HAVE YOU BEEN ‘THROWN’? What to do if you throw out your back…
I don’t know what’s in the air lately, but I have been around at least five or six people in the past few weeks that have thrown out their backs. A lot of the cases sound similar-they were picking something up and suddenly an excrutiating pain in the back stopped them. I have been told that this pain is so great and so debilitating at the time that it is hard to even describe. So I thought that I would give you all a few tips I’ve read about to ease your pain and to help you in case you are ever in this position in the future.
First of all, when you first feel that shooting pain that locks you up, stay where you are, get down on the ground and lay in a fetal-like position if you can for at least ten minutes. And breathe deeply. You want to try to get the muscles to relax a little so that you don’t make it any worse than it is. Stay on your side if that helps. You need to stretch a little at a time to start getting some mobility and to make sure it doesn’t lock up too much more.
Once you can move a little more, try to stretch yourself by pulling knees into chest, roll from side to side. You can even put a pillow underneath you while you roll back and forth. If you can get up to an ‘all-fours’ position, try to do some ‘CAT-COW’ stretching. Tilt your pelvis back and forth to get the back unlocked. Then get yourself into ‘Childs’ pose’ which should relax your back a bit more. Breathe through every movement. Every breath should relax the muscles more and more. Breathe slowly and deeply through each stretch.
You can also take some arnica pills. Arnica Montana is great for healing muscles and is anti-inflammatory. I’ve also been told that MSM (Methyl-Sulfonlyl-Methane) is a good and safe supplement to take to combat inflammation. You can find these at any store that sells homeopathic remedies such as Whole Foods or your local health food store.
Another step you need to take is switching on and off with hot and cold. Get in a hot shower and after a few minutes turn it ice cold on your back (yes, you can scream if you need to!) and then after a few moments, turn it hot again. Do this a few times and it apparently works wonders for back pain.
And finally, seeing a massage therapist and/or a chiropractor can only help get you through severe back pain. Ask around for trusted practitioners in your area.
It’s also really important to remember to engage your abdominal muscles when picking anything up off the floor and to build the core muscles to protect your back from further pain down the road. Pilates and other ab workouts can really aid in keeping you from injuring your back. If you are suffering from back pain, take a moment and relax and breathe and visualize a pain-free back. This too will help you get through the toughest moments of back pain.
Liz Samuel
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