Ten Ways to Tackle Back Pain Naturally

Back pain is the single leading cause of disability across the globe, so if you’re affected, you’re certainly not alone.  Your back is a complex structure – it’s got bones, joints, ligaments, and muscles that are all susceptible to injury in their own way.  Muscles can be strained, ligaments sprained, joints irritated, and discs ruptured, all of which can lead to back pain.

Two “Flavors” of Back Pain

When your back hurts, that pain is an indication that something isn’t right.  Pain can usually be categorized based on how it happened and how long it’s been present:

-Acute pain: acute back pain is caused by something specific and comes on suddenly.  Acute pain can last for only a brief moment or it can go on for weeks or months as the injury goes through the stages of healing.  Acute pain dissipates when the underlying cause of the pain is resolved. Examples of causes of acute back pain include:

• Broken bones
• Labor pain
• Disc herniation

-Chronic pain: chronic pain is ongoing and has been present for six months or more.  This type of pain can linger long after the injury or illness that caused the original pain has passed.  For some chronic back pain sufferers, there is no history of past illness or injury. Chronic back pain can be linked to:

• Fibromyalgia
• Nerve pain (neuropathy)
• Arthritis

Stop Back Pain in its Tracks

1. Stay active – a sedentary lifestyle is one of the leading risk factors for developing back pain.  Finding activities that keep you active and strengthen your back will help keep pain at bay. Trying activities like swimming, walking, cycling, yoga, or martial arts will get you up and moving in a gentle way that supports and strengthens the spine.
2. Use proper posture – good posture means training your body to sit, stand, walk, and lie down in positions that place the least amount of strain on your back.  The spine has three normal curves when viewed from the side in the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar regions of the spine. Signs of degraded posture are a head that pulls forward, shoulders that round forward, and abnormal pelvic tilt, all of which can contribute to neck and/or back pain.
3. Choose comfortable, low-heeled shoes – shoes like flip-flops or high heels can compromise your normal gait and lead to conditions like back pain and plantar fasciitis.  
4. Sleep on the right mattress with the right pillow – a good mattress should be of medium-firmness in order to give your back and spine the necessary support.  Be sure to rotate your mattress a couple of times a year to keep it wearing evenly. Your pillow should be just tall enough to provide support to the cervical spine and not force your head out of a neutral position.
5. Lift properly – back injury, especially to the lower back, often happens as a result of poor lifting technique.  Lifting with the knees while keeping the object as close to the body as possible will help to protect your back. Also, try to avoid twisting movements when carrying a heavy load.
6. Quit smoking – aside from the obvious negative health effects of smoking, it can also be a contributing factor in back pain.  Smoking impairs blood flow, leading to reduced oxygenation and delivery of nutrients to the tissues of your spine, particularly the discs.
7. Set up your computer workstation ergonomically – ergonomically speaking, when you’re sitting at your desk, you can think in angles.  Hands, wrists, and forearms should be in line with each other and parallel to the floor. Hips and knees should be at a 90-degree angle, with the knees positioned slightly below the hips.  Your computer monitor should be at eye level so that looking at your display doesn’t require turning your neck or looking up or down to see it. Also, remember to take regular breaks from sitting by setting a timer at least once an hour.
8. Try not to baby your back – taking prolonged periods of inactivity or bed rest when back pain arises can actually have the opposite effect than the relief that is desired.
9. Maintain a healthy weight and diet – carrying extra weight increases the stress on your spine, especially the lower back and other joints such as hips and knees.  
10. Have your upper cervical spinal alignment checked – upper cervical chiropractors focus on the uppermost vertebra in the spine, the atlas, which balances the head.  When the atlas misaligns, the rest of your spine is forced to compensate in order to carry the head in as neutral of a position as possible. As a result, pain can be experienced anywhere along the spine in the areas that are bearing the brunt of compensation.  By correcting atlas misalignment, other areas of the back that were experiencing discomfort can heal.

Correcting the Root Cause of Back Pain Naturally

If you are suffering from back pain, looking for natural relief options, and haven’t yet tried upper cervical chiropractic care then we might be the perfect fit for you.  Upper cervical care is a niche within the chiropractic profession. We are able to accomplish such positive results for our back pain sufferers for several reasons:

• Our adjustments are gentle and precise.  Each atlas correction we give is specifically designed for that individual, making our care very customized.
• Atlas corrections are designed to hold in place.  Once your body’s natural healing process is allowed to occur optimally, your adjustments will hold in place for longer, giving you lasting relief.

For more information about how we can help you to recover from back pain naturally, contact us at N8 Upper Cervical to arrange a consultation.

References:

https://www.webmd.com/back-pain/guide/low-back-pain-risk-factors

https://www.spine-health.com/conditions/lower-back-pain

About the Author

Dr. Miguel Flores, D.C

N8 Upper Cervical Chiropractic

When I discovered Chiropractic. My father took me to see a chiropractor, the first in the Philippines at the time. He examined me, found the cause of the problem and gave me my first adjustment- one that would set me towards a path of true health and well being.