When you have back pain, you may be tempted to make it go away with pain medication. While this may help reduce the pain, it doesn’t treat the cause. Instead of relying on pain medication for back pain, you should look into natural methods that treat the cause.
Here are four natural treatments that you can try today if you want to reduce and prevent back pain:
1. Exercise
Exercising is beneficial for reducing back pain in different ways. First, it releases endorphins into your body. Endorphins are chemicals your body produces to dull pain. The body produces more endorphins when engaged in physical activity.
Second, exercising strengthens and stretches the muscles and soft tissue connected to your back. Exercising your core and back muscles provides better support for your spine, which can reduce pain. Stretching the hamstrings also helps reduce back pain since these muscles are connected to your lower back.
2. Heat and ice
The application of heat and ice to your back at home helps in a few different ways as well. Icing your back helps reduce swelling and inflammation. Heating your back improves circulation and soothes pain.
You should begin by icing your back. Do this a few times a day for about 15 minutes each time. After a day or two of icing, you can switch to heating. It’s important to go in this order since heating right away can make any inflammation more severe.
3. Better sleep
Inadequate sleep is often a symptom of back pain since it’s hard to sleep when you cannot get comfortable. However, inadequate sleep also makes back pain worse, turning pain and lack of sleep into some sort of vicious cycle.
Try switching your pillows or sleeping positions to get better sleep. Talk to your doctor about finding a sleep solution if you’re still having trouble.
4. Physical therapy
Physical therapists are health care professionals who are experts in natural treatments for the muscles, joints, bones and soft tissue in your body. They specialize in methods that can help reduce back pain without the need for drugs or invasive procedures.
Many people who visit physical therapists for treatment not only reduce back pain, but they can prevent future back pain from developing.
Visit Panther Physical Therapy for back pain treatment
If you’re suffering from chronic back pain, you should talk to one of our team members at Panther Physical Therapy about finding a solution. We specialize in different methods for reducing back pain, including exercise, hot and cold therapy, and electrical stimulation.
Contact us today to learn more about treating back pain with physical therapy or to schedule an initial appointment.