How to treat low back pain?
Low back pain is a very common problem that can occur at any time in life.
40% of people see a doctor for back pain and this condition is the cause of 40% of work stoppages.
Let’s take a look at what makes our back suffer so often, how to treat severe pain and what to do at home to relieve, treat and ensure muscle building, and finally what supplements can be considered to counter this recurrent ailment.
There are solutions to all ills, don’t doubt it even if you are in pain.
Contents
- 1 How to treat low back pain?
- 2 What is low back pain?
- 3 What are the symptoms of low back pain?
- 4 Lower back pain when to worry?
- 5 Low back pain, which exams to undertake?
- 6 Confusing simple back pain with chronic pain
- 7 Low back pain treatment
- 8 Chronic back pain treatment
- 9 Low back pain natural treatment
- 10 Which essential oil for back pain?
- 11 Back pain belt
- 12 What is best for back pain?
What is low back pain?
Back pain is not the result of illness, but rather the result of walking on two legs.
Our spinal structure made up of bones, ligaments, discs, joints, and nerves harmonizes perfectly to allow us to ensure a million movements.
But now and then the machine jams and causes what is called mechanical back pain.
The severity of this pain can be extreme but its intensity reflects the underlying problem.
Most people recover from back pain without special care.
However, although improvement is quickly noted, about 30% of people experience a relapse within six months and 40% in the following year.
If this is your case, you should no longer minimize this pain by considering that it is only a one-time event.
Instead, you need to understand it as a chronic vulnerability to put in place a plan of action.
You will then have to learn from people who have the same pains as you and manage to control them.
Admitting that you have a chronic condition will allow you to recognize vertebral dysfunction early on, make beneficial changes and master the basics of pain management by managing stress, ensuring restful sleep, etc.
What are the symptoms of low back pain?
There are two typical types of low back pain:
– dominant back pain
It radiates up and down the spine and affects the hips.
Some people only suffer from the back, others feel a pinching also descending in the leg but the back pain is very dominant.
It is not a permanent pain, it is sensitive to the positions and expresses itself in spasms according to the movements.
Ultimately, this dominant back pain is mild because it has no nerve or spinal cord injury.
It, therefore, does not require surgery.
– the dominant pain in the legs
It can be caused by two distinct causes:
- The first usually originates from a lumbar disc that puts pressure on the nerves in the back to go to the legs.
We speak of sciatica when it comes to nerve compression or an irritated nerve.
The pain then spreads from the buttock to the foot with sometimes pain felt in the back.
In this case, it is constant but subsides when lying down.
Sciatica often goes away without a care but can be relieved with certain medications.
- The second is a pain in the legs that occurs mostly when standing, walking, or running.
It disappears on forward flexes or just sitting up.
The pain is diffuse and the affected person notes a gradual worsening resulting in the heaviness of the legs when walking which forces him to stop.
The medical term is neurogenic claudication.
It affects people over the age of 60 and is caused by a significant narrowing of the spinal tunnel that encloses the nerves.
Lower back pain when to worry?
Lower back pain, whether brief or intermittent, is almost always mild.
But some alarming signs should prompt you to investigate further:
- A bowel or kidney change
Renal control or numbness in the groin or rectal area tends to indicate that something is pressing on the spinal nerves.
- An infection
An infection can be the cause of back pain.
You should therefore determine if you have a fever, if your immune system is not weak or if you are predisposed to urinary tract infections or others.
- A fracture
If the source of your pain is a fall or a car accident, or if you are prone to osteoporosis, you are at risk of fracture.
- Cancer
If you have had to treat cancer, particularly breast, lung, or prostate cancer and the pain is constant even when lying down or at night and persistent over weeks, if you also notice weight loss, you need to initiate follow-up very quickly.
- A specific disease
Some low back pain comes from ankylosing spondylitis.
Cases are rare but they can occur in quite young individuals (between 15 and 35 years old) suffering from chronic pain which occurs at night with stiffness in the morning for about an hour, improving with movement.
Low back pain, which exams to undertake?
If you notice any disturbing symptoms or if surgery is being considered for dominant pain in the legs, x-rays (medical imaging) may be scheduled.
But remember that less than 5 in 100 patients experience alarming symptoms.
Does this mean that an x-ray is necessary?
95% of classic low back pain recovers without treatment.
Confusing simple back pain with chronic pain
Suffering from back pain doesn’t necessarily mean chronic illness.
There are many misinterpretations of the symptoms experienced such as:
– Believing that low back pain is dangerous and can cripple you for life
– Succumb to fear and stand still when progressive movement leads to healing
– Give in to a bad mood and isolate yourself
– Thinking that the pain will go away with passive care
Massages and physiotherapy sessions are often necessary but the best treatment will always be the will to overcome what hurts by activating yourself.

Low back pain treatment
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Movement and low back pain
Until the late 1990s, doctors encouraged their patients to adopt absolute rest, even pushing them to bed rest.
Science has since shown that inertia worsens back pain.
Of course, in some cases bed rest and rest are strongly recommended, such as severe sciatica, but people who are afraid to move to accentuate their pain.
Movement is lotion and some medications can lessen sensation and reduce pain to encourage active management.
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Lower back blocked and manipulations
Some studies show the effectiveness of spinal manipulation performed by a chiropractor or osteopath.
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Massage the back
Massage or even acupuncture combined with exercise is a very beneficial active therapy.
You can also get a lumbar massage belt (#ad) to relieve pinching and acute pain by heat and vibration.
Massages should however be applied over a short time, from 8 to 10 sessions maximum, and even less if you find no benefit.
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Lower back pain exercise
Strategic exercises can be beneficial but only after the pain has subsided.
You can then consider yoga or pilates exercises to increase muscle strength.
Chronic back pain treatment
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Cognitive-behavioral therapy
Cognitive-behavioral therapy aimed at changing your way of thinking and therefore your behavior in the face of chronic pain is supported by a multidisciplinary team.
It is often used in complex diseases which do not find a solution and require gradual adaptation to a new health condition.
Low back pain natural treatment
Fighting back pain also means doing prevention to avoid relapses.
Certain supplements can be of crucial help by remineralizing and energizing the bones and muscles necessary for vertebral support.
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Fish oil benefits
We don’t always think about it but Omega 3 or fish oil can reduce the systemic inflammation that causes many ailments.
Choose a product high in EPA-DHEA like this one (#ad).
The recommended dosage is 2000mg minimum and for some patients with chronic pain up to 5000mg per day.
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Kaprex from Metagenics
Kaprex is a combination of selected herb compounds that allow modulation of the activity of kinases (enzymes), which gradually reduces inflammation and pain.
In line with Vioxx or Celebrex, Metagenics Kaprex (#ad) has the same function and the same result but without any side effects.
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Vitamin D and lower back pain
Vitamin D, the hormone that the body naturally synthesizes during sun exposure, is indicated because it contributes to bone health and muscles, prevents respiratory diseases, and improves the immune system.
It is also an excellent anti-inflammatory drug that works directly on the pain.
The recommended dosage, in this case, is 600 to 800IU per day and up to 1,000IU per day from the age of 70.
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Vitamin E capsule
There is a direct correlation between vitamin E and certain muscles, especially those involved in maintenance, alignment, mobility, and stability.
If you suffer from chronic back pain, you can benefit from the virtues of a vitamin E supplement (#ad).
Note that it is also real support for the immune system and participates in cardiovascular health.
The recommended dosage is 200 to 400IU per day, limiting yourself to a cure of 2 to 3 months per year so as not to accumulate it in your body.
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Manganese
Some studies seem to associate a relationship between manganese which is an essential nutrient for bone building and chronic lower back pain.
The lumbar spine is made up of 5 vertebrae that play a protective role in the spinal cord by absorbing shock.
With localized wear, a vertebra can put pressure on a nerve and thus trigger severe back pain.
A combination of osteopathy sessions and chelated manganese (#ad) has shown real improvement in low back pain.
The recommended dose is 20 to 30mcg per day for a course of 2 to 3 months.
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B vitamins
A deficiency of vitamin b2, b12, or b1 can be the direct cause of sciatica.
It is therefore very advisable to include a vitamin B complex (#ad) to fight peripheral neuropathy, the nerve damage associated with sciatica.
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Collagen peptides
More effective than commonly prescribed painkillers and without side effects, collagen peptides are known to significantly reduce joint inflammation.
Hydrolyzate collagen supplementation (#ad) helps induce cartilage production, accelerate joint and tendon regeneration and improve muscle strength, providing short-term relief.
Do not consider a cure longer than 6 months, studies tend to show that collagen loses its effectiveness in the long term.
The recommended dosage is 10gr per day to be diluted in a drink in the morning.
Which essential oil for back pain?
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Wintergreen essential oil
Methyl salicylate contained in wintergreen oil has an instant soothing effect on pain.
It acts on the joints with great efficiency.
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Peppermint essential oil
The refreshing peppermint brings an almost immediate analgesic effect.
Peppermint oil works directly on muscles and joints.
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Frankincense essential oil
Frankincense oil is soothing with a powerful anti-inflammatory effect while speeding up blood circulation.
It relieves pain in depth.
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Cypress essential oil
Cypress is well known to improve blood circulation and aid in tissue regeneration.
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Turmeric essential oil
Turmeric is excellent for all joint pain.
You can also find it in food supplements to fight in particular osteoarthritis.
Turmeric essential oil (#ad) contains a very active compound, curcumin, which provides a soothing effect through its anti-inflammatory action while relaxing the muscles.
You can of course use each essential oil separately diluted in vegetable oil and you can also compose your synergy by mixing them with Arnica oil which soothes inflammation to make it a massage oil.
Back pain belt
Although effective in relieving lower back pain, it is not advisable to wear it too long so as not to immobilize the affected area for a long time.
Of course, it is indicated in a critical phase, when the pain is unbearable, in the first days of the crisis.
However, remember to take it off to sleep and put it back in the morning.
It is then desirable to learn to do without it gradually to regain natural movements and not affect muscle resistance.
Choose a stiff lumbar belt (#ad) with a tendency to move up the upper back for quick relief.
What is best for back pain?
The prognosis of acute low back pain is favorable for approximately 1/3 of patients treated by medical follow-up.
But most people have to rely on their efforts to overcome this.
Over time, 90% of patients recover from severe back pain on their own.
The very first episode can be brief or last for weeks but the problem ends up resolving itself except for the low back pain with alarming signs requiring further investigation.
For these patients, learning to soften the pain without focusing on it while continuing to move may be the best solution for full recovery in a few months.
8 steps to a Pain-Free Back (#aff)
Read more:
How to relieve sciatica pain naturally?