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Don't sit for long periods
The human body is not designed to sit for long periods. Sitting for long periods can throw your entire spine out of proper alignment and strain the back muscles which can cause pain, inflammation, stiffness, and tension.
Tips:
Get up every 20 to 45 minutes and either walk, stretch, or stand for 5 to 15 minutes to allow the back muscles to rest.
If you have difficulty remembering to do the above, have a huge bottle of water on your desk and drink sips often. Drinking enough water will make you want to get up and go to the restroom more often which will help your back.
Stop wearing your wallet in your back pocket
If sitting wasn't bad enough for the health of your back, what happens when you sit on top of a 1 to 2-inch wallet in one of your back pockets? A simple wallet can create pressure on your glute and also your sciatic nerve. To make matters worse, this can also throw the pelvis girdle out of balance causing an increase of pressure on the nerves and disc on one side of your lumbar spine. This can cause pain, inflammation, numbness, and stiffness in your lower back, glute, hip, leg, foot, and even your toes. The thicker the wallet, the more pressure will be exerted on the spinal and sciatica nerves.
Tips:
The best option would be to wear your wallet in your front pocket instead.
Use moist heat on your back
Heat promotes blood circulation to promote healing and help relieve pain, especially for chronic pains (pains or discomforts you have had for more than 6 weeks). I recommend using a Hot Wet Towel and applying it to the area of pain for about 15 to 20 minutes.
You want it to be hot enough to feel a pleasant relaxing warmth, NOT a burning sensation. Important, Please Read: Do NOT make it so hot that it is painful or will burn your skin. This will not help the healing process.
For an even more relaxing effect or better sleep, I recommend applying a Hot Wet Towel directly on your sternum for about 20 minutes. This is great to do before going to sleep at night. This helps stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system, known as your rest and digest mechanism.
Other recommendations: Hot Showers, Hot Baths (Epsom Salt is a good option), a Steam Room, or a Jacuzzi.
Don't use dry heat
Usually, heating pads are not a good idea, heating pads fall under the category of dry heat. Dry heat is fine when you have minimal or no pain, however dry heat or heating pads can cause adhesions in your muscles which can restrict your range of motion, limit muscular stability, and tightness, and ultimately create pain.
Lay down like you are an astronaut
Have you ever wondered why astronauts fly into space facing the sky instead of the horizon? One reason is that the spine can tolerate the massive force of launching into space in a lying down position far more than in a seated position.
Executing the astronaut's resting position daily is great for lower back health. All you need is to lay on a flat surface (floor, mat, towel, firm bed, or couch) and elevate your legs on top of a chair, firm box, or 3-5 pillows. Hips and knees should be flexed, both at a 90-degree angle. It may also be a good idea to place some moist heat on your lower back while you do this. It is recommended you do this daily for at least 20 minutes. Important, Please Read: If your legs fall asleep or numbness occurs you may want to stop doing this or try this with the legs elevated at a lower height.
Sleep with 3 pillows
Most people sleep between 6 to 8 hours which is a long time. Sleeping on your side can cause your back to be in improper alignment and can cause pain and inflammation in your spinal nerves, especially on one side. To prevent this you will need a pillow between your legs and another pillow you can hug. This can help maintain the spine in proper alignment.
Your belt or waistband is too tight
Wearing a belt too tight can restrict blood flow into your lower back. This lack of blood flow can affect the nerves of your back and create pain in the back itself or down the legs.
Tips:
Loosen your belt. If you are worried your pants will fall you can always wear suspenders or more pants with elastic bands that are just enough to keep from falling.
Other Recommendations
Chinese Medicine Topicals
These are great because they help heal the problem instead of only covering up the symptoms. These topicals contain Chinese Herbs that help move the blood, regenerate damaged tissues, lower inflammation, reduce swelling, relax muscles, and often reduce pain. Here are some popular brands you can use:
Evil Bone Water (Zheng Xie Gu Shui) by Saint Apothecary (Author's favorite)
Zheng Gu Shui
Dr. Gou's 37 Healing Salve
Po Sum On Oil
Cupping Therapy
Cupping is a form of manual therapy that has been made popular by many professional athletes and celebrities over the years. Suction cups are applied over the lower back muscles to help decompress the different layers of muscles and fascia to break up adhesions and scar tissue that may have formed and increase blood flow into the tissue. This can also help the muscles relax.
Acupuncture
During a treatment, very thin, solid, hairlike, needles are inserted at a specific point on the body. The stimulation of these acupuncture points affects the brain by stimulating the body’s central and peripheral nervous system. Acupuncture does 5 main things:
Increases blood flow to the back
Reduces inflammation in the back
Triggers the release of the body's natural pain-relievers such as endorphins and enkephalins
Relax stiff back muscles to increase the range of motion
Depending on the style of acupuncture used, it can reactivate inhibited muscles of the back as well as the core stabilizing muscles that support the back
Re-trains your body to heal the back
Chinese Herbal Medicine
Chinese Herbal Medicine is another great way to help reverse some of the damage that has been done to your back. it can be used for recovery, restoration, and maintenance. Although it works more slowly than acupuncture, it helps maintain pain relief between acupuncture treatments and even enhances the healing effects of acupuncture. Chinese herbal medicine helps patients get better faster with fewer visits to the clinic and better longer-lasting results.
Be sure to talk to a Chinese Medicine Herbalist so he or she can determine which herbal formula will benefit you the most.
Written by Robert Collazo A.P.
Robert Collazo is a Chinese Medicine Practitioner who specializes in pain, musculoskeletal, orthopedic, and neurological conditions. Especially back pain, sciatica, herniated discs, spinal stenosis, scoliosis, muscle strains, spasms, and more. He loves sharing his passion for effective solutions for pain at his clinic, Restorative Care Acupuncture & Health. He strives to find ways to provide his patients with the best acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine, and manual therapy for pain management in Miami.
For more information about our treatment approach and other services, please visit our website at www.acureallyworks.com. Experience the difference that a comprehensive and personalized approach to health care can make at Restorative Care Acupuncture & Health in Miami.
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