BACK PAIN SURVIVAL GUIDE

When your back muscles are spasming in pain, it's difficult to think. The pain can become so severe, that it leaves you nauseous. In some cases, the event can go on for days, leaving a sufferer feeling as though he is recovering from a bad case of the flu.

These are my best recommendations for stopping back pain in its tracks.

FIRST
Don't ignore your pain! As soon as you start hurting, acknowledge that something is wrong and take steps to remedy the situation. Ignoring a painful back, or trying to 'work through the pain,' can lead to further injury and greater pain. This leads to more down time which will keep you away from the things you most enjoy doing or tasks that require your attention.

Use alternating cold and hot water. This gives immediate relief. Use your shower and work on it for at least 15 minutes, starting with cold and ending with cold. The longer you can keep this up, the better. This settles things down right away.

This article offers a more detailed description of this method: Remedy for Inflammatory Pain
This article explains why cold and hot applications help relieve pain: Treatment for Swollen Feet and Hands

NEXT
Keep hydrated! Drink lots of WATER! Water helps flush your system of toxins that have accumulated in your painful muscles and joints. It's easy to forget to drink when you are hurting. You may even avoihttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifd fluids thinking that it's so painful to move, you don't want a full bladder with which to contend. However, water is your friend in the journey to stop an aching back. Dehydration can even make the pain worse by leading to constipation, which can actually cause additional back pain. To determine how much water you should be drinking, read this post: Healthy Hydration -- How Much Water Should You Drink?

Add ginger to your water. Drinking ginger tea can help ease the pain. If you can't find this, a well made ginger ale can help. Ginger root helps reduce spasms and pain. Read more about ginger's properties here.
Benefits of Ginger Root

FOLLOW THROUGH
After you've reduced the pain, use a cabbage leaf wrap overnight. Seriously, put a cabbage leaf on the area and go to bed. I know it sounds strange, but you'll be amazed by how well it works. One man could barely walk with knee pain before he was willing to give this a try. His tired stiff knee felt like new after being wrapped in cabbage. Here's an article on how to use cabbage leaves: Cabbage Leaves Relieve Pain and Swelling

An additional thing you can do that can really help relieve the pain is to take a good quality cod liver oil. We like to purchase Nature's Answer, Liquid Norwegian Cod Liver Oil, Natural Lemon-Lime Flavor from iHerb as my husband doesn't care for those that taste of fish. Fish oil is a natural anti-inflammatory. Read your labels and use care in your selection. When hurting, we simply take a couple of tablespoons and repeat every 2 hours or so until the pain subsides. This works well for other inflammatory conditions as well, including things like mild allergic reactions.

DISCLAIMER: As always, use your own judgment and common sense when applying these remedies. These are methods that have worked in my own home and for others. This article presents ideas and information designed to enrich the reader. This is not offered in lieu of sound medical advice. The opinions and ideas expressed are fallible and that of the author. Readers are encouraged to be well-informed and draw their own conclusions.