71. BEAT A BAD BACK NATURALLY

DEAR GRANDMA DONNA: Our neighbor, Troy, told dad last night that he picked up a box of computer paper, and his back went out. His visit to his doctor brought (what he thought) was strange advice—he said to walk 20 minutes a day and do back-strengthening exercises. He also told Troy to lose weight. Troy said that exercise hurts and he can’t stand to diet. All he wants to do is lie very still on the sofa until the pain goes away. What would you tell this hurting man?  LOVE, SAVANA

DEAR SAVANA: First of all, the biggest culprit causing back pain is our sedentary lifestyle, which weakens back and abdominal muscles making us vulnerable to even relatively small injuries. Possibly Troy sits in front of a computer all day, then relaxes in front of a television at night, which makes a very inactive life.

Backaches lame 5.4 million Americans each year. Surprisingly, up to 80 percent of low back pain sufferers are victims of no more than overworked or under exercised muscles. Other causes range from various forms of arthritis to acute traumatic injuries. Stress, worry and grief also affect the back. It’s been said that back pain is often a tension headache slipped downward.

Another factor that plays a big part in back pain is excess weight. A large stomach puts staggering pressure on the spine. Ten extra pounds of weight on an abdomen can equal 100 pounds of stress on a disc. Extra weight means extra wear and tear, not only on the bones of the back, but also on other vulnerable joint surfaces, like the hips and knees. This kind of damage can lead to osteoarthritis.

Most people with back pain fervently hope that a cause can be found and corrected. Chronic pain can be devastating. Many wander from doctor to doctor, hoping to find one who will operate and fix it. But the bad news is that back surgery seldom fixes back pain, and sometimes makes it worse. Only 2 to 4 percent of back problems require surgical correction. Most back surgery is falling out of favor. Even with prominent back surgeons, it is becoming a last resort.

Much as your neighbor, Troy, doesn’t want to hear it, studies have shown that people who exercise through their pain recover faster, and are back on the job sometimes weeks sooner. If he will get his weight down and maintain a high degree of muscular fitness with consistent active exercise, his chances of beating back pain are about 95 percent.

Show Troy these four tips from Dr. Aileen Ludington for maintaining a healthy back:

  1. Lift with a straight back. Squat, don’t bend from the waist.
  2. Avoid poor sleep posture. Lie on your side with legs bent. Use a firm mattress.
  3. Eat a low-fat, high-fiber diet, which will improve circulation and allow the blood to carry more oxygen to damaged tissues. This kind of diet will help Troy lose weight without cutting the amount of food he eats. Drink 8 to 10 eight-ounce glasses of water daily.
  4. Do special exercises daily to strengthen back and abdominal muscles. One simple exercise is to lie on the back with the knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Tighten the muscles in your buttocks and tilt your pelvis until your lower back touches the floor. Hold for 5 seconds and repeat 10 times. Besides the special exercises, be sure to walk, swim or jog at least 20 minutes, 4 to 5 times a week.

Tell your neighbor Troy:

            “DON’T TAKE A BAD BACK LYING DOWN—MOVE IT!”

LOVE, GRANDMA DONNA

PUMPKIN COOKIES
1 16-oz pumpkin
1/2 c raisins
1/4 c coconut
1 T coconut oil
1/4 c molasses
1/2 t salt
1 t vanilla
2 c oatmeal
1/2 c raisins
1/2 c pecans or walnuts
2 mashed bananas
6 T flax
To make carob cookies, add 1/3 cup carob and mix
thoroughly. Form cookies and place on sprayed cookie
sheet. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes.