Help! My Back Is Killing Me!”

Ask America’s Ultimate Experts
“Help! My back
is killing me!”
You’re not alone: More than 60% of us suffer
from chronic back pain! Here, our experts share
the easy ways to erase the ache for good:
1 Get immediate relief!
Stop muscle
spasms in their tracks!
Treat
yourself to
a massage!
Is heat or ice best? Orthopedic surgeon
Richard Guyer, M.D., gives his verdict: In a recent study, 66%
“Ice is best during the first 24 to 48
of back pain sufferers
hours after an injury,” he says. Apply
reported long-term
ice to your back for no longer than 15
relief after 10 weeks
minutes, “always keeping a wet paper
of weekly
towel between your skin and the pack,”
massages!
adds physical therapist Lisa Morrone.
Spread on capsaicin cream!
“Rubbing the topical cream—which contains an
anti-inflammatory found in chili peppers—
over your joints helps
alleviate pain,” says
Dr. Guyer. In one
study, folks who
used the over-thecounter cream for
three weeks slashed
pain as much as 30%!
Two easy-to-find brands:
Capzasin and Zostrix.
Relax your muscles!
Tight muscles are painful muscles, says wellness expert Kathi
Casey, who promises this pose will
keep yours limber: Lie on your back on
the floor with your backside against your
couch so that your thighs are perpendicular to
the floor and your lower legs are resting completely on the seat of the couch; hold for five
minutes. “It’s the only position in the world that
relaxes all the muscles in your back—it makes
a huge difference in relieving pain,” she says.
Perch on a pillow!
Sitting for prolonged periods of time is a top
back-pain culprit because it encourages poor
posture and compresses joints in your spine.
The fix? “Place a small wedge-shaped cushion
on the seat of your chair,” advises Morrone. “It
props up your ‘butt bones,’ reducing stress on
your lower back.” One option: Tush Cush; $40
at Amazon.com.
2 Reduce
pain with the
right nutrition!
Try these two oils!
“According to the American Chiropractic Association, 95% of back
pain is due to inflammation—and
fish oil is just about the best antiinflammatory out there,” explains
Casey. In one recent study, 60%
of back pain sufferers who took
1,200 mg. of omega-3s daily for
three months felt so much relief (without negative side effects!), they stopped
taking over-the-counter medications!
Also smart: Drizzle extra-virgin olive oil on
your salads: It contains a pain-relieving antiinflammatory that acts much like aspirin!
Snack on strawberries!
3 Summer-perfect ways
to feel better!
Go for a walk—
barefoot!
Walking barefoot on grass
helps strengthen muscles in
your legs and lower back,
which in turn relieves pain.
Why else is a stroll in the
sunshine good for you?
“Our skin makes vitamin D
in the presence of the sun,”
says Dr. Guyer. And since
vitamin D helps maintain
bone health, it “prevents
problems with the spine
down the line.” Taking it in
supplement form? Aim for
1,000 mg. daily.
Enjoy an ice
cream sundae!
They’re rich in vitamin C, “which
helps maintain the connective tissue in your joints; a deficiency
can cause back pain,” explains
Morrone. Not a fan? Supplement
with 500 mg. of C daily.
The relaxing amino acids
found in ice cream help slash
the number-one cause of
back pain: stress! “According
to a Stanford study, your emotional outlook is the most
important factor predicting
who will and who won’t develop back pain,” confirms chiropractor Todd Sinett, D.C. That
means squashing stress—
whether you listen to soothing
music or hit the ice cream parlor—keeps discomfort away!
Try the pineapple cure!
“Bromelain—an enzyme found
only in pineapples—is a natural
anti-inflammatory with great painrelieving properties,” says Morrone. Studies suggests it may be
especially effective at combating
hurt triggered by spinal arthritis.
Take 500 mg. daily.
—Kristina Mastrocola
Our expert panel
Orthopedic
surgeon Richard
D. Guyer, M.D., is
the co-founder
of the Texas Back
Institute and
director of its
Spine Fellowship
Program.
20
WOMAN’S WORLD 6/11/12
document3204336120737076056.indd 20
Physical therapist
Lisa Morrone, P.T.,
author of Overcoming Back and Neck
Pain, is the founder
of Restoring Your
Temple, a company
dedicated to
healthy aging.
Baby boomer
wellness coach
and yoga expert
Kathi Casey, is the
author of Stop
Back Pain: Kiss
Your Back, Neck
and Sciatic Nerve
Pain Goodbye!
Todd Sinett,
D.C.,—author of
The Truth About
Back Pain—is a
chiropractor who
has appeared on
such programs as
The Early Show
on CBS.
Photos: Media Bakery (4).
5/16/12 11:52 AM