We’ve all experienced lower back pain at one point or another. It’s just a fact of life! But if left untreated, lower back pain can eventually become debilitating and lead to weight gain by causing you to exercise less. In the worst-case scenario, lower back pain can cause a change in lifestyle or make you hunch over when you walk.
But there’s always hope. There are lots of home remedies you can try for lower back pain management before progressing to more drastic solutions. Unlike visiting an acupuncture doctor or going through an intense conventional recovery regime, you can start using some of these remedies right away.
Let’s investigate some of these pain relief strategies now.
Why is Lower Back Pain So Common?
Lower back pain (also called lumbar pain) is one of the most common issues in America. That’s partly because of our more sedentary lifestyles – we sit much more frequently than we used to and don’t get enough exercise. But it’s also because there are multiple things that can trigger lower back pain, including:
- Pulled muscles or ligaments
- Mechanical problems, such as poor posture
- Abnormal spinal shape or curvature, which includes conditions like scoliosis
- Other deteriorating conditions like arthritis, sciatica.
All of these can lead to lower back pain and other issues. There’s some good news, however – you don’t necessarily need to rack up a huge medical bill or pop dangerous medications. There are several home remedies you can try to alleviate your back pain with. Let’s break down some of these now.
Use Heat and Cold in Conjunction
For starters, always try to use heat and cold on any troublesome or painful areas. You can use either hot or cold implements or both together depending on what feels best.
Heating implements, such as warmed towels, a hot corn sack that you heat in the microwave, or an actual heating pad can help to relax your muscles and get your back to unwind. This also stimulates blood flow, which can bring oxygen and nutrients to any areas that may need some tissue repair.
Cold packs, in contrast, can reduce inflammation when it touches your skin. By lowering inflammation, you’ll reduce discomfort and tension in the affected area, plus lower any painful sensations you might feel.
If you use both of these methods together, try to use cold first to lower inflammation and make your lower back muscles more susceptible to further treatment. Then apply a hot cloth or towel to ease your back muscles even further and to stimulate blood flow for tissue repair.
Get Up and Stay Moving!
It’s tough to stay moving when your lower back is constantly aching, but it’s an important part of recovery. Staying active prevents your back muscles from tensing up and your lower back pain from getting worse. Where do you start?
- Move the Spine: Wobble ball exercises are fantastic to put motion into the spine and get the spinal fluid moving. It is very important to get this type of rehab into your daily schedule (morning and evening) – especially to counteract the effects if you sit all day long.
- Rolls & Wedges: Spinal home care equipment is prescribed by a doctor and is based on your specific x-rays. Using them will act like a retainer does for your teeth and will help hold the correct position.
- Lumbar Extension: For this exercise, you’ll sit flat facing straight ahead. Grab your knees and arch your back. Really use your knees to pull the curve into your lower spine, sitting up as straight as you can. Hold 10 seconds and repeat 10 times while remembering to breathe. It’s really a simple exercise to force extension into your lower back (even while sitting at your desk)
- Strengthen Your Core: If you work on your abs and strengthen your core, it’s going to loosen all the tightness that you have in your lower back. A simple 10-minute ab-focused workout daily is all you need to improve the strength of your core, and in turn – your low back.
If you need it when you double the dose of our Livingood Daily Omegas you get 1500mg of Omega 3 and 400mg of turmeric which have both been proven by research to be as effective as OTC drugs at reducing pain. When combined with anti-inflammatory nutrition, these high-quality Omegas can help get you through pain not only in your lower back but also through your upper body/upper back and even neck pain so you can be involved enough in an exercise program or really any physical activity to essentially work through your own form of physical therapy.
If you get too used to bed rest and stay sedentary, and particularly if you stay sitting, you’ll let your muscles around your spine become weak over time. The more time passes, the harder it will likely be to recover from lower back pain since your spine will have less support, weakening your posture even further.
Even if you have to start slow, it’ll be worth it. Begin with a five-minute walk each day, then progress until you’re at a normal activity level.
Do Stretches Frequently
It’s important to regularly stretch your back if you don’t already. Stretching helps to loosen up your muscles and reduces the likelihood of injured ligaments or tendons.
However, a basic “morning wakeup” stretch isn’t always enough. Here’s a good stretch walk-through:
- Start by lying flat on the ground
- Using one leg at a time, bend one leg’s knee and pulled any toward your chest
- Repeat the process with your other leg
- Next, roll onto the side of your bed or floor back and forth
- Stand and raise your arms high above your head, then spread your arms to the sides before letting them fall beside your waist
Exercise Your Back Muscles
Many of us suffer from chronic back pain because we don’t exercise frequently enough. It’s only common sense that exercising more regularly can, therefore, help with lower back pain relief.
You should specifically try to strengthen your core muscles versus going for aerobic exercise, which are all the muscles that comprise your abdominal, side, and back muscles. These muscles help to support your spine and can determine how good your posture is over the long term.
By exercising your abdominal muscles and other core muscles, you’ll not only look better – but you’ll also feel better! Try exercises like:
- Planks
- Crunches
- Leg lifts
However, don’t attempt these exercises if your lower back pain is so intense that you can’t complete these workouts correctly and safely.
To address fitness and overall health check out the Livingood Daily Lifestyle. It’s an excellent solution if you want to build toward a better you.
Drink Relaxing Tea
You can also make yourself a cup of relaxing tea, whichever variety works best. Calming teas, like green tea or chamomile tea, are excellent choices. By drinking tea, not only will you relax at the end of a long day but also benefit from tea’s included vitamins and minerals. All of these can provide ancillary benefits like inflammation reduction or boost your body’s antioxidant content.
Summary
All in all, lower back pain can be and often is treated with home remedies instead of expensive medications or chiropractor appointments. Be sure to try out several of the methods above and don’t hesitate to contact us for supplement options or for further suggestions about tackling back pain.
Medically Reviewed by Dr. Livingood
Dr. Livingood, yes that is his real name, is the Founder of drlivingood.com natural health site and also the founder of Livingood Daily. He has authored two Amazon #1 Best Selling Books Livingood Daily and Make Food Simple. In 2007 after nearly losing his father to health conditions, Dr. Livingood was prompted to find a health care system to save his father’s life. Where medicine failed Dr. Livingood discovered solutions that got his father off 15 medications and overcame major heart and autoimmune conditions. As a Doctor of Natural Medicine and DC he now serves thousands of people in Morrisville, NC, and millions through his online and media presence. Dr. Livingood, his wife Jessica, and three kids spend their lives leading people nationally and locally in the hopes that others can experience real health.
Sources
https://www.webmd.com/back-pain/ss/slideshow-low-back-pain-overview
