Why Not Try These 4 Natural Ways To Help Relieve Back Pain

If you regularly suffer from chronic back pain, you know all too well how badly it can affect your day-to-day life, eventually making you miserable and tired. Unfortunately, this is fairly common, with around 10 million people in the UK suffering from back pain.

Despite there being lots of research outlining the ways people can help to reduce their back pain, many still opt for unnecessary treatment. This is often met with long periods off work, complex surgery and prescribed painkillers. While prescribed painkillers, often opioids, may be effective in the short term, in the longer term they can cause other complications including addiction.

Regardless of the type or severity of your back pain, there are some ways that you can reduce your symptoms naturally without requiring surgery or prescribed medication. We’ve summarised some of the best natural ways to relieve back pain below.

Consider barefoot walking

When we wear shoes with an elevated heel, our ankles are in a pointing down position and the calves are in a shortened position. This then affects the knees and hamstrings, causing the pelvis to tilt slightly and bringing the hips into a slight flexion.

Essentially, this means that your back is arched more, which can lead to issues like misalignment and back pain. To help avoid this, consider wearing barefoot shoes – these are minimalist shoes with very thin soles and little to no elevation.

By allowing the feet to move naturally through a full range of motion, you can improve your posture and reduce the strain on your back which is one of the best natural ways to relieve back pain.

Try to eat an anti-inflammatory diet

The quantity and variety of food we consume can dramatically impact our bodies, including the prevention and easing of certain health conditions. Inflammation is a natural response in the body to protect us from harm, and this is known to lead to back pain.

Following an anti-inflammatory diet can help treat your back pain just as well as certain anti-inflammatory drugs, such as aspirin. Foods that are known to prove highly effective include brightly coloured fruits and vegetables, healthy monosaturated fats, fatty fish and green, leafy vegetables. Following a Mediterranean Diet meets these requirements as well as providing one of the best diet options for good health.

You should also aim to avoid any processed foods that are high in saturated fat and naturally, try to avoid alcohol.

Partake in yoga

Irrespective of the type and severity of your back pain, yoga can be a great method for alleviating your symptoms and avoiding medication altogether. Studies have suggested that yoga can have health benefits for those with chronic non-specific lower back pain.

Yoga is highly inclusive of different abilities and conditions and can be adapted to suit the needs of the individual. This means you don’t need to be incredibly agile or flexible to take part – it may just be a matter of combining breathing techniques with meditation to improve your overall physical and mental wellbeing.

As with any exercise regime, if you have back issues it is advisable to ensure you are in a small class and your instructor is aware of your condition.

Try to engage in some light exercise

If you have a consistently sore back or have been suddenly met with agonising pain, it may be tempting to avoid all forms of exercise completely. However, doing so can lead to the pain becoming much worse.

Initially, try completing some gentle aerobic exercises which might include going for a short walk. Increasing the blood flow to the damaged tissues can speed up the healing process and gradually reduce your stiffness, so it is understandably an effective and natural way to relieve back pain. Just make sure not to over-exert yourself.

Strength training can also be highly beneficial; by focusing on improving your core muscles, you can help to support your lower back, improve your posture and reduce the overall strain on your spine.