Backaches can interfere with your daily routine. In fact, there’s a big chance that you’ll experience lower backaches in your lifetime, but that problem isn’t something that will go away on its own or ignore. Fortunately, you can find numerous ways to treat that problem at home. Your natural home remedies might include everything from massages to herbs. Read on to learn how you can naturally relieve back pain and other aches.
Use Ointments or Oils to Ease the Pain
You can find a lot of natural ointments and oils that help relieve pain by blocking that sensation. For example, cream products with capsaicin stop the pain in the affected area. If you’re using topical creams, you should also look for these ingredients:
- Brazilian arnica
- Comfrey
- Cayenne
- Lidoderm
- Voltaren
- Nurofen or Dolgit
- Diractin
One study showed that topical creams are as helpful as oral ones. Topical medications come in different forms, such as patches, creams, gels, or more. Most creams worked significantly better than placebo. One study also showed decreased pain when people paired ointments with cayenne peppers with acupressure or used lavender oils.
Each brand has its side effects and effectiveness, and it differs from one person to another. You might experience severe side effects with other brands. You can apply a small amount and wait for a few hours to check if you encounter any side effects. That’s helpful before applying it all over the affected area.
Massages Can Ease Tense Muscles
Massaging tense or sore muscles is an efficient means of loosening the affected area and relieving pain. One study showed that massage paired with traditional treatment:
- Lessens the days you have to spend in bed
- Decreases the use of anti-inflammatory medications
- Improves and fortifies back functions
- Lessens backaches
If getting a massage sounds expensive, you can ask your family for one. You can also ask them to use a medicated ointment for extra relief.
Exercise to Ease Your Symptoms
Working out is suitable for people with lower backaches. Exercising can protect you from future pain and restore tense muscles. Other workouts that can lessen the symptoms you’re experiencing might include:
- Push-ups
- Cobra pose
- Standing backbends
- Walking on flat ground
Besides, stretching can relieve tense muscles and fortify those that need help. Once you start to work out, you can gradually increase the intensity. Don’t do workouts that cause pain because forcing your muscles will lead to strains or damage.
One study also showed that practicing yoga could be as efficient in reducing backaches as physical therapy exercises. Yoga has stretching positions that can lessen muscle tension that leads to backaches. Once you get used to regular stretching, it can relieve backaches. Make sure that your pain isn’t getting worse after your exercise.
Take a Relaxing Epsom Salt Bath
Magnesium sulfate, popularly known as Epsom salt, rejuvenates your skin and tense muscles. Taking an Epsom salt bath for about 20 minutes can ease tension, especially after exercising. When taking an Epsom salt bath, the water should be lukewarm. Hot water causes muscles to swell, and cold water causes the muscles to cramp.
You can also use tennis balls or other rubber balls of similar size to fortify the perks you can get from an Epsom salt bath. Make sure to put it on your back or midback and move from one side to another. It has a similar effect to massage, further loosening up sore and tense muscles.
One last benefit of an Epsom salt bath is that it’s good for your skin. Epsom salt can reduce itchiness, soften the skin, and exfoliate dead skin cells.
Improve Your Posture
Most working individuals spend most of their days sitting down or reclining on their desks, which can be more harmful than they think. Maintaining good posture can help you reduce the problems associated with that habit. Improving your posture means having your bones in the spinal cord lined up correctly.
You can find a lot of devices or programs that can help you improve your posture. For example, you can try Posture Man Pat if you’re working at a desk all day. Posture Man Pat will use your device’s webcam to track where your face is relative to your screen. If your posture starts to curve and drop, you’ll get a reminder from the app.
Your feet should be on the ground, and computer keyboards should be within easy reach, so you’re not slumping down or leaning forward.
Make sure to visit your physician if your backaches or other related conditions start to interrupt your daily lifestyle. Help is always available, so you can improve your current physical condition and reduce the days you’re stuck in bed due to pain.
