Back pain can seriously impact your quality of life. It makes everything you do more difficult. It causes you to lose sleep, gain weight, and become much less active. Those things you usually enjoy now become a chore. To get your life back you need to reduce or eliminate your back pain. When taking pain medication is not an option then you’ll need to do this naturally. In this article, we will go over some natural remedies to get rid of your back pain. 1. Upgrade your mattress Your mattress may be the actual cause of your back pain. If your mattress is too hard, or too soft, then your back may be misaligned at night. If your mattress is old, then this is a good time to upgrade it to something that will give you enough support for your joints and lower back. The best type of mattress for you is memory foam. Something in the medium firm range is usually best. The key is to have a foam that allows your joints to sink in with enough push back that the rest of your body is supported. No matter what way you sleep, your spine should always be aligned and supported. You can read more about memory foam mattress here. 2. Strengthen your core You may feel like your pain is preventing you from working out, but there are some exercises you should do to strengthen your core. When your muscles around your core are stronger, they will support your spine and help prevent back pain. If you are getting older, then you need to be doing exercises for your joints and keep your core strong. Even something as simple as sitting upright on an exercise ball for 20 minutes per day is enough to get a strong core. 3. Meditate This may sound like unusual advice, but you can use your brain as a natural pain reducer. Your brain is a powerful tool and can be turned against your pain if you focus. Try doing some meditation for around 30 minutes per day. Focus on your pain and your brain will start sending endorphins to the affected area. When you do this for a period of time, then you will have a window when your pain is reduced and are able to get more active. This would be a good time to do those core exercises. 4. Herbal remedies There are some herbs and natural ingredients which can manage your back pain. Some are taken orally in pill form or as a tea, and others can be used directly on the area where you have pain. Capsaicin is the substance in hot peppers that burns your tongue. There are creams that contain it that can be used on the skin. It can be quite hot so go with a small amount at first. St John’s Wort is an ideal herb as it helps reduce sciatica and inflammation which can cause back pain. 5. Yoga and/or stretching Yoga is a wonderful way to stretch out those achy muscles. There are some types of yoga which are quite intense and require holding complex poses for over 30 seconds to a minute which is not good for your back, however. Try very basic to intermediate styles of yoga. Yoga is essentially stretching, so you can accomplish much of what yoga will do for your back by doing some simple stretches every day. Touching your toes will stretch those back muscles and allow them to open up. This stretch reduces inflammation of the lower back muscles, taking pressure off of your nerves. Another stretching pose that works well is to lie on your stomach and push up with your hands. It isn’t a push up exactly as you are just lifting your head and chest off the ground while keeping your lower back stationary. This creates a curve of the spine that helps stretch the lower back muscles. If you work at a desk, then try doing some of these stretches throughout the course of the day. Working at a desk and sitting in the same position for hours per day is bad for your back so stretching will help reduce and prevent our back pain. 6. Get orthopedic shoes Your back pain may be caused by bad posture. And your shoes play a big part on your posture. Not only should your shoes fit well, but they need to provide support. If your arches of your feet are not supported, then this causes your back to get out of alignment. You may need to go to your physician to get a prescription or see a podiatrist to get the exact shoe you need. Conclusion Also, stay away from high heels as they do a number on your back. Flat shoes are equally bad.
