Low Back Pain and IC: 5 Energy Science Ways to Manage

The incidence of low back pain(LBP) in the IC bladder pain syndrome(interstitial cystitis, vulvodynia, chronic prostatitis, IBS, GERD, and fibromyalgia) is estimated to be higher than over the general population  Presently there are new anatomical observations about the mechanical carriage of the spine that suggests that there has become an too much thoracic curvature due to our sedentary culture and furniture that doesn’t support the back

While these anatomical observations and reasons are probably true they don’t explain why there is a higher than expected LBP incidence in the ICPBS poplulation  Let’s discuss how the energy science anatomy looks at LBP

The Anatomical Home of the Vata Energy Pattern

Vata, the energy pattern of movement, has the qualities of cold, light, mobile, dry, rough, subtle, and clear  Particularly the qualities of light, mobile, and rough play prominent roles in ICBPS  It is these vibrational frequencies that lead to the urinary frequency and urgency of both the overactive bladder syndrome, interstitial cystitis, and chronic prostatitis

But as we have discussed before the role that Vata plays in these disease labels begins in the GIT and then spreads from the lower rectum to the pelvic nerves to produce the varied presentation of the syndrome such as vulvodynia, intersitital cystitis, and IBS

The anatomical home for Vata is the colon, pelvic girdle, thighs and lumbosacral(LSS) spine  It is this latter involvement which leads to Vata when increased to produce symptoms of pain in the lower back

How does Vata increase its qualities?  First, lifestyle choices such as lack of proper rest, lack of regimen, and foods that produce Vata aggravation  This is particularly important for those with a PV type of energy constitutional makeup  Secondly, when agni or digestive power is affected it can lead to a progressive buildup of Vata in the rectum that then leads to symptoms in the LSS

There is no pain without Vata  This is because Vata’s primary functional area of the mindbody is the nervous system  So when Vata accumulates and then aggravates the tissues Vata is the first to produce complaints of pain

5 Management Strategies for LBP

The qualitative reasons for LBP are cold, light, mobile, dry, rough, subtle, and clear due to the localization of the Vata energy pattern in the LLS area  Another important observation already discussed is the close relationship between the pelvic and pectoral(shoulder) girdles

Pranayama(PY)  Since the breath ties the pelvis(apana vayu) and the shoulders(udana vayu) together it is no surprise that breath exercises can facilitate over time back rehabilitation  This stategy improves the flexibility of the musculofascial planes surrounding the LSS and the strength of the supporting muscles of the entire back  PY is the best way over time to make this happen  Loss of flexibility is related to the cold, dry, and rough qualities  The loss of strength is related to the light, dry, rough and subtle changes

Mahanaryan oil  This is an excellent penetrating oil that quiets the Vata qualities of dry, rough, and subtle  There are energy science methods of oil application that are ingenious and highly effective in improving ability to loosen the tissue rigidity occurring due to cold quality

Heat  The cold quality is always present in any pain complex so the liberal use of heat, preferably moist heat, is important

Become a floor dweller  This may seem rather radical but even laying on the floor for brief periods of time can be very therapeutic for LBP  This is because when the back’s foundation(LSS) becomes impaired all aspects of the back become involved  Using the floor helps provide support to the upper thoracic back which becomes problematic due to the LSS Vata effect

Become conscious of your posture  As we started in this discussion being aware of our posture becomes an important part of rehabilitation of the lower back by targeting how we carry the upper back particularly the thoracic curve  This is done by paying attention to the shoulders, keeping them drawn back and down  This action improves the lordotic J hook of the LSS and reduces the prominence of the thoracic spine  PY helps improve the overall strength of the back so that this action on the thoracic spine can be held for long periods of time