Managing Back Pain at Home​
One of the most shared physical ailments is back pain. An unbelievable eight out of ten people in America suffer from back pain at some time or other, typically it is lower back pain. But, is managing back pain at home even possible?
Doing things such as cleaning the house or yard work can result in spraining your back. Or maybe you have an old injury or arthritis.
Pain that doesn’t seem to go away or is severe or sudden should be addressed with your healthcare provider.
There are many times managing back pain at home naturally, is very doable.
Keep on the Move
When you are in pain, the last thing you want to do is keep moving. But that is most likely the one thing your doctor will suggest. It is a fallacy that people with back pain should not be active.
 Try to be on your feet a minimum of three times a week, keep your normal level of movement and activity by walking your dog or a faster pace walk.
When you become inactive, the muscles in the back and around the spine can become weak, causing less support of the spine.
Strengthen and Stretch
For better back support, strengthen your abdominal muscles. Flexibility and strength could help relieve and even prevent your back pain.
You can try tai chi, Pilates or yoga to help reinforce muscles surrounding the hips and your core. Try lying on your stomach lifting your arms and legs like in the position of flying, this focuses on your upper and lower back.
Good Posture is Important
Good posture will help alleviate pressure on your back. To help you maintain alignment in your spine, you can use stretchy bands, tape or straps. Try keeping your head centered and do not crane your chin forward or slouch the shoulders.
 Keep a Healthy Weight
To lighten the load shed some extra pounds. Losing weight can help with back pain as it reduces the powered force onto the spine.
You can always ask your healthcare provider for some points on diet and exercise that may work in your best interest.
Stop Smoking
Smoking can cause a higher percentage for developing spine issues or degenerative disk disease four times more than those that don’t smoke.
Your spinal bones can become weaker from nicotine in any tobacco product while it also takes away important nutrients from the disks that protect your joints. When your spine is healthy it helps your back remain flexible and keeps muscles from becoming sore and stiff.
Heat & Ice
So, which is it for back pain, heat or ice? The answer is, what ever works best for you. Trying both will help determine which one is better for your back pain.
If your back is inflamed or swollen, then ice would most likely work best. If your back feels tight or stiff, then maybe a heating pad would be better than ice.
Either way, limit your use to 20 minutes each time. If you are also using muscle ointments or creams for aching muscles, then it is recommended not to use ice or heat.
Medications Over the Counter
Medications over the counter such as nonsteroidal and anti-inflammatory can help relieve stiffness and muscle aches. Some of these are naproxen, acetaminophen, ibuprofen and aspirin.
The can help reduce inflammation that results in tenderness and swelling. However, acetaminophen will not get rid of inflammation. These OTC medications are typically used for occasional back pain.
Medicated Creams
If you’re back is feeling tense, stiff or sore, ointments, creams, patches or salves may help relieve that. Most of the ingredients in those products have lidocaine, camphor or menthol that may heat, cool or dumb the sore area.
It most likely will not provide total support in relieving the symptoms, but it could settle things down.
Supplements
You can get many minerals and vitamins from foods. You can also take supplements such as vitamin D, good for bone health, which most people lack. If you lack magnesium, it can cause cramps and weakness to the muscles. To help calm inflammation, turmeric, a spice related to ginger may help.
Pure, THC Free, CBD oil is another great supplement for back pain. It will seek out the receptors from your endocannabinoid system and attach itself in the brain for pain and the immune system for inflammation. It has become very popular in managing many aliments, comes with many health benefits and seems to be effective for relieving back pain.
Patriot Supreme pure, no THC CBD products are high quality, triple tested and grown in the U.S.
Roll Up a Towel
A convenient tool to help back pain would be a rolled-up towel. Simply by placing it under the pelvis while lying down, relaxing the hips over the towel, this will enable you to stretch out, relieving the tension to the lower back.
After having surgery or an injury, a back brace may be helpful. However, it’s not recommended to wear one too often or for too long. You can become reliant on it and it can cause your muscles to be lazy.
Keep doing whatever works for you. If it is helping and allows you some relieve from back pain, by all means keep it up.