My first real experience came playing basketball when a power forward flew in and gave me a power knee right in my back. My coach sent me to a chiropractor. Something I used routinely for the next several years. It helped, but as I grew older it simply was not enough.
I have been to a sports therapist, massage therapist and everything in between. They all brought some temporary relief. But after a few months to a year, the treatments seemed to not be as effective.
Aside from stretching (read my previous post) and staying active which are by far the two most important things you can do, I found two forms of treatment that have helped me for over ten years. Neither treatment form by itself was a cure all. I still see a chiropractor sometimes. I still go in for an occasional massage. Sometime my routine just does not keep the pain away. I occasional even have to resort to prescription pain pills.
There really is no rhyme or reason to it that I can figure out. Sometimes I over do it, but other times I just hurt and don't know why.
Before I tell you what has consistently worked for me, I want you to understand something about me. I am not a "New Age" guy. No offense to those who are, but I am extremely conservative, old fashioned and skeptical. So when products come out claiming to help back pain, I usually laugh. But I have been in the position more than once that I was desperate for relief and willing try anything. I have used heat, Epsom salt and a few dozen products I ordered from infomercials. Some provided a slight relief, others were completely worthless.
Almost fifteen years ago I saw an inversion table at Walmart. My pain was so bad I dropped $200 on the thing and could not even lift it into my truck I hurt so bad.
When I got home, I took some pain pills just to be able to put the thing together. It took all of ten minutes to assemble. Jumped on it, and it hurt. It hurt bad. What I realized was 25 years of gravity had compressed my muscles and I was instantly trying to reverse that in a few seconds.
That is the same mistake I see others making when they first try inversion therapy. And they end up giving up on it.
So I slowly leaned the table back so I was not fully inverted. Just enough that I could feel the stretch in my back. It felt great. I stayed on it about 20 minutes that first day. Big mistake. I was so sore the next day I literally struggled to move.
Now I get on the table about five to ten minutes every other day. If I go more than a few days without using it I can tell.
I now use a smaller table that only cost about $75. Depending on your size you may not need the huge expensive table. I am 5'10" 190lbs. The smaller table is a tight fit for me, but it is much more compact and easier to move.
The other treatment option I use is acupressure. Acupressure works on the same theory as acupuncture. But instead of needles, the therapist uses there thumbs. They hold pressure on the same pressure points as acupuncturists place the needles.
I admit, I was extremely skeptical about this. When I first made an appointment, I thought I was making an appointment with a chiropractor. When I walked in for my appointment it was clear this place was different. I am used to vitamins and supplements in a chiropractors office but this place was had organic everything and incense burning.
But I did not want to be rude and the people were very nice so I figured I would give it a try. It was the absolute best thing I ever did. Instantly after the first treatment I felt better. I would go in about every two weeks to a month depending on how I felt. And without fail I would walk out feeling better.
Unfortunately I was transferred out of the city I worked in and the nearest acupressure place is an hour and half from my home. As a result I rarely receive this kind of treatment. But it is by far the best treatment I have ever received.
My next article will cover some exercises I do that help to keep fit without causing pain as well as strengthen my back.
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