As a person who has dealt with lower back pain for the bulk of my life – specifically in the L1 area of my spine – I want to share with you today some of the home remedies I’ve used to treat this pain. These aren’t necessarily old fashioned style home remedies, but they are remedies you can implement at home in any case – and that means without the medical supervision of a doctor.
The first is the use of something we all know works wonders on muscle pain: massage. If you can convince a partner or a friend to give you a good body rub, this is a really great way to relief muscle pain. If you can afford it, considering hiring a professional massage therapist to come to your home and give you a professional massage. If money is a concern, you can always look for massage tools or a good chair massager. Be warned though, that improper use of these devices can sometimes only accentuate back pain! Personally I’ve found a lot of mileage in a good chair massager combined with the occasional purchase of a 60 minute full body massage.
The second home remedy that I think is of great value to those with back pain is the use of a EMS unit. That stands for Electric Muscle Stimulation. A decent electrical therapy machine for home use is rather inexpensive – you can buy one for $40 to $100! Of course you will need to know how to use one of these devices properly first before buying it, and because of that I suggest going to a chiropractic care doctor or back doctor at least 2-3 times for professional EMS treatment sessions. But really it’s rather easy once you do it a couple of times and your doctor can probably suggest a good machine for home use that you should buy. I used a TENS 7000 on and off for years and it worked very well in treating my muscle pain.
The third home remedy is something many people dismiss and that is simply that mattress you are sleeping on. I like to think of my bed as an investment. Yes, I spent a lot of money on it – in fact, it’s one of the most expensive things I own next to my car, but so much of my back’s health depends on having a mattress that properly supports me and so it is money well spent. In fact, it’s worth it 110% because you will spend more money getting your back fixed than if you simply had a proper mattress to start with in the first place!
One thing I want to mention here is that many think that a soft, foam like mattress might be the answer. Companies selling memory foam beds capitalize on this but for many people with back pain, it’s actually the exact opposite. A firm, even tough, mattress is going to be much more supporting of the spine and lumbar structure than a soft bed.
What are some treatments, activities, and remedies you’ve done in your home to help relieve the back in your back? Please leave a comment with your experiences and advice.