It is a fact that most of us suffer from neck pain, back pain and/or sciatica at some point in our lives. In fact, for some people with back problems it is an ongoing problem, which can put them out of commission altogether, leading to complete and permanent disability. A “bad back” can be caused by a myriad of factors including: tight muscles; muscle imbalance; herniated discs; weak muscles; the pregnancy; and even stress. In many cases, these injuries or conditions are the result of daily movement, things that we do in our daily lives. Movements such as reaching for objects, bending incorrectly, assuming the wrong posture, trying to do “too much”, etc. often lead to problems.
In some cases, back pain and sciatica can be caused by carrying heavy objects or carrying them improperly. One of the biggest problems related to what I call the “bad back complex” or “back pain complex” is being overweight. Excess weight can mean anything from carrying a few extra pounds to being clinically obese. Many of us struggle with weight issues throughout our lives, and obesity, combined with a host of other factors, often exacerbates neck pain, back pain, and sciatica. Obesity and the resulting damage to the musculoskeletal system often result in pronounced, life-altering changes in the anatomy, morphology, physiology, and function of the spine, associated nervous system, and supporting musculature.
If you’re only a few pounds overweight, you may still be putting undue pressure on your spine, pulling it out of its natural alignment and profoundly altering the curvatures of your neck (cervical), chest (thoracic), and lower back. back (lumbar), as a result. The best place to start losing weight is with a smart, individualized, medically approved and, in some cases, medically supervised exercise program. Cardiovascular exercise, at least 20 minutes a day, will improve and increase weight loss, also increasing muscle mass and improving muscle tone.
Lean muscle burns at a higher rate than fat or fatty muscle, therefore you will burn more calories and improve your overall Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR). Ultimately, extending your aerobic workout to 30 minutes will produce amazing results in no time. Not only will you witness a significant reduction in inches and pounds, but you’ll experience incredible, often total, relief from neck pain, back pain, and sciatica. Many people can find relief from back pain symptoms simply by losing 5 or 10 pounds.
In addition to cardio or aerobic exercise, stretch every day for at least 10 to 15 minutes. When you get up in the morning, stretch your back slowly and with full concentration, leaning forward and trying to rest your nose on your knee. Yes, I know, it’s impossible right now, but keep doing it, slow and easy, in the morning and before bed at night. Eventually, you’ll be surprised at how agile you become, particularly when you start to scale back your “middle”. Muscle tone and flexibility will help reduce neck pain, back pain, and sciatica. Good muscle tone and strength will also reduce the incidence of injury.
In addition to altering the curvature of the spine, forcing it out of alignment due to too much weight being carried forward, excess weight can also create a situation where our hips (pelvis) tilt forward. The incorrect position of the hips also puts pressure on the sciatic nerve, resulting in sciatica, in addition to lower back pain. Furthermore, if the hips remain misaligned and the resulting pressure on the various joints, primarily the sacroiliac (sacrum to ilium) and hip joint (femur/acetabulum) or socket, is not reduced and/or eliminated, the depression it is deep and degenerative. Forces come into play that permanently alter the architecture of the joint and cause chronic pain.
It is difficult for many to empathize with, let alone understand, what a patient with chronic neck pain, back pain, and/or sciatica experiences on a daily basis. The discomfort associated with back pain, which sometimes reaches a fever pitch, can continue unabated for many years before the correct back pain strategy is discovered and implemented. The real problem is that often the pain itself prevents a person from exercising and exercising, which would help relieve or eliminate the pain. Weight loss becomes a problem due to inactivity and the consequent sedentary lifestyle adopted as a strategy to relieve pain. Often people with back problems simply give up, unable to deal with or effectively treat any problem, obesity or chronic pain. It is common for a person to become depressed, leading to additional weight gain from overeating and further reduction in activity and BMR.
When you feel overwhelmed, take a walk! Walk to the corner store. Walk to the mailbox! Walk the dogs! Damn, walk the cat! Just make sure to walk! Don’t see your walk as an exercise, see it as an escape, private time, time with your thoughts, time alone. Shift your focus and you’ll find that your walks are getting longer and that your neck pain, back pain and sciatica, along with the nagging weight problem and resulting depression, have simply disappeared from your life. The baby is out the door! Baby down the stairs! Honey… You know the exercise.
Having realistic goals and activities can make you feel better every step of the way. Focus on small goals, one at a time, and when you accomplish them, they’ll give you extra incentive to move on to the next one. Always redefine and rest your goals in terms of your long-term goals and strategies. Ultimately, you will accomplish more if you simply focus on today.
AA’s motto of “One day at a time!” it may just be the mantra to help you.
There are more than 196,000,000 obese adults in the United States alone. That is an amazing fact, particularly when viewed in the context of the following fact, that more children and young adults are obese than at any other time in our history. Ever! Of course, as we age, our bones lose density and our muscles often get weaker. The progressive aging factors that come into play and put pressure on the spine are innumerable. The damage due to obesity is often irreversible, it is absolutely crucial to maintaining optimal body weight and muscle tone. This is one more reason to start and maintain an exercise routine. By becoming and then staying active, our musculoskeletal system will remain healthy. The old adage that a healthy mind and a healthy body are inextricably linked is so obvious that it hardly needs mentioning.
While important, diet is really secondary to a solid cardio and aerobic exercise program. However, diet cannot be ignored, nor should it be. Along with exercise, initially just walking, eventually giving way to a more concerted program, the overweight person suffering from neck pain, back pain and/or sciatica should change their diet, incorporating more fruits and vegetables, reducing The fats. Once again, stay away from fatty and processed foods if you want to be successful. Dieting isn’t about eating less, it’s about eating smart! Of course, before embarking on any diet and weight loss program, you should seek the opinion of a specialist physician familiar with the complex issues experienced and faced by an overweight or obese back patient. Regardless of how you start, and wherever you start, one thing is of the utmost importance, this should always be your core focus:
In the words of Winston Churchill, “Never, never, never give up!”
Ultimately, the steps you take to relieve neck pain, back pain, and sciatica or sciatic nerve pain boil down to a few easy-to-remember steps. First, start with an aerobic and cardiovascular routine, first slow and then increasing with success. Remember, walk, walk and walk! Two, stay mentally focused and don’t let sadness get you down or stop you altogether. Remember, when you’re feeling your worst, when you’re in the most pain and feeling down, that’s when exercise will do the most good. Endorphins are amazing little critters and a brisk walk when it hurts will send a load of those natural opiates coursing through your bloodstream, delivering incredible relief in minutes! Finally, change your approach, not your diet. Dieting is not the answer, eating habits are.
There are several great programs out there, but a simple switch to fruits, vegetables, and low-fat foods will produce amazing results without forcing you to eat less. Eat smart, not less! Finally, if you are overweight, obese, or just have a few extra pounds, you should start exercising right away. Any exercise routine should start with stretching and end with stretching, in between you should walk and engage in an exercise routine to strengthen your core, spine and back muscles, abs, obliques, spinal erectors , latissimus dorsi, and trapezius. , to name a few. Find what works best for you and relieve your neck pain, back pain, and sciatica once and for all. Take it as it comes and remember, you have nothing to lose except the pain!