Get Natural Relief of Back Pain - Learn About Relief Stimulators for Low Back Pain
Question for Dr. Leia: I suffer from persistent back pain and have since I injured my back lifting in my work.
I do not have disc damage, however I get lower backaches which really bother me a lot. I was wondering if you knew of any relief stimulators for low back pain, or a good back pain machine.
I have heard of inversion devices, and also massage chairs. What are your recommendations for home back pain relief besides taking drugs? Or do you have any particular methods you would prescribe for natural relief of back pain? Thank you for answering my question. Richard from Southern California
Dr. Leia's Answer: Dear Richard, back pain can be severely debilitating and can cause a major disruption in one’s daily life. Since you mention that you do not have disc pain, I am assuming that you have been to see a health care practitioner such as a chiropractor or back specialist who has taken x-rays or MRIs and has done other testing to visualize your problem and to rule out disc, nerve, spine, ligament, tendon, bone, or other vertebral damage. Depending upon the type and cause of the pain, there are many different natural home back pain remedies.
Massage chairs are a good temporary pain relief choice for muscle relaxation, but you would need to try one out first before buying one. Since every person is a different height and width, a chair made for one size-fits-all might not be appropriate for you. Also be sure to see if the pressure is adjustable from low to high, so that you will not be harmed rather than helped from the pressure.
The dimensions of the chair are important so that the pressure will fall in the correct location along your spine, and not directly over a bony prominence or nerve that could cause even more damage. Also know that massaging may provide only temporary relief, and may not address the cause of the pain directly.
Be careful of inversion tables and traction devices. If you desire to use these types of equipment, please get the approval from your practitioner. It may be inappropriate for your particular condition. Inversion tables and traction devices should only be used under the supervision of a medical provider who would instruct you in their proper use.
My suggestion for a more permanent pain relief technique would be Acupuncture. Acupuncture has been proven to relax the muscles of the back, and it also stimulates the body’s own natural defense and healing mechanisms by removing energy blockages and stagnation in the body. Acupuncture accomplishes this by the use of small, fine, delicate sterile needles inserted directly into acupoints which lie along the meridians or channels in the body. These meridians or channels carry Chi or Qi throughout the body, and connect and send this energy to all of the organs and systems of the body.
It is important for the Chi of the body to flow unobstructed throughout the meridians so that the organs can be nourished and the body can be healthy and pain free. Conventionally, acupuncture would be administered two times per week for the initial week then once per week thereafter, depending upon the severity of the problem and the response to treatment. Each acupuncture session is synergistic, with each treatment reinforcing the prior treatment.
Usually, anti-inflammatories are given to help reduce the inflammation associated with most back pain. A couple of good drug free natural choices would be fish oil capsules, pycnogenol, celadrin, or quercitin/bromelain combination. See your alternative health care practitioner for a complete list of natural anti-inflammatories, or an individualized nutritional treatment plan for your particular problem.
Lastly, I would like to recommend a good back pain book: "Healing Back Pain, The Mind-Body Connection," by John E Sarno. It has helped many people cope with severe and debilitating back pain, and it is a wonderful book for understanding the relationship between the body, the mind, and pain.
By Dr. Leia Melead
Read a HealthyNewAge related article > Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment of Back Pain.
