Alternatives for Pain Relief

Anyone who has suffered chronic pain knows that it is a battle that is best fought on many fronts. For those who suffer ongoing serious back pain, this is no less true. For many people who have fought the battle and won, they look back on it as having been an opportunity to learn more about how to work with their own bodies and mind to stay on top of the pain and on the road to recovery.

First, it is important to understand that most lower back pain has the same root cause. Imbalances in the muscles – whether in terms of strength or flexibility – underlies most cause of lower back pain. These imbalances cause structural issues, which in turn, produce the pain. The Muscle Balance Therapy system attacks the problem at this root cause, and provides a treatment plan to restore your muscles to equilibrium.

But there are other things you can do to encourage your success in the fight against low back pain.

Nutrition 

Let’s look at the easiest first. Nutrition might seem to be completely unrelated to your back pain, but in fact, poor nutrition can frustrate your attempts to heal. The body needs a certain amount of nutrients to produce strong muscles and connective tissue, healthy organs and a sound mind. Without going into an exhaustive list of commonsense nutritional guidelines, just know that eating a balanced diet will help to produce a balanced body and a balanced mind.

Also bear in mind that if you are in pain, you body might be sending you the wrong signals with respect to food. The brain will sometimes react to pain by sending messages that encourage you to eat carb-rich foods. Fighting this impulse is important, as all the sugars associated with carbs, as well as the other health effects of eating too many carbs, will tend to work against your objective of reduced pain and good back health.

Sleep

The second is also easy: sleep. The amount and quality of sleep you get determines your overall well being, effects how food is metabolized, as well as your mood (which will affect your motivation). Sleeping on a comfortable mattress that provides adequate support is vitally important.

Other Choices

Third is a broad category that includes yoga, meditation, acupuncture and hypnotherapy. Some people are uncomfortable with these techniques, and think that they might be scams, or worse. But many scientific studies attest to their effectiveness in helping to establish balance in the mind, reduce pain, encourage good sleep and work hand in hand with good nutritional habits. Each of these methods is different, and works in different ways for different reasons.

Yoga is good for keeping the body strong and flexible. Meditation can help by helping you to control the pain signals going to your brain, as well as how you react to the pain emotionally. Acupuncture is somewhat similar, but works by stimulating various precisely defined areas of your body to produce the effect. Hypnotherapy can also help you maintain a healthy stable mood as you work through the steps of restoring your body to its needed level of balance.