by Jay Hiller, December 15, 2022
Photo by Joyce McCown on Unsplash
Back aches are not fun. I used to get them quite a bit when I was in my thirties. Over the years I’ve learned to manage them. We all have to evaluate in terms of what we know about our own bodies and of course, according to your doctor or physical therapist’s advice. However, these are some things that have helped me:
- I really like exercises in the book 7 Steps to a Pain Free Life by Robin Mckenzie. (I’ve mentioned it in this blog before.) It has advice for the acute phase of back pain as well as strengthening for the long term. In my experience, those exercises have been invaluable. The book is less than $5 so it’s pretty low risk to try it.
- Something I’m pretty sure will not make things worse is to lie on my back on a flat surface with a bolster or chair supporting underneath my knees. That position places the deep muscles that bend us at the hips in a short and relaxed position.
- I evaluate the furniture I’ve been sitting on. Some couches, chairs and car seat force you into a slump. The simple step of buying an insert from a back specialty store or not sitting in a particular chair for a while can really help.
- I use yoga poses for back relief. I’m careful. If a pose is making me feel worse I stop. Suptapodagustasana, Triangle Pose, Half moon, bridge waves and downward facing dog tend to make me feel better. The sequence for lower back pain in BKS Iyenga’s Yoga For Holistic Health almost always makes my back feel better.
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