Posted on 4 March 2008
Disclosure: The following is not medical advice, the following are general back pain relief techniques that may or may not work for everyone. If you are experiencing any kind of back pain please visit your doctor for proper medical attention.
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Putting the entire back in a restful state results in a temporary relief from back pain
To get a temporary by quick relief from any back pain (lower, upper, left side, right side)you need to rest your entire back.
One way to effectively rest your back is to
lie down on a soft surface (cushioned matress) with your back facing the ground. In yoga terminology this position is known as
shavasan. When the body is in this position the spinal cord is
in the most relaxed state because it is horizontal to the rest of the body, and the
weight supported by the spinal cord is evenly distributed and significantly reduced.
Lying down flat with your back facing the ground puts your back in a very neutral position. If you can't lie down flat, or if your back hurts when you lie down flat the lower portion of the back may be arched, fold your knees up so that they point upwards while your feet are touching the ground (it is ok if the feet don't touch the ground), this position also puts the back in a neutral position, with less stress and more support for the lower back.
If you experience pain when you lie down check the surface of the matress. Hard or very firm matress surfaces can sometimes cause pain in the back when you lie down on them. If the matress surface is hard try adding on a few inches thick ( 2 to 4 inches) cusioned matress toppers. Or replace the matress with a matress that supports the back. Lying down on a soft cushioned surface is more effective and more comfortable than lying down on a hard surface. If the pain still continues, then visit a back specailist or check with your doctor for a specailist.
Keep lying down until your back feels relaxed, your spinal cord feels relaxed.
This technique works in most back pain cases, but may not work in chronic back pain cases.
If the back pain is severe this technique may only offer temporary relief.
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Back Massage is More Effective:
Shiatsu back massages are effective in relieving back pain.
Many malls now have shiatsu back massage stations with back massage chairs, where a massuse
performs the back massage.
You'll also find shiatsu back massage cushions which can be tied to any chair and cost less.
Then there are massaging chairs which come with built in shiatsu back massage rollers, these chairs offer better relief from back pain.
You also get hand operated back massagers, the manual ones are better than the vibrating ones, but less effective than the chair cushion massagers or the full chair massagers.
Overall shiatsu massagers offer better relief than vibrating massagers. - Spas With Back Massage Therapy Certain spas specialize in back massage therapy and they use techniques that help losen tensed muscles. They apply heated pressure pads that may be filled with aromatic herbs and oils. If the back muscles are tensed and if the heated pads are applied to the tensed area of the back then you typically won't feel any heat because of the tensed muscles. You will actually feel a sense or relief. Depending on how long you have the back pain, you may need to visit the spa service for about 5 to 10 visits or until the pain is significantly reduced.
- Visit a Chiropractor or Back Pain Specialists If you have any kind of back pain it could be due any various medical reasons. A misaligned spine, could pinch nerves that originate from the spine and that could cause back pain. Back pain could be caused from herniated disks. Visit your physician they will take and x-ray and perform all the appropriate checks to determine the cause and prescribe a solution for your back pain. A misaligned spine could also result from misaligned bones in the rest of the body, or due to a shock to the body such as that which occurs in a vehicular accident.
- Pain medications and topical solutions only offer temporary/ineffective relief Topical solutions meant for muscle pain and pain medication for nerve pain, numb the nerves and eliminate the pain only temporarily. A better solution would be to address the back pain a the root cause. This would be to properly align the spine or to correct the posture of the body. Chiropractors can do this with manual techniques or they may use equipment.
- Slouching your back in awkward positions over a long period of time.
- Bad posture
- Uncomfortable seating, chairs, chairs that don't support the back.
- Standing for long periods of time without rest or change in position.
- Lifting heavy weights from the ground, frequently, with the back arched.
- Lifting large, heavy objects.
- Obesity and pregnancy. Being overweight can put more stress on the spine, and thus would result in back pain.
- Muscle spasms
- Pinched nerves from the spinal cord.
- Minor medical conditions.
- Severe medical conditions.
- Other medical conditions.
