i don't know how it happened but it did
i've never had that happen to me before
well, now my lower back hurts a lot
i've never had a problem touching my toes
but now it hurts to touch my toes

so here is my question,
what are some theories as to how my back could have been thrown out?
i don't even know how it happened
i was just at the library
picking out some books
and i reached for a book on the lower shelf
and crickety!
its like i felt "something'
and i thought 'Uh oh", what the heck was THAT?

and then before i realize it,
i'm having a hard time picking out books
on the lower shelves

that really annoyed me
but the pain was more than annoying
it was kinda excruciating

when i went to the naturopathy/chiropractor dr.
where i got an adjustment
i was given some "theories"

one was that it could have been caused by
1.inflammation? which is why i asked in the previous thread about the acid/alkaline thing because i know that acid foods are inflaming but i eat just veggies, veggie juice and some fruit
alright, i guess i'll throw the nuts out the window , for now
okay, i'll throw the tomatoes out as well

but arugula's chart shows that ALL fruits and veggies are alkaline
and i know that when i had a more specific chart, which was in a book that i gave away, it had a breakdown of which fruits were more acid/alkaline than others

is it true that ALL veggies are alkaline?

anyhow,
i'd like some tips , advice etc to help me out here

also,
sit ups are cool
and i know it has always been a back strengthener for me
but it sort of hurts to do them right now

so anyone know of another back strengthening exercise?

okay, what else could have caused this to happen?

previous to that, i was doing just fine
and like i said, i never had that happen to me with my back before

alright, i admit, i was undergoing a bit of above average stress due to a situation but i was doing a lot to ameliorate that stress and i thought i was doing well

so... not sure what is going on

any help , opinion, nutritional , exercise, spiritual whatever...
would be appreciated
i'm not used to this

i wanna get rid of this pain

thanx

oh yeah, in addition to any opinions on the "cause"
i'd like some opinions on the solutions

thanks again

Since to remove the cause, you would have to have a time machine, three tips (tested in my personal experience):
* Rest
* Lie down on a flat surface (not too hard though, carpet is good), on your back, and put two tenise balls on your lower back, one on each side of your spine (NOT ON THE SPINE!). This helps adjust the things a little.
* Lie down on a flat surface, on your back, with you arms on the floor, perpendicular to you body. Then, lift your right leg and try to touch your left hand with it (only move it as far as comfortable). Take your time. Then do the symmetrical action with you left leg (and right hand). THis is a very good stretching exercise that will help sort out your lower back.

(I do not mean doing all three of them at once )

Gosia


RawGosia channel
RawGosia streams

is not expenseive. I avail myself as I need to. Especially if you've unaligned things.

Lots of raw vegan muscle relaxant.

Ian.

hey gosia

thanx for the tennis ball tips
i'll try that
i'm gonna have to put on my FAVORITE CD in order to handle doing that though
ha ha
neat... i'm up to it

piano gal

uhh.. WHAT is not expensive?
looks like you are missing a few words in yer post.. hmm?

sodoffsocks

veganmusclerelaxants?

like what?
R U referring to arnica gel?


at any rate,
the good news is
my back feels a tad bit better
but any more advice is helpful

thanks again

Raw vegan muscle relaxants:

- Cider (Americans call it "hard cider" for some reason)
- Wine
- Champain

Sit-ups aren't good for your back - however, strengthening your abs will def alleviate lower back pain.

Sit-ups also aren't a great way to strengthen abs - too much work for too little return. Instead, here are 2 powerful ab exercises - you'll quickly feel the burn:

1. Find a flat bench, one that inclines, and has something you can hook your hands onto at the top (some gyms have these, some don't) - you'll be inclined with your head upwards and your feet downwards. Lie on your back, then bring your feet up towards your chest. This is an AWESOME way to work your abs, especially the lower portion, while removing any stress on your back.

2. Find a medicine ball (medium size), lie on the ball on your back, feet up on a wall, and do sit-ups. What makes this such a difficult and effective exercise is that your back curves over the ball, thereby increasing your range of motion. You can also put your feet on the ground, which is the way most people do it, but it's more challenging to put your feet up.

Good luck!

Hi LaVeronique,

Once you're feeling a little better, you might consider starting some kind of regular stretching program. Almost every yoga posture stretches the back from some angle or another, and builds those muscles while using them in the stretch. Once those muscles have the ability to remain strong in a stretch, there is much less likelihood of straining your back from reaching or whatever.

Hope you're feeling better soon!

Best wishes, -Ally

Most of us don't realize how we are contracting certain muscles in the spine. This contraction leads us to freeze certain vertebra, thus cause other verebras to hyperexented when we bend our backs. Over time, as the contracted muscles become more contracted, and the volume of the muscle contraction increases, this cause more and more strain on the vertebra that are in use. At some point, what was once normal activity can cause an injury where a vertebra goes out of alignment or a spinal disc gets injured.

So there is a point where you are in pain. If you rest, the pain may go away. Still, the cause of the injuries, which was not the specific bend you did that hurt, but the contraction of various mucscles in the back, is still there, and the problem can happen again. You can try to be more careful, but still, you move the wrong way, you hurt yourself again.

The only real solution is to learn how to uncontract those mucles that are contracted, To do this, you have be able to feel the contraction in those muscles. This requires an exploration of observation and feeling. Yoga can help with this. Alexander Technique can also help. If you focus your consciousness long enough on your back (this may take years), you can discover where you are holding and let go.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/29/2006 07:33PM by Bryan.

[www.ib3health.com]
I have a wooden back stretcher as above. I used to have chronic back problems. On the very rare occasion that I get a twinge now, 10minutes on this and I am as right as rain, saved me a fortune in osteopathy over the years.

A rapid back strengthening tool is the wonderful Flexi-bar, quite expensive, but works pn the principle of deep vibration to the muscles. I don't get back problems since using this, and it strenghtend muscle rapidly. It was originally used a a physio therapy tool.
[www.flexi-bar.co.uk]
Hope you get better soon!
Anna

la_veronique,

I also tweaked my back a few weeks ago. I was riding my bike on a cold night without out stretching first. I turned my body quickly to make sure there were not any cars behind me and I immediately felt a sharp pain streaking through my back like a lightning bolt with lots of tentacles. I think I tore some muscle somewhere. I slowly rode home and laid flat on my back for a while.

I also remebered to do a back stretch which my buddy told me about when he hurt his back in a car accident. Basically you stand with your legs straight and bend over loosly like you're touching your hands to your toes. Just let your arms hang there for atleast 20 seconds. Then slowly come back up with your back slightly hunched at first and you can feel a very satisfying stretching over your back muscles. My back went back to normal after about a week, and now I always remember to stretch before riding my bike. I also do some good stretching first thing when I get out of bed.

everyone

i am super impressed and truly grateful for all the responses
it really helps me to know my options
thanks a bunch!
my back does feel a bit better now
and i'm gonna do whatever it takes
so that its at it goes back to or exceeds its usual level


hey jono

i actually do use that technique that you describe
its like being a noodle and pulling yourself up
one vertebrate at a time
it does work
in fact i just did it the last two days
it hurt at first even though ive done it a million times in the past
but its getting better

hey,... uh.. please be careful with the bike
i know how it is trying to evade cars on a two wheeler
its like suicide
if you live in the city

there ought to be laws
against cars driving anywhere NEAR bikes
ha ha ha!!
that swerve that you took sounds pretty scary
mighty lucky you were able to bike back to your home
and lie down
some people wouldn't have been able to do even that
glad you made it
how long did it take for you to recover from that?
how does your back feel now?



bryan

i've heard of the alexander technique
i just may try that out
you say that:

<<Most of us don't realize how we are contracting certain muscles in the spine. This contraction leads us to freeze certain vertebra>>

could you elucidate a bit more what you mean here?
i've always been complimented on my good posture
for some reason
but looks are deceiving
i do a lot of stretching daily
however i have very limited knowledge of yoga
and i'm sure that i could improve VAST amounts
if i learned some more

what you said kind of resonated with me
because well... since this never happened to me
it kinda scared me
and i don't want it to happen again
so, in your opinion
what do you think could have been the main cause
for something like this?
there are some recreation centers around me
i think i'll look at their schedule
and find an early morning yoga class
to go to

this kinda woke me up
realizing that i really do need to learn more about things
and that the learning never ends

ally

i appreciate your yoga advice
i think the time is now
this was a wake up call for me


sunshine

i do have a medicine ball
i haven't used it in that way
but i will have to try that
it sounds interesting
when my back gets a bit better
i will do that
and let you know how it goes

and it will put a bit more spice into my routine
gotta have those abs (ha ha!)


anna

that is really intriguing
will have to check that out
thanks for the inspiration!


sodoffsocks

i never thought about doing cider as a muscle relaxant
what makes it relax the muscles? i wanna know

as far as the wine and champagne goes
well... i don't have it in my constitution to imbibe those kinda items
unless you mean topically ( apply it on my back?)
then i got no prob with that


this rawfoodboardisawesome
cooladvicehere i'm getting
feel like i can pull this thing off



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/30/2006 02:42PM by la_veronique.

well-
i think everyone gave the advice i would on getting your back in-line.
i love how there are diverse yet educated opinions here and honest feedback.

i had never had back pain in my life, and considering that both my parents and three of my four sisters (all the sisters are younger than me) have hand severe back problems, and three of those four have had at least one spinal surgery in the last seven years, i've been blessed. though i think my raw foods and peace-seeking lifestyle have helped.

but after having my baby, which was 48 hours of labor and 16 of those hard back labor (baby did come out face-up, which is not good on spine), i found myself with agonizing pain at times. one time i woke up with the inability to bend my neck in one direction. i did stretches and everything, but it didn't go away until i got myself a nice deep massage. three days later all pain was gone. i still stretch and work on my core muscles, but i think the massage really helped with the alignment and tensing that was keeping my body from truly healing up.

i think a good massage a couple times a year can really ease those built-up muscle issues.

la_veronique Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> sodoffsocks
>
> i never thought about doing cider as a muscle
> relaxant
> what makes it relax the muscles? i wanna know

The Alcohol. When I say cider, I'm talking about the fermented kind, rather than the fresh squized kind.

> as far as the wine and champagne goes
> well... i don't have it in my constitution to
> imbibe those kinda items
> unless you mean topically ( apply it on my back?)
> then i got no prob with that

;-) Well, you could put some in your bath, the alcohol would evaperate and you would breath it in. Of course, you'll probably have to shower or bath again to wash the wine off.

I find alcohol is good when I have muscle pains. (Taken in appropriate amounts so you don't distrupt your body systems.) It allows the muscles to relax and then they can rest and start healing.

Cheers,
Ian.

hey ian
funny what u said about me imbibing it via evaporation if i put it in a hot bath

interesting advice but not sure how to take alcohol in "appropriate amounts " as to not disrupt my body system

if u figure that out, yer a genius (hee hee)

mama cass

i've done just about everything except the massage

but you know what?


MY BACK FEELS MUCCCCCH BETTER NOWWWWWWWW


YAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH


THANKSSSSS EVERYONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

THIS is MIRACLE!!

i am sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo grateful and lucky that it feels better again

i can touch my toes tooo...

YIPEEEEE HOOOORAYYYYYYY!!!!

Glad to hear you're feeling better! Back problems are no fun.

I won't go into all the details of my back history, but I will add my two cents, just in case you have any more occurances. I've been there/done that with doctors, exercises, medications, adjustments etc. etc. over the years.

I finally landed with Dr. John Sarno who feels that most all back problems come from stress - period. Most likely - subconscious anger. I would suggest to anyone with back problems that you read his books.

I still have an occasional twinge, but my back problem doesn't control me or my life anymore and I am so, so grateful to the guy! At first I didn't want to admit that it could be psychosomatic, but he convinced me and his research made so much sense! So, now if my back starts to hurt, I ask myself what anger do I have that I have not wanted to acknowledge or that I might even be unaware of. I ask myself what I might be afraid of, dreading, etc. I check to see if I might be trying to control something (or someone) that I don't really have control over. I ask myself if I'm overly attached to some outcome that I need to let go of. By the time I've gone through the "emotional issues" checklist in my head - I'm usually feeling better right away and then completely better very soon. Mind over matter.

Don't know if this helps ya out or not, la-v (or maybe someone else who's reading), but I would definately check out what the Doc has to say - especially if ever faced with the possibility of surgery. I can't remember the titles of his books, because I've loaned out my copies. Just try to get the most recent book. His theories have changed some over the years.

Life Is Good!

alive!

hey alive,

that is logical to me
i was actually going through a highly stressful period
and i actually did do some emotional forgiveness work
along with a LOT of other stuff
and my back is a heck of a lot better now
anger is toxic
more toxic than nightshades
and its good to acknowledge the cause then work through it
which i have ( well, to a good extent)
there is definetely a correlation

also, drank a lot more veggie juice
and stayed away from a lot of stimulants ( including spices)
and whatnot
gonna do some back exercises too every day

life is good
dr.sarno sounds familiar
ain't that then name of a raw chef?

something like chad sarno or something like that?

anyhow,
thanks for the tip
i might do a search to find the name ofthatbook

unlessyou beat me to it
and find out
let me know

Here ya' go la-v THE DIVIDED MIND by Dr. John Sarno.

Yup on the chef thing -I've always wanted to e-mail Chad Sarno and ask him if he is Dr. John's son.

Anyhoo - it's a very interesting theory and he feels that there are a lot of other "illnesses" that are psychosomatic and created by subconscious, unresolved anger. The amazing thing is that awareness is the key and you don't necessarily have to be able to diffuse the anger as much as be aware of it. I wouldn't have been open to it or even willing to take a look at it if I hadn't been desperate. Pain can do that for ya' big time! Anyhoo! It works for me and I'm stickin' to it!

Life Is Good! So are PEOPLE!

alive!

oh wow! thanks alive

that is a neat title,too
wud be good to check it out
ha ha... that wold be a trip if chad sarno was the doc's son
hee hee...

"alright, i guess i'll throw the nuts out the window , for now "

I think you were onto the solution in your first post. Whenever my back acts up it's always because of digestive problems. Nuts are one of the worst offenders (along with cooked foods), difficult to digest and constipating. A cleanse will solve the problem if it's diet based. I think the best cleanse is the fruit fest: a small amount of fruit with a small amount of juice (grass, greens, sprouts, vegetable).