Home Remedies That Will Help You To Fight Backaches

Backache is one of the most common problems that an average adult faces in his or her life. Although people of all ages can catch backache, it is most commonly seen among adults between the age group of 35 and 55 years. According to reports, nearly 80 percent of the Americans will experience lower back ache at least one time in their life time. There are quite a lot of people living with mild to moderate backache and take it as part of their life. But, if you are suffering from mild or moderate or even severe backache for a considerable period of time continuously, then it is advised that you meet a doctor or a physician to diagnose the problem and to take necessary treatments for the problems before it worsens. It is not a serious problem as other major health issues, but it can cause a lot of pain and make you feel really uncomfortable.

What Is Backache?

Backache is a medical condition where you feel stiffness or hold in your lower back area and this result in mild to severe pain and discomfort. It is not a serious medical condition, but if you have chronic or continuous discomfort or pain in your lower back, then it is advised that you get it treated by a physician or a doctor. Lumbago is the medical term for backache and it is defined to be mild or severe pain or discomfort in the lower areas of your back. You might experience sudden or severe backache known as acute backache or chronic backache that is mild to moderate pain in the lower area of your back for a considerable period of time, say two to three months. Lumbago is often seen to occur commonly in younger people who work in places where physical involvement is always needed. But, it can also be caught up by people in their retirement age. There are also chances for people to catch backaches if they are not used to lifting heavy objects.

What Are The Causes Of Backaches?

It is not possible to identify the exact cause of backache in a majority of the people suffering from this medical condition. The lumbago or lower backache can happen from different ways, either from a fall or due to lifting heavy objects or even due to wrong sitting postures. Experts believe that backaches occur depending on the way the bones, muscles and ligaments work together in the lower back area of human bodies. The aches in the lower back area of humans can be linked to

• Ligaments around spine and discs
• Discs between  the vertebrae
• Lower back muscles
• Pelvic internal organs and abdomen
• Spinal cord and its nerves
• Skin around the lumbar area
• Deformation of the natural spine curve
• Damages to skeletons due to infection or tumor
• Brittle bones

Some of the other causes of backaches are:

• Over stretching during exercises
• Sitting for long hours
• Driving for longer periods of time without a break
• Pushing , pulling and lifting heavy things improperly
• Overuse of the muscles due to rigorous workouts or repetitive movements
• Standing for longer periods
• Bending for longer periods

Risk Factors That Trigger Backaches
There are a lot of factors that are responsible for causing stiffness and muscle pull in the lower area of your back. Some of the risk factors that increase in the development of backaches in humans are:

• Stressful job that requires a lot of physical work
• Mentally stressful jobs
• Depression and anxiety
• Sedentary lifestyle
• Overweight and obesity
• Gender as backaches found to be more common in females than in men
• Excessive smoking
• Strenuous exercise not done in a proper way
• Being pregnant
• Trying different sexual positions you are not comfortable with
• Long use of medications that are known  to weaken bones

Signs And Symptoms Of Backaches

A sign is something that a doctor finds out in a patient and a symptom is one that the patient feels and informs the doctor so that he can judge what the patient’s problem is. The main symptom for backaches is of course pain in the lower back area and sometimes pain that travels all the way to your buttocks, thighs and legs. In most of the cases, the signs and symptoms for backaches clear away after a few days. But, if you any of the following signs or symptoms is there with you for a considerable period of time along with your back pain, then it is advised that you meet a doctor.

• Sudden weight loss
• Swelling at the back
• Fever and headache
• Persistent back pain
• Sleeplessness at nights due to severe back pain
• Pain down to the thighs and legs
• Peeing unintentionally
• Pain from  your back  to your toes
• Numbness around genitals, or buttocks or anus
• Limitations in bending forward or leaning back
• Joint pains
• Neck pain and stiffness
• Injury or blow to your lower back

Diagnosis Of Backaches

Most of the causes of backaches are the normal causes which do not need any medical attention or visit to the physician. Backaches would die off all by itself or can be treated with over the counter pain killers and proper self care. But, it is advised that you meet a physician or a medical practitioner if you are not able to fight the backache and if the backache never seems to subside despite taking over the counter pain killers. The doctor will carry out the necessary examination and ask you a few questions to diagnose the problem and to suggest necessary treatments to get rid of your back aches. If your backache is mild or severe, then the doctor would suggest you to carry out a lot of home remedies to get rid of the back ache and to prevent the occurrence of backaches.

Home Remedies For Backaches

Exercise

One of the best ways to prevent and reduce the backache you are suffering is to exercise. Swimming, walking and jogging will strengthen your muscles that will support your back. Some of the common exercises that you can do to strength your back muscles are:

• Wall sliding exercise
• Leg raising exercises
• Bottom lifts

Learn Correct Standing Posture

Many people do not know the correct posture of standing and this can also cause an effect on your back. It is ideal to practice correct standing posture which is standing upright with head facing forward and the back has to be kept straight. It is also important for the legs and the feet to be perfectly straight when you are standing.

Sitting Posture

Nowadays, there are a lot of people who spend hours and hours sitting together in front of the computers and TV screens.

• It is important for these people to maintain a proper sitting posture to avoid back aches.
• It is important for you to sit upright and also to provide support to your back while sitting.
• Your hips and the knees should be in level and the feet should be flat on the ground.

Sleeping Posture

A correct sleeping posture will help you to prevent backaches when you get up in the morning and is considered to be one among the many home remedies for backaches.

• Make sure that you use a mattress that is hard enough to support your body.
• The mattress should be able to provide proper support to your spine and back area and also must support your buttocks and shoulders.
• If the mattress is soft, place a hard board on the top of the bed and under the mattress to get firm back support.
• Support your head with a pillow that does not force your neck to a steep angle.

Ice The Back Area

It would be ideal for you to apply an ice pack to the area where you suffer pain within 24 hours of feeling the back. This will make sure that there is no inflammation caused due to the injury to your back and prevent the nerves from carrying the pain signals to the brain. Place ice cubes in a plastic bag and apply it on the area of the skin covered with a thin towel. Leave the pack for 20 minutes and then take it off for 30 minutes and again place it for another 20 minutes. This will help in reducing inflammation and pain.

Hot Bath

If you are suffering from backache for two to three days, then it would be ideal for you to soak your entire body in a tub of hot water for about 20 to 30 minutes. This will help in improving the elasticity of the muscles in your body and reduce the stiffness in your lower back area.

Increase Sleep

Stress and strain and lack of sleep are some of the main causes of mild to moderate backaches. It would be better for you to get sufficient rest at nights in order to relax your back muscles. One best way to reduce back spasms is to lie with your side on the bed, with knees loosened and also place a pillow between your legs. If you like to lie on your back, then you can place pillows under your knees to reduce your back ache.

Relaxation And Yoga

Muscles in your body, especially in your back area tend to tighten up when you are in a lot of emotional stress and strain. The only way to get rid of this problem is to practice yoga and relaxation techniques. Meditation, deep breathing exercises and mild yoga for your lower back is one of the perfect home remedies for backaches.

Massage The Back Area

A simple and soft massage on the affected area of your back will do the trick for you. If you have an accommodating spouse or friend or partner at home, then you can ask them to slowly knead your back muscles. This will surely provide you with relief from mild backaches.

Reduce Overweight

If you are obese or overweight, then you are easy prey for backaches. It is important for you to cut down on oily and processed foods and concentrate on more intakes of fruits and vegetables to reduce your weight. Once you reduce your weight, you will find that your backache also has gone.

Lifting Tips

Most of the people suffer from backaches due to improper lifting of objects. Make sure that you give more stress on your knees and legs when you are lifting and do not try to lift weights by stressing your back. Also, make sure that you lift the weights very close to your body to prevent it from hurting your back area.

Moving Things

It is important for you to remember this simple technique while moving heavy objects. Make sure that you only push things to the desired position and never indulge in pulling things to its position as this will put a lot of stress on your back.

Wearing Right Shoes

Shoes play an important role in providing comfort not only to your feet but also your back. Flat and thin soled shoes are prone to increase back pain. Always buy shoes that offer arch support and have soft or rubber material under the heels so that the sole absorbs the shock when you walk or run.

Eating Garlic

Consuming two or three cloves of garlic on empty stomach is considered to be the best home remedies for backaches. You can also use garlic to massage the back areas where you feel stiffer. Increasing the quantity of garlic in your foods will also help in preventing mild backaches.

Herbal Oil Massage

One of the best home remedies for back aches is to massage your back with herbal oils. Any herbal oil like coconut oil or eucalyptus oil or almond oil can be used. You need to first warm the oil and then use it to massage your back areas where you feel stress or strain. Make sure that you massage the area gently. This will help the muscles to relax and you can get good relief from our backache.

 

 

Source: GoHealthTips