Appropriate Exercise Essential for Treatment of Back Pain

Back pain accounts for an estimated 10 percent of all primary care doctors visits each year, costing Americans as much as $86 billion annually

• Back pain is increasingly being treated with addictive drugs and diagnostic exams that expose patients to potentially unnecessary and dangerous levels of radiation
• Back pain is frequently the gateway that leads people down a path of drug addiction and lifelong disability
• Poor posture and/or improper movement is responsible for the vast majority of back pain. Proper alignment of the bones and joints in your body during movement is critical for remaining pain free
• Foundation Training and postural training such as that taught by Esther Gokhale are highly useful, both for the prevention and treatment of back pain (as well as other bodily pains)
  
  Prevent and Treat Back Pain with Foundation Training

I enjoy Foundation Training exercises, which work to gradually pull your body out of the movement patterns that are hurting you. The focus is on strengthening your core, which includes anything that directly connects to your pelvis, whether above or below it. Foundation Training teaches all those muscles to work together through integrated chains of movement, which is how your body is structured to move.

Every muscle that directly connects to your pelvis should be considered part of your core, and this includes your glutes, adductors (inner thigh muscles), deep lower back muscles, hip flexors, hamstrings, and abdominal muscles. Having strong, balanced core muscles is like having a built-in corset that not only holds your gut in, but also stabilizes your spine, vertebrae, discs, and most importantly your pelvis. Teaching your body to naturally support itself at the deepest level is going to be far more effective than strapping on an external back brace, which over time can lead to even weaker musculature. The following video demonstrates one of the foundational exercises of this program.

 

The basic Foundation Training program takes about 20 minutes, and is ideally done daily. You can purchase the Foundation Training DVD from my online store. FoundationTraining.com also offers several free videos, and their thought provoking first book called: Foundation: Redefine Your Core, Conquer Back Pain, and Move with Confidence.

Other Strategies for Preventing Back Pain

Preventing back pain is surely easier than treating it, and there are many alternatives available, in addition to what I've already mentioned above. Here are a dozen more tips that can help you lead a pain-free life:

1. Exercise and physical activity will help strengthen the muscles of your spine. Make your exercise time count by including high-intensity sessions. You probably only need this once or twice a week at the most. You'll also want to include exercises that really challenge your body intensely along with those that promote muscle strength, balance, and flexibility.

Yoga, which is particularly useful for promoting flexibility and core muscles, has also been proven to be beneficial if you suffer from back pain. The Yoga Journal⁸ has an online page demonstrating specific poses that may be helpful.

2. If you spend many hours every day sitting down, pay careful attention to consciously sucking in your belly and rotating your pelvis slightly up. At the same time, make sure your head is back with your ears over your shoulders and your shoulder blades pinched. This will help keep your spine in proper alignment. You can hold these muscles tight for several minutes and do this once every hour. My interview with Esther Gokhale goes into far more details.
3. Optimize your vitamin D and K2 levels to prevent the softening of the bones that can often lead to lower back pain.
4. Ground yourself. Grounding yourself to the earth, also known as Earthing, decreases inflammation in your body, which can help quiet down back pain and other types of pain. Your immune system functions optimally when your body has an adequate supply of electrons, which are easily and naturally obtained by barefoot/bare skin contact with the Earth. Research indicates the Earth's electrons are the ultimate antioxidants, acting as powerful anti-inflammatories. Whenever possible, take a moment to venture outside and plant your bare feet on the wet grass or sand. Walking barefoot is also an excellent way to strengthen your feet and arches.
5. Address psychological factors. Few people want to be told that their pain is psychological or emotional in origin, but there's quite a bit of evidence that backs this up. Dr. John Sarno,⁹ for example, used mind-body techniques to treat patients with severe low back pain and has authored a number of books on this topic. His specialty was those who have already had surgery for low back pain and did not get any relief. This is one tough group of patients, yet he had a greater than 80 percent success rate using techniques like the Emotional Freedom Technique (he's now retired from practice).
6. Get regular massage therapy. Massage releases endorphins, which help induce relaxation and relieve pain.
7. Keep your weight spread evenly on your feet when standing. Don't slouch when standing or sitting to avoid putting stress on your back muscles.
8. Always support your back, and avoid bending over awkwardly. Protect your back while lifting – this activity, along with carrying, puts the most stress on your back.
9. Wear comfortable shoes. For the ladies, it would be good to not wear heels most of the time.
10. Drink plenty of water to enhance the height of your intervertebral disks. And because your body is composed mostly of water, keeping yourself hydrated will keep you fluid and reduce stiffness.
11. Quit smoking as it reduces blood flow to your lower spine and can cause your spinal discs to degenerate.
12. Pay attention to how—and how long—you sleep, because studies have linked insufficient sleep with increased back and neck problems. Pay attention to your sleep position. Sleep on your side to reduce curving of your spine, and stretch before getting out of bed. A firm bed is recommended.

Back Pain Is Common, Yet Largely Avoidable

If you're among those seeking medical care for persistent back pain, I'd advise you to consider your options before filling that prescription or going under the knife. Once you understand that back pain is typically the result of poor posture or improper movement, the remedy becomes clear. I believe Foundation Training and postural training such as that taught by Esther Gokhale are among the most beneficial, both for the prevention and treatment of back pain (as well as other bodily pains). Other lifestyle strategies like Earthing, yoga, EFT, and others, can be of benefit as well, but cannot take the place of strategies that teach you how to move properly again.
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