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Home Cure for Back Pain

Nothing can feel more debilitating than back pain. For most, the inclination is to take to bed, wrap themselves in a hot compress and wish away the pain. About 6.5 million people each day attempt to cure an aching back with bed rest, reports the American Back Pain Association. And though rest can give muscles a chance to heal, it can also prevent them from building the strength they need to ward off future painful episodes.

  1. Exercise

    • Above all, exercise is the most recommended treatment for chronic back problems, not including nerve pain. Physical therapists stress the importance of building abdominal muscles to offset the stress the back endures. The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons recommends this move:
      1. Lie on your back with knees bent and hands resting below ribs.
      2. Tighten abdominal muscles while keeping the entire back lying as flat to the floor as possible--especially the lower back.
      3. Be sure to continue breathing steadily.
      4. Hold 5 seconds.
      5. Relax.
      6. Repeat 10 times.

    Stretching

    • Stretching is just as important to relieving back pain as exercise. There are lots of DVDs designed to teach stretching techniques that anyone can do at home. Stretching improves flexibility and circulation; it also releases pressure on the muscles. Do this move several times a day: Lay flat on the floor with legs extended straight out. Starting with the right leg, pull it toward your chest while bending it at the knee. Keeping your left leg flat against the floor while pulling your right leg against the abdomen will stretch the muscles in the lower back. Hold the pose for five to ten seconds and switch legs. Repeat two or three times.

    Posture

    • Most people don't realize the affect posture has on back pain. Those who slouch while standing or sitting in a chair for the better part of a day are more likely to have chronic back aches than those who pay attention to their posture. Sitting at a desk, one should keep their shoulders aligned with their hips. Keep feet flat on the floor, using a footrest if necessary. With shoulders back and relaxed, the spine does not bare the full weight and stress of the upper body. Most importantly, experts advise, take breaks often. Walk briskly for five minutes several times a day to keep blood circulating and prevent muscles from cramping.

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