A sore back

[marla]

I was cleaning up leaves in the yard with a lot of bending over and moving some heavy objects yesterday and woke up with a very sore lower back. This is the first time I've had this happen. Is there a good homemade rub for this or should I go to the store and buy something?

[kashi]

I don't know about rubs, but when I used to get a backache like that, a heating pad would work wonders. you can also do a yoga pose: kneel on the ground, sit your butt down onto your feet, roll your chest down onto your knees and stretch your hands out onto the floor in front of you, head down. it's called Child's Pose. here's a photo:

http://www.anusara.com/articles/columns/balasana.htm

that will stretch your lower back out a lot, so take it slow.

some pain reliever like tylenol might help. above all, take it easy! I feel for you. having lower back pain is the pits. next time make sure you lift with your abs and your legs, not your back.

[Miz Pat]

While your lower back is really sore, the area that got the worst of it was probably your gluts (butt) and the inside muscles on your thighs. Those are what we in the massage business call the silent muscles - you don't actually feel them, because they are the strong muscles.

Heating pads are nice, but they can dehydrate the muscles and make you stiff later. A hot soak is better or use the heating pad and drink tons of liquids.

If you don't have stiff knees like I do, you can sit on a tennis ball and roll each glut over it. You'll be suprised how much that helps (as long as you don't fall over and hurt yourself again - Make sure you support yourself).

And for future reference, your lower back muscles are the weakest muscles in the human body. Try to be careful in all you do and support the lower back.

Miz Pat

[PrincessPerky]

I have always found that old fashioned olive oil, applied with the help of a partner, works wonders. Dunno what it does for the pain, but it sure is alot more fun than sitting with a heating pad