Does the phrase, “Ouch, my back!” sound familiar to you? If so, you certainly know what implications it might have — you can’t bend down to tie your shoes, every act of turning around makes you sigh with anger, and even your favorite chair doesn’t feel comfortable anymore. However, there’s no need to take painkillers because you can always try to deal with this pain on your own.
Stretch your glute muscles
What to do:
Sit down on the floor with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
Balancing on your buttocks, lift both legs and cross your left leg over your right one.
Grab your left foot with your right hand and your right foot with your left hand.
Bring both legs toward your body as close as possible.
Hold for 1-2 minutes, then return to the initial position and repeat on the other side.
How it works: Tight glute muscles can be one of the reasons for your back pain as they work every time you raise your body, move it forward, or lower it down. A good stretch will help release the tension in this area of your body and lessen back pain.
Relax your spine
What to do:
Sit down on the floor with your legs straight in front of you and your feet 5-10 cm apart.
Roll a towel or blanket and slide it underneath your knees.
Put a pillow on your legs, curve your spine, and bend your upper body forward until your head reaches the pillow.
Relax in this position for at least 5 minutes.
How it works: This pose will help you release the tension in your back muscles, get rid of spasms, and restore the proper alignment of your spine.
Release your psoas muscles
What to do:
Lie down on your back with your legs straight and your arms at your sides.
Slide a cushion or yoga block underneath your pelvis.
Allow your lower back to gently relax down toward the floor.
Keep lying in this position for 5 minutes.
How it works: Your psoas muscles do a lot of work to stabilize your spine. If they’re overworked or imbalanced, you can experience lower back pain.
Try an Epsom salt foot soak.
What to do:
Take a basin or bucket and fill it with hot water.
Add 1/2 cup of Epsom salt to the water and stir it properly.
Put your feet in the basin and soak them there for about 5-7 minutes.
When you take your feet out, rinse them with warm water and wrap them in a towel or blanket.
How it works: When Epsom salt dissolves in water, it breaks down into magnesium and sulfate. Magnesium is known to relax nerves and release muscle spasms. So when you soak your feet in this foot bath, your skin absorbs the relaxing ingredients which help sooth back pain.
Press on the knee back points.
What to do:
Find the points at the center of the backside of your knees.
Put firm pressure on these points with your thumbs.
Breathing deeply, keep pressing for 2-3 minutes.
How it works: Stimulating the B54 point will relax your muscles and soothe the pain in your hips and lower back caused by sciatica.
Sit on a tennis ball.
What to do:
Sit down on the floor and place a tennis ball under one of your buttocks.
Gently roll your body forward and backward on the ball until you feel the point where your pain comes from.
Keeping the ball in this area, bend the knee of the same leg and put the foot on your other knee. Place your hands on the ground behind you to maintain balance.
Rest in this position for 1-2 minutes, then switch sides.
How it works: A tennis ball massage releases the tension in your glute muscles and boosts the blood flow to your lower back.
Put a clothespin on your ear
What to do:
Take a clothespin and put it on the upper side of your ear.
Keep the clothespin on your ear for 5 seconds, then release.
Repeat 5 times with each ear.
How it works: According to reflexology, the upper-most portion of the ear is directly connected to your back and shoulders, so its stimulation can lessen the tension and pain in these areas.
Apply lavender oil.
What to do:
Take a tablespoon of coconut oil or castor oil and add a few drops of lavender essential oil to it.
Gently massage the mixture onto the painful area.
How it works: Lavender oil has anti-inflammatory and calming properties. It can also relax the muscles of your back and relieve stress.
