Oh Mama! I’m having back pain

Almost everyone suffers from back pain at some point in his or her life. Unless if you have a major injury or disc problem, your doctor may not be able to do much for you other than prescribe some pain medication and advise you to rest. Otherwise, simple back pain treatments or some home remedies can get you back in the swing of things in just a few days.

What You Need To Know

Understanding the muscle balance.

Our muscles work in groups and they work in balance with each other. When one group is overworked, another group is underworked. As a result, one set of muscles becomes tight. Simultaneously, its opposing muscles become weak. Therefore, when there is imbalance like this, we feel tension, and then pain, which lead to possible injuries.

The muscles of the upper back coordinate with the muscles in the upper front of the body. If the arms, chest, and front shoulder are working too hard, you will feel a strain in the upper back. It is only natural that the front muscles work hard because our eyes lead them. And our eyes are on the fronts of our bodies.

The muscle relationships in the upper body are often misunderstood. Most of the time, we neglect the overworked muscles. We focus only on the muscles that feel sore or tight. We relieve immediate pain, but we ignore the other muscle groups causing the imbalance.  The muscles in the upper back are especially vulnerable to weakness. If you want to effectively treat tension and pain in the upper backs muscles, you must understand the strong-weak patterns that develop throughout the upper body. When we strengthen weak muscles in back, and ease tight muscles in front, then we can reverse muscle imbalance and relieve pain.

Home Remedy Treatments for Back Pain

The following home remedies are appropriate for anyone who is suffering from back pain due to tight, aching muscles or a strain.

Bed Rest – Not the best solution

Conventional wisdom once held that several days or even weeks in bed were the best cure for a sore back. However, a growing number of doctors today encourage patients to get up and around as soon as possible and to avoid bed rest entirely if possible. That’s because mounting research shows that lying down for an extended period not only fails to speed up relief of low back pain but may make it even worse. If you feel you must rest your aching back, the best position is lying flat on your back with two pillows underneath your knees. Never lie face down, since this position forces you to twist your head to breathe and may cause neck pain. Make an effort to get up and move around, slowly and gently, as soon as possible. Any more than three days of bed rest could weaken the muscles and make them more prone to strain.

Ice, Ice, baby

Applying an ice pack to the painful area within 24 hours of an injury can help keep inflammation to a minimum and ease discomfort by decreasing the ability of nerves to send pain signals to the brain. Place ice cubes in a plastic bag, then apply the bag on top of a thin towel that has been placed on the skin. Leave the ice pack on for 20 minutes, take it off for 30 minutes, and then replace it for another 20 minutes.

Take a hot bath.

If more than 24 hours have passed since the injury occurred, ice will not help reduce pain or inflammation. After that first day, heat can be used to help blood flow to the muscle. This will help rebuilding take place and provide some soothing relief. Heat may help increase the elasticity of the muscles somewhat, so try soaking in a tub of hot water for 20 minutes or more.

CAUTION: Pregnant women, however, should not sit in a hot bath or hot tub for too long, since raising the body temperature over 100 degrees Fahrenheit for long periods may cause birth defects or miscarriage. If you are pregnant, contact your doctor for advice before trying a hot soak.

Invest in a new mattress.

A soft, sagging mattress may contribute to the development of back problems or worsen an existing problem. If a new mattress is not in your budget, however, a three-quarter-inch-thick piece of plywood placed between the mattress and box spring may help somewhat. It’s not clear whether water beds offer any relief for back pain.

Get some sleep.

Rest- This is the very best thing you can do for soreness. Try not to use the muscle in a strenuous fashion for 24-48 hours after exercise, especially if the soreness is due to a weight lifting routine. Getting sufficient rest at night is important when your back muscles are strained. It’s best to lie on your side, with the knees flexed and a pillow between them. If you lie on your back, place a pillow under your knees.

Get a massage.

If you’re lucky enough to have an accommodating spouse, friend, or roommate, ask him or her to give you a rubdown. As you lie face down on a bed or sofa, ask your masseuse to knead your back muscles. Local massage therapists may also make house calls if you don’t feel able to visit one of them.

Relax.

Much back pain is the result of muscles made tight by emotional tension. Learn and practice a relaxation technique, such as meditation, or try a deep-breathing exercise, such as closing your eyes, breathing slowly and deeply, and counting backward from 100.

Take two aspirin.

Taking an over-the-counter analgesic such as aspirin, acetaminophen, or ibuprofen may help relieve your pain. However, be aware that not all medications (not even non-prescription ones) are for everyone. Pregnant women, for example, should not take any medication without first checking with their doctor. And people with ulcers should stay away from analgesics containing aspirin. Don’t take any medicine for a bad back without first learning about its potential side effects and talking to your doctor.

Extra Tips

Stretching – This will also help to get the lactic acid out of your muscles. Waiting a few hours after a strenuous workout before stretching is not the best. Stretch after activity that caused the soreness to prevent becoming stiff.

Proper diet – If your muscles are sore from intense activities such as weightlifting, your muscles are rebuilding themselves and need lots of protein. Aim to take in 1 gram of protein per day for every pound of lean body mass you have.

For example, a 160lb. man at 20% body fat would want to take in approximately 130 grams of protein per day. This will speed up recovery times considerably, as well as prevent muscle loss from poor nutrition. An excellent source of protein would be chocolate milk, which can revitalize your body faster than most energy drinks after a long workout. It also provides sugar for your body which normal milk does not. No – milk contains plenty of sugar. Lactose is sugar, and your body readily uses it,unless you are lactose intolerant.

Sour cherry juice – Sour cherry juice can also help your muscles feel better. Sour cherry juice is filled with antioxidants to help your working muscles during or after physical exercise. Sour cherry juice can be found at most health food stores.
Baking Soda – Adding baking soda (bicarbonate of soda) to your bathwater is a home remedy that is very effective. Add 2-4 heaped tablespoons of soda to a full bathtub and stir a little to dissolve. Enjoy your bath. You should feel some relief immediately after you finish your bath.
Hot & Cold Showers – Martial artists believe that taking a shower with cold water for a few minutes, then with hot water for a few minutes, then finish with a cold shower again relieves sore muscles.

If you do end up getting stiff from working out or some other physical activity where you have forgotten to stretch afterwards, massaging the stiff area will relieve you from the pain for a while. Then stretch and find another place of the muscle it hurts and massage there until the pain goes away.

Did You Know?

A massage, performed by a loved one, helps relieve back pain effectively.

Treating back pain is not all hot baths and massages. The best is to look at solutions and ways that can help you prevent back pain before it starts.