Guest Author - Carolyn Chambers Clark, ARNP, EdD

Why do so many people have backaches?
Walking upright, having weak abdominal muscles, being overweight, eating nonnutritious foods, and lifting using poor body mechanics can all add up to backaches.

What can be done to relieve back pain?

* do abdominal crunches to provide adequate support for your back.

* lose weight if you're overweight; this is especially important if you carry
weight around your waist and abdomen

* avoid eating a high-fat, high-sugar or sugar substitute diet; eat more fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts and seeds to lose weight and build stamina

* avoid lifting heavy objects and when you do lift, use your legs, not your arms and back to provide strength

What specific exercises can you do to stretch and enhance comfort

1. Sit in a chair and press your buttocks together. This will strengthen the muscles that help support your back and legs. Hold for five seconds, relax, and repeat. Work up gradually to 20 repetitions a day.

2. Lie in bed and bend each knee to your chest. Gradually increase to l0 repetitions each, then pull both knees to your chest and hold for six seconds. Repeat, increasing to l0 repetitions.

3. Lie on your back and move your feet and legs in the air as if you're riding a bicycle while counting to five. Relax and repeat, gradually increasing to l0 repetitions a day.

4. To stretch your hips, lie on your stomach in bed or on a padded floor. Raise your leg and leg and foot off the bed or floor, keeping your knee straight. Hold for five seconds. Repeat, work up to 10 repetitions. Repeat with the other leg.

Investigate taking hula or Tai Chi lessons. Both can increase flexibility, increase circulation and reduce pain. Dancing is also helpful, according to studies reported in the American Journal of Occupational Therapy and Arthritis Care Research.

What else can you do to relieve backache?

* Soak a piece of unbleached and undyed flannel cloth in warmed castor oil and place it on noninflamed joints. Keep it on for 15-20 minutes while lying down and relaxing.

* Find an onion, some garlic or an uncooked potato. Rub the grated onion, garlic or potato into inflamed joints or muscles. These substances can draw out heat and reduce swelling. Experiment and see which of them works for you.

Relaxation can also reduce back pain

*Meditative breathing, consciously tightening and relaxing your body (first feet, then legs, buttocks, abdomen, chest, back, neck, and head) can help you relax

*Guided imagery, picturing yourself relaxed and pain-free can reduce your pain

*Soak in a warm tub or use moist heat for relief

*Brush your skin all over with a body brush before taking alternate cold and warm showers

*Take an afternoon nap to relax your body

*Try acupuncture, acupressure, therapeutic touch, or massage to relax your body and help it use its own internal healing mechanisms.

Supplements may relieve backache

Evening primrose and borage seed oils may help. A study in the Annals of Internal Medicine reported that tender and swollen joints were reduced in patients taking the gammalinolenic acid dose as opposed to a group taking a placebo (sugar pill). Black currant seed oil may also may reduce inflammation and joint tissue injury. The study was published in the British Journal of Rheumatology. If you are taking medication for arthritic pain, you may wish to combine it with either vitamin E or C. A study reported in Arzneimittelforschung reported that combining antioxidants or vitamin E with indometacin, sulphasalazine and/or indometacin controlled symptoms more effectively than drugs alone. The British Journal of Nutrition reported that vitamin C, beta-carotene, selenium and polyunsaturated fatty acids can ameliorate the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis and related condition. A vitamin supplement of 6400 micrograms of folate and 20 micrograms of cobalamin worked as well as NSAIDs (such as acetaminophen, aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen, and ketoprofen) had fewer side effects (none), and cost less. The study was reported in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition.

Write about your pain

Writing about your stressful experiences can relieve pain symptoms, according to research reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Spend at least 20 minutes on three consecutive days writing about the most stressful events in your life to achieve benefits.

Herbs may relieve backache

Some herbs that may help include feverfew, lemon myrtle, aniseed myrtle, mountain pepper,and wild rosella. White willow bark is available in capsules and works as well as aspirin, and without the digestive and bleeding side effects. Consult an herbologist or health care practitioner with special knowledge of the use of herbs prior to trying these or any herbs. Also, always inform your doctor or health care professional of any herbs or supplements you are taking or thinking about taking.

For more information on soothing a backache, click on PAIN-FREE

This article is excerpted from American Holistic Nurses' Association Guide to Common Chronic Conditions, Self-Care Options to Complement Your Doctor's Advice, John Wiley, 2003.



This article is for information purposes only. For treatment, consult your health care practitioner.

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