Back, Knee and Sciatic Pain: My Stories

My own stories and what I have learned about back, knee and sciatic pain. For the full teaching, start with the Pain and Arthritis information sheets.

A backache can be caused by any one of several issues. The first to look at is a structural or spinal issue. Has there been a recent injury, a fall or a sharp twisting of the spine, or overuse of the back, lifting a heavy object incorrectly, that has caused the back to rebel? An arthritic condition in the spine can seriously limit the freedom of movement, causing the back to ache, and when the affected joints become inflamed it can cause severe pain.

Kidney issues, stones or infection, should be ruled in or out when working to clear a backache. The kidneys sit toward the back on each side of the body. Kidney stones travel through the kidney, causing the pain to move from the back to the front as they wind their way through. An infected or inflamed kidney will be enlarged, creating pressure and muscle spasms around the organ and causing the back to ache. For women, menstrual cramps are another cause of a backache.

Is It My Back, My Kidneys or Cramps?

The first issue to address when working to clear a backache is why the back is affected. Being female, menstrual cramps were an issue for me. I had also cracked my spine in a car accident in the 1980s, and I had serious kidney issues since childhood. When my back would act up, I had to determine why. Over the years I found a fail-proof way, for me, to tell which of these was causing the discomfort.

Cramps. If menstrual cramps were possible, I used Lobelia, cramp bark, or the stronger combination for spasms that Dr. Christopher called the Antispasmodic. If the cause was cramps, it would take about 15 minutes for the uterus to relax and the spasms to stop.
Kidneys. When cramps were not an option, I would start with my three kidney support drinks: (1) 1 oz of Echinacea in 12 ounces of water; (2) hot lemonade (1 tsp cayenne, 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar, lemon juice and maple syrup to taste, in 16 ounces of water); (3) 1 tablespoon of Herbal Aid 1 in 16 ounces of hot water. It would normally take about 45 minutes for the teas to filter through the kidneys enough to calm the spasms. That would also tell me my kidneys had become inflamed and it was time to do the Infection Program.
The spine. If neither of those calmed it, I knew it was the structural issue in my back.

When my kidneys are inflamed, the muscles over them become spastic, making it hard to take a step without pain. I would have to hold onto furniture as I moved around the house. See the Kidney Disease sheet for more.

When It Is the Spine

My Story: Years of Back Spasms

Following a car accident in 1985, I endured years of debilitating back spasms. Out of the blue my back would go into a spasm, sending me to the floor in a world of hurt. All of this came to a blessed end when I discovered the BF&C (Bone, Flesh & Cartilage) formula in the late 1990s. Three months after I began using the body-repairing herbs in the BF&C formula, the devastating back spasms ended.

When my back acts up from the old injury, I have found a hot and cold shower will calm or end the spasm. After my shower I apply the M&L Salve, followed by a BF&C pack over the lower back where the injury occurred. I also take the BF&C extract, 1 teaspoon in hot water every three hours, for a week or so until the crisis is over, then go back to my normal dose of once or twice a day.

When an arthritic condition of the back becomes inflamed (hot and painful is the way I’ve heard it described), packing the area with an herbal support that dissolves the uric acid crystals causing the inflammation can be very helpful. Dr. Christopher’s A&R Salve packed over the inflamed joint has proved an effective support to stop the discomfort and cool the inflammation. Once the area is comfortable again, switch back to the BF&C Salve, which has the nutrients to repair the damaged joint. The same formula as the A&R Salve is also made as a liquid extract, Joint Support, for additional support.

Michael and the Rain-Soaked Lumber

My husband, who is 6’4”, fairly thin with a long back, had an up-close and personal opportunity to witness the power of the M&L Salve. While moving a pile of rain-soaked lumber to a sheltered area, he sprained his lower back. When will the over-forty masculine half of society realize they are no longer nineteen? Yes, I’ll get off that subject; you all pay dearly for your misconceptions.

His lower back grabbed as he went to straighten up with a load of lumber. When he found me in my office, he said he felt something rip in his back. We immediately massaged the M&L Salve into the affected muscles, and a BF&C Salve pack went on a few minutes later. Throughout the day he kept applying the M&L Salve. Later that day he took an Epsom salt soak, three cups of salt in a tub of hot water, which he felt was extremely beneficial, and went to bed shortly after his bath. Saturday he rested and kept applying the M&L and BF&C salves. Sunday morning he woke up feeling 90% better and was able to finish the job he had abandoned on Friday.

Knowing what to do when an emergency occurs can cut the recovery time down from weeks to days. Since the spastic muscle was not allowed to stay in spasm, there was no swelling or blockage to contend with, and the recovery shortened to only a few days.

BF&C: A Gift from the Father

Since my own back healed, I’ve been privileged to share in many healings brought about by the BF&C formula. Several years ago one of our members asked us to make the BF&C into a salve. It took some doing, but we mastered salve making, and since combining the BF&C Salve with the extract we are never short of dramatic healing stories.

A sprained ankle, swollen and sore, mended overnight. The BF&C Salve was applied right after the accident, supporting the soft tissue immediately.
An arthritic spine. A woman in her 80s, in bed and in pain, had a BF&C pack put over her spine at bedtime by her son. The next morning she bounced out of bed feeling “right as rain.” (Her story is on the Arthritis sheet.)
Scales cleared from a teen’s face. A young teenage girl with a scaly growth on her face was given the BF&C Salve and tincture by her loving uncle. Her condition cleared quickly.
Old injuries. These herbs correctly knit the body back together. Old injuries are cleared of adhesions and the mineral deposits that contribute to arthritic conditions.

My Knee

My Story: A “Fire Ball” in My Knee

What you might call a “fire ball” of pain had developed in my knee. None of the regular herbal remedies were bringing any level of relief. Searching in Dr. Christopher’s writings, I found a reference to the use of nervine herbs for nerve pain. I applied the General Nervine Tonic directly from the bottle to the painful area on my knee. It was as if I’d taken a fire hose to the pain. It just wiped it out. The relief lasted about three hours; when it began to wear off I applied more, and it continued to work. We quickly made a salve from the formula, now our G-Nervine Salve.

Once the pain and inflammation were under control, I began building up my injured knee with the BF&C Salve and extract. It takes time, but I could see positive progress every day.

Hydrotherapy is also important to healing an injured knee. Anytime you have injury or illness you have blockage, and hydrotherapy is all about clearing blockage. The hot water brings fresh blood to the injured area, and the cold slams all that fresh blood through the blockage. It is like shooting a blood bullet into the area: the hot water loads it and the cold fires it. The more dramatic the change between hot and cold, the deeper the blood with all its healing nutrients will penetrate.

M&L Salve: releases a locked-up knee and helps remove excess lymph fluid from the area.
G-Nervine Salve: for the fiery, throbbing pain of an overused or injured knee; no numbing, just an end to the throbbing, and a good night’s sleep.
BF&C Salve and extract: with consistent use, supports the body to restore and repair bone, flesh and cartilage.

Sciatica: Thirty Minutes to Relief

A Member’s Story: Sciatica in Both Legs

I had the opportunity to assist a woman dealing with sciatica in both legs. She had only had the discomfort for about a week when she began the herbal supports. To make a long story short, she cleared the worst of it overnight.

The sciatic nerve runs right behind the bowel, so an important part of clearing this issue is cleaning out the bowel. Our member had been using LBF #1 regularly, but while doing an intense program she had not increased her dose when her bowels tightened up, and she had become backed up. When the pain is this bad you don’t want to wait several days for the bowel to clear; we cleared it quickly that day.

Then we did Dr. Christopher’s foot soak. I added 3 cups of apple cider vinegar to about half a gallon of hot water. She soaked both feet for the first ten minutes while the chopped garlic was prepared; even before her foot went on the garlic she said she was more comfortable sitting in the chair. We added hot water several times, along with more vinegar, until we had used the whole 32-ounce bottle, and she drank two tablespoons of the vinegar in a large glass of water. She rested her right foot on the garlic for about 15 minutes of the half-hour soak.

At the end she said the pain and tightness were nearly gone. The next morning she told me she had slept through the night without pain. She did another soak the next day when some of the tightness tried to return.

For the full sciatica program, see the Arthritis sheet.

Watch

Back Pain Class. Structural issues, the kidneys and menstrual cramps: how to tell them apart and the herbal supports for each.

More on Back and Joint Pain

This information is for education only. It is not meant to diagnose, treat or replace care from a qualified health professional.