If your home treatment for back pain is to take two aspirin again and again, natural pain relief techniques can set you free from this cycle. Over-the-counter medication is effective, but may be harmful over the long term---leaving chronic sufferers out in the cold. You can use natural home treatments, some of them as often as necessary. Patients rank them as equal to or better than OTC drugs, according to the American Pain Society. Whether your muscle, joint or back pain is temporary or recurrent, you can use one or more home treatments to get relief.
Rest
Continuing to work a strained or damaged muscle, bone or joint hurts. That's your reminder to rest, according to physicians at the University of Maryland (UM) Medical Center. You can prop yourself up in bed or merely take frequent five-minute breaks; resting does nothing to increase the inflammation and the source of your discomfort. In addition to getting instant pain relief, you'll allow the affected area to heal.
Restrict
An injury or chronic pain that restricts your range of motion should be another signal to discontinue any exacerbating motions. In performing the tasks of daily living, restrict what you normally do. Put off activities that cause back pain or require you to stretch with an injured limb. Overhead reaching and carrying more than a few pounds can irritate inflamed tissue and reignite the cycle of pain. Ask a friend for help in placing only the items you need in the kitchen, bathroom and bedroom within reach.
Align
Your sitting, standing or sleep posture may be a primary or secondary cause of pain. Be conscious of your posture, especially positions that are individual habits, such as slumping in a chair or perching in front of the computer. The American Chiropractic Association suggests sitting with feet on the floor or a footrest and using a cushion or chair that provides lumbar support. Stand with knees slightly bent, not locked, and shoulders slightly back, not forward. Use a mattress of medium firmness and a pillow designed for cervical alignment. Pain relief may be gradual but permanent when you achieve proper natural alignment.
Chill
Perhaps the most effective home treatment that offers immediate pain relief is hot and cold therapy. Microwaveable gel packs are clean, efficient and reusable, and you can also chill them in the fridge. For muscle strains or tears, a chilled gel pack should be used alone, for periods of up to 20 minutes. Back pain and aching joints from osteoarthritis may respond best to 20 minutes or more of heat. UM Medical Center experts note that alternating first heat and then cold drives out cyclical inflammation to relieve pain.
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