22 tips to relieve back pain naturally

1. Temporary avoid all meats and animal protein products either until you are healed or permanently.😉 Why shouldn’t you consume animal protein? Because animal foods contain uric acid which puts undue strain on your kidneys that can contribute to back pain.

2. Avoid animal fats and oils, refined sugar and highly processed foods.

3. When the pain hits, immediately drink 2 large glasses of good quality of water! This often gives relief pain within minutes! Muscle pain and back pain are frequently connected to dehydration. Your body needs a minimum of 8 glasses of quality water every day to keep acidic waste from building up in muscles and other tissues.

4. If pain follows an injury or sudden movement, apply ice for a day or two and then apply heat. Try to rest on a firm bed. When getting up, roll to your side, draw your knees up, push to a sitting position, and stand by pushing up with your legs.

5. By soaking in a very warm bath you can relieve back muscle pain quickly as well.

6. You can also apply a heating pad directly to your back before going to bed and also before getting up.

7. Try a homeopathic remedy called Rhus toxicodendron for relieving stiffness.

8.  Yoga is great for your back! It releases the tightness in your back muscles and alleviates back pain. Try these yoga poses:  Cat pose, Camel pose, Bridge pose, Bow pose, Downward facing dog, Dolphin pose, Sphinx pose, Cobra pose and Triangle pose to name just a few.

9. Try doing exercises regularly to strengthen the abdominal muscles which support the back and therefore help to prevent recurrences. Sit-ups are great. Do sit-ups with your knees bent, not with your legs flat on the floor.

10. When sitting try to keep your knees a little higher than your hips and keep your feet flat on the floor.

11. Learn to recognise and reduce your stress levels. Meditation and relaxation techniques are very helpful.

12. Always push large objects and never pull them.

13. When carrying heavy bags on your shoulder, switch sides from time to time to balance the weight out as that may bring on the neck, back and shoulder pain.

14. Wear comfortable, well-made shoes. The higher the heels of your shoes, the greater the risk of a backache.

15. Do not sit in the same position for long periods of time. Do change positions – move around!

16. When lifting anything, don’t lean forward without bending your knees. Lift with your legs, arms and abdomen. Avoid lifting anything heavier than 20 pounds. If you must work close to the ground, squat down so that you avoid bending at the waist.

17. Sleep on a firm mattress with your head supported on a pillow. If your mattress is not firm enough, place a board between the box spring and the mattress.

18. Try to rest your back by lying on your side with your legs bent, so that your knees are about an inch higher than your hips with your head raised on a pillow.

19. Get regular moderate exercise. A lack of exercise can cause back pain.

Activities that are GOOD for the back:

Yoga
Swimming
Walking
Cycling
Rowing

Avoid activities that are BAD for your back:

Weightlifting – this sport is potentially the most damaging because it places great strain on the lower portion of the spine and back.
Bowling – lifting a heavy weight while bending and twisting puts strain on the back.
Golf – the twisting motion involved in the swing, and the body’s tendency to bend forward at the waist, are stressful to the lower back.
Tennis – there is a strain on the back due to the quick stop start action of the game.

20. Maintain a healthy diet to prevent gaining extra weight which causes a strain on your back.

21. When pain comes after lifting something heavy, after coughing, or after unusually heavy exercise and the pain prevents you from moving or shoots down one leg, you may have a herniated disk. Please get help quickly!

22. Epidemiological studies in the USA, as well as studies of smoking and non-smoking pairs of twins in Scandinavia have shown that smoking aggravates problems in the disks – just one of the many health reasons why you should consider to stop. 

It is always wise to take back problems seriously and have them checked out. Try to choose a specialist who does not rush to recommend surgery and who will exhaust all other options first, leaving surgery at last resort. Surgery always has a degree of risk; there is always the chance of permanent damage and impaired mobility.

Resources:
“Prescription for Nutritional Healing”, third edition by Phyllis A. Balch, CNC

“The Complete Family Guide to Alternative Medicine”, by C. Norman Shealy, M.D. Ph.D.

“Yoga as Medicine” by Timothy McCall, M.D.

“http://www.yogajournal.com/category/poses/yoga-by-benefit/back-pain/”