Your back is the most complex system in your body, and you must take the necessary measures to ensure that your back stays healthy. Studies indicate that around 80 percent of adults are afflicted with lower back pain at one point or another.
The lower back is designed to bear weight and keep your body upright, so it can be subjected to wear and tear over time. How can you heal your back and prevent this condition? We’ll provide you with a few potential solutions that can improve the health of your back and keep it functional for many years to come.
If you suffer from back pain, you’re not alone. It’s the leading cause of disability in America.
Back pain affects up to 80% of Americans at some point in their lives and can result from poor posture or an underlying condition such as arthritis or sciatica.
Pain in the back can range from mild to severe and can sometimes lead to further complications such as muscle spasms or nerve damage.
Back pain can be caused by many things, including injury, illness, or deformity of your spine. The most common cause of back pain is muscle strain due to repetitive motion or injury. Another common cause is spinal stenosis which is the narrowing of the spinal canal that can lead to compression of the nerve roots.
So how do you heal your back naturally?
Here are some tips on how to relieve lower back pain:
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Exercise regularly
Start now if you haven’t been exercising because you think it will worsen your back pain. It’s essential for all parts of your body — including your spine — to be active and strong. And even if you have chronic back pain, regular physical activity can help reduce it over time.
Make sure you’re doing the right kinds of exercises for your condition. Here are some tips for getting started:
Choose low-impact activities such as swimming or cycling that don’t put too much pressure on your spine. High-impact exercise like running isn’t recommended for people who have had recent back surgery or have other back problems like degenerative disc disease or herniated disks.
Choose activities that don’t require twisting motions like lifting weights or yoga poses involving twisting movements like downward dog or cobra pose. These movements stress your lower vertebrae and can worsen existing injuries in the back.
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Eat a healthy diet
A good diet can help prevent injuries and keep your muscles strong. It should go without saying that eating healthy foods will help keep your body strong enough to support itself properly — but it also has other benefits when it comes to healing back pain naturally.
Certain foods contain nutrients that can reduce inflammation in the body, one of the leading causes of back pain. Eating foods like omega-3 fatty acids and fish oil can help reduce inflammation and ease the pain caused by back injuries or joint problems.
Fruits and vegetables are also excellent sources of antioxidants, which help fight free radicals that cause damage in the body and lead to inflammation-related diseases like arthritis.
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Practice Good Posture
Poor posture is a significant contributor to back pain, so make sure you sit up straight when working at a computer or driving in the car. Sitting with good posture will help reduce pressure on your spine, which may help prevent future injuries.
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Stretch when possible, especially after exercise or sitting for long periods (or both!)
Stretching helps keep muscles flexible, so they don’t become tight from sitting or standing in one position too long. Stretching also improves circulation, which enhances healing time when injuries occur.
Stretching can help relieve stiffness in stiff joints or muscles. A yoga pose called Downward Dog stretches both hamstrings and calves by bending them forward from an inverted V position with palms flat on the floor about shoulder-width apart and toes curled under with knees turned past 90 degrees.
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Sleep on your side (and don’t toss and turn).
Sleeping on your side puts less pressure on your back than sleeping on your stomach or back. When you’re lying down, gravity pulls on the vertebrae in your spine, causing them to compress against each other.
Lying down straight doesn’t allow for this kind of compression; instead, it will enable the vertebrae in your spine to move independently, which puts less pressure on them overall. The best position for sleeping is on one side with both knees bent and an arm tucked under the pillow for support if necessary (and make sure you’re using a firm mattress).
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Stay Hydrated
Drinking plenty of water is essential for overall health and wellness. Still, it also helps relieve pressure on your spine and helps fight inflammation in the body that often accompanies back pain. If you’re not sure how much water is enough, try drinking eight glasses per day until you reach your desired hydration level (which will vary from person to person).
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Sleep on a Firm Mattress
Your mattress should be firm enough so that when pressure is applied against it, there are no indentations or bulges that could cause strain on your spine during sleep—this is especially important for those who suffer from chronic pain conditions like fibromyalgia or arthritis.
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Massage Therapy
Studies show massage therapy can provide significant relief from chronic low-back pain, but only if it’s given by a trained professional who knows how to perform a proper massage technique that won’t aggravate existing injuries or cause further damage to the spine or joints. A licensed massage therapist (LMT) will avoid touching bony areas or areas where there’s already nerve damage from arthritis or other degenerative conditions.
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Rest It Up!
This may sound counterintuitive, but resting your body and mind when experiencing a lot of pain will help you recover faster.
To help relieve the stress on your muscles and joints, try taking an ice bath or hot tub. This will help ease muscle tension and reduce swelling in the affected area. Try getting into a warm bath or shower before bedtime and soaking in hot water after exercise to relieve any soreness lingering from strenuous physical activity earlier in the day.
In today’s world, where time is of the essence, many remedies are pretty simple and don’t require much time or effort. It can be easy to follow these tips without spending any extra time focusing on back pain relief.
The best approach is to find a remedy that works for you and apply it regularly. When paired with a healthy back-healthy lifestyle, these remedies can help you effectively treat your pain and improve your condition.