If you live with back pain, you are not alone. According to the National Institute of Health (NIH) "nearly everyone at some point has back pain that interferes with work, routine daily activities, or recreation".

Over twenty five years ago I strained my back while moving a piano up a staircase in student housing at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City where I was attending law school.

The pain persisted and finally, many years later, I sought the help of Dr. Clyde Keller, my first chiropractor.

Dr. Keller's adjustments gave me a lot of relief.

Still the pain returned periodically and so I returned to see Dr. Keller.

STRESS AND LOW BACK PAIN

As time passed I began to see that pain in my back and neck coincided with times of high stress in my career as a personal injury attorney. When I realized that stress was a factor and worked to reduce my stress levels my visits to the chiropractor become less frequent.

This was my first introduction to the relationship between feelings and physical malaise and pain.

SEDONA METHOD

About three years ago I was introduced to the Sedona Method which is a tool that teaches you how to release negative emotions, including those associated with physical pain. I began exploring and releasing years of accumulated negative emotion. In law school we were taught to work with our intellects and so, years after law school, I found myself virtually numb with repressed emotions.

The feelings came off in layers. I peeled them off one by one like the layers of an onion. Little by little I felt more alive.

"Most chronic back pain has a strong emotional component," says Hale Dwoskin author of the Sedona Method.

"When you release the stress and tension that is either causing your back pain or simply magnifying it, even long-standing pain in your back can easily dissolve," Dwoskin says. "Either way you will feel a lot better emotionally, which usually translates to profound physical relief as well."

YOU CAN HEAL YOUR LIFE

Later I read Louise Hay's "You Can Heal Your Life." This book offers a list of maladies with their probable causes and a recommended new thought pattern

For "lower back problems" it offers as the probable cause: "Fear of money. Lack of financial support." The recommended new thought pattern is "I trust the process of life. All I need is always taken care of. I am safe."

Repeating the new thought pattern provided relief not just for pain in my lower back but also for any feeling of discomfort or tension in that area.

Another principle I learned from Hay's book is that we don't let go of a problem until we let go of the need for that problem. And that applies to illness. So, I began to use an additional new thought pattern or affirmation in relation to my low back pain: "I am willing to release the need for low back pain."

Try out this simple process in area of your life. You will find that releasing the need for the problem will go a long way toward resolving it.

EMOTIONAL FREEDOM TECHNIQUE

Recently I was introduced to the emotional freedom technique (EFT). This method uses tapping on specific areas of the body to release negative emotional energy.

Though it sounded bizarre I tried it and found it to be very powerful. It even released energy or charge that did not release with the other methods.

You can download a free guide to EFT at "The World Center For EFT". There you can also find a list of practitioners.

The best overall guide to the subject of EFT is "Getting Through to Your Emotions" by Phillip and Jane Mountrose.

CONCLUSION

Try these methods. Hopefully, releasing negative feelings will lead your to better health and a pain free back.

Text only about the author:

Rex Bush is founder of Bush Law Firm near Salt Lake City, Utah where he handles personal injury cases in Utah and throughout the United States and Canada. For more information on personal injury issues visit his website: Utah Injury Attorney at http://www.utah-personal-injury-attorney.com.

HTML about the author:

Rex Bush is founder of Bush Law Firm near Salt Lake City, Utah where he handles personal injury cases in Utah and throughout the United States and Canada. For more information on personal injury issues visit his website: Utah Injury Attorney