10 At-home Treatments for Low Back Pain
Is low back pain keeping you from doing things you enjoy in life? Well, it shouldn’t! Low back pain is a very common complaint; usually caused by overuse or some form of trauma. Most of the time, it goes away after a few days. When it doesn’t go away, or gets worse, then there are several things you can do at home to reduce the pain.
**If you have severe low back pain, discuss these treatments with your doctor first. **
Okay, now for the treatments! Remember, you can combine several of these until you find a combination that works for you.
1 - Capsaicin cream – Can be purchased inexpensively at your local pharmacy without a prescription. This stuff works wonders for many types of low back pain.
2 - Vitamin D – Chronic muscle pain can be a symptom of Vitamin D deficiency. Your body makes it’s own after sun exposure. If it’s winter, or you simply cannot get out, you can supplement your diet. Find out more here.
3 - Potassium - Chronic muscle pain can be a symptom of a potassium deficiency. Get it in fresh vegetables or supplement your diet. Find out more here.
4 - Magnesium - Chronic muscle pain can be a symptom of a magnesium deficiency. Get it in fresh vegetables or supplement your diet. You can also absorb it through your skin by soaking in a hot Epsom Salts bath.
5 - MSM lotion – This lotion is magical! Apply to the skin generously several times a day for best effect. You can purchase this over-the-counter in most pharmacies, or you can even make your own at home! Find out more here.
6 - Vitamin B12 – A Vitamin B12 deficiency can cause chronic nerve and muscle pain. The problem is, many people who are deficient don’t realize it. Vitamin B12 can be found in animal products such as meat, dairy (milk, eggs, yogurt, cheese, etc.), and fish. Beef and clams both have a very high percentage of the recommended daily value of vitamin B12. Even if you eat several meat products per day, it is still advised to use a vitamin B12 supplement. If this does not seem effective right away, try increasing the dose. Ignore the labeling; double or even triple the daily recommended values are fine.
7- Inversion table – This mechanical wonder has relieved pain for countless people who were at the point where even the simplest daily tasks were too difficult because of pain. It’s a simple table that tilts back and relieves pressure on disks, joints, and other tissues in the back. If you have problems with disks, arthritis, muscle spasms, etc. – Get an inversion table! Find out how to get yours here.
8 – Diet – Diet is very important to recovery. Here is a simple way to look at it. Your immune system is what heals injuries that are causing your pain. Over 80% of your immune system is located in your digestive system. What you eat goes directly to your digestive system. High quality foods mean a high quality healing system. Junk foods mean a junk healing system.
9 – Sleep – Sleeping is very important to reducing pain. When you sleep, your body repairs itself. The quality of sleep dictates the quality of the repair. Try going to bed every night at the same time, with no distractions. Wake each morning at the same time. Get at least 8 hours of sleep. Avoid alcohol or synthetic sleep aids. If you need natural sleep aids, find out more here.
10 – Exercise! - We hear it all the time, but this really is important. Unfortunately, most of us just associate exercise with losing weight. That’s a great bonus, but the real reason for exercise is the effect it has on the metabolism. The metabolism is what controls how fast we heal and the overall quality of recovery after injury. Take a walk every day, sign up for a Yoga class, or exercise in a heated pool.
After incorporating these things in your daily routine, you should notice a reduction in pain. Mix and match these applications until you find what works for you best.
