found kind of a fix for my back pain

[HFWR]

While it's definitely not a cure-all, especially for arthritis, my back pain seems to be a result of tight muscles: hamstrings, psoas, prirformis, hip flexors, etc.

Stretching definitely reduces the episodes, though it won't stop one that's already in progress.

[Lsbcal]

FWIW, I've had some minor aches that come and go. Here is what I've done:

1) Focus on good habits like: sitting straight and watching TV or something straight on (not twisting to view), not sitting too long and having computer at right ergo height and distance so I don't lean over, reading books without looking down too much, etc. Also gardening in small increments. Putting days in between workouts (like running) and doing walks instead.

2) Doing some mild PT exercises my doc gave me to strengthen the back muscles.

3) Taking Aleve for 48 hours if back gets too stressed by something.

[Rick_Head]

Quote:

Originally Posted by wallygator69 Howdy, ....... My chiropractor started putting me in traction. ...... I saw an infomercial late one night ....... Wally

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rich_by_the_Bay I'm moderately familiar with this device. It has lots of testimonials to support it and their "research" is of unacceptable quality. So, if you have a chronic condition and the only evidence is grossly deficient in nature? I ask myself the following: .....Every case is different but try discussing it from your doctor next time such a dilemma arises. If it were me, I might consider giving it a trial for a month or two.

If it wasn't for the OP's post count I might be thinking this was an "infomercial". I can't imagine trying to deal with a medical problem by employing a "quack" or responding to an infomercial. That said, the placebo effect is strong, and if you spend enough money it works better. Glad it works for you.

[walkinwood]

Has anyone read this book? A friend of mine swears by it. I believe that a number of physical ailments have psychological origins. However, I don't suffer from chronic pain of any sort - just the occasional aches.

http://www.amazon.com/Healing-Back-P...dp/0446557684/

[daylatedollarshort]

Yoga has been a permanent cure for me from back pain.

[tulak]

Quote:

Originally Posted by daylatedollarshort Yoga has been a permanent cure for me from back pain.

+1

I had recurring low back pain. I started a regular yoga practice over four years ago and haven't had any issues since.

You do have to be cautious though. Know your body/limits and don't overextend yourself. This can sometimes be difficult if you practice yoga in a class.

[daylatedollarshort]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kiki +1 I had recurring low back pain. I started a regular yoga practice over four years ago and haven't had any issues since. You do have to be cautious though. Know your body/limits and don't overextend yourself. This can sometimes be difficult if you practice yoga in a class.

I agree on the classes. I have some books on yoga therapy I just use at home. I never found the one size fits all classes helpful. For me the exercises had to be tailored to my specific issues. Generic exercises often made things worse.

[tulak]

Quote:

Originally Posted by daylatedollarshort I agree on the classes. I have some books on yoga therapy I just use at home. I never found the one size fits all classes helpful. For me the exercises had to be tailored to my specific issues. Generic exercises often made things worse.

Going to a class is a good forcing function for me, otherwise I tend to slack. Right now I'm training for a bike ride, so I've ditched the classes (not enough time) and have been practicing at home. I do enough to keep my back issues in check, but it's not the same as a full practice. I'm looking forward to the fall when I can start practicing regularly again.

[ERD50]

Quote:

Originally Posted by daylatedollarshort I agree on the classes. I have some books on yoga therapy I just use at home. I never found the one size fits all classes helpful. For me the exercises had to be tailored to my specific issues. Generic exercises often made things worse.

I've thought about adding yoga to my PT routine. I figured some different movements would be good for overall flexibility and strength.

But the 'making things worse' is what worries me, and one of the reasons I pushed my doc into getting me into a PT (I needed a prescription from him). I figured they would know what I should and shouldn't do, though after the fact, I'm not so sure. Maybe generic movements would have been OK, nothing really special about what I'm doing, but it sure has made a positive difference.

-ERD50

[daylatedollarshort]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ERD50 I've thought about adding yoga to my PT routine. I figured some different movements would be good for overall flexibility and strength. But the 'making things worse' is what worries me, and one of the reasons I pushed my doc into getting me into a PT (I needed a prescription from him). I figured they would know what I should and shouldn't do, though after the fact, I'm not so sure. Maybe generic movements would have been OK, nothing really special about what I'm doing, but it sure has made a positive difference. -ERD50

I find the gentle poses okay. The last actual class I went to I wouldn't do a head stand. I told the teacher I didn't think my neck vertebrae were designed to support my body weight and I wouldn't do it. She tried to talk me into it like I was a coward, and said she would catch me if I fell. I said I thought I was being pretty logical and didn't see the point of risking injury. There are inverted poses that don't involve balancing on one's neck. Then some of the other people in the class thought I had a point and wouldn't do head stands either after that and things kind of went downhill from there.

How Yoga Can Wreck Your Body
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/08/ma...body.html?_r=0

"But a growing body of medical evidence supports Black’s contention that, for many people, a number of commonly taught yoga poses are inherently risky. The first reports of yoga injuries appeared decades ago, published in some of the world’s most respected journals — among them, Neurology, The British Medical Journal and The Journal of the American Medical Association. The problems ranged from relatively mild injuries to permanent disabilities."

[ERD50]

Quote:

Originally Posted by daylatedollarshort I find the gentle poses okay. The last actual class I went to I wouldn't do a head stand. I told the teacher I didn't think my neck vertebrae were designed to support my body weight and I wouldn't do it. She tried to talk me into it like I was a coward, ...

Thanks, I readily admit to being a coward, so I'd be sticking to very gentle poses anyhow. I would not even consider a head stand or anything close to that level. The moves I do now are just simple things like planks, leg extensions (which I think were really the key to strengthening my core - those were soooo hard when I first started, now I just do them and it is no real effort), etc.

I think I will add some of the gentle yoga poses, taking a little at a time should be pretty low risk, and very likely beneficial.

-ERD50

[tulak]

Quote:

Originally Posted by daylatedollarshort I find the gentle poses okay. The last actual class I went to I wouldn't do a head stand. I told the teacher I didn't think my neck vertebrae were designed to support my body weight and I wouldn't do it. She tried to talk me into it like I was a coward, and said she would catch me if I fell. I said I thought I was being pretty logical and didn't see the point of risking injury. There are inverted poses that don't involve balancing on one's neck. Then some of the other people in the class thought I had a point and wouldn't do head stands either after that and things kind of went downhill from there.

That's the problem with some yoga teachers. There are many alternatives for inversions, for example, lay on your back, put a block under hips and lift your legs up. If you do this at the wall (and in that case I'd use a bolster), then it's restorative and great inversion.

With a proper headstand you shouldn't have any weight on your neck. All of the support should come from your base, consisting of your forearms and shoulders. This requires a bit of upper body strength, which a lot of us are lacking. This is why headstands are dangerous, because then we compensate by putting weight on our neck instead of using our upper body.

I can understand why teachers like headstands. A lot of people have a feeling that they can't do it because they are scared of being upside down, so it's nice to break this line of thinking. It also has that yoga coolness factor. But there's never a good reason to suggest it if the person isn't ready. An excellent alternative is to use to folding chairs against the wall with enough space between the chairs for your head. Make sure you have cushions on the chairs and they are on a no slip surface. You can then rest your shoulders on each chair with your head in between and lift up against the wall. This is better with an assist if you've never done it before (or even if you have). It's a great way to do a headstand with zero pressure on the neck. I enjoy doing this one at home sometimes because it's restorative.

I'm glad you pushed back. Too many people don't, which can be a problem with classes, especially if you are new to yoga. I enjoy the classes because I always learn something or can try something new, such as the chair headstand. If I didn't attend classes, then I think I'd get bored (not to mention procrastinate). Part of what makes yoga fun for me is that it's not repetitive, so even after four years of practice I'm still engaged. Fortunately, I live in an area with a lot of good yoga teachers, so it's not difficult to find a challenging class where I'm free to make modifications.

[karen1972]

well a lot of PT is really Yoga or Pilate poses/routines... so whether you take the class or go to PT your likely doing the same thing. Both work on your core and that is what is key. I had a strong core, up to the point they sliced open my back to fix the herniation, then I had to retrain every muscle again. took me 3 months to just walk a mile again without being tired and extremely sore.


I got some really great sheets from the doc on appropriate methods to do basic tasks (some of which show back braces especially when regularly lifting heavy items).. but most talk about how to properly roll out of bed, use golfers pose when picking up things from the floor, etc. and those have made a massive difference in how I do day to day routines.


I know my back issues will always be there as I have a compressed disk and massive arthritis and I'm only 42, but at least the sciatic pain is gone and I've re-gained most of the feeling in my foot/toes.


Keep walking, pilates/yoga, occasional trip to the chiro (I have hyperextensibility, the ability to over extend which actually makes my spine not align, so when its really out of wack, I need them to put it back in place to stop the spasms.. not the regular go to me forever type chiro), and as I said "correct" position to do basic life chores. Its about managing the back pain so it doesn't flare up... no real fix.. as once its broken.. its basically always going to be broken.