Holistic Therapy for Chronic Lower Back Pain, Does it Work? –Part 1
- Brainz Magazine
- 3 hours ago
- 11 min read
Kicki Hjortmarker is known for her broad knowledge and extensive experience working with the human body and mind to heal injuries and chronic pain conditions. She is the founder of Swedish Balance dedicated to help people live a balanced life pain free.
I believe that most chronic back pain conditions can be healed naturally with a holistic approach, but, it takes patience, perseverance and consistency. It takes self-work and often a life-style change. Hence, this article is for those of you who want to take charge of your healing and are thinking about surgery as last resort.
As a retired RSG-gymnast with chronic lower back pain in the late 80’s, I was determined to learn how to keep strong, release tension, keep inflammation down, and to become balanced, aligned, and pain free. It became a consistent and diligent detective work for decades. To have back surgery was not an option for me, so, I learnt to heal my back and I believe you can do it too!
At this time, I have worked with thousands of people combating various back, and neck pain conditions, and, below I am sharing insights, causes, tips, and ideas that I have discovered while working on numerous difficult cases in addition to my own trauma.
Can you fix it?
I meet people all the time who have had chronic lower back pain for a long time, a few months or even decades, and when they finally come to me for help it has gotten much worse as of late.They ask if I think I can fix them.
My response commonly is that, “I can most likely help you, and you can probably feel a whole lot better than you do today, but don’t expect this one session to “fix” you. If one session would fix years of damage, that would be utopia, and I would charge a whole lot more for a session than I do!”
So, how long does it take?
However, don’t take me wrong, there are times when people feel healed after one session, but that’s usually when the back pain hasn’t lasted very long, perhaps 5-6 weeks or so. If the pain condition is acute due to a recent injury, and, on top of it you’re a young and healthy person, then the pain can go away pretty soon with the right treatments and exercises. If you don’t do anything about it though, and you simply hope for the best and that it’s going to go away by itself.
Then you might be in for the long haul journey to recovery either now or later in life. For eg. If you’re a person who’s middle aged, had a car accident 20 years ago, fell off a ladder 5 years ago, and you feel you healed up from the injuries, but, all of a sudden you’re in pain for seemingly no reason, then expect there to be significant work to be done.
Similarly, if it has taken you 25 years to develop a dysfunction and discomfort in your body, it can take you months, years, or a lifetime to feel like you have overcome the problem. If it has been even longer than that, and, you are a person that are past your prime, you aren’t used to exercise, you really don’t care much for movement, you live a sedentary life, and, you haven’t really paid much attention to your body until you experienced severe pain.
Then it will take a longer time because your tissues are now older, they have atrophied more, and both your mind and body will be less flexible than when you were younger. If you fall into this category, you might feel that there is too much pain and work involved to “fix it” without surgery. However, even if you fall into this category, I’m convinced that you can feel incredibly much better than you currently do if you just get some help and advise from a hands-on professional.
I’m very well trained, so why do I still have pain?
It’s common that even young and very well trained people have imbalances in their bodies. You might not see it from the outside but since we all live in a body daily and have habits about how we move around and go about things, imbalances develop in every human being.
If you’re not extremely self-aware about how you go about things in life, in the gym, on the hike, on the dance floor, etc., you will be doing these activities with imbalances in your body. The body is amazing though, and it can deal with these imbalances as it’s ever changing, the feet and ankles that carry our whole weight are constantly changing according to the ground beneath them while supporting and navigating our movements.
But, then an accident happens! You happen to take the wrong step and end up on a rock, or, you twist your ankle as you step down from a curb. Now tissues are being weakened and overstretched! But, you don’t feel that it's “too bad” so you keep on walking, or maybe even running in this dysfunction, and, you are thinking it’s ok because you’re still able to walk, and you’ll be just fine!
And, most likely you will be fine. But, when the imbalance persists sooner or later problems will show up as pain in a different body part. The weakened tissues won’t support your foot, ankle, and whole body weight properly. Stronger muscles will try to take over the job, you might have heard that they “compensate” for the weaker tissues. If the physical trauma takes time to heal, these compensating tissues tend to grow bigger, and if it continues, they may also get too tight and too overworked.
So, your pain is not just in the initial injury site anymore, but also in the compensating tissues. I’m using the word tissues here, since it’s not only muscles that are involved: Fascia, tendons, and ligaments also play a big role. Fascia, which is a thin layer that’s like a sheet in the whole body, surrounding, supporting and protecting every nerve, organ, bones, blood vessels, and muscle fibers etc., plays a big role in pain conditions. It has been found that fascia has 25% more nerve endings than skin.
Considering fascia
Informed care can potentially lead to much faster and better healing than if it goes untreated. The massage modality that specifically addresses fascia and muscle is “myofascial release”, (myo=muscle).Trigger point therapy/Neuromuscular Therapy also address pain in the fascia.
Craniosacral therapy is another healing modality that addresses tension patterns in the fascia. This therapy is suitable when head injuries, emotional, or spinal injuries are involved. It’s also excellent for people who are sensitive to touch. When you choose to get manual treatments from a professional, remember that consistency is key!
Why is consistency important?
Consistency is important because the body remembers trauma. As soon as you add a little stress in your life, where do you think that stress is going to manifest? It will manifest in the weakest part of your body, simply where you already have pain, discomfort or trauma. The weaker parts where the energy of the trauma hasn’t completely let go yet, will be affected by stress hormones the most.
Below are a 5 tips to get you started on your self-help journey
1. Water
Make sure to stay hydrated. Your back consists of 70-75% water. Dehydration can therefore increase tension and stiffness in your back. Sip on plenty of water throughout the day to support spinal flexibility and nutrient flow.
2. Nutritious foods
I suggest that you take a serious look at your diet and try to avoid inflammatory foods, where refined sugar is the number one to avoid. Also, avoid starchy foods and seed oils which are very hard for the liver to process.
A healthy liver with better insulin sensitivity and reduced blood sugar spikes can lower systemic inflammation and improve blood flow to spinal tissues, which can help with recovery and reduce chronic pain flare ups.
Try fresh low-carb options like a variety of vegetables and make sure to include leafy greens and oils such as avocado, coconut, and olive oil. Don’t use seed oils. Skip the bread, crackers, pasta, pastries, and grains. Include fish, poultry, or meat in your diet. Also include fresh berries and fruits low in fructose. If you are vegan, make sure to get enough of protein and fats in your diet through alternative sources.
3. Stomach motility
Poor stomach motility and built up gas can create tension in the stomach and intestines. This can in turn affect the back through pressure since the mid and lower back is located behind the abdomen.
Support digestion with movement, hydration, and fresh foods. If you tend to get constipated you might need more acid in your stomach. Our stomach is supposed to be very acidic with a pH level of 1-2.5. With that low pH level the stomach can break down proteins properly and kill off harmful bacteria. If the food isn’t properly broken down, it can create a cascade of problems including gas build up, bloating, constipation, rashes, inflammation, pain scenarios, autoimmune disease, and many other health issues.
Lemons can be very helpful for your digestion as it’s acidic with a very low pH level. It will reduce gas build up that is due to a high ph level in the stomach. Once in the bloodstream, the lemon juice becomes alkaline. It also contains vitamin C, and helps detoxify the liver. Lemons are therefore a truly amazing health food!
1/2-1tbsp olive oil helps lubricate the intestinal wall and content can move along better.
Cayenne pepper, is also an herb that has a tremendous amount of health benefits, in the stomach it stimulates the blood vessels of the gut for better digestion.
Try this blend: Mix the juice of a 1/2-1 squeezed lemon. Mix with a few dabs of cayenne pepper. Add 1/2-1 tbsp olive oil and drink it as a shot in the morning on an empty stomach. Make sure to have some warm water (or room temperature) first thing in the morning after waking up and then afterwards as well. You can increase the amounts if you don’t notice a difference.
Another tip is to put a few drops of organic castor oil in your belly button at night before bed. Castor oil penetrates very deeply when applied to the belly button and helps support motility in the gastrointestinal tract. It also has anti inflammatory properties.
To take some sea salt (about 1/2 tsp to start) rich in minerals can be helpful as well. Salt is needed for your stomach to produce hydrochloric acid, which in turn is needed to break down proteins and harmful bacteria.
If you still don’t have a bowel movement, it can be beneficial to get help from a bodyworker/massage therapist/visceral manipulation therapist, who work hands-on with your abdomen in order to move, soften, and release the intestines and its’ content.
A therapist can also make sure that attachments and sphincters of the stomach aren’t frozen. If they are in spasm, a therapist can help them relax and reset.
Everything needs to move for the digestion to work properly!
4. Tools
Foam Roller and the Thera-cane are tools that have helped myself greatly throughout the years. You can easily find both online, at most gyms, or in sports specialty stores. However, to use the Thera-cane efficiently is a bit of a learning curve. It might be worth it though as you can target difficult to reach areas whereas it would be almost impossible to reach the same areas with the foam roller, therapy balls, or with your bare hands.
Therapy balls can be more useful than a foam roller as it is easier to pin point a specific tension area and trigger points. The foam roller is great to cover your whole body. As long as you can get down on the floor, you can roll any part of your body on the foam roller, but avoid inflamed areas.
The foam roller also works great for your IT bands. IT band, is a taught fibrous band made up of thick fascia. It originates on the side of your pelvic bone, and inserts on the lateral side just below the knee.
It’s common that a tight IT band gives you knee pain on the outside of the knee. This tension can also refer pain to your lower back as it is part of a fascia tension pattern. When you work trigger points are discrete, focal on your own, be aware that trigger points need a static pressure to release. That means that it is better to lie down, or sit down on a ball, instead of rolling around on one.
If a trigger point won’t release as you’re working on it, try to lighten up on the pressure. Sometimes trigger points won’t release if you’re pressing too hard, but the opposite can also be true. Other times the trigger point needs a different angle than the angle you’re working from, in order to release.
In some cases you can use traction devices. This can work really well when you need to create more space in the spine. But, please be careful with this! If you have bulging and herniated discs, you do not want to hang up-side-down in a traction device. This can drastically increase inflammation, prolong the pain, and even make it worse.
If you experience neck pain, there are many traction devices that can feel good to use. Choose one that you can keep on the floor or another hard flat surface, and in which you can gently put your head down and relax into.
The gentler and slower you use a traction device, the better. You want to make sure the tissues and your body feel safe to relax, release, and let go of tension! Supportive tapes and braces are something you can use for a short period of time. If you use it too often or for too long, the risk is that muscles will atrophy, and in the long-run you will be worse off. In 80% of the cases I see, specific muscle groups, or the whole body, need to get stronger to combat the pain and nudge the body to release trauma and let go.
5. Meditation and breath
Practice deep breathing to soften, lengthen, oxygenate, and create more space in restricted areas. To do this you need to allow your stomach to expand.
If this is difficult for you, you can sit down and place your feet on the floor and then drop your head towards the floor to release tension in your stomach and lower back. You can also put your awareness in your feet in order to place your breath further down in your body. If you’re not sure of how to put your awareness into your feet, you can ask yourself questions like:
What kind of floor is underneath my feet?
Is the surface of the floor soft or hard?
Can I feel my toes, heals, and edges of the feet on the floor?
Do I have more weight on one foot than the other?
You are now focused on sensations in the feet. Your awareness is in your feet. Now change your focus to your breath! Inhale on a count of 4, and exhale on a count of 6 or 7. This allows the nervous system to slow down. Be aware of the breath coming into your lungs through your nose and mouth, and be aware of your ribs and lungs expanding.
As you exhale, be aware of the ribs and lungs contracting. If meditation is completely new to you, this is a first good step! Being aware of your breath is a good first step to becoming more self-aware. Find another 15 tips in part 2 and 3!
Take care of your health and back pain now!
Call or text Kicki Hjortmarker @ 1 (323) 404 6613
Email: kickis_therapy@icloud.com
Read more from Kicki Katarina Hjortmarker
Kicki Katarina Hjortmarker, Holistic Bodyworker
Kicki Hjortmarker has a solid background in the hands-on healing field treating people with injuries and chronic pain conditions. With a holistic approach she integrates Neuromusclular Massage Thearpy, Craniosacral Therapy, Hypnotherapy, Reiki, Pilates, and more.
To practice the artistry of mind/bodywork and massage therapy has been Kicki's lifelong passion.
It started with the awareness of her own body as a child and ballet dancer, and, later as a gymnast who developed chronic lower back pain whilst on the Swedish National Team in Rhythmic Sports Gymnastics.
Decades later she overcame nerve damage and temporary paralysis in one hand.
This taught her to trust the healing power of body and mind, and that the body prefers holistic healing methods over conventional treatments.
Her mission is to encourage and inspire others to do the same: To trust the healing power of body, mind, and spirit!"
