Over 60% of all Americans have experienced back pain.
Health > Healthy Life | By CGI Holistic Wellness Center
If you are tired of your aching back running the show and
laying you low, tackle the problem from an energy perspective.
It sounds counter intuitive, but the best thing for your back when you're immobilized from pain is movement. Exercise improves circulation, releases knotted up muscles, strengthens the abdominal walls that support your spine and pumps feel-good hormones like endorphins, dopamine and serotonin into your bloodstream.
If you suffer from lower back pain, you know that finding a lasting cure or treatment can be elusive to non-existent. Unless your pain is from a specific physical trauma or condition such as an injury or torn ligament, causes for pain can be hard to pinpoint.
Studies, and our own experience, tell us that most back pain comes from emotional roots. Stress and feeling "overburdened" or "carrying too much weight" can and almost always does express itself as inflamed tissue, pinched nerves, muscle spasms and many other spinal conditions.
Back pain is also associated with the second chakra. It's not coincidence that they call this energy center the Sacral Chakra. Your second chakra represents your creativity, finances, sexuality, personal power and relationships. So it's no wonder that many people who feel overly responsible for others—caretakers, heads of household, business managers and even healers—feel their pain in the lower back.
And back pain can have a domino effect. Physical tension and psychological stress cause muscle contractions which then restrict blood flow and irritate nerve endings in the spine, causing you to feel immobilized with pain. And with chronic back pain comes sleepless nights. Feeling tired or run down can exacerbate back pain and greatly diminish your coping skills.
Staying fit and reducing stress are two of the most effective treatments for lower back pain. Here are some energy exercises that will lighten the burdens of your body, mind and soul.
Take the Feel-Good Tour
Depression is one of the most common emotions associated with back pain. Feeling unmotivated to exercise or eat well, not getting enough sleep and other prime factors in depression can have direct and profound physiological effects on your spinal health.
When you feel the first twinges of muscle spasm, or are tempted to stay curled up in a ball instead of getting up and facing the day, consider scheduling a day of recreation, with activities that release endorphins.
Endorphins, hormones made naturally in the body, can be just as strong as any manufactured pain medication. When endorphins are released in the body, they help block pain signals from registering with the brain. They also help alleviate anxiety, stress and other signs of depression that are often associated with chronic back pain.
Plan your day around any or all of these energy exercises to flood your body and brain with feel-good hormones.
Massage
Get a professional massage or give yourself a Massage for Lower Back Pain. Simple techniques like rubbing up and down your spine with flat palms or gentle fist tapping along pressure points around your hips, back and legs can give you surprisingly good pain relief.
Deep Breathing
Breathing opens the spaces that pain closes off. When we don't feel well or feel defeated by chronic discomfort, our first instinct is to hold the breath. But restricting our breath only makes things worse by cutting off oxygen and blood flow to our brain. Playing a wind instrument or Joshik, an energy meditation exercise that helps regulate the breath are two exercises that will help you expand your lungs and your diaphragm, increase Qi circulation and relax your mind.
Meditation
Just a few minutes of meditation a day can help you regulate your breath, slow your heart rate and strengthen your brain's neurotransmitters to perceive more positive experiences. You can even enhance meditation with Aromatherapy. Essential oils also help ease back pain by triggering the feel-good hormones endorphins and serotonin in your brain.
Meditation exercises like Walking Qigong and Walking Meditation are both core strengthening and relaxation energy exercises that are excellent for your back. You might also benefit from these easy yet effective back pain relief exercises.
Acupuncture
Acupuncture acts on points in the body that directly affect the meridians, energy channels that get your Qi flowing again. Many people report great relief from back pain. You can also use acupressure to stimulate energy points on your back that help blood flow, release endorphins and create a space for muscles to realign and unknot.
Laughing and Smiling
It sounds like a cliche, but you can never have too many reminders to laugh and smile. Laughter lightens your mood, and releases hormones that heal, under any circumstances. When you laugh, not only does your breathing and circulation improve, and your brain also stops sending distress signals to your nervous system. Go to a comedy show, rent some silly movies. Surround yourself with photos or images of your favorite moments and people that make you smile.
Listen up to Lighten Up
When your mind is resistant to change or too distracted by pain to do anything active, apply some sound therapy to your back muscles. Music is great therapy. Whether it's listening to your favorite music or using musical tones for opening specific chakras sound healing can penetrate even the most tightly wound muscle.
Incorporate one or two, or maybe even all of these activities into your daily life to get your Qi flowing and your life moving again.
If you need support, go to our shop where you'll find great tools for back pain relief like the Lower Back Bolster and other feel-good products!
This information is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your healthcare provider with any questions about your medical condition before starting any diet or exercise program.
by Kim Steffgen
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