How I Cured My Lower Back Pain

Contents

Release Endorphins

Endorphins are neurotransmitters that are let out in reaction to pain signals. They work to lessen the sensation of pain and can also create a feeling of contentment. Endorphin levels can be boosted by aerobic exercise, certain activities, and massage therapy.

Endorphines

Endorphins often give people relief from chronic lower back pain. In a study, those who did aerobic exercise for 30 minutes three times per week had less pain and better quality of life than those who didn’t exercise.

Massage therapy can also elevate endorphin levels and diminish pain perception. In a study, people with chronic lower back pain who received massage therapy had more effective pain relief and greater quality of life improvements than those who did not receive massage therapy.

There are many ways to increase endorphin levels and reduce the perception of pain. If you are struggling with chronic lower back pain, talk to your doctor about what options may be best for you.

Get Enough Sleep

One major cause of lower back pain is insufficient sleep. When you don’t get enough rest, it’s harder to cope with other factors that might be causing your pain. This can create a vicious cycle in which pain makes it more difficult to sleep, and sleeplessness amplifies pain.

While other treatments like physical therapy, acupuncture, or massage can help with lower back pain, they may be more difficult to access or afford if you’re not getting enough sleep. That’s why getting a good night’s rest is essential for managing lower back pain.

Quality Sleep

You can adopt different lifestyle habits to help you get restorative sleep, such as working out regularly (but not right before bed), sticking to a sleep schedule, avoiding caffeine and alcohol before bed, and making your bedroom a calm and cozy place. If you have difficulty getting enough quality sleep, speak to your doctor about other possibilities like prescription sleep aids or seeing a sleep specialist.

It can be tough to drift off and stay asleep when you’re in pain. However, getting enough sleep is key to achieving lower back pain relief. That’s because when you sleep, your body is able to repair damaged cells and produce vital hormones like human growth hormone and cortisol. These hormones help reduce inflammation throughout your system–and that can lead to less back pain. Getting enough rest also helps boost energy levels so you can more easily take part in physical activity and other treatments that can lessen back pain symptoms.

Exercise Core Muscles

The human spine is an incredible feat of engineering and evolution. It’s a column of 33 vertebrae, with cartilage in between them acting as a cushion for the bones and allowing them to move on top of each other. The vertebrae are connected by ligaments, tendons, and muscles, which give us the ability to twist, bend, and move in almost any direction.

Gentle Exercise

The abdominal muscles are what support the spine, and they play a vital role in safeguarding the lower spine. These muscles can become weak if you’re inactive or have poor posture, which can then lead to lower back pain.

The abdominal muscles can be effectively worked out by using an exercise ball. This unassuming piece of equipment can be used to do a number of exercises that focus on the core muscles.

Here are a few examples of exercises that can be done with an exercise ball:

  • Sit on the ball and roll yourself forward and back.
  • Place your hands on the ball and push down, using your arms to support your body weight.
  • Sit on the ball and bounce up and down.
  • Roll the ball under your feet while you are standing.

1) Seated Russian Twist: Sit on an exercise ball with your feet flat on the ground. Lean back slightly so that your lower back is supported by the ball. Place your hands on your chest or crossed over your stomach. From this position, twist your torso from side to side, moving the ball along with you.

2) Ball pass: Start by lying on your back on the floor with your legs in the air and the ball between your feet. Use your abs to curl up and reach for the ball with your hands. Pass the ball from between your feet to your hands, then lower yourself back down to the starting position. Repeat this movement for a set number of repetitions or for 30 seconds if you’re using it as part of a circuit training routine.

3) Pilates Scissor: Lie on your back on the floor with both legs in the air and the ball between your ankles. Use your abs to slowly lower one leg toward the floor while keeping the other leg elevated and keeping both legs straight. Return to the starting position and repeat with the other leg. Do this movement for a set number of repetitions or for 30 seconds if you’re using it as part of a circuit training routine

Engage Your Brain

The journal PAIN published a study recently that found that people who used mindful techniques to think about their pain experienced less suffering than those who didn’t.

The study, conducted by researchers from the University of Toronto, had two groups of people think about their pain differently. The first group was asked to simply observe their pain, without trying to change it. The second group was instructed to try to change their pain by visualizing it shrinking or disappearing.

After the experiment, both groups were asked to rate their pain on a scale of 1 to 10. The group that used mindful techniques reported feeling less pain than the group that didn’t.

The implications of these findings are that mindfulness may help us to process our pain in a more constructive way. This is positive news for people who experience chronic pain, as it provides them with additional methods to attempt to reduce their discomfort.

Although these findings are preliminary and more research is required, it’s essential not to get too ahead of ourselves. The study only looked at short-term effects—the benefits of mindful thinking have not been conclusively shown to last over an extended period.

Even so, the findings give us a novel perspective on pain—one that is more sympathetic and less critical. And that’s a great initial step on the long journey to discovering enduring relief.

Get Active and Be Happy

That old friend who you haven’t seen in years but is always happy to see you again unexpectedly shows up at your door. For a lot of us, that old friend is back pain. The silver lining is that there are some straightforward things you can do to make your pain more manageable — and even get rid of it for good.

Here are a few of our top tips:

  1. Get moving: Endorphins are released when you exercise, which can help to relieve pain and improve your mood. If you’re just getting started, try going for a brisk walk or a light jog.
  2. Relax with a comforting cup: Add 2-3 drops of lavender or chamomile essential oil to a mug of hot water. Sip slowly and breathe deeply for the best results.
  3. Get up and move: If you’ve been sitting or standing for extended periods of time, take a few minutes to walk around and stretch your muscles.
  4. Use heat or cold therapy: Heating or cooling the sore area may help to ease inflammation and pain. Try placing a heating pad on your lower back for 15-20 minutes at a time, or using an ice pack wrapped in a towel for 10-15 minutes every hour or so.

Stretch Your Hamstrings

One of the most common causes of lower back pain is tightness in the hamstrings. The hamstrings are the large muscles in the back of your thighs and when they are too tight, they can pull on your pelvis and cause pain in your lower back. To avoid this, be sure to stretch your hamstrings regularly and keep them loose.

For a hamstring stretch, lie on your back with both of your knees bent and your feet flat on the ground. Put a pillow under your right knee and grab hold of your right thigh with both hands. Gently pull your thigh towards you until you feel a stretch in the back of your leg. Hold for 30 seconds before repeating on the other side.

If you’re experiencing sacroiliac joint pain, you may find relief by stretching your hamstrings. The sacroiliac joints are located at the base of your spine and can become painful when they’re too tight. Stretching your hamstrings can loosen them up and reduce the amount of pain you’re in.

Heat and Cold Therapy

There are many forms of heat and cold therapies. A heating pad, a warm bath, a heat wrap, or a hot pack can deliver deep, penetrating heat to loosen and relax muscles and increase blood flow. A cold pack, a frozen pack, or frozen peas wrapped in a towel can numb the pain and reduce swelling.

Cold therapy is most commonly used immediately following an injury to reduce pain and swelling. It is often used in combination with heat therapy. New approaches to cold therapy are constantly being developed, but the basic principle remains the same: Cold reduces inflammation by constricting blood vessels.

Don’t overdo it with cold therapy. It can cause permanent skin damage if you’re exposed to it for too long. The same goes for heat therapy — use it sparingly and never on open wounds. Heat might also make some conditions worse, so always check with your doctor before using heat therapy.

Practice Good Posture

Preventing lower back pain starts with good posture. It’s also important to know what NOT to do if you want to avoid putting unnecessary strain on your back.

There are some major triggers of lower back pain, and you can avoid them by taking the following precautions:

1. It’s not good to sit in a hunched-over position for extended periods of time because it puts unnecessary pressure on your spine, which can cause pain and discomfort. Try sitting up straight instead, with your shoulders back and your chin tucked in. If you’re going to be sitting at a desk, use a supportive chair with good lumbar support. And take breaks often to walk around and stretch.

2. Poor posture when standing. This, once more, puts strain on your spine and can lead to discomfort. Stand up straight, with your shoulders back and your weight evenly distributed on both feet.

3. Lifting heavy objects without using the proper technique. To lift something heavy, bend your knees and keep the object close to your body. Also, avoid twisting your body when lifting – turn your whole body instead.

4. Wear high heels. This causes you to arch your back and puts extra strain on your spine, which can lead to lower back pain over time. If you must wear heels, try to limit yourself to no more than 2 inches (5 cm). And take breaks often to walk around and stretch your back muscles.

5. If you sleep in an awkward position or on an uneven surface (like a lumpy mattress), you can cause muscle strain and promote poor posture. This can lead to lower back pain when you wake up in the morning. Use a supportive mattress and pillow, and sleep on your side or back instead of your stomach!

Inversion Therapy

Many individuals experience lower back pain, which can be the result of various conditions such as muscle spasms, a herniated disc, facet syndrome, degenerative joint disease of the spine, spinal degeneration, spinal curvature, or sciatica. If you suffer from any of these issues, you might find relief through inversion therapy.

Short periods of suspension upside-down is what inversion therapy is. This allows your spine to decompress, which subsequently eases pressure on your discs and nerves. Inversion therapy has been shown to be an effective treatment for the following conditions:

  • Herniated Disc- The outer layer of the disc tears and the inner gel leaks out when a herniated disc occurs. This can put pressure on your nerves and cause pain. Inversion therapy can help relieve pressure on your discs and lessen pain.
  • Degenerative Disc Disease- This is a condition in which your discs start to deteriorate over time. Inversion therapy can help relieve pressure on your discs and lessen pain.
  • Spinal Stenosis- This is a condition in which your spinal canal narrows and puts pressure on your nerves. Inversion therapy can help relieve the pressure on your nerves and reduce pain.
  • Sciatica- Sciatica is a condition in which you experience pain in your lower back that radiates down your leg. Inversion therapy can help relieve pressure on your nerves and reduce pain.

Before you start inversion therapy, there are a few things you need to be aware of. Inversion tables aren’t suitable for everyone. If you have high blood pressure or heart disease, you shouldn’t use an inversion table.

Additionally, pregnant women and those with glaucoma should not use inversion tables. If you have any other medical conditions, you should consult your physician before using an inversion table.

Frequently Asked Questions

Some home remedies for lower back pain include:

  • Applying ice to the affected area for 20 minutes at a time
  • Taking over-the-counter pain relievers such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen
  • Doing gentle stretches and exercises to loosen and strengthen the muscles in the back
  • Wearing a heating pad on the low setting for short periods of time
  • Taking a hot bath or using a heating pad on the low setting to apply heat to the affected area

There are a number of things you can do to ease lower back pain naturally. Some simple tips include:

  • Staying active and moving around as much as possible.
  • Taking regular breaks during extended periods of sitting or standing.
  • Practicing good posture and alignment.
  • Wearing comfortable, supportive shoes.
  • Sleeping on a firm mattress.
  • Applying heat or ice to the affected area.
  • Taking over-the-counter pain relievers such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen.

There is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question, as the best way to stop lower back pain may vary depending on the individual. However, some tips to help alleviate lower back pain include staying active, practicing good posture, and using heat or ice to reduce inflammation.

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Conclusion

All in all, there are various ways to treat lower back pain. Teeter inversion tables are excellent for decompressing your spine and have FDA clearance. Additionally, there are many home remedies and straightforward measures you can take to ease lower back pain like cold therapies, stretching, and maintaining good posture.

If you experience any red flag symptoms or if the pain doesn’t go away with over-the-counter medications, it is essential to see your primary care doctor or a spine specialist for further evaluation.

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