Back pain is a crippling condition that’s experienced by roughly 1 in 6 people here in the UK for reasons that can include a lack of exercise or improper posture.
In some instances, back injury can also arise as a result of injury or improper work conditions. This can be particularly frustrating as it’s not your fault, and it’s important to note that you’re entirely within your rights to seek compensation in these instances.
Unfortunately, whether you’ve contributed to your back pain or not, the results remain the same – you’re in constant discomfort and, often, painkillers can feel like the only way to ease that pain. This can result in an unhealthy ongoing dependency, with more than half of regular users stating back pain as their reason for taking strong prescriptions.
But, what if we were to tell you that there is a better way? In truth, there are plenty of natural solutions for back pain. What’s more, many of them seek to strengthen and address your condition, rather than simply covering the problem.
Keep on reading to find out what they are, and what they stand to do for you.
# 1 – Yoga
Yoga is an increasingly popular exercise of choice here in the UK, and it’s also a great option for anyone who’s looking to address back pain. This is because, unlike more high-impact exercises, yoga is built around the idea of stretching and strengthening muscles, including the ones in your back!
Admittedly, it’s important that you don’t embark on intense and potentially damaging yoga moves like downward-facing dog right away. However, there are specific yoga for bad back routines online, which include gentle moves that can help build back strength, such as child’s pose and cat-cow.
# 2 – Gentle Exercises
Heading to the gym and lifting heavy weights is obviously not advisable if you have a bad back, but it’s also not great to entirely cut out exercise if you want to recover. Instead, you should make time for exercises that help your back, rather than placing a strain on your injury.
Low-impact exercises like swimming are particularly good for this purpose, as is something as simple as going for a twenty-minute daily walk. As your back becomes stronger, you’ll then be able to incorporate additions like short periods of running, which can further aid your recovery.
# 3 – Acupuncture
Acupuncture is a traditional Chinese treatment that aims to stimulate energy points around the body with the insertion of small needles. When conducted by a trained professional, this natural treatment can have a range of benefits for your back, including –
- Pain relief
- Reduced muscle stiffness
- Reduced inflammation/swelling
- Improved blood flow
- Stress relief
The benefits of an acupuncture treatment should be evident right away, but you should continue to see an improvement for between 24-48 hours. These improvements should then last for roughly a week, during which time it may be possible to significantly reduce the amount of painkillers you consume.
# 4 – Spinal Manipulation
Chiropractors can offer a range of different treatments for individuals experiencing a bad back, including acupuncture as mentioned. Another option is spinal manipulation, which is a therapeutic treatment that involves forcing spine joints to regain normal movement. A chiropractor will achieve this either using their hands or using a specialist device.
Admittedly, not all patients are eligible for spinal manipulation. For instance, some experts recommend caution when manipulating the more delicate upper spine. Spinal manipulation also might not be right for you if you experience certain vascular conditions or conditions like osteoporosis.
However, if you’re experiencing lower back pain, and a professional chiropractor has recommended this treatment, then you could see notable pain reduction and an increased range of motion within just a few sessions.
Some Final Thoughts
Back pain’s ability to impact every area of your life from work to parenting means that you’ll naturally want to reach for the quickest way to get by. However, the ongoing use of prescription painkillers for back pain is a significant problem.
Natural solutions are a far preferable option and will often have much longer-reaching benefits for your back health in general. This might not necessarily lead to a full recovery in some cases, but it should, at least, help to address discomfort and stiffness.
Admittedly, it’s always best to seek professional guidance before embarking on any natural solutions to back pain. But, if your doctor gives you the go-ahead, trying one or more of these things could transform your experience with back pain at last.
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