The good news if you suffer from low back pain: it usually regresses in a few days. In the meantime, what can be done to reduce pain without resorting to anti-inflammatories and regain mobility? Massages, osteopathy, chiropractic, plants… an update on natural solutions for back pain.
6 Tips to get rid of back pain
Summary
- Not resting
- Consult the osteopath or chiropractor
- Apply heat
- Get a massage
- Move on a big ball
- Use the harpagophytum, a beneficial plant
You bend down to lift a child or take a suitcase out of a trunk… And there, it gets stuck. Your back is blocked. “We do not know exactly what is happening at that time, says Dr. Jean-Yves Maigne, head of the physical medicine department at the Hôtel-Dieu hospital (Paris), but we have good arguments to think that there is a tear at the level of an intervertebral disc. This disc is composed of a fibrous ring which has the same structure as a ligament. During a false movement or repeated efforts, this ring can tear. It’s the same mechanism as a sprain. »
1. Not resting
No question of staying in bed, unless the pain is too sharp. Complete rest would only increase the ankylosis without solving the problem. “Also avoid sitting too long,” advises Dr. Maigne. On the contrary, it is recommended to continue your personal and professional activities, avoiding the most painful postures. Keeping moving is the best cure for low back pain, it’s also the key to recovering faster and preventing a relapse.
2. Consult the osteopath or chiropractor
“For acute low back pain, this is the right indication,” observes Dr. Maigne. For Thibault Dubois, osteopath , “these manipulations should not be painful. Some 80% of patients are relieved in one session. For others, a second session is recommended, three weeks to a month later.
3. Apply heat
A hot water bottle or a heating blanket on the painful area provides a feeling of relaxation. But, the effect is brief.
4. Get a massage
“Anyone can do it,” says Dr. Maigne. Just concentrate on the muscles on each side of the spine and perform a slow friction movement, more or less supported. »
5. Move on a big ball
We repeat: we must avoid any immobilization and maintain physical activity as much as possible. “Sitting on a large ball (to buy in sports stores), print a slight rotational movement on the ground using your feet, according to a fictitious circle of about ten centimeters in diameter, says Thibault Dubois. Soft and slow, the movement mobilizes the pelvis and relaxes the paravertebral muscles. »
6. Use the harpagophytum, a beneficial plant
Also called ” devil’s claw” , the harpagophytum has powerful anti-inflammatory properties. The World Health Organization recognizes in particular its effectiveness in relieving joint and muscle pain. To be used in gel, tablets or vials.
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Author :
Sylvie Dellus, Journalist Head of Section
Thibault Dubois, osteopath Dr Jean-Yves Maigne, rheumatologist
Updated article Sep 7, 2018
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