Moving through life with back pain feels nearly impossible sometimes. From taking OTC pain relievers and applying heat pads to chiropractic adjustments and acupuncture, there are tons of treatment options you’ve heard of and maybe even tried for yourself already. If you’ve been struggling to find remedies that work for you, we have you covered.
Some people who encounter unendurable pain will likely look for ways to relieve it, like putting on sore muscle relief cream, taking pain reliever medications, etc.
In this post, we’ll take a look at four things that help handle back pain so you can get back to feeling better in no time!
1. Stretching
The ancient art of yoga has long been hailed as a treatment for numerous physiological and mental illnesses. The practice combines stretching movements with meditation and thoughtful breathing to simultaneously strengthen and relax the body and mind.
What’s more, yoga and basic stretching can work wonders for your back pain, too. Here are a few poses to get started:
- Cat-Cow Pose
- Get on all fours with your wrists positioned underneath your shoulders and knees below your hips, balancing your weight evenly
- Inhale as you gaze upward and let your stomach drop toward the floor as your hips rise
- Exhale, tucking your chin into your chest and bring your navel back in as you arch your spine
- Follow this movement continuously for at least one minute
- Downward-Facing Dog
- Start on all fours with your hands under your wrists and your knees under your hips
- Press into your hands while tucking your toes under, lifting your knees
- Bring your hips up toward the ceiling with your heels slightly off the floor
- Allow your knees to bend slightly and be conscious of your hips and shoulders
- Hold for up to one minute
- Sphinx Pose
- Lie down on your stomach with your legs behind you and hips on the floor
- Position your elbows underneath your shoulders using your forearms and flat palms to prop you up
- Slowly lift your torso and head, engaging your lower abdomen
- Keep your head and neck relaxed as you gaze straight ahead
- Hold for up to five minutes
2. A good mattress
As you sleep, your body is able to rest and recover from the previous day and strengthen up for the upcoming day ahead. Muscles repair, important information is stored, and incredible biological processes take place in the 7-10 hours that we rest. However, an uncomfortable mattress can throw your spine’s position and the overall quality of your sleep totally off-course.
Finding the right mattress for your back pain ultimately depends on how you sleep. If you sleep on your side, you’ll want a softer mattress around 5.5-6.5 range on a scale of 1 to 10. If you’re a back sleeper, you’ll want something firmer, around a 6 or 7 should work, finally, stomach sleepers should have a slightly firmer mattress of about 6.5 to 7.5.
As far as materials go, a hybrid mattress is often considered the best options for those who struggle with back pain. While memory foam supports and contours the body, hybrids use a combination of memory foam and coil base to offer more structured support.
3. CBD
CBD has taken the wellness world by storm over the last several years. With benefits such as stress and anxiety relief as well as physical pain relief, those looking for natural alternatives have flocked to CBD for answers. If you want to use CBD for back pain, you can apply it topically to the affected areas using a CBD cream or oil, or consume it orally by vaping or taking a tincture orally.
4. Posture positioners
Even after stretching, replacing your mattress, and applying CBD to your ailments, there are still plenty of things you do in a day that are probably exacerbating your back pain. Working in an uncomfortable chair, sitting or standing for too long, sitting in traffic, the list goes on.
Luckily, there are a few things you can do to improve your posture and minimize your back pain:
- Invest in a lumbar pillow for your office chair or driver’s seat
- Opt for a standing desk to alternate between sitting and standing throughout the day
- Get shoes or insoles that support your foot type — distributing your weight unevenly can contribute to back pain
Dealing with back pain feels hopeless at times, but you’re not alone! Try out these tips and share your experience with us in the comment section below. You can also learn more about how to manage your chronic pain.
