Do you suffer from back pain? If so, what do you do to get some relief from it?

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   Sushma Webberposted 12 years ago

   Do you suffer from back pain? If so, what do you do to get some relief from it?
   
   I have suffered from back pain since I over-strained it while working on computers five years ago. I have tried acupuncture and other things but still have not found a solution. I am planning to do back strengthening yoga poses. Any other suggestions?

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   CJ Sledgehammerposted 12 years ago

   I injured my upper-back 18 years ago while lifting weights in a gym. Two years later I injured my lower back moving heavy furniture up steep stairs.
   
   I do take a little pain medication now and then, but I have found massages help a little. Other than that, I still try to lift light weights to strengthen my back and keep it as flexible as can be. Best of luck to you and I hope you can recover. - C.J.

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      Sushma Webberposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Thanks CJ for your encouraging words. I too will try out weights and flexibility exercises.

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   ThompsonPenposted 12 years ago

   I'm 25 and I have already had two separate back injuries which has left me out of work for a bit. It doesn't take much for me to turn the wrong way and be down again for a couple days. The best thing I can do is take a hot epsom salt bath with lavender in it. I also have a hemp salve that I rub on the troubling spots which lends some help. It also has comfrey in it.

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      Sushma Webberposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Hi ThompsonPen, I had heard about epsom salts. Sorry to hear about your back injuries. I know what you mean when you say I can be down again for a couple of day when you make a wrong move.

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   Goody5posted 12 years ago

   Believe it or not, I just finished writing a hub on a pain relief method - http://goody5.hubpages.com/hub/Q-Ray-Miracle-Bracelets and it seems to be doing the job.

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      Sushma Webberposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Thanks Goody5. I recently heard about garments which help with increasing negative ions in the body.

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   nightwork4posted 12 years ago

   i work in construction and my back hurts regularly. i don't like prescription drugs but when i get home from work and my back hurts , i smoke a bit of pot and i feel a heck of a lot better. i relax also more and it helps my back relax.

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      CJ Sledgehammerposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      " i smoke a bit of pot and i feel a heck of a lot better." Why am I not surprized? My friend, your personality profile is becoming a little clearer to me with each new post.  :0)

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      Sushma Webberposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      I don't think I will be smoking pot!! Relaxing the back muscles is a good idea. I try and lie on my back with my knees bent pointing to the ceiling. I also try and do the corpse pose
      http://sushma-webber.hubpages.com/hub/C … e-Savasana

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      nightwork4posted 12 years agoin reply to this

      CJ? why are you against pot too.you will never be clear to me.i run a successful business and have a great family but i smoke pot. i guess i'm going to your hell. darn.

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      CJ Sledgehammerposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      I never said you were going to Hell...you did.

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      mtkomoriposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      This is an interesting debate here. Just how effective is pot (marijuana) on back pain? Did you know that it's also effective on alleviating menstrual cramps? Queen Victoria was apparently prescribed with marijuana for menstrual cramps!

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      ThompsonPenposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      I have friends who apply it topically, as have I, in form of a salve. It seeps into the muscles and doesn't get a person high. It's pretty effective, especially when combined with lavender

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   multiculturalsoulposted 12 years ago

   First, I lost 30 pounds. My back ached from the extra weight! Second, I invested in a MUCH better mattress/box spring. I spent three times as much as my cheap self normally would have spent, but it has paid off. And finally, I swallowed my pride and stopped acting like a 25-year-old (I'm nearly 50). I now have my strapping sons do all my heavy lifting.

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      CJ Sledgehammerposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Smart...smarter...and smartest yet. :0)

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      Sushma Webberposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Yes I agree, losing weight would be a good idea but with the constant pain I was unable to do any exercises. I am a vegan and so don't eat dairy, meat or eggs.

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   wtaylorjr2001posted 12 years ago

   I humbly suggest that you make sure you are well hydrated. Drink water. Practice the following until it's second nature:
   
   Get into the most comfortable position you can. Take a deep breath and relax as much as you are able to. This will improve with practice.
   
   Allow yourself to become aware of the sensation where your pain is. Allow your body to experience, to feel the pain. As you feel the sensation of pain in your body, at that certain location, imagine a ball of red light. As you see the ball of red light, allow yourself to feel the pain in your body. Continue for moment after moment feeling the sensation of pain, and seeing the red ball of light. Notice the intensity of the red ball of light as you feel the intensity of the pain in that certain place. As you look at the ball of light, and increase the brightness of the light by only a little, feel the pain in that certain location increase just a little. As you feel the increase in pain when you see this brighter light, you may begin to realize that it is possible to control your perception of pain. Increase the brightness of the light a little more and feel the corresponding pain increase a little more.
   
   Then decrease the brightness of the light by just a little and feel the pain decrease by just a little. Decrease the brightness again and feel the pain decrease. Keep decreasing the brightness and the pain until you get to the level of brightness and pain that you started at. And continue. Just a little bit dim the brightness of the ball, and feel your pain lessen. Continue to dim the brightness and decrease your sensation of pain.
   
   Practice this again and again, but be warned of one thing. When you control your pain don't eliminate it. It is a system that alerts you to a problem. Regular breaks from your computer, get up, stretch, and get exercise should help a lot.
   
   I believe this should help you as you practice.

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      Sushma Webberposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Thanks wtaylorjr2001, I will try this out.

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   old albionposted 12 years ago

   Hi Sushma. I am 68 and speak from experience. When you go to bed at night, put three pillows under your legs below your knees so that they are bent upwards. This lifts the weight from your lower back and releases muscle tension through the night. You will soon get used to the pillows under your legs, after two or three nights I think you will notice a difference. Please try it, it's free and it works.
   Good Luck.
   Graham.

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      tandaaposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Have you tried 'water therapy'?
      drinking 1 litre of water every morning the first thing when you wake up before you do anything else. Then stay for 45min-1hour before your breakfast. I tried this and it helped alot.

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      Sushma Webberposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Hi Grahama and tandaa, thanks for your suggestions about the pillows and water therapy? I usually forget to drink water. I tried the pillow under my knees some days ago. Will try it again.

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   ilmiguyposted 12 years ago

   yoga is good.. but i will give you a very natural advice. Before going to bed, drink one glass of HOT milk. do it for one week. and let me know

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      ftclickposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Be careful, some yoga poses are not recommended at all when you have back problems as it can aggravate it more.

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    artist101posted 12 years ago

    I just wrote a blog about a new product that just came out. It works on the same principal as the yoga ball, except that it is more stable.http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8802968684807894443#editor/target=post;postID=4272254583095784247 Water, b complex, and light streching also help. Magnesium is a natural muscle relaxer, as it calms inflammatory conditions and is very healing to tendons, and will help to calm the muscle tension. I eventually had to go to a chiropractor, and get muscle relaxers to get it to calm down. For other measures, and recommendations:
    http://artist101.hubpages.com/hub/Natur … ney-Stones
    Inflammation Treatment, Breaking the Common Thread of Inflammatory Conditions. Natural Pain Relief

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       Sushma Webberposted 12 years agoin reply to this

       Thanks artist101, yes proper nutrition will help with all the minerals, especially magnesium. Thanks for the reminder.

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       artist101posted 12 years agoin reply to this

       you are welcome

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    mtkomoriposted 12 years ago

    For me, acupuncture has helped. But it took a few months to alleviate the back pain which I've had for over 3 years.

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    ftclickposted 12 years ago

    You have to walk more, while walking tighten your stomach muscles for 5 seconds and do this in intervals. Your lower back muscles are weak and unfortunately as we age it lets you know in the form of pain. I found this out with a herniated disc but I always did exercise even though it has decreased over the years.
    Plus, I was showing off to my kid that I could still do a certain pilates pose that brought nerve pain to my whole left leg and then kaboom! no more walking, just holding onto walls to get to other rooms. sitting was the worst pain so bathroom breaks were just overwhelming. You don't ever want this pain. take care of it now. Good luck.

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       Sushma Webberposted 12 years agoin reply to this

       Hi ftclick, thanks for your answer. It is really helpful. I make sure not to lift anything heavy.

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    viewfindersposted 12 years ago

    just stand up and do some massage or do simple yoga steps

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    mayank786posted 12 years ago

    i dont have such type of problem but my dad have so when he suffer from back pain he use some good ointment prescribed by doctor and take relief.

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    Ashli Ekerposted 12 years ago

    Hi Sushama,
    
    It is sad to hear that you have back pain. Remember, you now have a back injury for life! So you have to maintain whatever you choose to treat it on a regular basis.
    
    I have two slip disks  - I got them at the age of 19. Whatever you do, DO NOT GET AN OPERATION. The best thing to do is strengthen your core muscles (abdominal muscles). The reason for this is because you want your stomach working to support your back, and not your back muscles spasm-ing under the weight of your body.
    
    Also, you want to be using the correct muscles. This is why I started pilates. I am learning how to walk, breathe and move again.
    
    Yoga is also a good way of treating back injury HOWEVER you must be careful that you find a teacher that will be able to look after you properly and has a deep understanding of back injuries - not someone who did a month-long course.
    
    Just be careful in your movements - and don't try to be superman -don't lift ANYTHING
    
    Hope this helps.

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       Sushma Webberposted 12 years agoin reply to this

       Thanks Ashli Eker, I will definitely bear your points in mind. There is a pilates studio near by. maybe I will make enquiries.

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       Ashli Ekerposted 12 years agoin reply to this

       You won't regret it !!!

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    J. Biazaposted 12 years ago

    Back pain, the plague of so many people young and old.  I think if we knew and understood our backs and what causes pain, we would take care of our backs so much better.  Yes, I have back pain, and no I haven't found a solution.  There are just good days and not so good days. 
    Keep moving, exercise correctly, know the signs of your back and when you are stressing it. 
    Keep family and friends at hand, because nothing is better than having some help during those bad back days.
    Have a blessed day.

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       Sushma Webberposted 12 years agoin reply to this

       Hi J. Biaza, sorry to see you too are suffering. Yes you are right about good days and bad days. Will keep it in mind and also watch out for what causes the stress.

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    sleepylogposted 12 years ago

    Yoga will help strengthen your back muscles as well as improve your range of movement. Ibuprofen tablets taken over several days can also help as they have an anti-inflammatory action, you may have to take a few doses before you notice any results, so don't give up on them if you don't experience relief right away. Don't take them for more than a couple of weeks and don't exceed the recommended dosage on the pack. There are also a few contra-indications so check with your doctor or pharmacist before you start taking them.
    
    Hot and cold therapy can also help, basically where you alternate between applying hot packs and cold packs to the affected area. You should be able to find some information online about how to best do this.

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       Sushma Webberposted 12 years agoin reply to this

       yes I have been reading on how best to deal with it and am going to try yoga again. The physio has already given me some exercises that have helped to relieve the pain.

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       sleepylogposted 12 years agoin reply to this

       That's great, I'm glad they're working for you. All the best with it.

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    Ciel Clarkposted 11 years ago

    Whenever I get a back spasm from lifting or a sudden movement, lying on the floor on a tennis ball seems to relax the pinched muscle.  (Position the tennis ball under the sore spot and roll gently, relaxing into the pain).  For pain from sitting too long in one position I would recommend yoga stretches-- downward facing dog, + cat/cow.
    The tennis ball thing though is something i wouldn't have thought of, but is amazing and can turn a couple of weeks of pain into only a day or two.

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       Sushma Webberposted 11 years agoin reply to this

       Thanks Ciel Clark for your suggestions.

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