My Journey with Back Pain

Last summer my immortality finally wore thin. My back was killing me. My muscles were in constant spasm, I had tingling in my left shin, and my upper right leg was going numb. It was uncomfortable to drive, get out of bed, and even treat patients on a daily basis. I was wary when my sons wanted to roughhouse with me for fear that I would have to spend the rest of my day laying down, and I was letting my mind take me down the “what if” rabbit hole. Frankly, I was scared. 

I was always able to heal fairly quickly. This isn’t the first time I had thrown out my back; the last time was four years ago while I was preparing to move homes. Painting, moving boxes, fixing things here and there—but the straw that broke the camel’s back was making the bed. I wasn’t doing anything exceptional, I was just tucking in the sheet. The next thing I knew, I was laying on the floor with an ice pack. I had sciatic pain and my back hurt whenever I coughed; a cardinal sign of a herniated disc. Thankfully, with conservative care, I was able to heal my back and was back on my feet again in time to move into my new home. 

This time, however, my back wasn’t healing: it hurt on short drives, getting out of the car was no picnic and when I tried running, the tingling in my leg increased. My hip flexors were amazingly tight and were pulling me forward so I had trouble standing up straight, and this interplay of muscles had me all wound up: I would stretch one set of muscles and the other set of muscles would fight back—in other words, my muscle groups were no longer working in harmony. 

I was diagnosed with a disc protrusion, a tear in another disc, and to top it all off, some spinal stenosis or narrowing. My best analogy for a herniated disc is that of a jelly donut: there is a hole in the side of a disc (the tear) and the jelly filling is now being pushed out (the herniation). Spinal stenosis is akin to pinching a straw so you can’t drink out of it; Stenosis is a narrowing of the spaces within the spine that pinch a nerve and can cause pain, tingling, numbness, or weakness.

It has been about a year now since my most recent injury. Acupuncture, chiropractic care, an anti-inflammatory diet, meditation, and gentle movement have all contributed to helping me feel like myself again. Can I do everything now that I’d like to? No, not everything, but I can do most things without pain or discomfort. 

I have learned to take better care of myself by being more aware of the little clues my body gives me and giving it the attention that it deserves. 

QI GONG MOVEMENTS FOR BACK HEALTH

My three favorite Qi Gong movements for back health are below. They’ll move your body on different planes to address all directions of the spine. Be aware of your breath and only go as far as your body will let you today. All of these movements are described in more detail in my book with Dr. Mao, Back to Pain Free Health, Secrets of Natural Healing for Back Pain.

Great Elephant Lifts its Trunk

Pushing the Mountain

Jade Plate Receives the Morning Dew

STRETCHES FOR BACK PAIN

Three stretches that I think are most beneficial for low back pain are:

Figure four piriformis stretch - hold for 30-60 seconds and switch legs.

Glute bridge - squeeze your buttocks and slowly bring your hips towards the sky.

Low cobra with child pose - with elbows on the floor under your shoulders, raise your chest and hold for 10 seconds, up to 60 seconds, and return to starting position. I like to add child’s pose to finish this off. Stay in child’s pose for 10 seconds.

Do these gently. Nothing should be forced. Use your breath to guide you. The stretches should make you feel better, not worse. If pain increases, stop. Start with what your body can do today. It may unfold over time.

BIRD DOG

I needed to add one more movement as I think Bird Dog is so important in retraining your body in a gentle fashion. Your legs and arms don’t need to come up very high, but it is very important to keep your core engaged throughout the whole exercise.

BACK PAIN TIPS

Here are my last three tips for you. I think these are super important to watch out for.

You want to avoid sitting for long periods of time. This could be a long drive or just sitting at your desk for too long. Use a lumbar support to have a proper curvature of your back. Take breaks during your workday to move around. I used to do a lecture on how “sitting is the new smoking”.

Be careful with any movement that flexes and twists. This can be shoveling or even just reaching across the passenger seat to grab a bag of groceries. Try to have your feet under you to pick up heavy items and if you need to lift something challenging, get help.

Enough with traditional sit-ups. If you're still laying on your back with knees bent and pulling your neck toward your knees, you need to stop. This places undue stress on the lower back and neck. You’re better off with plank exercises to strengthen your core safely.

In our clinic, we see many cases of back pain. It is not surprising since 80% of people experience back discomfort in their lifetime. Part of our assessment process is to get to the root of the problem by examining the different muscles that play a role in keeping your back and core strong. Please reach out to us at the Tao of Wellness with any questions or concerns that you may have. We’d be happy to help.