Over 80% of Americans will endure some sort of back pain in their life. This is a startling statistic, but most will not suffer from back pain at its most severe.
For those who constantly struggle with back pain, it can be a horrific burden. Both the sedentary lifestyle of this country and the fact most jobs require workers to sit down for the majority of the day only exacerbates the problem. There are steps you can do to reduce back pain, without recourse to over-the-counter medicines. Here are 8 ways to reduce back pain naturally.
Practice Good Posture
Good posture helps reduce back pain and decreases the chance of back pain reoccurring. To improve overall back health, it is important to consider your posture when you are sedentary- and not just fall into a lazy slouch. When working in an office, make a conscientious effort to sit straight in your chair. If your computer is not an eye height, ask your employer to put in on and stand so you don’t cause any neck strain or are encouraged to slouch.
Go for A Swim
Swimming is a great way to reduce back pain while improving your overall health. Unlike a lot of forms of exercise, it is not particularly arduous, and builds muscle strength in the supportive environment of a pool, enabled by water’s resistance.
Swimming involves gentle stretching of the muscles in the arms and the back, which helps improve your overall posture- and helps reduce back pain.
Enjoy a Massage
Massages are a great way to decrease tension build-up in the muscles of your back. People who suffer from chronic back pain report less pain after 10 weekly massages than those who don’t visit a masseuse.
Some of us are uncomfortable receiving massages for various reasons, be it the intimacy of the situation or an inability to relax when on the table. A portable massage chair offers a fine alternative to visiting a masseuse.
Yoga
In some quarters, yoga is now considered a much more effective treatment for back pain than certain medicines. Yoga involves intensive stretching in a gentle way, improving the strength of muscles in the back and improving spinal support- which in turn decreases back pain. A study in Britain showed that after three months of weekly yoga classes, participants reported lower rates of back pain than those using conventional treatments like medicines and physical therapy.
Heat Therapy
Applying heat to the area where you are experiencing discomfort has been shown to decrease back pain. It is recommended, for people who suffer from back pain that is incredibly severe, to apply a heat patch to the uncomfortable area before rising out of bed.
This has proven to be incredibly useful to those whose back pain is so debilitating they often skip work to say in bed. Rather than suffering without recourse, applying a heat pad to the affected area has been shown to decrease pain and improve function.
Sleep in the Proper Position
It is well known that sleep is restorative, and our nightly rest is crucial to maintaining health and balance in every part of the body.
However, to help reduce back pain, it is not enough to make sure you get enough sleep; you need to monitor how you are sleeping. It is recommended to sleep in a relaxed fetal position, on your side, with your knees curled close to your chest. This position is the most soothing for those suffering from back pain, and truly helps rest your spine and muscles, ultimately reducing it.
Try Acupuncture
Acupuncture is an ancient type of medicine that dates back to over 3000 years ago. This ancient practice involves the insertion of thin needles into the skin at certain pressure points.
Acupuncture has been shown to help people suffering from chronic lower back pain recover. It has been suggested this may be to do with the stimulation by the needles of hormones in the body that reduce pain. Although why it works is still obscure, it does work to reduce back pain. By following these tips you should start to see an immense improvement in your back pain.
