From BARANSKI@veamf1.nusc.navy.mil (Jim Baranski) Thu Mar 11 22:01:08 EST 1993
Article: 1363 of alt.backrubs
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From: BARANSKI@veamf1.nusc.navy.mil (Jim Baranski)
Subject: Re: back pain
In-Reply-To: cstollen@meltdown.chi.il.us's message of 5 Mar 93 22:20:07 CST
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I've discovered a couple of ways for me to handle back pain, which I end up
with occasionally because I do a lot of heavy lifting, and don't get enough
other exercise to be as physically fit as I should.

1:  Lift correctly:  Use your legs, keep your back vertical;

2:  Take a Yoga Class.  (Is there a Yoga Newsgroup?) There are two positions
    which do wonders for my back.  YMMV.  I have heard several articles that
    say that these poses are *really* not good for you, but they work for me.
    All the same, I would not try this without taking a Yoga class first.

    Inclined Bridge:  Lie on your back;  Bring your knees up, and place your
    feet soles down under where your knees were so that your calves are
    vertical.  Form a straight inclined plane from your knees to your
    shoulders.  Arch your back up.  I clasp my hands under back with my arms
    straight.  

    Make sure you arch your back and keep the inclined plane at least straight;
    don't sag, or you are wasting your time, and possibly doing yourself more
    harm then good.  This will strengthen the muscles at the base of your back,
    so practice this every day, even if your back doesn't hurt, and it will
    prevent you from hurting your back.  Breathe.  Hold this for 10-30 seconds,
    and do it a few times.

    The Fish:  This is hard.  Don't try this without help.  Kneel with the tops
    of your feet against the floor.  Reach behind yourself with your hands and
    lower yourself down onto your back with your feet and your calves bent
    backwards under you.  Arch your back up slightly.  You may not be able to
    get down to the floor completely; that's ok, practice makes perfect. 

    Eventually you will be able to arch your neck back and get down on the
    floor so that you weight is on your knees-calves-feet under your hipsa nd
    legs, and the top/back of your head. This is hard, so don't try this
    without help and gradual practice.  

    Last, bring your hands into a prayer position on your chest, and sweep up
    over your head, out to the sides, and down and around back to the center
    of your chest.  Breathe.  Do this several times slowly.

    This works wonders for the base of my back because it forma a cantilevered
    arch with your head-neck-back-hips-legs-feet:

                    <-   -------------------   ->
                     |   \                 /   |
                    \/    \               /   \/


    I presume that gravity attempts to pull the tops of the supports down,
    which also pulls the ends of your spine out, and lengthens it.  It also
    arches the connection between your hips and back in the opposite direction
    from the way it is arched when we sit all the time.

3:  Most back pains are muscle pain.  Going to the chiropractor, or massage
    therapist will do comparatively little for the pain.  Take some Ibuprofin
    for the pain, and to reduce the swelling.  Doing these stretches and others
    will help some, but mostly it will take time for your strained muscles to
    heal.  So... work on building up your back muscles *before* you strain
    them.

    So, I now no longer have expensive chiropractor bills, and I go to my
    massage therapist more for pleasure then for pain.  As I say, YMMV!


    ----

    DISCLAIMER:  I am not a Yoga Guru, or trained and certified anything!


    Jim Baranski


From ag071@FreeNet.Carleton.CA (Lee Hunter) Sun Jan 30 09:05:48 EST 1994
Article: 2266 of alt.backrubs
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From: ag071@FreeNet.Carleton.CA (Lee Hunter)
Subject: Re: self-help
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Date: Fri, 28 Jan 1994 22:43:53 GMT
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>> stretch for a particular muscle, stretching can be very effective.
>
>I have seen a great number of people hurt themselves at a stretching class.
>They arrive anxious at class, the tension of the day in their neck,
>shoulders, arms, hands (as Mark described it).  Many classes begin with
>neck movements.  A neck rotation done in a tense, tight fashion is an
>invitation to a torticollis or a crick.
>
>> Perhaps what Eric is meaning is that if your muscles are not relaxed,
>> you will not be able to reach your *maximum* stretch.
>
>Stretching classes can be dangerous if there is not a conscious process of
>letting go -- relaxing muscles -- prior to and along with the movement.
>The teacher, for example, opens his or her legs and bends forwards.  The
>student imitates from the outside in -- he or she is trying to run away
>from the tension -- and pulls a few muscles in the back.  Of course, if one
>can find the right stretch for a particular muscle on one's own, them yes,
>class isn't necessary, and you will probably not hurt yourself.  The very

Couldn't agree more. I've seen quite a few yoga teachers in action and
very few have any idea what they're doing and what damage they could do.
I'm not bashing yoga, per se, I think its great. But the quality of
instruction varies wildly. A massage is a much lower risk proposition. If
the masseur/euse is incompetent you'll probably know it right away.


-- 
Lee Hunter
Hum Magazine
Ottawa, ON Canada