Lower Back Twinge: What Should I Do?

Lower Back Twinge: What Should I Do?

by | Jul 9, 2013 | Fitness | 6 comments

I recently had the unfortunate incident of injuring my back during yoga. This class was much more intense than usual, and there was some twists and turns that I should have opted out for. The stretch that was finally too much, was actually sitting with my legs straight out, and stretching the opposite arm to the opposite leg. It was at this moment that I experienced the sharp, lower back twinge that sends panic to your brain. I immediately stopped and realized that this was not good. After class I went to put on my shoes, and there it was again except even more intense. I knew the next few hours were going to get progressively worse.

A lower back twinge usually happens during a simple movement that uses an angle that your lower back does not agree with. It can be as simple as picking up a grocery bag, a baby or picking up something you dropped. But a lot of these injuries occur during squats and deadlifts due to poor form.

The first thing that came to my mind was I use to deadlift 400lbs without any injuries, and I pull a muscle in my back stretching. Fantastic.

4 Hours Later: All Aboard The Lower Back Twinge Pain Train

Later in the evening, I’m walking around like a stiff grandpa and using the grandma style squat technique to pull things out of the refrigerator. Drop something on the floor? You have to go into a lunge. Take off your shoes? You have to lie on the bed and put your feet in the air like a baby.

The pain was bad and I was seriously limited in my movements. If you injure your arm, shoulder, hamstring or ankle, at least you can workout other parts of your body and pretty much get around it. But your back is the center of every movement you do. Whether you work in an office our outside, a back injury affects everything. So I was not going to take this lying down so to speak.

If you need to get back to work -physically and at your office – and want to accelerate the healing process, here is the best way to accelerate the healing process for a lower back twinge.

Conventional Wisdom for the Lower Back Twinge

Conventional “wisdom” says to use Motrin or other pain killers and ice. Only half of that wisdom is correct. Ice is crucial, especially in the beginning. While NSAID’s may be necessary for acute pain in the early stages, you can relieve the pain and accelerate the healing process while still having the feedback mechanism is place that tells you not to move in a certain way for other circumstances.

Lower Back Twinge Program

ICE + NATURAL ANTI-INFLAMMATORIES + HEALING AGENTS + REST = BACK TO BUSINESS

If you are serious about not missing workouts or work due to this injury, it will be well worth your time to follow this program.

Ice: Ice it 4 times a day for 20 minutes.

1. Full Spectrum CBD

You will likely need to find a cannabis shop to get the right CBD product. A full spectrum CBD product is night and day when it comes to pain relief.  My mom has chronic back pain, and this is the only thing that worked. The 100% CBD tincure is best for pain, and the 1:1 CBD to THC tincture is best for sleep.

2. Magnesium Malate 

Magnesium is what relaxing, while calcium is contracting. Magnesium provides tremendous relief from muscle spasms and pain because it helps it let go. In fact, spasms can occur from a magnesium deficiency in the first place. Magnesium is needed for 300 biochemical reactions that maintain muscle and nerve function, and both magnesium and malic acid have been found to provide support to individuals with muscle tenderness and fatigue.

A study of 24 individuals found malic acid along with 300 mg magnesium taken two times daily provided significant support in measurements of tenderness and discomfort.

3. Nordic Naturals Ultimate Omega

Omega-3 fatty acids are one of the most well-studied and effective anti-inflammatories. A 2006 human study results found that omega-3 fatty acids (between 1200-2400 mg daily) mirror other controlled studies that compared ibuprofen and omega-3 EFAs demonstrated equivalent effect in reducing arthritic pain.

From the same study “omega-3 EFA fish oil supplements appear to be a safer alternative to NSAIDs for treatment of nonsurgical neck or back pain in this selective group.” Fish oil should not be used at the same time as aspirin and blood thinking medications.

4. C-Salts Buffered Vitamin C

According to this study, “it is clear that vitamin C has a major role to play in mitigating pain in a number of clinical conditions,” especially when combined with beta-carotene and methionine. Vitamin C is necessary for the correct synthesis of collagen, and it helps to maintain healthy collagen.

Collagen is the glue that holds your body together, and without healthy collagen, you will begin to fall apart. Vitamin C strengthens the tendons through collagen synthesis and has been found to accelerate the healing process of the Achilles tendon, which you can read about in the article Is Vitamin C the Most Important Vitamin For You? This will also help you determine your dosage.

 

Results and Other Notes after 1 Year

While I had a few incidences when it started to bother me (mainly if lifting heavy weights) there were a few things that made the biggest difference.

Get a lacrosse ball instead of a foam roller. Using this on the glutes helped keep my back much looser and made the biggest difference with releasing knots.

I also learned how important it was to pay special attention to keeping my hips, lats, and hamstrings loose with post-workout stretching, and making sure the core as a whole gets worked, especially a hyperextension bench. Overworking the abs with pulling and crunching motions appears to also lead to potential issues.

The Healthy Way to Barbecue

The Healthy Way to Barbecue

by | Jul 2, 2013 | Foods, Other | 6 comments

If You’re Gonna BBQ, Do it Right

I think we can all agree that everything tastes better when it’s cooked on the barbecue. The flavors are more intense, the juices sealed, and that smoky flavor is hard to beat. While spending some time with friends in Colorado, I was blown away with the flavor of the chicken that was cooked on the barbecue. I finally have one now, and I am now too aware that chicken I cook in the oven is inferior to BBQ chicken.

You have to wonder if a bunch of guys standing around the barbecue while flipping some meat with a drink in hand hasn’t changed at all for hundreds of thousands of years. Cooking meat over a flame isn’t a new concept. So why is there so much concern over barbecuing? Is barbecuing healthy?

Perhaps you have heard reports that there are health risks associated with barbecuing meat. When you barbecue, carcinogenic compounds called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are created when the fat drips on the fire, causing a smoky flame. Another toxic compound called heterocyclic amines are created by high heat reacting with the proteins.

According to the National Cancer Institute, exposure to high levels of HCAs and PAHs can cause cancer in animals; however, whether such exposure causes cancer in humans is unclear (makes sense since animals do not cook their food).

This is because HCAs and PAHs become capable of damaging DNA only after they are metabolized by specific enzymes in the body, a process called “bioactivation.” The problem is that each individual has a unique metabolism and enzyme bank that may skew the cancer risks associated with exposure to these compounds as outlined in Nutrition Genome Reports.

High heat also increases the formation of advanced glycogen end products (AGE’s), which build up in the body over time and increase oxidative stress and inflammation. While I still think there is something missing since we have been cooking meat and fish over a flame for a long time, these compounds appear to be a problem and there are ways to reduce your risk.

Top Ways to Reduce Heterocyclic Amines and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Meat and Fish for Healthy Barbecuing 

1. Olive oil, yogurt, wine, beer or fruit marinades with garlic, onion, lemon, herbs and spices 

Marinades can reduce the risk of HCA’s up to 90 percent! High antioxidant fruits, lemon juice, herbs and spices help keep meat fresh and juicy, while protecting against HCAs and reducing AGE’s. Make homemade marinades with garlic and spices like rosemary, turmeric, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, basil and oregano. Olive oil based marinades work great for beef, lamb, pork, chicken and fish, yogurt marinades work best for chicken and lamb, and fruit marinades work best for chicken and fish.

A 2006 paper testing a red wine marinade on HCA formation in fried chicken breasts reported a reduction in one particular HCA by 88%. Garlic added directly to hamburger patties has been found to lower HCA production by more than 60-70% in two studies. 

Avoid commercial tomato and sugar-based barbecue sauces that have been found to actually double and triple chemical formation.

2. Choose grass-fed meat, a gas grill and cook medium to rare

Avoid conventional meat that could have residues of pesticides, creating other dangerous compounds at high heat. Grass-fed meat is higher in vitamin E, and in a study adding concentrations of vitamin E to the surface of ground beef reduced HCA production by 70%.

Charcoal grilling promotes the highest levels of PAH’s, so choose a gas grill. Aim for medium to medium rare for red meat, flip often and avoid burning. The darker the color the higher the HCA concentrations.

3. Food and drink pairing 

What you drink and eat with your steak can also make a big difference in the reduction of carcinogenic compounds. For example, the phytonutrients in Brussels sprouts protect against carcinogenic compounds during barbecuing, which in particular are tied to the proliferation to colon cancer cells.

In a study from Carcinogenesis, animals given Brussels sprout juice and heterocyclic amine carcinogen had a reduction in pre-cancerous cells in the colon by up to 52%. Green tea, black tea, rooibos tea, red wine, blueberries, blackberries, red grapes, kiwi, watermelon, parsley, and spinach all inhibit the mutagenic activity of certain HCAs in vitro.

Sulforphane present in cruciferous vegetables has also been shown to have antimutagenic effects against HCAs, with broccoli sprouts containing some of the highest amounts of sulforaphane.

The good bacteria in fermented vegetables and dairy help reduce the effect, and guess what? That bottle of beer or glass of wine while you grill is also neutralizing the effect of the harmful compounds thanks to the yeast. Don’t forget Kombucha which contains green tea, black tea, yeast and probiotics, to supercharge your protection.

4. Fermented Chlorella

If you do a lot of barbecuing, consider taking chlorella. Chlorella is a chlorophyll-rich micro algae with strong detoxification qualities by binding to heavy metals, chemicals and pesticides.

In one study, chlorella was found to protect against one of the most abundant heterocyclic amines found in meat or fish cooked at high temperatures. One Russian trial using broken cell wall chlorella and cilantro actually eliminated all heavy metals including mercury.

Chlorella is more popular than vitamin C in Japan for immunity and is an important supplement if you consume a lot of fish. Quality control is very crucial which is why I chose this particular one that I have used myself.

5. Himalayan Salt Block

I received this as a gift, and I have to say that this must be a well kept secret for chefs because meat and fish taste amazing on it. You don’t need to salt anything, just add what you want to grill with your marinade and place it on the BBQ.

The benefit of the Himalayan Salt Block is that for most cuts of meat or fish, the fat stays on the block and doesn’t hit the flame. Plus the heat is better distributed evenly through the block without sacrificing grilling flavor. Winning combo.

Sources

1. http://naturalmedicinejournal.com/article_content.asp?article=88

2. http://www.cfs.gov.hk/english/programme/programme_rafs/files/ra_pah.pdf

3. http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Risk/cooked-meats