5-Step Guide To Combating Back Pain Without Medicating

By Jae Y. Lim, M.D. –

Far too often when dealing with back pain, we immediately turn to medication to help remedy the symptoms which can be harmful. If you are taking NSAIDs in excess, particularly for back pain, consider the following alternatives to managing back pain.

1. SOOTHE PAIN WITH COLD/HOT TREATMENT

The majority of back pain is caused by inflammation or unnecessary strain placed on the joints and muscles surrounding the spine.

HOT THERAPY

Heat therapy serves as a muscle relaxant and stimulates healing blood flow to ailing muscles. Feel for any bulges or areas of pain. Once you’ve found the affected area, you can apply heat two ways:

1. Local fashion – heat up one area of the body using warm water bottle or a heating pad onto the affected muscle for 20-30 minutes (minor strain) or 30 minutes-2 hours (severe strain)

2. Systematic fashion – raise the temperature of the entire body systematically – spend time in a jacuzzi, steam bath, or hot shower.

COLD THERAPY

Ice is primarily used for pain relief to fresh injuries to the spine or surrounding muscles, not to treat it, and is particularly effective when the injury is fresh. In these cases you should apply an ice pack to the affected area of your spine for no more than 20 minutes.

Note: Ice should never be applied directly to your skin. If you don’t have a covered ice pack, place a towel or rag between the ice and your skin.

2. STRETCH YOUR HAMSTRINGS

Your hamstring muscles run down the back of both your legs and are connected to your pelvis. If either, or both, of these muscles are tight, they can put strain on the pelvis and limit its motion and increase the amount of pressure placed on the lower back and keep you from a correct posture, ultimately causing pain.

If you have tight hamstring muscles, make it a routine to stretch them throughout day regularly. Start by bending forward at the waist, reaching for your toes. Your knees should be about shoulder-width apart and should only bend slightly as you lean down. Stop when you start feeling the muscles in the back of your legs stretching and hold for a couple of seconds. Then, stand up and repeat those steps as many times as you are comfortable with.

3. GET MORE SLEEP

Research has shown that there is a link between sleep deprivation and the amount of pain a person feels. So the obvious answer to helping fight back pain is to get your recommended amount of sleep each night.

Most spine specialists encourage you to do your best to take pressure off the affected area of your spine. Below are two of the best ways to do that:

1. Sleep on your side with a pillow between your knees and your feet on top of each other

2. Sleep on your back with a pillow underneath your knees.

4. EXERCISE

Contrary to the belief that exercise can exacerbate back pain, there are numerous benefits that exercise has on your spinal structure. Exercise promotes the transfer of fluids between discs, which provides them with the nutrition they need to stay healthy. Additionally, it helps stretch and strengthen the muscles and tendons surrounding your spine, which increases support.  

Try a variety of low-impact exercises (activities that don’t put much pressure or pounding on the spine) and see what works best for treating your pain – walking, swimming and biking. It’s also important to note that consistency is key with exercise. The more you do it, the stronger you’ll become and the more benefits you’ll reap.

5. EAT HEALTHY

The food you eat has a direct impact on the amount of inflammation that occurs throughout your body. If you’re looking to fight back pain, you should avoid eating most processed foods including white bread, pasta, sugary drinks, chips, pastries and fast food.

Instead, try to fill your diet with natural and organic ingredient like deeply colored fruits and vegetables (carrots, sweet potatoes, cherries, watermelon, grapes and more). Additionally nuts, lean proteins (like chicken and turkey), spices (like garlic, basil, cinnamon, ginger, rosemary, curcumin, onions, oregano, and turmeric), many types of fish and tea can all have an impact in fighting inflammation.

In Conclusion

In the end, there are many ways to combat back pain without first resorting to the use of NSAIDs—you just have to know where to look and find out what specifically works for you.

Jae Y. Lim, M.D., Chief of Neurosurgery Trauma at the Reston Hospital Center in Reston, VA.