Next to colds and coughs, we usually visit our doctors for one common reason and that is back pain. Studies show that, in general, back pain affects more women than men.
It is normal for people to suffer from back pain due to strained muscles. Yet, we often don’t realize that it can also be a symptom of a more serious illness.
Back pain is acute or short-term when it lasts only for a few days. It becomes chronic when you experience pain for more than three months.
Chronic back pain might need a professional diagnosis, stronger medications, and therapies. While you can treat acute back pain at home in most situations.
Here are some of the techniques that can help you improve your back pain:
8. Drink anti-inflammatory juice or supplements.
One way of soothing back pain is through anti-inflammatory agents. This can be through natural remedies or by means of over the counter pain medications.
There’s a wide variety of natural drinks that can reduce back pain. The most common are turmeric milk, green tea with ginger, and tart cherry.
Turmeric contains anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, and anti-arthritic content. This drink is a mixture of warm milk, honey, and a teaspoon of turmeric powder.
Meanwhile, tart cherry juice is effective in reducing muscle pains. Ginger and green tea is an herbal drink that can give the same relief.
It is easy to include in your diet since you can bring tea bags anywhere. And the regular consumption of these can help ease back pain.
Anti-inflammatory drugs can be of great help too. But you should first consult your doctor about it.
According to scientific studies, ibuprofen is good medicine to relieve backaches.
7. Have a good sleeping habit.
Give your body the chance to recuperate. Stick to a schedule that will allow you to get enough sleep. If possible, try to sleep through the night.
Complete sleep during the night entails restoration and rejuvenation. It reduces the soreness of the back.
It gives the feeling of less stress and pressures the following morning.
You may also try using sleep aids if you are having a hard time sleeping. Vitamin C and B6 can help promote good sleep. In case you want to resort to natural means, tea leaves can be a good alternative.
The L-theanine amino acid found in most teas can make people stay calm and relaxed. Likewise, the root of the valerian plant is proven to make a person doze faster and longer.
Sleeping is essential of course, but please do not overdo it. To prevent back pain, try to be more active.
6. Check your posture.
Maintain proper posture and avoid prolonged slumping. Make sure that your back is straight and you are not slouching.
Regularly check if your neck, shoulders, and spine are properly aligned. This can prevent stress or pressure in your back.
Based on scientific findings, low-heeled sandals or shoes is advisable. Wearing high heels can increase pressure in the lower spine. This means an unstable posture for you.
Don’t bend from the waist when lifting something up. Try to bend your knees and slowly move down when picking things from the ground.
Heavy objects can easily cause back pain or injury so you have to be extra careful.
5. Meditate and increase your flexibility.
Stretch your back and improve your muscle health through Yoga.
To prevent getting injured by sudden movements, your need to get regular stretching.
Yoga aims to build both the upper and lower body. It allows us to get stronger, that we can bear our weight against gravity. It can also help us manage our back pain.
Stretching reduces the stiffness of the back. This will gently give the joints and soft tissues increased flexibility as well.
This activity is best done in the morning and accompanied by soothing or relaxing music. Fortunately, it can also help in enhancing our blood circulation.
4. Use cold or warm therapy.
Applying heat patches can also relieve back pain. These are normally infused with medicines. The patch can lessen the pain when it comes to contact with our skin.
We can use this method wherever we are since the patch can be worn inside our clothes. However, prolonged body contact can damage the outer layer of the skin.
In case of back pain is due to an injury or bump, the first aid treatment must be by chilling. The ice must be placed on the injured body part within the first 48 hours.
Cold therapy alleviates pain by numbing the skin. It gradually reduces the swelling of the affected portion. Do this for about 10 to 15 minutes.
Once the 48 hour-mark is through, back pain can be relieved through warm compress or warm water bottle.
The warmth relaxes the muscles and increases blood circulation. This may also allow faster healing.
3. Choose a healthy diet.
The food that we eat can either reduce or contribute to back pain. Luckily, it is easy to spot foods that can help reduce back pain because of their deep colors.
Most of these are vegetables and fruits. So, you’ll have to resort to a plant-based diet to prevent inflammation in various parts of your body.
If you are experiencing back pain, then it is best to keep a note of what you should eat and what you should not.
Nutritious foods like beets, berries, carrots, grapes, pomegranate, sweet potatoes, and watermelon are good for you to eat. But it is chia or flax seeds that work best in reducing inflammation.
Aside from these, foods rich in omega-3 is also a good inclusion. These are cold-water fishes like black cod, herring, mackerel, salmon, sardines, tuna, and trout.
You can also trust herbs and spices like cinnamon, ginger, rosemary, and garlic. These seasonings are natural anti-inflammatory agents.
Now, on the contrary, you have to be wary of foods that can contribute to inflammation. This includes pasta, rice, fried foods, canned goods, sugary foods, and pastries.
We need enough calcium and Vitamin D to maintain our bone mass and strengthen our spine. This, however, requires that you take in calcium from natural sources. Like that from milk, cheese, and yogurt.
2. Avoid doing things that can prolong back pain.
Some activities may prevent back pain. And, we can also avoid worsening its condition.
Degenerative diseases may result from our chosen employment. Staying in a job that requires either strenuous work or one that makes you sedentary the whole day.
This may impair the disks between our bones and weaken our bone structure. Hence, we must avoid sitting for long hours to lessen the pressure on our spinal discs.
Gaining weight can also lead to back pain. The heavier we get, the harder it is for the back to support our upper body. So, we should eat in moderation and avoid getting obese.
Also, avoid being idle most of the time. Prolonged inactivity may worsen back pain. So, do not condition your body to remain at rest.
1. Kailo (Bio-Antenna Pain Patch)
The best solution for immediate back pain relief is using Kailo.
This does not treat the root cause of the pain, so you are advised to still see your Doctor or Physiotherapist…
…But what makes it so helpful, is that it gets in between the pain and your brain, providing much needed relief.
It does this by disrupting the electrical neurotransmission of pain (from your back to your brain).
This started out as a kickstarter project, and quickly swelled into a worldwide phenomenon.
Kailo is an innovative, non-transdermal technology that looks and acts like a patch.
Each Kailo contains a patented array of nanocapacitors that work as a bio antenna, assisting the body in clear communication to turn down the volume on your pain.
