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Back
Pain: Exercises to Help Healing
 When it comes to back
pain, your first thoughts may be to take over-the-counter pain medication
and rest whenever possible. Two bad options. First, medication is only
going to temporarily relieve the pain, if at all, and may be accompanied by
various unpleasant side effects attributable to drugs. Second, rest may
actually hurt more than help. While you're seeing your chiropractor, there
are a few things you can do at home to help the healing process. Believe it
or not, it's based on the simple principle of movement.
When you stop moving, everything tightens up, circulation slows down,
and pain chemicals accumulate in your muscles and joints. It's like waking
up after sleeping in a cold room on a lousy mattress with a draft. You need
to move. Here are two simple exercises to get you started (discuss these
with your doctor first):
Exercise #1:
Backward Bending (extension of the lumbar spine). An
exercise called the McKenzie extension is the first thing you should try if
you have sciatica (pain running down your leg). If these exercises work, your
pain will diminish and may centralize, which is a good thing. Centralize
means your pain goes less far down your leg, and you may feel it closer to
the spine. Bending backward may not feel good at first, but you should feel
better immediately afterward. If you feel worse afterward or the pain goes
farther down your leg, stop, as this is not the exercise for you.
How to Do It:
Lie face-down on the floor, arms bent at your sides (sort of like a
starting push-up posture). Straighten your arms up slowly, lifting your
upper body off the floor as you do so. Your legs and feet should stay on
the ground. Hold for 3-5 seconds, then slowly lower your upper body back
down. Repeat 10 times, as often as once per hour
Exercise #2:
Flexion Exercises (bringing the leg toward the chest).
People with lower back pain can also feel better with various types of leg
flexion, bringing the bent leg toward the chest, or doing contract-relax
and then bringing the bent leg toward the chest. These people usually have
sacroiliac joint problems. (The SI joints are located on either side of the
spine in the lower back.)
How to Do It:
Lie on your back with one leg bent and then other flat on the floor. Bring
the bent leg up toward the chest. Wrap your arms around the leg and then
try to lower it toward the floor for 3-5 seconds, resisting with your arms.
Relax, and then pull the bent leg up farther toward the chest. Repeat the
entire process three times.
To reduce your risk of injury, consult with your doctor before doing
these exercises for the first time, particularly if your pain is new and/or
you would like further explanation of how to perform the exercises
correctly.
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Break
Free of the Disease Diet
 The SAD fact is that
cultures that eat the reverse of the "Standard American Diet" -
low fat, high in complex carbohydrates, fruits, vegetables and fiber, etc.
- have a lower incidence of obesity, cancer and coronary artery disease.
What's even more SAD is that countries whose populations can afford to eat
the healthiest disease-preventing foods don't.
America spends more money on weight loss than any country in the world, yet
the American diet contributes to the very conditions we spend so much money
to prevent.
Research conducted at the University of San Francisco Department of
Medicine by Drs. Lynda Frassetto and Anthony Sebastian, and subsequently
published in the prestigious Journal
of Gerontology, clearly demonstrates that as we get older our
bodies accumulate acid wastes. They attribute the accumulation of acid and
the reduction of the alkaline state as we age to eating the Standard
American Diet (SAD), and conclude that the role of age-related metabolic
acidosis in the cause of adult degenerative disease warrants consideration.
So, it's obvious that we must consume more "alkaline" fruits,
vegetables and plant foods to fight off disease as we age. Our SAD choices
in food must change. Education and the new advances in food technologies
are the keys. It's as simple as replacing the Standard American Diet, which
is:
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High
in animal fats including dairy products
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High
in unhealthy fats: saturated, hydrogenated
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Low
in fiber
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High
in processed foods
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Low
in complex carbohydrates
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Low
in fruits, vegetables and other plant-based foods
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with a healthier diet that focuses on alkaline fruits, vegetables and
plant foods, including the following:
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Tomatoes
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Carrots
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Spinach
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Broccoli
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Blueberries
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Raspberries
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Talk to your doctor for more information on how you can break free of
the SAD cycle of weight gain and disease and achieve your health goals.
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Avoid
Common Exercise Mistakes
 The most important
goal when undertaking any exercise program is not to build muscle, burn
fat, increase cardiovascular capacity, or anything else. Those are
important, but the number-one priority is to keep from being injured.
That's the only way you'll have a real chance of reaching your fitness
goals. Here are four movements to avoid when exercising, along with a few
exercises that are often performed incorrectly:
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1.
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Don't use jerking motions, especially when lifting. Speed is fine when done appropriately, but you should
always have fluid motion and proper form when performing any and all
exercises; otherwise you could strain or even tear something.
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2.
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Don't use body parts not required for the exercise. Have you ever seen people doing biceps curls and
rounding their shoulders or arching their backs? Those are just two of
the big no-no's that can lead to injury.
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3.
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Don't lock out your knees or elbows. Never lock your joints when working out; keep them
slightly bent so the weight will not be transferred to the joints.
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4.
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Don't arch your back. Picture someone on the barbell bench press, lifting a
weight that is actually too heavy for them. Chances are that eventually,
they will start arching their back. Sooner than later, that back is going
to give out and they won't be able to exercise for days, weeks or even
longer.
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Push-ups.
The wrong way: You should never have a dip or arch in your back or lock
your arms. The right way: Arms should be underneath you and not locked,
back parallel to the floor. Engage your "core" the entire time
(squeeze your glutes and draw in your belly button).
Walking lunges.
The wrong way: When performing a lunge, extending the front knee past the
front foot will cause injury at some point. The right way: When you are in
a split stance, go straight down and do not let your front knee go past
your foot.
Squats.
The wrong way: Knees coming forward over your toes. The right way: Perform
this exercise as if you were sitting back on a chair and putting 80 percent
of your weight on your heels. Then lean slightly forward so you won't fall
back.
Chest press.
The wrong way: Lifting the weight using your back (high arch). The right
way: Keep your back flat and relax your shoulders while lifting the weight.
And let's not forget about the right and wrong way to exercise in
general. Get some expert advice prior to working out. Most gyms have
personal trainers who will give you a free consultation and show you some
basic machines and correct postures. Your doctor is also a good source of
information, particularly if they specialize in exercise and rehab protocols.
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