8 natural ways to ease back pain WITHOUT having to reach for medication or pills. Relieve pain and improve the state of your back with these easy tips and tricks!
Sitting at work, sitting in traffic, sitting on the couch, sitting to eat. Believe it or not, MOST of our days are spent sitting. Unless you make a concerted effort to stand while you work or get up to walk every hour, you’re probably one amongst the many that spends most of their time on their bum.
Even if you’re active otherwise, sitting for most of the day can wreak havoc on your body and healthy….especially your back.
With the increase in sitting the average American has been doing over the past decade, there’s also been a simultaneous rise in reports of back pain and discomfort. According to WebMD, over 80% of Americans experience back pain in their lifetime and the age when that first starts is getting younger and younger. I have even experienced back pain at my young age of 21!
Yes, it runs in my family (we have a history of degenerative disk problems in the neck and back), but I also have a history of herniated discs in my low back from when I was hit by a car on my bike. And of course, there are some daily lifestyle choices I could make to improve the way my back feels.
Whether it’s poor posture, sitting too much, bad form when I am training, or a combination of all three, I am determined to start taking care of my back health NOW so that it doesn’t get worse in the future.
I’m guessing a lot of you have experienced back pain as well so you can relate to the struggle! Most people turn to over the counter pain medication to relieve their pain, but it can be very easy to overdo it on NSAIDS. No one wants to be taking those everyday and they certainly aren’t good for you! Plus, why rely on a medication to coverup pain when you could actually FIX it with just a few simple remedies?
I’ve compiled a list of 8 Natural Ways to Ease Back Pain that will help you steer away from reaching for the pills and empower you to take action with the state of your back’s health. Read on for the easy tips…
1. Strengthen Your Core
Your core muscles are crucial for supporting your back…especially your lower spine! During the day, if you don’t deliberately work these muscles, they stay lax and don’t get much exercise. By incorporating 3-5 core exercises into your daily workout, you can strengthen your abs and provide greater stability/support for your back.
2. Sleep the ‘Right’ Way
Not only is it important to get ENOUGH sleep, but HOW you sleep can also effect your back. Sleeping in bad positions or on a bad mattress are common causes of back pain. If you sleep on your back, place a pillow under your knees. If you sleep on your side, keep a neutral spine and place a pillow between your knees. Stomach sleeping is a no-no for back pain sufferers!
3. Apply Ice and Heat
Don’t assume that heat and cold therapy are old wives tails! Applying a heated or cold compress to the area of your back that is in pain can reduce discomfort and SPEED the healing process. Cold therapy reduces inflammation and creates a numbing effect on your nerves, while heat therapy stimulates blood flow to the area and inhibits pain signals from being sent to the brain.
4. DON’T SMOKE
Not that smoking is EVER a good thing, but it can be especially contributive to back issues. Nicotine causes small blood vessels to constrict and decreases their ability to bring blood to soft tissue. This means less blood and oxygen is getting to your back muscles which can make pain and discomfort more common.
5. Skip the Brace
It may seem like a good idea to wear a back brace when you’re in sever pain. It turns out wearing a brace can actually make things WORSE. If you wear a back brace anytime you have a flare up of pain, the muscles in your back become reliant on the brace. They weaken and your core strength decreases as well.
6. Get an Endorphin High
Endorphins naturally occur in our bodies but we can also manufacture them through different activities! In fact, endorphins can effect your body at the same strength of certain pain meds. Endorphins help alleviate stress & anxiety, they block pain signals from entering the brain, and they can help ease chronic back pain. So whether you exercise or take part in your favorite hobby, endorphin highs are a natural cure for your back woes.
7. Stretch Your Hamstrings
Just like your core, the state of your hamstrings affects your back health. Tight hamstrings stress your joints and lower back. This leads to more pain! However, by stretching your hamstrings daily you can relieve this tension and stay more limber.
8. See a Therapist
Chronic pain, especially in your back, can be a sign of an underlying psychological issue. The symptoms of anxiety, depression, and general stress can manifest themselves in back pain. Seeing a therapist or even practicing some cognitive behavioral coping techniques can reduce pain by releasing pent-up thoughts and emotions.
As you can see, there are a TON of other options aside from medication to ease back pain! Sure, pills may be an easy solution, but in reality they’re only a quick fix that doesn’t actually lead to permanent change and back health. By choosing any of the above options, you’ll be able to reduce your pain while at the same time ensuring that you’ll experience less pain in the future.
Do you ever experience back pain?
Do you tend to use pain medication often?
Have you tried any of the above methods to reduce back pain?
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32 responses to “8 Natural Ways to Ease Back Pain”
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My family has a history of scoliosis (on my mother’s side) and luckily I did not get it, but my mother has it. And she has experienced back pain her entire life. I’ll pass this along to her!
That would be awesome! I hope it can help her in some way!
yes yes yes to all of this! I have always suffered with back pain due to a shoulder disability that throws everything out – and the best thing I ever did was get a kneeling chair! It forces me to sit properly and it’s actually so much comfier 😛
Hmmm I’ve never heard of a kneeling chair!! That’s sounds really cool and helpful!
I love this because they are all so simple. I don’t have the strongest back, and I think that’s why my body actually likes to stand while I’m on the computer rather than sitting.
Yes I like to stand while I work too!
From someone who’s had severe chronic back pain for a number of years, I would add to this list – at the very top of the list in fact: 1. See a doctor and get your back properly examined (including scans) to make sure there is no serious underlying medical condition or spinal injury. 2. (assuming #1 has cleared you of a medical condition or spinal injury) Find a good physiotherapist who can develop a programme tailored to your specific pain. I cannot stress this enough – you won’t know if you’re targeting the right muscles/area for your pain if you’ve not been properly assessed by a qualified physio. And finally, pain medication is often very important to the recovery process, as any doctor or physiotherapist will tell you. When we are in severe pain, we tense up, and overcompensate with surrounding muscles, which can cause the pain both to spread and increase. Of course the goal should be to come off pain meds, or at least reduce them as far as possible, but in the early stages of treating pain they are not only useful but often essential to recovery, as it allows the muscles to relax and the body to heal. (also, there’s a huge difference between different kinds of substances – paracetamol is perfectly harmless for most people (as long as it’s not taken with alcohol) and can be taken more or less indefinitely without adverse effects, as long as the dose is not exceeded.
Thank you so much for this comment. I am so grateful for the important information you shared. You make some great points and I agree that pain meds are sometimes necessary. It’s evident that you experienced a severe case of back pain so in that instance of course I would suggest seeing a doctor and being monitored by a professional team. These tips are definitely more geared towards those that suffer from occasional back pain that is not as severe as your case! Again, thank you so much!
I do experience some back pain at times. Usually low back. I have also had sciatica issues. I see a chiropractor regularly (maybe every other months). I know some of it has to do with tight hamstrings (runner problems!). I am a stomach sleeper. oops! Yoga practice and deep tissue massage seems to help alleviate some of my problems. Thankfully I don’t deal with anything chronic.
I am a stomach sleeper too! 🙁 It’s SO bad for my back and I am trying to break the habit!
Yep, unfortunately back pain is a daily problem for me and has been for several years, but thankfully I’m leaps and bounds better than I was when it first started. I currently work through it as best I can with various non-medication techniques. Interesting little chair there. I may have to do some research on it! I’m happy to see not smoking on the list. Smoking is really a terrible habit that has so many ill effects and puts that person at risk for so many problems it is ridiculous.
Definitely give the seat a look! It really helped my mom and I am sure it would work wonders for you!
some great tips here – I think strengthening your core is a big one for me – and one I need to work on more! visiting from #WAYWOW
Yes! I think we could all benefit from that one! 🙂
Hi Kaila, good info! As a programmer I often sit in office very long time and it cause back pain. The worst thing is, my office is using plastic chair and not even a good one. I also often work overtime so “no 2 get good sleep” I am out. I will try the other method such as to strengthen my core. Also, you might want to consider getting a Thai massage. That’s what I often do to ease my back pain.
A thai massage sounds like a great idea! I wish I could get massages more often!
Hey! I’m Amber, from the BGB community.
I love this article. I’ve never suffered from true back pain, but my fiance does, and a lot of what you suggest in this article is stuff I implement with him as part of corrective exercise. I say I’ve never suffered from true back pain because when my lower back hurts, it’s due to severe tightness in my hip–which is being diligently worked on in physical therapy. But I do have fibromyalgia, and I use a percussion massager I got from Brookstone to alleviate the pain. I love it!
Thank you so much for stopping by!! I am so sorry you and your fiance struggle with pain. I too have tight hips and hip flexors and I think that has a lot to do with the back pain I experience. That percussion massager sounds amazing!!
HI Kaila,
Great information. I have had back problems for many years and your suggestions are all excellent ones. The stretching your hamstring and keeping the back core strong is very important. Thanks for sharing on Real Food Friday! Pinned & tweeted!
Thank you Marla!
I have dealt with lower back issues for 9 years now and I am only 31! Yike! It was finally determined that I have a pars defect (the vertebrae lost blood supply and did not properly calcify) in my L5 along with other issues that typically accompany that condition. However, with the right chiropractor and physical therapist as well as finally learning to listen to my body I have relief most days. Over exercising, weight gain (pregnancies), and poor posture are the main causes for flare ups, but otherwise I can do anything I want! …within reason 😉 Thank you for these tips! I especially love the core and sleep tips! Have a great day, 🙂
I am so sorry you suffer from back pain! It can be so debilitating but it sounds like you’ve really found some remedies that work for you! Glad this post could help!
I never would’ve connected smoking with back pain. Maybe now that my husband finally quit he won’t use that as an excuse anymore.
It’s truly crazy how many areas of the body that smoking can affect! Currently trying to get a family member of mine to quit!
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I’m a big fan of natural pain remedies so this is great to see. I will have to try the ice on and off method. Thanks so much for sharing.
Happy to help Drew!!
Thanks so much for sharing! I often sit in office very long time with wrong posture and it cause back pain. And even worse, I am also stomach sleeper! I will try to break this bad habit by your advice of “Sleep the ‘Right’ Way”.
Thanks for reading!! Your sleep position can definitely make a big difference!
I am a computer guy sitting too much and have back pain problem. I play sports and do exercise, but sometimes I couldn’t leave my desk for hours. This information is helpful as I always prefer a natural way of treatment than medicine.
Hi Daniel! Glad this post could help!
A really great article you have provided above and i’m sure people can definitely relate to it. Body pains have become a common factor in our lives today and each one us faces it almost one in our lifetime. Some of them may be back pain, knee pain or hip pain, but whatever pain it is, it surely causes us a lot of trouble. Your work will provide benefits to people who are struggling will it.