Dear Health Conscious Reader,
Do you have trouble getting out of bed in the morning because your back is stiff?
Millions of people are in the same boat as you. In fact, 1 in 5 adult Americans have arthritis or joint pain – that’s 46 million people. And that number is expected to increase to 67 million by the year 20301.
Fibromyalgia, a chronic condition characterized by widespread pain, affects another 3 million to 6 million Americans. And the most common area people experience this pain, aside from the neck, is the back.
Many people manage it all by taking prescription or over-the-counter muscle relaxants or painkillers. But many people come to me because they are concerned about the side effects of these drugs.
They want relief without putting their health at risk. I certainly can’t blame them. And I’ll tell you what I tell them – there are safe things you can do to relieve back pain and stiffness … and take your life back.
Lifestyle changes are an important first step—that’s where I like my patients to start and where you should start too.
The main reason you get back pain is because, as you age, your flexibility decreases. Certain muscles shorten and your ligaments get weaker, causing you to lose range of motion. This can cause a host of back problems.
One of the first things you should do is to make stretching a part of your daily routine. Now if you are having trouble getting out of bed, not a problem. You can do some simple stretching while still in bed to help get you going. Here are a few to try:
- Sit up with your legs straight out. Slowly try bending forward to touch your toes. Hold for about 5 seconds and repeat 10 times.
- While sitting up turn your torso to the left and then to the right. Repeat 10 times.
- While laying flat on your back, bend your right knee, grab it with both hands, and try bringing it up to your chest. Hold for a few seconds and then release. Repeat with your left leg. Repeat 10 times.
You can also take other steps to overcome pain and stiffness in your back. A couple of years ago I discovered a great organization called The Healthy Back Institute. Back pain is their specialty. They provide many helpful tools and solutions for back pain sufferers that don’t involve drugs.
Here are some of their tips to help you get you out of bed in the morning pain-free. These are tips that I have been using for years with my patients, so I know they work.
- Here is a tip to get the deep sleep you need so your body can repair: Forget about those troubles or conversations or tasks that need addressing; you can handle them tomorrow. Also, be sure to sleep either on your side or on your back—as stomach sleeping causes unnecessary stress on the low back and spine. Plus, consider a melatonin supplement to get a deep, natural sleep.
- Do some easy stretches while lying in bed, then sitting up in bed—such as bending to the front and sides. This will stretch and loosen the muscles and help flush them with more blood.
- Take a hot shower. This serves as a means to induce sweating, promote blood circulation and release muscle spasms. Simply stand under the hot water and relax.
- After you are warmed up from the shower, do some gentle knee bends—as far as you can go without falling! You can hold on to something for balance, if needed. Find a counter, table or chair and use your hands for support. You don’t have to go all the way down, either. These exercise almost 90% of the skeletal muscles. Exhale and squat as low as you can go, then inhale and stand up again. Do 10 of these to get the morning blood flowing and creaky joints silent.
- Drink the best water you can get. Often the tap water in our cities is not the freshest or safest. Even cities like Los Angeles have traces of psychiatric medicines and estrogenic-like compounds in its tap water—and these toxins build up in our systems over time, causing pain. It is advisable to drink either bottled water or reverse osmosis filtered water.
These simple tips followed with a little dedication and some minor lifestyle changes can help you overcome morning back pain and stiffness in no time. And be sure to check out The Healthy Back Institute’s website to learn more about some of their innovative back pain solutions and get a free Pain Relief Guide. They’re a great resource.
To Your Good Health,
Al Sears, MD
- Arthritis Foundation, “Arthritis Facts”, (http://www.arthritis.org/facts.php), viewed 10/26/08.