What causes back pain?
Back pain is a frequent reason people visit the doctor or miss a major cause of disability worldwide. The majority of us have back pain at least once. Pain can be felt at the upper or lower back, due to trauma, overstress, or other ailments. Ailments affecting the bony spine include spinal inflammation, inflammation of the spinal cord and nerves, discs between the vertebrae, ligaments around the spine and discs, muscles, internal organs of the pelvis, chest, and stomach.
Ayurveda is a natural healing system. Developed over 5,000 years back in India, Ayurveda is the world’s oldest holistic medicine. Ayurveda incorporates a balance between body, mind, and spirit to enhance health and wellness. It strives to promote a healthy body rather than fighting off diseases. If something disrupts your body’s equilibrium, you experience pain and illness. According to Ayurveda, space, air, fire, water, and ground form the three energies, or doshas, that control our bodies. Health issues occur because of the imbalances of your doshas.
As Vata is responsible for all movement in the body, all pain is associated with disturbance in your Vata dosha. The imbalance induces flaws in the muscles and bones. In order to form a state of equilibrium and promote full-body healing, Ayurveda therapies realign your Vata. Ayurveda treatments include herbal medications and topical applications. You can even obtain an Ayurveda oil massage (abhyanga) or a medicated enema (called a base) to fix your back pain.
Lower Back Pain Risk Factors
Almost everyone complains about back pain at some time in their lives. What increases your risk of lower back development, though? Aging is a natural cause of pain in your lower back. The wear and tear on our backbone lead to discomfort as we age. There is a lower risk for people under 30, but many people between 30 and 60 experience disc-related back pain. Our risk of developing osteoarthritis rises after 65. Genetics plays a part in developing lower back pain, particularly lumbar disc degeneration (LDD). LDD can be transmitted through genes, with 65% to 80% of individuals inheriting their loved ones’ condition.
Living a sedentary lifestyle leads to lower back pain, which approximately sixty percent to 80 percent of the world population does. Lack of physical activity and poor posture reduces muscle mass. Our back demands healthy muscles to protect and support them. We experience back pain as our bodies weaken. Please do not fail to take into account workplace threats and how they affect the body. The possibility of a back injury is increased by repetitive bending, long hours of standing, and lifting heavy objects.
Lower Back Pain Symptoms
Pain in the lower back varies from mild to severe. Chronic back pain produces a dull ache that’s more bothersome rather than debilitating. Severe back pain can stop you from performing daily activities.
Acute back pain suddenly appears and disappears. It may last as long as three months. Chronic lower back pain slowly develops and causes long-term health issues.
Common lower back pain symptoms include:
– Dull and aching pain located on your lower spine
– Tingling pain ranging from the lower back to your thighs
– Muscle ache
– Shooting or stabbing pain
– Radiating pain to the legs
– Muscle spasms around the lower back
– Limited versatility or spine range of motion
– Increased distress after prolonged sitting or standing
– Trouble standing up straight
– Difficulty walking or lifting
Seek urgent care should you experience high fevers, sudden weight loss, or numbness in your groin area.
See: Ayurveda for Gout
Ayurvedic view of back pain
In Ayurveda, back pain is termed Kateegraham and thought of as caused because of impaired digestion and aggravation of Vata. A faulty digestive tract causes the buildup of toxins (ama), which combine with Vata and collect in the body’s second channel. It finally results in a backache.
– Vata dosha is the control of the pelvic region and the metabolism of bones.
– Pitta dosha controls the navel area and the metabolism of blood, tendons, and warmth.
– Kapha dosha controls the chest region and the metabolism of plasma, ligaments, tendons, nerves, and fat.
All pain is related to Vata dosha as Vata is responsible for all body movement – the impediment that causes pain. Vata moves through stations (nerve, blood, etc.) and enables the purpose of both other doshas. Therefore, when Vata is stopped from moving properly for some cause, both Pitta and Kapha become involved in the disease. This is particularly true in almost any condition of pain. Accordingly, in Ayurveda, pain is categorized by the three doshas, all of the while understanding that Vata is always implicated.
Vata-Vata pain is sharp, throbbing, migrating in place, and variable in intensity. It comes and goes quickly and will be localized on the surface of the body.
Vata-Pitta’s pain is burning, lancing, extreme, and remains in one location. It increases the force in 1 or 2 hours and reaches peak intervals around midday or midnight. It tends to be on the middle level of the human body.
Vata-Kapha’s pain is dull, aching, and remains localized in a single place. To achieve maximum strength, it takes between 6 and 24 hours and can last for several days at a time. It peaks in the evening and morning. It tends to be located deep within the body.
To treat lower back pain properly, the therapist should care for the dosha causing the problem. Since Vata is implicated in lower back pain, oil is nearly always utilized in therapy as petroleum has the opposite qualities of Vata dosha. The oil is mixed for the treatment of Pitta (inflammation) with cooling herbs or healing herbs for the treatment of Kapha (congestive).
Ayurvedic indications of lower back pain
Vata – Migrating pain that’s throbbing and intense. Cold aggravates the pain, and it reduces as the muscles become hot or the day increases in heat. It can result from overuse of muscles, stress, travel, non-movement, etc.
Pitta – Steady burning, intense lancing pain. Heat aggravates the pain, and it reduces when the body is cooled down or in the evening when the day ends. It can result from any type of inflammation or overuse, leading to inflammation, shock, extra anger, etc.
Kapha – Dull, aching pain that’s deep and defused. The cold will often aggravate the pain, and heat will help relieve it gradually. It can result from non-movement, lack of exercise, congestion, weight problems, constipation, amenorrhea, emotions that are suppressed, etc.
Ayurvedic treatments for back pain
Treatment of lower back pain according to the dosha that’s causing the problem:
– Vata: Hot oil massage for 20 mins with heat application of Sesame oil, Vatashama oil, Mahanarayana oil, Bala, sesame oil, or Ashwagandha combination. A slow, soft massage with a mild to the middle level of stress is needed.
– Pitta: room temperature oil massage. Anti-inflammatory oils like olive oil, coconut oil, Pittashama oil, and Pitta reducing oils or herbs like Manjistha, Bala, etc. A vigorous massage followed by a soft massage with a middle level of pressure is needed.
– Kapha – hot oil massage with heat application for 20 mins followed by dry powder massage with healing herbs like Calamus, Ginger. Sesame and mustard oil blends may be used, or olive sesame oil hybrids may be used if olive oil is not available.
Lower Back Pain Treatment: Holistic lower back pain remedies are popular because they operate. Let us discuss some of the best procedures for strengthening your spine and decreasing your pain.
Ayurvedic main procedures for back pain
The Ayurvedic treatment of Kateegraham includes cleansing herbs that remove the toxic buildup, followed by digestive herbs that restore proper digestion. Toning and demulcent herbs can also be prescribed to nourish the nervous system and relieve imbalanced body energies.
– Topical Treatments such as Abhyangam, Podikkizhi, Elakkizhi, Pizhichil, Nhavarakkizhi, Lepanam, Kateevasthy, Avagaham, etc.
– Panchakarma treatment such as Virechanam, Snehavasthy, Vaitharana vasthy, Kashaya vasthy.
– Panchakarma Detox: Panchakarma detoxes and rejuvenates the entire body. It works to revive our immune systems, equilibrium, and total well-being. A Panchakarma detox cleanses the environment, inadequate nutrition,
and diseases from harmful substances in the body. Our bodies normally can eliminate waste materials. But after long-term bad lifestyle habits or genetic predispositions, internal homeostasis is disrupted. This encourages toxins to disperse and cause distress in the body. A Panchakarma detox corrects your body’s imbalances. It removes toxins through your colon, sweat glands, lungs, bladder, and intestines. A successful detox reduces discomfort throughout the entire body.
– Basti/Medicated Enema for Vata Imbalance
Your Vata dosha is responsible for over fifty-five percent of the illnesses in your body. A medicated enema also called a basti, restores your Vata. A basti works your colon as your colon is what balances you, Vata.
The first stage of Basti management is oil. Warm oil and herbal teas have been placed into the rectum. Next, there is an enema bag full of fluid. Into the tip of the anus, a lubricated syringe is placed. As it releases, fluid enters the body. It’s suggested to gently massage your colon when receiving a basti. A powerful basti leads to a couple of bowel movements and a mild feeling inside the abdomen. A basti protects the joints, muscles, and the nervous system, allowing back pain to decrease.
Other Ayurvedic treatments
– Abhyanga Massage: Abhyanga translates to ‘towards the movement.’ It’s an Ayurveda massage that uses oils infused with warm herbs. To improve blood circulation, Abhyanga massages the body in the direction of its body hair. Abhyanga is a way to put your doshas into harmony. Abhyanga incorporates:
– moderate rubbing (Samvahan)
– Pressing and squeezing (Peedan)
– Stress (Mardan)
In comparison with traditional massages, Abhyanga employs far more oil. Depending on the health needs, different kinds of oils are used
– Potli Sweda: Potli Sweda is a hot herbal pouch. The pouch is made of medicinal plants. The warmth from the pouch works its way throughout the body to restore imbalances. Potli Sweda is advised for back pain. The therapy has rejuvenating effects that enhance your joints’ range of motion and endurance. It relieves joint stiffness and pain due to sciatica, osteoarthritis, and spondylosis. The sexy herbal dictionary may alleviate pain due to sprains, sports injuries, cramps, and fibromyalgia.
Kati Vasti: Your waist region is named Kati. Vasti is the method of applying hot, ayurvedic oils into an area. You do Kati Vasti when you add lubricants to your waist.
It’s possible to apply Kati Vasti to your lower spine and back. By always adding more oil, the liquid keeps its high temperature. The treatment is used for 30 to 40 minutes, depending on the intensity of the back pain.
Following the oil, the lower back is lightly massaged. This assists the lower back in consuming the medication.
Kati Vasti relieves numbness brought on by sciatica. It strengthens lower back muscles, reduces stiffness, and increases circulation. Kati Vasti strengthens muscles, tendons, and soft tissues around your lower spine. It is used as a preventative lower spine therapy or to treat existing back pain.
– Njavarakizhi: Njavarakizhi is a lower spine rejuvenation therapy. The remedy is a full-body massage with oil. Warm Njavara kind of medicinal herb and rice components are employed during the massage. After the rice is wiped off (after about 40 minutes of massaging), more oil is used. This lower spine therapy enhances muscle tone and strength. It minimizes strain and inflammation. The treatment might offer long-term arthritis relief.
– Ayurvedic Diet: A big proportion of the diet must be carbs, which facilitate the appropriate bowel movement, thereby bettering the body’s digestion.
– Green leafy vegetables should be integrated into the diet as they provide the fiber that enhances digestion and eliminates waste.
– Fruits such as apples and carrots are suggested.
– Heavy meals have to be avoided as they require a while to digest. On the lower back section, this can exert excessive pressure.
– Activity restrictions: Attempt light activity, like walking and activities of daily living. Cease activity that increases pain, but do not avoid activity from fear of pain while sleeping, lie directly in your back or with bent knees supported by a pillow.
Continue your actions as much as you can tolerate.
Summary
Ayurvedic therapies are a holistic and natural form of healing. Various procedures, from Kati Vasti to Basti, make our bodies healthier. Ayurvedic medicine is a few of the best lower back pain treatment. Rather than targeting one part of your body, Ayurvedic methods get your whole body back in balance.
