I borked up my back this week, and noticed lots of writers also have back issues from the unnatural things we do to our selves writing books, so I thought I’d post some tricks to help your spine align. (Or get unborked if you like to be all technical with your words like that.)
1. Yoga: the corpse (flat on your back) and the folded leaf (kneel with your chest on your knees) are very good for just relaxing spasming muscles. Then you can do cat/cow to stretch your back both ways. I bought a book on yoga in the dark ages before the internet and before there were yoga centers everywhere. You can find a yoga instructor, buy a book, or look up how to do these online.
2. Take a walk. Walking is a very gentle way to loosen up.
3. Use a swiss ball. You can stretch your back face up and face down with suppport, then use it to sit on instead of a chair to be kind to your spine.
4. Pillows for the win. A small pillow at the small of your back for lumbar support, or a heated Bucky pillow draped along neck and shoulders do wonders.
5. For stubborn knots, get a small rubber ball and put it under you on the appropriate spot while you lay on your back on the floor. Roll your knotted muscle on it to loosen it up. (Tip from a helpful massage therapist who worked on my knots.)
6. Change positions. I’ve written standing, sitting on a swiss ball, reclined with feet up, etc. to relieve back pressure and keep from being in the same position for too long. Laptops and lap desks are wonderful for making work portable so you can move around.
7. Weights for prevention. I use the 12 Second Sequence workout, and it does a great job of gently, slowly strengthening back muscles and all your major muscle groups to prevent injuries. The kink I put in my back this week is the first time I’ve really had a problem since I started doing this workout about 2 years ago, and it’s probably the reason I got unkinked so quickly.
So this swiss ball thing…is that the big ball I keep seeing people sit on at their desks on TV? Like the Subway commercial that shows somebody eating fast food sitting on a ball and the ball pops?
I have heard about the rubber ball trick from my masseuse too. It soo works!
Yes! You can get them everywhere, I think they’re $5 at Walmart. I am debating throwing away my office chair and just sticking with the ball. I first used one when I was pregnant. They’re amazing.
NJ, I haven’t been doing it, either, and it does make a difference. The plow is terrific for releasing shoulder tension from hunching over keyboards. I need to remember to take yoga breaks.
Glad your back is unborked. That’s a reminder to me to get back to doing yoga. It’s been months since I found the time to do it.
It does. I tend to get a knot between my shoulders, right where you can’t reach back to rub. IF you have a dog, you have to hide it, though, or it becomes A Toy.
Tai Chi works wonders too. 🙂
Much as I love tai chi, I find it better for stress relief than back pain, but you do a lot of stretching so it would help. I do love how grounded it makes me feel.
I found what you sleep on has a definite impact on your back. We had a normal, no-name mattress bed for years, but I woke up every morning with a back ache. When we relocated and decided to buy a new bed instead of bringing the old one with us, I tested a bunch and bought a Sealy Posturepedic that was much firmer, thinking it would be more supportive. I know a lot of people like adjustable beds, but I thought I needed a harder sleeping surface, and I was right. For me the Sealy has been so comfortable and supportive I’ve not had any back pain in the last four years. Neither has my guy, who has chronic hip and sciatica pain.
I also use a mattress heating pad to warm up the bed before I drop for the night (nothing like a prewarmed bed to relax the muscles, although I turn off the heater as soon as I’m in so I don’t risk burns) and a contoured foam pillow to support my neck.
Agree 100%. We switched to a very supportive firm sleeping surface and put memory foam on top. Bliss. (We went a little too firm, so the foam softens it up a bit) And I use my electric blankie to prewarm the bed. I may check into the foam pillow, I always have to do strange things with mine to get the neck support right.