Care Practices for Back Pain
My first thoughts on back pain are: who doesn’t have back pain?
Many of us live with debilitating back pain, yet it is so normalized that it becomes invisible. Unless you are visibly old and hunched, you’ve likely had the experience of having your back pain diminished by others. “You’re too young for back pain.” “We all have back pain, that’s life.”
Yet our daily lives seem to be built around taxing our spines. Long hours on the computer, long commutes, heavy lifting, stress, toxicity. The spine is subject to whatever labour and strain we subject it to. We rely on our spine so much we forget it exists, and that it needs our care.
What if caring for our spine was as central to our daily life as our spine is central to us?
There is so much to understand about the spine. Did you know your spinal column connects to your organs? Chinese medicine and western physiology highlight the same connection points to the organs. Physiology shows how our nerves from our spinal column direct the pathway between the brain and our organ function. Chinese medicine looks to these points to identify disorders of the organ system. Tenderness, tension and pain are signs of deficiency or hyperfunction in the organ. What is your spinal column telling you?
I’ve gathered many tricks in my 15 years of living with Ankylosing Spondylitis as well as through my studies in Integrative Medicine. Someone with a seized shoulder recently asked me to share my tips and I thought I might as well write about it, so here are some basic self-care points and practices for generalized back pain.
My first tip is to get professional medical advice! There are many different types of medical professionals who work with back pain, and it’s worth seeing what their perspectives are to build your case. Not every approach will work for you, but perhaps over time a clearer picture will come into view with the help of several professionals. If you are able, go see a physiotherapist, chiropractor, acupuncturist, herbalist, rheumatologist and a neurologist. If you are having severe prolonged chronic back pain, request imaging such as X-Rays and MRI’s and blood tests. At the end of the day, it’s your back. You know the most about what is happening in your body because you can feel it. You’ve got your own back.
REST. Rest until you are rested! Overwork and exhaustion tax your system, which means your blood may be depleted, or have a high level of inflammation, or not have enough time to filter out toxins. This can cause a build up, especially in shoulders. Try to rest after exertion until you feel like you have a spark again, a sign that your blood has processed whatever was released earlier (hormones, stress, cortisol). This is easier said than done because we use our spines for literally everything, so tasks such as cooking and cleaning can exacerbate our back pain quite quickly. If this is the case, then break up your tasks and take 10–15 minutes to lay down in-between. It can be helpful to communicate to the people you share space with that you are doing this, as it gives you permission to take that space when you need to. For example, “I’m going to wash a few dishes and then lay down and then I’ll chop some veggies.”
Take a bath with Epsom Salts, as the high Magnesium level helps filter lactic acid build up and inflammation. Allow yourself to spend at least 20 minutes soaking in the water.
Alternate heat and cold on localized painful areas to increase the blood circulation. Herbal patches are very effective for tight shoulders as they slow-release medicinal properties directly into tense muscles. Small regular doses of Ibuprofen or other anti-inflammatories can go a long way to support your body with dealing with inflammation build up and get your blood moving.
Drink lots of water, and lots of tea.
Develop a daily gentle movement or dance routine. Qi Gong is an effective movement practice for back pain as the movements gently stretch and strengthen each vertebrae. Even swinging your arms around to one song can go a long way to free up some movement. Whatever your practice, your spine will thank you.
Sticking to a simple diet with low toxins or allergens is key. Diet is different for everyone, but identifying any sensitivities and reducing processed foods, especially sugars, dairy and gluten, can ease up the taxation on your system.
Identify if you have a misalignment in your spine. If you have sharp, localized pain, it could be due to a slipped vertebrae, spinal curvature or even herniated disc. These types of injuries or strains can be overlooked for a long time especially if they are relatively minor to begin with. Over time, however, these misalignments can cause tremendous pain that is sometimes difficult to identify as the pain can radiate to other parts of the back or body. Tingling sensations, numbness, and sharp electric pain can be signs of a pinched or inhibited nerve, which is often caused by a physical obstruction. Shoulder pain, for example, can be caused by a misalignment in your thoracic or lumber spine. Listening to how the pain feels, moves, and radiates is key to identifying the underlying cause.
Back braces can be very helpful if you have a misalignment. Although it’s not recommended to wear one at all times unless you have severe Scoliosis, wearing a brace intermittently or when you have a difficult task such as lifting or sitting for a long period of time can ease the strain on your spine. This can be a great tool for regaining strength in your spine while keeping it protected and supported. A tight cloth or a corset can be gentler options for back bracing.
Ask a friend for care :) This is often the hardest point. We often forget we can ask those around us to help us with our physical pain. Admitting you are in pain and asking for help is a huge step for easing your pain, as it becomes a moment for collective care instead of an individual issue dealt with in isolation. Friends may have good tips, know a great practitioner or give you a hand with your groceries. They may even give you an incredible massage! Care is beautiful and it can even be fun. Take it as an opportunity for friendship and connection.
Regardless of your care practice, listening to your body and not pushing yourself through your pain as much as possible is the priority. Healing is a process that does not happen overnight, and our society often doesn’t leave room for rest, healing or caring for each other. Honour what you have been through by easing your pain. Honour where you are going by easing your pain. You are worth it ❤
