Lower Back Pain Remedies - Chinese Style

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), with its 2500 year old history, offers many lower back pain remedies - lower back stretches and strengthening exercises, massage techniques, acupuncture, herbal remedies, liniments, sticking plasters and others. Some require a trained TCM practitioner to administer them, while others can be easily learned andapplied by anyone. This article introduces some effective low back pain remedies and stretches that you can apply yourself to relieve and prevent low back pain.

Lower Back Stretches

Breath slowly, smoothly and deeply through your nose while doing the exercises.

Exercise 1. Lie on your back on a firm bed or the floor. Gently bring your knees up until they're above your abdominal area. Spread your knees a little and grab the inside of your shins just below your knees, or the inside of your ankles if you can. Inhale. As you exhale let your knees naturally fall further out to the side with gravity. Focus your mind on your back (closing your eyes helps). Feel your inner thighs stretching and your back relaxing. Hold the position for a few minutes as you continue to breath slowly, smoothly and deeply. This exercise stretches and relaxes your iliopsoas muscle which connects from your lumbar vertebrae to the inside of your hip joints. Tension in this muscle often causes and/or aggravates low back pain.

Exercise 2. Lean across a table and grab the far edge with both hands. Your torso should be on the table and your legs hanging from the edge. Inhale. As you exhale, let gravity naturally pull your legs down towards the floor. Feel your back stretching. Hold the position for several minutes as you continue slow, deep breathing. Focus your mind on your back (closing your eyes helps) and imagine the pain releasing with each exhalation. Repeat several times a day.

Low Back Pain Remedies

1. Ginger & Sesame Oil Liniment

Mix together equal parts of pure sesame oil and the juice from grated ginger. Heat in a pot till warm. Apply a small amount to the painful area and rub it in for a couple of minutes. It should be applied to unbroken skin only. Ginger and sesame oil liniment is a superb, easy-to-make, home remedy for back ache and other aches and pains. It warms, circulates your blood and stops pain. You can safely apply it several times a day, particularly after showering and before bed. Make sure you pull your clothing down over your back immediately after to keep the area warm. Also, while it's normal for your skin to become hot and turn red after you apply the liniment, if a rash develops discontinue use.

2. Low Back Self-Massage

Can be done standing or sitting. With fists clenched (not too tightly), use the backs of your hands, including your knuckles, to vigorously rub your lower back up and down for several minutes, 3 or 4 times a day. Rub close to your spine and also the sides of your back - where ever you experience pain and stiffness. Self-massage is a highly beneficial low back pain remedy you can do anytime, anywhere to relieve and prevent low back pain. Massage warms the area, moves the blood and directly stimulates your kidneys, which helps to maintain a strong, healthy lower back.

Tip: To greatly enhance the effects of the above lower back pain remedies and lower back stretches, combine them. For example, lie down and do the first 2 stretches, then stand up and do the lower back self-massage, then apply some Ginger & Sesame Oil Liniment. You know your body best though, so experiment till you find what works best for your particular situation.

By Matthew Scott

3 Yoga Poses for Lower Back Pain

Yoga is one of the best exercise programs for alleviating lower back pain. The positions you assume during yoga, called poses, are designed to foster both strength and flexibility, two imperative components of a healthy body. Lower back pain often results from muscle tension and weak core muscles. The following 3 yoga poses will promote spinal flexibility and tone muscles in the stomach, back, pelvis and buttocks.
Cat/Cow
The cat and cow are actually two separate yoga poses, but they are generally performed in succession. These poses restore range of motion to the spinal joints and engage the muscles in the stomach and lower back.
Begin in a "table top" position on all fours. Adjust yourself so that your knees are aligned with your hips and your hands, with your shoulders. Your spine should be neutral with your eyes pointed downward. From the beginning of the exercise to the end, keep your deep stomach muscles engaged. When you're positioned properly, begin to arch your spine upward, tucking your pelvis under and allowing your head to drop, but not dropping your chin to your chest. Make sure your knees are still aligned with your hips and your hands with your shoulders. This is the cat pose.
Return to your start position on the inhale. Now, you'll do the opposite. Raise your buttocks and your chest as your spine arches inward. Your head should be facing forward. Return to your starting position as you inhale. Repeat this sequence 10 to 20 times, depending on your current level of strength and flexibility.
Downward-Facing Dog
Downward-facing dog is a great way to elongate the spine and stretch the muscles in the back of the legs, which are often tight from sitting. It also stretches the upper back, shoulders and arms.
You can begin this pose on all fours in the table top position, but with your hands slightly ahead of the shoulders with your fingers spread out. Get onto the balls of your feet; begin bringing your knees away from the floor. Lightly press your tailbone toward the front of your pelvis as you lift the sit bones - the bones in your buttocks - upward toward the ceiling (these steps sound strange, but try it - you will feel the difference between following them and simply raising your buttocks). Exhale as you lower your heels to the floor and straighten your knees. Essentially, you want to form an in inverted "V" from your wrists to your heels.
In this position, push your palms and heels into the floor, and try to further elongate your torso and legs while keeping the sit bones lifting toward the ceiling. Your head should be centered between your upper arms.
Plank
The plank is one of the best exercises for toning your entire core muscle group. You can start from the table top position again. Lower yourself onto your elbows and forearms. Walk you feet back all the way; your shoulders should be directly over your elbows. Roll your forearms so that the side that aligns with your pinky finger is against the floor. You should now have only your elbows, forearms and feet touching the floor.
You want close to a straight line connecting your heels and head, but with the buttocks slightly raised. You can achieve the right position by pushing the front of your thighs upward while pushing your tailbone downward. Your neck should be aligned with your back.
Hold the plank for 10 seconds if you are a beginner; lengthen duration to 30-60 seconds as your strength increases.
The 3 poses above can give you a flexible spine and a strong core. They can easily be added into your daily routine to help relieve lower back pain.
By Amee LaTour