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Six smart ways to deal with this nasty back problem
15 July 2005
You wouldn't think wallpapering could be that dangerous, would you?
No, neither did I, until I went round to help a friend decorate his house.
I should have known it would end in tears when I saw the 'equipment' my mate Keith had set up - an old table and two book ends to hold the paper flat. The table was far too low, and after twenty minutes of bending and straightening my back finally gave out.
A quick visit to the doctor's told me I'd trapped my sciatic nerve in my back, and if you've not had the pleasure then I warn you, it's agony. The sciatic nerve is the largest in the body (about the thickness of your finger!), and it stretches from the lower back right down into the foot.
That's a lot of nerve to get trapped!
My doctor offered to give me some pain killers, but I declined. I hate the things especially prescription strength drugs. Instead I spent a few hours digging up some alternative remedies.
Here's what I discovered. . .
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Get in the bath and go bananas!
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Everywhere I looked, the solution seemed to be the same - take NSAIDS. Even some natural health websites try and offload these pills on you! We've looked at the problems some NSAIDS can cause in past issues of the Good Life Letter, and I'm not going to change my opinion now just because I'm laid up.
Here are 6 remedies that some doctors and medical experts suggest could work. . . and I'm going to give them all a try - all at once if it will help.
- Get eating bananas! Bananas are rich in potassium, and large amounts of potassium seem to have helped some sufferers. Exactly why potassium helps is one of life's little mysteries, but if it works, why ask questions! Try loading up on potassium rich foods such as bananas, oranges and potatoes.
- Create your own hydrotherapy centre! Agatha Thrash, M.D., a medical pathologist and cofounder and codirector of Uchee Pines Institute in Alabama, suggests that a simple shallow bath can work wonders on the pain but you MUST use a certain sequence. Fill your bathtub with enough warm water to cover the lower part of your back, then soak for 20 minutes. After the bath, get in the shower and douse yourself with the warm temperature water, gradually turning it cool. The muscles in your lower body will expand and contract and the nerve could loosen up.
- Try a cup of nettle tea. Nettle has been used for centuries to treat dozens of ailments, including sciatica because active compounds in the leaves reduce inflammation.
- Rub the pain away! Lie on your back, with your lower back supported by pillows. Lift up your leg and massage along the nerve from the back of the knee round to the hip. Then repeat going downwards. Work back and forth across the nerve.Repeat three times.
- St. John's Wort Oil is said to be an effective massage oil for relief of sciatica, arthritis and back pain, so perhaps you can try it with the above tip!
- Freeze it out. Rub an ice cube across any painful area until the ice cube melts. This will help soothe the nerve.
And finally, my best remedy for sciatica prevent it from happening in the first place!
- Keep an eye on your posture. Your ears, shoulders, and hips should form a straight line with the head up and stomach pulled in.
- Work on your sitting! Chairs should either have straight backs or lowback support. While sitting, the knees should be a little higher than the hip, so find something to put your feet on (a stool, or one of the kids only joking!)
- Look after your back in the car. A small pillow or rolled towel behind the lower back helps relieve pressure while driving.
And never, EVER volunteer to help Keith decorate his house.
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Get your head straight
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You know us men. . . we're never ones to complain or exaggerate a problem or pain. Instead we suffer in silence, always maintaining a quiet dignity.
Take my back pain. Lara's hardly heard a peep from me (that reminds me, where's my cup of tea? I banged on the floor three times five minutes ago), and our heroic behaviour was again illustrated by my mate Gareth
only last night when he popped over to visit me. . .
'I swear I've got a brain tumour!' he said, rubbing his head furiously and sweating like he was on the Costa Brava.
'Are you sure it's not just a headache?' I asked him.
'Yeah, it could be I suppose,' he admitted reluctantly.
That's the trouble with being a self-confessed health nut - everyone wants you to give them a quick diagnosis. Of course, I'm far from qualified to do that, and like I told Gareth, you should ALWAYS see your doctor if you are worried about your health.
In the meantime, here's a list of different types of headaches and what you can do about them:
- Tension headaches usually strike behind the eyes, forehead and weirdly enough even the neck and shoulders. Half the population suffer from these, and often the cause in stress or blurred vision.Try peppermint oil for it's relaxing effects, and if you still get the headaches, go and get your eyes tested!
- Chronic frequent headaches can again be caused by stress and problems, or an over use of aspirin and paracetamol! So cut out the man-made drugs, and switch to herbal relief!
- Dull face ache can affect areas around the eyes, cheeks, jaw and crown - and usually feels worse when you move your head. There's a good chance that this will be sinus related. If so, try using garlic and ginger as a tea. 2 to 3 cloves of garlic and 2 to 3 slices of fresh ginger should do it. Steep for 5 to 15 minutes and drink, breathing in the steam.
And finally. . .
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LADIES! How to get your man more amorous using a lettuce!
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A recent discovery has revealed that the Ancient Egyptians used lettuce as an aphrodisiac. . . and it seems it really could work. For years lettuce has been known for its calming and pain killing effects, thanks to its levels of two substances - lactucin and lactucopicrin. Hardly something to get the pulses racing then!
But a new study shows that if the lettuce is taken in larger quantities, a different group of substances - tropane alkaloids - kick in, and these alkaloids are very stimulating indeed.
So chaps, if you get nothing but salads over the coming weeks, you'll know why.
That's it for today. Have a corking weekend, enough the great weather, enjoy life, and I'll be back next week.
Till then,
Ray Collins
The Good Life Letter
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