Back pain like lumbago is unbearable. There are solutions to relieve it naturally. Here are the essentials.
Several remedies can help naturally relieve back pain occurred suddenly, while waiting to see a doctor.
Apply heat to the painful area
When you suffer from pain like lumbago, applying heat to the muscle area should be the first automatic action. The heat relieves and has the effect of relaxing the muscle fibers. In fact, the pain in the lower back is mainly muscular. The cold, on the other hand, has the effect of constriction. “If a patient explains that heat does not work while cold works to relieve his pain, then the pain is ligamentous.“, specifies Lise Blanchet, osteopath in Paris.
Wintergreen essential oil: essential
This oil is the one most recommended in the case of lumbago. “I recommend it 5 times a day to my patients. She has very good anti-inflammatory, analgesic, anti-oxidant and anti-edema properties, and heats up a lot“, assures the osteopath. It completely relaxes you in the moment and you can find a solution in time if you are unable to go to the osteopath or a doctor. Just one drop in the palm of your hand is enough. If thethe smell is disturbing, it is possible to put 2 to 3 drops maximum in a neutral oil before massaging the muscle area. This essential oil is to be used with caution, particularly in pregnant women, children, the people epileptics and people on medication (anticoagulant, anti-hypertensive).
Anti-inflammatory turmeric
Turmeric has anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties. On the other hand, it is not enough to ingest it when the pain is felt, you must rather integrate it into your diet on a chronic basis to benefit from its effects. It also exists in ampoule form.
A massage oil with harpagophytum
Harpagophytum is used as a massage oil and is very effective if you suffer from lumbago or for any other joint and muscle pain. Must therefore massage the painful area with this oil. People who are used to being massaged can use this oil “to prevent muscle tension”, advises Lise Blanchet.
Myrrh to sleep better
If myrrh has no anti-inflammatory effect and will not help relieve muscle pain, on the other hand, it can help to maintain a sleep rhythm despite suffering. “If I have pain, I may be uncomfortable finding a pleasant sleeping position, so I sleep less well, and this vicious circle can maintain or even increase the pain.”
Camphor essential oil against fatigue
Although we talk less about camphor essential oil, it is no less effective against back pain. His main properties are antiviral and antiseptic but it has also been found to work in cases of inflammation. “I recommend it if the patient, in addition to his lumbago, is in a period of fatigue“, specifies Lise Blanchet.
Bach flowers n°94 and 96
Bach flowers are remedies created by the physician Edward Bach in the 1930s. There are 38 flower assemblages. They are used to chronically and not for acute pain caused by moving for example. Bach Flowers Nos. 94 and 96, however, work very well for muscular and inflammatory problems. They are found in spray drops to be taken during a treatment for approximately three months. If the lumbago has a cause that is not physical but psychic (a fatigue, an accumulation), the Bach flower rescue helps to improve general condition.
Exercises: stretching and yoga to be preferred
Good exercises to avoid lumbago or during pain are stretching, stretching and yoga like child’s pose which allows you not to put tension on the rest of the body, because it can be done while remaining in bed. Stretching the piriformis muscle is a priority as well as that of the psoas. These stretches and exercises should be done as regularly as possible for prevention and to avoid accumulating muscle tension. “When you are in pain, the body still needs a little movement. Saying that you should rest by lying down is old school.”
Take the right positions every day
“Whether or not you have low back pain, you must always pay attention to its ergonomics. Know your professional environment perfectly to adapt to it and have good posture in using a spinning chair or having a computer at height if we are always static and seated”, warns the osteopath. For active people, she advises:
- know how to breathe well while carrying something heavy,
- bend your knees carefully to reach the ground,
- dress sitting and not standing in balance.
- avoid getting up suddenly from a position on your back because this causes intense contraction of the abs and weakens the lower back. You must therefore turn to the side and stand up using your arms.
When to consult?
It is not necessary do not wait before consulting a doctor or osteopath. “Some pain is temporary and it is enough to massage with heat or wintergreen essential oil. The body has a capacity for self-regulation. In this case it is not necessary to consult if the pain passes quickly. On the other hand, if the pain is stronger than usual, you should not wait for it to get worse.”
Thanks to Lise Blanchet, osteopath in Paris.