As we technologically progress, our lives have gotten more comfortable. But with this comfort, our lives, both personal and professional, have become sedentary. Except for a few jobs that require moderate activity, most of the jobs today are done by sitting on a desk. Official statistics by the Centre for Diseases Control has stated that sedentary lifestyle has risen by over 70% since the 1970’s. And with the advent of technology that facilitates doorstep deliveries of even groceries, most of our daily activity has been reduced to a minimum.(Read: Remedies for menstruation pain)
With this lifestyle, a lot of health complications come hand in hand. Chronic back pain due to sitting at the desk for hours on end, type-2 diabetes, obesity and even serious cardiovascular diseases. We will talk about the back-pain aspect in this article and how we can make sure we can resolve the problem right at home, without it flaring into a life-threatening condition.
Some home remedies – both medicinal and exercises-based for back pain are –
1. Get one of the lumbar supports for your chair at the office or for at home. They are cheap and very effective.
Most of the back pain stories among us are started due to bad posture while sitting on a chair. Or sitting on a chair with inadequate back support. This results in habitual bad posture – which in turn leads to back pain.
Lumbar mesh supports are removable accessories for chairs. They force you to sit upright – strengthening your back and also provides good support to your lower back. And as you use them regularly, your posture will automatically improve, correcting your back pain over time. (Read: Remedies for cellulite)
2. Practice core exercises to make your core strong and take away all the stress from your back muscles.
Most of the back problems start because the core muscles and the back muscles are weak due to sedentary lifestyles. A strong core is like a counter to all the stress you face on your back. A strong core means that there are less chances of an injury to your lower back.
Core exercises include sit-ups, crunches and planks. For all the yoga enthusiasts, asanas like Navasana and Marjaryasana can improve your core strength and alleviate your back pain.
3. Give your back hot and cold therapy
First keep a hot water bottle against the affected area for 2-3 minutes and then remove that and put an ice pack at the same spot for the same time. Alternate the steps for about 10 minutes. Hot and cold treatments are used by professional athletes all over the world to accelerate injury recovery.(Read: Remedies for Dark under arms)
4. Ask a friend or a family member to give you a light massage with medicinal oil.
Most of us cannot afford professional masseurs. But light massage can be given by anyone and does not require a thorough education of technique. Use medicinal oils such as eucalyptus, olive or even normal coconut oil to massage gently over the area. Heating the oil will provide extra relief. Regular massages increase circulation over the affected area and thus help in fast recovery.
5. Use a good mattress and pillow that suits your sleeping posture. And use them well to get enough sleep!
Sleep is extremely important in the restorative process of the body. Today’s workaholic lifestyle may glorify hard work and less sleep but recent research states that not getting enough sleep is almost as bad as smoking cigarettes a day. (Read: Remedies to grow tall)
6. Even if you do get enough sleep, choose a good mattress to sleep on. With the advent of technology, there is a vast variety of mattresses to choose from in the market. Ditto with pillows. Too soft and too hard are bad for you. Choose a mattress that supports your spine well during sleep. This will aid in healing your back during sleep.Check out this best place to buy a mattress provided by MyBestMattress.com if you considering to purchase a new one.
7. A nice warm soak with Epsom salt.
Epsom salt, or Magnesium Sulphate is an excellent anti-inflammatory agent. Take 1-2 cups of Epsom salt and add it to a bucket of water. Soak your back in this water for half an hour. Do it thrice a week to reduce the swelling in your back.
8. Eat a diet rich in vitamins and calcium. Eat food rich in Vitamin b12 if you are a vegetarian.
Eat your green vegetables and drink your milk – just like your mom advised you to eat since your childhood. Milk is also an anti-inflammatory agent. It also has calcium that strengthens bones. Green vegetables contain important vitamins and antioxidants that help in tissue repair.
Another issue that plagues vegetarians is the deficiency in Vitamin B12 in their diet. Vitamin B12 is very important in tissue repair. Many vegetarians face this because they do not consume meat and eggs. But you can get it from mil products – especially cheese, yoghurt, and paneer.
Now that you know the remedies to relive your back pain, defeat the problem and start being active and energetic again!
