The Grapevine
Lower Back Pain Relief: 4 New Products That Ease The Strain
Feb 15, 2016 By Justin Caba@jcaba33
As we get older, our risk for lower back pain grows. On average, 80 percent of adults experience some form of lower back pain due to a mixture of physical inactivity, weight gain, and a job that is conducive to a sedentary lifestyle. Lower back pain is not only a problem for people in the workforce, but for employers too: Around one-third of all work-related disabilities are tied to lower back pain.
“Although lower back pain can result from the normal aging process, our lifestyle can sometimes trigger it or make it worse,” Dr. Kaixuan Liu, who is fellowship-trained in minimally invasive spine surgery, told Medical Daily. “Many everyday activities we do without thinking can make a huge difference to our lower spine health.”
There are options for preventing lower back pain, and there are even certainsex positions that can alleviate it. However, if you’re not a fan of pain medication like me and you also don’t want to go out of pocket to pay a chiropractor, then there are other options for managing lower back pain. Whether it’s acute lower back pain that can last around six weeks, or chronic lower back pain which can last up to three months, there’s no reason to sit there and stew in it.
Here are four relatively inexpensive products that anyone can use to reduce their lower back pain. Click “Slideshow” to see which products made our list.
Foam Roller: Muscle pain and soreness is often attributed to adhesion. The combination of superficial fascia — soft connective tissue just below the skin — and underlying muscle tissue is called the myofascia system. Although they are part of the same system, they are not supposed to stick together. This is called adhesion, and its why many athletes suffer from restricted movement.
Myofascial release — a massaging technique in which pressure is gently applied to soft tissue and traction is applied to fascia — results in the softening and eventual release of the fascia and the breakdown of adhesion. Myofascial pain is caused by “trigger points,” commonly known as knots, so locating them and applying pressure is the goal of this therapy.
When it comes to myofascial release, we have two options; an actual massage therapist or a personal foam roller. The average foam roller costs $15 on Amazon and it will pay for itself in one session.
Tru-Align Body System: Thanks to overuse, constant sitting, and even smartphone, tablet, and computer use, a lot of people suffer from poor posture. Over time, poor posture can throw off the alignment of our spine, lower our energy output, and cut off circulation. The best way to avoid spinal curvatures is by never slumping or slouching and always practicing good posture. Doing so is a lot more difficult for most adults due to heavy lifting, sitting for too long, and aging.
The only way to avoid poor posture and future problems with spinal alignment is by finding positions that put the smallest amount of stress on the muscles and ligaments that support the spine. Achieving a completely straight spine is impossible seeing as most of us are born with three natural curves to our spine. As ridiculous as the Tru-Align body system may look, using it for 20 minutes a day can alleviate pain and stiffness from your hamstrings all the way up to your shoulders.
InstaShiatsu: This little beauty has become my own personal masseuse that travels everywhere with me. Shiatsu is a Japanese word meaning “finger pressure.” The shiatsu massage is a Japanese massage based off traditional Chinese medicine. The point of a shiatsu massage is to locate specific pressure points around the body and stimulate them.
Nothing beats a trip to the spa and shiatsu massage from a certified masseuse, but shelling out that much money every time our lower back pain acts up is clearly not in the cards for some of us. The InstaShiatsu comes equipped with custom heat settings, circular shiatsu-style massagers, and adjustable pressure settings for $140.
Arnica Salve: IcyHot, Tiger Bomb, and other types of topical pain relief balms were my best friends back in my high school and college playing days. I vividly remember rubbing these gooey substances on both ankles, both knees, and my lower back after almost every game and practice. I also remember the smell of menthol and other chemicals and thinking “something in this probably isn’t good for me, but whatever.” Then in 2012, the FDA announced that using topical pain relievers can result in chemical burns.
Green Goo’s Arnica Salve serum is a 100-percent, all-natural pain relief formula that is made from herbs and essential oils as opposed to menthol and methyl salicylate. Some of its organic ingredients include olive oil, sunflower oil, arnica flowers, essential oils of rosemary, ginger, peppermint, cinnamon, and menthol crystals. This blend of ingredients mimics the heating and cooling sensation of IcyHot by stimulating nerve receptors. Applying Green Goo to affected areas can alleviate sprain, joint pain, sore muscles, strains, and inflammation.