Causes and Natural Remedies for Back Pain

Back pain is an uncomfortable and debilitating condition affecting many people, it is the most common complaint given for missing work and it can disrupt one’s daily activities.

It can happen to anyone and at any age and it has different causes. Back pain can be a sign of an underlying medical condition, and the risk of back pain increases with age due to degenerative disk disease and former occupation.

Causes of Back Pain

An underlying medical condition
Strain (strained muscles or ligament)
Bad posture
Structural problems
Damaged disks
Muscle spasms
Injuries and fractures
Muscle tension
Accidents or falls
Lifting loads or objects too heavy
Lifting something in an improper manner
Making an awkward or abrupt movement
Twisting and overstretching
Bending in an awkward manner for a long time
Sleeping on a bad mattress
Standing or sitting for long periods
Straining your neck forward
Driving for a long period of time
Pregnancy
Smoking
Old age
Occupation
Sedentary lifestyle
Genetics or hereditary
Strenuous physical activity and poor physical fitness
Excess weight and obesity

Symptoms of Back Pain

Pain or ache anywhere in the back
The pain can extend to the buttocks and legs
Inflammation and swelling on the back
Weight loss
High temperature
Loss of control over bowel movement or fecal incontinence
Difficulty urinating and urinary incontinence
Numbness around the buttock, anus, and genitals

Back pain is more common in women than in men. When experiencing back pain, it is advisable to see a doctor so that he or she can rule out any serious disease or commence treatment immediately if there is.

Most times the pain goes away on its own, especially when not caused by an underlying medical condition or when the root cause is treated.

Natural Remedies for Back Pain

Chiropractic Treatment

When you have back pain caused by lifting heavy objects or poor posture, a chiropractor can help you adjust your spine and the pain will ease. A chiropractic adjustment is an effective remedy for back pain.

It is safe and does not require drugs, it can even treat chronic back pain in adults. Try and see a chiropractor. This even corrects misalignment in the spine and corrects bad posture. It boosts the overall health of the body when all these are corrected.

Another type of postural therapy you can try is Egoscue. This fixes misalignment in the musculoskeletal system and corrects whatever is causing back pain, it even prevents back pain when done regularly, the same also with chiropractic adjustments.

Regular Exercise

Regular exercise both prevents and treats back pain, it increases flexibility, it prevents excess weight and obesity, it improves posture, it prevents muscle weaknesses and degeneration, it fights inflammation and releases endorphins which relieve pains and makes one feel good.

When endorphins are released in the body, they prevent the brain from registering the pain signals, they also alleviate stress, depression, and anxiety and all these are associated with back pain. Meditation, massage therapy and exercises help boost the levels of this hormone in your body and relieve pains.

The best exercises to prevent and treat back pain are rows, swimmers, cat and cow, planks, v-ups and other stretches. you can engage the help of a physiotherapist to help you with these exercises.

Willow Bark

For thousands of years, this plant has been used to relieve all sorts of pain around the world. It contains salicin, this compound relieves pain and inflammation. You can take the tea, tincture or capsules.

It should be taken by someone below 18 years of age, it increases the risk of Reye’s syndrome and it shouldn’t be taken by anyone taking blood thinners.

Capsaicin

This is a natural pain reliever. It reduces the concentration of substance P, this compound acts on pain receptors and the more of it in the body, the more pains the individual feels but less of the compound turns the pain meter down.

You can take the capsules or add a teaspoon of cayenne pepper in water and drink. You should also add it to your meals, as much as you can handle. This will help relieve the ache.

Valerian

This is a strong pain reliever and a natural sedative although its sedative property is mild. You can take the tea using the dried leaves if you can stand its strong scent resembling an overused gym sock. If you can’t, the capsules are available, take 250 milligrams four times daily or according to the prescription of your health care provider.

Bromelain

You can take lots of pineapples or fresh homemade and unsweetened pineapple juice many times daily because it contains bromelain which helps stops pain. It also stops inflammation and swellings and detoxifies your body of things causing inflammation.

In cases of chronic and severe back pain, you can take bromelain supplements. Take the supplement an hour after every meal so that it will work in your muscles and not in your gut only.

Comfrey Root

This effective remedy reduces the intensity and severity of back pain by 95%, studies said, when used for five days. You can take the tea, the capsules and root ointment are also available. You can get them from any health store.

Take them according to prescription and don’t take it more than ten days consecutively because it can lead to toxicity.

Turmeric

Curcumin, a powerful antioxidant present in turmeric is a strong painkiller, it also fights inflammation and relieves other symptoms of back pain. Take turmeric tea daily, the powders, tinctures, and capsules are also available and can be gotten at any health store.

Avoid turmeric if you are taking blood thinners.

Ginger

Ginger is an effective pain-killer. It also fights inflammation and relieves other symptoms of a backache. This is an ancient remedy for back pain in Ayurveda medicine. You can take ginger tea many times daily.

Make a paste using ginger powder and water and apply this to your back. Wash it off after 15 and massage your back with eucalyptus oil.

When to See a Doctor

When you experience back pain after an accident, injury or fall
Fever
Numbness in the legs
Unexplained weight loss
Fatigue
If the condition is becoming worse
The pain does not improve with rest or these natural remedies