Lower back pain can be an inconvenience, and at its worst, it can even be debilitating, causing interference with everyday life.
Lower back pain is considered one of the most common ailments
when it comes to chronic pain. Aside from headaches and arthritis, lower back
pain takes one of the top spots as a major complaint of patients. According to Dr. Nikesh Seth,
a well-known pain management physician and anesthesiologist, most lower back
pains go away on their own, usually between around two to four weeks. However,
when the condition persists, there are treatments that can be considered.
If you are considering lower back pain treatments without the side effects or
downtime of medications, you may want to look into these natural alternatives:
How to Treat Lower Back Pain Naturally: Top Alternatives
Consider natural ways to release endorphins.
Endorphins are substances made by the body that affects mood, energy, and even natural pain management. When endorphins are released, chronic pain sufferers often report reduced symptoms of pain. There are natural ways to release inner endorphins, particularly through diet, exercise, and other healthy lifestyle habits.
Here are some of the well-known ways to naturally release endorphins in the body:
Aerobic exercise: Dr. Nikesh Seth states that aerobic exercise is good for endorphin release because it increases heart rate and blood circulation. This also prompts the production of feel-good hormones.
Eat endorphin-releasing foods: There are also various types of food that are known to release endorphins. These include dark chocolate, strawberries, animal proteins, oranges, and spicy foods. It is recommended that you take them in moderate amounts to help reduce chronic pain through endorphin release.
Try massage therapy.
Sometimes, the cause of chronic pain is associated with overwork. Overwork causes muscle tension which in turn causes stiffness and pain in the lower back area. Massage therapy is known for loosening tight muscles, lubricating joints, and making sure that the body is “warmed up” to perform work once more.
Some of the effective types of massage for lower back pain include those that work on the two types of muscles, the quadratus lumborum (QL) and gluteus medius. Moderate to high-pressure Swedish or Shiatsu types of massages that work specifically on these areas can help relieve lower back pain. You can ask your massage therapist to work longer on these muscle groups associated with back pain.
Get restorative sleep.
Fatigue is also a major cause of chronic pain. When you are fatigued, you need to have restorative sleep in order for your muscles to repair themselves. The lack of restorative sleep can bring the muscles into a constant state of fatigue causing chronic pain. The pain can sometimes cause people to lose sleep, and the cycle repeats itself as sleep deprivation intensifies lower back pain.
For adults, it is recommended to have at least 6-8 hours of uninterrupted sleep at night. It is also ideal to take midday naps when needed. Make your sleeping area as comfortable as possible by investing in high-quality pillows and mattresses designed for back support. Also, make sure that your room temperature is ideal for uninterrupted sleep.
Work on your core muscles.
Although aerobic exercise is previously mentioned for the purpose of endorphin release, another exercise can also help you provide better support for your lower back.
Another probable cause of lower back pain is postural problems that void the support provided by the core. Thus, working on the core muscles can help reduce the weight carried by the lower back. Some examples of core strengthening exercises include the following:
- Pushups
- Situps
- Planks
- Crunches
Any type of exercise that helps in the contraction of the core muscles (upper
and lower abdominals, obliques) are ideal to help in the support of the lower
back.
Utilize hot and cold therapy.
This natural remedy is simpler than it sounds. All you have to do is apply hot or cold packs accordingly to your lower back in order to relieve pain. Cold therapy, or applying padded ice packs in your lower back, can help reduce inflammation and numb the nerve pain responses.
Hot therapy, on the other hand, works in a different way. It helps stimulate blood flow, which allows the body’s nutrients to pass through as well as pain-soothing substances. It can also stop pain signals from entering the brain. Hot therapy can be done through using hot packs, taking a hot or warm shower, or availing of a sauna service.
These lower back pain remedies offer much help without the side effects of medication. You may try to incorporate some of these strategies for pain management within your daily schedule and see for yourself how you can naturally treat your lower back pain.
