5 Ways to Ditch Chronic Back Pain

Disclosure: This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. All opinions are mine alone. #StopPainNow #CollectiveBias

I can’t even remember how long I’ve had back pain. I’m sure it must have started when I was pregnant with my first daughter and then proceeded to get worse in the other two pregnancies. Combine that with carrying around 3 kids for years, my horrible posture, and the fact that I work from home, I had to figure out how to ditch the chronic pain before it overwhelmed and debilitated me permanently.

I am way too busy to have to suffer with this. I don’t have time to focus on the pain. My husband has always had back pain as well and he carries heavy video equipment around for a living. We knew this just couldn’t go on any longer and we didn’t want to wake up in the morning dreading having to get ourselves out of bed.

I decided to do some research and figure out how we can not just tolerate the pain, but really overcome it. I’ve learned so much that I want to share. So here are my discoveries and ways you can alleviate back pain.

5 Ways to Alleviate Back Pain

1. Check your posture. I’m pretty sure I’ve never had good posture. I was the one everyone was always telling to straighten up and not be so hunched over. My husband tells me this almost every day. I’m not sure how this started, but I honestly have to make an effort each day to stand up straight. This isn’t an easy one to overcome because having poor posture means you can have everything from neck pain to back pain to headaches to shoulder pain… you get what I’m saying.

It’s a vicious cycle because when your back hurts, you tend to hunch since straightening it hurts even worse. So you are really just making it all worse and it is SO frustrating. You really have to make an effort every day to straighten up. The good thing about this is that it will probably make you look taller and thinner. Win- win!

Tip: To check if you have good posture, stand against a wall with your rear end, shoulders and head touching the wall. Your feet should be slightly away from the wall, not up against it. If the space from your back to the wall (and your neck to the wall) is more than 2 inches, you might have a posture problem.

2. Where are you sitting? I work from home, but this could go for everyone who sits at a job all day. I am one of those people who love to sit in bed with my laptop and work. It is SO bad for you. There is absolutely no support on my back. I also like to sit on the couch and that is just as bad. My dining room chairs are all wood and will kill my back and legs if I sit there for longer than a meal. I actually do have a desk but I rarely use it because it’s kind of tucked away in a dark room. So, one of the things I did was create a way to lessen the stress on my neck and back no matter where I decide to sit and work.a space in my bedroom at my vanity table so I could work there but also have the back support. I can’t stress how much sitting up straight and having that support makes a difference.

I’m sure you’ve seen these back rests around. You can pick them up from home stores or warehouse stores and they aren’t too expensive. It’s not the ideal for helping your back, but it does take some of the strain off if you absolutely have to sit in bed and work. I also drag it out to the couch sometimes when I’m working from there. They are much sturdier than regular pillows that you have to keep propping up behind you.

If you are sitting at a desk, please make sure you either have an ergonomically correct desk chair or at the very least, a chair with a high back. Those of us who sit a lot know that we tend to lose track of time and forget how long we really sit. I’ve started working and 3 hours later realized I haven’t moved.

Tip: Set your phone alarm to go off every 20 minutes. Get up and stretch. Touch your toes, bend your knees. Then go ahead and keep working. You will feel SO much better and your body will thank you.

3. Are you sleeping? A few years ago we were really complaining that we just couldn’t get a good night’s sleep and the back pain was really bad. We decided to invest in a memory foam mattress and it has been a huge life-saver. Not every memory foam mattress will work for every person, but when my kids were all ready for big girl beds, purchasing a top-notch and supportive mattress was a priority for us. Along with a great mattress, having a great pillow is also going to relieve a lot of the pain. The position of your neck will determine how much stress is on your spine. I went back and forth between wanting a flat pillow and wanting a huge, fluffy pillow. Turns out, I kind of needed something in between that would support my neck. I purchased one of those cooling gel pillows and I sleep through the night again.

Tip: If you are waking up at night often, chances are it’s your body’s way of telling you that you aren’t comfortable. I get really hot at night so I tend to kick off the covers. Therefore, even when it’s really cold out, I try and wear cooler pajamas. If you get cold at night, try an extra blanket. Turn the fan on, block out the light, do whatever you need to be comfortable. Lack of sleep isn’t going to do anything to help your pain.

4. Exercise. I know… I hate it too. But there are a few exercises that are especially focused on strengthening your back and you will be so happy you tried them.

These are some good ones for back pain especially:

• Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Raise one knee into your chest, then do the other one. Go back and forth. I try and do these at least 4 times each.
• Lie on your back, again with your knees bent and rotate them to the left and then to the right. Hold each turn for about 10 seconds. Love this one.
• Get on your hands and knees and do the cat stretch. Just like a cat, you will want to arch your back, hold it for a few seconds and then push your tummy towards the floor in the opposite direction. This is awesome when your back is just killing you and you really need to stretch it out.

Tip: I also love doing a little weight training. I feel like when I’m stronger and my muscles are toned, my pain tends to subside. I use 5 lb weights but you can use whatever you feel works for you.

5. Find a great pain supplement. Seriously! Nobody should ever have to live with pain. While you are making adjustments to your lifestyle, it’s perfectly okay to want to take something. Curamin® Extra Strength 60 Count, has become my lifesaver. It is a dietary supplement that I found in Sprouts when I was stocking up on my weekly produce run. The first time I tried these I was really in a bad way. I had done something where I pinched my back and I literally could barely stand up straight. I am a huge skeptic when it comes to pain relievers but I downed 3 pills and went to bed. By morning my pain was gone. Not just a little bit… but G.O.N.E.

Have you heard of Curamin® Stop Pain Now? I’ve seen it around but didn’t realize what a treasure it is. Curamin is the #1 selling brand of pain relief. It is a safe, effective, non-addictive herbal formula. I’m not an over-the-counter pain relief type of person because I’m always worried about side effects. I feel much better taking an herbal formula and now that I know how well it works, I’d be lost without it. And just so you know, it is Vegan, non-GMO, and Kosher. You can take up to 3 tablets a day, either all at once or one pill three times a day.

Focusing more on my posture, supporting my back when I work, and keeping my Curamin handy has definitely made me much happier. No one should have to suffer through chronic back pain.

I’ve already recommended Curamin to some friends and I hope you’ll give it a try. You can find Curamin at health food stores nationwide. Check out this store list and see if you have a retailer near you.