotional state. There is absolutely a connection between stress and pain, in part because stress causes the body to emit certain neurochemicals that create inflammation and tension, and also because stress causes us to focus less on taking care of our well being (the economic downfall of 2008 saw increased work hours and a corresponding spike in computer related shoulder pain). Dealing with stress goes much deeper than swallowing a pill; it requires us to allocate time for self care and to incorporate practices that support a calm, relaxed state of being, like meditation, qi gong, tai chi, and yoga. All of these take time to have an effect on your body and life. Choosing a program of bodywork, exercise, and stress management and sticking with it is crucial to long term success in healing your pain.

Mistake #7: Not taking action

Making this mistake will most certainly keep you trapped and in pain for years to come. No one can take action on your behalf – no one! If you want to heal your body, you must become an active participant in your healing process, and that means making appointments with experienced bodyworkers, incorporating daily activity into your life, being proactive about stress management, and educating yourself about every single aspect of healing from pain.

Although it’s easier to sit on the couch and wonder why this happened to you, or even to just push through the pain, continuing to do all the same sports and other activities (weekend warriors, I’m looking at you on this one) until you just can’t bear it any longer, refusing to actively seek relief or taking refuge in pain relieving drugs that mask symptoms is the same as choosing to shorten the number of years that you will be physically able to remain active. The choice is entirely yours.