Do you find yourself dealing with recurring bouts of back pain? If yes, you are part of the eight out of ten people who experience this condition at any point in their lives. But you don’t have to deal passively with the pain – there are steps you can take to avoid it, including exercising regularly and keeping your back and abdominal muscles strong.
But did you know that your pain can also be psychological or emotional in origin? There is evidence showing that underlying emotional issues and unresolved trauma can have a huge influence on your health, specifically as it relates to physical pain.
Back Pain Can Have an Emotional Component
In a 2004 study, 100 patients were monitored for four years – none of them had back pain at the onset of the study. Instead, they underwent psychological tests, which were compared to see which types of people developed back pain, and which ones remained pain-free.
Unsurprisingly, those who fared poorly on the psychological tests were three times more likely to report having experienced back pain by the end of the research.
Many health experts have emphasized your emotional health – and your ability to effectively manage stress – as a major influence on whether or not you will effectively eliminate your pain.
For example, Dr. John Sarno is a psychiatrist who uses mind-body techniques to treat patients with severe low back pain. He specializes on individuals who already have had surgery for low back pain and did not get any relief. Despite the given difficulty of healing this group of patients, Dr. Sarno has a greater than 80 percent success rate using tools such as the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), which works like acupuncture but without the use of needles.
How to Fight Back Pain Effectively
Aside from psychological or emotional stress, there are other factors that can contribute to back pain, including accidents and sports injuries, poor posture, obesity, poor physical conditioning due to inactivity, internal disease (kidney stones, infections, and blood clots), and osteoporosis.
Here are some quick tips on how to relieve back pain:
- Avoid slouching when standing or sitting.
- Sit in chairs or car seats that offer good lumbar support.
- Switch sitting positions often, and periodically walk around or gently stretch your muscles to relieve tension.
- Avoid bending over without supporting your back.
- Lift with your legs, keeping your back straight.
- Wear comfortable, low-heeled shoes.
- Always stretch before any strenuous physical activity – A regular stretching program like active isolated stretching (AIS) is recommended.
- Sleep on your side to reduce any curve in your spin. Always sleep on a firm surface.
- Manage your weight.
- Quit smoking, which reduces blood flow to your lower spine and causes the spinal discs to degenerate.
Chiropractic is considered a good first line of defense for acute back pain. Chiropractic philosophy highlights your body’s innate healing wisdom and far less reliance on Band-Aid approaches such as drugs and surgery.
Chiropractic management has been shown to be much safer and less expensive than allopathic medical treatments. Its practitioners – chiropractic, osteopathic, and naturopathic physicians – receive extensive training in managing musculoskeletal disorders during their graduate healthcare training, which typically lasts from four to six years.
For pain and stress relief, you can also explore the benefits of massage. This age-old relaxation technique releases endorphins, which help relieve pain, induce relaxation, and reduce levels of stress chemicals such as cortisol and noradrenaline. Stronger massage stimulates blood circulation, improving the supply of oxygen and nutrients to body tissues and helping your lymphatic system flush away waste.
Massage simply eases tense and knotted muscles and stiff joints, helping improve your mobility and flexibility.
Last but not the least, keeping your spine strong requires sufficient amounts of calcium and vitamin D. Get adequate healthy sun exposure to optimize your vitamin D levels safely and naturally.
Jonas Gardner is a health writer who researches the underlying causes of chronic conditions like back pain. He uses independent natural health sources such as the daily newsletter of Dr. Joseph Mercola.
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