Minor back pain will come to us all eventually. It is such a common thing that no one will escape back pain in their lifetime. However, although minor back pain can disrupt your daily life, there are plenty of ways to help it at home. Below, we’re going to look at back pain treatments that can be used at home, but first, we want to talk about the importance of diagnosis.

The importance of diagnosing back pain

Now, most of you reading this will only have minor back pain that the treatments below can help with and solve. However, some of you may have a specific back condition that is causing your back pain. Now, minor back pain is a simple strain or sprain of the muscles or ligaments. These will heal over time, the treatments below just speed things up a bit. However, a back condition (like a slipped disc, for example) will cause a lot of pain for a long time if left untreated or ignored. If you think your back pain is more serious than a simple sprain or strain, get in touch. Here at The Mayfair

Home treatments for back pain

Limit bed rest as much as possible

Once, the treatment for back pain was to rest, however, in recent years studies have been done that show this is the worse thing you can do for back pain. Those who rest more with back pain, feel more pain and have a harder time with daily tasks than those who continue their activities. We certainly aren’t saying that you should run a marathon with back pain, but try to keep to your normal routine wherever possible.

Gentle movement helps drain excess inflammation. Comparatively, lying in bed for days on end, keeps you still, and also allows your muscles to begin to weaken as they are not being constantly used. This makes returning to activity not only more difficult, but the likelihood of your back being more vulnerable much higher. Our more active patients always manage much better, those who are less active in their daily lives struggle more as they don’t have the strength in their muscles to effectively support their spine.

Improve your flexibility

Too much tightness and tension can cause back pain. When the body (or certain areas of it) is tight, it isn’t performing its job properly, and other areas have to work harder. This puts increased pressure on these areas and can cause pain. So, by stretching these areas (your arms and legs, for example), it loosens them up and takes the pressure off of the other parts of your body, like your back.

Just remember to stretch symmetrically, a lot of people pay too much attention to the back of the thighs at the expense of the muscles on the front of the thighs!

Sleep correctly

The hours of sleep you get and the position you get this sleep in is important. You may get eight hours of sleep at night but still suffer from back pain. If you do, try the following:

• If you sleep on your back, you should sleep with a pillow under your knees
• If you sleep on your side, you should have the pillow between your knees to keep your spine in a neutral position
• If you sleep on your stomach, you need to be careful not to twist your head and your neck into positions that cause undue stress on your back.

Use relaxation techniques

Research shows that deep breathing, meditation, yoga and tai chi can help back pain. Because all of these relaxation techniques help put the mind at rest and pain is a signal sent to the brain, they can lower perceived pain level. Give one of the relaxation techniques above a try and see if it helps lower the pain you are in.

Quit smoking

Having a smoke isn’t just bad for your lungs, it’s bad for everything, including your back. In fact, in a study by the American Journal of Medicine found that former and current smokers are more likely to have back pain compared to those who have never smoked. So, if you smoke and get regular back pain, it’s time to put down the cigarette!

Try Sciaticalm for your back pain

Sciaticalm was developed by orthopaedic surgeons in the UK for use with sciatica and its symptoms. It is a safe, cost-effective device that can be used at home to provide relief from the symptoms of sciatica and other back conditions. Sciaticalm uses low energy Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy that can eliminate pain from an area within just minutes. To find out more about Sciaticalm, please get in touch.

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We hope this look at back pain treatments that can be done at home has been helpful. If you think that your back pain is more serious than a strain or sprain, get in touch with The Mayfair Clinic using the contact form below.