by Lorra Garrick

Created on: May 14, 2007

Low Back Pain Natural Treatments

Mild low back pain (LBP) should not be ignored, because if symptoms are light, the patient could better tolerate the best treatment: increased exercise and specific core routines.

A major mistake to make is to stop moving. People with notable LBP may think it's best to become inert, even lie in bed all day. But the minute they get up, they'll feel more pain than ever. The patient must keep moving. This doesn't mean carry out the garbage or scrub the baseboards. Take it easy at first, but do not stop moving! Movement will keep blood circulating and the muscles warmer. Inertia will result in stiff muscles that will soon forget how to function properly.

Do what exercises you can manage. You may have to give up the heavy-duty routines, and even some lighter ones, such as crunches. But LBP should not prevent you from carefully working the middle back muscles, such as with lat-pullovers or seated rows, as long as you use perfect form. This will aid in the recovery process. Have a personal trainer review your form for feedback.

Avoid: barbell squats, inclined leg presses, seated leg presses unless with very light weight (the lower back gets stressed as you push out your legs against resistance), dead-lifts, and any over-the-head motions against resistance without back support. If any other activity causes sharp pain, avoid it.

Take a shower. Never underestimate the power of hot, surging water. If your pain is the sudden result of a wrenching strain, then wait 24 hours before applying hot water, to minimize inflammatory response. Let the shower water pound your back at full force, as hot as you can tolerate it, for 15 minutes straight. Throughout this 15 minutes, stretch your back a little. Do this three times daily. You'll experience significant improvement just after the first water session. Some pain and stiffness will always return after each session, but you'll also notice that with each session, there will be less pain to start out with.

Core-training classes. Most gyms offer classes that target the core. These include Pilates. Check them out. If the moves seem too difficult, modify them to your level. Most classes show participants how to do easy versions of each routine.

No drugs! The pharmaceutical industry is filthy rich just on LBP alone. No drug in existence helps heal LBP. Drugs will provide a false sense of healing because they mask pain. This will trick a person into performing activities that he should avoid, which could then make the problem worse. People should take an active (exercise and stretching) approach in low back recovery, rather than the passive way out with drugs.

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