How I Overcame Back Pain
May 11, 2017 | Written by Leticia Padmasri
For a long time I was dealing with low-grade back pain that would flare up at times. The first time I was working in a bank when I started feeling tremendous lower back pain that would radiate down the sides of my thighs. The pain would last a few days before returning to my baseline level of chronic pain. On this first severe episode, I went to a chiropractor for the first time and I left there feeling so light. I remember asking my friend who took me there: “is this how you are supposed to feel?” I then got in a routine to get chiropractic adjustment, but that was just giving me quick relief but not addressing the roots of it all. In one painful episode, I went to the doctor and got one of those cortisone shots. AHHH, immediate relief! We love this, right? No effort and quick relief. But then we get back to old habits and everything is reset. Anyway, a MRI was done and I found out that I had a bulging disk and also a degenerative disc condition!
The truth is I had been dealing with low-grade pain for years, but I really never gave attention to it. I ignored the gentle signs of my body, and only when the pain decided to make me scream did I decide to look at it. All this was happening when I was just beginning my journey into the sciences of Yoga & Ayurveda. Thus I knew that continuing with the quick relief options would not bring me permanent peace. I then pursued the cure through the wisdom of these ancient healing modalities and learned that there are many theories regarding relief of chronic pain. For example, digestive concerns can cause poor circulation and lymph congestion, which can exacerbate muscular pain, joint pain, and dryness of the discs. Stress and one’s emotional health is also linked to spikes in joint and muscle pain. In the end, it requires bringing the whole body into balance.
So then, I decided to directly address the root cause of the aches and pains. I learned about techniques and herbs that supported my healing so I didn’t need to go through the frustrating reality of anti-inflammatory drugs, which potentially do more harm than good. I turned to making lifestyle changes such as dietary adjustments, right exercise, yoga asanas, breathing practices and meditation. I found a way to incorporate these new habits into my life that was doable and sustainable. Such changes not only helped the discs condition but also addressed all the little aches and pains! It is a blessing to experience what it is to bring the whole body into balance and feel abundant energy throughout the day.
Musculoskeletal aches and pains can arise from many sources. It can be from an injury, from sitting for a long time every day, from poor posture, from driving too much, from repetitive activities, from harmful emotions, from digestion, from lack of exercise, from stress, etc. The ancient sciences of Yoga and Ayurveda offer natural and sustainable relief from these pains. I have been given the joy to share this healing path with others and see them getting consistent results. I am striving to share with you these profound tools so you can experience the grace and light of a balanced body, and tap into the unlimited source of energy that we are!