9 Tips To Soothe Back Pain
December 31, 2008 by soreback · Comments Off
TIPS, TRICKS AND TECHNIQUES THAT YOUR DOCTOR WILL NEVER TELL YOU ABOUT
Maybe you’ve already considered putting heat on your back and try to exercise when you can. You’re not a fan of medication or have a sensitive stomach so you’re not going to keep popping pills every time your back hurts. So now what? You’re just out of luck?
Fortunately there are many small tips, tricks and techniques you can consider when dealing with back pain. Because these tips and tricks aren’t exactly what you would call exact medical science your doctor will probably never mention these things to you. There are reasons behind each of these tips and techniques and we’ll try to explain each of them to you.
THE BASKETBALL TRICK
Your muscles are cramped and stiff and nothing seems to work. You can stretch and stretch but they’re just not loosening up. Now what?
Get yourself a basketball and put it on a flat surface such as your living room floor. Make sure you’ve moved the furniture out of the way, and lay down on it and roll it around the area of the back.
Sound strange? A basketball is nice and stiff, unlike a volleyball or Pilates ball or other type of ball, and so it presses against those muscles. As you roll yourself on the basketball it’s forcing those muscles to be loosened just like a good massage. It can also work to increase the blood circulation in the back which of course helps to get the muscles healed on their own.
You might find that you eventually push the air right out of the basket ball as you do this and you can either pump it back up or buy a new one but this is a small price to pay for getting some relief on your back. And remember, you need to use a basketball and not something soft that’s going to collapse under your weight.
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INVERSION
Because the back muscles need to work when you’re standing or even sitting, you need to get all the pressure off that area of your body in order for the muscles and nerves to heal themselves. How can you do that?
Some doctors prescribe their patients a system of counterweights for a person to hang from. You may have seen this type of contraption that you put over a room door and literally hang yourself from; these things work but can be difficult to use and somewhat dangerous for those who live alone!
A better idea is to put yourself in a chair or position that gets your feet up and relieves the pressure from your hip area. If you can purchase a recliner get one that reclines far enough that your feet are higher than your hips. Putting yourself on a couch where you can drape your feet over the arms of the couch can also help.
Remember that you need to alleviate the pressure on the area of your hips so your legs and feet need to be that high to do so. A footstool is not going to do the trick but an inversion table will.
PROP YOURSELF UP WHILE SLEEPING
The body can go through so many distortions while sleeping – it’s estimated by many doctors that a person changes positions some 32 times during the night, or once every 15 minutes! Since we’re not conscious of these changes it’s no wonder that we may contort ourselves into something painful without realizing it, or may tense up during sleep and not allow ourselves to relax in any way.
This is probably one reason why so many people wake up in pain – they are very tense when they go to sleep and this tension affects their body positions while sleeping.
Many have found that elevating their feet can help to alleviate the tension in their back and to keep them in a position that is more at ease during the night. It’s very hard to curl up into a tense little ball when your feet are propped up!
This can be as easy as putting a few books under the feet of your bed or the mattress. You can use pillows and cushions but these have a tendency to slide. There are also props for the bed you can buy at a home supply store as well.
Sore Back – What Not To Do
December 27, 2008 by soreback · Comments Off
WHAT NOT TO DO
As important as it is to know what you should be doing to help your back pain, you also need to consider some common treatment methods that people often employ that actually make the situation worse.
Sleeping on the floor.
Imagine there are two pictures below. One of course is of a human being from the back view, and the other is of a few boards. Notice any difference?
Before you spend all day scratching your head and wondering what we’re getting at, the point is that a human body is not straight up and down the way a board is. There are curves and contours on every part of the body, front and back, men and women. We often forget about this; perhaps because we’re told to “sit up straight” or to keep our backs “ramrod” straight that we get the thought in our heads that the human back is flat and straight like a board.
No matter what your build – whether you’re as muscular or developed as this cartoon illustration or not – your back has curves and contours all up and down it, but especially in the area of the small of the back. This area, if not supported, will begin to collapse which then causes those muscles to tense up further to keep the back supported.
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It’s unfortunate that many people with back problems have a tendency to sleep on the floor or a flat surface, thinking that this gives them more support than their own bed or a cushion of any type. In reality this might relieve the pressure in some areas of the back but cause more pain in others as that flat surface is not giving support in these curved and contoured areas of the back.
If you find that sleeping in your bed causes you to wake up stiff and sore, it’s time to shop for a new mattress or to address the one you have. Some have found that putting a firm piece of foam between the mattress and box spring can keep it from sagging in the middle so that they have better support. Usually when your mattress is lumpy and old your back starts to hurt because it needs to tense up to support the body during sleep. By having a better sleeping surface you’re bound to have less pain in the morning – but the floor is not that sleeping surface! If you must sleep on the floor be sure to use a piece of foam or a thick sleeping bag, or a few thick sleeping bags, between you and it. Your body needs more support than a flat wooden surface can give it and chances are you might feel some relief in some areas of the back but are doing more damage than good when you sleep on the floor.
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Remedy For Back Pain
December 24, 2008 by soreback · Comments Off
HOME REMEDIES FOR BACK PAIN
Now that you know common causes of back pain you may have a better understanding of how to prevent and treat it in the first place. Losing a few pounds may seem like an impossible option but of course it can be well worth the effort when you get some relief for that pain. Minding your posture, training yourself to lift with your legs – these small changes can add up to big relief for your back.
But sometimes you need to do something more than all of this. You take all the precautions possible and still you have back pain – after all, you can’t very well live your life in a recliner or refuse to pick up your children just to keep yourself safe from potential injury! So when you have soreness and pain, what can you do?
RELIEVE THE PRESSURE
The muscles of the back are usually able to heal and repair themselves from minor injury, and sometimes the pain you feel is simply those muscles cramping up to protect themselves so that they can heal. If you relieve the pressure on your back this can go a long way toward helping it heal on its own.
Of course, as we’ve already mentioned there is virtually no movement a human can make that doesn’t involve the back. Even when sitting, the back muscles are tensing up to keep your upper body straight and supported.
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Keeping this in mind, you realize how important it is to be in a reclined position that tilts your body back and relieves that pressure on your midsection. When your feet are higher than your pelvic area then you have less pressure on your back and it can heal. Many have found that stretching out on the floor with pillows under the knees can help tremendously, however, do not put the pillows under your feet. This puts added pressure on the area of the hips and this causes the back muscles to tense up even more.
If you’re laying flat on your stomach your back is still working as the front of your body collapses and your back keeps you straight. You can instead use cushions or pillows under your stomach and upper body area to support yourself so that the back is not working as hard.
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Low Impact Exercises
December 21, 2008 by soreback · Comments Off
EXERCISING WHEN OVERWEIGHT
When you’re overweight even the smallest amount of exercise can be difficult yet very beneficial. Many people wonder how they’re supposed to work out when they’re overweight since that extra body weight makes it that much more difficult for them to be active.
This is a good point to consider since slamming your body around even when you’re fit is not good idea but can be especially dangerous when you have that extra weight. This doesn’t mean that you should just give up on the idea. There are some easy things you can do to get yourself active, protect your back, and shed those extra pounds.
Walking
If you’re overweight there is the danger of injuring your back even further by trying to lose weight with dangerous and strenuous exercises. People often find it difficult to enjoy physical activity when they’re overweight and obese because they can be in physical pain everywhere due to the weight.
Walking can be a great solution to both these problems. It has very little impact, unlike jogging or aerobic classes, and is easy enough for just about anyone to accomplish. You don’t need fancy equipment, just a decent pair of shoes. You can go for as long as it’s comfortable and stop when it’s not, unlike some sports activities that require you to participate for a number of innings or points which can be overwhelming for someone out of shape.
Many who walk find that it’s helpful to increase their time gradually, from ten minutes per session to 15 or 20, and the number of times they walk as well. You can try it every day but can also go four or five times per week to start out and increase your occurrences gradually as well.
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Swimming
Swimming is another great way to lose weight when you’re overweight because there is no impact on your bones or joints and therefore no pain when you participate.
Most cities have public pools of some sort or you may be able to find a gym or community center with a pool. There’s no need to feel self-conscious when you swim – take a look at everyone else in the pool and you’ll probably notice that they’re all of various shapes and sizes as well! And remember that you’re not there for anyone else but yourself so tune out the negative thinking and strap on your swimsuit.
Biking
Biking is another good exercise for anyone that’s overweight because there is no impact on the joints of the knees and ankles. It might be difficult to go around areas where there is a fair amount of hills as going uphill can be hard, but most city streets have sidewalks that are very flat and steady. There might also be bike paths in a nearby park or even a school that make riding easy.
Most gyms also have stationary bikes that a person can ride and these can be good for those that are overweight as you are off your feet and don’t get any impact.
THE IMPORTANCE OF WEIGHT LOSS
It’s estimated that some 60% of Americans are overweight and some 15% are categorized as obese. The statistics for children and other areas of the world are not that far behind these numbers.
No one wants to think about their need to lose weight and it is a very personal and private issue. But there is a distinct connection between excess body weight and back pain, and no doubt many people have back problems simply because of their extra weight.
There isn’t much you can do to fix your back problems if you’re overweight. No pills or stretching exercises or amount of heat can loosen muscles that need to work overtime just to get you from the couch to the kitchen. Surgeries, medications, and other options are going to be ineffective as well.
If you’re overweight you probably know it. While it is a sensitive issue, if you really want to fix your back pain then you need to consider whether or not it’s time to find a permanent solution to your weight, and to keep it off for good!
How Excess Weight Affects Your Body
December 18, 2008 by soreback · Comments Off
WEIGHT AND THE BACK
Your back is probably the one area of the body that works the hardest when you’re overweight, along with your heart, lungs, and joints. Your back is working all the time to keep you upright and balanced and to support your upper body no matter what you’re doing.
When you’re overweight your back needs to work all the harder to keep you in place. You don’t need to be running a marathon for your back to be overworked or stressed. Even when you’re lying down your back is under pressure because that excess body weight is now pushing down on your back which needs to tense up to keep everything safe and secure.
Losing even ten pounds can go a long way toward helping your back to become healthy and strong and to be without everyday stresses and strains.
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WEIGHT AND OTHER AREAS
Another reason that excess body weight affects the back is that extra weight puts undue pressure on the areas of the hips, knees and ankles and weakens them over time. The muscles, tendons and ligaments in these areas become worn out as they too need to work overtime to move around and support that extra weight. It’s not unusual for those that are very overweight and especially obese to have pain in the knees and ankles and to have tears in ligaments that they’re not even aware of simply through their everyday activities, as their body tries to move itself and its own weight around.
This means that as these other areas weaken then the back needs to work harder as well since it makes up for the work they should be doing. When the knees can’t support the weight of the upper body, the back is called upon to hold up that extra weight as you’re walking up or down stairs. Your ankles get tired earlier as you walk at all, meaning that the back holds up the weight that your legs should be supporting.
When you’re overweight you are putting undue pressure on every area of your body, and this affects the back in many ways that almost always brings on pain.
Being Overweight Causes Back Pain
December 16, 2008 by soreback · Comments Off
BODY WEIGHT WEIGHS ON BACK
People often have a hard time understanding why body weight causes so many various health problems. After all, if you’re six inches taller than the average person you’re probably not suffering very much, so why should sixty extra pounds be an issue?
The truth is that while body weight is something that occurs naturally it’s still weight that you need to move around. Our bodies are designed to push and carry a certain amount of weight but anything additional is going to cause problems.
Imagine having to carry around a ten-pound bowling ball with you wherever you go. Your arms would get tired incredibly fast, your shoulders would get worn out and your entire body would ache. Imagine that bowling ball being chained to your ankle – your feet and legs would be killing you just walking from your couch to the kitchen!
Well, an extra ten pounds of body weight is just like that bowling ball. Your body is not designed to carry a lot of extra weight except what is healthy and natural for you. Extra weight means more work for your muscles to hold that weight up and to move it around; this unnatural working of the muscles is not healthy in any way.
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This is a difficult concept for many people to grasp as we often think that our body is just designed to handle its own weight and its own concerns, but our body has limits. You can’t lift 500 pounds no matter how much you might want to; if you can’t lift that much when it’s on a weight lifting bar, what makes you think your body can lift it when it’s in the form of body fat around your midsection? If a small child stood on the small of your back you could tolerate that for only a few moments, but when someone is 50 or 60 pounds overweight it’s just like having your body carry that small child 24 hours every day.
Body weight is a common cause of back problems and as discouraging and distressing as it may be, and as defensive as some might get about their body weight, it’s a concern that needs to be addressed if one wants to be pain free.
Stress and Back Problems
December 14, 2008 by soreback · Comments Off
PREVENTING STRESS
Wouldn’t it be nice if we could just take a pill that makes us impervious to stress and anxiety, or flip some type of switch that shuts off all the problems and stresses of the world?
Yeah, right.
That would be nice but until that time occurs we need to do whatever we can to keep ourselves from being overly stressed or from reacting in a way that damages us physically.
Sometimes we don’t recognize stress because we’re so used to it – our job has always been stressful, our family life has always been less than ideal. But being mindful of stress is the first step toward preventing it from affecting our back and the pain we might feel.
Learning new ways of looking at things may be key to preventing our anxiety from overwhelming us so that it doesn’t get to the point where we have physical pain. Our job may be less than thrilling and our home life might difficult but a person can work on not letting the small things bother them or realize that no one has a perfect situation and this is just part of life in this world. Many anxieties and stresses are things that are blown out of proportion or are the result of a person thinking more negatively about them than they need to be.
Exercise is important
When it comes to preventing back injury and stress from affecting the back exercise may be an important part here as well. Exercise releases endorphins, those “feel good” chemicals that help us to feel relaxed and happy. It also increases blood flow and oxygen flow and these too also help to boost one’s mood. Regular physical activity can keep one’s weight under control as well, and this can help a person to feel positive and happy as well; as superficial as it might be, one’s appearance can go a long way toward affecting how one faces the world.
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Another benefit to exercising when you have back pain due to stress is that exercise will force those muscles to stretch and will encourage blood flow and circulation in the area of the back. This too will help it to relax and be pain free. Even a simple walk around the block or quick bike ride can go a long way toward relieving tension and stress and making those back muscles feel loose and relaxed.
What to avoid
When a person is under stress it’s all too easy to drown that anxiety in alcohol or other substances, or to take that anger and frustration out on others with yelling and fits of temper. These things of course don’t help the stress go away and can make the physical pain that one feels even worse. When a person is angry and yelling the heart races unnaturally and the muscles tense up even more, readying for that confrontation.
Learning effective ways of dealing with stress and anxiety is the only real solution to being as pain free as possible, and this includes the pain in the back!
Preventing Back Injury
December 12, 2008 by soreback · Comments Off
Many doctors agree that the biggest cause of back injury is misuse of the back muscles and too much stress and strain without proper precautions.
The muscles of the back are some of the strongest in the body but that doesn’t mean they’re infallible. Unfortunately you don’t always get a lot of warning signs when you’re putting too much pressure on the back; the pain you feel is usually a sign that damage has already been done. So to keep yourself from injury, keep these things in mind:
Lifting with the legs
How many times have you heard that you should lift with your legs? There’s a reason why this is preached over and over again. The muscles of the legs are larger when used together and are meant to be used when you’re lifting heavy objects. When you use your back to lift you are putting tremendous amount of pressure on the smaller muscles of the lower back which are also working to move your entire torso and upper body at the same time.
One reason that many people avoiding lifting with their legs is that their knees are often damaged and worn out and rather painful when in use. If this is true in your case then the solution is not to just use your back but to realize that perhaps it’s time to use a dolly or some other type of tool that can assist you rather than just putting that extra strain on your back muscles.
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It’s difficult for some to admit that they just cannot lift the way they once could or to ask for help; this can even cause problems on the job if it’s required that you move heavy packages or do lifting of any type. But remember that back injuries can be permanent and can affect you in many ways so it’s best to consider your long-term health.
Proper posture
Why is proper posture so important when it comes to protecting your back? Simply put, the back muscles are designed to work a certain way and poor posture puts strain on muscles that aren’t prepared for the burden of posture and overworks other muscles as well.
The muscles of the lower back are designed to hold the body upright but when you slouch these muscles are overworked because they are contracted improperly and this causes injury. Think of what happens if you crook your fingers tightly around something for a long time, be it a pen or coffee cup handle. That finger begins to hurt after not too long. Your back is the same way. It’s not meant to be curled up, holding the weight of your body unnaturally, and this unnatural stance causes eventual pain and injury.
There are many reasons to watch your posture and back pain is only one of them. When you are slouched you are putting undue pressure on all of your internal organs, including your stomach and lungs. People with poor posture often suffer breathing and stomach problems as well as back pain.
You don’t want to overcorrect this problem by thrusting your head in the air and your back in a rigid stance; your posture should always be relaxed but upright.
Tip from the experts: Your posture is probably most important during the long hours you spend behind a desk or in your chair at work. Far too many are stretched or curved over their desk all day, putting stress and strain on the lower back for hours on end. No wonder they’re in pain at the end of the day! Learn to sit up straight and lean back when possible while still minding your posture.
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It May Not Be Your Back
December 11, 2008 by soreback · Comments Off
Go back over the section that outlined the many muscles of the back and take another look at that. Notice how the many muscles of the back are connected to the muscles of the neck, shoulders, arms, hips, legs, and so on?
Every part of the body is connected in some way to every other part of the body. Loud noises can make your head hurt. Twisting your knee can make your hips hurt. The body relies on all the parts working and functioning as they should and when one suffers, many other areas can suffer as well.
Which means that sometimes a pain in the back isn’t even really a pain in the back. If you twist your neck or pull a muscle in your shoulder, the back muscles need to “step up” and make up for that injury or reduced ability of these areas to do their job. If you injure any part of your legs then your back needs to work that much harder to support the upper body and to make mobility possible.
Keep this in mind when considering what might be causing your back pain. You might not think you’ve injured your back but may remember twisting your neck or injuring your knees in some way. These can all lead to problems in the back area.
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OTHER CAUSES OF BACK PAIN
There can be many other causes of back pain, including:
- kidney infection
- diabetes
- cancer
- bone spurs
- poor circulation
- untreated compression fractures
- injury to other areas of the body including the feet, ankles, knees, and legs
And a list of other potential conditions as well.
Severe and chronic back pain should be addressed by medical personnel or at the very least it should be diagnosed by a medical professional so that other serious conditions can be ruled out. A thorough exam in the only way to rule out kidney problems, bladder problems, and so on. And while it’s very unlikely that back problems are caused by cancer or something as serious, of course it’s important to get an accurate diagnosis of these things just in case.
6 Common Causes of Back Pain
December 7, 2008 by soreback · Comments Off
So we’ve looked at the major muscles of the back and have a better understanding of how each of those muscles or muscle groups are involved with movement and even with the functions of the body. But knowing how the back can cause chronic pain with every single movement doesn’t exactly explain how that pain originates in the first place. Let’s take a closer look at what causes most back pain and injuries so that we can have a better understanding of how to avoid that pain in the first place and how to treat it once it happens.
INJURY
Probably the most common cause of pain in the back area is an injury. This might seem surprising to many since they often have pain in their back but don’t think they’ve actually ever injured themselves in any way.
In reality it doesn’t take that much to injure any of the muscles of the back. While we’ve covered the major muscles and muscle groups that extend from your neck to your lower back, there are literally dozens of smaller muscles that can cause tremendous amounts of pain when injured or hurt.
What is especially important to remember about injuring your back is that when you hurt any of these smaller muscles they rarely have time to heal properly. Since the back is constantly in use even when we’re at rest, these muscles are always being stretched and strained. It’s much like having to go to work when you have a cold or the flu – it takes that much longer to heal when you can’t rest because your body can’t give the sick parts the attention it deserves. So it goes with your back – when you hurt any of those muscles, no matter how small, they just can’t be immobile for the hours and days needed to heal completely.
The injuries that you experience in your back that cause pain aren’t always as severe as a car accident or when lifting incredibly heavy objects, although of course those are typical problems as well.
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Here are some typical examples of actual injuries to the back that can cause pain long-term:
- Overuse of the back muscles. This can be from a job or hobby that uses the back muscles repeatedly, such as working in the construction trades, loading or unloading objects, and activities such as bowling or golfing. Repeated use of the back muscles actually causes injury over time. Think of lifting weights – you feel the pain in your arms when you’re at the gym and you know to quit, but when you’re on the job or out playing that beloved round of golf you often ignore those simple aches and pains that mean injury to those small muscles.
- Jarring from traffic stops and starts; even if you’re not technically in a traffic accident, slamming on your brakes means that the back must work suddenly and swiftly to protect the body from careening forward. This sudden stopping and starting makes the back work overtime in a way it’s not designed to work, which means injury.
- Overextending the back muscles from twisting side to side. These very small muscles that are located up and down the sides of the abdomen and rib cage are very susceptible to injury this way; when they’re overextended they are actually injured.
- Carrying weight. This can mean a very heavy backpack, purse, or other item that puts undue stress and strain on the back. The muscles work hard to carry and balance this weight and often suffer tears and strains without anyone even realizing it.
- Sudden stresses and strains. How many times have you gone to hug a child only to have him or her suddenly lift their feet off the ground so that you’re carrying their entire weight when you didn’t expect it? Or have suddenly slipped or tripped and have had to catch yourself without thinking? These types of sudden and unexpected stresses and strains can cause injury to your back as it’s not ready and prepared to handle these events. The muscles can be tense and caught off guard which means they’re more prone to tiny tears and stresses.
As said, people often don’t even realize that they’ve injured their back until much later, after the injury occurs. Muscles often knot up as a way of protecting themselves from further injury and as long as they’re knotted the body may not sense pain. It’s only later when they begin to loosen up that a person realizes something is wrong.
ARTHRITIS
We often think of those who have arthritis as being of a particular age and often assume that it only happens in the fingers or knees. In reality many people who suffer from back problems have arthritis that has developed in the back and they often don’t even realize it.
A slow burn.
Typically arthritis in the back develops over many years of physical activity and wear and tear on the back – overuse of those muscles, straining and stresses, improper posture, and obesity are long-term causes of arthritis in the back.
When a person has arthritis in the back there is a deterioration of the discs between the bones of the spine. This means that the bones are taking on more impact than they should and there is pain and stiffness, and eventually arthritis builds. A person does not need to be prone to arthritis to develop it in the back and may not realize that it is developing until it’s too late, and then they suffer from the chronic and constant pain.
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