Let’s face it lower back pain or LBP is so common in our lives, whether it’s ourselves, our family members or friends and colleagues that are suffering. It affects 8 out of 10 people at some point in their lives. It is a top cause for absenteeism at the workplace and it is down right rubbish to have as it affects everything you do and even how you think.
How does it start?
Our sedentary lifestyles these days are not conducive to a healthy spine. I am sure you will agree the amount of time you sit either at a computer screen or on a commute is way longer than you would like and means you are in a very unnatural position for your spine for a very long time. You see depending on what you sitting on, sitting forces the pelvis into a flexed position which then drags your head forward and everything in between too. Simply, we are not designed to sit for long periods. We as humans, are better designed to squat and infact communities that do a lot of squatting (like the Kenyans) have less incidence of back pain. Don’t worry we don’t foresee you squatting for hours over the computer either.
Your body is a very clever unit, and yes please understand that your body functions as ONE connected unit all the time. Your body is also a self- healing, self-correcting unit. It can usually correct bones that go out of place, all on its own with specific muscles that are attached in the right places. The ONE thing it cannot correct are bones that are stuck in a forward direction (think slump and hunched over posture). We do not have the muscles to do this.
These forward stuck bones, which are the building blocks of your spine – vertebrae, cannot keep going forwards as this will cause major damage to the central nervous system – (CNS) brain, spinal cord and nerves. The CNS is the main computer system controlling everything in your body, from hormones, to metabolism, sleep cycles, moods, organs and energy levels. So as a result of the forward vertebrae the body has no choice but to compensate and twist/turn you up like a cork screw. It is these patterns of ‘winding’ up that wear you out and cause imbalances in muscles and joints, pain and discomfort. More than that your CNS is compromised and you health goes down over time too. Ever wonder why something goes wrong and then it seems to be whole series of things that go wrong with your health? Most Medical practitioners will tell you it’s age…well we are here to tell you it’s not.
Simply put, your LBP is as a result of a complicated compensatory pattern in your structure that your body can no longer compensate up any more…and you feel the pain. So the cause of your LBP may infact be in your neck or even in your midback and vice versa.
At Spirohealth we look at the body as a unit and our approach to health is very holistic. We only fix what your body cannot ie. the forward vertebrae. We are dedicated to finding the cause of your pain and not just treat the symptom alone. We use a specialised postural correction technique called Advanced Biostructural Correction (ABC).
When is LBP serious?
At Spirohealth we treat every LBP symptom as serious, but here are a few points for you to consider when you are feeling concerned about your LBP:
- Is it affecting bladder and bowel function?
- Is it affecting the function of your legs so you cannot walk? Numbness, weakness, coldness, shooting pains, pins and needles?
- Is the pain related to kidney area?
- Is it affecting your digestion? Severe constipation, gas pains or diarrhoea?
- Is medication providing no relief for your LBP?
Please seek immediate medical attention if you cannot walk and have lost control of your bowel or bladder. There is a great visual guide to LBP here
You are welcome to book in to see anyone of our Advanced Biostructural Correction (ABC) team contact us
When is LBP muscular or not?
LBP always has a muscular component. Remember the body works as ONE unit, so one part affects all the other parts. The muscles will take on what the structure of the spine is lacking. Those forward vertebrae and resultant compensations (twists and bends) create a weaker overall structure of your spine and your muscles work way harder to keep you upright and moving around. One side usually works harder than the other and you experience left or right sided symptoms.
Why massage can make LBP worse
Think about the act of massage – you are on your stomach and someone is pushing you into the bed? This will push anything that was stuck forward even more forward which inturn twists your body up more – your pains get worse. Not only that but you may get dizzy, faint or a headache from the pressure building up on your CNS.
There is absolutely a time and a place for massage- it has many health benefits that come along with it. It all depends on what your pattern of compensation is doing at the time of the treatment.
Which exercises are more likely to worsen LBP?
This largely depends on your starting point – how twisted up are you already? But the most common ones we see in Spirohealth are:
- Deadlifts in the gym
- Rowing
- Incline/hill walking
- Burpees and press ups
- Any heavy weights that affects form of exercise
- Kettlebell swings
To be clear we are not discounting these exercises forever, when you get your structure back on track and get checked up often- you are good to go!
What can you do to relieve LBP?
We are talking short term relief here as the LBP always has a deeper pattern you need to address. Here are some guidelines:
- Ice ice ice – especially if it is an acute injury. Chronic type longer pain enjoys heat.
- Check your chair at work/couch at home- changing these could change your life- get advice from us at info@spirohealth.co.uk
- LBP when you wake up? How old is your bed? Old soft beds are out of the question.
- Pillow height: play around with this
- Light stretching of the gluts, hamstrings and lower back muscles
- Move around – your body loves movement, do not stay in one place for long periods of time. this can be difficult when you are in pain.
We do not support medication as we have a 100% natural approach to health and wellbeing however we understand that you cannot function optimally whilst in pain. Contact us for more information or to book your free discovery session.
Which foods can help relieve LBP?
We look to nature for support. Anti inflammatory foods work best:
1. Ginger – tea or use the essential oil
2. Pineapple fruit – a few slices only
3. Organic Salmon – grilled please
4. Liquorice – tea
5. Turmeric