The 11 Best Home Remedies for Back Pain

Can you remember the last time you suffered from back pain? Or is it difficult to remember a time when you didn’t?

The condition is more serious than it sounds and it affects a large portion of the population worldwide. Research around the topic uncovers that the majority of people around the world have experienced the discomfort of back pain at least once in their life. On the other hand, there are those who suffer from chronic back pain. The condition is also among the most popular reasons for going to the doctor. While some types of back pain require professional treatment and special medication, others can be healed at home, using simple remedy tricks. 

In this article, we will look into back pain in more detail, see the causes and symptoms of the condition, and suggest a few home remedies which can help you feel relieved and recover your normal routine. After all, it may not be a cause for the end of the world but back pain can seriously influence your productivity. 

What is back pain and what causes it?

Back pain causes severe discomfort and may even prevent you from being able to successfully complete your daily activities. Some of the most common symptoms associated with the condition include radiating pain down the leg, shooting or stabbing pain in the back, muscle ache, pain when bending, lifting, standing, walking, or sleeping. The pain can be felt predominantly in the lower parts of the back, the middle, or the upper part, depending on the cause of the condition. 

Some of the most popular types of back pain include:

Muscle or ligament strain – any sudden movement or continuous heavy lifting can cause a strain in the spinal ligaments or back muscles. This is why it is essential to prepare well before working out and ensure you are not overworking your back. 

Disc degeneration – this occurs as a result of shrinking of the discs that protect the vertebrae of the spine. The vertebrae start rubbing against one another with nothing to cushion the force, causing pain.

Herniated disc –pain from herniated disc arises when to inner portion of the disc, which is soft, comes out from the hard shell exterior.

Scoliosis – Scoliosis is the irregular curving of the spine, usually turning it into a C or S shape. The condition can take place during puberty or when there is a period of quick growth, which puts pressure on the spine.

Spondylolisthesis – this is a serious condition, mainly caused by injury or a crack in one of the vertebrae, causing the bone to come out of place.

Arthritis –affecting the lower back, osteoarthritis causes a narrowing of the spine or spinal stenosis, causing severe pain.

Spinal stenosis – Herniated discs can sometimes lead to a narrowing of the canal, where the spinal cord nerves are positioned, leading to spinal stenosis. 

Other types of back pain can be a result of injuries, non-spinal back pain, or back strain. Sometimes, back pain can also be a result of aging, poor or no exercise, causing the muscles to degrade, obesity or excess weight, diseases, incorrect lifting heavyweight, smoking, and even psychological conditions. It is interesting to note that people suffering from anxiety or depression are more exposed to experience back pain. 

So what can we do at home to prevent back pain?

Remedies for back pain which you can use at home

While some of the more serious and unmanageable conditions related to back main may require expert advice and professional treatment, others may be treated at home, using home remedies. Some of these may be used even if you have not yet experienced back pain as preventative methods to avoid the condition developing at an older age. 

Get in the habit of exercising

We touched upon the fact that lack of exercise can cause the muscles to become “lazy” and lead to degradation, which on the other hand can cause the weakening of the back. Even if it is a complete challenge at first, try to get into the habit of regularly exercising at home, even for a few minutes. A mini workout or stretch at home can loosen the muscles. The best part is that a few minutes of exercise in the morning can help you start the day with a smile and protect your back at the same time.

Stretch

From the first point, we added the idea of stretching. The exercise aimed at healing the back does not have to be extremely difficult or involving complicated and heavy repetitions. Stretching can take up to five minutes but it will work wonders for your back! Standing up and keeping your legs straight, try to touch your toes, bending forward. Repeat the procedure five times to get the muscles moving. At first, this may be difficult and your hands may not touch the ground. Don’t push yourself! We’re working for curing the back pain, remember?

Yoga

Yoga is not only great for soothing your mind but also offers diverse movements, which can surely be of use when we’re trying to reduce back pain. Some of the most useful exercises yoga offers for the back are:

The Cobra Pose: Lay on your stomach and place your hands face down next to the shoulders. Slowly lift your chest up until the top of your head is pointing towards the ceiling. Push as far as you feel comfortable.

Cat Pose: The cat pose is an extremely popular yoga exercise and is perfect for back pain. Standing on your knees with hands on the ground, start shifting your body between the following two – arching your back toward the ceiling and dropping it toward the floor (not literally). 

Child’s Pose: The Child’s pose usually comes towards the end of the yoga session when we give our thanks and relax the body. It is easy to do at home. All you have to do is place your knees on the ground and sit on your heels, lean forward and place your head on the floor. Let your arms stretch in front of you. 

Choose another pair of shoes

This may be a surprise for some but the choice of shoes is extremely important for offering full support to the back. If your shoes are not appropriate for your body, the risk of experiencing back pain is higher. High heels are especially risky for lower back pain. If your work requires a certain dress code, home is where you can make amends. Wear comfy shoes or slippers, which are specially created for the purpose of supporting the back.

Get more sleep!

This may be one of the most enjoyable home remedies for back pain and is a perfect excuse to increase your sleep cycle by an hour or two. Not getting enough sleep can cause back pain to increase and lead to further complications. 

Make sure your mattress and pillows are the right sizes.

Getting more sleep on the wrong mattress or pillow will not do the trick, however. The back must be perfectly aligned for ultimate comfort and support. If we think about it, the regular person sleeps between 7 and 9 hours per night – a substantial amount of time, during which the back should be comfortable and relaxed. Try to keep the back in a straight line while sleeping or place a pillow between the knees if you are fond of sleeping on your side.

Use temperature wisely

Heat and cold can be used for treating back pain if used intelligently. If your back pain is a result of inflammation or an injury, try putting an ice pack wrapped in a towel on the harmed spot. The tactic can also be beneficial in cases of sudden and unexpected, strong pain. It is okay to keep the ice on the area for more than 20 minutes. 

Heat, on the other hand, is a great method for relaxing still muscles. If you are using a heating pad, make sure you have carefully read the instructions and test the temperature before applying on the painful zone. Alternatively, you can use a hot water bottle of a heated cloth bag. 

Keep an eye on your posture

Whenever you are at home watching TV, working on the laptop, cooking, or performing any other activities, try to remember to keep a straight posture at all times. You can redecorate the living room or TV lounge to ensure that your back is kept safe while watching TV. A wrong posture can easily turn into a habit and worsen your back pain.

Meditation

Meditation is highly recommended for a range of purposes in different cultures. Believed to heal the mind and improve our tolerance to pain, it can also offer management of chronic pain. The practice is believed to be of significant benefit to lower back pain in particular. Furthermore, it is a great way to ensure the right posture that we talked about earlier. Ten minutes a day are more than enough to get your mind and body in the habit of meditating.

Music Therapy

Studies uncover that music has far more powerful abilities than the majority of the people around the world recognize. This form of home therapy is free, pleasant, and a great excuse to separate yourself from the world for a few minutes and enjoy your favorite tunes. Music can be of use when trying to reduce anxiety, stress, and depression – all factors which negatively influence back pain. 

Release more endorphins!

Last but not least, try to release more endorphins while at home! Endorphins are hormones naturally produced by the body and are responsible for coping with pain. Via their interaction with the brain, they can reduce the signals for pain and therefore be of use for different health conditions. Activities such as meditation, music therapy, exercising, and massage therapy are all related to the release of endorphins.

We hope that the list of home remedies for reducing back pain will be of use and will help you restore your normal daily activities. If you feel that the pain is stronger than you can cope, visit a medical professional who can provide thorough advice and guide you through your individual treatment.