Massage is one of the essentials of natural back pain relief therapies.
Massage is especially useful for back pain caused by slight sprains and strains in the muscles, or tension in the muscles, leading to back ache.
There are all different kinds of massage. It doesn’t really matter which kind you choose, so long as you feel happy with it.
It is best to choose a qualified and professional massage therapist who can give the best results for chronic back pain relief, and avoid further damage to your back.
Or, you could find a (reasonably competent!) friend, to do regular massage sessions for you.
Make your massage sessions more effective by using aromatherapy essential oils in your massage:
Use 50ml of olive oil or almond oil, and up to 15 drops of essential oils such as:
lavender (for relaxation)
eucalyptus (for muscular pain relief)
Caution: Don’t undertake a massage if your back problem might be caused by a spinal problem, or a prolapsed disc. In these cases, massage might make your back pain worse!
Chiropractic is currently thought to be one of the most effective holistic remedies for chronic back pain relief.
Chiropractic involves the manipulation and re-alignment of the vertebrae of the spine.
This helps to make sure that the spine (and the whole of the body skeleton) is all properly aligned, functioning properly, and therefore (hopefully!) pain free.
The main tool of the Alexander Technique is the posture.
Many years spent sitting or standing incorrectly tenses muscles and puts joints out of alignment. This can lead to back and joint pain.
A teacher of the Alexander Technique can show you where you are going wrong with your basic posture, and teach you correct posture and alignment for basic movements such as:
standing
sitting
walking
lifting
etc…
You should consult a qualified practitioner. Several sessions will likely be needed, and you will need to practice in between each time.
Once you have mastered the postural techniques, and are able to keep a good posture, you will find that your muscle tensions and back pain niggles will gradually disappear.
Back exercises and stretching to strengthen the muscles of the back are an excellent technique that you can try at home, to get over any back pain, and strengthen and protect your back for the future.
Here are some excellent back exercises you may wish to try for chronic back pain relief…
Simply click on an image to watch the short instructional videos…
Acupuncture works by inserting very fine needles into precise points of the body. This is said to help release energy blockages which cause pain.
Acupressure works on the same ’acupoints’, but uses massage and light pressure, rather than needles and sharp points.
Both holistic remedies have been shown to be very effective chronic back pain relief treatments, especially for relieving tension in the muscles of the back.
You should consult a qualified acupuncturist, for your treatment sessions - a series of sessions may be necessary.
A therapist may be able to show you acupoints you can massage yourself, to relieve your back pain yourself, at home.
Yoga is an excellent treatment for chronic back pain relief.
This is a physical relaxation remedy, which can help you to relax. Relaxing helps to block the pain signals to the brain.
The physical movements of yoga can also help to release tension in the muscles of the back. This can help to relieve pain in itself, and helps to make sure that the spine and joints are properly aligned.
The best yoga positions for the back are:
The Corpse Posture
The Spinal Twist
The Cat Stretch
The Cobra
See how to do all these postures with these handy, short instructional videos…
Simply click on an image to start the video player…
It is actually best to consult a qualified yoga teacher who can make sure you are doing all the movements correctly, and can show you the best movements for your particular back pain.
One survey showed that 96% of back pain sufferers reported natural back pain relief from yoga, compared to only 23% who were under the care of a neuro-surgeon. Although this could well be something to do with the seriousness of the back pain condition, it does show the yoga is a very effective therapy for chronic back pain relief.
This means that anything which makes you feel more happy and relaxed will ease your pain. Anything that makes you feel anxious, stressed or depressed will make your pain feel worse.
So, try all kinds of relaxation remedies, to make you feel calm and relaxed…
Choose the relaxation techniques which suit your personality and lifestyle best:
