Aching backs are one of the most common complaints doctors treat. A sore back can range from mild pain to a disabling problem that ends careers. In addition to the pain people have to deal with, they also have to see their lifestyle suffer, as they cannot do the things they ordinarily do. Finding relief for back pain is essential to being able to live a normal and productive life.

One option that’s been around for a while is therapeutic spinal traction. Traction manually or mechanically manipulates the spine to stretch and relieves compression. Traction alleviates back pain by stretching tight spinal muscles that spasm and relieve pressure on nerves.

Another important item for relief of back pain is regular quality sleep. A sleep deficit cannot be compensated for by catching up on the weekend. Good sleep is essential for the body to repair itself. It help lessen the inflammation of muscles and nerves and allows time for body to restore depleted reserves.

Sleep is a bit of a catch 22 since people with sore backs often have trouble sleeping through the night. Changing sleep habits may help. Evaluate how you sleep — the position you sleep in, your mattress, pillows, etc. Sometimes pain can be alleviated by simply pacing a pillow between your knees. This position helps align the hips and back properly and the firm mattress provides the needed support.

Another option for relief from a sore back is getting a deep tissue massage. A masseuse is an expert in the musculoskeletal system and can zero in on the source of your pain. Massage will go a long way in helping break the cycle of pain. Massage helps blood circulation and stimulates endorphin levels. It will also help increase your range of motion, which will help you get back to normal.

Regular exercise will help keep muscles strong and improve mobility. Consider strength training as it will help strengthen your core. When you do something physical, you’ll be less likely to injure yourself if your core muscles are strong. The Centers For Disease Control recommends women start with a set of one-pound, three-pound, and five-pound dumbbells. The recommendation for men is for three, five, and eight pounds.

Another benefit of exercise is that it helps you achieve and maintain a healthy weight. Many back problems are the result of carrying too much weight which stresses the joints and puts you at risk for arthritis.

Finally, take a look at your diet. Are you providing what your body needs to rebuild cartilage? Is your nervous system system out of whack because of too much caffeine?  If you know you’re not eating right, consider taking supplements until your body has had a chance to right itself. You’ll heal quicker and feel better faster.

Resources: Say Goodbye To Back Pain Forever

If you suffer from back or joint pain, taking supplements may be preferable to drugs. Supplements that are naturally found in the body are less likely to have side effects like brain fog or sleepiness. They’re also easier on your kidneys which have to process those drugs. Generally natural supplements are less expensive than drugs and, of course, available without a doctor’s prescription.

There are several natural substances you can use to ease back and joint pain:

Magnesium

If you want relatively quick relief to muscle and joint pain, magnesium is the first supplement to try. Magnesium is necessary for numerous body functions. It is used to maintain normal muscle and nerve function, regulate heart rhythm, and support the immune system. Magnesium also regulates blood sugar levels and blood pressure. For many people, a normal diet may not be enough for optimum magnesium levels so it’s wise to take a supplement. Also, medications such as diuretics and antibiotics may result in magnesium deficiency.

Magnesium is used in analgesics before surgery to help the patient’s muscles relax. Take it right before going to bed, and it will help you have a good night’s sleep. In the morning you’ll awake with relaxed muscles. The only negative to magnesium is diarrhea can occur if you take more than the recommended dosage. This is a temporary effect, however, and will cease when you reduce the dosage. Magnesium is available in tablets, liquid, or powder. It is basically tasteless, so if you’re averse to pills, the liquid or power can be mixed into smoothies or tea.

Glucosamine Chondroitin

Like magnesium, glucosamine is found naturally in healthy cartilage. Early medical trials show it may be helpful in treating osteoarthritis, especially in the knee. It also shows promise for treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.

Often glucosamine is combined with chondroitin which, again, is also found in healthy cartilage. They work synergistically to rebuild cartilage. It is common to find glucosamine chondroitin combined with MSM or calcium. Taking it will not provide quick pain relief, but it will aid in rebuilding joint tissue over time. As far as side effects, there are rare reports of abdominal pain, loss of appetite or nausea.

Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM)

MSM is odorless and tasteless. It is related to DMSO (dimethyl sulfoxide), an alternative treatment for arthritis. Like chondroitin, it is often combined with glucosamine. MSM is naturally found in cow’s milk, meat, seafood, fruits, and vegetables. While there is no dietary requirement for MSM, it is available in capsules, tablets, creams and lotions. Clinical trials have indicated that MSM is effective for osteoarthritis, but many people suffering from rheumatoid arthritis have claimed it was helpful.

Hyaluronic Acid (HA)

Hyaluronic acid is found throughout the body as a component of connective tissue. Its main function is to cushion and lubricate. HA helps to support healthy skin, eyesight and joint function. Joints deficient of HA don’t move well and become stiff. Those taking the supplement report relatively quick relief to joint pain; however, it’s main benefit will be felt over time as it aids strengthening of connective and joint tissue.

Saying your back hurts is like saying you have a cold. Who hasn’t experienced this common malady? But what if you have chronic back pain and nothing helps it? Pain to the point that it’s interfering with your daily life?

We’ve all had a hard day and come home with tight muscles. If it was cured with a hot shower and a good night’s rest that would be fine, but when that annoying pain doesn’t go away, it can throw your life into turmoil.

Usually, back pain comes from misusing or abusing your body with the result being muscle pain. These aches are fairly minor and typically only last a a day or two. You can manage the pain with rest, hot and cold packs, or over-the-counter medication if needed.

Unlike many other injuries, if you strain your back muscles, you won’t be helped as much if you rely on bed rest. While you shouldn’t keep doing whatever pulled the muscles, light activity will help to ease pain and speed healing.

If you have chronic back pain, it starts to affect all the areas of your life — your ability to function at work, play with your children, do sports, even to have sex. Whenever you sit, stand, lay down, you’re in some degree of pain. It’s easy to see how depression can set in and make things worse.

If your back pain is severe, it may be caused by a more serious problem. Conditions like herniated discs, spinal stenosis, fibromyalgia, and arthritis can cause chronic back pain. If your back pain is severe or constant, see a doctor to diagnose the problem and rule out more serious issues like cancer or infection.

Lately, a new aggressive form of physical rehabilitation — back bootcamps — are being offered at rehabilitation clinics around the country. These vigorous workouts are supervised by physicians and use Nautilus-type machines to target atrophied muscles in the butt, back, legs, and abdomen.

The programs combine aerobic exercise and stretching with progressively more intense strength training on machines that simulate real-world activity. Typically a program requires one or two hour sessions two or three times a week for 8-10 weeks followed by a home program.

So far the evidence shows that intense exercise can help those with chronic back pain avoid surgery, reduce pain, and restore function. This philosophy is totally opposite of the advice usually given to chronic back pain sufferers. Nowadays, the school of thought is that if your back pain does not improve within three months or so, and you are not in need of surgery, you must commit to taking an active role in your own healing.

Passive therapies such as heat and cold do little for chronic back pain. Keep trying various combinations of things until you find something that works — yoga, nutritional therapy, even psychological counseling–yes, psychological counseling.

It may seem counter intuitive to continue exercising through pain, but the prevalent thinking in back pain management is changing. In addition to back pain bootcamps, there is a growing school of thought that says all chronic back pain should be considered Tension Myositis Syndrom (TMS) until proven otherwise; therefore, all therapeutic efforts should be directed at your psyche.

Specifically, you need counseling to change your way of thinking, feeling, and handling stress that lead the nervous system into an abnormal pattern of unbalanced muscular contraction and inflammation.

Dr. John Sarno, author of Mind Over Back Pain, is considered a pioneer in the area of TMS. He believes the brain manufactures chronic back pain as a distraction so as not to deal with emotional pain. Powerful emotions, such as fear, anxiety, depression, and even the memory of previous pain influence levels of neurochemicals which affect the whole body.

Eventually, there may be actual changes in the nervous system that intensify the perception of pain by making the nerves more sensitive to it and less receptive to endorphins that can ease pain naturally. Sometimes there is no longer any physical cause for pain, but the learned response to it remains.

Back pain, hip pain, neck and shoulder pain — these are all a part of daily living for many people, but they don’t have to be. An alternative therapy known as the Alexander Technique teaches proper posture and body usage to effectively minimize or eliminate chronic pain.

The technique was designed by F.M. Alexander, an Australian actor who suffered from laryngitis during performances. Multiple doctors failed to help him, and his search for a cure lead him to discover the primary cause of his symptoms was tension in his body while performing. He developed a technique to alleviate his body tension, curing his laryngitis. At the request of friends and doctors, Mr. Alexander spent the next several decades perfecting his technique and teaching it to others.

Today the Alexander Technique is widely recognized by European physicians as an effective treatment for back and shoulder pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, and general body tension issues. Thousands of people, including many prominent performers, have benefited from taking lessons in the technique.

Instructors of the Alexander Technique teach that over a lifetime we have learned improper methods of walking, standing and sitting. These methods may be sloppy and poor or they may be an attempt at “correct posture” as often taught by adults to children. The results are tension in multiple locations of the body, especially up and down the spine, resulting in pain and diminished performance in many individuals.

The position of the head relaxes or strains the entire spinal column Holding it in an awkward position, or holding it too far back or too far forward, results in strain and compression from the head to the tail bone. The Alexander Technique teaches to keep the head in its natural location, uncompressing the spine and positioning the body appropriately.

During initial Alexander Technique lessons, the instructor observes the movements of the student as they perform typical functions like sitting and walking. If the student is a musician, artist, actor, athlete or other performer, the instructor will observe these actions as well. Part of the observation usually involves the instructor placing their hands on different locations, such as the neck and back, of the student to feel how muscles are tensing during movements.

Once the instructor has seen the typical movements of the student, he or she is able to teach the student better ways of moving that are more natural and will reduce the tension in their body. When the tension issues are resolved, the movements and performances of the individual will be improved and their pain may even vanish.

The Alexander Technique is a method that helps reduce tension from the head to the spine, improves performance and body posture and reduces pain and other tension induced symptoms. When an individual takes the time to learn the proper ways his or her body should be used, the need for medically intrusive procedures and medication may be greatly diminished.