By Dr. Brent Wells

Millions of people suffer from lower back pain. While the cause of it varies, it can be very difficult to live with. If you’re on the search for some ways to help relieve lower back pain, you’ll want to check out this article. Below you’ll discover why this can be so problematic and a handful of ways you can naturally relieve it. 

What Causes Lower Back Pain?

Numerous things can result in lower back pain. This includes:

• A herniated disc
• Muscle strain
• An infection
• Sciatica

How Lower Back Pain Damages Your Spine

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Lower back pain isn’t only uncomfortable, but it can wreak havoc on your spine. Because you feel discomfort, you more than likely will try to move your body in ways to relieve it. While this might bring temporary relief, it puts strain on your spine. Eventually, this could make your lower back pain even worse because your spine is even more inflamed. 

8 Natural Ways to Relieve Lower Back Pain 

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Get Chiropractic Adjustments

One of the best ways to help relieve lower back pain is to get chiropractic adjustments. But what happens when a chiropractor cracks your back?

By using non-invasive techniques, a chiropractor will work to fix any misalignments in and around your spine. This can release tension and inflammation because it will increase blood flow in the area. 

Over time, you’ll find that regular adjustments will help to heal lower back pain and even prevent it from coming back. 

Some of the most common types of chiropractic adjustments for lower back pain are manual release therapy, trigger point therapy, and soft tissue therapy.

Manual Release Therapy

Manual release therapy is done by stretching certain muscles while also applying slight pressure to them. This therapy is meant to help release tension in your muscles and tendons. It can also calm tingling nerves that might cause stabbing pains throughout your lower back. 

Trigger Point Therapy

Trigger point therapy is done by applying pressure to a certain trigger point. Trigger points are specific spots on your body’s fascia. If there’s pressure around them, it can press on the points causing irritation. It could also cause them to send out pain signals that result in twitching. 

To do trigger point therapy, a chiropractor will gently feel around the points near your spine. If they feel one that feels tense, they will apply force to it so it releases itself. This will help to soothe the area and calm any pain caused by it. 

Soft Tissue Therapy

This type of adjustment is done with the help of tools, like an activator adjuster, cold laser, or electronic impulse adjuster. Most of the time it uses massage-like techniques to help with relieving pain. By reducing tension around your lower back with these instruments it can alleviate your agony. 

Eat Anti-Inflammatory Food

Another helpful method to stop lower back pain is to consume plenty of anti-inflammatory food. Some of the top food to consume to help with inflammation include: 

• Turmeric
• Broccoli
• Tomatoes
• Spinach
• Walnuts
• Blueberries
• Garlic
• Green tea
• Cherries

Eating these regularly will not only stop painful inflammation but also give you energy. This can encourage you to be more active and work out muscles in your lower back to strengthen them. 

Drink Water

Water keeps fluid flowing through your spine. This helps to stop its discs from painfully rubbing against each other. Many studies have shown the importance of keeping yourself hydrated to prevent serious pain. If not, your spine will slightly alter itself because there’s no cushioning around it, something which could cause a herniated disc. 

You should drink around five to eight glasses of water per day. This will keep your vertebrae filled with fluid so it doesn’t cause lower back pain. 

Use Massage Therapy

You could also use massage therapy for lower back pain. A massage will improve blood circulation in your lower back because it provides oxygen to your joints and muscles. This can help them to function better. 

You’ll also find that massage therapy will release endorphins. These natural painkillers will help to reduce lower back pain while also boosting your mood. 

There are a variety of massage types you can use for lower back pain. While a massage therapist will customize a massage based on your needs, most of the time they will use techniques similar to a Swedish or deep tissue massage. They will rub your back to warm up the muscles and increase blood flow to the area before pressing on certain areas. These motions won’t be too much at first though as sudden and intense massage techniques could make your lower back pain worse. Over time, the massages will slowly start to be a little more intense around your lower back. 

Stretch

Stretching is also helpful because it releases tight muscles in your back. It can also reduce lower back pain caused by strains because it makes your body more flexible. While helpful, it’s important to not overdo it. Too much stretching could make tension worse and increase your current pain. 

Because of this, it’s important to do simple stretches. One of the safest lower back stretches to try is a knee-to-chest one. To do it, lie with your back on the floor and bend your knees. While keeping your right foot flat on the ground lift your left knee toward your chest. When you feel a slight pull in your back stop pulling your leg, but hold this position for a few seconds. Once this time has passed, lower your left leg down and repeat this process with your right one. You’ll want to do this around three times for both legs. 

Apply a Heat Patch

A heat patch might be good to apply to your lower back. Heat opens blood vessels and increases blood circulation in the area where it’s applied. This will help the muscles to receive an adequate amount of oxygen so that they are able to repair themselves. In addition to this, a heat patch can slightly numb lower back pain. 

Try to Get Enough Sleep

You might be surprised to learn that getting enough sleep could reduce your lower back pain. By sleeping for at least six hours a day it will give your body time to repair itself. This means that any damaged muscles or tissues in your lower back will have time to heal. 

Implement Deep Breathing Exercises

While deep breathing won’t get rid of the problem it can calm your body down. Often, when we start to feel pain we make it worse because we stress about it. This can irritate our body leading to the pain feeling more intense than it might actually be. 

Deep breathing works to calm your body down. This can reduce your heart rate while also releasing tight muscles. By doing so, you’ll find that your lower back might not feel so tense. 

To do deep breathing exercises you’ll first want to find a quiet room to sit in. Once you do, close your eyes and put your hand on your stomach. Start to take a deep breath in through your nose. Hold this breath for a few seconds and then slowly let it out. Repeat this process about five times. 

Lower back pain can be very difficult to deal with. By keeping these tips in mind, you’ll be able to naturally relieve it and even prevent it from occurring again. 

References 

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2908954/

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1360859208000090

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0161475415001840

About Dr. Wells

Dr. Brent Wells founded Better Health Chiropractic & Physical Rehab in 1998. He is currently leading 10,000 Alaskans to more active and pain-free lifestyles without drugs or invasive surgeries. His team consists of progressive and highly innovative chiropractors, massage therapists, and physical therapists in Anchorage and Juneau. Dr. Wells continues to further his education with ongoing studies in spine conditions, neurology, physical rehabilitation, biomechanics, occupational ergonomics, whiplash, and brain injury traumatology. He is also a member of the American Chiropractic Association and the American Academy of Spine Physicians.