Back Pain Relief: 8 Ways to Feel Better
Medically reviewed by Theresa Marko, PT, DPT, MSMedically reviewed by Theresa Marko, PT, DPT, MS
Finding relief for back pain and getting the appropriate treatment may depend on the cause. Back pain has various causes, including injuries, structural problems, bad posture, arthritis, and osteoporosis. Certain risk factors, such as age, excess weight, and smoking, can increase your risk for back pain.
Symptoms of back pain may include:
Increased pain with lifting and bending
Pain with resting, sitting, and standing
Back pain that improves and comes back
Stiffness, especially after periods of inactivity
Pain that radiates in the buttocks, hips, and legs
Numbness or weakness in the legs
This article explains all the ways to relieve back pain, including self-care, alternative therapies, medical treatments, surgery, and more.
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8 Tips for Back Pain Relief
Try these tips to manage back pain and other back symptoms.
Sleep With Your Spine in a Neutral Position
The best sleep positions are ones that keep the spine and head as neutral as possible. In a neutral position, the spine stays at its optimal posture with the chin up, shoulders low, back straight, knees relaxed, and hips aligned with the shoulders.
For back and neck pain, the Sleep Foundation recommends sleeping on your side with a pillow or blanket between the knees. You will want to pick a pillow with a thickness that matches the distance between the neck and shoulder, which allows the neck to stay aligned with the spine with side sleeping. The proper alignment will help prevent pain and soreness.
Maintain Your Posture
Common everyday activities like sitting at a desk for long hours, slumping over a laptop on your couch, or scrolling your phone can put stress on your spine. Research shows that a slumped sitting position is a significant source of lower back pain.
It is always a good idea to pay attention to your posture. If your shoulders start to scrunch up toward your neck or your back or if your back starts to form into a "C" shape, you will start to experience neck or back pain.
Here is how to maintain your posture:
While sitting in a desk chair, keep your head and neck directly over your trunk, relax the shoulders, and keep your feet flat on the floor.
While standing, stand straight and tall with your abdomen pulled in and your weight on the balls of your feet.
Related: Causes of Back Pain and Treatment Options
Ice and Heat
Ice and heat are easy ways to manage back pain. According to the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS), cold packs can help reduce inflammation and swelling related to back pain. On the other hand, a heating pad can increase blood flow to promote muscle and tissue healing. Both methods are safe for managing back pain.
To use ice to manage back pain, use cold compresses for 20 minutes every few hours. Avoid applying ice directly to the skin, especially along the bones of the spine. Wrap your cold pack with a dry towel.
Heat can help relax tight muscles and stiff joints. It can be applied with a commercial heating pad or a hot water bottle.
Heat and cold therapies can speed up the healing of muscle strains in the back. As soon as you injure yourself, ice your back to reduce pain and swelling. Apply ice for the first two days. Apply heat to the back on the third day for pain relief.
Slowly Start Moving Again
Healthcare providers do not recommend rest for a sore back. Research shows that restriction of activity, including bed rest, does not offer relief and might even prolong your recovery and return to normal activities.
Rather than resting, consider limiting activities that cause you pain. You can gradually increase your activity level based on your ability to handle it.
If moving is challenging, consider breaks of standing and sitting or even a little bit of movement. Research shows that any amount of movement can relieve lower back pain.
Set an alarm and get up every half hour or so to stand, stretch, or go for a short walk. Stretching from your sitting position or adjusting your sitting position can also help.
Gentle Back Stretches
Exercises that stretch the back, hip, and stomach muscles can help prevent and relieve lower back pain. These include walking, riding a stationary bike, and low-impact aerobics.
Back muscle training exercises may also help protect your back by stretching and strengthening core muscles that support the spine, including the back, abdominal, buttocks, and upper leg muscles.
The following muscle-strengthening and stretching exercises, done at least two times a week, can help reduce back pain and strengthen your back muscles:
Check with a physical therapist or healthcare provider to ensure any exercises you plan to do are safe for you given the source of the back pain and other conditions you may have.
Back Massages
Getting a massage may help relieve lower back pain. A study published in 2016 found that massage therapy was a promising treatment for chronic low back pain related to multiple causes, including osteoarthritis, scoliosis (spinal curvature), stenosis (narrowing of the spinal canal, compressing nerves), and degenerative disc disease.
Options for massage include structural or relaxation massage. Structural massage involves soft tissue techniques to address muscle and skeletal pain, while relaxation uses kneading, stroking, and circular motions to help you relax.
Manual manipulation is another back pain relief option. A physical therapist or chiropractor uses various techniques to adjust the spine to its full range of movement. Manual manipulation can help manage back, neck, or thoracic (mid-back) pain.
Pain-Relief Creams
Topical pain relief creams, ointments, gels, or patches may relieve a sore and stiff back. These products contain lidocaine, menthol, capsaicin, and camphor to cool, heat, or numb the affected back area.
Apply the topical pain reliever to the area of the back or neck that hurts. For hard-to-reach back areas, ask someone for help.
OTC Medications
There are two types of over-the-counter (OTC) oral pain relief options for managing your back pain: nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and Tylenol (acetaminophen).
NSAIDs can lower inflammation, which leads to swelling and tenderness. OTC NSAIDs include Advil and Motrin (ibuprofen), Aleve (naproxen), and aspirin. While Tylenol can relieve occasional back pain, it does not lower inflammation.
Other Tips to Reduce Back Pain Over Time
Some lifestyle changes can help improve back pain over time.
Consider Changing Your Diet
Many foods have been found to reduce or increase inflammation. The immune system creates inflammation to protect and heal the body from disease or injury. However, too much inflammation can lead to pain and other symptoms and needs to be managed.
Foods that may help bring down inflammation include:
Fatty fish like salmon, tuna, and sardines
Fruits like strawberries, blueberries, and cherries
Leafy green vegetables (spinach, kale, and collards)
Nuts, including almonds and walnuts
Olive oil
Inflammation-producing foods to avoid or limit include:
Refined carbs, including white bread and baked desserts
Fried foods
Sodas and other sugary beverages
Red meat (i.e., burgers and steaks) and processed meats (i.e., hot dogs and luncheon meat)
Margarine, shortening, and lard
Weight Loss
If you are overweight, that extra body weight may put pressure on your spine, making back pain more likely. It may also affect the disks between the vertebrae (the small bones of the spine). If you carry excess weight in the abdomen, it can affect your posture, and poor posture can lead to back pain.
Excess weight can affect any area of the back, including the cervical spine (neck), thoracic spine (upper and mid-back), lumbar spine (lower back), and the sacrum and coccyx (posterior pelvic wall and tailbone). But people who are overweight, especially in the midsection, are more likely to experience lower back pain.
Weight loss can ease inflammation and reduce pressure off the spine, which could mean less pain. If you are having difficulty losing weight, talk to a healthcare provider about your weight loss goals and treatments that may help.
Think About Your Footwear
The shoes you wear are crucial for maintaining your spine's alignment. When you get new shoes, they should feel comfortable and not pinch any part of the foot.
Try on shoes and walk around in them to feel how they feel. Never buy shoes that are too tight or loose, unsupportive or uncomfortable.
Try Workstation Changes
A proper workstation may help to reduce back and strain. The right office ergonomic equipment could mean less strain on your spine and reduced back, neck, shoulder, buttocks, hip, and leg pain.
Examples of ergonomic office equipment include:
Ergonomic chairs
Standing desks
Footrests
Wrist and keyboard supports
Anti-fatigue mats
Document holders
Monitor stands
Related: Your Home Office and Your Health
Manage or Reduce Stress
Moderate to high levels of stress have been linked to lower back pain. Fortunately, you have plenty of options for reducing stress.
Ways to manage stress include:
Regular exercise
Eating a healthy and balanced diet
Connecting with others (friends, family, or a support group)
Getting enough sleep
Quit Smoking
Research shows a significant association between cigarette smoking and back pain. Nicotine in cigarettes can weaken the spinal bones and take away vital nutrients from the discs that cushion the area between your vertebrae and spine.
If you need help to quit, let a healthcare provider know. They can provide you with treatment options and resources to help you to quit.
Related: 10 Things to Stop Doing If You Have Low Back Pain
When to Contact a Healthcare Provider
You may be able to manage back pain at home with self-care. However, sometimes, symptoms of back pain are a sign of a more severe condition, such as inflammatory arthritis, spinal fractures, infections, nerve damage, or a tumor.
Symptoms that might indicate a concerning back pain problem include:
Severe pain that makes it harder to walk or perform daily activities
Fever with back pain
Recent trauma, such as a fall or an automobile accident
Numbness or weakness in the legs
Guidance on Supplements and At-Home Treatments
Before trying any herbal supplements, consult a healthcare provider. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not regulate supplements for quality or purity, so it is essential to seek medical guidance before using supplements to manage back pain.
It is also a good idea to consult a healthcare provider before trying natural or home remedies for back pain. While these may help relieve pain and other back symptoms, they should not replace medical treatments.
Medical Treatment Options for Severe Back Pain
Severe back pain is characterized by intense pain and discomfort, often affecting the ability to perform daily activities. It can be chronic and may last months, weeks, or even years.
Back pain that is considered severe has a variety of causes, including muscle strains and injured discs. Muscle strains only cause pain in the back, but a slipped disc or bulging disc causes pain that spreads into your arm or leg.
When self-care treatments do not help manage your back pain or if the pain is severe or caused by a serious condition, your healthcare provider can recommend and prescribe additional treatments.
Physical Therapy
Physical therapy can be started within a few days of experiencing back pain. A physical therapist (a medical professional who holds a doctorate in physical therapy, DPT) can recommend exercises and other treatments to help manage your back symptoms.
In the United States, you can directly access a physical therapist without a physician's referral, although some states impose restrictions. If you have health insurance, check with your provider to see what coverage is provided and any needed preapprovals.
Prescription Pain Relievers
If OTC pain relievers are not helping to manage your back and neck pain, your healthcare provider can prescribe more potent pain relievers.
Prescription pain relief options for back pain might include:
Prescription NSAIDs like Celebrex (celecoxib), a type of COX-2 inhibitor that is thought to be safer than other NSAIDs
Muscle relaxers that act on the central nervous system to relieve pain and muscle spasms in the back and neck
Opioids that work on the nerve cell receptors to reduce pain
Related: Common Medications for Lower Back Pain Relief
Antidepressant Medications
Healthcare providers will sometimes prescribe antidepressants to manage back pain even if someone is not depressed. Types of antidepressants include serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), and tricyclics.
Spinal Injections
Spinal injections might offer pain relief when other therapies have not been helpful for back or neck pain. These drugs work by delivering medicine in a localized area of the spine.
The two most commonly used spinal injections are nerve blocks and epidural injections. Nerve blocks target specific nerves to ease symptoms. Epidurals are given in the area surrounding the nerve roots around the spinal cord to relieve inflammation and reduce back pain.
Back Surgery
Spinal surgery is considered when other therapies have failed to resolve your back pain. It might be to correct problems related to the small bones of the spine (the vertebrae) or nerve roots.
As with any surgery, back surgery comes with risks. There is also no guarantee that the surgery will eliminate your back pain and other symptoms.
Risks may include bleeding and infection. If you think you might benefit from spinal surgery, ask your healthcare provider for a referral to a spine specialist.
Acupuncture
Acupuncture is a type of traditional Chinese medicine in which thin needles are inserted into the body. The needles may trigger specific points in the body, reducing pain.
A 2021 review of 13 randomized controlled trials that investigated the effectiveness of acupuncture for managing lower back pain found that it may reduce lower back pain and improve one's ability to perform daily tasks.
The trials reported reduced pain intensity, improved ability to perform daily self-care, and reduced the need for pain medications. However, none of the trials showed improvements in function.
Talk Therapy
Talk therapy, also known as psychotherapy, is a communication-based method used to diagnose and treat concerns related to emotions and behavior patterns. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), a type of talk therapy, may help to relieve your back pain. It teaches people ways to change how they perceive and handle emotions, problems, and pain.
One 2022 meta-analysis reported in the Journal of Pain suggested that talk therapy could relieve back pain when used in combination with other back treatments. The combined approach, called multimodal therapy, had a success rate of 84% higher than standard treatment alone.
Summary
Back pain is a common health issue that can sometimes lead to limited mobility and difficulty with carrying out everyday activities. Self-care home remedies can help you to manage pain, swelling, and stiffness. Such remedies include lifestyle changes, ice and heat therapies, reducing stress, managing posture, and quitting smoking.
Movement is essential for back pain. You can incorporate exercise into your daily routine or ask your healthcare provider for a referral to physical therapy.
If at-home therapies do not help manage your back pain or if it becomes severe, contact a healthcare provider. Your provider can prescribe additional treatments, including medications. Additional therapies for back pain may include acupuncture and talk therapy.
Spinal surgery is considered when other therapies have failed. It may correct problems with the vertebrae and nerve roots.
Read the original article on Verywell Health.
