Used to be, when myback would &l ...

Used to be, when my back would “go out” on me (which seems to happen every year or two), it would take 30 days until I was feeling 80% better.  Now, it takes around 30 minutes, with full recovery in about 3 three days.  How?

Well, it’s taken years of trial and (lots of) error, but what works for me is:

• Immediately ice the pain area for 5 minutes, and alternate icing with a few minutes of gentle stretching + yoga breathing.  I do this for 20-30 minutes or so, and when I get up usually feel 80% better!
• The rest of the day, every few hours I do a cycle of 5 minutes ice, 5-10 minutes rest, then a warm shower, followed by gentle movement (walking, stretching, qigong/tai chi, yoga, etc.)
• Over the next couple of days, I continue with the gentle movement/exercise (gradually increasing the duration/intensity) and continued moist heat therapy as needed.

And that’s about it!

  Why is this so tricky?   First, it took me a while to realize that the intense pain (yes, the kind that knocks you down & takes your breath away) was caused by a muscle spasm.  That understanding really helped!  Then, here are some of the mistakes I learned from:

1. Used heat too soon
2. Did not know which muscles to stretch in which direction
3. Did not know how to breathe into the muscles to get them to relax
4. Used ice for too long, or for too many days
5. Kept the area immobile, did not stretch or exercise
6. “bed rested” too much

So the challenge for all of us is to figure out what works for us as individuals, with our own unique injury patterns, abilities, etc.  So keep experimenting til you find what works for you!  And definitely consult your health care pro, she will probably have some great ideas as well!