The Importance of a Healthy Spine + Tips for Healing Chronic Low Back Pain
The health of our spines is something a lot of us take for granted until it’s gone. Chronic low back pain is one of the three top causes of disability in the United States which makes this a huge issue to bring awareness to. As a former sufferer of LBP (low back pain), I know first hand how incredibly painful, uncomfortable, and frustrating it can be. I want to dive into how to heal this issue by treating the WHOLE body through proper diet, exercise, and emotional clearing.
First, let’s talk about why this is so important and why you should keep reading even if you don’t currently have LBP… As I’m sure most of you know the spinal column protects the spinal cord which is responsible for all the neurological signaling from the brain to the body. All functions of daily living require appropriate signaling and any disruption here can cause severe impediment in day to day life. Additionally, the spine provides support for certain muscles & organs, overall stability of your entire body, locomotion, and shock absorption.
Okay, so obviously the spine is a pretty big deal and you should practice certain habits daily to nurture spinal health. So what are these exactly?
#1. Diet
A lot of people miss this huge player in the health of your spine. I think a lot of you know that a diet high in processed sugar and saturated fat (a.k.a the standard American diet) can clog arteries leading to heart disease and stroke… But, have you ever thought about the arteries that provide adequate blood flow to your spine? The spine is incredibly vascular and any obstruction here can lead to degenerated disks and LBP. Various studies have shown that on a standard American diet, approximately 10% of the population already has advanced lesions in their spine before they reach age 20. That’s pretty frightening! So what to do? Opt for a whole food plant based diet as much as possible. Cut out all processed sugars, flours, soda, candy, etc. Also, cut back on meat, dairy, and eggs. Bring in more whole fruits, veggies, whole grains, nuts and seeds, and you will be feeding your spine what is needs to thrive.
#2. Exercise
Leading a sedentary lifestyle is not only bad for your spine, but your health in general. After sitting for just 30 minutes, your metabolism slows down by 90%. Piggy backing off of what I just discussed relating to diet, with this decrease in metabolism, the necessary enzymes required to shuttle harmful fat from your arteries to your muscle reduce dramatically. Thus, contributing to more clogging and inflammation. In the preventative sense, be sure to engage in regular physical activity, avoid sitting for too long, and engage in exercises that strengthen your back and lower abdominal muscles. If you are someone who is currently experiencing low back pain, be careful as some exercises can be contraindicated and may cause more harm than good. Certain yoga poses are incredible at providing the right kind of conditioning for the lower back such as: cat/cow, supine abdominal twist, bridge, and sphinx pose.
#3. Emotions
From an energetic perspective, a lot of repressed emotions can become stored in the low back, which is where the sacral chakra resides. The sacral chakra, or second chakra, is all about life force, vitality, and pleasure. Some signs of an unbalanced second chakra include: feeling anxious, fearful, withdrawn, depressed, emotionally unstable, resentful, and insecure, as well as experiencing hormonal imbalances and low libido. Signs of a balanced second chakra include: feeling energetic, compassionate, creative, sensual, open, and joyful. Ways to cultivate more flow in this area are by fostering increased emotional awareness, self inquiry, having better boundaries in relationships, limiting energetic drains, enhancing communication with others, enjoying simple pleasures, and practicing physical activities that provide more flow, like yoga, swimming, and dancing.
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For all of you that are currently experience LBP I am sending out many prayers for your healing and know that treating the body as a whole takes time, but is the only way to provide lasting change. I hope this article brought about some insight and awareness in treating this condition. Also, if you are currently experiencing this or any other chronic health issue you feel you need support with, please feel free to contact me as I currently have space for new private clients in my health coaching program.
Wishing you a beautiful day/ night! xo