Low Back Pain - Ayurvedic Management
Low back pain is one of the most common pain disorders today .It is a chronic condition characterized by a persistent dull or sharp pain per the lower back. It may be also associated with burning, stiffness, numbness or tingling with the pain shooting down the buttocks and the legs. When we stand, the lower back functions to hold most of the weight of the body. When we bend, extend or rotate at the waist, the lower back is involved in the movement. Low back ache is often precipitated by moving, lifting objects or twisting of the waist. Severe pain in the low back can be quite debilitating to patients. Pain in the lower back restricts activity and reduces work capacity and quality of enjoyment of everyday living and turns daily life into a misery. Survey indicates that 70 per cent of the people suffer from low back pain at some time in their lives. The highest rate of back pain occurs among the 45 to 64 year age group. The incidence of low back pain is greater among women. In 90 per cent of the patients, low back pain resolves within six weeks, i.e. self limited. In another 5 per cent the pain resolves by 12 weeks. Less than 5 per cent of back paid account for true nerve root pain. Causes One of the common causes for the backache is poor posture habit. Balanced posture decreases stress on your back by keeping the muscles, bones and other supporting parts in their natural position. Any change from normal spinal curve can stress or pull muscles. This leads to increased muscle contraction, which causes pain. Low back pain can result due to health problems like osteoporosis, scoliosis, spinal stenosis. Sprain or strain of muscles or ligaments in the area can also manifest in low back pain. Other possible causes include fibromyalgia and benign or malignant tumours. A fall or blow to the back can strain or tear tissues around the spine, or even break a bone leading to back pain. Lack of exercise or incorrect exercise can also lead to low back pain. Too much weight or overweight also is a cause of low back pain. Treatment Conservative treatment is the most likely course of action for most patients. Treatment options include rest, Traction, Short wave diathermy, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications, weight control, steroid injections in step by step order. If a patients does not get relief after 8 to 12 weeks of conservative therapy surgical intervention is considered. The most common surgical procedure is a discectomy, which involves removing the soft gel-like material in the disc. This procedure returns the disc to a more normal shape, relieving the pressure on the nerve. the neurosurgeon can also perform a foraminotomy, which is a procedure designed to expand the opening the nerve travels through. Drugs and knives don't always work because from 60% to 90% of disease is not the result of structural injury, but rather of the mind-body response to stress Ayurvedic Perspective Ayurveda holds that low back pain is a result of vitiation of one of the three principal 'doshas'. 'Kateegraham'/'Prishtasoola' or low back pain is an indication of Vata aggravation and bone and muscle weakness. Ayurvedic Treatment Treatment in Ayurveda is to bring the vitiated 'dosha' back to the state of equilibrium and thereby to the state of health. For treating low back pain, internal as well as external treatments are done. Herbal preparations like 'Asthavargam' are administered internally. Daily purgation is recommended to restore the vitiated 'dosha' to the state of normalcy. Ayurvedic Panchakarma treatments like Abhyanga (oil massage), Basti (meditated enema) are very much helpful in relieving backache and correcting abnormalities. Drugs like Yogarajaguggulu, Lakshadiguggulu, Triphala Guggulu, Maanarayana tailam are useful in this condition. Yoga and Yogasana The source of the pain is due most often to pushing oneself beyond physical or emotional capacity. The spine needs stability and, therefore, the mind must first be steady. So, the first step is to learn to relax the mind and focus on the specific areas of back pain. With practice, you can redirect the body's energy and affect the pain. Among the Yogasanas ,when there is pain, start with simple back-bends, such as Locust, Cat, and Sunbird. To keep the spine aligned practice Hero Pose. Caution- Before trying any of these postures, consult with a yoga teacher or therapist to determine the best postures for your condition. About The Author Dr. Shashikant Patwardhan is practicing as 'Ayurvedic Consultant' for last 25 years at the city -Sangli, Maharashtra -India. He has done his graduation in Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery [B.A.M&S] and post graduate Fellowship of Faculty of Ayurvedic Medicine [F.F.A.M.] From Tilak Ayurved Mahavidyalaya, Pune University, India, during the years 1970-1976. He is a chief editor and Ayurvedic Consultant of a 'Comprehensive website on Ayurveda - http://www.ayurveda-foryou.com. He is an author of many books on Ayurveda and is first to publish them in ebook format. He has written ebooks like - Ayurvedic Cure of Diabetes, Home Remedies in Ayurveda, Treat Common Diseases with Ayurveda & Yoga, Ayurvedic Principles Revealed. He regularly writes articles on various topics in Ayurveda in Ayurvedic health magazines and alternative medicine sites. editor@ayurveda-foryou.com
Related News
|
 |
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Using Pain To Institute Change In Your Life!
Why do you do something that harms you? Why do you do something that has an overall negative effect in your life? Why do you do something that will make you unhappy later?
The Healing Power of Water Gardens
If you experienced a day filled with running from one place to the next, one errand to the next, one meeting to the next, imagine a place where all your troubles can melt away. A place where the stressors of the day are nonexistent. A place where peace and tranquility are norm.
Natural Pain Relief Through Magnetic Therapy is Possible
No one can deny the power of magnets, racing pigeons find their way home across thousands of miles, and Salmon use the earth's magnetic pulses to travel through oceans to make their way back to their spawning grounds.
The ancient Celts built their places of worship at points where the earth's magnetic ley lines intersect.
Moles, Warts & Skin Tags Remedy
Are you worried about your moles, warts, and skin tags? Are scared about the idea of removing them surgically using laser, knife or some acid?
Which to Use When: Ice or Heat?
Knee pain after running? Wake up with a backache? Twist an ankle?
Too Clean?A Critical Look At The Alleged Link Between Asthma and Cleanliness
Americans are ridiculed around the world for our attention to cleanliness. Recently some natural health experts have suggested that the growing problem of childhood asthma is directly related to our obsession with clean homes and a handful of studies seem to confirm their suspicions. Are these claims founded in truth or are they the result of "experts" deliberately misinterpreting data? Here's what we know for sure:
Learn About Falun Dafa
I have been practicing an advanced form of qigong for almost 5
years now. The name of this practice is Falun Dafa.
Oops! One Size DOESNT Fit All
The Stop Smoking Hypnosis people.
Three Steps to Get Rid of Hemorrhoids
Constipation, Hemorrhoids or Piles, and inactivity go hand in hand. If you have been constipated for quite a while, chances are you have hemorrhoids. If you are inactive because you just like sitting around or are confined to a bed or chair, then you will have constipation and hemorrhoids.
Bois De Santal: The Source of Tranquility
The near extinct bois de santal has a sensual and exotic scent that gives an elevating experience for those who use it. The oil extraction process of the sandalwood is lengthy; the tree has to be about 30 years old before the process can take place.
Hypnosis, Hypnotherapy, Hypnotism, and the Truth about the Funky Chicken!
Over two hundred years after this momentous event the world is still saying WOW in amazement to this gracious art. Hypnotherapy has come so far and I believe that we are now in an age where we now know so much of how the mind works and what makes us tick, that it is possible to successfully change our lives into the dreams that we wish them to be! During my time as a
Migraine and Feverfew
Many people today will tell you that they suffer from migraine. Many people however don't really understand what a migraine is and they really just have a headache.
The Origins of Aromatherapy
Aromatherapy, which involves the use of essential oils to treat various ailments, has been used by healers for thousands of years. Although its origins are difficult to trace, the use of aromatherapy goes back at least 4,000 years, possibly beginning with the ancient Egyptians, who were known to have used aromatic botanicals in many different ways. The Egyptians used a number of herbs and spices for soothing massage, medicine, cosmetics, and even in their embalming practices.
Toddler Stuttering
Some parents have the shock of hearing their young child start to stutter as a toddler. I am somebody who runs a speech centre in Birmingham, England, I now help people to achieve fluency.
Tobacco Hypnosis: Cigarettes Are My Friend
Practicing hypnotherapists hear many peculiar statements from smokers who ask for help in quitting. The idea that cigarettes could be someone's "friend" is just one of them. One man believed that he couldn't write music unless he was smoking. Others have been convinced that they couldn't relax unless they were inhaling tobacco fumes. Those people were suffering from what I have come to call "tobacco hypnosis". They had hypnotized themselves into some odd beliefs about the effects of tobacco and smoking.
Alternative Herbal Cures for Ailments
With the increased usage of herbs for treatment of ailments from Common cold to Cancer, there is an increasing need for authentic and unbiased information on various cures using herbs.
A Stitch In Time Saves Nine - Prevention not Cure
It is a sad fact that most people pay little attention to their health until it is at risk. It is only then that people truly realise that health and wellbeing is far more important than money, and that all the money in the world cannot always buy health.
Mosquitoes? No Itch, No Bite!
When you are in the season of the mosquito, it is looked upon with horror for those who suffer allergic reactions. But even if you do not get these reactions it is still looked upon by most as an unpleasant, unavoidable summertime irritant. No one wants to be bitten, especially with the threat of West Nile and other diseases. But what can you do?
A Lifestyle Approach to Remedy Snoring
If you want to remedy snoring, you have to find the underlying cause. Snoring is not an affliction like the common cold, where you wake up one morning and you've just got it. It is something that normally arrives slowly over time. Most people can't remember the day and date that their snoring started. It was sometime in my mid 30's or some such vague description is the normal response to a question on its arrival.
4000 Year Old Secrets of Green Tea
The Chinese have known about the medicinal benefits of green tea for over 4,000 years. But recent studies are just starting to unlock these ancient secrets of green tea.
|
