10 Ways to Fight Back Pain

If you experience any form of regular back-pain, then you know how unpleasant and life interrupting it can be. Through my determination to find permanent relief from all forms of pain, I have found the following to be extremely helpful.

Note: The following ideas are of equal importance and are not listed in any particular order.

1. Lose Weight

Carrying around that extra weight can really affect back pain. Through proper diet and exercise, you should be able to see and feel the difference in as little as a week. But don't stop. Keep at it and you'll not only feel less pain, you'll have more energy, less doctors visits, and a longer lifespan.


2. Eat Healthy Food

Ever heard the expression you are what you eat. So would you rather be a dead cow or a fresh sprig of parsley? Try to eat mostly raw foods as they will aid in the healing of your pain. Let the enzymes found in living fruits and vegetable work there magic, you'll be happy you did.






3. Invest In Good Footwear

It's a wonder that in the years I spent going to the doctor for traditional medical advice, not once was footwear ever mentioned? Make sure to always invest in a good pair of shoes that's appropriate for each activity you participate in. One for walking, one for running, one for hiking, etc.

4. Stretching

It is very important to stretch. Remember the song (the back bones connected to the hip bone) well the same holds true for our muscles. One muscle that is causing pain can have a chain reaction throughout your body causing a lot of discomfort. There are various way's to stretch. My favorite for reducing back pain is inversion through the use of an inversion table.

5. Don't Sit Down For Too Long.

Whether you work in an office type setting or just watch a lot of t.v., it's important that you get up and move around about every hour or so. It doesn't take much, just a minute or two to stretch your legs and get the blood circulating.

6. Correct Bad Posture

We really don't pay much attention to this very important aspect of life. I first learned of some really great techniques after reading a book by Esther Gokhale called 8 Steps to a Pain-Free Back: Natural Posture Solutions for Pain in the Back, Neck, Shoulder, Hip, Knee, and Foot (Remember When It Didn't Hurt). This book talks about not only how to correct improper walking, standing, sitting, and laying down but why we have developed such bad habits. This book has changed my life, if I only had known about it long ago.

7. Use Ergonomic Furniture

Is the chair you sit in or the bed you lay in causing you more pain? Take time to visit stores like relax the back to find out different ways to better align yourself. There are several types of ergonomic chairs, beds, and pillows that can make a huge difference in the amount of pain you experience day to day.

8. Exercise


Believe me, I know how hard it can be to exercise when you have back pain. But the fact is that if you just lay there your not going to bounce back. Start off by taking it easy. Maybe a short walk. Then slowly build on that by adding more distance or variation to your exercises. Remember to always listen to what your body is telling you. If something feels wrong, back off and take it slow.

9. Don't Worry, Be Happy

Sometimes back pain can be accentuated by the feeling of stress or worry. Allow yourself to take time to enjoy the things that truly make you happy. Maybe it's a good book or your favorite c.d. Maybe it's a BBQ with your best friend, or going to the movies. Whatever it is that makes you happy do it. Don't dwell on negative ideas or things you can't change.

10. Get A Massage

In a perfect world we would all come home every night to a professional masseuse. Because this is not a likely scenario we need to be proactive about making sure we take care of our muscles. There are many different types of massages available for all sorts of ailments. Try to make it a priority to visit a masseuse every month. The investment you make in your own well being is easily worth it's weight in gold.