Relieve Back Pain Without Drugs

Are you plagued with back pain? Are you the Weekend Warrior who wakes up on Monday morning with back pain or tightness? Would you rather avoid costly and sometimes dangerous prescription drugs? Try these remedies to help with your back pain courtesy:wikihow.com.



Caution: Make sure your back pain is not from a major injury like a fall or a car crash. Check with your physician to rule out spinal trauma or ruptured disc. These injuries will almost always require rehabilitation.

Start your recovery from back pain--after you are sure that there is no major trauma--with simple basic exercises. The best and most beneficial recovery exercise for any back pain is to get out of bed or off the couch and start walking. Inactivity is clinically proven to make back pain worse! Begin your recovery program (ideally) with 30 minutes of daily walking.

Learn stretching for lower back pain or learn yoga to help align the joints of your body. Incorporating a daily stretching and yoga practice may help to relieve back pain. Stretching and yoga (for people in pain) are best learned from a physical therapist or yoga therapist.

Study tai chi to learn how to protect the spine by keeping it in an neutral position while pushing, pulling and lifting.

Practice relaxation and meditation every day. Numerous medical studies have shown that much back pain is caused by tightness due to mental stress! Practicing meditation allows you to relax the mind and the body and release tension that can tighten the back--causing pain.

Develop a daily resistance training program on a machine (or weight lifting) to improve your core (back and abdominal muscles). Before you begin and unless you are an experienced athlete, seek the advice of a certified personal trainer before you begin your resistance training program. Resistance training allows you to develop weak muscles that can cause your back to be misaligned. Using resistance training is extremely beneficial for the development of a strong torso (body core) and for relieving back pain. One of the best tools in resistance training is using a core ball during your workouts.

Improve your posture ! It really helps to always have your back straight. By this, I don't mean putting your back into uncomfortable or weird positions (this only worsens your back!) but learn how to have good posture all the time--whether you're standing, sitting, or even sleeping!

Change your outlook on life. Many times depression and loneliness can cause tension and back pain. Getting out of your normal daily routine is the trick to relieving back pain. Try volunteering one day a week for your favorite charity to change your routine. Call a local senior citizens home and ask if you can visit a couple of times a month to help out. Get involved with your local community and seek out ways to help the community. Call your local hospital and ask how you can help out. Getting involved and helping other people is a great way to develop friends and get your mind off of your problems.

Get a dog! Getting a pet has two benefits for relieving back pain. First, it has been medically proven that owning a pet can lower blood pressure and relieve tension. Second, having a dog means you might need to get outside and walk Fido. Dog owners tend to spend more time outdoors and receive more exercise. So grab that leash and go for a long walk.

Swim like a fish ! Swimming is one of the best workouts you can do for a bad back. Not only does it open up stiff and sore muscles but your heart gets a great aerobic workout too. Go to your local YMCA or health club and jump in and swim. If you can’t swim sign up for lessons. You will be swimming like a fish in no time!

Get a massage --it can help--but be sure you tell the massage technician about your touchy area of back pain, and what causes it to flare up.

If you have a sedentary job that requires you to sit on the desk for long hours, take breaks through the day to stretch yourself. Raise your hands over your head and stand on your toes. Then allow yourself to fall. Sitting long hours does not allow enough fluid movement in and out of your disc (ever noticed how you are just a bit taller in the mornings than after a long day? The "water" in the discs between your vertebra oozes out by the end of the day. Allow it to be reabsorbed by stretching and extending)

Spot jogging also helps.

Another simple exercise to strengthen your back muscles would be lie on a mattress (not soft), bend your legs at the hips and knees and flatten your back. Hold for a count of 10 and release. Do this 5-8 times.

* Stop immediately if you have any numbness or unexplained weakness and go to your physical therapist or doctor.

* Get a physical therapists or doctors approval before you begin a back pain recovery program.

* Never attempt to do resistance training on your own or without the supervision of a physical therapist or certified personal trainer.

Quickly Calm Your Nerves

There's little argument that to stay healthy and happy, you must eliminate undue stress and calm your nerves. Those who are "on edge" rarely have positive relationships, as stress almost always has a negative effect on our interactions with each other. Instead of accepting stress and actually becoming accustomed to living life this way, begin the promise to calm your nerves as soon as you realize you need it. For some people, a warm bath in a candlelit room is enough to bring down their stress levels. But for many, a more intensive regimen is necessary. It's not in your head. It is a medically acknowledged problem.courtesy:ehow.com



Some of the most familiar techniques incorporate one or more of the following into your life:

> Yoga

> Tai Chi

> Music

> Exercise

> Meditation

> Hypnosis

> Massage

The prestigious Mayo Clinic has noted how essential it is to calm nerves, noting that relaxation isn't just about peace of mind or enjoying a hobby. Relaxation is a process that decreases the wear and tear of life's challenges on your mind and body.

Practicing relaxation techniques can improve how you physically respond to stress by:

* Slowing your heart rate

* Lowering blood pressure

* Slowing your breathing rate

* Reducing the need for oxygen

* Increasing blood flow to major muscles

* Reducing muscle tension


Here is what the Mayo Clinic recommends for calming nerves, based on their latest findings:

> Autogenic relaxation. Autogenic means something that comes from within you. In this technique, you use both visual imagery and body awareness to reduce stress. You repeat words or suggestions in your mind to help you relax and reduce muscle tension. You may imagine a peaceful place and then focus on controlled, relaxing breathing, slowing your heart rate, or different physical sensations, such as relaxing each arm or leg one by one.

> Progressive muscle relaxation. In this technique, you focus on slowly tensing and then relaxing each muscle group. This helps you focus on the difference between muscle tension and relaxation, and you become more aware of physical sensations. You may choose to start by tensing and relaxing the muscles in your toes and progressively working your way up to your neck and head. Tense your muscles for at least five seconds and then relax for 30 seconds, and repeat.

> Visualization. In this technique, you form mental images to take a visual journey to a peaceful, calming place or situation. Try to use as many senses as you can, including smells, sights, sounds and textures. If you imagine relaxing at the ocean, for instance, think about the warmth of the sun, the sound of crashing waves, the feel of the grains of sand and the smell of salt water. You may want to close your eyes, sit in a quiet spot and loosen any tight clothing.