Relieving Back Pain Naturally
Back pain is a common problem today, whether it is from a pulled muscle, muscle spasm, pinched nerve, or slipped or herniated disc. While many people opt to utilize over-the-counter pain relievers, such as Advil or Ibuprofen to relieve back pain, several herbs may be just as effective at relieving back pain naturally. In fact, medical and herbal remedies for back pain aim to reduce pain and inflammation.
Valerian
Valerian root is one herbal remedy for back pain. Valerian can help ease overworked back muscles and reduce muscle spasms. In fact, in an animal study, it was discovered valerian relaxed smooth muscles, which helped them heal faster. Additionally, valerian can help you get to sleep despite your back pain as valerian root is also used as a sedative.
The book, The Doctors Book of Herbal Home Remedies, recommends you take two 250mg capsules of valerian four times a day to relieve back pain and help your muscles heal.
Turmeric
Turmeric is another herbal remedy for back pain. Turmeric contains an active ingredient known as curcumin, which acts as an anti-inflammatory for our bodies. Anti-inflammatory agents help reduce muscle pain. It is recommended you take 400mg of turmeric in capsule form each day to relieve back pain.
Cayenne
Some creams on the market contain red pepper or cayenne, which stimulates endorphins, our bodies natural painkillers. Additionally, cayenne contains an active ingredient known as capsaicin, which interferes with substance P, our body’s pain messenger, leading to reduced pain.
It is important to note you will not get relief from the first application of a cream containing capsaicin, so do not be discouraged when you do not experience relief after one application of the cream. You should look for a cream containing 0.075-0.025% capsaicin to relieve back pain, and apply the cream to your hurting back three to four times a day as needed. You may use cayenne and capsaicin safely over a long period of time.
Willow
In the 1800s, willow was utilized to manufacture aspirin; however, taking willow will not cause stomach problems the way aspirin might, so it is safer to ingest for pain. The Doctors Book of Herbal Home Remedies recommends taking one to two capsules of willow three times a day to relieve back pain.
Rosemary, Peppermint, and Lavender
You can obtain pain relief by making a massage oil containing four drops each of peppermint, rosemary, and lavender and ½ ounce of safflower oil. Rubbing the oil into your back will help reduce the pain you feel. The oils will also act as anti-inflammatory agents and aid in reducing muscle spasms. Inhaling the aroma of these oils also helps reduce stress and anxiety, which in turn helps lower the amount of pain you feel as stress tends to make pain worse.
The next time you experience back pain, try some of these herbal remedies if you would rather not take over-the-counter medication to relieve your pain.
Source:
The Doctors Book of Herbal Home Remedies: Cure Yourself With Nature’s Most Powerful Healing Agents, Produced by Varro E. Tyler Ph.D.
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3 Comments
Write a Comment»Excellent! I forwarded this blog post to my friend who could use some of the advice that you gave! Thanks again!
These are all great nutritional suggestions, and I use most of them. Another terrific source of natural pain relief for backs is MSM. While there is not a lot of scientific research that has been done on the supplement, there is a tremendous amount of anecdotal evidence from people like me — whose pain levels have decreased dramatically since beginning to use it. I also have found that Feldenkrais and qi gong are terrific movement-based programs for natural pain relief.
Oops! I was trying to be all high-tech and create a hyperlink, but it didn’t work. Here is the link to the article I wrote about how MSM has greatly reduced my pain — in my back and elsewhere. http://dancingwithpain.com/effects-of-nutrition/