Some Initial Tips on Treating Pain and Stiffness

Before you forge ahead and use these tips, for your own safety and well-being you should read the cautionary notes in the LEGAL & PRIVACY STATEMENTS. Just because they work for me is no guarantee they will work for, or are appropriate for YOU.

Ensure you read ALL directions for these exercises, including how to get out of the final position, BEFORE attempting them.

Moving Out of Pain

Many who are in pain and have moved past the acute phase of their back/neck problem are still reluctant to move the body into the areas where the pain previously existed.

This protective attitude of the body (known as ‘guarding’) can be detrimental in the long term. What was once a normal movement has now - through fear - become an ‘excessive’ one. This mental protection (fear) of the physical structure inhibits recovery, rehabilitation and progress to normal movement. In the long term, an imbalance is created which the body adapts to and accepts as the new normal. Eventually, so too does the mind.

It’s important to realise and accept that:

I can’t emphasise strongly enough the value of doing a few basic exercises at least every other day to maintain a healthy back. After many years of trial and (t)error, I can say with absolute conviction that even a modest regime HAS provided, for me, these three benefits:

Tips To Stay On Track

Remember, life is neither perfect nor predictable. Various events and circumstances WILL come along to delay or interrupt the achievement of your goals.

We do fall ill, have accidents, become pregnant, our cars break down and others do let us down. And, when we forget or get stressed, we’ll revert to bad or emotional eating. It’s part of the human condition. We’re not perfect either. Once we accept these realities, dealing with setbacks becomes easier and less stressful. Whatever the cause of the delay or setback is, it’s NOT the end of the world, nor is it justification to abandon your goals or beat yourself up. All you do then is make the necessary adjustments to:

Modifying your original goal is NOT FAILURE. Rather, it is a mature and very reasonable response to YOUR life circumstances. After all, these are your goals not someone else’s. The only person you truly have to please, in this context, is yourself.

If your original goal ‘to permanently lose 12 kilos (26 lb) in 6 months’ has to be change to something like:

…it really doesn’t matter; it’s only the numbers we’re arguing about, not the underlying reasons for the goal in the first place. What IS important is the range of health benefits associated with that weight loss - like feeling better, having more energy, lower blood pressure, reduced risks of heart disease, diabetes or cancer.

Because your goal is a ‘permanent’ weight loss, we’re really talking about a life style change, not some temporary drop in weight attempted by the latest fad-diet. History shows that such diets are rarely effective for the majority of the population and certainly not on a permanent basis - despite all the marketing hype and claims to the contrary.

Happy goal-setting. Once you get the hang of it, you’ll never look back.

Ultimate Goal:

‘I want to permanently lose 12 kilos (26 pounds) in body weight by September 200x.’

Intermediate Goals:

‘…to lose an average of 2 kilos (4 pound) per month (i.e. an average of 0.5 kilos (1 pound) per week)’

How:

1. Diet modifications(you should do ALL of these)
   • REDUCE saturated and trans-fat intake (deep fried food, take-away, pizza, chocolate, ice cream etc.)
   • REDUCE intake of simple sugars (soft drinks, lollies, cakes, biscuits, many desserts)
   • REDUCE size of plate AND serving sizes
   • Eat MORE fresh vegetables & fruit (especially as a healthier dessert alternative)
   • Drink MORE water (with meals & as soft drink alternative)
   • Eat 4 to 5 SMALLER & healthier meals per day rather than the 3 traditional larger ones. (Note, your total food or calorie consumption should be the same or even less)
   • Make these changes PERMANENT as opposed to some temporary diet or fad

Note: Reducing is more realistic and achievable than total elimination or abstinence

2. Exercise (select one or more that suits your abilities & circumstances)
   • Brisk walk for a minimum 30 - 45 minute per day, 5 times a week *
   • Aerobic exercise 2 - 3 times per week (swimming*, jogging, aerobics, cycling, aqua-aerobics, etc.)
   • Resistance training 2 - 3 times per week*
   • Core work (Pilates, yoga, smart-ball, etc.) 3 times per week*
   • Play sport (tennis, volleyball, netball, basketball, etc.)

*My favourites because of ongoing knee trouble

3. Measuring / Recording
   • Weight at end of each week
   • Total weight lost to date
   • Waist & other body measurements
   • Clothing size/s
   • Any indicator that is meaningful to you which provides confirmation & reinforcement (e.g. waist/hip ratio (WHR), body mass index (BMI), blood cholesterol, blood sugar, flexibility tests etc.)

Note:

It is an established fact that people who write down their goals are far more successful at achieving them than those who merely think about them.

Once you’ve written down the WHAT (the goal) and the WHEN (the deadline), it’s vital to write down the HOW; the steps, methods and equipment needed or the changes you must make to achieve your goal.

Writing goals down, appears to generate a psychological impetus, especially when the formula set out in the GOAL EXAMPLE is followed. Using this formula allows you to:

It’s vital to write down any new targets to stay on track, in the same way that you need an up-to-date street directory to find your way around an unfamiliar city.

The principles of this formula can be applied to virtually any goal, large or small, you wish to achieve. Bigger or more complex goals just require a little more thought and planning with possibly more intermediate steps. That’s okay too, since life, with all its challenges and achievements, is an ongoing process. Remember the person who wanted to eat an elephant.

Part 1: Goals must be realistic and achievable
Part 2: Goals must be specific and personal to you
Part 3: Goals must be measurable
Part 4: Goals must have a time frame
Part 5: Goals must be written down

Without a deadline,you run the very real risk of failure. You could delay starting or remain unconcerned about interruptions which drag on and on and on…

Of course, there may be legitimate reasons, beyond your control, for delays and interruptions. That’s okay. You simply adjust your target and end-dates accordingly. This too, is part of being realistic and working WITH, rather than against the realities of your personal circumstances.

Just like maps, which detail the towns and distances between your starting and finishing points, it is necessary to break down your ultimate goal into the various intermediate goals. It helps to remember the adage: ‘ How do you eat and elephant? Answer - a bite at a time.’ (See the GOAL EXAMPLE)

Part 1: Goals must be realistic and achievable
Part 2: Goals must be specific and personal to you
Part 3: Goals must be measurable
Part 4: Goals must have a time frame
Part 5: Goals must be written down

If you can’t quantify your goal, how can you assess your progress or when you’ve achieved it?

Your final goal - and the intermediate steps - must be measurable by such things as time, kilos/pounds, centimetres/inches, dress/trouser size, minutes/seconds, etc. or whatever scale is relevant and appropriate.

Part 1: Goals must be realistic and achievable
Part 2: Goals must be specific and personal to you
Part 3: Goals must be measurable
Part 4: Goals must have a time frame
Part 5: Goals must be written down

A goal of stronger, faster or slimmer is too vague to be of real use. To be effective, a goal must be concrete and specific. For example:

• ‘I want to be the ideal weight for my age, height and gender’ (e.g. 74 kg or 160 pounds)
• ‘I want to compete in this year’s local/national marathon’
• ‘I want to be able to play ball with my kids without losing my breath or thinking I’m going to have a heart attack’

Part 1: Goals must be realistic and achievable
Part 2: Goals must be specific and personal to you
Part 3: Goals must be measurable
Part 4: Goals must have a time frame
Part 5: Goals must be written down

They must be compatible with the realities of your situation such as your age, any permanent disabilities, etc. For example, you can LOOK younger, but you can’t BE younger. If you’ve stopped growing, you can’t BE taller, but you CAN be lighter, stronger, faster and more flexible or have more endurance, circumstances permitting. If you don’t BELIEVE something is possible, you won’t really try.

Likewise,you can’t devote more hours or money to a task or program than you can realistically afford due to work, family or other obligation. But that’s no reason not to start either, albeit on a smaller. more realistic scale.

You can work with what you have available, build a good foundation and continue to monitor your progress against your targets.

Part 1: Goals must be realistic and achievable
Part 2: Goals must be specific and personal to you
Part 3: Goals must be measurable
Part 4: Goals must have a time frame
Part 5: Goals must be written down

It’s often said that people don’t plan to fail, they simply fail to plan; either properly, or at all.

Planning for the sake of your health involves having a goal, or even a set of goals, which help you achieve your desired results, whatever they may be. A goal serves the same purpose/function as:

It’s not enough to say: ‘Drive in a northerly direction’ or ‘Just follow the sun’ to get from point A to point B. Or, ‘Please build me a shed for my cars and tools.’ In each case,the information lacks the important information necessary to achieve the objective.

Having goals is the key to succeeding. The following steps are the keys to effective goal setting:

1. Goals must be realistic and achievable
2. Goals must be specific and personal to you
3. Goals must be measurable
4. Goals must have a time frame
5. Goals must be written down

The principles of this formula can be applied to virtually any goal, large or small, you wish to achieve. Bigger or more complex goals just require a little more thought and planning with possibly more intermediate steps. That’s okay too, since life, with all its challenges and achievements, is an ongoing process. Remember the person who wanted to eat an elephant.

If, like me, you’ve had to live with chronic conditions and a variety of intermittent injuries, you might be interested in some of the strategies I’ve investigated and tried over 30-plus years.

What I have learned is:

• The spine and its supporting soft tissues - muscles, tendons and ligaments - perform a complex balancing act to deal with posture, movement and all sorts of daily forces such as gravity, acceleration and impacts.
• Even a basic understanding of how the back operates, provides a valuable respect and awareness that can prevent or at least minimise injury and pain
• Regardless of WHY it happens (e.g. disc problems, facet-joint arthrosis, muscle strain or just tension), the pain is still very real and it often HURTS LIKE HELL
• Prevention is worth a TON of cure. Once you have a serious problem, you may have to look after it for life with just simple exercises.
• There are no quick-fixes for many back conditions. Treatment can require several concurrent remedies and be prolonged. One has to be patient - not always an easy task
• What works for someone else, won’t necessarily work for you - frustrating!
• What works for you now, may not always work - even more frustrating! Another reason why prevention is preferable to cure
• Age is no barrier to improvement. Us older subjects (patients) usually progress at a slower rate than a younger one, but the difference is nowhere as great as one might expect (Laughlin 1999). From personal experience, I would say that I’m living proof of the benefits available.
• We have to listen to, and be guided by, our bodies. We have to distinguish between BAD pain that signals serious damage/injury that requires ‘rest’, treatment or even medical attention and ACCEPTABLE pain such as non-serious muscle tension or soreness from training ..See section on STRETCH PAIN SCALE.

…The expression, ‘No pain, no gain’ is a load of B.S. In my opinion, it’s little more than a motivational slogan or advertising hype. Either way, you follow it at your peril, especially where back or neck pain is involved.

So, if you want some initial guidance with your stiff or sore back, then please:

• Take a look at Lower Back-Attack - Some Tips on Treating Pain and Stiffness
• Chase up your own copies of the 2 books I have mentioned and,
• Seriously consider and act on my recommendations about doing just a few simple exercises to strengthen the muscles supporting the spine to prevent / minimise future problems