In the U.S., back pain is the second most common form of neurological disorder, according to the National Institutes of Health. Any disorder of the body’s nervous system is considered a neurological disorder and headaches rank at the top in this category.
When you have back pain, your primary care doctor should properly assess your condition. Causes of back pain can range from mild muscle strain to a herniated disc, osteoporosis, even a tumor. Finding out the cause of the back pain is important to do to make sure you begin the correct treatment plan.
There are some natural remedies that may offer some relief for mild to moderate pain often found in the lower back. When used with conventional forms of treatment especially, these popular alternative remedies can be beneficial:
Tai Chi is ancient martial art involving slow and graceful movements along with meditation and deep breathing. Tai chi has been found to benefit people who suffer from chronic pain. There is some evidence that practicing in tai chi helps to alleviate back pain according to an Australian study. The study involved 160 participants from age 18 to 70 with chronic lower back pain. Tai chi classes lasting 40 minutes were assigned to 78 of the participants. Classes were taken twice a week for eight weeks and then reduced to once a week for two weeks. The remaining participants were assigned to continue with their normal fitness and health routines. After 10 weeks, the group that practices tai chi reported a 25 percent reduction in pain.
“Even though a 25 percent [improvement] may not seem like a big deal in general, in the pain world it is significant. What tai chi does, in my opinion, is it works with postural and body awareness. It also works on dynamic stability and core strength, which have in the past shown to decrease load in the lumbar spine,” Jennifer Solomon, MD, an assistant attending physiatrist at New York City’s Hospital for Special Surgery said.