Best Sex Positions for Back Pain

     For many Americans sudden, ferocious, often high pitched screams and bed-rattling, body-shaking movements are sadly more associated with agonizing back pain than with pleasurable orgasms during intercourse. The American Chiropractic Association reports that 31,000,000 Americans suffer from lower back pain, making it the number one disability effecting Americans. For years physicians have been recommending "spooning" as the most spine-friendly sexual position but recent scientific studies prove a sexual position that is good for one person may not be the best answer for another. Does that mean sex has to be "put to bed" while health takes precedence? Not according to recent research from the University of Waterloo in Canada. For the first time ever, scientists have successfully documented the way the spine moves during sex and discovered exactly why certain positions are better than others when it comes to avoiding back pain. The results show that missionary and doggy-style, not spooning, are the most spine-friendly sexual positions.

     The researchers tracked how 10 couples' spines moved in five common sex positions. Using both infrared and electromagnetic motion capture systems, they measured how the men's spine moved during sex, and created guidelines for best positions and techniques based on what movements cause pain.

Based on range of motion, researchers identified the best and worst sex positions for men.

Here's what they found:

Sexual Position mQUAD1, a variation of doggy-style-. In this variation the woman is supporting her upper body with her elbows. Flexion intolerant men- meaning men whose back pain becomes worse when they touch their toes or sit for a long period of time- will likely be much more comfortable in this position.

Sexual Position mQUAD2, a variation of doggy-style- In this variation, the woman is supporting her upper body with her hands. The study showed that this position, in addition to the mQUAD1 variation, is considered to be easier on the spine for flexion-intolerant men.

Sexual Position mMISS1, a variation of missionary style- In this variation, the man is supporting his upper body with his hands and the woman has her hips and knees slightly flexed. Along with mQUAD1 and mQUAD2, this position is considered a "spine-friendly" approach, meaning it won't exacerbate pain caused by motion and/or posture.

Sexual Position mMISS2, a variation of missionary style- In this variation, the male is supporting his elbows and the woman is more flexed at the hips and the knees. This may not be the best position for men experiencing flexion-intolerant pain. However, for extension-intolerant men--meaning me who feel pain when they arch their back-- this may be a comfortable position.

Sexual Position mSIDE, also known as spooning or sidelying- In this position, the woman and man are both lying on their left sides, and the man is behind her. Both people have their hips and knees flexed. Researchers found that this position isn't very easy on the spine, and is the least recommended position for men experiencing flexion-intolerant pain. However, it's a comfortable option for extension-intolerant men. Men who are extension-intolerant, or those who experience pain when arching their backs, will find sex in the spooning or missionary position more comfortable, especially when supporting their upper body with their elbows in missionary.

Future Research for Women with Pain- Although this study focuses on sex positions for men with back pain, the researchers said results for female pain patients should be published in the near future. The findings revealed that if women have back pain when they touch their toes or sit for long periods of time, they should use positions that use minimal spine flexion, like spooning and doggy-style while propping themselves up at the hands. If women have back pain when they arch their backs, they should use positions that use minimal spine extension, like missionary. 

     Prior to this study chiropractors and other physicians often recommended spooning as the "go-to" sexual position for everyone wanting to maintain a healthy sex-life while experiencing lower back pain. This study provides science based data to guide physicians on their recommendations. Research recommends the individual who is controlling the movement to use more of their hips and knees, rather than their spine. Missionary and doggy-style are found to be the ideal spine-friendly positions. Finally, there is scientific data to aid 31,000,000 Americans suffering from debilitating lower back pain with the information necessary to turn those shrieks of horror into cries of pleasure. 

Journal Reference: 

Natalie Sidorkewicz et al. Male Spine Motion During Coitus: Implications for the Low Back Pain Patient. Spine, September 2014 

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Local Honey Helps Allergies/Sweetens Lovelife

“Now, don’t kiss your honey while your nose is ‘runny’.  You might think it’s funny, but it’s snot.”
    –author unknown

Spring fever, by definition, refers to an increase in energy, vitality and particularly sexual appetite.  Unfortunately many of us are ravaged by the symptoms of allergies during spring which can give you that “not-so-sexy” feeling.  To minimize the irony  of these two conflicting feelings one may want to consider eating a teaspoon of local honey each day to ward off the symptoms of early springtime allergens.  This natural sweetener may be the key to sweetening up your lovelife during allergy seasons.

Pollen counts have already reached abnormally high springtime levels this mild winter, activating allergic reactions in many people.  Research literature available on this topic is quite scarce.  One study done ten years ago found that there were no benefits to eating local honey.  However, a new study published last year came to a very positive conclusion.

This brand new study assessed the effects of the pre-seasonal use of birch pollen honey or regular honey on symptoms and medication during birch pollen season.

A total of 44 patients with diagnosed birch pollen allergy consumed either the birch pollen honey or regular honey daily from November to March.  The control group consisted 17 patients who were just using their usual allergy medication to control symptoms.

The study found that, during birch pollen season, compared to the control group, the patients using birch pollen honey experienced:

1. 60% reduction in symptoms

2.  Twice as many asymptomatic days

3.  70% fewer days with severe symptoms

4.  50% decrease in usage of antihistamines

The theory behind honey’s natural healing is very sound.  Local bees pick up pollen from the plants in your local area.  The honey the bees make then acts as a vaccine by introducing these allergens to your body an activating your immune system response to these irritants, eventually leading to immunity from the allergens.

There are a few things to consider before adding local honey to your diet, however.  Be certain you are not allergic to honey it self.  You risk going int anaphylactic shock if you are.  Also, be careful, to monitor your daily intake of fructose, especially if you are diabetic, obese, have high blood pressure or high cholesterol.  A teaspoon of honey has 4 grams of fructose in it.  Ideally you want to keep your fructose intake below 25 grams per day.

In addition to this latest encouraging study there is an extremely high amount of anecdotal evidence hailing the benefits of honey by people who have tried it and had great results.  I, myself, had severe allergic reactions in the spring and fall upon my return to the Midwest five years ago from Southern California.  Since I have been using a teaspoon of local honey in my coffee every morning the last two years, I have seen a significant reduction in my symptoms.

Spring fever is looming so consider using local honey to keep those nagging allergies at bay, and remove the humor from kissing and your lovelife!

ref.-Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology February 2002;88(2):198-203

ref.-International Archives of Allergy and Immunology 2011;155(2): 160-166

Why Vitamin D Supplementation Is Important

Approximately one-half of the healthy North American population and four-fifths of those with chronic disease are Vitamin D deficient.  The recognition of this startling statistic over the past few years is the reason why Vitamin D deficiency is now considered a pandemic.  Those with vitamin D deficiency experience a 39% increase in annual healthcare costs than those with normal vitamin D levels. Vitamin D deficiency is linked to the following:

1. osteoporosis
2. cardiovascular disease
3. cancer
4. autoimmune diseases
5. multiple sclerosis
6. pain
7. loss of cognitive function
8. decreased strength
9. increased rate of all-cause mortality

Exposure to sunlight is the most common method of getting Vitamin D3 in our systems. Since too much sunlight can increase your risk of melanoma a safer and more practical approach to Vitamin D intake it through pill or liquid form. But which form of Vitamin D is best?

Supplemental vitamin D is available in 2 distinct forms: ergocalciferol (vitamin D₂) and cholecalciferol (vitamin D₃). Pharmacologists have officially regarded these 2 forms as equivalent and interchangeable, yet this presumption of equivalence is based on studies of rickets prevention in infants conducted 70 years ago. The emergence of 25-hydroxyvitamin D as a measure of vitamin D status provides an objective, quantitative measure of the biological response to vitamin D administration. As a result, vitamin D₃ has proven to be the more potent form of vitamin D in all primate species, including humans. Despite an emerging body of evidence suggesting several plausible explanations for the greater bioefficacy of vitamin D₃, the form of vitamin D used in major preparations of prescriptions in North America is vitamin D₂. The case that vitamin D₂ should no longer be considered equivalent to vitamin D₃ is based on differences in their efficacy at raising serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D, diminished binding of vitamin D₂ metabolites to vitamin D binding protein in plasma, and a nonphysiologic metabolism and shorter shelf life of vitamin D₂. Vitamin D₂, or ergocalciferol, should not be regarded as a nutrient suitable for supplementation or fortification (American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 84, No. 4, 694-697, October 2006).

To find out if you are deficient in Vitamin D3 contact your primary medical physician and request a blood test to determine the level of Vitamin D3 in your system.

Recommended dosing of Vitamin D3:  The loading dose of supplemental vitamin D3 should be about 20,000 IU/day for 3-6 months with a maintenance dose of 5,000 IU/day. Those taking this amount of supplemental vitamin D3 should periodically have their serum 25 (OH) D3 levels measured.