After experiencing back pain from herniated disks in his lower back, Lev was determined to get back to a daily routine of doing the things he loved; and while medication is always an option for pain management, Lev suggests a back-to-basics approach to manage not only pain, but your life. This is his story.

"Preventing Back Pain - Lev's Story"



Lev





Hi, my name's Lev, I'm, uh 36 years old.



My pain started about ten years ago, the underlying cause was the herniation in a couple of my disks in my lower back, and those problems can be very painful. The pain causes muscle spasms. What you find is that aside from the pain, uh, not being able to walk, can certainly interfere with a lot of the things that are important to you.



One of the problems it leads to is that you start looking at your options for treatment, and one of those is certainly drugs. And none of them are an easy option, none of them are perfect, they all have down sides. It's much easier, much better, to commit to things like a daily routine that, uh, minimizes the problem, that helps you manage it. Simple things, drinking plenty of water, not drinking any alcohol. Perhaps a bit, but it's better not to drink any, I've found. Eating regularly and eating little. Anything that you might do athletic, all that works, the most important thing is not to do it intensely, not to do it for many hours, but to do it regularly with commitment. And also to enjoy it. That's what I did and for me that happens to be swimming and yoga.



There are certainly some important lessons that I got out of my struggles with lower back pain. One is the lesson about consistency, the importance of consistency, the importance of committing to what you do and making that part of your lifestyle. Probably the other conclusion is not to forget to have fun with whatever it is that you're doing. We're all human beings and we all tend to avoid things that we don't enjoy, so whatever it is you do, find a way to enjoy it. That just is a very, very important part of making this plan work for you.