Friday, April 28, 2017

back remedies

I used to have disabling back pain.  Now it's under control.  I attribute this to several things I've done that help my back.

1. Caltrate + Minerals.  This supplement has been really amazing.  One thing I don't like, though, is that they've increased the amount of vitamin D in each pill.  The used to have 400 IU.  Now they have 800 IU.  The federal government recommends only 400 per day.  The higher amount is due to a national manic episode about vitamin D.  As a result of Pfizer increasing the vitamin D level in these pills, two doctors have told me my blood vitamin D level is too high.  I can't really use other mineral combinations, because either they aren't absorbed well enough, or they have too much magnesium, which gives me diarrhea. When the absorption isn't good, I still get back pain, or, alternatively muscle restlessness throughout my body

2. Shower, as recommended by a chiropractor: 5 minutes on my back as hot as I can stand, followed by 1 minute as cold as a I can stand.  I also do the yoga six motions of the spine under the hot water, every time I take a shower.  These are the cat & dog stretches, the puppy dog stretches, and twisting.  I've got to do a video of this, so people who don't know what I am taking about will understand.

3. Use of ice for the first 2 days after an acute episode of pain.  Again, as recommended by the chiropractor, it's 15 minutes of ice every hour, as needed.

4 Sleeping on my side with pillows between arms and legs

5. Daily yoga, exercise and/or weight routines, many of which are geared around the six motions of the spine, as well as strengthening abdominal muscles and back leg lifts..  I keep meaning to do youtube videos of my routines.  I have six different routines, which i keep rotating through.  I haven't got round to posting videos.  As my ex used to say, there is a shortage of round to-its.

6. Loose clothing.  I find tight clothing tends to send my muscles into painful spasms.  This includes waistlines and underwear elastic.  I am most comfortable in loose dresses. If I were a guy, who might not feel comfortable with dresses, would wear loose pants with suspenders.

7. Staying regular.  Constipation causes back pain.

8. Inversion.  See my headstand stool video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9UymDzN4U3U

9. Avoiding long uninterrupted periods of sitting

10. Doing the child pose for at least 30s followed by the rotation pose on both sides in response to low back pain.  Also useful: locust.

I should say, too, that carrying kids was a challenge.  I was in the chiropractor's office much more often when I was carrying pre-schoolers.


2 comments:

  1. Thanks for all the great tips. The shower thing is not something that I would have thought of, so I will definitely try that. Yoga has helped me tremendously as well, even though I was so hesitant about it at first. I will hope and pray that your back continues to get better!

    Mark Wallace @ Chiropractic Memphis

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