★Why Back Pain Becomes Chronic - and How to Interrupt the Cycle
★ TOP STORY
Why Back Pain Becomes Chronic - and How to Interrupt the Cycle
Guarded movement, long hours of sitting, and subtle coordination loss quietly reinforce pain over time - but research shows that restoring basic movement patterns and daily activity can shift how your spine responds and reduce recurring flare-ups.
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May be just me but the biggest take away from this article is we don't have to become hard core gym rats to enjoy good outcomes. Focus on what we can do. Even if a big TV watcher, just get up and walk around during the commercials. Just don't walk to the Fridge or the cookie jar. We are conditioned to believe we have to feel the burn, sweat buckets for gains, when solid, foundational gains can help us achieve stable mobility. Obsessing over not being able to practice full on hard core routines only adds a layer of negativity of emotional, mental drains that will likely negatively affect our physical abilities also.
Again, maybe just me but just a good walk makes so much difference. If not possible, feel funky all day, out of sorts. No pounding marathon runs or jogs, just nice steady walking and take in the day. Treadmills are okay, but, flat locked in motions limits the range of body mobility. If at all possible a nice short hike in nature where ups and downs, twisting, turning moves us around and doesn't require over thinking. But again, if not possible, obsessing over not being able to do such only causes unneeded negativity affecting us physically.
Exercise and strategies that address body mechanics and emotional factors are effective for back pain. Chronic low back pain is a prevalent condition, often involving an inflammatory process. Behavioral symptoms, including depressed mood, fatigue, and sleep disturbances, intensify pain, reduce quality of life, and lead to a greater inflammatory state. Inflammation may contribute to the relationship between behavioral symptoms and pain intensity. Patients improve after psychological treatment in terms of symptoms, functioning, and quality of life.
https://biblio.ugent.be/publication/8756935/file/8756952 (2022).---
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1699258X22001590 (2022).--
https://openarchive.ki.se/xmlui/handle/10616/48067 (2022).---
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1087079223000175 (2023).--
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12891-023-06682-6 (2023).--
Dr. Cohen says, “When we are dehydrated, fluid always goes to the brain first and gets transported from other areas of the body like joints. Our fascia, the connective tissue webbing that supports every cell and organ in the body, can become tangled and knotted, making movement painful, difficult, and stiff.”
There are certain chronic pain conditions that can be worsened by dehydration. Dr. Cohen lists headaches, migraines, arthritis, joint pain, fibromyalgia, and overall stiffness as conditions that can be affected by dehydration.
“The discs between our vertebra need fluid to cushion the bones,” she says. “They can become a little dry and brittle when not properly hydrated, exacerbating back pain.”
If you’re currently in physical therapy for your back pain, Dr. Cohen adds that good hydration is “imperative before any physical therapy” since it can improve the outcome.
https://www.healthcentral.com/condition/back-pain/relieve-your-back-pain-staying-hydrated (2022).--
Gut health with whole foods, anti-aging properties, and anti-inflammatory benefits helps relieve back and lower back pain, especially chronic pain. Constipation and dehydration can worsen back pain. Dehydration can increase back pain. Foods rich in potassium and magnesium, proteolytic enzymes, turmeric, and ginger are beneficial. GLA helps modulate inflammation. Vitamins B1, B6, and B12 are beneficial for many painful conditions. Vitamin D metabolites help inhibit inflammation. Melatonin is also a powerful antioxidant and has been shown to reduce pain associated with a variety of chronic pain conditions. Astaxanthin has very potent anti-inflammatory properties. Boswellia, capsaicin, and medicinal cannabis have a long history as natural pain relievers. Earthing, or walking barefoot on the earth, also provides some pain relief by combating inflammation.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0897189722000313 (2022).--
https://assets.cureus.com/uploads/editorial/pdf/171367/20230825-29742-1jn8rf8.pdf (2023).--
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00586-024-08131-x (2024).--
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11916-024-01221-x (2024).--
https://www.lifeextension.com/protocols/health-concerns/chronic-pain .-----
In a prospective, open-label, non-randomized study involving In a study of 98 outpatients with chronic low back pain (12 weeks or more), with or without radiculopathy and without neoplastic or inflammatory pathologies, supplementation with alpha-lipoic acid (600 mg/day) and superoxide dismutase (140 IU/day) for 60 days was associated with a significant reduction in analgesic use (8% of patients were still using analgesics after the trial, compared to 73.5% at baseline). Furthermore, according to self-report tools, after 40 days of the intervention, perceived pain and functional disabilities improved significantly, both statistically and clinically.
http://www.vitasearch.com/get-clp-summary/40770 (2022)
PRACTICAL, NONSURGICAL SOLUTIONS FOR MANAGING BACK PAIN
https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2024/06/12/back-pain-nonsurgical-solutions.aspx (06/2024).--
TOP TIPS TO EASE BACK PAIN
https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2022/05/25/how-to-ease-back-pain.aspx (05/2022)----