5 Quick Remedies To Treat Chronic Back Pain

There are many natural remedies to soothe your back, which can help reduce the intake of medications or provide an added benefit to your existing medical treatment. Read on to know about pain-relieving strategies and find out what works best for you.

Even though most people have their first encounter with back pain when they are between the ages of 30-50 years old, these days many suffer because of wrong posture and a sedentary lifestyle.

Millions of people across the world suffer from chronic back pain, which experts say most commonly results from an injury or health conditions including sciatica and arthritis.

According to studies, lower back pain is the world’s most common cause of absence from work and its most common disability. 1

Even though most people have their first encounter with back pain when they are between the ages of 30-50 years old, these days many suffer because of wrong posture and a sedentary lifestyle.

Dealing with chronic back pain can be especially trying if you do not know the cause.

Doctors say as you grow older, there is a reduction in fluid between the vertebrae in the spine which results in discs being more easily irritated. You also lose some muscle tone, which makes the back more prone to injury. That is why strengthening your back muscles and using good body mechanics is important to prevent lower back pain.

A few symptoms of lower back pain include:

• Severe pain when resting or sitting for a longer time
• Pain when lifting something heavy
• Pain in the glutes or hips
• Stiffness after a period of inactivity
• Numbness or weakness

Ways to treat back pain

Apart from medicines that may help relieve pain, you can also try a few safe home remedies that give you quick and lasting results.

Exercises

According to experts, a short walk, aerobics, yoga, water aerobics, swimming, and other low-impact activities help alleviate back pain. You can also indulge in training and stretching to help keep muscles flexible and strong.

Yoga is an effective way to stretch your back, improve the health of muscles and joints, enhance the distribution of healing nutrients through blood circulation, and increase the flexibility of the spine. 2

Hot and cold therapy

You can use hot and cold packs to reduce swelling and soothe the pain. Applying an ice pack wrapped in a towel directly to the back can reduce inflammation as cold provides a numbing effect for sudden, intense back pain.

According to the Arthritis Foundation, only apply ice packs for up to 20 minutes maximum for best results. 3

Also, a heating pad helps soothe your achy back by increasing blood flow and reducing inflammation.

Massaging

Experts say a good, strong massage is super beneficial for lower back pain. Soft tissue massage involves kneading, friction, gliding, vibration, or percussion techniques which help reduce pain and inflammation.

However, it is recommended to get yourself checked by an expert before undergoing a massage for chronic back pain.

Avoid massages if you have:

• A skin infection
• Burns
• Fractures that have not healed
• Deep vein thrombosis

Anti-inflammatory drinks

According to experts, anti-inflammatory foods help relieve muscle pain, which may be chronic, or exercise-induced.

Drinks like turmeric milk, ginger tea, and tart cherry juice have positive effects in relieving your back pain as these anti-inflammatory agents build up in your bloodstream slowly.

Stretching

When trying to prevent or treat lower back pain, four easy and helpful moves are a great addition to your workout regimen. You can try them once or twice a day.

• Knee to chest stretch
• child's pose
• Threat the needle
• Superman

Ways to prevent lower back pain

According to doctors, a few ways you can prevent lower back pain include:

• Regular exercising of the back and abdomen muscles
• Weight loss if you are overweight
• Doing weightlifting properly
• Maintaining a proper posture
• Sleep on a firm surface
• Avoid very high-heeled shoes
• Quit smoking