Lower back pain is widespread in adults. It can be caused by a variety of factors, from poor posture while sitting to heavy lifting. For some people, lower back pain is only temporary, but it can be chronic for many. This pain can be very exhausting and debilitating – however, there are ways to reduce the pain. In fact, there are many ways in which you can manage it from home. Below are just some ways to manage lower back pain at home.
Support your back while sitting
To help with pain while sitting down, make sure that your back is well supported. If you work from home, consider investing in an ergonomic desk chair. Placing a cushion at the base of your spine can also help to reduce pain.
Take over-the-counter painkillers
OTC painkillers can be great for temporarily reducing pain. Just make sure that you’re taking the right doses – taking too many tablets or mixing up opioid painkillers could be lethal. Talk to your doctor about which painkillers you should be taking, and always read the instructions on the packaging.
Try herbal pain relief
Many forms of herbal pain relief can be effective. By applying for a medical card, you may be able to look into options like medical marijuana. There are also herbal supplements that you can buy at your local herbal pharmacies, such as turmeric and willow bark – these could also be worth a try.
Use heat and ice on back pain
You can also ease pain by using the heat and the cold. For example, applying an ice pack can effectively reduce inflammation for a fresh injury – if you’ve recently injured your lower back or re-injured it, consider putting an ice pack or frozen bag of veggies on it. Likewise, a hot towel or hot water bottle can help to ease inflammation from chronic pain.
Take a daily bath
A hot bath floods the body with feel-good endorphins as well as taking pressure off muscles and joints. As a result, it can be a great way to ease back pain at home. In addition, taking a hot bath help reduces the pain before bed.
Practice daily stretches
There are various stretches that you can do to help ease aching muscles. Make time for these each day. It could even be worth taking yoga or pilates classes to help learn stretches – you can then practice these at home.
Stay active
Resting a bad back may seem like the best thing to do, but sometimes it can make it worse. Moderate low-impact exercise will prevent muscles from seizing up. It can also help prevent weight gain, which causes more stress to back muscles.
All in all, don’t spend all your time at home sitting on the sofa. Instead, try to make room for daily physical activity to help your back.
