Do you ever experience back pain? It’s a typical issue that can happen to anyone, including young people like you. According to the NIH report (National Institute of Health), approximately 80% of adults get lower back pain problems at least once. Annually, half of the American working population suffers from back pain.
We have an opportunity for back pain treatment at home with some simple steps. Back pain can be induced by problems with bones, ligaments, muscles, spinal joints, or even nerves. In most cases, these factors are responsible for this disease. Yet, one can suffer from back pain from a non-specific cause. One may suffer from back pain for a few days or weeks. Pain that stays for more than three months is called ‘chronic.’
These include analgesics, muscle relaxants, and analgesics. A chiropractor can treat chronic back pain. If severe pain persists, surgery may be recommended as a last option.
But don’t worry! There are some ways to relieve your back pain at home. For acute back pain, the patient may receive an over-the-counter treatment. This article will explain what causes back pain and share eight tips for treating it without leaving your house. Get prepared to say goodbye to your back pain and hello to a healthier back!
What Causes Back Pain?
Let’s find out what makes your back hurt. Back pain can happen when you strain your muscles, have a bad posture, or even if there’s something wrong with your spine. It can be a quick ache or a long-lasting discomfort. Remember, it’s essential to understand what’s causing your pain to find the proper treatment.
8 Best Back Pain Treatment at Home
Now, let’s learn some easy and fantastic ways to treat your back pain at home. These eight tips will help you feel better and quickly return to regular activities.
1. Sleep:
Lack of pain can worsen someone’s back pain condition in several ways.
- As someone sleeps, the body releases growth hormones. The growth hormones are essential in repairing the muscles. Lack of adequate sleep denies the strained back muscles a chance to recover. As a result, it has to support your spine and keep it aligned.
- Lack of sleep lowers one’s pain threshold. As a result, back pain feels intense. Research proves that the human body has spinal discs with a 24-hour body clock. Circadian rhythms are disrupted by insufficient or irregular sleep. Then one may develop a degenerative intervertebral disc disease.
To find out the relationship between sleep and acute back pain, experts published a study in Arthritis and Rheumatology. During the 12-week study, patients were supposed to record their sleep quality. This was related to the effect on their back pain.
Chronic back pain was two and a half times more common among those who had sleep problems at the start of the study. A Clinical Journal of Pain Study examined 80 patients to see the relationship between sleep and back pain. 50 of these patients were to put on an electronic armband to calculate their week’s sleep. With reduced sleep, participants rated their back pain frequency twice a day.
According to these data, poor quality of sleep and difficulties falling asleep all contribute to the severity of back pain. By getting enough sleep and avoiding sleep deprivation, you’ll be on a path to alleviating acute back pain. It will also reduce the likelihood of such or chronic pain in the future. To sleep well and reduce the risk of back pain, consider the following considerations.
- Set up a perfect environment for sleep.
- Avoid light and noise disruptions.
- Avoid caffeine and alcohol at night.
- Avoid addictive electronic screens.
- Exercise during the day.
- Soak in warm bath water before going to bed.
- Learn how to relax once in bed.
2. Vitamin D:
Vitamin D is an essential ingredient for calcium absorption and bone strengthening. Vitamin D deficiency leads to bone tissue loss in the spine, spine inflammation, and weak back muscles. A study was conducted in Brazil to find the relationship between back pain and vitamin D. This study investigated 9,305 women.
After blood tests, 24% of women had low vitamin D levels. After completing the questionnaire, it was clear that 24% of these women had high back pain. Women with vitamin D deficiency were going through some difficulties. Women with vitamin D deficiency had trouble getting out of the car and wearing socks. A clinical trial examined vitamin D supplementation and its association with back pain. All of this information was later published in Pain Physician.
The trial involved 68 patients who had chronic lower back pain. All these patients had deficiencies in Vitamin D and had been suffering from back pains for at least three months. The patients were to fill in questionnaires at intervals all through. Patients took high Vitamin D supplements for eight weeks to reach normal Vitamin D levels. In two months of supplementation, pain levels had significantly reduced. 63% of the patients had achieved pain relief after the supplementation.
Patients were also relieved of many functional disabilities. To get adequate vitamin D levels, consider the following.
- Take foods such as eggs, oily fish, mushrooms, and the liver. However, you might need help to include all this in your diet.
- The human body produces Vitamin D bonce exposed to sunlight’s UV rays. If you live in a sunny location, you should expose your skin to the sun daily until 2 pm for a minimum of 15 minutes.
- If you live in cold areas, vitamin D supplements will benefit you. Not only will Vitamin D protect you from back pains, but also will it help you fight anxiety and depression.
3. Physical Therapy:
Physical therapy is a treatment strategy that can help relieve back pain. It involves exercises and techniques that can specifically address the underlying causes of back pain. When you feel back pain, it can be due to several reasons, such as muscle imbalances, poor posture, weak core muscles, or improper body mechanics.
Physical therapy addresses these issues by targeting the root causes of pain. Strengthens and stretches muscles and improves flexibility. It corrects posture and body mechanics. Physical therapy also helps reduce pain and promote a healthy back.
Numerous investigations have shown the benefits of physical therapy for treating back pain. Studies have found that physical therapy can reduce pain and improve function. It can enhance the overall quality of life for people with back pain. Below are some tips for this:
- Listen to your body and avoid activities or movements that worsen the pain.
- Maintain good posture while sitting and standing.
- Take regular intervals from sitting or standing for long periods. Engage in gentle stretching or movement.
- Stay engaged with low-impact activities such as walking, swimming, or cycling. Because movement can help relieve back pain.
Remember, these are general guidelines. It would be best to confer with a physical therapist for guidance based on your specific condition.
4. Fish Oil:
Fish oil contains omega-3 fatty acids. They are necessary to reduce pain caused by various health conditions. An analysis of 17 randomized and controlled trials was performed. Omega 3 supplementation has reduced stiffness and joint pain in some patients—those suffering from menstrual cramps, inflammatory bowel disease, and rheumatoid arthritis.
Research suggests that omega 3 in fish oil is ideal for back pain. A study was conducted to prove the importance of fish oil in relieving back pain which was published in Surgical Neurology. The study involved 250 people a neurosurgeon evaluated for back and neck pain. All these patients were taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) to control pain.
Most of these patients are diagnosed with degenerative disc disease (DDD). Trial participants took a daily dose of 2,400mg of omega-3 in a fish oil supplement for two weeks. After this, the patients were asked to reduce the omega-3 dosage and their NSAID dose by half.
After 75 days, 60% of the patients improved their joints and pain after consuming fish oil. 80% of them are delighted with the improvement. 88% said they could proceed with fish oil. 59% of patients stopped taking NSAIDs. To reduce back pains using omega 3, I propose that you:
- Add at least two portions of oily fish once a week. These include salmon, trout, mackerel, fresh tuna, sardines, and herring.
- You can also take supplements with fish oil or an omega-3 supplement that is algae-based with EPA and DHA.
5. Sitting Time and Posture:
Today, a vast number of people spend their time sitting at work. The more someone sits, the more spine and back muscle stress increases. According to research, people sitting in an office are more prone to back pain. But those who spend time walking have less of this disease. Research suggests taking breaks to reduce back pain caused by sitting. One should take frequent standing breaks or take short walks.
A Danish study researched 201 blue-collar jobs. To identify the relationship between lower back pain and sitting time. Data on the sitting time of workers in different occupations were recorded. Accelerometers were attached to their thighs for consecutive days to record data. The result is that higher sitting times lead to more back pain problems. Studies show short-term discomfort in the upper back, shoulders, and lower back. It can be significantly reduced by taking a short relaxing break.
For those who usually sit in front of a computer all day, the solution to this pain is to try walking around every 20 minutes. Standing to straighten the back and shoulders can help. You can also take breaks to do outdoor walks other than being glued to the desk the whole day. At times, you can pick up calls when standing. Someone’s sitting posture matters. The Society of North America has proven that sitting postures cause minor pain in the lumbar spine. That is the straight sitting posture.
This was achieved by doing the test with 232 volunteers with no history of back pain. Volunteers were scanned while reclining 70º forward, 90º upright, and 135º backward. You can try the following to eliminate back pain problems associated with suiting posture.
- Instead of leaning forward or sitting straight, lean your office chair back.
- You can recline in the chair while conducting other activities like reading. You may need to sit up straight while typing, though.
6. Medium-Firm Mattress:
A Medium-firm mattress is usually recommended for those with back pain. A medium-firm mattress may do you good. Once one lies on the side of a firm mattress, it supports only the shoulder and hip areas.
This causes the spine to flex towards the mattress. A soft mattress sinks the hips and shoulders. For the lower back, a medium-firm mattress is the best option. People who used medium, firm mattresses had the most minor injuries. The results of a test published in The Lancet proved this.
A controlled trial was conducted with 313 undiagnosed patients. Those who had to sleep on a firm, medium, and soft mattress for 90 days. Later, they replaced their beds with medium-firm mattresses laid with latex and foam. These patients had their sleep quality and pain levels assessed for 12 weeks. Their stiffness and back pain problems have gradually reduced. Sleep quality is also improved.
59 men and women were included in The Journal of Chiropractor study. They have proven that a medium-firm mattress is a good option for reducing back pain. They had to finish the night on a new medium-firm mattress for four weeks. A medium-firm mattress improved sleep by 55% while reducing back pain by 48%.
So if you have a messy or uncomfortable mattress, your back pain may be due to the same reason. I recommend you consider the following points.
- Replace your mattress with a medium-firm mattress to get over those problems.
- The best medium firm mattress should have a 60kg/m³ density.
7. Yoga:
Different Yoga practices help you reduce back pains. These positions help strengthen the back muscles. Yoga stretches can significantly reduce muscle tension. This can also contribute to joint and muscle flexibility. Yoga poses help improve posture, align the body, and maintain the spine’s natural curvature.
Annals of Internal Medicine has an exam. I was comparing the effectiveness of yoga in treating back pain. 313 volunteers with recurrent low back pain and chronic pain. They were recruited together. The volunteers were divided into two groups. One group had to do 75-minute yoga sessions every day for three months. The other team proceeded with the usual care.
At the end of the test arrow, all participants have collected questionnaires. It was clear that the yoga group did better in improving back pain at 3, 6, and 12 months than the other group.
In another randomized trial, 330 patients with back pain were divided into three groups. One of these groups took weekly yoga classes for three months. Another group had to visit a physical therapist 15 times over three months. The third group is issued self-help educational materials. During the 9-month study maintenance phase, patients continued with physical therapy or yoga while at home. The physical therapy and yoga groups showed similar pain improvement results.
This group also seemed to be 21% less likely to opt for pain medication when compared to the education group. After the outcome, researchers suggested that yoga is as good as physical therapy in treating back pain. The conclusion also suggested this is a perfect way to eliminate back pains. To get rid of back pain through yoga;
- It is essential to attend yoga classes.
- If you are not in a position to attend classes, you can do it at home. Thanks to the many online videos that give directions.
- Try at least two 60-minute yoga sessions every week.
8. Exercise:
You can benefit from a general exercise program. The program will improve your muscular strength and make you more flexible. Below are some ways aerobic exercise can help you reduce back pain.
- It increased tendon and ligament flexibility in the back to facilitate functional motion.
- Muscular strength increases to support the lumbar spine.
- Aerobic exercise helps stimulate blood flow. It also nourishes the soft tissues of the back. Thereby speeding up healing and reducing stiffness.
- By exercising, you will raise the endorphins level. The brain’s ‘feel good’ chemicals are also raised to relieve natural pain.
How Home Treatment Can Help:
Treating your back pain at home has some excellent benefits. First, it’s convenient because you can do it right in your own space. You don’t have to go far or pay a lot of money. Taking care of your back alone makes you feel powerful and in control. You’ll be like a superhero taking charge of your pain!
Final Speech
Back pain problems start with minor discomfort. So it’s wise to hear your body. However, you may choose to visit a chiropractor. You will save more while and energy by going the natural way. You will benefit even more if you take a preventative approach to your lifestyle. I suggest you observe the following:
- Have sufficient and undisturbed sleep.
- Get adequate Vitamin D supplements.
- Take supplements with fish oil or omega-3 supplement that is algae-based with EPA and DHA.
- Adopt a proper sitting position and posture.
- Replace your mattress with a medium-firm mattress with a 60kg/m³ density.
- Do yoga and exercise regularly.
Once you do this, your back health will be in control. You should check your pain with some pain management app. If symptoms persist, see your doctor.
