Smoking: Besides ruining just your health lungs, brain and breath, smoking also nearly triples your chances of back pain, especially if you're a woman. Reason?: The carbon monoxide in smoke forces oxygen out of your bloodstream, so muscles, ligaments, and other back supports become oxygen-deprived. Another? : Nicotine constricts blood vessels, further shrinking your oxygen and therefore nutrient supply. Need help with smoking cessation?  Try acupuncture.  My success rate with clients is 97%!  Needles not for you?  Try our homeopathic tobacco withdrawal product here.

Chronic Dehydration: Starving muscle and ligament tissue is what happens if you don't drink enough, often enough.  If you exercise, sweat profusely or eat a diet high in salt or caffeine you need MORE FLUID than others.

Slouching: That hipster slouch you may have been cultivating  (unwittingly, of course!) stresses the ligaments that stabilize the joints in your spine -- and that is almost famous for weakening abdominals and  causing back pain. Not only is it not cool it HURTS!

Couch/computer surfing: To widespread surprise, review of almost a decade of medical studies concluded that being sedentary is not linked to low back pain. But consider the side effects of doing little more than switching from keyboard to clicker and back again: gaining weight, losing muscle strength, weakening abdominals and hunching or slumping for hours at a time. Talk about a perfect scenario for back disaster. I have found that daily cardio: fast walking,  running, jogging, etc. aligns the back, and everything else,  every time. I learned this at age 18 after a serious car accident that years of physical therapy didn't even TOUCH.

Sleeping awkwardly: A bunched-up or cramped sleep position (bed too small?) fall asleep on the couch too often ? can leave your back stiff. So can sleeping on an old mattress. So can sleeping with small children or God forbid PETS.  A well-made, medium-firm mattress is worth the price, University of Oklahoma researchers discovered this: Low back pain is significantly more common among people who sleep in cheap or worn out beds.

You're Too Tired: I have observed time and time again that people with back pain are too tired, exhausted in fact.  This weakens the entire structure of the body.  Many of them are "wired and tired"  not even aware their bodies are falling apart.  This leads to weight gain, hormonal issues, and of course stress, poor posture and poor health habits which all conspire to spiral downward into even MORE back pain.

Pregnancy/Childbirth: I have noticed that many women report chronic back pain which ensued during or after their first pregnancy.  Many women become deficient in nutrients at that time and never recover until it is diagnosed and properly remedied. Often, the chronic back problems resolve when those nutrients are repleted.  I often prescribe Disc Discovery and Back Bone to support disc health in my cases.  It makes such a difference. Check out my Joint/Ortho aisle for more great products.

Lose the weight: You've heard this before. Carrying too much weight causes your body to fall out of alignment.  It also creates risks in it's attempts to realign itself as things are out of balance. 

1. Stressing out: Tense jobs cause tense muscles, which can magnify back pain. In fact, workers with the highest stress levels are five times more likely to have problems, say researchers. J. Sarno discovered this in his treatise on back pain many years ago.  When stress has you tensed up, head to toe, take some calming, muscle-relaxing deep breaths.  It takes practice so find one you like and DO IT, meditation, qi gong, yoga, etc., daily.
2. Sooooo what to Do When Your Back Is against the wall?
3. First, stay mobile, even if you just take short indoor walks. A day or two of bed rest is okay if you've had an acute sprain and are really hurting, but muscles begin to atrophy with amazing speed, which makes your back weaker and future injuries and pain more likely. These simple, proven all natural treatments will help ease your aches and get you back in action.

Hot and cold therapy: Cold packs every 20 minutes or so reduce swelling and inflammation during the first day or two. After that, the warmth of a heating pad or a hot water bottle soothes muscle tension and spasms.  Sometimes alternating heat and cold is even more effective. See what works best for you.

Epsom Salt Soak: Soaking in magnesium rich epsom salts can help loosen tight muscles quickly.  If it helps racehorses I am sure it will help you.

Pain Relief: Our natural sports and injury enzymes right here give some quick short-term relief. Just don't exceed the dosing instructions. See your doctor if your situation does not improve.

Rub-on relief: Tiger Balm , ICE and  Pain-easing ointments, gels, and creams often reduce stiffness and muscle soreness, not least because massaging them in feels soothing and increases circulation and nutrients to the area.

#back pain, back aches, pain  Photo: Courtesy MyHealthcareReviews.com

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