Nick Michel - End Back Pain Now! A Practical Guide To Relieving And Managing Back Pain Through Exercise

End Back Pain Now!

By Nick Michell

First Edition

All rights reserved 2014 Elevate Wellbeing Ltd.

No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without written permission of the author.

Contents

Introduction

In whatever form it appears, back pain is uncomfortable, affects your mood and ability to move well and is, in some cases, debilitating. This book has been designed as a self-help resource to allow you to effectively manage and treat your back pain. Illustrated with straightforward and easy-to-understand images, our guide makes it easy for you to End Back Pain Now!

What Is Back Pain?

The question of what is back pain appears to have more than just one definite answer. According to the World Health Organisation between 80-85% of back pain episodes have no known cause .

However in terms of the impact back pain has on working life it is most definitely a very real issue. Studies have shown that the condition costs the UK economy more than 1.6 billon a year due to lost working days, and more than 100 million working days are lost per year globally .

Ask two different people to describe their back pain and you will normally get two different answers. The medical establishment defines back pain into two categories; either Acute where by the symptoms of pain have been present for up to, but no longer than twelve weeks, and Chronic where by symptoms have lasted longer than a twelve week period or beyond what is deemed to be an acceptable period of time for tissue to heal.

Research has suggested that it is not just physical factors that can contribute to back problems, but also psychological and occupational issues can play a role , therefore being aware of levels of stress and the demands of work can all contribute to keeping the back free of pain and fully mobile.

The World Health Organisation stipulates that incorporating exercise into daily life is one of the key ways to protect against back pain and it highlights yoga as especially suitable for the condition . Prescribed bed rest and remaining immobile is defiantly not advised as it was in the past, instead attempting to maintain a normal life is actively encouraged to keep the individual from becoming a victim of the condition and instead be proactive about their recovery and improvement.

We hope this guide will help you along your journey.

References

Manidakakis A and Gray, The economic burden of back pain in the UK, Pain 2000,: 84:95-103

Bulletin Of The World Health Organisation 2003; 81: 671-676

Williams KD, Petronis J, Smith D, et al. Effect of Iyengar yoga therapy for chronic low back pain. Pain. 2005; 115: 107-117

Nick has been involved in health and wellbeing for over fifteen years and is member of the Register of Exercise Professionals. He works with a wide range of health practitioners to help his clients achieve their goals, especially in the areas of behavioural change and personal development.

He is a true believer in the positive effects that simple corrective movement patterns can bring to achieve pain free movement. Nicks training methods reflect these ideals by looking at the body organically, emphasising emotional as well as physical well being.

Over the years I have found that clients who are proactive about incorporating simple but effective exercises into their daily life stand a greater chance of improving or completely removing back pain issues, leading to a more enriching and enjoyable existence.

How To Use This Guide

This is a self-help guide and we expect you to do just that - help yourself! Weve seen countless individuals improve, manage and eradicate their back pain by committing themselves to a structured programme of exercise but they all share one characteristic - they dedicate time to dealing with the issue and make it a priority in their lives.

We have organised the instructional elements of this guide by topic:

• Yoga exercises
• Strength and conditioning exercises
• Pilates exercises
• Foam roller exercises

We believe that a multidisciplinary approach is the most effective way to manage your back pain and encourage you to perform exercises from each section.

We have purposefully avoided giving you rigid programming instructions to follow when performing these exercises. To get the very best from this programme you should instead practice the exercises. Avoid going to the point of exhaustion and aim to keep the quality high in each movement you perform.

Youll also find a section called Quick Fixes. These are simple, 5 minute sessions designed to be done as and when you are experiencing back pain. They can also be used as a way to ward off back pain during times that you traditionally experience it e.g. during a long car journey, whilst seated for long periods at work or after lifting something heavy. The Quick Fix sessions are useful at encouraging regular, mindful management of your back pain.

Yoga Exercises

One of the main culprits of back pain is muscle imbalance in key areas of the body affecting the spine such as shoulders, neck and hips. Doing Yoga on a regular basis helps to cultivate a balance between strength and flexibility in these key areas, releasing muscle tension and restoring equilibrium within the body.

Special acknowledgment goes to Simona Hernandez for her assistance in editing the Yoga section of this book. To find out more about Simona please visit: www.yogabodhi.co.uk

General Considerations

• When performing Yoga never stay in a position if it hurts. Yoga does not employ a no pain no gain policy but rather being aware and kind to yourself
• Yoga should be challenging on all levels but not painful
• Being mindful of the breath is one of the best ways to see where we are mentally, physically and energetically. Typically positions are held for a count of breaths
• If you find yourself holding your breath in a pose or it is constricted then that is a sure sign to come out of the pose or ease off a little

A Brief History Of Yoga

Yoga is an ancient science, dating back over 4000 years, originally passed down through chanting and more recently recorded in classic Yoga texts such as the Bhagavad Gita (c.100CE) and the Yoga Sutra of Patanjali (c.250CE). These continue to be relevant today and their teachings are central to Yoga classes taught both in India, where Yoga originates, and across the Western World.

Yoga means union and it is through the practice of Yoga that we can achieve the union of mind, body and breath. Working on each of these areas will have benefits on all three parts of ourselves.

Yoga techniques include breath-control and meditation as well as asana, or Yoga postures. Asana offer a practical way for aspirants to work on their mental, physical and spiritual wellbeing. They stretch, tone and open the body up, helping to remove tension and disease that exists there.

As Yoga is different for every practitioner, it is important that individuals take time to observe the effects the Yoga has on them and in order to adjust and develop their practice to achieve the desired results.

Exercise 1 - Adho Mukha Svanasana/Downward Facing Dog

Stretches the whole back of the body, including the spine. It also helps to open the upper body and shoulders and so relieve stiffness in this area. This is a useful asana to teach postural awareness as it works evenly across every plane of the body.

Technique

• Come into it from all fours hands under shoulders, knees under hips
• Ground through the four corners of your hands, keeping the space between the index finger and third finger pointing towards the top end of your mat. Feel an internal rotation of the lower arm bones and an external rotation of the upper arm bones as if you were squeezing a dish cloth in 2 opposite directions