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Lower Back Pain and Seven Herbal Remedies

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HERBSBillions of dollars spent every year in U.S. alone on a treatment of lower back. Even more money lost on a productivity. Elderly people are more prone to have lower back pain due to the loss of elasticity of soft tissue surrounding the spine. Younger generation is too busy at work and often times experience lower back pain as well due to prolonged sitting at their desks. There many different pills, supplements, pain relievers, and many other substances that can help relief the pain.

However, many people choose not to take pain relief medicine that contains chemicals and artificial ingredients. Instead, lower back sufferers choose herbal and home remedies. From doctor’s point of view it is not a solution to a sprain/strain injury, or overuse injury. However, these remedies can provide some temporary relief and there are no side effects, unlike NSAIDs. Below is the list of some herbal treatments that can provide lower back pain relief.

1. Combination of concoction of turmeric, some ginger and garlic in a small amount warm water can be used for massaging the painful area. Ginger’s aroma will penetrate a skin layer and will help to relax the muscles of the effected area. This method can be used every day, and it is totally safe without any side effects.

2. Boiling ginger and drinking its juice is a good relief for back pain and sore throat. Keeping it hot and steaming will both help. The warm water that goes to your body helps alleviate lower back pain.

3. Vegetables must be an important part of your diet. Sulty and fatty foods must be avoided at all times. Lower back pain relief can only be achieved by proper monitoring of your diet and daily activities. When in pain, it is always recommended to first try home remedies before taking all sorts of pain killers. If both failed, contact your local Chiropractor.

4. Get into soft diet. Constipation can contribute to lower back pain. Make sure you detoxify daily by eating food rich in fiber. It is one good treatment for lower back pain relief. Here is a list:

Legumes & Lentils: Dried beans, peas and other legumes including baked beans, kidney beans, split peas, dried limas, garbanzos, lentils, pinto beans and black beans. Green beans, snap beans, pole beans, lima beans and broad beans. Dried fruit such as figs, apricots and dates. Fruits like raspberries, blackberries and strawberries, cherries, plums, pears, apples, kiwi fruit, guava, banana. Pears contain more fiber than prunes.Vegetables like Fresh or frozen green peas, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, Sweet corn, beet root, baked potato with the skin, carrot. Greens vegetables including spinach, beet greens, kale, collards, Swiss chard and turnip greens. Nuts such as almonds, Brazil nuts, peanuts, pistachios, and walnuts (Nuts are also high in fat content, read calories in nuts.). But pistachios are the lowest in calories and fat of all nuts, and a one-ounce serving has three grams of fiber. Whole wheat and barley products Rye, oats, buckwheat and cornmeal. Coconut (this is also high in saturated fat).

5. Chamomile and licorice can be boiled together to make tea. You can drink it while it’s still hot. The warm water and the natural scent these herbs produce can help tired and painful muscles to relax and be re-energized.

6. Red pepper is often avoided due to its flavor. However, if you can help it, include red pepper especially cayenne to your diet. It has an ingredient called capsaicin that is best to relax muscles. Meanwhile, there are creams that include this kind of ingredient for lower back pain relief.

7. Another effective lower back pain relief is to hydrate yourself. Make sure you drink 8 to 10 glasses of pure water everyday. Herbs like mint cool the body. You may also drink fresh fruit and vegetable juices.

Unless you have been involved in an accident or strenuous workout, common lower back pain can be treated with warm water and herbal treatments. Stress related back pain only needs to be relaxed and you will feel results in a few minutes.

If pains persist, make sure to make an appointment with your doctor. For herbal lower back pain relief also, you need not be consulted with a doctor, however, if you choose to take over the counter medicines, make sure you check with your medical doctor on what is best in relieving the pain.

Will this article make you reconsider your own health choices?  Post a comment below or share your thoughts through Facebook, Twitter or comment section below to join the conversation.

Chronic Lower Back Pain and 6 Natural Ways to Fix It

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low back painMillions of people suffer from excruciating and immobilizing lower back pain form all over the world. It almost seems like world wide epidemic. A large percentage of these people have to go to work every day and concentrate on their tasks with agonizing and boring back ache. There are many different treatments available for lower back pain varying from modern medicine to great alternative therapies.

Chronic lower back pain causes:

Cancer, Osteoarthritis, Osteoporosis, Fibromyalgia, Biomechanical Misalignments, Unbalanced Musculature are the main reasons for lower back pain. Work or sport related injuries or automobile accidents could be the serious cause of lower back pain through out people lives. It can debilitate them for a very prolonged period of time. Sometimes even minor postural abnormalities, sudden jerks or movements, improper exercises and minor falls can be the result of chronic lower back pain

Natural Ways to Counter Severe Chronic Lower Back Pain:

Change Your Posture:

The spine, same as our feet, gets the hardest job in our body as it is used in practically every movement we make and it takes pressure from other body parts such as from the neck, shoulders, head and our arms. As we walk, stand, sit, carry a heavy object or dance, our spine takes the pressure to keep our body erect but at the same time it also has to have the flexibility to make other kinds of movements while keeping our balance.One of the following can be noticed when one has a bad posture: high shoulder, a forward stooping head, a rotated trunk (torso), a hunch back, a high hip, and a side-bent neck and one of the feet will be externally or internally rotated.  Abnormal  posture can result from trauma (like a car accident or fall), repetitive movements (turning your neck towards the monitor), and certain bad postural habits  (sleeping on your stomach). READ MORE …

Get a Good Mattress:

Many patients have been asking my professional advice on which mattress they should buy. There is not a definite answer for every patient. Every single one is going to need a different one in order to get a good night sleep for years to come. Below are some tips and tricks that you can use when buying a new mattress.A mattress should provide uniform support from head to toe. If there are gaps between your body and your mattress (such as at the waist), you’re not getting the necessary support that your body requires. READ AND WATCH MORE …

Get Good Pillows:

When we expect a good night sleep, the majority of us consider mattress characteristic and features, room temperature, room illumination, and noise. Hardly ever we will think about our pillows. There are a lot of options available nowadays. It is important to know that our cervical spine alignment is an important feature of our general well being. Selecting a head support which is equally comfortable to sleep with as well as be able to improve the quality of good night sleep, has to be a necessary foundation for a good nigh sleep. READ AND WATCH MORE …

Use Legs Not Back:

Normally when we lift a weight we put great pressure on our back. Instead, keep your lower back in arched position and lift the load. Bend the knees and put the pressure on your leg muscles. An upright torso while lifting weights can always avoid the risk of chronic lower back pain. READ MORE …

Exercise Routines:

Inclusion of a strict exercise regime for 30 minutes to one hour, everyday can alleviate chronic pain and prevent the occurrence of the same. If you are suffering from chronic lower back and hip pain, it is imperative that you take the advice of a fitness expert. Only a fitness expert can help you with an exercise routine, according to your body condition and physical ability. Body alignment exercises, Bowen therapy and exclusive exercises for the lower back can strengthen the back and abdominal muscles. MORE ABOUT EXERECISES …

Choose Comfort Over Style:

Ladies today choose stylish footwear that are high-heeled like stilettos. They can definitely accentuate your presence but they can damage your back, irreparably. A sturdy shoe and flat footwear can definitely look good on you and save you from many an endless chronic lower back pain treatment. You can stop chronic lower back pain by being cautious and rational.  READ MORE …

Sciatica Pain Relief and Chiropractic Treatment

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What is Sciatica?

SCIATIC NERVE AND CHIROPRACTICSciatica is not a medical condition in itself but rather a symptom of other medical problems. It refers to the pain, numbness, tingling or weakness felt in the legs as an effect of compression or injury of the sciatic nerve.

The pain is usually felt in the buttocks, lower back or at various parts of the patient’s leg including the foot. The pain is usually severe combined with weakness of the muscles as well as numbness and tingling sensation. This condition is usually felt only on one side of the patient’s body.

Treatment Options

The treatment for the symptoms depends on the problems that cause the symptoms. Sciatica can be caused by spinal disc hernia, spinal stenosis, pregnancy, piriformis syndrome and many other conditions. What’s important is that the patient gets a proper diagnosis of his or her problem in order to get the right treatment.

Treatments for this condition vary from taking pain medications to surgery. Anti-inflammatory medications and paracetamol are taken to relieve the pain experienced by the patient. If this isn’t enough, narcotics can also be used especially if the pain is already severe.  Steroid injections provide short-term relief and benefits as well. Acupuncture, physical therapy, massage therapy and chiropractic care are also great treatment for sciatica. Some also benefit from yoga sessions and weight loss to reduce the pressure on the nerve roots of the spine.

Chiropractic treatment

Sciatica is treatable by chiropractic care and most of the time, it responds positively after spinal adjustments on the patient’s lower lumbar vertebrae as well as on the sacroillac joints. Some types of nerve irritation respond much faster while some takes a little while depending on the severity of the case and especially if the symptoms are already chronic.

A type of sciatica that is very difficult to deal with even for a chiropractor is when there is an actual herniation of the patient’s intervebral disc. This causes extreme pain that even taking narcotics and analgesics won’t give enough relief for the patient.

Before considering a chiropractic treatment to aid in your symptoms, you must know that most spinal adjustments done can only provide you with short-term relief to pain. It really depends on what causes the symptoms of nerve irritation and you must consult with your health professional regarding the matter. Your local chiropractor would tell you if your problem that results to sciatica symptoms can be improved through chiropractic care.

The best way to get real pain relief the pain in this condition is to relieve the sciatic nerve of the pressure. Correcting the root of the problem is the best solution in order to completely recover from the injury. If you only want pain relief then it will only be a temporary solution. Finding the real source and correcting it would get rid of the symptoms for a long time. By permanently relieving pressure off the sciatic nerve is the best solution to the problem.

Question: Have you or anyone you know experienced Sciatica?  What kind of treatment have you had?

Healthy Hints For a Healthy Back

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Standing and Walking:

Try to toe straight ahead when walking; put most of your weight on your heels; hold your chest forward and elevate the front of the pelvis as if walking up an incline. Avoid wearing high heels. Stand as if you are trying to touch the ceiling with the top of yur head, eyes straight ahead. All the elements of good posture will flow from these simple maneuvers.

Sitting:

Sit on a hard-back chair with spine pushed back; try to eliminate the hollow in the lower back. If possible, elevate the knees higher than hips while in an automobile. Secretaries should adjust posture chairs accordingly. Sit all the way back in the chair with your back erect.

Lifting:

Bend your knees; squat and lift with your thigh muscles, not your back. Never bend over with your knees straight and lift with the upper torso. Move slowly and avoid sudden movements. Try to avoid lifting loads in front of you above the waste line. Avoid bending over to lift heavy objects from car trunks, as this places a strain on low back muscles

Sleeping:

Sleep on a firm mattress; a ¾ inch plywood bed board is helpful and should be used with all but a very firm orthopedic mattress. With acute back pain, sleep with a pillow or blanket rolled under the knees and a pillow under the head. Keep your knees and hips bent when sleeping on your side.

Driving:

Use a firm seat with a padded plywood or special seal support. Sit close to the wheel with knees bent. On long trips, stop every one to tow hours and walk to relieve tensions and relax muscles

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    Working:

Try to avoid fatigue caused by work requiring long standing. Flex hips and knees by occasionally placing a foot on a stool or bench. Take exercises breaks from desk work by getting up, moving around and performing a few back exercises in the standing position.

Question: Did you try these exercises? Were these exercises helpful?