No More Back Pain!

“My back is killing me!”  This is something I hear all the time.  Back pain is one of the most common complaints of people all over the world. It affects about seventy-five percent of the population at some time during their adult lives, so chances are you will already have experienced, or are likely to experience, back pain severe enough to make you reduce or even stop normal activity for a while.

Most people don’t realize the importance of the spine in the well-being of their entire body until something happens and they feel a pinch between their shoulders or a spasm in their lower back. Most back pain is caused from strain in the muscles that support the spine. However, pain in the back is not just a physical problem. It is also a manifestation of anxiety and pressure. Emotional distress often surfaces in the body as chronic back pain. More specifically, emotional stress from relationships often manifests as pain in the middle back, which is directly opposite the Heart chakra.

Sudden, severe pain in the back, often the lower back, is one of the most common, painful, and disabling conditions human beings can suffer. It can occur as a result of lifting a heavy object, tripping or falling, or can be due to viral illness or emotional trauma. The pain may be felt immediately or may develop slowly, getting worse and worse each day. For the most part, the majority of acute back pain is caused by intense muscle spasms.  As any woman who has gone through labor will tell you, spasms of the back muscles can be extremely painful and often unbearable. When back spasms, which are caused by a nervous reflex in the spinal cord, are so strong and persistent that they lead to inflammation, a vicious cycle is created that causes even more spasms and inflammation. Worse still, chronic back pain can lead to other problems, including neck and shoulder pain and migraine headaches.

The good news is that reflexology can provide relief, sometimes instantly, from acute and chronic back pain. I have worked with many clients who complained about back pain for years. After just a few reflexology sessions, they could not believe the improvement and relief they felt. Most people who complain of back pain find that the inner soles of their feet are extremely sensitive and tender to the touch. I recommend getting a tennis ball and rolling the arch of both feet on it, from the heel of the foot all the way to the toes and back. The pressure of the tennis ball affects the reflex area to the spine just as well as your fingers can affect it. By leaning some of your body weight onto the ball with your foot on top, you can control the pressure and allow the ball to sink in deeply. I find this to be a very relaxing yet invigorating way to start the day.

For the spine reflex point, work your thumbs up and down the inner soles of your feet, concentrating on the area of your back that needs it the most. For lower back pain, spend more time on the area along the inner sole between the heel and the middle of the foot. For middle back pain, work your thumbs along the middle section of the inner edge. For upper back problems, including neck pain, work the area along the inner edge of the foot from middle of the foot to the base of the big toe. To stimulate the entire back, begin at the heel and thumb-walk up the inner edge of the foot all the way to the base of the big toe. Do this several times, spending extra time on any area that feels tender or “grainy.”

Next, work on the reflex area neck region to relieve pressure and discomfort.  This is located at the base of the big toe on both feet. This will also help your entire back, since seven of the spine’s thirty-three vertebrae are located here! Similarly, work the shoulder area, located on the outer edge of both feet from just below your pinky toe to the middle of the foot, to alleviate the discomfort and de-stress the entire upper body.

If you stimulate these areas regularly, you can relieve and even prevent back pain from ruining your day!