Top Natural Back Pain Remedies for Holistic Relief

I have had series of injuries to my back... (okay--mainly just abused it) anyway it was recommended sometime back by a physical therapist I was seeing that following his treatment I should have regular myofascial release sessions. Today (3 years later) I went for a sesssion. I was wondering if anyone on here has experience or feedback on this technique? Also, following the session it was suggested that I take Arnica Montana-- (a homeopathy herb I was not familiar with). Anyone want to weigh in on this Topic?

My husband suffered from back pain for years. While researching he came across yoga for back pain. Now he does "Surya namaskar" yoga every morning, he has been pain free for last five years.

Hello EC supporters... I am not even 40 years old yet and I suffer from occasional back pain that my chiropractor has diagnosed as early signs of arthritis. I also suffer from chronic sciatic nerve pain in one leg. We attribute the onset to the constant sitting at work, in my car or at school at night. The first thing I did was try to get moving as much as possible and avoid the urge to sit when possible. Then I pulled up EC to find out what Ted and the rest of you were doing about your pain.

I was happy to find out the my trusty ACV with baking powder might do the trick. I immediately started on a regime of the following:
* 1 Tblsp ACV
* 6oz Boling Filtered Water
* 1/4 teasp Baking Soda (check expiration date)
* 1 teasp raw Local Honey (if possible)
* 2oz Unsweet Fruit Juice (I prefer unfiltered Apple)

Directions:

Add baking soda to boiling filtered water and let it fizzle. Once the fiz is over, add your AVC and stir. Add honey and juice (juice is optional). Stir until cool enough to drink. Sip over 30-45 min on an *empty stomach*.

It tastes really yummy!

2 weeks ago I started experiencing low back pain and pain in my sciatic nerve on my leg. The pain was horrible. I could not sit in one position for long, laying down was uncomfortable and moving from sitting/laying to standing was very painful. I made 2 visits a week to my chiropractor and he seem to make it better for a couple of hours and then I was back to lots of pain.

Like I said above, I logged onto EC and started the recipe above immediately. I started it mid-day and again at night to get the process going.

I also started walking at lunch time for about 25 mins and running again in the evenings. (Movement felt 100 x better than standing still) At first the walking and running was great until I had to go back to sitting. After 3- 4 days of moving more and drinking my ACV tea in the mornings - I started to notice a tremendous difference. I could sit and stand up without grunting and I could sit for long periods w/o getting stiff. Now 7 days later, I feel 95% better. I still get a little stiff if I don't move around at least every 20 minutes BUT I truly believe the ACV tea drink helped to resolve my pain. WHY? Only GOD in heaven and Ted knows. :-).

Other supplements I am taking:
* Evening Primerose Oil caps (2-3 /day)
* Flax Seed Oil cap (2/ day)
* Lecithin cap (2-3/ day)
* L-Lysine (2/ day)
* Tumeric/Blackpepper/Cayenne Pepper Caps (4/day)

(the tumeric caps were homemade using vegetarian capsules) - -1 cup tumeric / 1-2 Tbsp black ground pepper / 1/4 cup cayenne pepper - - mix and fill capsules. Take 4 per day with meal or beverage. It may upset an empty stomach.

Helps with so many things like, Blood pressure, inflammation, blood circulation, clear skin, diarrhea, aids digestion and cayenne helps stop a heart attack or stroke (but medical attention is still needed)

Enjoy and I look forward to your feedback!

Toodles ~

I have suffered wih back pain off & on for years. Have used various remedies on this site. I STAY in pain. My husband rubbed the coconut oil on my back and instantly the heat & pain eased up. I've had to repeat it several more times today, but the relief is aweome. Thank you to whom-ever knew the rub coconut oil on for pain and posted it! Thumbs up for coconut oil!

Hi Morgan, I can appreciate your problem. I would like to suggest you to try Magnesium Oil, it will surely help you and if possible you can mix DMSO 80% in the ratio of 50:50 with Magnesium Oil and just apply on the area where pain is. It has been used successfully and has earlier been reported on this site. Baldev

What about a castor oil pack on your back? I don't have the same issues that you have but I do have back pain from time to time and the castor oil pack and heating pad gets me back in gear. Check EC remedies for how to do it.

I have a deformed transverse vertebrae, from time to time it pinches a nerve in my low back and I am in severe pain for 1-2 weeks until I can manage to get several massages, stretch, etc. I read on this website that coconut oil works well for such a problem, so I decided to give it a try. I have used many other remedies on this site with great success, unfortunately it was not the case with the coconut oil. I purchased high quality organic coconut oil at whole foods, rubbed it very liberally on the effected area, to no avail. The pain is still very much there. At least my mom can use the coconut oil for her hypothyroidism, otherwise it would have been a complete waste of money!

in response to:

Hertsman (Feltham, Middlesex) on 07/24/2012
So many different suggestions on this thread, difficult to know what to try. So many folk talking about feet but can't find any mention of lower back pain neuropathy? The pain is awful, horrible sore pain that won't go away. I've read that r-lipoic acid is better than the standard lipoic acid. Can anyone give advice for nerve pain in lower back. Any help greatly appreciated. Thanks

After having suffered several acute lower back pain episodes and many visits to the doctor that helped little except the little releif from the strong pain killers prescribed. One night, during a really bad excruciating episode and out of desperation I took a good amount of castor oil and rubbed it on my back. Covered the area with a clean towel and lay on my stomach. The whole area felt immediately very warm and I experienced almost instant relief. It was a miracle! I was almost pain free in the morning. Even went on a 2 hour car trip to the country side and by night I was curling up by the fireplace as if nothing ever hurt. Prior to this, each episode would last for about a week. A week postrated in bed and suffering such horrific pain. Since then, whenever I get the feeling a pain attack is coming, I rub the blessed oil. I always, always carry some with me at all times. Hope this helps you. It doesn't hurt to give it a try. I suggest you read the Edgar Cayce cures using this miracle oil. Blessings!

Hello, I have a degenerative disc disease and I am taking HA remedy(500gm HA 9gm sea salt 500ml water) since 1week, my pain is reduced a bit. HOW LONG I HAVE TO TAKE THIS REMEDY TO COMPLETELY GET RID OF BACK PAIN? WILL MY BACK PAIN RETURN AFTER STOPPING THIS REMEDY?

I started on Iodine recently and have been taking evaporated milk with it to mask the taste. I have over the years been suffering with lower back pain (On and off, more off). I have not had a spasm for some time. About 2 days ago I felt the first dreaded signs of an upcoming spasm. (I am currently finishing a huge project against deadlines so under a lot of stress as well and that always goes in hand with lower back pain for me) It hit me yesterday and I was debilitated with pain. :(. I started going through the site thinking the iodine played a role. I now realize that it might be the excessive milk I have been taken. I very rarely drink milk and only have cheese occasionally. So I believe the sudden intake with the resultant excess calcium must have played a role. Any body care to comment? It will be welcomed. I will now look for the Magnesium Chloride. I have used coconut oil (Natural Hair Treatment Product) this morning and it gave me some relieve. I also made one teaspoon of turmeric with ground black pepper and halve a spoon of ginger powder in warm water with a few drops of sesame oil. I mixed a teaspoon of honey to help getting it down. I do feel some relieve but nothing dramatic.

Peace to all, Carl

I was ready to destroy you with a pissed off response, but 10-15 sec later.... whoa?!!! I don't know what is going on, or how it happens, or if it's a placebo effect, but the pain went away.

I started taking about a couple tablespoons at the start and end of the day. The pain isn't totally gone, but it dropped significantly (maybe 8 to a 4). I tried to make it hurt because I couldn't believe it, I succeeded, but it wasn't quite as painful pre coconut oil. I rubbed more on and pain dropped again. I really don't know how it works, but I'm just thankful. 10-15 seconds, I can't believe it.

I have suffered from a bad back for at least 20 yrs. I have tried everything and not until recently has anything worked as well as Magnesium Oil. You spray it on you, anywhere you like, not even the hurting parts and instantly works. If you take Calcium you have to take Magnesium as one contracts and the other expands (forget which is which) but without the other you can feel pain, headaches etc. , They put Calcium in everything these days, OJ, Milk, etc. , so it is important to take either topically or orally extra Magnesium.

I take candied ginger for sciatica, worked quickly too! I was amazed.

Hi Bustherh~I haven't tried juicing or green smoothies, but it sounds like you're onto a good thing if you're feeling good!!! Re: your sciatica pain, perhaps some time spent on an inversion board would help? I have spinal stenosis and hop on my board for just a few minutes, as often as I feel the need, and my discomfort becomes less.... I think I paid around $120 which is at the bottom of the scale of what I could have paid. Stay well ~ Linda

I don't own a juicer but I have been doing the green smoothie thing with a fairly cheap blender that I had owned for years and forgotten about. Do you guys think that a smoothie is just as beneficial as juice? I started feeling great after just a few days. I started because of severe sciatica and desperation to be rid of the pain. After about 6 weeks of more than a quart every morning I think I have cured every little ailment that I had except the sciatica.

Magnets may work for some people but I just have to add that I have been sleeping on a magnetic mat for a couple of months now which makes the bed a little more bearable just because the bed was too soft, but other than that it has done nothing for my back pain. Thank god I did not pay for it, this particular mat costs $800.

For one of the message posted by "worried wife" who used HA with water to heal her husband's back and joint pain, may I ask her how much her husband takes on a daily basis? She wrote "1tb 2X a day", but how does she take the "1tb"? In how much water? I have degenerative disc for the last 20 years and tried Ted's remedy without obvious improvement. Just want to try something different if it is successful with other people. Is there any way for me to contact her? thanks!

Similarily I suffer from poor posture from over 20 years of hunched over computer work. The solution is unfortunately not a quick fix but steps can be taken to improve the condition over time with lifestyle changes. In addition to the above recommendations I would add yoga to your weekly practice.. If you can't find a local class there are online programs and videos to help you, but a skilled yoga practitioner could give you some corrective poses. (be cautious however as many yoga poses are in fact too extreme & unnecessary) Simply placing a yoga mat near your work area (I work out of home) and taking frequent breaks by just lying on your back and doing some simple exercises and breathing can help break your routine of hunching over at the computer. Making something routine is key in correcting this... I purchased a simple chin up bar... Placing near or on the bathroom door.. And ever time I use the bathroom I give myself a body stretch... Not necessary to do a chinup but just to grab onto it and release my weight enough to stretch my spine.. In addition to the above nutrition tips I would add Natto.. (if you can enjoy its unusual consitency) In Japan it is often eaten for breakfast... (I have it with eggs when I eat them)..

here is a link about yoga & dowagers hump:

http://www.parentgiving.com/elder-care/dump-the-dowagers-hump/

& about Natto & osteopenia

http://www.osteopenia3.com/Natto-Osteopenia.html

Check for B12 levels, methylcobalamin in sublingual drops is good.. Adelle Davis ascribed bent over posture in older people caused by b12 deficiencies. Happens to vegetarians as they don't eat red meat. You can check out the relationship between b12 and stooped posture on internet.

Humped, hunched over upper backs tend to be inherited in my family. I also have slight scoliosis of my upper spine which doesn't help matters much.

Below are the things that I have found to be of help for it, and for the spine in general.

Things to research using:

• 1) Inversion table
• 2) Foam roller
• Both are great for stretching out the spine.
• 3) Orthotic inserts for your shoes.
• RE: Back brace. I asked my Dr. if a back brace might be of help when they found the scoliosis, but he said at *my* age it would not. sigh. Braces are for the younger crowd. ;)
• Supplements to Research:
• 1) Magnesium Citrate 400 mg day
• 2) Boron 3 to 6 mg a day
• 3) D3 - 5,000 iu minimum a day
• 4) Zinc - 15mg day
• 5) Calcium - not daily, perhaps every other day at 600 mg. This is only if you do not eat vegetables or dairy. If you eat a lot of either, no calcium supplement. See Teds thoughts on Calcium on Earth Clinic. Supplements are usually NOT needed.
• 6) Vitamin C - 1,000mg x 4 a day or to bowel tolerance (as with Magnesium, you WILL know if you have had too much! Start with less, work up to more).

I am 51 now, and my hump doesn't seem to have progressed in the past decade, it is holding at a slight outward curve.

When I see elderly women very hunched over, it just looks so painful. Julia Child had a pronounced back hump also. Running off subject here, so will close by saying....

Good Luck! Carly

With a dowagers hump, think fascia. I'd look into Rolfing, as well as Facial Stretch Therapy as possible solutions.

I had a headache and nausea at work. A coworker (who used to work in a chiropractor's office) gave me a massage. He said I had a dowager's hump- probably due to my being hunched over while working on my computer. I can feel the hump and was wondering how if there was a natural remedy to get rid of it.

I am going to be taking vitamin D3 daily and add calcium and magnesium as well. I had been diagnosed with osteopenia a couple of years ago. But my doctor never really explained anything about it to me. I just had an annual exam and she just reviewed my lab results and that's it. I need to find a new doctor, but in the mean time I want to get rid of this hump at the base of my neck.

Any feedback would be appreciated.

Thank you, Barbara

Thank you everyone for your great advice! Since my original post, my husband has been wearing a lumbar/back support belt and focusing on correcting his posture. This has helped incredibly! I am still trying to get him to follow the supplements you suggest, but he hates taking pills. Today we bought him a pilates balance ball and an elastic pilates band. I have done pilates this way for awhile now, and he's going to start doing it with me. We've been doing some yoga with the WiiFit in the mean time, and this has also helped. We have also switched him to some properly fitting supportive shoes (he used to wear slip-ons all the time).

Next week we start the Daniel Fast, and I'm hoping a little fasting and gentle cleansing will also help his condition. We walked through IKEA today for a couple hours and he's in pain now, but I think walking on the cement floors was the problem. I'll keep you posted, and thanks for all your help!!!

Hi Sophie, Walking is the exercise of choice. Someone we knew had surgery many years ago, being trained in an associate field he agreed that surgery was the way to go. Today he regrets that decision as he did not know that whilst the surgery was a fantastic help it did not last long as it created more pressure on the next disc up so in the end he has had another three done and now lives in constant debilitating pain.

I received minor injuries to my lower back and it was going ok mostly. Then a serious injury occurred - cortisone injections (hip & sciatica relief), backbrace to walk for some months. Life went on with lower back pain. Some years later I was being treated for lower back & neck pain with Chiropractic Care (the type where you go twice a week then once a week etc till your dollars dwindle and then you stay on monthly visits) so I changed Chiropractor to and old fashioned type (I go when I need to). This guy got my earlier xray results complete with the written report and I found out that the previous guy neglected to tell me of the serious degeneration of my lumber discs. Never get degenerated discs manipulated, you can massage the surrounding muscles.

So the following are things that I did, I'm sorry I cannot pinpoint what worked as it was about 3 years later my new xrays showed such a massive improvement to almost non existent.

Dr Joel Wallach's arthritis treatment - 30 mls colloidal minerals per 100 lb body weight plus either chicken cartilage or gelatine and vit c. This is for 3 months, thereafter 5 -10mls a day.

Extra Protein - (I have since read that it occurres more in high carb diets) I was having a minimum of 60 grams a day trying for 80-100. I think Adele Davis recommended higher amounts for healing the body. I found that a very hard shift. 1 egg is only 6 grams and 100 grams red meat is about 20-24g of protein. If you combine grains with pulses or nuts with seeds you also get complete proteins.

Magnesium (epsom salts); Kelp tablets; Silica (via horsetail herb caps); Selenium and some Zinc (not everyday); Sunshine on exposed skin, as much as possible. Change from table salt to grey and himalayan salt.

I now realize that iodine and selenium are needed for bone health, iodine for me was in the salt, kelp & C. Minerals. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17490897

I would nowadays definitely add Turmeric - turns out we were having that at the time in our curries. Plus Boswellia Serrata is something I would use. Boswellian cream is good for pain relief I have found. All the best.

Hi Sophie, If possible try pilates to strengthen the core muscles & it should help a lot & tell your husband to cut out all starches in any form & junk food. Do an internal cleanse & liver flushes at least 6-8, info on net.

Check out the Hyluronic Acid (HA) threads - especially the ones by "Alfred"

Sophie, Magnet Therapy is very good for conditions as this. I use a Magnet "belt" on a daily bases for my aches & pains.

Hello EarthClinic! My husband has been diagnosed with a collapsed disc in his lower back. It is causing him mild-moderate pain, and is not too far gone. The Dr. wants him to start epidural steroid injections and possibly surgery, but I suggested he not do this and pursue natural healing. He is only 27! I checked out the herniated disc page on EarthClinic, but there wasn't much there.

My husband is 6'5" and does have a "Buddha Belly" that is aggravating the condition and that he wants to reduce, but he isn't sure what type of exercise is best for this disc condition. He is also taking fish oil (for cartilage) and turmeric (for inflammation/pain) capsules daily. Any other suggestions of what can help rebuild his cartilage and reduce his pain? Would a Daniel Fast or Apple Fast be of benefit? He is hesitant to drink ACV, but is willing to apply it topically.

Thanks everyone! Any guidance would be great. The traditional Dr. isn't helping at all!

I think he means touching that spot 100 x's a day, by reaching down touching and coming back up and repeating, hopefully in a fluid and body aware motion (not bouncing the upper body up and down) The "tapping" these people are referring to for lymphatic flushing, is not the same thing... That works, but is not what he's talking about I think. YES your back muscles would so get stronger doing this - if you do as he said, just a little bit a time, small measurements in high quantity, a very good and conscious way to build the 'erector spinae' muscles. It's similar to an exercise called "Good Mornings" which you can do without weights (until you're strong enough to.)

My holistic chiropractor told me to use the ACV for my painful back stiffness and after several days the stiffness was gone.

I healed my tailbone pain (or was it pain of the disk between the tailbone and spine) with McKenzie method, but this exercize is also popular in many systems of stretching. You lie on your belly, place your palms on the floor or bed at the level of your head, and you rise your body using your hands. You will feel lower back area straightening. You can adjust your hands to reach painful spot precisely.

If it's too strong for you, start lightly. After some practice you can add one move to strenghten this - when you are in upmost position, breath air out of your stomach and lungs.

Do it 10 times every 2 hours for 2 weeks, than allow some time for regeneration.

I don't believe that it's because of muscles, they don't suddenly become strong. As Teresa said, it's because of unlocking lymphatics, or because of fixing misplaced disks.

I have had back pain for several years, of course sometimes worse than others. I was just looking through ec and ran across coconut oil for back pain. Mine is constant enough I toss and turn all night, and can't sit in same position for more than few minutes. I thought why not try the co even though I was skeptical I really had nothing to lose. I applied to my lower back before bed and sure enough pain eased off tremendously, probably 70-80%, I couldn't believe it. Next three nights I applied coconut oil before bed and I haven't tossed and turned at all. I don't know why it worked for me and am curious as to how. I don't know long term results but am definitley satisfied with the short term.

Popular Reader Recipes and Suggestions for Back Pain

Apple Cider Vinegar

• 2 teaspoons* Apple Cider Vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon Baking Soda (optional, improves taste)
• 8 oz. Water

* Some readers report excellent results using 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar.

Coconut Oil

• Rub a quarter-sized amount of coconut oil on area of pain

Jason, Look for a "Nucca" chiroprator in your area. They focus on your your head/neck Atlas. The first check they do is a leg length check. Google this and it will make sense. It worked for me!

My body has been totally out of balance. I went to a Neuromuscular Osteopath and they noticed my hips were off... Which I knew but never mentioned anything about leg length. I had broken my leg over a decade ago and I kept saying that my legs don't feel the same size throughout the years. I thought it was all in my head and becuase I didn't exercise or do the right PT to heal the muscles/liagments/tendons. I told people here and there but never go a real "test" to what was going on. Anyway I had lower back pain for years, couldn't sleep well, and had knee pain. I just felt like a marionette doll!!! Shoulder pain, neck pain, back pain, facial pain, everything was out of whack.

Anyway I read Earthclinic all the time and said maybe it is REAL. I saw the heel lift comment and ordered one immediately. Actually I ordered two version waiting to get them in the mail. Then I thought I'd just use what I have around the house. So I got a couple of kitchen sponges put them in my shoes and BOOM! By the next days things settled down a little. I cannot wait until I get my heel lifts.... I think they will really help realign things along with yoga, etc. Geez!!!! To think that ALL THESE years I had been walking weird and things were so bad for no reason.

Thank you for all the folks who post on this site.

QUESTION: What is the best doctor to get an official diagnosis so I know how many mm my legs are off and that can help me monitor the realignment of things? Osteopath? Chiro? MD? I hate the endless search for "specialist" who don't know much about anything! :)

Best, JMC