Back pain is a very common problem nowadays that can hamper with our daily activities. It makes trivial activities like bending or changing position while sleeping difficult. There are many home remedies that provide relief from back pain. First, we should understand the reasons that lead to back pain so that we can make some alterations in our daily lifestyle in order to prevent back pain as prevention is better than cure.
What Are The Reasons For Back Pain?
There are various reasons that can contribute to back pain. Reasons for a backache can range from an injury to an infection due to daily activities. Some of these causes are described below:
1. Obesity
It is found that people who are suffering from obesity often experience back pain because of the increased pressure on the spinal vertebrae and disks due to increased body weight. With the increase In weight the possibility of experiencing back pain increases. The impact of shocks and strains from normal activities becomes more severe with increasing body weight.
2. Degenerative Disks Or Herniated Disks
This is the major reason for what causes lower back pain. The lower part of our back experiences the most strain and this is because of the fact that the weight of our upper body always puts loads on our lower back. The spine, which supports the upper body weight is made up of vertebrae with a disc in between of every two vertebrae. This disc acts as a shock absorber and when this cushioning wear away with time it leads to a situation called degenerative disks. Sometimes sudden stress can lead to ruptured disc or slipped disc in which the center of the disc bulges. These lead to lower back pain.
3. Poor Posture For A Long Time
Poor posture is another major reason behind back pain. Poor posture for a long time increases stress on the muscles and ligaments which weakens them and can cause pain. It leads to an imbalance in the upper back and leads to the causes of back pain in the middle.
4. Accident
Being a part of an accident that injures ligaments, discs, spinal bones, muscles, and other soft tissues can lead to severe back pain depending on the damage experienced after an accident. A hard fall, a car or sports accident can lead to cervical pain and lower back pain.
5. Aging
With increasing age, the chances of experiencing back pain also increase as the fluid between the spinal bones reduce making it less effective as a shock absorber for various day to day strains experienced. Aging is a natural process that causes back pain.
6. Due To Osteoarthritis
It is a degenerative joint disease that causes the bones present in the joint to rub against one another and can lead to back pain.
7. Arthritis Of The Spine
Arthritis of the spine is another medical condition that can lead to lower back pain or back stiffness. In this case, the stiffness is maximum during the morning because of inactivity that leads to swelling. Apart from the back, the pain is also experienced near the hips and the legs. Swelling may also increase with weather changes.
8. Kidney Stones
Back pain is a symptom of kidney stones that are formed when the salt and minerals present in our body crystallize and harden over time. Lower back pain is experienced when the kidney stones start moving towards the ureter that leads to blockage. This increased pressure can cause pain in the back, sides and near the belly. Back pain is a symptom of various medical problems.
9. Scoliosis
Scoliosis is another condition that can cause back pain. The severity of back pain varies from person to person and situation to situation. Scoliosis is an abnormal back curve that can increase pressure on our muscles and can lead to back pains. The degree of pain depends upon the posture of the spine like the hunched back posture can cause more back pain than compared to other postures.
10. Muscle Sprain
It is one of the major causes of back pain on the right side. Back experiences muscle sprain and strain mainly because of the lifting of heavy objects in an improper manner. Improper lifting and holding technique of heavy objects can lead also lead to upper back pain.
How To Treat Back Pain At Home?
There are many solutions that can provide relief from backache problems. In certain cases when the pain becomes unbearable and other solutions are not so effective in providing pain relief, surgery is required. Apart from the severe cases of back pain, many back pains can be treated at home in order to get some relief. Some of these home remedies for a backache are mentioned below:
1. Good Body Posture
Maintaining a good body posture is very helpful for relieving back pain. A balanced body posture makes sure that the strain is distributed in a balanced manner that helps in reducing back pain. Incorporating a good body posture in our lifestyle is considered to be the first step towards reducing back pain. Bad posture only seems to worsen the condition. Also, change in our sleeping position can help to reduce strain on your back which can help to ease back pain.
2. Garlic Oil
Garlic has anti-inflammatory properties that help in relieving pain. Use garlic oil or juice formed by squashing a few garlic cloves and apply this oil on your back before sleeping. This helps in reducing back pain overnight.
3. Hot And Cold Therapy
Hot and cold therapy is a very widely used home therapy in order to soothe back pain. Heat is used to dilate blood vessels and also increases the circulation of blood that helps to loosen the muscles and sooth pain. Electric heating pads and hot water bottles are used in heat therapy.
Cold therapy uses an opposite mechanism for heat therapy. It slows down blood circulation and makes the area numb to provide relief from the pain. Ice packs and ice towels are used in this therapy.
4. Yoga
Apart from the various health benefits of yoga, it is also very helpful in relieving back pain. Certain yoga positions can help in reducing back pain significantly. Yoga also helps in relaxing the mind that can help in reducing pain levels. Some of these yoga poses are described below:
a. Childs Pose
It is an amazing position that stretches the back and helps to relax.
Procedure
Stand on all your fours and then sit back with your hands on your front. The more you stretch your hands in the front, the more you will get relief from backache.
b. Cat-Cow Position
It is a position that stretches the back and the torso. The procedure is described below:
Procedure
Stand on all your fours and then alternate between arching your back upwards and rounding it downwards.
5. Salt Baths
Epsom salt baths are found to be very useful for easing aching muscles and can help in reducing backaches. The procedure is described below:
Procedure
Add a cup of Epsom salt in your bathtub containing hot water and soak yourself thoroughly in it. Adding essential oils having anti-inflammatory properties can also be added to the bath for best results.
6. Drinking Milk
Milk provides Vitamin D and Calcium to our body which helps to prevent osteoporosis which can also lead to back pain. Drinking milk and consuming other dairy products can help in preventing back pain.
7. Quit Smoking
As weird as it may sound, smoking and lower pain are found to be interrelated. Apart from damaging our lungs, it can also help in increasing back pain. Nicotine present in cigarettes constricts blood vessels and reduces blood circulation thereby increasing back pain.
8. Massage
Massaging helps in relieving back pain for a certain amount of time. It is not a permanent solution to back pain but can help in reducing backache temporarily. Using essential oils having anti-inflammatory benefits during massages help in providing relief from back pain and relaxes your body. Apart from reducing back pain, it is also very useful in improving sleep and helps in reducing stress and depression and helps in relaxation. Massage improves blood circulation and increases endorphin levels that help us to feel good.
9. Lemon Juice
Using lemon juice is one of the natural remedies for back pain. Take half a glass of lemon juice and add half a teaspoon of salt to it. Apply this solution to the painful region. Lemon juice is found to have fast relieving action and is found to be one of the easiest home remedies for back pain.       [Read More: Lemon Essential Oil – Uses, Benefits & more]
10. Basil Leaves
Apart from having health benefits, it is also very useful for relieving backache. The procedure for using basil leaves for backache is described below:
Procedure
- Take a cup of water in a pan and add 8 to 10 basil leaves.
- Let this boil till the water evaporated to half its quantity and let it cool down.
- Strain the left water in the pan and add a pinch of salt to it.
- Drink this basil water daily and in case of severe pain drink this twice in a day for best results.
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