Back Pain

[Warrior_Goddess]

NICE!  they are good to have and i like to meditate on mine

on your foam roller... try lying on your side to let it dig deep into your psoas muscle and even near the rib cage
i did this and i was very shocked of the tension i discovered between my hip and rib cage on my left side in the front. 
it is still sore and tense.. my right side isnt as bad.  I also found lots of tension in the pectoral region just by self-massage and let me tell you... it hurt!
i honestly hate using the foam roller....
a. its boring
b. it sucks cause it hurts
but ive renewed my committment to healing and now im finding myself doing it every single night for the past week.

if you have a tens unit, let it run on your hip area and maybe even the glutes as they could be pulling on the muscles.
if you dont have one, get into PT from your doc and whine and cry until they write a prescription for one.  some wont do it for the insurance politics, but mine did right when i asked for it.  having a tens unit is very valuable if you cant afford massage all the time and you can move it around.

remember that the problem may not be where the pain is, which is why you need to treat yourself as a whole instrument.

example is plantar fasciitis.
tension and myofascial scar tissue may exist in the calves or even the shins.
check the thighs or even the hips to and do stretches that improve your gait.

see what i mean?  you have to look beyond the area that hurts.  and if you have low back issues it could be in your hips, buttocks, a narrow gait, your shoes or tight psoas and maybe something with your abs.  i know from experience because ive been studying my pain for the past 2-3 years.  had i not be doing some of the things my old doctor or PT never told me about, i would still be in more pain than i am now.

now that im treating my hip flexor, psoas, obliques and glutes i think im getting closer

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psoas_major_muscle

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abdominal_external_oblique_muscle

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gluteus_maximus_muscle

remember, be patient and give your body time to heal and treat your body as one whole instrument  

[Charles]

I've had some fairly serious injuries and www.solution4pain.com helped me tremendously.
Even if its not for you the articles are very informative IMO.
Also musclebalance.com

[LF365]

WG,

Thanks for the info. Ill try it.  You're talking about those Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation Units?  They are designed to block pain.  I am aware of them but never tried them.

I'm very cautious when doing deep tissue massage with a foam roller or ball on the psoas. If I really need deep tissue work on that area I'll go to an experienced massage therapist. The inguinal ligament which is attached to the anterior superior iliac spine and femoral artery are in that region.

Charles,

Thanks, I'll read up on that info!

 

[Warrior_Goddess]

yes, i dont know about temporary but my TENS unit does help me.  after using it for an hour i do feel relief thereafter.

yep you definitely want to use caution on a foam roller but it can still be very effective.  i go slow and takes me a bit before i went deeper on my side between ribs and hip where the obliquies would be this past few days. 
As of today I have noticed some good relief on the tightness of this muscle.  my hip is doing better and i now feel more relieved to move into an actual workout program.