Posted by Eileen Durfee on 23rd Feb 2022

Solutions for Back Pain Relief to Revitalize Your Health

Are you suffering from a bad back? Fortunately, there is a wide selection of methods, including spinal fitness equipment and natural remedies, to soothe your back and provide back pain relief.

Have a look at the variety of these pain-relieving strategies below and see what works for you.

Spinal Fitness Equipment and Exercising

Exercises to enhance posture and strengthen the back muscles and abdominal muscles, called the core muscles, should be considered. This treatment option helps to enhance posture by using lifting methods. You can exercise to both strengthen core muscles and improve flexibility. A physical therapist can help you learn how to do these types of exercises at home.

Elliptical machines are excellent for patients with a sore back or joint pain because they don’t place much stress on the back and other joints in the body. In addition, elliptical machines provide low-impact cardio exercising.

Most elliptical machines also enable you to change the incline and resistance settings. This allows you to work on different muscle groups too. But, you should know that you still should perform some weight-bearing exercises if you decide to use an elliptical trainer.

Exercising on stationary bikes is helpful for back pain. There are two types of stationary bikes to select from, so you can choose the model that’s most comfortable for you. Patients with osteoarthritis or spinal stenosis typically find that upright exercise bikes work better for them because they enable them to lean forward. This can help deliver relief for these conditions. Recumbent exercise bikes may suit people with lower back pain or degenerative disc disease because they feature a backrest that delivers more support than an upright bike. Stationary bikes offer an excellent aerobic workout and help strengthen the lower body. But, as stationary bikes don’t use the upper body, it’s essential to perform exercises that work the upper body.

Spinal fitness equipment is also great for neck pain. Our neck shaper kit fits comfortably on the face with a forehead and chin rest. The user can grip the Neck Shaper with or without the bar and use force with hands, bar weights, or resistance bands.

Learn more about our neck shaper kit here.

Medication

Most back pain episodes are treated with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs), like ibuprofen or naproxen. Pain relievers or analgesics like acetaminophen (Tylenol) can also help, although they don’t have the same anti-inflammatory properties.

If you have kidney issues or stomach ulcers, you must be careful with medications like ibuprofen. Never take more than the suggested dose of over-the-counter drugs without speaking with a doctor. These medications may deliver severe side effects if taken inappropriately.

Topical rubs are another medication for back pain and can be highly effective. Many topical rubs feature ingredients like ibuprofen and lidocaine.

Opioids are more potent pain medications that may be prescribed for more severe pain. These medications act on the brain cells and body to lessen pain. They may include oxycodone and a combination of acetaminophen and hydrocodone. However, opioids are highly addictive and must be used with caution.

Muscle relaxants also work well for low back pain, especially if muscle spasms develop along with pain. This is because muscle relaxants affect the central nervous system to lessen pain.

Antidepressants and medications can also sometimes be used off-label to treat back pain. For example, if your back pain is terrible, your doctor may give you amitriptyline. This is a tricyclic antidepressant that focuses on different areas of the pain response. An antidepressant may also work particularly well for nerve-related pain.

Finally, your doctor may suggest cortisone steroid injections for severe back pain. It’s essential to know that pain relief from steroid injections typically wears off by around three months.

Heat and Ice Therapy

Ice packs can be effective at relieving back pain. They may lessen discomfort and help reduce inflammation in acute phases of back pain. Be sure not to apply the ice directly to your skin, though. Instead, wrap the ice in a light towel or gauze to avoid damage to your skin.

Warm compresses may also help relieve pain when inflammation is reduced. For the best results, considering switching between heat and cold.

You may have heard that one option between heat or ice is more effective than the other for back pain relief. But there is no right or wrong, and you should go for whichever option works for you best. Try both, and you may see that one is better suited for your relief. Ice typically works best if you’re experiencing swelling or inflammation. A heating pad may be more suitable if you’re aiming to relax stiff or tight muscles. Try limiting ice or heat therapy to 20 minutes at a time.

Don’t use heat or ice treatment if you’re also applying muscle ache ointments or creams on your skin.

Yoga

Yoga is another exercise that helps you stretch your back. It also enables you to improve the health of your muscles and joints and enhance the flexibility of the spine. As well as this, yoga helps to improve the distribution of healing nutrients throughout blood circulation.

When you begin yoga, be sure to perform the stretches slowly. Don’t do any painful stretches. With time, you can add more stretches to your yoga routine.

A great time to practice yoga is in the early morning. Early morning yoga helps to loosen your spine and lessen stiffness and aches in your back.

Take your yoga practice to the next level by practicing yoga inside our radiant sauna tent. The combination of hot yoga and sauna therapy has shown to be more beneficial than either activity done independently.

Essential Oils

Lavender essential oils or ointments produced with capsaicin may help lessen back pain. Capsaicin is the ingredient present in peppers that makes them hot. It may help desensitize the nerves in the area of the back that’s sore and reduce any pain you experience.

Supplements

It’s always best to consume your vitamins and minerals from foods. But if you lack a particular vitamin or minerals, you can ask your doctor if supplements might help.

Many people, for example, don’t get enough vitamin D which is essential for strong bones. A lack of vitamin C may occur from a lack of exposure to sunshine or because your body can’t take in enough vitamin D from foods.

Likewise, magnesium deficiency may result in muscle weakness and cramps. Turmeric is a bright yellow spice related to ginger, and it may help reduce inflammation and pain.

If you decide to take supplements to reduce back pain symptoms, be sure to speak with your doctor beforehand.

Towel

A rolled-up towel can work wonders for back pain relief. Consider placing it under your pelvis when you’re lying down. Be sure to allow your hips to relax over the towel and help stretch out the pain and tension in your lower back.

A back brace may also help, especially if you’ve been injured or had surgery. But, understand that back braces shouldn’t be worn too often or for too long. Many patients become dependent on back braces, and it allows the muscles to become lazy.

Meditation

Meditation is an excellent way to enhance concentration, reduce anxiety and stress, and release feel-good hormones.

By performing mindful meditation, you can adjust the way your body understands and perceives pain. Start by finding a quiet, dark room and meditate for five to ten minutes each morning.

You can also meditate before bedtime or at work when you take a break. If meditation isn’t your thing, try simple breathing exercises. For example, you can take ten deep and slow breaths in a row.

Surgery

Surgery is a last resort option for back pain and is usually not necessary. It’s usually used for structural abnormalities that don’t respond to other treatments such as medicines or therapy. This includes severe pain and nerve compression that lead the muscles to become weak.

Spinal fusion is a surgery involving painful vertebrae fused into a single, more solid bone. It helps remove painful motion of the spine.

Surgery to partially remove and replace disks and vertebrae may be performed to reduce pain resulting from degenerative bone diseases.

Which of These Back Pain Relief Treatments Will You Use?

Back pain is a common problem. The older you get, the more likely you are to have back pain. Many people experience back pain at some point in their lives.

For some, back pain may become chronic. However, with the right back pain relief treatment, most episodes will resolve alone.

In some circumstances, individuals will require help from a doctor in the form of injections or prescription medication. In rare cases, surgery may be necessary.

The good news for individuals experiencing back pain is that many treatment options and steps can prevent back pain. Spinal fitness equipment, yoga, and strength training can help make your back more robust.

To help you exercise to improve your back pain, consider spinal fitness equipment. View our equipment here, and feel free to let us know if you have any questions.