How To Alleviate Lower Back Pain With Simple Home Remedies
If you have been living with back pain for a long time, you might be familiar with how utterly disrupting it can be. It can make it difficult to sleep, work, or lead a normal life. Lower back pain – right below the rib cage and above the hips — is among the worst types of backaches that impact the lumbar region, according to WebMD. People with lower back pain experience either sudden stabbing aches when standing up, sitting, or bending, or have a dull persistent ache for a long time.
Around 65 million people in the US currently have back pain while 16 million of those have chronic issues, according to Georgetown University Healthcare Policy Institute. Temporary lower back pain can go away on its own within a few days or weeks through self-care such as getting proper rest, taking over-the-counter pain meds, or sleeping in the correct position, reports the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS). However, if the backache goes on for three months or longer, it is termed chronic and may require special assistance and treatment. If drugs don't help, surgery may even be suggested to get rid of chronic lower back pain.
How can you relieve lower back pain at home?
According to Harvard Health Publishing, the first thing you can do is make sure you're not just lying down all day and need to keep moving. Getting sufficient bedrest is necessary if you've had an injury or a doctor recommends it. But once the treatment begins, it's ideal to start walking and performing mild pain-relieving exercises every day. It's also important to not overdo it. You could start simple with a few minutes of a daily walk, or simple yoga that helps you bend or stand/sit. WebMD suggests bridge, bird dog, and knees to chest poses among many other to alleviate lower back pain, as they target the abdominal muscles.
Some people also find relief from ice-heat therapy, according to Spine Health. This is perfect for acute or short-term back pain. First, treat the region using a cold pack and then place a heating pad to relieve stabbing aches. An electric heating pad may provide additional therapeutic effects. You might also want to consider investing in some high-quality mattresses that offer support to the lower back arch, explains Harvard Health Publishing. A mattress that is too soft or too hard can increase pressure on painful joints. The safest option is often a medium-firm surface.