Nagging back pain from meditation! HELP

[Trash Filter]

I have been meditating for a while now, and I am developing nagging back pain in middle of back in the nerve on the back which is linked to the arm near shoulder blade, as well as pain at the lower section.

This is p$%sing me off, I have been trying streching, physio, prayers, swimming.

I'm fairly young and fit, I cant sit anywhere outside soft because the country i live in, you become ant or giant fly food immediately.

RAAAGGHHH

Sometimes i think it's my karma, but then what!?

Any tips?

[Vajrasattva]

I have been meditating for a while now, and I am developing nagging back pain in middle of back in the nerve on the back which is linked to the arm near shoulder blade, as well as pain at the lower section.

This is p$%sing me off, I have been trying streching, physio, prayers, swimming.

I'm fairly young and fit, I cant sit anywhere outside soft because the country i live in, you become ant or giant fly food immediately.

RAAAGGHHH

Sometimes i think it's my karma, but then what!?

Any tips?

 

 

Go see either an accupuncturist, chiropracter or a Good Healer.

Do some Standing Chi kung.

[Guest sykkelpump]

I have been meditating for a while now, and I am developing nagging back pain in middle of back in the nerve on the back which is linked to the arm near shoulder blade, as well as pain at the lower section.

This is p$%sing me off, I have been trying streching, physio, prayers, swimming.

I'm fairly young and fit, I cant sit anywhere outside soft because the country i live in, you become ant or giant fly food immediately.

RAAAGGHHH

Sometimes i think it's my karma, but then what!?

Any tips?

 

if this is pain caused by an energyblock in the spine,then i would recomand this exercise after meditation.it is an very good exercise for helping to circulate the energy generated in meditation.this exercise is absolutly most effective if you do meditation and actuall have generated something to circulate.

 

Edited January 11, 2010 by sykkelpump

[~jK~]

I have been meditating for a while now, and I am developing nagging back pain in middle of back in the nerve on the back which is linked to the arm near shoulder blade, as well as pain at the lower section.

This is p$%sing me off, I have been trying streching, physio, prayers, swimming.

I'm fairly young and fit, I cant sit anywhere outside soft because the country i live in, you become ant or giant fly food immediately.

RAAAGGHHH

Sometimes i think it's my karma, but then what!?

Any tips?

Meditation should not do any of what you've described.

For the least expensive, I would go to the fire dept, or a health clinic and ask for a right and left arm blood pressure check. If there is a difference - go to the hospital as it is a symptom of an oncoming stroke as well as a 'slight' possibility of a few of the symptoms that you've described.

 

I'm from farm country too and when the fly's get too bad we would go fishing - and when you clean the fish - put the head and guts in a black trash bag. Then tie the neck of the bag tight and poke a hole in the bag that is large enough for a fly to get in. They can smell their way in but cannot smell their way out... After the bag has a good & loud buzz - spray some bug spray in the hole - keep repeating the above either untill the fish are gone or the fly's are gone.

As for the ants, I would move the chair.

 

A chiropractor can do good for back pain too.

Edited January 11, 2010 by ~jK~

[Dainin]

I have been meditating for a while now, and I am developing nagging back pain in middle of back in the nerve on the back which is linked to the arm near shoulder blade, as well as pain at the lower section.

This is p$%sing me off, I have been trying streching, physio, prayers, swimming.

I'm fairly young and fit, I cant sit anywhere outside soft because the country i live in, you become ant or giant fly food immediately.

RAAAGGHHH

Sometimes i think it's my karma, but then what!?

Any tips?

 

 

Well, you don't say what position you've been meditating in before the pain began. But if you have been sitting without any back support before this happened, why not try sitting in a chair, or with your back against a wall or bed for support. The idea is to keep your back straight, but not perfectly rigid. Don't be a hero. The important thing in meditation is what goes on in your head, not maintaining perfect posture. Being distracted by pain or perfectionism will only make things more challenging as far as reaching a meditative state. Good luck with your practice.

[Encephalon]

Occam's Razor - the concept that the least complicated explanation is often the most likely. Lot's of perfectly strong, healthy, active people suffer from relative weaknesses in smaller muscles. The back is vulnerable to this phenomenon. A chiropractor who is also an athleste can isolate this weakness and prescribe a strengthening regimen. Bent-over flyes for the rhomboids and hyperextensions for the spinal erectors/glutes is my semi-educated guess (as a lowly personal trainer). I'll email you a beer if I'm wrong.

[Mal]

[everseeking]

I sometimes get mid back pain sort of like you describe-I got relief by using a chair, and sitting in it with my butt on the edge, rather than with my back leaning against the chair.

 

When I sit cross legged, I'm more likely to get the pain-because my back curves a bit when cross legged, from the legs and thighs raising up a bit. So, I put a small pillow-or even two-under my butt. This allows my legs to hang down more, and I can then straighten my back.

 

In summary, in case that didn't make sense, when sitting cross-legged, full lotus, etc. put a pillow under your butt.

 

Otherwise, try meditating in a chair, where you scoot forward and sit on the edge of the chair.

 

And chiropracter, etc..

[Gerard]

Liver and gallbladder channels are blocked. Hmmm. See a TCM doctor.

[Apech]

Check your neck posture and maybe get some massage.

[Sloppy Zhang]

First of all, what position do you meditate in?

 

Lately I've been doing more sitting meditation in half lotus and full lotus, which keeps my back more erect, the problem is that my general everyday posture is TERRIBLE, and sitting in a way that gives me proper posture actually hurts after a while, although it feels good and balanced at the start.

 

If it's the case of just your posture correcting, take it easy for a few days, be sure to stretch and warm up the area before getting into your meditation position. Also check your posture throughout the day. Changing habits are hard.

 

If you DON'T think that's the case, well then it might be signs of a more serious problem, in which case I would say, again, lay off doing whatever posture you are currently doing, find another more comfortable way of doing it, and have it checked on.

[joeblast]

any qigong or exercise done, aside from meditations? movement is key, its where you correct structural stuff like this. Xing Shen Zhuang would likely help.

[Taomeow]

[Vajrasattva]

[Sunya]

I used to get that same exact pain during a meditation retreat, right in the middle of the back between the shoulder blades.. it was unbearable. I no longer get it, and I believe the problem was posture. though yoga and qi gong won't hurt, like others here have suggested, but I think your problem is strictly posture. go to a Zen center and ask for posture alignment,, them Zen folks tend to have the best posture imo. What do you do with your hands in meditation? try the cosmic mudra http://www.mro.org/zmm/teachings/meditation.php make sure that your hands are not touching your lap, and your shoulders are not slouched forward nor tightly held back. over time you will find the right balance where your muscles aren't too tight nor too lax.

 

Lately I've been doing more sitting meditation in half lotus and full lotus, which keeps my back more erect, the problem is that my general everyday posture is TERRIBLE, and sitting in a way that gives me proper posture actually hurts after a while, although it feels good and balanced at the start.

 

If it's the case of just your posture correcting, take it easy for a few days, be sure to stretch and warm up the area before getting into your meditation position. Also check your posture throughout the day. Changing habits are hard.

 

 

great advice, i've had to do the same exact thing.. mindfulness of posture throughout the day.. mine was god awful! i concur that the issue is posture.

 

i also have found great benefit in doing standing meditation simply 'wuji' stance. I did it everyday in my backyard at night during the summer, though it's no substitute for sitting meditation, I found standing meditation great for fixing alignment by relaxing into the stance and letting the body fix itself.

 

oh I forgot to mention:

 

the biggest and best improvement that I made in my posture (which might be your problem) is learning to tilt the pelvis up, and bend the lower back out. I learned this through standing but you can learn sitting to, when you sit on your meditation cushion (you have on right?) make sure you're almost on the edge of the cushion and then bend your lowerback out and tilt your pelvis up, and then relax into that. If you don't do this then you'll put a lot of pressure on your upper back and that's probably why you feel pain.

 

find a good qi-gong teacher and they will teach you this and how to stand properly, very recommended.

[Encephalon]

At the risk of sounding both pedantic and retarded (simultaneously no less!) I have to quote Occam's Razor again, or at least appeal to it and let you guys google it for yourselves. It's yer Rhomboids! I know we personal trainers have a reputation for being dipshits, but some of us know a thing or two. You can cite chi kung esoterica until you're blue in the face, but it is always prudent to consider the least complicated explanation first and then move down the list of probable causes.

 

Almost everyone has discomfort between their shoulderblades. Even Bruce Frantzis says to pay particular attention to this area in the energy gate dissolving process because the whole area has a large number of minor energy gates. But in the majority of cases, the discomfort is a result of relative weakness of the rhomboids in relation to stronger surrounding muscles.

 

I had the exact same symptoms until I did my homework and composed a strength training regimen for meditators. The problem was gone in 4 or 5 weeks. It's never come back, probably because I do so much Embrace Horse.

 

http://www.floota.com/RhomboidStretch.html

 

My apologies if I sound pushy.

[Vajrasattva]

At the risk of sounding both pedantic and retarded (simultaneously no less!) I have to quote Occam's Razor again, or at least appeal to it and let you guys google it for yourselves. It's yer Rhomboids! I know we personal trainers have a reputation for being dipshits, but some of us know a thing or two. You can cite chi kung esoterica until you're blue in the face, but it is always prudent to consider the least complicated explanation first and then move down the list of probable causes.

 

Almost everyone has discomfort between their shoulderblades. Even Bruce Frantzis says to pay particular attention to this area in the energy gate dissolving process because the whole area has a large number of minor energy gates. But in the majority of cases, the discomfort is a result of relative weakness of the rhomboids in relation to stronger surrounding muscles.

 

I had the exact same symptoms until I did my homework and composed a strength training regimen for meditators. The problem was gone in 4 or 5 weeks. It's never come back, probably because I do so much Embrace Horse.

 

http://www.floota.com/RhomboidStretch.html

 

My apologies if I sound pushy.

 

 

learning to split the energy at C7 helps tremendously.

[Trash Filter]

Thanks for the help everyone, it has been useful.

 

I use full and half lotus. They are energy blockages, I let the energy go through them and grin and bare. Eventually some of them disappeared.

 

Also used backrest, not bad.

Edited January 12, 2010 by Trash Filter

[bobby]

I have been meditating for a while now, and I am developing nagging back pain in middle of back in the nerve on the back which is linked to the arm near shoulder blade, as well as pain at the lower section.

This is p$%sing me off, I have been trying streching, physio, prayers, swimming.

I'm fairly young and fit, I cant sit anywhere outside soft because the country i live in, you become ant or giant fly food immediately.

RAAAGGHHH

Sometimes i think it's my karma, but then what!?

Any tips?

 

get an inversion table to fix your back.....

 

I always meditate lying down.....