[Lifestyle] Home Remedies and Lifestyle Changes to Help Your Back Pain

[#Hassan.]

 

Back pain has an amazing ability to stop you in your tracks. And most of us know the feeling. Studies show that around 80% of people get hit with low back pain at least once in their lives.

The good news? Most episodes of back pain will improve within days or weeks and not turn into a chronic problem.

But you don’t have to take back pain lying down. (In fact, you shouldn’t.) Pain management expert Robert Bolash, MD, discusses things you can try to address this common problem.

Back pain relief at home
Most of the time, you can care for lower back pain at home. Try these things to help your back — no medication or procedures required.

Get exercise
Don’t assume that you should stay in bed until your back feels better.

“Avoiding exercise can make back pain worse,” Dr. Bolash says.
“Patients who rest often fare worse. Try to keep moving and walking around as usual. Movement relieves pain and strengthens your muscles, helping you prevent a future episode of pain.”

But don’t resume the activity that initially caused the injury until your pain is gone. Once your back feels better, you can ease back into lifting or strenuous exercise, but do it gradually. If you do too much too quickly, you could end up sidelined with back pain all over again.

Use heat or ice for back pain relief
If your pain has just started, consider applying cold packs. The cooling can help decrease swelling and inflammation, Dr. Bolash says. Cold packs can also provide relief by numbing some of the painful nerves.

If swelling or inflammation is subsiding but you’re still in pain, consider that some people find a heating pad or a hot bath to be the best thing for back pain, and there’s some evidence that it works. Moist heat, like you would get in a hot shower, bath or with a moist heat pack, may work better than dry heat.

“While heating up an area can help get your back more limber, use heating pads carefully, as they can get too hot and burn the skin,” Dr. Bolash advises. “Don’t use them on children, older adults or while sleeping.”

Do some yoga
You don’t have to be a yoga expert or even attend class regularly to reap some serious benefits from yoga. This ancient practice can loosen your back, bringing you some quick relief.

You can do most yoga poses without any special equipment. A yoga mat is helpful but not necessary. You can also just spread some towels on the floor for cushioning. For starters, try child’s pose: