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OH!! MY ACHING BACK
by Dave Foreman
Recently on a flight back from
California I met a flight attendant
who was suffering for years with lower
back problems (Sciatica). Her request for
help reminded me of the hundreds of
people who have used my input to rid
themselves of this painful condition.To
modern medicine, this condition seems
to be rocket science.To a practitioner
of natural medicine it is
fundamental.
What is it?
Sciatica occurs when there is
pain, numbness or tingling in
the lower back or down one leg.
This discomfort comes from
pressure on the sciatic nerve as
it leaves the spinal cord into the
lower back.With more severe
cases, people experience pain
in one particular side of their
buttocks and/or down their
leg, sometimes all the way to
the foot.
For many of us sciatic pain omes
and goes. Here are some quick tips
for addressing the onset of lower
back pain:
- Avoid sitting (or standing,
depending on which causes
more pain)
- Avoid alternating between hot
and cold on the affected area
- Get a massage
- Sleep on your side
- Wear low-heeled shoes
- Practice good posture while
walking, standing and sitting
- Start your supplements
Before we get into the natural solutions,
I want to explain what is usually
happening with the body. Aside from
trauma causing this condition, I usually
associate the pain with the lower spine
being out of alignment - but WHY? This problem is usually simple. A muscle
group above the area of discomfort
(usually on your buttocks on the side
you have pain) is in spasm (contracting)
and a muscle group below the area of
discomfort (usually in the bladder region
on the opposite side of the body from
your pain) is in spasm. It is this tug-of-war
that causes your spine to come out of
alignment and pinch the nerve as it leaves
your spine, causing your sciatic pain. Example: You have pain in your right hip
and maybe even down your right leg.
Usually a muscle high on your buttocks "
I call a hotspot " will be sensitive to
moderate pressure with your thumb. This
is one of the areas that need to be relaxed
or massaged. On the front side of your
body on the left side down in the pelvic
region you will find another hotspot. For
most, this area is very low and somewhere
near the bladder. This muscle group also
requires massage. When these two
muscle groups finally relax, the spine will go back into alignment and the pain will
be resolved.
WHAT CAUSES THESE
MUSCLE SPASMS?
This is a great question and the answer, is it depends. In Chinese medicine they say
that lower back problems stem from one
of two things: bowel problems or bladder
weakness.Too many times when I ask a
sciatic pain sufferer if they have problems
with one of these two areas
the answer is yes. Examples of
problems are:
- Constipation
- Diarrhea
- IBS - and related health
challenges
- Bladder Infections (usually
chronic or more than 2 per
year)
- Overactive Bladder
- Incontinence
- Pregnancy (supplements
mentioned in this article
are not intended for
use during pregnancy)
There are obviously other causes of
sciatic pain (trauma, degenerative
issues, etc). For those with trauma,my
suggestions are the same; it just will
take much longer to heal the body. If
you get rid of the root of your problem,
the body will heal itself.
The modern medicine approach is
usually to address the inflammation and
suppress the pain. My approach isn't
much different except my treatment of
inflammation is a temporary fix until my
other support supplements take over.
LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT HOW TO FIX YOUR ACHING BACK.
Inflammation and Pain:
I love the new
product FlexNow® or the supplement
Zyflamend. Both work on different aspects
of inflammation and can provide added
benefit until my other recommendations take over. I also like the addition of fish oil
to your inflammation fighting program.
2-3 grams of Omega-3 fatty acids
from fish can give added support.
Relax the muscles:
My herb of choice
is Passion Flower (not standardized).
Passion Flower possesses muscle
relaxing properties. I recommend from
250-1500mg at bedtime. The higher
dose is used to make sure you sleep
well and relax the muscles. I follow this
nighttime dose with a smaller dose
(250-500mg) mid-morning and
mid-afternoon. The lower dose will
hopefully maintain the relaxation effect,
but without the drowsiness associated
with a higher (bedtime) dose.
Massage:
This is the key to a quick
recovery. Supplements can do the trick,
but to get the relief you want, going for a
massage at least once a week will speed
your recovery. Make sure to stress the
importance of the two muscle areas I
mentioned above. A quality massage
therapist will know what I am talking
about.
Treat the root of your problem:
You probably don't have a back problem
(unless it is from trauma) and need to
resolve what is truly triggering your
muscles and spine to react as they are.
Treat your bladder or bowel health issues
naturally. If your problem stems from
exercise, change your workouts or make
sure to stretch before and after. Other
issues such as being overweight, poor
posture, bone spurs etc., should all be
addressed to prevent recurring back
problems.
My 4-Pillars of Health are also important.
Don't forget to engage in proper activity,
eat right and take care of the mind/spirit
component. People with sciatic issues are
believed to have emotional worries.You
need to address all aspects of your life
to truly be healthy.
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