To take control of pain that is continuous in nature, following some tips for chronic back pain relief may produce effective results. Light exercise and the application of heat will do well while exercise along with the application of ice on the swollen joints will act as a natural anesthetic while increasing the blood flow. Topical pain relievers are also effective for arresting the pain according to this news item below.

Tips For Chronic Back Pain Relief

Chronic back pain is measured by duration — pain that persists for more than 3 months is considered chronic. It is often progressive and the cause can be difficult to determine.

If you’ve got pain that won’t quit, you can take the upper hand with these four steps:

 

No. 1: Hot and cold plus exercise: Physical activity may be the last thing you want to do when something hurts. But for soft tissue problems that trigger lower-back pain, for example, exercise (walking, stretching, maybe swimming) combined with 20 minutes of heat on the tender area at least twice a day pays big dividends, like cutting your need for prescription pain pills by 50 per cent and boosting the odds you’ll be back to work 50 per cent sooner.

 

Exercise and ice are a good combination for other pain triggers. For arthritis, for example, exercise can focus on strengthening muscles around the joints, relieving pressure. And ice acts as a natural anesthetic and reduces inflammation. Bonus: When ice is removed, blood flow increases, and that carries away bad things that cause inflammation.

 

No. 2: Watch your weight. Do extra pounds add to pain? Yep. Not only does every 10 pounds of excess weight put another 30-70 pounds of added pressure on your knees and feet with every step, added weight increases your odds for low-back pain, tension and migraine headaches, fibromyalgia, abdominal pain and chronic widespread pain, not to mention heart disease, cancer, dementia, impotence and skin wrinkling. The good news? Losing weight takes the pressure off.

 

No. 3: De-stress daily and meditate. Turning inward for a few quiet minutes relaxes tension (and tension makes pain feel worse). You harness the power of your brain’s alpha rhythm, a brain wave that tunes out distractions like pain. Meditation also sharpens memory. Good news, because chronic pain can take a toll on your ability to remember names, dates and where you left the car keys. Progressive muscle relaxation — tightening and then releasing your muscles slowly from toes to head — eases joint aches, inflammatory bowel disease, headaches, rheumatoid arthritis pain and even inflammatory bowel disease symptoms. And mini-meditations in which you let go of tension and let pain float away (try it for 10 minutes at a time) can do a lot to make the agony subside.

 

No. 4: Use topical pain relievers. These halt pain signals before they reach your brain, so you get relief without pills and pill side effects. (There still can be some side effects if a medicine is absorbed through your skin, so remember to drink plenty of water whether taking pills or applying lotions or creams.) Options include over-the-counter creams and prescription-only patches containing capsaicin (the same compound that gives red peppers their fiery zing), as well as prescription creams containing stronger pain drugs.

 

Read more here…

 

It probably comes as no surprise that to get substantial relief from back pain in a natural way, stretching exercises along with simple home treatments can be very helpful. If you are able to reach the area that is painful with hot and cold compresses, then you can save yourself the embarrassment of going to the doctor to be told to do the same thing.
 
Light exercises such as walking to the shops, stretching up and down, and swimming can help prevent back pain. Losing weight is an important factor that helps relieve pressure from the feet and knees, and can be an effective healer of back pain. Other tips for chronic back pain relief include de-stressing exercises that help to take the pressure of the brain and help restore the alpha rhythm. Let us use this as an excuse to get away from the children for ten minutes. Taking topical pain reliever prevents the side effects of prescription drugs available over the counter, which is better than popping pills or surgery.

This video features 10 health tips for chronic low back pain based on expert opinion presented by Dr. Nicholas Cohen, MD.

Chronic back pain can be managed to a certain extent on your own by exercising as well as by applying heat therapy – as discussed in this video by Dr. Hans Delfo.

 
To find more great information on getting rid of your back pain – grab your FREE copy of the back pain relief book The 7 Day Back Pain Cure by back expert Jesse Cannone. It is loaded with information and tips on getting back pain relief. To get your copy click Get Instant Access below.