Around 80% of adults experience persistent symptoms of a backache at some point in their lives. Earlier back pains were associated more with age. But these days backaches are very common even with those as young as college kids.
Backaches occur these days mainly due to
- Jobs that involve sitting all day
- Not getting enough exercise
- Being overweight
- Not getting enough sleep or suffering from insomnia
- Deficiency of calcium and vitamin D
- Smoking
- Pregnancy
- Emotional/psychological stress
- Genetics
Here’s what you can do to help reduce backaches naturally without any painkillers
Sleep
Time and quality of sleep, the position of sleep as well as the mattress are all factors that are contributing to backaches. Adults need between 7-8 hrs. of sleep every day. So, make sure you are getting the required amount. Here are some natural methods that will help you sleep better.
Mattresses that you sleep on should not be too firm nor too soft. It should provide a good support to your back and you should be able to turn on the bed without any effort. I prefer the traditional cotton mattresses without the springs since they provide maximum support to the back.
Also, if you sleep on your back it puts pressure on the spine. So, elevating your legs by placing a pillow under your knees to slightly relieves this pressure on your back as you sleep.
Movement and posture
Most of us have sedentary jobs these days which demands us to be seated for a minimum of 8 hours. This along with slumped posture while sitting increases the probability of having a backache. You need a minimum 3 minutes of standing time for every 30 minutes that you sit. So, get up and go and have water instead of keeping a filled bottle at your desk. Try walking out of your desk and take your long conference calls while walking. Try going to your colleagues’ desk to discuss things instead of just calling them on the phone. These small tips will ensure that you are getting sufficient movement despite having a sedentary job.
Bad posture puts strain and stress on your back and can change the architecture of your spine. When you are at your desk, make sure you are not slouching, rounding your shoulders or tilting but sitting in an upright position. If required carry a cushion to support your back.
Diet
Having weak bones are one of the most common causes of backaches especially in women. So, keeping the bones strong is important. Foods rich in calcium and vitamin D are responsible for good bone health.
Milk, oranges, almonds, figs, Dark green leafy vegetables like broccoli, kale, drumstick, and spinach and yogurt are good sources of calcium. Fatty fish, egg yolk, mushrooms, fortified soy milk are all good sources of vitamin D
[amazon_link asins=’B015T5AKCS,B00SJ5EWMA’ template=’ProductCarousel’ store=’momsmethods-21′ marketplace=’IN’ link_id=’e26f3220-9777-11e7-845a-f501c9191d2b’]
Yoga and exercise
Certain simple yoga stretches, if included in your daily routine are very helpful in reducing and further preventing backaches. Follow the video below for a step by step tutorial
Core exercises are also beneficial in reducing backaches. A regular strength-training routine that focuses on your core muscles can help reduce your risk of back-related injuries, such as strains and muscle spasms and helps develop a stronger and more flexible spine.
Improve footwear
Often, footwear can be a major cause for backaches. So, try changing your footwear especially if the soles are very hard or shoes are not comfortable. Shoes with less than 1-inch heel are the best to prevent backaches.
Reduce Smoking
Smokers are more likely to experience back pain than nonsmokers. One reason for this is that nicotine restricts blood flow to the disks in the spine. This can cause them to dry out, crack, or rupture. Smoking also reduces the amount of oxygen in the blood, which causes a reduction in nourishment to the muscles and tendons in the back. An unhealthy, weak back is more vulnerable to accidental strains and pulls that cause back pain. (Source: http://www.healthline.com)
Try these simple changes and if the back pain still persists, visit your doctor before it becomes chronic and cannot be treated.
This post is written for #MyFriendAlexa Campaign by @blogchatter
Banner image courtesy https://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/12063802366/, www.thewisejobsearch.com, https://www.flickr.com/photos/khawkins04/5993085235/, Photo by Jakob Owens on Unsplash, https://www.omicsonline.org
27 Comments
In my case its improper sitting posture! Once its reached a stage where i had to opt for physiotherapy. From then on i started doing few back stretches as doctor advice in between and it helped a lot!
Thanks for capturing all the possible reasons and solutions. Quite informative 🙂
Amazing Tips….Most of my friends experienced backache after pregnancy …i am definitely gonna share this article with them!!!!
AllThatsMom
Lovely tips, especially for moms working from home we just do not care where and how we sit while working.
How many of these reasons I can totally blame for my persistent back ache- but mostly it would be my posture while sitting for work that I mostly blame for my back ache- thanks for these wonderful tips- i hope this really helps my back pain
Improper posture can cause a lot of back problems. But some exercises are really effective in dealing with back pain. Thanks for this informative post.
Yoga helped a lot to get rid of back-ache trouble post-pregnancy. My posture improved as well.
I really need to work on my posture. After pregnancy it got really bd. The article is wonderful and helpful for all.shall follow the tips.
I am also Fed up from my back pain. Sometimes its so much that I can’t even control . Your tips can be helpful for relieve this pain. Will try.
I am really troubled with back pain due to sitting for long hours un front of computer! This is a damn helpful post 😊
Back pain is a common problem and your tips are very useful. I have to practice standing for 3 minutes every half an hour. Loved reading it…
Great and effective tips! Back ache is quite a common problem these days!
Good tips. I am going to try them out as I am experiencing the pain on the most inconvenient days! Starting with sorting out the mattress.
Simple no no they are amazing tips for backache releif. 🙂 I am currently in a situation where I face this issue everyday I will try your tips. Thanks for sharing
This post is much needed for me and my husband as we both suffering from backache since quite a while now. Will surely follow your tips.
Sleeping position and shoes designs can help a lot I’ve been suffering from back ache and these tips surely gonna help me out
So true! Completely agree to what you say. Need to work on these
I could definitely use some of these remedies. I complain of backache often, especially given how much time I spend in front of the computer screen in one place!
I will try these tips since i suffer from chronic back pain due to slip disc. thanks alot for sharing this post
Sabeeka…u tips are so very useful and really help improve.thank you!!
Great tips especially for the workplace. I can’t do without a minimum of 2 inch heels though
Very informative, I’ve started having regular back problems post partum, hoping these help
I had no idea that smoking could be linked to the backache. I guess I’m not alone in the backache saga! Loved the tips, thanks!
I’m glad you posted this. So many people suffer from back ache silently. Lack of exercise along with bad posture is biggest cause.
You have summed each and every possible reason behind the backache. I thing proper sitting posture and little exercise daily can do wonders.
Hi Sabeeka! I suffer from upper back pain and this is so useful for me. Will try your tips and let you know how it goes. Keep writing! Love and Cheers!
Honestly I didn’t know old fashion cotton mattress were good for backache.