Treat Chronic Back Pain in Natural Way

You know we love natural. That's why we're excited to have Dr. Brent Wells on our latest blog. In it are tips to alleviate pain naturally... just the way we like it. 

Your back hurts. You go to the doctor, who prescribes a bunch of painkillers and recommends surgery. You tell the doctor you want a second opinion. The second doctor recommends the same thing. There has to be a better way, right

Right.

There is a better way. The natural way. Chronic back pain can be treated by more than just prescription pain medications and invasive surgery. With the natural options, you do not have to worry about frightening side effects. Unfortunately, many of the most useful techniques and treatments for back pain are not yet approved for modern medicine.

 

Hit the heat with Bikram Yoga

Yoga studios have infiltrated nearly every community, but most of the styles of yoga do not relieve back pain the way that Bikram Yoga does. This type of yoga is practiced in a hot and humid room to loosen the muscles. The practice includes 26 postures and two breathing exercises. All of the postures are designed to work different segments of the back. And, the postures work by compressing and decompressing the spine. Just remember to follow the poses very carefully, with the right form, to avoid injury.

If you listen to the instructor and put your body into the postures the way they are described, it doesn’t take long to feel the benefits of this practice. Especially if you take classes at least twice per week.

Have you heard of the Alexander technique?

This little-known technique has proven to provide big results. It is a form of physical therapy that was studied in the United Kingdom. While conducting research on more than 500 patients with chronic low back pain, those who were treated with the Alexander technique had positive results that lasted. Researchers also found that those who participated and were treated with the Alexander technique did not need many sessions before beginning to see results.

The Alexander technique relieves back pain through a series of movements that decompress the spine and improving posture by strengthening back and core muscles. Through this work, flexibility and coordination is improved, too.

The technique is customized for each person and their back problems. Alexander teachers analyze the patient’s posture and musculoskeletal habits. The teachers look for ways to release tension in all areas of the spine using manual and verbal techniques.

Take a dip in the water

Relief from chronic back pain could be achieved by soaking in a soothing bath. A form of treatment called balneotherapy has proven to provide relief from chronic back pain and other ailments like rheumatoid arthritis. This technique relies on the natural earth and its hot water filled with sulfur and magnesium to activate the immune system. This provides relief for not only back pain but it also helps prevent illnesses.

Like the Alexander technique, researchers in Europe studied balneotherapy in Turkey, where there are spas filled with natural hot springs. They looked into the effectiveness of using sulfurous mineral water to treat chronic pain. According to the research, nearly all of the researchers had the same positive results of using balneotherapy to treat back pain. The results were much better for patients who soaked in sulfurous mineral water when compared to patients who soaked in tap water.

Chiropractors to the rescue

If you want to avoid surgery and medications, go visit Juneau's most preferred chiropractor for back pain or a chiropractor near your area because chiropractic care might be the answer to your low-back pain. This type of natural treatment has proven so successful that health insurance often covers it.

Chiropractors move the spine to bring the joints back into natural alignment. They manipulate the vertebrae through manual techniques that have been proven successful in several clinical trials. When chiropractic care is paired with exercise, especially something like Bikram Yoga, back pain relief comes quicker than it does with chiropractic care alone.

Magnesium relaxes the body

In balneotherapy, the best water includes sulfur and minerals, like magnesium. So, it is only natural that magnesium on its own can provide relief to people who suffer from back pain. Magnesium plays an important role in the body, as it keeps bones strong, maintains heart rhythm, and preserves the function of muscles and nerves.

Unfortunately, too many people have mineral deficiencies, so their bodies suffer. Adding a magnesium supplement can help relieve pain by relaxing the muscles. If you do decide to add a magnesium supplement to your diet, it is important to know the differences between the two of them. Magnesium citrate is designed to help with bowel movements, while magnesium glycinate helps with muscle relaxation.

Add vitamin D and B-12 to your regimen

Along with minerals, vitamins have been proven to aid in relieving chronic back pain, especially vitamins D and B-12. If you have low amounts of vitamin D in your body, taking it has shown to decrease low back pain. It can be helpful to get vitamin D by sitting in the sun, but this can be challenging for people who live in colder climates. So, to satisfy the body’s needs for vitamin D (and protect your skin from sun damage), supplements are helpful.

Vitamin B-12 also helps relieve pain. In fact, people who suffer from a B-12 deficiency often complain of problems like:

• Pain

• Irritability

• Memory issues

• Depression

• Numbness

• Anemia

• Infections

• Digestive disorders

Taking a B-12 supplement helps relieve all of these problems. Vitamin B-12 can be taken as an injection directly into a muscle, as well as taken as a nasal gel or a sublingual tablet.

Back pain can be treated without having to take medication and without painful surgery. Pain medications often cause more problems, like serious constipation and addiction. But, the natural treatments do not have any dangerous side effects. They may not work as quickly as taking a pill. But, with regular natural treatments, back pain does subside. However, if someone stops the treatments, back pain can return, so patients need to maintain their practices to maintain their back-pain relief.

About Dr. Brent Wells

Dr. Brent Wells, D.C. has been a chiropractor for over 20 years and has treated thousands of patients. He founded Better Health Chiropractic & Physical Rehab in Alaska in 1998 and is a proud member of the American Chiropractic Association and the American Academy of Spine Physicians. Dr. Wells is also the author of over 700 online health articles that have been featured on sites such as Dr. Axe and Lifehack. He continues his education to remain active and updated in all studies related to neurology, physical rehab, biomechanics, spine conditions, brain injury trauma, and more.