Back Pain Portal Blog

Archive for the ‘Self Help’ Category

Just as I was counting my blessings, I went down for the count with the creeping crud, starting with one nostril, into the sinuses, the head, the throat, the chest, etc… you get the picture. We have all been there. It is cold and flu season and air-borne illness can become really serious. Mine got worse at first,  then it took a week before I could breath easy again and stop sniffling and coughing. Oooo, that awful croop cough. I coughed so hard I threw my back out, so then getting out of bed and moving around became a problem. See what I mean about down for the count?

So I have two things to talk about here. First is a little primer on everything I know about fighting colds and flu without drugs, and second, what I did to get my back out of pain.

The best thing for colds and flu is to catch it early, at the first sign, when you kinda know you aren’t feeling too good, but don’t really feel sick yet. At this stage you can often ward it off with vitamin C and the herb echinachea. You can also reduce intake of acid-forming foods, most generally meat and dairy. And be sure to get some good rest.

If you miss this early stage as I did, then it is a different scenario. It will have to run it’s course, but you can shorten the course. The most important thing then is to take the herb elderberry, readily available in liquid cough syrups at the health food stores. This is what is in TamiFlu, but at a higher price.

If it goes into your chest, then you need an expectorant, and my favorite is to make fenugreek tea, an herb readily available in bulk since it is used in cooking. There are other expectorants too that are in cough syrups, either herbal or chemical.

Now onto the back pain issue. A nerve was pinched such that my leg was giving out unexpectedly, depending on position. Then it became inflammed and sore since I wasn’t doing anything about it. I finally realized I needed to take action.  I started by taking anti-inflammatory herbs. Then once I was no longer contagious, I went to my favorite chiropractor who greeted me with cheer and healing energy. I was still sore the next day, but the healing had begun and I started doing my stretches. That made a huge difference and within a few days the pain was totally gone.

I’m telling you, this combination of getting help when needed and following the self-help steps on pain-in-my-back.com really does work. Repeatedly, over and over again. It is a matter of taking responsibility for our own health.

It is hard to express the significance of a realization I have had over the last year because it sounds so trite and so simple. The realization:

You can work with your body to intervene with back pain.

Really, this is major. Really. In fact, if you don’t do your part, any doctor’s services are compromised. In fact, you might be able to do much more for yourself long term than a doctor can do. Let that sink in a minute. The best “quick fix” is an on-going way to balance the muscles when pain begins. Really.

So I was happy to find the Lose the Back Pain program. It is well researched and shows people how to reduce muscle tension to balance and align the spine for each specific back pain condition. It confirms the conclusions I have come to and exceeds my expectations about what to do for each back pain condition.

I reviewed the program in the video below. Then below that is a newscast interviewing one of the developers of the program. It is worth checking out the system. Let me know what you think.

Review of Lose The Back Pain System

WBAL-TV :Lose The Back Pain News Clip

Posture is one of those things we all have as a tool for reducing back pain. How you stand or sit affects the health of your back. Bad posture grinds away at healthy disc and joint structure.

The good news is that minor adjustments in posture make a big difference. Simple awareness allows you to adjust how you hold your shoulders, your neck and chin. These can pull the rest of the spine up and into place.

There is a method called The Alexander Technique that is simply about posture. Actors,  singers, and musicians use it a lot because of the added benefit they get from it to perform better.

Today I found an interactive screen on Alexander Technique with self-help exercises for posture. These little adjustments affect the whole spine. I am first posting a video on the basic technique, then the Alexander Technique interactive exercises below that to help improve back posture and neck posture.

Basic Alexander Technique Video

Alexander Technique Exercises for Back and Neck Alignment