Say Goodbye to Back Pain
Bill Falzett III
March 04, 2008
In my mid-thirties I had my first bout with lower back pain. I am not sure what happened, I just got a huge ache in the back and could not move well. Since then I have struggled with a combination of upper and lower back pain. I have always believed the pain is largely due to two factors. The first is that I am right handed, and favor that side in everything from lifting to leaning. I believe this has resulted in a somewhat uneven musculature, causing differential pressure on the spine. The second factor is chronic strain from weekend abuse, with things like lifting heavy rocks and logs and such in the yard. The pain has been pretty much an every day thing in the last few years.
A couple years ago, the pain was so intense at times I began to think it was a herniated or degenerated disc. Even so, being a show-must-go-on kind of guy, I worked and lived through the pain. I had also heard too many horror stories about back surgery and rehab, and therefore I stayed completely clear of the Doctor's office with it. Around this time I got a cortisone injection for a massive poison ivy reaction. As a bonus, the medication did miracles for my back, but the relief only lasted a couple months. I considered getting poison ivy more frequently so I could get the shot, but this is really not a practical solution.
I had to look elsewhere for relief. My hypothesis of the uneven musculature was supported when I noticed during shoveling some landscaping dirt, that when I shared time on both sides, my back did not seem to hurt as much. I also noticed that I leaned on my right side all day in reaching for my computer mouse. I decided I would switch the mouse to the left side to even things out. Though it took a couple days to get used to, it almost completely eliminated my upper back issues. I have shared this approach with many others at work who have had positive results. I have kept my mouse on the left, and the upper back pain has not returned. I recommend being conscious of such disparities, and finding ways to share or even out the load.
In researching, I came across an article about how sitting on a wallet all day in one pocket throws the back out of alignment. Try sitting with one buttock on a small book; the shift in alignment is obvious right away. Multiply the effect on the musculature by all the hours spent sitting at a desk or driving, and you have a recipe for strain. With this in mind, I got a smaller wallet I began to carry in my front pocket. It took a month or so, but sure enough, it has made a difference. If you have a wallet in your back pocket, I recommend moving it.
I also noticed a huge improvement in my low back pain when I changed my exercise routine. Historically I have shied away from doing squats. My legs, particularly my upper thighs always seemed to grow fast with lifting. This was not the look I was after, so stayed away from them. Even so, I have always read that squats are the best total body weight workout. Its true, when the weight is on the shoulders, your entire body is engaged and tense. I started doing squats a couple months ago. I use light weight, as much as I can do two sets of 20 reps with. I do this in a circuit routine with a total body workout. I have noticed a tremendous improvement in my lower back. I can now go days without pain. I can bend over without things locking up. I still have pain occasionally, but it is not as intense, or of the duration I have had in times past. I attribute the improvement to improved core body strength. I believe previously during bending and lifting movements, I was relying almost exclusively on the muscles that run along either side of the spine. Now with all surrounding and support muscles strengthened, I get a wider distribution of the load and no strain. I am cautiously optimistic and enthusiastic about the results.
Reducing inflammation is also key to healing back pain. One can do so with over the counter anti-inflammatory drugs, often known as NSAIDS. These include aspirin, ibuprofen and other similar drugs. I tried these, but it was not long before I developed severe gastritis which quickly escalated to a stomach ulcer. I have since eliminated all NSAIDS from my diet, and my stomach has healed entirely. Instead of NSAIDS, I began adding fish oil capsules to my daily supplement regime. Fish oil supplements contain beneficial omega 3 fatty acids which produce a natural anti-inflammatory effect in the body by reducing the production of prostaglandins. It is difficult to say how much of my pain relief is due to the addition of these oils, but given the other well documented positive benefits of omega 3 oils, I think it is safe to assume this is a positive overall dietary supplement regardless of how effective it is for back pain relief.
I think it is likely that my improvement is a sum of all the changes I made. I never have upper back pain any more, and my low back pain is what I consider infrequent, maybe 10% or less of what it used to be. The intensity is also diminished in a like amount. I am not a medical expert, and there is no substitute for an expert opinion. However, based upon my extensive personal experience, I believe it you try the methods I have outlined here, there is a good chance your back pain will diminish, if not disappear altogether.
A couple years ago, the pain was so intense at times I began to think it was a herniated or degenerated disc. Even so, being a show-must-go-on kind of guy, I worked and lived through the pain. I had also heard too many horror stories about back surgery and rehab, and therefore I stayed completely clear of the Doctor's office with it. Around this time I got a cortisone injection for a massive poison ivy reaction. As a bonus, the medication did miracles for my back, but the relief only lasted a couple months. I considered getting poison ivy more frequently so I could get the shot, but this is really not a practical solution.
I had to look elsewhere for relief. My hypothesis of the uneven musculature was supported when I noticed during shoveling some landscaping dirt, that when I shared time on both sides, my back did not seem to hurt as much. I also noticed that I leaned on my right side all day in reaching for my computer mouse. I decided I would switch the mouse to the left side to even things out. Though it took a couple days to get used to, it almost completely eliminated my upper back issues. I have shared this approach with many others at work who have had positive results. I have kept my mouse on the left, and the upper back pain has not returned. I recommend being conscious of such disparities, and finding ways to share or even out the load.
In researching, I came across an article about how sitting on a wallet all day in one pocket throws the back out of alignment. Try sitting with one buttock on a small book; the shift in alignment is obvious right away. Multiply the effect on the musculature by all the hours spent sitting at a desk or driving, and you have a recipe for strain. With this in mind, I got a smaller wallet I began to carry in my front pocket. It took a month or so, but sure enough, it has made a difference. If you have a wallet in your back pocket, I recommend moving it.
I also noticed a huge improvement in my low back pain when I changed my exercise routine. Historically I have shied away from doing squats. My legs, particularly my upper thighs always seemed to grow fast with lifting. This was not the look I was after, so stayed away from them. Even so, I have always read that squats are the best total body weight workout. Its true, when the weight is on the shoulders, your entire body is engaged and tense. I started doing squats a couple months ago. I use light weight, as much as I can do two sets of 20 reps with. I do this in a circuit routine with a total body workout. I have noticed a tremendous improvement in my lower back. I can now go days without pain. I can bend over without things locking up. I still have pain occasionally, but it is not as intense, or of the duration I have had in times past. I attribute the improvement to improved core body strength. I believe previously during bending and lifting movements, I was relying almost exclusively on the muscles that run along either side of the spine. Now with all surrounding and support muscles strengthened, I get a wider distribution of the load and no strain. I am cautiously optimistic and enthusiastic about the results.
Reducing inflammation is also key to healing back pain. One can do so with over the counter anti-inflammatory drugs, often known as NSAIDS. These include aspirin, ibuprofen and other similar drugs. I tried these, but it was not long before I developed severe gastritis which quickly escalated to a stomach ulcer. I have since eliminated all NSAIDS from my diet, and my stomach has healed entirely. Instead of NSAIDS, I began adding fish oil capsules to my daily supplement regime. Fish oil supplements contain beneficial omega 3 fatty acids which produce a natural anti-inflammatory effect in the body by reducing the production of prostaglandins. It is difficult to say how much of my pain relief is due to the addition of these oils, but given the other well documented positive benefits of omega 3 oils, I think it is safe to assume this is a positive overall dietary supplement regardless of how effective it is for back pain relief.
I think it is likely that my improvement is a sum of all the changes I made. I never have upper back pain any more, and my low back pain is what I consider infrequent, maybe 10% or less of what it used to be. The intensity is also diminished in a like amount. I am not a medical expert, and there is no substitute for an expert opinion. However, based upon my extensive personal experience, I believe it you try the methods I have outlined here, there is a good chance your back pain will diminish, if not disappear altogether.