Back problems are not very easy to understand!

To be pain-free, you need to learn how to reach the root cause and work on the source of your problem. All that is needed is an integrated approach that will quickly alleviate any current discomfort and give you all the expert instructions you need in terms of diet and lifestyle to protect and improve your bone and joint health for many years to come.

I have experienced it first-hand! And I strongly believe that Ayurveda and holistic nutrition can transform your life. How? Because it transformed mine! And the best part is that it’s easier than you think. Your body has exactly what it needs to heal itself. All you need to do is to unlock its healing power by practicing healthy routines both in terms of diet and lifestyle.

In my 2.5 decades of practicing and teaching holistic nutrition and Ayurveda, I have learnt that healing begins from within!

Lower back pain is one of the most common pain problems in the world and you may experience it at some point in your lifetime. For some, it can be a recurrent, chronic problem. And for many lower back pain sufferers, it’s an obstacle that keeps you from being your best.

Back pain can range from a muscle ache to a shooting, burning or stabbing pain in your back. Pain may radiate down your leg or worsen with bending, twisting, lifting, standing or walking.

Back pain is one of the most common reasons people go to the doctor or miss work, and it is a leading cause of disability worldwide. In fact, Low back pain is the most common type of pain reported in the United States. One out of every four adults report having low back pain.

It is important to get the knowledge needed to understand why you are having back pain and what measures need to be taken to relieve the pain and prevent further damage to your bones & joints.

You must contact your doctor if your back pain is….

• Sudden onset and occurs immediately following a fall, a blow to your back or any other injury or accident!
• Severe and doesn’t improve with rest.
• Causes weakness, numbness or tingling in one or both legs
• Persists for more than a week.
• Spreads down one or both legs, especially if the pain extends below the knee

However, your lower back pain may be due to …..

• Being on your feet for long periods of time.
• Excess body weight could be a major risk factor! Extra weight = Extra stress on the spine and joints. Excess belly fat eventually causes the pelvis and lower back to slant forward. This creates a permanent and round arch in the back, which causes back pain. To effectively reduce back pain, an overweight person will want to start losing weight. Each extra pound in your body puts about 4 pounds of extra pressure on the system. The point is that it’s really important to maintain a healthy weight.
• Unsupported postures cause the load on your spine to disperse incorrectly, weakening the tissues in your lower back. As a result, the intricate network of muscles, discs, and joints in your back tend to be pushed beyond their tolerable limit, causing pain.
• Prolonged hunching while standing or sitting can cause your back, core, and abdominal muscles to become strained and painful, reducing their blood supply, and slowly developing stiffness and weakness in the trunk and lower back. An unsupported sitting position places a small forward bend on the spine. Over time, this forward bend may place a load on the lower spinal discs, causing herniation.
• Quick and straining movements (like lifting heavy objects) – A sudden injury from lifting a heavy object incorrectly can cause immediate back pain and dysfunction.
• Improperly cushioned shoes – If you walk or run without properly supported feet, you may be stressing and straining your lower back. Impact can travel up your legs to your lumbar region where muscles supporting the back can get aggravated, causing you pain.
• Mal-Nutrition – Lack of vitamins and minerals & other nutrients can exacerbate or even cause chronic pain. It is important to examine your diet to see if you are getting the right nutrition for maintaining healthy bones, muscles & joints. Pain stemming from osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis can be eased by cutting back on the foods which set off a chain reaction of inflammation in the body. My recommendation – Follow an anti-inflammatory diet and lifestyle!
• Sleep –There might be a link between sleep and pain. People who experience chronic pain often find it hard to sleep. At the same time, people with insomnia often experience chronic pain. Over time, not getting enough sleep can lead to chronic fatigue. This may make the body feel achy, sluggish, and heavy. Lack of sleep also affects the body’s ability to repair tissues and cells. When the body does not have sufficient time to repair and recuperate, a person may experience aches and pains more often.
• Age – The vertebral column (backbone) is a series of bones called vertebrae, which are separated by intervertebral discs. The discs throughout the spine have three primary functions: They act as a shock absorbers in the spine, positioned between each bony vertebra. They act as tough ligaments that hold the vertebrae of the spine together. They are cartilaginous joints that allow for slight mobility in the spine. Specific problem with any of these discs may lead to pain that originates in the disc itself or pain that is related to the disc pressing on a nearby nerve. As you get older, the discs dry out, and become less spongy and pliable. They become rigid, increasing your risk of having a herniated disc leading to pain.
• Osteoarthritis – A “wear-and-tear” type of arthritis—is another common cause of back or neck pain. As you age, the cartilage fades away adding more pressure to the joints. This pressure causes inflammation and can lead to back pain.
• Lack of exercise – Weak, unused muscles in your back and abdomen might lead to back pain. Prolonged inactivity can actually increase back pain as the back becomes stiff, weak, and de-conditioned. As the pain increases, many people reduce their activity and exercise levels, resulting in even more back pain and aggravating the cycle of inactivity and back pain.
• Smoking – Did you know that smokers have increased rates of back pain. This may occur because smoking prompts more coughing, which can lead to herniated discs. Smoking can also decrease blood flow to the spine and increase the risk of osteoporosis. The nicotine in tobacco impairs the delivery of oxygen-rich blood to your bones and tissues. Decreasing blood and nutrient flow can cause degeneration, particularly in discs of the spine. The result can be lower back pain and sometimes osteoporosis.
• Chronic Inflammation leads to pain – Our body has an innate intelligence to heal itself. Inflammatory response is part of its natural survival & healing mechanism. When we interfere with this process, through our lifestyle choices, unhealthy eating habits, stressful ways of living, we disrupt this natural response, allowing inflammation to become a threat, even a silent killer, rather than supporting our health and wellbeing.

If you suffer from any level of back pain, joint pain or pain anywhere in the body in general and are looking for a holistic approach, then our SELF PACED ONLINE COURSE on Managing Back pain with diet and lifestyle is the perfect solution for you.

Overall, this restorative course is a perfect blend of modern Holistic Nutrition backed with the intelligence of our 5000-year-old Ancient Ayurvedic Wisdom. By the end of this highly informative course, you’ll have all you need to maintain a happy, healthy, and pain-free body.

Want to LEARN MORE……

Check out all of OUR SELF-PACED ONLINE COURSES that include a perfect blend of Holistic Nutrition and our 5000-year-old ancient Ayurvedic wisdom!

• Basics of Ayurveda
• The Digestion Immunity Connection
• What’s your Dosha?
• The Basics of Healthy Eating
• Manage Back Pain with diet and lifestyle

To Book your very own private one-on-one ayurvedic & holistic nutrition consultation, CONNECT with me.

It is my humble wish to make Basics of Ayurveda and holistic nutrition available to each one of us in an easy to understand format. ‘coz if all of us are healthy at the deepest level of the soul, only then this planet will be a happier place to live!

NAMASTE!

Preeti Syal

M.Sc., R.H.N., Certified Ayurvedic Lifestyle Consultant

The content provided in my blogs are for knowledge sharing purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.