I had major surgery on my spine (spinal fusions) when I was 14 years old. Consequently I’ve suffered back problems all my adult life.

Fortunately I’ve learned to manage it really well so I thought I’d share some of my findings with the world.

I assume you’ve been to a doctor and found out what exactly is wrong with your back. Get a second opinion, cos back pain is a murky area of medicine.

I’m not a doctor so you take all my advice at your own risk! But here’s a list of all the things I find help keep me bouncing along pain free. I should have had surgery again by now, and maybe one day I will have to. But until then I keep myself pain and drug free with the following methods.

1. You must do yoga. It is the single best thing for your spine. Dispel any prejudices you have and find a good yoga class. Not all yoga is good. Ashtanga and other ‘boot camp’ types of yoga can sometimes hurt your back. I recommend the Iyengar style, but there are loads of styles and teachers. There are yoga DVDs too. I recommend Yoga Zone or stuff by Rodney Yee. Go easy and build up to the more challenging poses.

2. Bed. Obviously you need a good mattress. You also need to learn to sleep with your knees together and drawn up when you lie on your side. This keeps your back straight rather than twisted at random angles. Lying flat on the floor is very good if you get a really bad twinge. And if you draw your knees up and hug them to you chest…well now you’re doing yoga. And doesn’t it feel good?

3. Shoes. Throw away any shoes that do not have good firm support and shock absorption under the heel AND the ball of the foot. Thin-soled shoes will ruin your spine especially if you walk around on concrete. High heels are designed to cause pain so if you like pain wear them. I find small healed boots look just as sexy and I can walk for miles in them (sometimes you just can’t get a Taxi). But usually I wear proper (Merrell) walking shoes.

4. Chinese Massage. Some people swear by acupuncture, but I don’t like the needles. I do find, though, that Chinese massage does wonders for my back. It’s safe, cheap and non-invasive.

5. Avoid Chiropractors. They’ll take your money and hurt you. If you’re into that, well…

6. Exercise. Any exercise is better than none at all. Strong muscles support the spine. Doctors will tell you swimming is good, but if (like me) you’re not keen on swimming then for goodness sake do something that you do like. Because you’re more likely to stick with what you like. I like running and find that if I don’t run for a few weeks I get back pain.

7. Exfoliate. I know this sounds kooky, but keeping the skin around the painful area clear of dead cells helps with pain management. When your body fights inflammation you get a build up of toxins, so keep the skin healthy by using a back scrubber or those rough glove/mitts that you can buy everywhere. I find this inturn helps the muscles and nerve endings underneath stay healthy.

8. Ointments. Rubbing creams and lineaments into a sore back is an age old remedy and part of your arsenal against back pain. Don’t forget your thighs and buttocks, because these big muscles can effect your lower back. Voltaren is great, but hard core. Go herbal or go chemical, they all work in some way or other.

9. Heat. There’s nothing quite like lying down with a hot water bottle in the small of your back. Aaaahhh.

10. Anti inflammatories. When the tissues swell they put pressure on the nerves. If you’re in real pain, for goodness sake drop a couple of aspirin! Talk to your doctor if you are worried about using them too much or with other medication. If you do all the stuff I’ve listed you can hopefully avoid painkillers. But if you feel a bout coming on, hit it with anti inflammatories before it gets really bad. Personally I find paracetamol and nurafen do nothing at all so why take them? My doc says aspirin is only bad if you take tons of it.

Remember the body can and does regenerate. You’d be surprised what sensible self-management can achieve.