Lower back pain is one of the leading causes of physician visits in the U.S, and mainstream medicine has finally admitted that drug therapy has been unsuccessful in treating it. Instead, new guidelines from The American College of Physicians (ACP) suggest some natural solutions for lower back pain relief that health practitioners have been using for decades.
A Natural Approach to Lower Back Pain Relief
ACP’s new guidelines were based on systematically examining randomized, controlled trials and systematic reviews published through April 2015 on non-invasive drug therapies and non-drug treatments for lower back pain.
Their guidelines offer the following three recommendations:
- For acute and sub-acute lower back pain, treat with heat, massage, and acupuncture.
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For chronic low back pain, begin with a multi-pronged natural approach incorporating exercise, acupuncture, mindfulness-based stress reduction, tai chi, yoga, motor control exercise, progressive relaxation, biofeedback, and other similar therapy modalities.
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For those suffering from chronic low back pain that have tried the above recommendations with inadequate response, consider starting with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs as first-line therapy, or tramadol or duloxetine as second-line therapy. The ACP only recommends considering opioids as a last resort.
Holistic Solutions for Lower Back Pain
Mining the mind-body connection can help reduce, resolve, and prevent low back pain. It is helpful to address several areas that are conducive to lower back pain relief:
- Mindfulness meditation: This practice involves focusing one’s awareness on the present moment and can be helpful for reducing stress, a major cause of low back pain. Recent research from Harvard showed that practicing meditation regularly for as little as eight weeks can cause beneficial physiological structural changes in the brain’s grey matter.
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Exercise: Exercise is another way to reduce lower back pain. By increasing respiration and getting blood and hormones moving through the body, it helps rid the body of unwanted toxins and strengthens muscles.
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Stretching: Simple dynamic stretches can help to relieve early morning stiffness or tightness throughout the day caused by work-related poor posture.
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Yoga: Many yoga poses can help to loosen the lower back and hips and create a flexible spine. Several instructional videos are available online, such as 6 Yoga Postures for a Strong Back and Supple Spine, Yoga Sun Salutation, and Yoga for Legs and Digestive Health.
Adopting a mindful approach to lower back pain and focusing on natural, self-treatment solutions offers harmless relief strategies. As the ACP study showed, non-drug therapies should be your first choice when treating lower back pain.
