Back pain seems to be the bane of modern man. We spend too much time sitting and not enough time moving our bodies and the combination of poor posture, poor core strength and too much time in one position can result in misalignment, pinched nerves and severe pain.
The downward spiral starts when people become afraid to exercise for fear of hurting their backs even more… resulting in even weaker core muscles and even more back pain. You may be turning to anti-inflammatory pain medication to relieve pain, but this is not a solution. It’s only temporary relief that doesn’t address the root of the problem.
A pain-free back begins with the mind.
You can manage your back pain without the use of potentially dangerous and addictive medication by using the power of your mind. When you combine mental pain management with a transition to a healthier way of living, your back pain can become a distant memory!
Use the Silva Method’s pain management techniques to give yourself quick relief. And then, use the Silva Method to reprogram yourself to desire a back-friendly, healthy lifestyle instead of one that promotes stiffness, limited movement – and pain.
How Does Mental Pain Management Work?
You may not be aware of the power of the mind to effectively shut the gate on pain. Pain is information sent to your brain. The brain receives the information, and selects an appropriate action. In the case of pain, the brain goes into problem-solving mode to end the painful experience and return the body to homeostasis (the state of normal operations). Pain makes you stop what you’re doing, and give the body a chance to heal.
There are several ways to manage your back pain with the power of your mind.
1. Shift your focus away from the pain. If you pay attention to pain, you are telling the brain that the information it’s receiving from the site of the pain is very important. What you focus on, expands. When you concentrate on pain, it becomes worse. Take a moment to visualize yourself with a healthy back… able to participate in any activity you want, with a full range of motion, easily and comfortably… Do this anytime to shift the focus from “what is” (back pain) to “what can be” (your desired result – a pain-free back).
2. Think positive thoughts and feel positive emotions. It is documented that a patient’s outlook greatly influences perception of pain, and healing. If you are stressed, sad, depressed, hopeless, angry or afraid, your pain will be worse – and if you’re focusing on your pain while thinking negative thoughts and feeling negative emotions, you amplify the pain. Don’t underestimate the power of your thoughts. Redirect any talk of, “I have a bad back” to move toward health: “my back is healing.”
Is this “easier said than done” when you’re in pain? No. If you can quickly shift your focus to something that requires your attention, and you shift your attitude to the positive, you will almost immediately “shut the gate” on your pain. Your perception of the pain will be different.
3. Stimulate your body’s natural painkillers with meditation. The body produces natural painkillers similar to morphine. Among these are endorphins, which are produced by the body during exertion. The “runner’s high” isn’t just the body’s way to give you a party drug when you exercise. It’s the body’s way of shutting down the communication between muscles that are being pushed to their limits, and the brain. This makes perfect sense biologically – if your muscles are burning as you’re running to escape a wild animal, do you give in to the pain, or do you shut the gate on pain and focus on the end result, which is getting away? You may not be aware that meditation releases endorphins just as effectively as exercise! Meditation – creating the alpha and theta brainwave states – stimulates the brain to release the substances that counter the effects of stress. Production of stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline slows down. Production of endorphins, serotonin, melatonin and other calming, healing, pain-killing and mood-enhancing substances, is increased.
You can use the Silva Method’s Glove Anesthesia technique to control pain. This technique teaches you to make one hand – and eventually any part of your body – insensitive to pain. You enter the alpha brainwave state, and imagine your hand in a container of ice water. ‘Feel’ the hand becoming numb until all sensation is gone. You can expand on this to include any part of your body that is painful. Once the pain sensation is gone from your body, reinforce it with a word: “gone.”
Now that you know how to manage pain, you can use the power of your mind to heal your back, and keep it healthy.
How to Heal Back Pain
Healing back pain is more than making pain go away, short-term or long-term – it’s about creating an environment that is conducive to back health. The back needs to be strengthened and supported. That means more physical activity, less sitting, and better posture – and possibly weight loss. If these are not your usual lifestyle habits, these habits can be created using a variety of Silva Method techniques that teach you to reprogram yourself to prefer the types of activities that nurture your back, and to program a strong distaste for choices that cause back pain. 
If your back pain is not due to injury but to lifestyle choices, the habits you have now are contributing to your back pain. It’s helpful to know that it’s just as easy to establish positive, healthy habits as it is to establish negative, unhealthy habits.
The best way to make lifestyle changes is incrementally and with powerful mental commands. Look into the Silva Method for ways to help you reprogram yourself to create a lifestyle that promotes a happy back!
