10 Back Pain Commandments

Get Rid of Your Back Pain

Photo by Lparis22

1. Drink Plenty of Water

One of the most basic yet common causes of pain is dehydration.

Not having enough fluid in the body to keep the body cool, the blood moving, the muscles supple, the tendons relaxed and the discs well hydrated causes pain.

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Photo by Roger McLassus

Not only must you drink plenty of water, but you must also avoid coffee, tea and soda as these all cause you to sweat, urinate... to dehydrate.

2. Sit Up Straight

One of the worst things you can do for your back is to sit down.

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The "C"-shaped posture most people slump into puts serious stress on the spine.

Medical consensus is bad posture will cause you pain... sooner or later.

Photo by Skoivuma

3. Reduce Inflammation

Inflammation is a response from your immune system in action against an irritant.

The swelling is your body's way of running to the problem with fresh blood, antibodies and vital cells in order to begin healing and repairing the damage.

The problem is, after around age 25, our production of healing enzymes drops off so there is nothing to tell the body to stop the inflammation.

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4. Change Your Diet

The amount of inflammation in your body varies and is dependent on your activity level, the amount of sleep you get, the degree of stress in your life, and especially the foods you eat.

What you have to realize is that these factors build up over time.

There are foods that help reduce inflammation and foods that make it worse. You need to know which are which, if you want to be pain free.

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Anti-inflammatory foods

Alaskan Salmon (wild)Fresh whole fruits, vegetablesBright multi-colored vegetablesGreen teaWaterOlive oilLean poultryNuts, legumes and seedsDark green leafy vegetablesOld fashioned oatmealSpices, especially Turmeric and Ginger

Anti-Inflammatory FoodsInflammatory foods

Sugar, from any sourceProcessed foodsFrench FriesFast FoodsWhite breadPastaIce CreamCheddar CheesesSnack FoodsOils such as vegetable and cornSoda, caffeine and alcohol

5. Don't Wear Heel Lifts

Leg-length discrepancies are often caused by how we hold ourselves, how we stand.

In general, habits, patterns, posture and positioning — things we do all day long — control the way our pelvis is conditioned.

Wearing heel lifts only masks the real problem.

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6. Release the Mind

If you have tried many treatments but are still in pain consider...

Tension Myositis Syndrome - a mild oxygen deprivation that causes pain in the affected muscle.

The Sedona Method - a series of questions that lead your awareness to what you are feeling in the moment and gently guide you into the experience of letting go.

Emotional Freedom Technique - is it disturbances in your energy field that are actually causing the negative emotions, which then cause your ill-health symptoms.

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7. Exercise Properly

You need to develop a balanced and stable body. But also understand that the very cardio exercises could be making your condition worse.

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Training the wrong muscle groups could make your pain much worse by developing or perpetuating muscle imbalances.

Abnormal curvature of the spine is the root of all back pain – whether it’s anything from a pulled back muscle or herniated disc.

Photo by Shustov

8. Your Condition May Not Be So Important

Once given a diagnosis do not feel like you need to cure your condition to be pain free.

Studies have proved that you can have a diagnosis and not have pain.

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But you should be finding out what caused the pain to begin with.

Photo by J Heuser

9. Get a Good Nights Sleep

Sleep helps your body heal. It's really the only time your muscles can completely rest and recover.

Among other things, human growth hormone and melatonin, both of which play a big role in tissue recovery and immunity, are produced during sleep.

So if you're not getting good sleep—whether it's due to pain, anxiety, fear or whatever—you're not giving your muscles, especially your back muscles, time to rejuvenate themselves for the next day's activities.

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Photo by Exolune

10. Knowledge is Power

Never stop educating yourself about how to achieve optimal health and pain free living.

There are so many diagnoses out there and even more treatments available to try.

The best way to put an end to your pain and suffering is by educating yourself about the whole gambit of back pain.

Find out more about how to deal with your back pain by clicking this link http://www.susanmathias.net/backpain

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