How to Get a Strong, Flat Belly for Back Pain Relief and Head Pain Relief

Would you like to have a stronger, flatter belly?

I’ll show you how.  You can strengthen your “stomach muscles” most easily if you lie on your back.

You have 4 layers of muscles on your abdomen and they go in 4 different directions–crosswise, vertical and at angles to your midline.  You may find, over time, that you can isolate the different layers.  Some are more toward the side, some more toward the midline.

What are the benefits of strong stomach muscles?

You have probably heard of core training?  That means making the muscles of your torso strong so you can stay upright and not collapse forward or sideways.  When you have strong abdominal muscles, your posture will be better.

You will feel better and look better and better posture means less back pain, neck pain and head pain.

Your muscles will be holding you in the posture you were designed to be in!  🙂

Here’s how:

The idea is to squeeze or draw your belly button inward toward your spine.  Make your belly move toward the bed or floor as you lay on your back. Squeeze, squeeze.

If you do this with your arms overhead, the abdominal muscles are lengthened as they become stronger.  That’s what we want:  long and strong!

Here is the link to a YouTube video that will give you a good visual demonstration of your abdominal muscles.

Some of the movements this expert does may seem very strange to you, but I assure you that you have the same muscles he does.  It’s just that his are well-trained from years of practice.

Watch as he pulls his stomach muscles in toward his spine.  He does this several times in the first few minutes of the video.  This is the movement you want to do–even a tiny bit–and over time your muscles will get stronger

And you will have stronger abdominal muscles, too!

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Pain On Side Of Right Back Shoulder Blade And On Ribs

This email is from a reader who was looking for information to help understand why she had pain in her back around her shoulder blade (scapula) and ribs.

Keep reading to get lots of tips about how to get rid of upper back and shoulder blade pain naturally.

“Hello, it is so nice to read information that makes sense. I have been searching for so long, trying to make sense of what could be going on with me. I think I have a much clearer understanding now.

I am a 56 yr. old postmenopausal woman. About a year and a half ago is when all my pain started. I woke up from sleeping on my side. (like I always did) I had such excruciating pain. I thought for sure that it was my lung. I went to the E.R. and was given x-rays, blood test and had a bone scan and everything was normal. I still thought that I had lung cancer because of my ribs in my back were hurting also.

The pain was on the side of my right back scapula and below my right scapula down to my ribs. Sometimes, when Continue reading “Pain On Side Of Right Back Shoulder Blade And On Ribs”

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Do You Really Have Arthritis? 8 Tips To Help You Get Rid Of Arthritis Pain In Your Upper Back Naturally

Arthritis is probably the most common word that doctors use. Just because something is stiff or hurts that doesn’t mean it’s arthritis. It could be out of balance or tight muscles pulling over that joint.

Muscles are the most common cause of aches and pains.  Out of balance muscles actually cause arthritis!

There’s a really good chance that your posture is to blame.  Muscles and joints get strained and achey when posture is poor. Try these tips for better posture:

1. If your couch or chair makes Continue reading “Do You Really Have Arthritis? 8 Tips To Help You Get Rid Of Arthritis Pain In Your Upper Back Naturally”

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Upper Back Pain Causes and Natural Relief

What’s the most common cause of upper back pain?  Muscles!

Upper back muscles get strained from being stretched and overused.  Then they get cranky and start complaining.

You might feel the complaint as muscle strain, a headache or neck ache, a muscle spasm near your shoulder blade or “knots” in your upper back.

But guess what?

You CAN get rid of upper back pain.  🙂  I have seen it happen over and over.

Once you understand WHY you have Continue reading “Upper Back Pain Causes and Natural Relief”

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A Wonderful Natural Pain Relief Remedy For Knots In Your Back – Ice!

Upper back pain?  Muscle spasms?  Knots in your back?  Here’s a “cool” natural self-help tool:  Ice!

Ice can be a very good friend!

Lots of folks prefer heat.  They like the way it feels more than they do ice (and I don’t blame them one bit!)

But as a pain relief tool for getting rid of muscle pain and “knots” in your back ice can’t be beat.

And here’s a tip:  Don’t Continue reading “A Wonderful Natural Pain Relief Remedy For Knots In Your Back – Ice!”

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What Causes Back Pain

We humans get back pain when our muscles get out of balance.  How does this happen?

Well, we are supposed to move, run, jump, climb, roll and continue doing all of the cool, fun things we did as young children.

But most of us do not.  🙁

So, we get back pain.

Why?  Because we are no longer using our muscles in a balanced way.  We use the same 60 or 70 or so each day and the rest of the 600 muscles are ignored.  When those muscles get unhappy, you Continue reading “What Causes Back Pain”

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You Don’t Have To Have Back Pain Forever!

When your back hurts you might think you will have back pain forever.  Not so!

You have a smart body.  Your back pain is a message.  Your body is telling you that it is not happy about something that is happening.

There are a lot of causes for back pain but most involve your muscles.

Muscles move joints, bones, disks in your spine and press on nerves.

Muscles rule!

My client Sharon said, “My mom’s been having a lot of back pain lately.  She tried one massage and hurt more afterward so she’s afraid to try again.  She’s going to have hospital tests next week.”

I called her mom and asked her about her back pain.  (Pain is a Continue reading “You Don’t Have To Have Back Pain Forever!”

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How To Get The Natural Curves Back In Your Spine To Improve Posture And Reduce Neck and Back Pain

If you have neck pain or back pain there’s a really good chance that you have lost the natural curves in your spine.

When you were born you were curled into a rounded-back position.

In a little while you began to stretch your arms and legs and rolled over and arched your back in the opposite direction of that birth position.  You pushed up with your arms and lifted your head.  Why?

You were getting the muscles around your spine and torso ready to walk!  You were creating the natural curves in your back that you needed.

So now you have back or neck pain because you’re losing those natural curves but bodies heal all the time.

It’s important Continue reading “How To Get The Natural Curves Back In Your Spine To Improve Posture And Reduce Neck and Back Pain”

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Stretching for Back Pain Relief

Back pain responds to stretching but not just any old stretching.  The muscles that need to be lengthened are not necessarily the same ones that are complaining!

You may not remember but when you were a baby you were stretching all the time.

If you watch a cat or dog, they stretch often.

And, you?  Do you still stretch up and out and back like you did when you were a baby?  If not, this is a good time to start.

So what will stretching do for you?  It will move your blood and lymph fluids.  It will help your body “wake up.”  It can get rid of the causes of your back pain and help get your muscles back “in balance.”

If you’d like even more information on ways to get rid of your back pain, go to http://BackPainNaturalRelief.com

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What Causes A Knot In Your Back?

There are muscles in your back between the shoulder blade and spine called rhomboids.  There is one on each side.  The rhomboid muscles are often blamed for pain and knots in their area. Actually, that area can be the “symptom” and not the cause at all!

People (including professional massage therapists) often massage the rhomboid area trying to release the knot or pain there.  If it doesn’t release (relax) the knot or pain, that means the cause is somewhere else.

Let’s pretend your back pain is a dragon.  Sometimes Continue reading “What Causes A Knot In Your Back?”

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Massage and Pain Relief – Does Massage Help Get Rid Of Pain?

Massage therapy can be an excellent way to get rid of physical aches and pains.  It’s likely that 90% of our pain and dysfunction is caused by muscles, according to at least one solid researcher, so it makes sense to help your muscles with massage.

If you have back pain or headaches or other pain, maybe you have already seen a massage therapist.  Perhaps it helped  a lot and perhaps it didn’t.

If your massage did not help much, you will Continue reading “Massage and Pain Relief – Does Massage Help Get Rid Of Pain?”

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How To Find A Massage Therapist Who Can Relieve Your Pain

When you have muscular pain and want relief, how can you find a massage therapist who will give you the most benefit for your money?

A nice “feel good” massage has many benefits but not when what you want is pain relief.

There are many types of massage and a few different professional organizations and lots of massage schools.  There are all types of different philosophies, personalities, beliefs and training.   Some massage therapists have a ton of Continue reading “How To Find A Massage Therapist Who Can Relieve Your Pain”

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Sciatica – Causes and Natural Cures of that Nervy Pain in Your Hip and Leg

Sciatica is caused by pressure on the sciatic nerve.  The pressure can be from bones or from muscle.  Most often it seems to be muscle.  The good news is the pressure can often be removed from the sciatic nerve without surgery.

Sciatic nerves are really large.

They are about the thickness of your index finger and run from the lower part of your spine through the bony hip area. The nerves pass through thick muscles in your buttocks, one on each side.

The gluteal muscles are the powerful muscles in the back of your hip (your buttocks). One of those muscles–a deeper one–is the piriformis. The piriformis muscle can be a cause of the nervy pain in your hip and/or leg. When it is, it is often called “pseudo-sciatica.” (Pseudo means false.)

If the nerve is being compressed by the spinal bones, it is Continue reading “Sciatica – Causes and Natural Cures of that Nervy Pain in Your Hip and Leg”

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Got Back Pain? Muscles Cause Pain In Your Back – Here’s How

Upper back pain, mid-back pain or lower back pain all have the same most common cause:  Your muscles.

Muscles are the most frequent cause of back pain.  And that’s good news!  Why?  Because muscles can be “released” or treated and get back to their normal healthy state.

Here’s more about muscles:

  • Muscles move bones.
  • Muscles can get “trigger points.”

Your muscles don’t usually act all by themselves; they pull all the other parts of your body into the act.  Why?  Because all of your parts are attached.  That means ALL of your body should be assessed to figure out WHY you are having pain in your back.

If you’ve had your Continue reading “Got Back Pain? Muscles Cause Pain In Your Back – Here’s How”

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