Archive for the ‘Mind’ Category
Hi. Richard, here. An associate brought it to my attention recently that pain, or the perception thereof, can actually be due to one's state of mind — sometimes.
I'm not usually inclined to subject myself to the claim that back pain is "all in your head" as my experience has proven otherwise; however, I do know that my state of mind can make a difference. Much of my pain is muscular (due to inflammation from various injuries), and if I am tense or worried or upset for some reason (and it's an easy state to get in these days given the state of the world, this country and the economy, no?), I know my pain, or the perception thereof, can worsen.
So… having been reminded of this, and having already recommended BrainSync, I've decided it's probably appropriate to recommend another resource.
I've had some positive experience with this, so this isn't just out of the blue. Wendi.com now uses some of the same brain entrainment techniques, or at least similar, as those that BrainSync uses, and I have found her recordings very relaxing, and sometimes helpful with the pain.
There's a lot more available than just healing and back pain relief, some of which can also help with pain, such as sleeping better, losing weight, dealing with depression, etc., so I've decided to just link to the site rather than the specific back pain relief product. The site's fairly easy to navigate, so if you're primarily interested in back pain relief, you shouldn't have any trouble finding that or other related programs:
As for my situation, I may be headed for more surgery. It hasn't helped so far, but some technician thinks they've found something in my latest MRI. I'd hate to think that much of my suffering has been due to all those other technicians missing something obvious in the past, but whatever.
Anyway… I'll be headed to another doc soon for another evaluation, and if surgery is in the offing, I guess I'll consider it. Who knows, maybe I'll be able to dedicate more time and energy to this site one of these days…
Wish me luck, and of course I wish you much luck with your pain as well.
Richard D. Farley / Back-Pain-Therapy.com
For many back pain sufferers, much of the pain is in the muscles. Muscles contract as a reaction to inflammation, causing pain and potentially leading to more inflammation. It can be a vicious circle, and — surprisingly to some — regular exercise can help.
Whether and how much this resource will be helpful to you, and what kinds of equipment and exercises may be most suitable, will depend on the type of back pain you have, the cause(s) of that pain, and the severity.
Foremost, you’ll need to okay it with your primary physician, and as a back pain sufferer, you should take great care before beginning any exercise program or adding a new piece of equipment or set of exercises to your existing routine. There is no question that it is of utmost importance to be careful, but in spite of what Rush Limbaugh says on his radio show, study after study prove that people who may have an occasional minor injury while making a sustained and appropriate effort to stay physically fit are most definitely not the ones driving up the costs of medical care.
Every credentialed expert there is seems to agree that there is virtually no end to the potential benefits of being physically fit.
Even so, some people seem surprised that someone who has back pain should, or would want to, work out at all.
But they shouldn’t be.
For back pain sufferers — actually, for nearly everyone — there are many benefits to a regular exercise routine that includes both aerobic and progressive resistance strength training.
Further, the right kinds of exercise can do more to help control pain than most people realize, and there is nothing any better than being fit. The right kinds of exercise are good for almost everything, improving the functioning of all your tissues and organs, increasing your energy level and improving your endurance, helping to fight off disease as well as many of the worst effects of our modern, stressful lives. Exercise gets blood and oxygen into your muscles where it’s needed, and that helps clean out and metabolize toxins in those muscles that can be related to increased inflammation, which can increase your pain.
Additionally, sufficient exercise, of the right intensity and type, releases endorphins (your body’s natural pain-killing opiate) into your system, helping to control the pain and helping sometimes to break the vicious circle of inflammation causing muscle pain, and that in turn causing more inflammation.
Finally, though just about everyone knows by now that exercise helps to reduce your body’s overall fat content, not everyone yet realizes the extent to which high body fat has been shown in various studies to increase inflammation, i.e., again leading to pain.
So if you always thought you’d get fit just as soon as you got rid of the pain, you may need to re-think that strategy.
Here at Back-Pain-Therapy.com, we are particularly impressed with the quality of Nautilus and Bowflex equipment. Standard free weights are far more dangerous, take up more space, are a lot slower and more difficult to set up between exercises, and are much, much harder to manage in virtually every context. Further, most other home gyms and trainers we’ve tested don’t even begin to compare to Nautilus and Bowflex.
But the qualify and durability of this equipment is not the reason we recommend aerobic and progressive resistance exercise as a resource.
So long as you okay it with your primary physician, and no matter what equipment you prefer to use, quite simply, and because it works . . .
. . . Back-Pain-Therapy.com recommends exercise as a back pain therapy resource.
Not so many years ago, yoga was not very well understood in the West.
Fortunately, today many in our culture have come to understand its many benefits.
Many practitioners say that a good yoga workout leaves them feeling more in harmony with life.
If you’ve never practiced or looked into yoga before, as a back pain sufferer you should keep in mind that there are several different kinds of yoga. Some practices may be inappropriate, or even dangerous, for those with certain conditions. We hope to be posting more extensively on these differences sometime soon, but meanwhile, we highly recommend viniyoga and strongly encourage you to learn as much as you can about the differences between the different practices before beginning any routine. You should also get the okay from your primary physician first, and even then, take it very easy on yourself, especially in the beginning.
Back-Pain-Therapy.com recommends yoga as a back pain therapy resource.
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Some of our pain and how well we cope with it, and how well we heal, may have much to do with our state of consciousness.
Kelly Howell, the founder of BrainSync, has worked with eminent scientists, brain researchers and medical professionals for well over two decades now developing brain wave therapy programs. Based on biofeedback research, these programs assist in reprogramming the mind through the use of brain wave entrainment therapy. These programs are available on CD as well as by downloaded mp3 audio files through their web site.
Through soothing music, guided visualization, and harmonically layered frequencies, some of BrainSync’s programs are specifically aimed at creating a healing state of mind.
Back-Pain-Therapy.com recommends BrainSync as a back pain therapy resource.
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As discussed in a previous post, an exercise regime may prove helpful in controlling back pain. The health of our backs depends greatly on our posture and body movements, as well as our ability to cope with stress. A good exercise program, appropriate to your condition, can help with all of these.
Sometimes back pain is due to weak abdominal and back muscles. As a consequence, many physicians recommend, rather than prolonged bed rest for back pain, light physical activity, sometimes in conjunction with pain relief medication and other proactive treatments.
While what is appropriate depends on the cause and severity of your condition, physical activity may not only provide pain relief, but may also help prevent future injury. Along with pain relief medication, many physicians and therapists tailor individualized exercise routines to treat patients who suffer from various types of back pain.
A typical program may involve a variety of strengthening and stretching exercises, as well as endurance training and targeting flexibility in problem areas.
The potential benefits of an exercise program for back pain may include immediate, short-term pain relief; stretching of tight, contracted muscles; strengthening of weak muscles; the reduction of mechanical stress on the back; stabilizing the back; increasing the ease and efficiency of body movements; and improving posture — all of which may help prevent future injury and future back pain.
A Basic Exercise Program for Back Pain Relief
A very basic exercise routine for coping with back pain involves strengthening not only the back, but the supporting muscles as well. If you have any other health problems, such as osteoporosis, a recent injury, arthritis or any other troublesome condition, start the exercises only after consulting with your primary physician. Even then, we suggest you begin as slowly and as gently as possible. (Note that when you exercise, it is very important to learn how to distinguish between pain and exertion. Pain is a signal from your nervous system that a certain activity is wrong or harmful for you in your current condtion. If you experience such pain when you're exercising, including back pain, you should stop and only try again with milder exercises that you find comfortable.)
These are mostly for lower back pain as that's the most common, but can sometimes help with many other, related problems.
Exercise #1 For Back Pain Relief:
Abdominal contractions: Find someplace comfortable, flat and firm. A carpeted floor would do fine. Lie on your back and bend your knees. Place your hands below the ribs and tighten your stomach muscles. This is meant to squeeze the ribs toward the back. Be careful not to hold your breath, and try to keep your muscles contracted for about five seconds. Release and relax for about ten seconds. Repeat this exercise about ten times if you're up for it. Otherwise, work up to that as you can.
The purpose of this exercise is to gently stretch your back muscles.
Exercise #2 Prevention of Back Pain:
Most health experts recommend you continue an exercise routine to keep your back strong and flexible even if you no longer have back pain. You will wish to choose exercises that align your body properly and thereby help to improve your posture. This is to prevent your back pain from recurring, or at least to reduce the risk or frequency of it recurring. One commonly recommended exercise that can help improve your standing posture is to "curl" against the wall: In a standing position, place your back against the wall with your heels about six inches away from the wall and bend your knees as you drop your head and shoulders. As you pull your stomach muscles inward,. slowly roll up — envisioning in your mind that you are doing it one vertebra at a time — until your back is again flat against the wall. Repeat this exercise a few times, but do not work beyond your comfort level.
Exercise #3 Prevention of Back Pain:
Exercises that work the abdominal muscles are frequently a vital part of a physical therapy program designed to prevent back pain. One example, diagonal crunches, not only strengthen such muscles, they will also keep your tummy from sagging (if that sort of concern is important). Again, find someplace comfortable, flat and firm and lie on your back. Place your hands behind your head and bring your knees slowly to your chest. You want to cross your feet at the ankles and keep your knees at right angles relative to your waist. Exhale slowly while raising your trunk, first moving your right elbow as much as you can (without straining too much) toward the left knee. Then slowly lower your trunk. Repeat with the left elbow and the right knee. Repeat this exercise about ten times if you're up for it, or else try to work up to it after a few days.
Additionally, to improve your overall fitness, you may want to include some exercises for building stamina, such as aerobics. Make sure you have some conditioning and some flexibility before you start, and start slowly, and only after consulting with your primary care provider. This type of exercise can be rigorous and there is a significant risk of further injury if you are not careful. Be sure you always warm up your muscles cool down afterward. This is true any time you are preparing to exercise, and especially so for this more demanding type of exercise. Walking, for example, and bicycling, and swimming are all relatively safe and can provide excellent aerobic conditioning. But we do not recommend jogging. Unless you are of a very light build, it can damage your joints.
A variety of other exercises, therapies and programs, of course, are available to help alleviate, reduce and prevent back pain. Some of these programs are:
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Tai Chi Chuan
This is a gentle martial art form. It focuses on concentration for the mind while exercising the body. The movements tend to be slow and steady and relax muscles and ease tension. Some people with back pain find this technique very helpful.
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Yoga
Although already discussed in other posts, it bears repeating here. This is an ancient Indian tradition and it involves a very wide range of exercises that include postural and breathing exercises as well as mental discipline and meditation. Many yoga postures focus on increasing spinal strength and flexibility, which can provide back pain relief. According to some researchers, regular yoga practice can also stave off certain types of chronic back pain. Further, many yoga practitioners, including our founder, experience a feeling of deep relaxation and mental well-being after a good workout.
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Chi Kung
Also known as Qigong, this is is an ancient Chinese system. It focuses on breathing and posture as well, and also emphasizes the the mind, i.e., concentration.
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Feldenkrais Method
The goal of this technique is to improve the ease and efficiency of body movements by increasing your awareness of your body and your movements, as well as teaching you how to recognize and correct muscle tension.
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Buteyko Breathing Technique
This is a Russian therapy that involves slow breathing and holding the breath. Its practitioners claim that this technique can reduce muscle tension and thereby provide back pain relief.
We'll try to cover these techniques in more depth in a future post, but that's about it for now.
In summation then, exercise can be a vital component of an effective treatment program for back pain. Finding what's right for you and your condition should be your paramount concern. Consistently and safely strengthen your back, improve your stamina and fitness, and you may just discover one day that the pain is gone.
