Back pain is the most common problem faced by almost everyone these days. It has become a leading cause of disability. This back pain can eventually hinder your daily schedule and might also disturb your mental peace. However, it is best to get natural treatments for back pain. Sometimes, people prefer ayurvedic treatment, where the therapies work directly on the root cause.
Nowadays, most people rely on clinical treatments. But studies show that many home remedies are also effective for back pain relief. Depending on the level of pain you are having and the suitable treatment type, you can pick your preferred home remedy. This article will discuss the symptoms, causes and home remedies for curing intensive back pain.
Symptoms Of Back Pain
There are different stages of detecting back pain. It can also start from mild paining to intensive burning and stabbing. In some cases, the pain can even radiate towards the leg. Further, twisting, walking, bending, running, and jogging can worsen the pain. Most patients suffering from back pain get cured with home remedies and natural treatments. However, you must consult your healthcare provider if you experience the following:
- Pain radiates down towards the legs, especially below the knee portion.
- Drastic weight loss
- Causes sensations like numbness, weakness and tingling
- Lasts longer than 3 to 4 weeks
- No slight improvement after complete rest
In general cases, you can cure back pain at home with simple remedies. However, when the pain aggravates, you might also experience severe pain in the bowel or bladder accompanied by a fever. In such a situation, you must seek medical attention immediately. Your back pain can become chronic if these symptoms persist in the body for more than 3 months. As such, the doctor might also ask you to go for surgery.
Causes Of Back Pain
The most common cause for any problem to crop up is stress and anxiety. Similarly, in the case of back pain, stress is one of the main reasons. Along with this, some other causes are listed below:
1. Strain On Back
Lifting any heavy object or bending down can strain the backbone and back muscles. Sudden awkward moments while getting up or twisting can also stress the back muscles. These tensed muscles tend to give pain and might aggravate if left unattended.
2. Arthritis
Spinal osteoarthritis is another cause of prolonged back pain. This happens when the cartilage in the muscles of your joint backbone is damaged. Eventually, it leads to the narrowing of the spinal column and tremendous pain. However, with the help of natural treatments, you can get them cured at home.
3. Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis is a condition where our bone loses density and becomes thin. In such a case, the chance of fractures in vertebrae increases. These fractures cause immense pain and are known as compression fractures. Most doctors suggest complete bed rest for quick back pain relief.
4. Few Other Causes of Back Pain
Apart from arthritis, osteoporosis and stress being some significant causes of back pain, some other causes lead to pain in the back muscles. These are:
- Any injury or disease on the back muscles, bones or nerves.
- Viral infection or inflammation
- Disc prolapse between the backbones, irritating nerve roots.
- Stiffness in the spine or Spondylitis.
- The normal pregnancy phase can also be a significant reason behind back pain.
- Spinal cord tumours
- Overweight or obesity
- Kidney stones or kidney infection
Best Remedies To Cure Back Pain At Home
Back pain is a very common problem. As such, there are many medicines and sprays which guarantee 100% back pain relief. But there is no good evidence of these medications being 100% effective. However, in some cases, they might leave side effects. Hence it is better to go for home remedies until the pain becomes unbearable and requires clinical treatment. Here are some home remedies you can adopt to cure back pain at home.
1. Keep Constant Movement
It is said that people who are in constant movement cure quickly. For example, you can go for morning walks, shop, or work. But at the same time, you must avoid everything that can aggravate your pain. Even a brisk walk of 30 minutes daily can bring about many changes.
2. Exercise To Keep Muscles Flexible
Often patients suffering from back pain find it difficult to get up straight from the bed and walk. However, if you perform exercises, you will be able to alleviate your aching back muscles to a certain point. The exercises do not have to be stretching ones if you do not prefer them. You can go for physical activities like swimming, yoga, and walking.
Any low-impact activity can be effective to cure back pain at home. Performing these activities releases endorphins, which are a natural pain reliever. Hence, you must opt for regular exercise to avoid future back pain or any other ligament and muscle pain. Exercising or performing physical activities helps to keep your bones strong and muscles flexible.
3. Improve Your Posture
Poor posture while sitting or sleeping contributes to severe back pain. Changing posture while sleeping can also do miracles. However, taking a pillow under your knees or in between the knees while sleeping helps to release the strain off your back. While walking and sitting, you must keep your spinal cord straight and not stoop.
There are some exercises which act as natural treatments for back pain. These exercises are as follows:
- Pilates
- Tai Chi
- Walking and running
- Yoga
- Aerobic exercises
- Core flexibility exercises
- Swimming
4. Heat And Cold Therapy
Applying hot and cold packs on the paining region works as a miracle for back pain relief. If you apply an ice pack wrapped in a clean towel directly on the swollen area, then it helps in reducing the inflammation. Also, the tensed nerves of the affected area soothe. The application of ice packs numbs the region and gives relief from the intense pain. But it is advisable to apply for only 20 minutes maximum.
Applying a heating pad can increase blood circulation, which facilitates quicker healing. To avoid scalds or burns from the heating pad, read the instructions carefully before using it. Heat pad therapy can give you instant relief from the pain. However, if you do not have access to a heating pad, you can use a hot water bottle wrapped in a towel or a cloth bag of uncooked rice.
5. Massage Therapy
If you are looking for short-term benefits for your back pain, you should go for good massage therapy. Ayurvedic massage therapies are best in such cases. A soft tissue massage can help in releasing endorphins which shall eventually help in relieving pain. Massage therapy involves vibration, gliding, kneading, friction and percussion techniques.
This manipulation of tissues during massage can be done with hands or using a mechanical device. It is one of the best natural treatments for back pain. However, there are certain risk factors involved with this home remedy. You should not go for massage therapy if you have the following:
- Skin infection or rashes
- Inflammation
- Deep vein thrombosis
- Burns
- A non-healed fracture
- Active cancer tumour site
6. Get an Adequate Amount Of Sleep
Lack of sleep is another prime reason behind the aggravation of back pain. According to recent medical studies, an adult requires at least 7 to 9 hours of sound sleep for the proper functioning of the body. An adequate amount of sleep with proper comfort and alignment helps relieve body pain. However, if your posture is poor, your condition might worsen when you wake up in the morning.
You can use extra pillows to align your spine to avoid such issues properly. The pillow you take under your head should support the curve in your neck while sleeping. It helps to keep your back alignment straight. You must consult your healthcare provider if lack of sleep continues to be an issue.
7.Make Necessary Dietary Changes
Doctors advise patients suffering from back pain to consume foods like fruits and whole grains. Any food which has added sugar can increase the risk of spinal pain. Hence, to get back pain relief, you must consume the below-mentioned foods:
- Black pepper
- Yoghurt
- Fibre
- Spices like turmeric and ginger
- Whole Grain foods
- Green tea
- Green leafy vegetables
- Fruits
These foods are anti-inflammatory, which reduces the risk of inflammation. Foods like dairy products, red meat, refined sugar, trans fat, saturated fat, and highly refined flour can potentially increase the risk of inflammation. Hence, you must make necessary dietary changes to avoid the aggravation of pain.
8. Take Effective Measures To Reduce And Manage Stress
One of the best and most natural treatments to cure pain is managing and reducing stress. Mental stress can be a great cause of an increase in pain. There are many ways through which you can manage your stress effectively. Some best measures to adopt are as follows:
- Mindful meditation
- Relaxing the muscles of the body
- Deep breathing to stabilize the mental harmony
- Focusing on mental images can relax the nerves of your mind.
9. Maintain A Healthy Weight To Avoid Obesity
Being overweight can be a potential cause of extra load on the back muscles. Shedding some kilos while being on a diet and exercising regularly can help reduce this extra pressure on the back. It is one of the best ways to cure back pain at home. If you are overweight and visit a doctor for a back pain problem, the first thing he says is to reduce weight. This is because weight loss reduces the back muscles' mechanical force. You can also consult a dietician for a healthy balanced diet routine to follow.
10. Quit Smoking
The risk of back pain increases by four times for people who smoke. A smoker can be prone to degenerative disk disease and other spinal problems. The first step to cure back pain at home is quitting smoking. The nicotine in cigarettes takes away the essential nutrients from the body, eventually weakening bone density. Along with this, it also harms the oft disks that support the backbones' joints. If you have a healthy spine, your back muscles will not get stiff and will remain flexible.
Benefits Of Applying Home Remedies And Natural Treatments
Home remedies are best for mild injuries and dull pains. These remedies are prepared from natural substances without a doctor's prescription. Many substances on your kitchen counter can easily treat common problems. The most important substances are turmeric and ginger. They are extremely useful for coughs and colds. However, there are certain remedies for back pain relief as well. But the main question in people's minds is whether it is good to apply home remedies. Hence, here are some benefits of adopting home remedy measures.
- Home remedies are made out of natural substances available at the kitchen counter. These include turmeric, ginger, black pepper, garlic and cloves. Since they are natural, they are considered safe and facilitate quick healing.
- These remedies are mild as they are natural and fresh with no side effects. The clinical treatments very often show some after-effects in the body once the problem is resolved.
- Adopting home remedies helps you to live an active lifestyle. Once you incorporate natural substances like ginger and garlic into your daily fooding habits, you will be likely to consume less processed foods. This will eventually help you to lead an active and healthy life.
- Natural treatments are more reliable than clinical treatments for mild pain and are cost-effective. People have been using these natural substances for treating severe diseases like cholera, chicken pox and other pandemics. As such, these substances are easy to find and are comparatively less expensive.
The Bottom Line
Lower back pain is also a common concern among individuals. It can be a symptom of an underlying condition like acute pancreatitis or kidney stone. And for some cases, it is because of the lifestyle and repetitive motions. Back pain stretching and natural treatments will help in these cases.
However, stretching is not the only remedy for back pain, but effective stretches for back pain will give a sign of relief. Hence, if you are looking for measures to cure back pain at home, do not forget to apply the basic home remedies mentioned in the article.
