Why does my back hurt: Get tips from E-books and videos on how to stop back pain

How to Relieve Back Pain Without Drugs

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

Are you plagued with back pain? Are you the Weekend Warrior who wakes up on Monday morning with back pain or tightness? Would you rather avoid costly and sometimes dangerous prescription drugs? Try these remedies to help with your back pain.

Steps

1. Caution: Make sure your back pain is not from a major injury like a fall or a car crash. Check with your physician to rule out spinal trauma or ruptured disc. These injuries will almost always require rehabilitation.
2. Start your recovery from back pain--after you are sure that there is no major trauma--with simple basic exercises. The best and most beneficial recovery exercise for any back pain is to get out of bed or off the couch and start walking. Inactivity is clinically proven to make back pain worse! Begin your recovery program (ideally) with 30 minutes of daily walking.
3. Learn stretching for lower back pain or learn yoga to help align the joints of your body. Incorporating a daily stretching and yoga practice may help to relieve back pain. Stretching and yoga (for people in pain) are best learned from a physical therapist or yoga therapist.
4. Study tai chi to learn how to protect the spine by keeping it in an neutral position while pushing, pulling and lifting.
5. Practice relaxation and meditation every day. Numerous medical studies have shown that much back pain is caused by tightness due to mental stress! Practicing meditation allows you to relax the mind and the body and release tension that can tighten the back--causing pain.
6. Develop a daily resistance training program on a machine (or weight lifting) to improve your core (back and abdominal muscles). Before you begin and unless you are an experienced athlete, seek the advice of a certified personal trainer before you begin your resistance training program. Resistance training allows you to develop weak muscles that can cause your back to be misaligned. Using resistance training is extremely beneficial for the development of a strong torso (body core) and for relieving back pain. One of the best tools in resistance training is using a core ball during your workouts.
7. Improve your posture ! It really helps to always have your back straight. By this, I don't mean putting your back into uncomfortable or weird positions (this only worsens your back!) but learn how to have good posture all the time--whether you're standing, sitting, or even sleeping!
8. Change your outlook on life. Many times depression and loneliness can cause tension and back pain. Getting out of your normal daily routine is the trick to relieving back pain. Try volunteering one day a week for your favorite charity to change your routine. Call a local senior citizens home and ask if you can visit a couple of times a month to help out. Get involved with your local community and seek out ways to help the community. Call your local hospital and ask how you can help out. Getting involved and helping other people is a great way to develop friends and get your mind off of your problems.
9. Get a dog! Getting a pet has two benefits for relieving back pain. First, it has been medically proven that owning a pet can lower blood pressure and relieve tension. Second, having a dog means you might need to get outside and walk Fido. Dog owners tend to spend more time outdoors and receive more exercise. So grab that leash and go for a long walk.
10. Swim like a fish ! Swimming is one of the best workouts you can do for a bad back. Not only does it open up stiff and sore muscles but your heart gets a great aerobic workout too. Go to your local YMCA or health club and jump in and swim. If you can’t swim sign up for lessons. You will be swimming like a fish in no time!
11. Get a massage --it can help--but be sure you tell the massage technician about you touchy area of back pain, and what causes it to flare up.

Tips

• Always check with your physical therapist or doctor before you begin a back pain recovery program.
• Start out slow and build up!
• Always seek the help of a physical therapist or personal trainer before you start a resistance training program.
• Get help on how to stretch and how to do yoga from a yoga therapist or physical therapist.
• Do some type exercising that will strength your back muscles; walking, swimming, ...
• Walking or running on soft surfaces will not strain your back less.
• Remember to not be scared of some minor pain during your recovery program.

Warnings

• Stop immediately if you have any numbness or unexplained weakness and go to your physical therapist or doctor.
• Get a physical therapists or doctors approval before you begin a back pain recovery program.
• Never attempt to do resistance training on your own or without the supervision of a physical therapist or certified personal trainer.

Article provided by wikiHow, a wiki how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Relieve Back Pain Without Drugs. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.