Natural Solutions For Low Back Pain
Spinal region pain, particularly pain in the lower back, is extremely common in the United States and in countries around the world. Most adults have had low-back pain at some point in their lives, and back pain is one of the most common causes of missed work days, temporary disability, etc.
Most low-back pain resolves itself naturally within a short period of time. This kind of pain, which lasts for up to 4 weeks, is known as acute back pain. Back pain that lasts beyond 4 weeks is called subacute. After 12 weeks, it’s classified as chronic low-back pain. Although this seems arbitrary, it is a good way to think about these sorts of pain.
Chronic low-back pain can usually be resolved with non-surgical and non-narcotic methods like brace, yoga, acupuncture, NSAIDs, acetaminophen and/or physical therapy, but sometimes, it persists. Today, we’re looking at some natural ways to relieve low-back pain in the comfort of your own home.
CHECK YOUR VITAMIN INTAKE
Studies that have included blood panels on those with low back pain have consistently found that those with chronic low-back pain are often deficient in vitamin D.
“Most patients (83%) attending spinal and internal medicine clinics in Saudi Arabia over six years who had experienced low back pain that had no obvious cause for more than six months had an abnormally low level of vitamin D.”
But before you get a stand-alone Vitamin D supplement, it’s important to make sure you’re taking the right amount - and in the right ratio to other supplements. Magnesium absorption, for example, is far more efficient when taken with vitamin D3. It is very hard to reach levels of Vitamin D3 that are toxic. There is no consensus on the best levels of D3. There are simply minimum levels we know will help people avoid rickets. But for pain-free living in an optimal health range, the level of serum D has not been fully established.
For better absorption of vitamin D, you must include vitamins like magnesium and zinc in your diet, or take them as an additional supplement.
Our multivitamins are surgeon-formulated for optimal absorption, and contain an appropriate amount of vitamins that should support your body’s healthy functions. Things like immune response, wound repair, connective tissue mobility, and more depend heavily on having the right levels of certain vitamins within your system.
TRY NATURAL THERAPIES
While it’s sometimes necessary to truly treat back pain, surgery should be considered your last option as most cases of back pain can be alleviated with holistic, non-invasive therapies.
Most authors in the field of spinal issues would agree that only about 1% of cases of lower back pain actually ever need surgery. Sometimes, inflamed muscle groups (“trigger points”) can pull on the connective tissue and muscle supporting your spine, causing pain. Dry needling is an effective way to release these knotted muscles and reduce pain.
Sometimes, pain or dysfunction in other areas can contribute to back pain. If you’re walking with knee or foot pain, this can offset your balance and posture, pulling on your back and causing pain.
There are deep and superficial lines of connected fascia that run from the foot to the skull; tightness or mobility impairment anywhere along these fascial lines can lead to lower back pain. A skilled physician or therapist (massage or physical) should be able to identify these issues.
This is why it’s so important to stretch daily and especially before exercise, to make sure you aren’t suffering from joint pain that can lead to misalignment or a dysfunctional mobility impairment chain. It’s also essential to have a good muscle recovery plan in place after activity.
STRETCH & SOOTHE
If your back pain is mild, you can also try exercises, like certain yoga stretches (cat-cow, child’s pose, downward-facing dog) to alleviate soreness! Walking has a lot of good data behind it to support this low-impact aerobic activity for the treatment of common back pain.
Herbal remedies are also great alternatives to NSAID’s, which can disrupt your gut biome, lead to headaches, and more. Many NSAIDs also damage the kidney and have certain effects on cardiac tissues.
Tart Cherry Extract is most well-known for its effectiveness against arthritic joint pain and gout, since it naturally relieves inflammation and its antioxidant action reduces harmful, inflammatory oxidative stress. Natural supplements and herbals remedies often do not have the bad side-effect profile of pharmaceuticals.
Topical creams, like our Pain Relief & Recovery Cream, are excellent for fast relief – but the soothing anti-inflammatory ingredients, like turmeric, PEA, and more also gently reduce pain and inflammation over time, so your relief lasts, without side effects.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Dr. Meredith Warner is the creator of Well Theory and The Healing Sole. She is a board-certified Orthopedic Surgeon and Air Force Veteran.
She is on a mission to disrupt traditional medicine practices and promote betterment physically, spiritually and mentally to many more people. She advocates for wellness and functional health over big pharma so more people can age vibrantly with more function and less pain.
At Well Theory, Our surgeon-designed products are FDA Registered and formulated to help people:
- Manage the symptoms of musculoskeletal pain
- Recover vibrantly from orthopedic related surgeries
- Fill the gaps in our daily diets
- Manage pain associated with inflammation