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Back Pain is not a problem. Remember that!
by Angus Brazenall
Out of every 5 people, 4 have a back or a back-related pain and having a sore back on your boat, of all places, is not funny. However I urge you not to worry about it and regard it as only temporary.
The trouble with the current information that is proliferated about back pain is that the treatment is all
focused on the symptoms and not on the real cause. Even the 'experts' don't understand the cause
properly. It's all a bit like
trying to sort out a deflating dinghy by putting in some more air, without realising that the cause of
the deflation is a hole. You would sort the hole out but the 'experts' would carry on
pumping. See what I mean? Any 'expert' can diagnose a symptom, label a symptom and treat a symptom but
what is the cause?
You may have been diagnosed as having 'wear and tear', arthritis, sciatica,
'slipped disc' (there is no such thing), 'pulled' back, prolapsed disc, spondylosis etc. These are all just
labels. The real cause is a very slight rotational twist in one or several of the bones
(vertebrae) in the back. It
can be so slight that it does not show up in x-rays.
What that twist does is
to disturb the disc and the surrounding tissues, including the nerves and, in the long
term, creates the narrowing of the disc as the body
tries to accommodate the distortion. The body reacts to the distortion by tightening up the surrounding
muscles, to stabilise the spine and, in the process, causes the nerves to become irritated thus giving you all sorts of aches and pains wherever the nerves go
to.
The answer is to re-align the vertebrae, stop the disturbance and allow the muscles to relax.
If you do this the pain goes away.
With my techniques, it normally only takes a couple of treatments to have a patient pain free
forever, or until they do something silly and knock it back out again, which usually only takes one visit to
sort out.
So what can you do if afflicted by back pain on your boat, miles from anywhere?
Firstly, relax; if possible take some Ibuprofen to reduce the inflammation and muscle
tension. Also
take some suitable painkiller to reduce the nerve pain. Think of your back as being like a
rusty, twisted, hinge that has jammed. You want to gently work it loose.
There are two main essentials that you MUST do and always do:
1. Think toddler! Do everything straight in front of you, stop twisting and turning when you don't need
to. Don't be lazy with your feet, your toes should point the same way as your
nose. Get your whole self into things and use your hands to support you also. If you are pulling up an anchor then pull with your legs and your whole
body, not just your arms. Realise that you have to support the weight of your own body before you lift anything
else. Listen to what your body is saying - how does it feel? Always think,
'is this the best way to do this?'
2. Keep the muscles in the back warm - DO NOT put an ice pack on your back. A hot water bottle or a hot shower will ease a lot of the immediate muscle
tension, which is causing the pains. For long term benefit wear warm clothing on the back at all times. Here in
Scotland, I make a very serious point of advising/telling my patients to specifically wear a sleeveless
cotton vest, a short-sleeved open necked shirt and a sleeveless woollen
pullover. You want three layers on the back before you cover the arms or close up the
neck. It really works and makes
a huge difference.
If you are a bit stiff and sore in the morning, on waking, put a cushion behind your pillow and sit up in bed with your legs out in front of you for about 5 to 15 minutes. This will gently stretch and
un-stiffen the back muscles and allow you to get going. Keep your back
supple - use it but don't abuse it. Remember your back is really just a row of joints all piled on top of each
other. It is all supposed to move. Keep it warm so it can be supple. But above all don't worry about
it.
I hope this helps you to enjoy your boating without aches and pains.
You might like to take a look at my web site at http://www.whysuffer.co.uk
for more information and, if
your back is still giving you a lot of trouble, you could always come and see me and have it fixed
properly.
If you have never sailed off Scotland you may discover some wonderful cruising
as well as relief for your back!
Our thanks to Angus Brazenall for offering this sound back care advice.
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