3 Simple Ways to Reduce Back Pain

There are about a million different ways in which people have tried to treat chronic low back pain. Sometimes it’s successful, and many times it’s not. Perhaps you’ve tried almost every strategy presented to you and you are not seeing much improvement.

Sometimes the simplest techniques can yield the strongest results. Here are three techniques that most people haven’t tried but are extremely simple and easy to implement. Simpler is better.

Photo by Wavebreakmedia/iStock / Getty Images

1.       Get out of your shoes and walk barefoot more often.

Shoes can certainly protect your feet from the outdoors but being in shoes for most of your day can really mess with your back. Feet are your connection to the ground enabling your spine to balance on a variety of terrains. The nerves in your feet communicate with your spinal cord. Shoes create a barrier between your feet and the ground and can reduce nerve communication. Without having good information about the ground underneath you, the muscles that support your spine are not able to work as effectively. So go outside, walk barefoot, spread your toes, walk on sand or grass or anything that uses your foot. Don’t just shove them into shoes.

2.       Learn how to breathe better.

Poor breathing is all too common today. Why? Bad posture, stress, and inefficient body mechanics can all create problems with the breath. Breathing poorly can negatively effect the muscles that support the spine. Sometimes these muscles start to overwork and they become stiff. Other times, breathing muscles can get weak which also will create stiffness. While lying on your back, work on breathing deeply first into the belly, then fill your chest and rib cage with air. Your brain will get hit with a lot more oxygen and your back muscles will have an opportunity to relax. A note of advice: Filling the belly first with air then allowing the chest and rib cage to expand can be very challenging. Don’t expect perfection. Even mindfully working on your breathing, no matter your skill level, can produce great results.

3.       Move more, more often.

Physical therapy, therapeutic exercise, and exercise classes are all effective tools for getting fit and treating back pain. However, there’s no replacement for a full day of movement. You could have the best 1 hour workout or the best session with your physical therapist, but what are you doing the other 23 hours of the day? Your tissues adapt to what your body does most often. If you are sedentary, spending most of your time sitting or lying down, then your back will pay the price. It’s not about working out 10 hours a day. It’s about spending most of your waking hours moving in a variety of ways. Go outside and move; even play. Do as many physical activities as you safely can. You might feel a bit of pain when you first start, but chances are you’re back is going to feel better when your body starts doing what it was designed to do again.