Back pain and sciatic nerve pain are unfortunately very common, and millions of people are battling with them on a daily basis all around the world.  It is estimated that 8 out of 10 Americans struggle with back pain, and it is the main cause of painkiller addiction.

In order to successfully treat it, you need to know the reason behind your back pain.

What you need to know is that lower back pain is usually triggered days or even weeks before the first symptoms, so many sufferers tend to misidentify the real cause of the issue. Some people are not even aware that it can be a result of sex, alcohol consumption, fatigue, distractions while performing physical tasks, etc.

The most common causes of chronic back pain are accidents and sports injuries, as well as inactivity, obesity, and poor posture.  In most cases, back pain resolves on its own in about a month, but you can always accelerate your recovery.

As soon as the pain appears, try to relax, and apply ice on the painful area. You can try acupuncture or chiropractic care, as well as some anti-inflammatory herbs like Boswellia, curcumin, and ginger.

As our brain remembers any pain that lasts more than a couple of minutes, so try to address your emotions, in order to stimulate the innate capacity of the body to heal itself.

Sciatic nerve pain is another serious health issue, that occurs when your sciatic nerve gets pinched in your lower back. Its symptoms can be drastically relieved with the help of stretching, especially by performing stretches like Pigeon pose, Piriformis stretch, Seated hip stretch, and Self-trigger point therapy using a tennis ball or foam roller.

The massage with a tennis ball has become a huge hit recently, as numerous sciatica sufferers claim that it is a great way to relieve the symptoms of this painful condition.

Health Ambition writes about the benefits it offers:

“Tennis ball therapy incorporates the benefits of massage, acupressure, and reflexology. Using the tennis ball tactic can help relieve muscle tension and soothe sore muscles. When it comes to sciatic pain, the tennis ball focuses on your piriformis muscle which is situated very closely to your sciatic nerve.

The weight of your body on the small tennis ball allows it to directly pinpoint certain sections of your muscles. Pressing into these pain point causes the muscle to relax and release. It can be a slightly painful but gratifying process. It’s kind of like when you get a shoulder massage and you cringe because it hurts so good. The greatest part about tennis ball therapy, aside from the pain relief, is that it’s inexpensive, easy and can be done in the comfort of your own home.”

Complete Guidelines of Body Pain explains all the steps you need to follow:

“1st step. Lie down on the tennis ball and find the painful spot in the glutes.

2nd step. Place the ball at that location.

3rd step. Relax or roll up and down your body into the ball.

The tennis ball “presses and treats trigger points in the piriformis muscle, reduces the muscle tension and rigidity, improves mobility and improves blood circulation to the area.”

Hold this position for 30-60 seconds or until you notice a significant reduction in pain. Move to the next painful spot. The total time spent on this exercise should be between 5-10 minutes.”

Sciatica can be successfully relieved with the help of various alternative treatments, such as:

• Acupuncture- it successfully relieves the symptoms of sciatica
• Yoga- it soothes the pain and symptoms of sciatica in a very short time
• Trigger point massage involves the application of firm pressure to points on the piriformis, lower back muscles, and glutes
• Chiropractic care, at least three times a week 
• Topical preparations like anti-inflammatory oils and liniments can relieve the pain when applied to the painful area
• Pilates- It lowers the risk of injuries, soothes pain, and improves body balance

Additionally, you need to maintain a proper body posture in order to avoid pain in many body areas. It is also very important to avoid sitting for longer than an hour.

Preventing Back Pain

Preventing back pain is much easier than treating it, so follow these tips in order to ensure a pain-free life:

• To strengthen the muscles of the spine, and boost your flexibility and balance, exercise at least twice a week. Try yoga and foundation training exercises.
• Mind your posture, and do not spend hours sitting down. When standing, spread the weight evenly on both legs, and do not bend over
• Try grounding, as a way to fight inflammation and relieve pain in the body
• Drink plenty of water during the day
• Optimize the levels of vitamin d and K2 in your body
• Sleep well and pay attention to the sleep position. Sleep on the side and always stretch before going to bed
• Try some effective mind-body techniques to fight stress and address psychological factors
• K-Laser treatment is another therapy option that reduces inflammation, soothes pain, and enhances tissue healing
• Avoid smoking since it lowers the blood flow to the lower spine and promotes degeneration of the spinal disks

Source: newstab.us