It is estimated that 80% of Americans will have some type of back
pain at some point in their lives. Many of the remedies we apply with
regard to this problem actually work against the natural healing
abilities of the human body. This list will help reduce the severity of
most cases of back pain and help speed the healing process. In addition,
it's always beneficial to consult a professional to rule out more
severe
health conditions.
1. Don't use heat. The majority of people
have been told to use heat when having back problems. This is the
absolute worst thing you can do. Back pain usually has little to do with
muscles and everything to do with nerves. Nerve irritation from
misaligned spinal bones causes muscles
to brace against the misalignment to protect you from further
injuring yourself. This is a good thing. So muscle spasms should not be
massaged away or forced to relax. Muscles only do what nerves tell them
to do and they will relax only when the nerve irritation is removed.
Back pain is most often caused by nerve irritation resulting from injury to spinal joints and ligaments.
The actual injury that caused the pressure may have happened years
prior. Because of the joint dysfunction, the slightest incorrect move or
strain can cause the disc and surrounding tissues to swell, just like
when you sprain an ankle. The swelling causes pressure on spinal nerves,
which causes that shooting pain you feel when you move in certain
directions.
The solution in this case is ice. Ice will reduce the
swelling which will, in turn, reduce the nerve pressure. Heat, on the
other hand, will cause surrounding tissues to swell, which will
ultimately increase the nerve pressure. Heat will certainly make some
people feel better, but will cause more problems in the long run.
Tip: never, never, never use heat on the spine.
2.
Walk. Walking is the very best exercise for your spine. It's even
better if you add a couple of inches to your stride, causing you to
reach a bit with each step. Walking causes your ab and hip muscles to
work together and support each other. It also can cause stuck spinal
bones to move a little more freely which can reduce swelling and pain.
The movement will also help keep your hip joints moving through
a complete range of motion, which will lessen the chances of them getting fixed to one another.
Tip: one word of caution, though. If walking makes your pain worse, stop.
3.
Be careful with pain relievers. While pain pills may the first thing
you reach for when your back hurts, you might be causing yourself more
problems. Besides the risk of side effects that all pain relievers pose,
blocking the pain signal your nerves are sending could make the injury
linger.
The pain signal acts as an alarm clock. It alerts you that
something is wrong. It also lets you know your limits. If you bend
forward and feel a sudden rush of horrible pain, that movement obviously
isn't good for you. Your body is telling you not to do that. Now if you
cover that pain signal with drugs, you stop your body from being able
to communicate that important message to you. This can make you able to
do things your body doesn't want you to do, making your problem worse.
Tip:
if you're going to take medications for pain, take them before you go
to bed or when you aren't going to do anything else that day.
4.
No Crunches. People with back pain have been told for years to
strengthen their abdominal muscles by doing crunches. While strong abs
are important for spinal stability, crunches will eventually destroy
your back.
The natural curves of the spine are its most important
feature. They act as shock absorbers, much like the ones on your car,
and keep your body from falling apart from the physical activity you
engage in every day. When you do a crunch, you force your lower back
into the floor which
removes the lower back curve. Then the strain from the exercise is
absorbed by the surrounding spinal joints, muscles, and ligaments, which
they were not designed to do. Over time this will cause problems.
Also,
when the curves of the spine are healthy, a naturally occurring locking
mechanism exists that holds all spinal bones in their proper places.
When you straighten the spine while doing a crunch, this locking
mechanism is removed and the spine becomes vulnerable to greater injury.
Tip:
find some other exercises to strengthen your abs. Bodyweight
calisthenics do this wonderfully. Any exercise where you use your entire
body in the movement will produce more powerful abs. Swimming,
push-ups, and sprints are great, as well as abdominal isometrics. They
won't give you a six-pack, but they will certainly stabilize and
strengthen your spine without causing harm.
5. Get adjusted.
Misaligned spinal bones don't just move back into place by themselves.
It does happen, but rarely. Since some type of force probably caused the
misalignment in the first place, a controlled force in the right
direction at the right time is needed to correct it.
What you
should also know is that spinal nerve irritation is not gone when your
pain disappears. It lingers like a cavity until it's fixed. The pain
reappears when you physically do too much and irritate the problem, but
it is always present once it's created. That's why people tend to hurt
themselves in the same spot time after time. It's not a new injury every
time it happens, but rather an old injury resurfacing.
Tip: if
you had a cavity, you'd get it fixed, so find a good chiropractor and
make spinal adjustments part of your health regimen.
Showing posts with label adjustment. Show all posts
Showing posts with label adjustment. Show all posts
Friday, April 4, 2014
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