When you consider the statistics on people who lose days of work due to back pain and even those that are considered permanently out of work due to the pain, you realize that it’s a huge problem in our country today. Two percent of the total population of working-age people have some sort of back problem that doesn’t allow them to work. That accounts for about one out of every thirty people in the US. That’s not even considering people who go to work, while suffering from back pain. Since the dangers of long term use of NSAIDs— nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs—like aspirin and ibuprofen, has become well known, more and more people are looking for ways to get lower back pain relief naturally.
Improving your posture and building strong core muscles should be at the top of your list.
Exercise doesn’t sound even the slightest bit inviting if you’re suffering from lower back pain, but it’s often the first place you should turn. There are exercises that not only help stretch and relax tight muscles that can be causing the back pain, but also those that build the core muscles to help reduce the potential of future pain. They build the stomach muscles and back muscles that support the spine, while also improving your posture. Bad posture is another trigger for back pain.
Skip the aspirin and get to a cryotherapy tank or floating tank.
Athletes used to ice down after a workout, they no longer need to do that. Instead, they spend about two to three minutes in -240 degree temperature and walk out with great pain relief. Cryotherapy is the new technique used to help speed the healing of muscles and get the body back into shape. It has many other benefits, besides pain relief. A float tank is also another form of therapy that creates an almost weightless atmosphere. Your body isn’t encumbered by gravity and you completely relax, helping to improve tight muscles and reduce pain. It’s also known as a isolation tank, because it’s dark, quiet and reduces your awareness of touch. These two technologies aren’t for everyone, but they can bring pain relief.
Go natural with herbal tea or other anti-inflammatories.
Nature provides its own type of pain relief. In fact, the first aspirin was actually white willow bark. Since then science has created it synthetically, but that doesn’t mean the change came without problems. The synthetic salicylic acid in aspirin can cause stomach damage, while the salicin in willow bark converts to salicylic acid in the stomach and doesn’t cause problems. Other anti-inflammatories include turmeric and ginger tea. Just sprinkle some turmeric on your food each night to get more than just pain relief.
- Consider massage therapy. Massages are for more than just relaxation. Massages can do wonders for a painful back by relaxing the tense muscles.
- Acupuncture is another pain relieving technique that has been used for centuries for many different health problems, including backache.
- Weight loss doesn’t relieve the pain instantly, but it can be used in conjunction with exercise and pain relief to create a permanent solution for back pain.
- Take a warm Epsom salt bath or just soak your feet. The magnesium in Epsom salts transfers to your body transdermally to help relax muscles and ease the pain.