Back Pain Portal Blog

A neighbor was having a garage sale and I decided to tag along. Time to clean out the closets and garage! I started at 7 pm Friday for a sale starting 9 am Saturday. Yes, you guessed it, lots of lifting and moving into the wee hours of the night. Not good for the old back.

When the alarm rang Saturday morning, I could hardly move. My lower back was in pain. My legs and arms were sore. But I had to get up, after all that work to get ready!

Once the sale was over at 1 pm, I counted my riches and contemplated what to do to ease my back pain. Should I go straight to bed, or keep moving? I had taken some herbs and an aspirin before sleeping, which I know helped keep the inflammation down, but I was limping and moving slow. My right side was getting tighter and my lower back was really aching.

I decided to go to my 2 pm yoga class at the health club to try to stretch out the muscles that were tight. It worked perfectly. About half way through the class, doing the triangle pose, my lower back  cracked naturally as something went back into alignment. All the stretching helped to release the tightened muscles and bring balance back to my spine. I felt so much better.

I showered, went to the store, then went home and took a nice nap. I was still so sore I had to cancel a Sunday massage, but my back was no longer in pain. By Tuesday I was ready for the next stupid weekend warrior trick!

I really like addressing the physical aspects of back pain, because there are so many things that I can do that help relieve the pain. Yes, it takes action, but the payoff is so big when I can get out of pain rather than go down for a few days. So most of my website and blog are about those things that can be fixed or improved with nutrition, physical exercise or various helpful pain-relieving devices.

But this week I have been dealing with emotional pain related to financial issues. You may have some of that too. Self-employment and the economy are not easy these days.

Unresolved emotional issues affect not only my mind but my body. I am slumping. I have tense shoulders. Even my jaw clenches. None of this is good. The happiness factor is gone this week.

So what is the happiness factor? That is the ability to smile, laugh, let  go and enjoy life. Even if just for awhile. It is good for your body. Smiling relaxes the face and neck. Laughing opens the heart. It gives you the feeling that all is well, and we need that feeling.

Really, even faking laughter is good for you! That is called faking it until you make it! So this week I wish for you moments of happiness, whether from a memory or something that happens. Take a break from your worries and let peace enter your soul. That is what I am doing now.

This month I am really focused on my neck and shoulders. This is where I / we carry so much tension! Besides the on-going desk posture syndrome, I started this venture into neck and shoulder pain because my eyes were unusually tired and hurting. Guess what! Neck and shoulder tension really affects the eyes! Not to mention posture and the entire back.

There are many good reasons we have tight neck and shoulder muscles. And there are many things to do that will help.

One big reason that our neck carries so much tension is just the weight of our head! Our little necks are literally balancing a 10-15 pound ball all day long! So to speak. If posture is good, it rests comfortably without much effort. But if the spine pulls the head to the side or pushes it forward, then the fairly small muscles of the neck are strained and spasm until they are unable to relax.

The second reason for neck tension is a shoulder muscle or pinched nerve that pulls the head off center.  But this is the chicken and the egg, because the shoulder muscle typically tightens up attempting to hold the head in place. Yes, it is all connected.

We tend to raise our chin and lower our shoulders in a forward slump. Anything you can do to reverse this forward slump is good. One of my favorites is to lay down over a rolled up towel placed crosswise under the shoulder blades. You will feel this pull your shoulders backward and your chin down.

Sitting for long periods of time in a bad posture almost guarantees neck and shoulder problems. The main solution to reverse the strain is movement, all throughout the day, to keep the muscles from tightening and locking up. If looking down, look up. If sitting, get up. If standing, sit down. Roll the neck around, look side to side, look up, look down. Stretch the arms overhead.

Check out some easy but effective things to do to relieve neck and shoulder pain below.

	Neck Exercises
	Shoulder Lifts
	Eye Training

The video below shows an exercise that only takes a few minutes and this movement will help neck, shoulders, and eyes!

Well, I had another birthday this week. That how it goes, they just keep coming along. But there is good news, despite my age and my back conditions, I have a very active life!

The truth is that I have less trouble with back pain these days than I did 30 years ago when I was so young! For years after the first car wreck, I had constant back pain, and it seemed like back pain would be a permanent condition. But alas, that is not the case.

Even 5 years ago, I would go down with extreme back pain for weeks at a time, sometimes for months. My back would go out of socket, making it difficult to sleep, and requiring constant chiropractic care.

But the last few years, I’ll get a twinge of back pain, jump into action, using the steps on the main pain-in-my-back.com website, and I’m good to go in a day or two. Sometimes the pain subsides in hours. So the difference as I’ve gotten older is that I made a commitment to take care of my back. I schedule my yoga classes like a meeting, and even give up dinner dates sometimes. It is my physical therapy. Plus, there are things I gotta do on a regular basis. Little things that make a BIG difference.  Here’s what I gotta do:

• Keep the inflammation down with diet and herbs.
• Watch my posture standing and sitting.
• Stretch the muscles to keep things in balance.
• Strengthen the muscles to stay balanced.
• Reduce stress in lots of little ways., and do things that make me happy.
• Get good quality sleep, and enough sleep to be refreshed.
• Get help when needed from a chiropractor or massage therapist.
• Keep my self-care commitment.

See, simple. Over time the injuries can get worse, or can get better. Slow steady progress has reaped great reward for my previously aching back. Happy Birthday, you sweet young thing!

Being happy goes a long way in pain management.  I have attended four memorial services this year, and each one was so full of grace and expression of gratitude for the person who had journeyed with us. I am honored to have friends who have chosen to die so consciously with such love for those they left behind.

This Song of the Soul is a joyful song, dedicated to my friend Lois Joy Meyers, who lost her battle with brain cancer after 14 years.  It was her favorite song. Words are below. Feel free to sing along!

Song of the Soul

Love of my life I am crying
I am not dying, I am dancing
Dancing along in the madness
There is no sadness
Only the song of the soul

Echo: And we’ll sing this song
Why don’t you sing along
Then we can sing for a long, long time
Why don’t you sing this song
Then we can sing along
Then we can sing for a long, long time

What do you do for a living
Are you forgiving, giving shelter
Follow your heart, love will find you
Truth will unbind you
Seek out a song of the soul

Come to your life like a warrior
Nothing will bore ya, you can be happy
Let in the light, it will heal you
And you can feel you
Sing out a song of the soul

Love of my life I am crying
I am not dying, I am dancing
Dancing along in the madness
There is no sadness
Only the song of the soul

From the collection of Andrew Draskoy
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