In particular, stress triggers the fight-or-flight response, a series of physical changes that prime your body for self-defense. Among these changes is the redirection of oxygen- and nutrientrich blood to your arms and legs and away from your back. So if stress becomes chronic, the muscles and disks of your back can become malnourished.At the TotalCare Medical Center in Palo Alto, California, patients with back problems learn biofeedback to manage their stress and control their pain. "We see benefit in about half of the people who try biofeedback;" says Alan P. Brauer, M.D., founder of the center. If biofeedback doesn't interest you, any relaxation technique will do. Try meditation, visualization, self-massage, or music therapy.Herbal MedicineBark up the right tree. Willow bark is the original herbal pain reliever, thanks to several aspirin-like compounds it contains.To make willow bark tea, add 2 teaspoons of powdered willow bark to 1 cup of boiling water. Simmer for 20 minutes, then strain, says Varro Tyler, Ph.D., Sc.D., distinguished professor emeritus of pharmacognosy (natural pharmacy) at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana. You can drink up to three cupfuls a day. Thank heaven for devil's claw. An extract of the herb devil's claw root is a traditional folk remedy for the pain associated with musculoskeletal problems, including a bad back. You can buy devil's claw root in health food stores as an extract, powder, or tincture. Use the extract according to package directions. Or take 1 teaspoon of dried powdered root or tincture three times a day, advises Joseph Pizzorno Jr., N.D.ChiropracticConsult a chiropractor. Studies conducted in the United States and around the world have shown that chiropractic is often an effective treatment for back pain. For example, at the Medical College of St. Bartholemew's Hospital in London, researchers randomly assigned 741 people with back pain to receive either chiropractic or standard medical treatment. The participants completed questionnaires about their pain after 6 weeks, 6 months, and 1, 2, and 3 years. At every interval, those receiving chiropractic care reported greater improvement than those receiving standard care.The evidence in favor of chiropractic is so persuasive that the therapy even won a ringing endorsement from an expert panel appointed by the federal Agency for Health Care Policy and Research. The panel, consisting of 21 M.D.'s and two chiropractors, made the recommendation in its 1994 report Guidelines/or Acute Lower-Back Pain. These treatment guidelines remain in effect today.
Various types of stretch workouts recline and rest the aching back. When you perform stretch workouts, you want to make sure that you perform the actions correctly however; otherwise, you can tear tissues, muscles, ligaments, or tendons.
Stretch workouts include the backstretches. To stretch the upper back, start by standing erect. Grip your hands, joining them and extending them behind the back. Next, raise the hands up, out, and stretch as far as your body will allow. Count to five, lower, and move to your starting stance, repeating the same action, counting to five.
Stand erect, and keep your feet at the length of your shoulders. Bend the knees somewhat and lock the fingers, raising the arms to the height of your shoulders. Push the arms ahead while avoid leaning backwards.
Next, stretch the lower back. Sit on the floor, or mat and place the hands at the side. NOTE: This exercise should be avoided unless your doctor advises you otherwise if you have serious back injuries, or pain.
In position, lie flat on your back. Slightly lift the legs, extending them over the head. If possible, extend backwards until your toes are touching the ground surface behind you. Count to five.
Now, lie flat on the floor, mat, etc and lift the upper region of the body. Keep your hands flat on the hard surface and use them for support. Keep the arms in straight line and stretch up slowly while lifting the chin and head.
If your back is hurting, you can also lie flat on a hard surface if your back will allow, and stretch the arms over the head as far as you can reach while stretching the legs down and out as far as you can reach also. Continue until you feel your muscles release. What a great way to reduce back pain!
Additional stretch exercises can help you reduce back pain, as well as avoid future back pain. Stretch workouts can help you avoid injuries as well. The workouts include side, ski, knee flexes, and so forth. Give it a whirl!
Stand erect, and near a hard, supporting surface, such as a chair. Lift the leg at a right angle and support the leg with the chair. Hold and count to five, lower the leg and continue to the opposite side.
Next, perform the knee flexes. Lift your leg and place your foot on a hard surface, such as a chair. Keep the opposite leg straight and use it as support.
Hold the stance and count to ten. Lower the leg and continue to the opposite leg. Now do the ski. Stand erect. Extend one foot to the front and the other to the back. Lunge and gradually lower the weight of your body. Bend the front leg and rest your body weight on the hands. With the behind leg straight and the heel lifted from the ground count to ten and shift to the other leg.
You can continue stretch exercises to minimize pain. The workouts to continue include adductor, groin stretches, hip rotation, gluteals, hamstring stretches and so on. The more you stretch those muscles, the less pain you will feel. You should also stretch the quadriceps, calves, and so on to avoid injuries and back pain. After you finish stretching, you may want to learn how to protect the synovial joints.
My favorite exercise is simply lying flat on your back, and grabbing your knees, then pulling them up towards your head, and then releasing. Oh, What a relief it is! This exercise was recommended to me by a local chiropractor. Happy stretching!
Both Ricky Hussey & Don Alexander are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
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