Chronic Back Pain and Back Spasms

We all experience pain now and again; it alerts our bodies something is wrong and the healing process should kick into high gear. But too often this healing process never really completes and the pain becomes chronic. Back pain is one of the most common forms of chronic pain, and may be caused by anything from a car accident to a work-related injury.  Our back is involved in almost every type of movement we make and suffering from chronic back pain can really impact quality of life making day-to-day activity extremely difficult.

The good news is there are lots of natural strategies for coping with this pain and back spasms and getting back to enjoying your life. Here are just a few all natural suggestions for you to get some relief.

Meditation

Oh, meditation, you just seem to be the answer to all our mental and physical problems aren’t you? In the last decade or so, research on the effects of meditation has exploded in the West, and study results are confirming what people acquainted with Eastern spiritual practices have known for years—this simple practice can do wonders for our mind and body. How is not always exactly clear. It certainly helps reduce stress, which damages our body in all sorts of ways, so that is probably one major way.

One such study on meditation and people with chronic back pain, back spasms and other forms of pain, performed in 2011, performed brain scans on volunteers while inducing pain. After learning about mindfulness meditation—which involves focusing on your breath or some other sense and accepting any thoughts that go through the mind without attachment or getting caught up—they performed the scan and pain induction when they were meditating and when they were not. When asked to rate the intensity of the pain, there was about a 40 percent drop during the meditation sessions. The meditation appeared to activate and strengthen areas of the brain associated with pain processing.

Acupuncture

Like meditation, acupuncture has been used for thousands of years to improve health; many well-designed studies conducted in the West over the years have found it helpful for a variety of conditions, from chemotherapy-induced nausea to insomnia. Research into its effects on treating back pain and back spasms with other forms of chronic pain suggests it is a legitimate treatment for such purposes. How it exactly works is not clear, but it most likely facilitates the release of chemicals that numb pain, and blocks pain signals that originate in the nerves.  It is important to meet with doctors or other practitioners who have proper training with the technique.

Supplements

Several supplements may help ease chronic back pain and back spasms. It is important to keep a few things in mind with natural supplements. First, they can take a bit of time to work their way into your system, and target the root causes of your pain. So, be patient—it can take anywhere up to two months to see results. You may need to do a bit of experimenting with different treatments as some might work for some but not for others. Here are a few supplements that have been shown to help treat chronic back pain.

First and foremost, you want to ease inflammation in your body, because where there is inflammation, there is pain.  Some you may want to try include white willow bark, fish oil, devil’s claw and turmeric.

Supplementing with vitamin D may help—low levels have been associated with back pain, and deficiency in this vitamin is actually quite common. But, before you start taking supplements, it might be a good idea to get your levels checked first by your doctor so you know how much you should be taking.

Magnesium supplements have also been found to help treat chronic low back pain—this mineral plays a large role in muscle and nerve function. Some research also suggests vitamin B12 injections may help ease chronic back pain—one such study found participants receiving the injections cut back more on pain medications compared to the placebo group.

Back Stretches and Back Exercises to Reduce Pain and Back Spasms

Another great way to solve the issues related to back pain and back spasms is through exercise, stretches and specifically using Pilates.  Here’s a great video to show you a specific routine to help with back issues:

You Tube Pilates Exercise Routine for Reducing Back Tension and Back Spasms

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Resources:

Get Rid of Back Pain Forever: Best Exercises, Treatments and Remedies to Eliminate Back and Joint Pain