Top Natural Back Pain Remedies for Holistic Relief

Multiple Remedies

Posted by Lynn (Pearlington, Ms) on 01/25/2013
★☆☆☆☆

The middle of my back, between shoulder blade and spine, started having severe pain, with dull ache and stabbing pain when I moved or did anything. My skin is almost as bad with the burning, pins and needles, and crawling sensation. I have tried chiropractor, acupunture, pulsed magnetic therapy, herbal cleansing, stretching. It has been months now and still NADA, and now my back is becoming numb. I can hardly work. I am miserable.

Multiple Remedies

Posted by Anon (Anon) on 01/25/2013

Hi, try an Epsom salt bath if you've not tried that yet. Also get a hair analysis done to see if you are very deficient in any vitamins or minerals.

Multiple Remedies

Posted by Oscar (Syracuse, New York) on 02/01/2013

Dear Lynn from Pearlington, I think it is time you see a doctor and soon. The symptoms you described could very well be the result of some condition that is effecting your spinal cord. In my opinion you need to have the sort of examination done that can identify the cause of this pain and numbness. Such tests may include X-rays and or an MRI scan. Quick playing around with treatments that are NOT working and find out what is wrong with you....Oscar

Myofascial Release

Posted by Suzy (Eugene, Or) on 10/09/2012

Thank you Lisa from T. O... I felt a 100% improvement from when I walked into the treatment retreat. Still felt pretty good this am... But after sitting all day at work, I am hurting starting to feel it again. It is between my shoulder blades and neck and the left shoulder. I took the Arnica tablets -sublingually (3) twice yesterday. (I am having problems getting the cream applied to the right spots.... As my only housemate is a dog! ) I will take the tube to the gym tomorrow as I have a friend that may be able to help be get it worked in. I do a water class 3 times a week. I would like to feel better so I can add in some more classes... like a Pilates.

Yoga

Posted by Dawn (Alberta) on 10/05/2012
★★★★★

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.

Coconut Oil

Posted by Tinydancer (Dayton, Oh) on 09/05/2012

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.

Lifestyle Changes

Posted by Rob (Manhattan, Ny) on 03/21/2012
★★★★★

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

Prolapsed Disc

Posted by Robyn (Wade, North Carolina) on 02/29/2012

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

Prolapsed Disc

Posted by Maria (Gippsland, Australia) on 02/29/2012

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.

Prolapsed Disc

Posted by Sophie (Dayton, Ohio, Usa) on 03/03/2012

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!!!

McKenzie Method

Posted by Anonymous (Wroclaw, Dolnoslaskie, Poland) on 02/04/2012
★★★★★

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.

Proteolytic Enzymes

Posted by Lily (Alice Springs, Australia) on 11/09/2011
★★★★★

I was having terrible lower back problem (unsure if it is sciatica) for days and even turning in bed and trying to get out if it is a struggle and challenge on how to avoid the pain. I read somewhere that proteolytic enzymes is anti-inflammatory that works on back pain. My hubby was taking it before so I had some in the fridge as part of the digestive enzymes from the pharmacy. I took one before dinner time and the next morning I realize right away the pain was significantly reduced as I did not have pain just trying to get out of bed as well as trying to stand up after being seated. Just remember you have to take it at least half or an hour before any meal. I was taking a capsule each twice a day initially when the pain was severe. I have since stopped and only go back to it once in a while whenever I start feeling the pain again. If you can't find protease/proteolytic enzymes, fresh pineapple is supposed to have the enzymes so just eat fresh pineapple (not cooked or canned ones as that has been heated so the enzymes will be gone).

Mattress

Posted by Tricia (Ireland) on 08/19/2011 84 posts
★★★★★

Two things worth spending money on are a good pair of shoes and a mattress. If you're not in one you're in the other. But you cannot tell, with either item, as to whether they will do you damage after a couple of hours use. Five minutes in the shop is not the same as eight hours solid use. I think most women will have a number of pairs of shoes in the wardrobe that cannot be worn for long.

One of the following may be worth trying. If the mattress is too hard, an upholsterer(furniture maker) would sell you a thin piece of foam that cold be laid on top of the mattress and under the sheet. This foam is used in different thicknesses by manufacturers.

If the bed is too soft - a piece of plywood or any other soft wood laid between the mattress and the bed base can be helpful. This certainly helped my Mom when she had a bad back. After about a year she felt able to remove it when she bought a new different mattress but put it back again a short time later as the new one brought back the old pains.

Heel Lifts

Posted by Holly (Portland, Or) on 04/05/2011
★★★★★

Editor's Choice

Heel Lifts for Back Pain:

For myself... I've had back problems ever since puberty and been through chiropractors, PT, Orthopedists, etc... And only did my recent chiropractor find I had a 3 MM!!! Difference in one leg. One very rarely correlated problem is for those who are HYPER FLEXIBLE, a very small leg-length difference can cause debilitating pain. I would get up in the morning and every breath I took would send shooting pains through my back and side. At any given time you could feel a knot that felt like bone, the size of a golf ball in my low back. Within 8 hours of using heel lifts, I noticed the pain all but disappeared. Now for the remaining VERY minor discomfort that sometimes I comes I stay exercised - focus on core strength.

MSM

Posted by Christine (Victoria, Bc, Canada) on 04/01/2011
★★★★★

In reply to Francisca from Michelbach-le-bas, Alsace, France:

Hi Francesca,

I take 2-3gms of MSM powder daily in drinks and have found it works for my creaky knees and stiff finger joints better than anything else.

You might try belly dance classes for your back ache, I had severe lumbar pain with sciatica for several years after a strain injury to my back. I took a class in belly dance and was impressed by how you are taught to separate and work muscle groups on your torso, which makes them stronger, which gives more support to the spine and seems to pull it into alignment. It takes a few months to get really fit but you see improvement after a couple of weeks.

Magnesium

Posted by Jill (Walnut Creek, Ca) on 03/17/2011

Greetings Earth Clinic Readers, After listening to a radio program recommended by an Earth Clinic commenter by Mark Sircus, I went and purchased some Magnesium Chloride tablets. It has been over four months now and I am thrilled with the results. I am forty years old and the tightness in my back had gotten so bad I couln't walk far without throwing it out of alignment creating more tightness. Not having insurance or money for a doctor, I decided to research the magnesium books and Dr. Mark Sircus' website. My hips have been tight since my late teens no matter how much yoga, walking, stretching I did. After starting with the Magnesium Therapy I'm happy to report an overall relaxation of the muscles in my body, so that I can now do therapeutic exercises without stressing my muscles. The magnesium supplements have taken away the pain and stiffness. I have purchased magnesium oil and am now using it transdermally. As a side note Dr. Sircus'advice about Iodine sounds very promising and I've just ordered iodine supplements as well.

Live long and prosper.

Minerals

Posted by Laurie Anne (Ridge Manor, Fl, Usa) on 01/13/2011
★★★★★

I have found that one of the simplest and most effective remedies for back pain is a good mineral supplement. Any multi-mineral tablet should suffice, but I would recommend an ionic trace mineral liquid supplement available from any vitamin/herb store/catalog taken daily at the highest recommended dose along with a multi-vitamin and digestive enzymes for complete body balancing. This will bring results within a week if it's going to help and if it helps, this regime should be continued indefinitely.

Inversion Table Therapy

Posted by Carly (Seattle, Wa Usa) on 09/10/2010

I also have an inversion table that I ignored for months... (it was so easy to do! ) anyway, after having a bad flare up of my upper back I went back to using it, and it really is amazing how good it will make your back feel. I use it for 5 mins, usually 2x a day. Also - congratulations on the book! I absolutely will be ordering a copy. I am a longtime believer and user of ACV! Best, Carly

Ted's Remedies

Posted by Peter (Chicago, Il) on 05/26/2010

TO BILL FROM SAN FERNANDO

Can you explain Ted's formula on back pain, 4/18 post just take 8 caps on empty stomach, however older post just one cap and drink with glass of water. How many caps equal to one teaapoon ?

Thanks Bill for your expertise. You always able to explain that I could understand.

Ted 4/18/2010
My formula that works is as follows: 500 mg of Hyaluronic acid powder (sodium hyaluronate) plus 9 grams of sea salt in 500 cc of water. Store in refrigerator when not in used. The dose is about 8 caps three times a day empty stomach. It takes about 2 weeks to completely remove all back pain and the joint affected area in extremities may take a little longer. I have a couple of cases with severe spinal degeneration of cartilage and gets fully restored upon taking of HA.

OLDER POST 2009
Prepare 500 mg of pure Sodium Hyaluronate using cold water in 500 cc of clean water, add 6 grams of sea salt. This will get you 0.1% concentration of sodium hyaluronate in saline solution. Take about one capful mixed in a full glass of water at least twice a day. It takes between 2-3 weeks to fully see the dramatic improvements, at the very least.

Ted's Remedies

Posted by sunidais (USA, NC) on 02/15/2025

Thank you for clarifying what "cap" means. I couldn't find an explanation for that in posts!

Ted's Remedies

Posted by Kathleen (San Antonio, Texas, United States) on 01/05/2011

Try http://purebulk.com for HA. It's been mentioned a few times on this site. I think it was mentioned by Ted.

Ted's Remedies

Posted by Terese (Terranora, Nsw Australia) on 05/24/2011

Hi Gavin,

Is there an amount of ginger, cayenne and tumeric you should take per day? I was going ok until I started working outside again, killer pain! Every day is like the second day at the gym for me.

Ted's Remedies

Posted by Not Worried Anymore!! (Manistique, Mi) on 06/10/2011
★★★★★

My husband is SO much better!! After about 6 months of taking HA he is a new man! He used to be going to the chiropractor 2x weekly, now hardly ever! No more headaches (he used to live with a headache), he can garden without his legs stiffening up and falling asleep, he can play with the kids, and hold the baby... Yay! We took down an old house on the property next door to us and he lifted heavy beams and loaded a big trailer full. He could never have done any of that before. He says he is 90% pain free! What a miracle! The only thing he has done is taking ginger and turmeric (50/50 mix- heaping TBSP 3x a day), and the HA powder from purebulk.com -1TB 2x a day in water. He had never dreamed of feeling this good ever in his life! Every month he notices more and more benefits.

Thanks to the suggestions above, he is going to try mixing cayenne pepper in the ginger and turmeric too. At 40 years old, he says this is the best he ever remembers feeling. He has had pain from his childhood and now he knows how to live without pain! Thanks everyone for all your feedback and help! May God bless you richly

Water

Posted by Lisa (Thousand Oaks, Ca, Usa) on 03/26/2010

Hi Deirdre,

Yes! Of course, you know me and the juicing! I am convinced it can turn anything around if it is done on a regular basis. So, the vegetables that will aid the kidneys are asparagus, celery, cucumber and parsley. I am not too picky about the combos of greens as I have now been juicing on a regular basis daily since Oct and so much has changed for me. Lots of energy, no need to nap in the afternoon or experience that LOW slump around 3pm, my skin is so smooth and some people say, "Wow your skin glows!", melasma gone from my face, a large mole in the corner of my right eye is now only the size of a pinhead, sleeping well... I could go on and on. My point is that with all the benefits it is easy for me to drink my big glass of green juice every morning and then feel all the cells in my body sing praise! Try a combo of celery/asparagus/parsley and add a lemon or an apple for flavor. We even forage in our yard for the wild dandelions that I used to think of as annoying and now bless them for how they heal my body. They are powerful liver detoxers.

Really, I urge everyone to give green juice a chance to help heal your body. It is powerful.

Peace,
Lisa

Water

Posted by Lisa (Thousand Oaks, Ca, Usa) on 03/31/2010

Hi Janice,

We have a Breville and not the high end one. When I decided I wanted to go the route of juicing and raw, I wasn't sure how committed I would be with it and it really was experimental to see if there would be any changes. It was only $99 which of course is the low end of juicers really. I didn't and couldn't invest the money on a really cadillac-type but, I figured it was better than nothing at all! As David Wolfe often says when asked, "The best juicer is the one you have sitting on the back shelf!" At any rate, I love this thing! It's easy to clean and does a great job. I don't recall where I learned this tip since I'm constantly researching and studying new sites for tips in juicing and rawfood. The tip was, if you only have a centrifugal juicer then, take the leafy greens and roll them up tightly to put into the feeder. In between, use harder veggies to clear the greens from the blades such as carrot, celery, beet, etc. It really works! We juice parsley, cilantro, dandelion, kale, chard, etc. Perhaps if we had a high end juicer then we would get more juice from the greens but hey, it's working for us and I have my health back! Hallelujah! I have watched people on youtube get very creative who don't have the money to invest but want to juice. I love that- the desire to find health makes people get very ingenious.

So, give that a try. The key is to keep it all tight. I hope this helps you and you succeed.
To your health, Lisa

EC: We also use a Breville... stainlesss steel version. It's fantastic! We bought a re-manufactured one on Amazon and paid about $175 for it (vs $275 for a new one). We had to return the first juicer to Amazon as the on/off button got stuck after 2 weeks, but the second one they sent us has been running perfectly for at least two years now.

Deirdre

Water

Posted by Mark Dewitt (Cincinnati, Oh) on 01/07/2010
★★★★★

I had severe back pain years ago. When standing up from a seated position, I could only do so very gingerly. If I were walking my back would give out and I would go down on my knees.

Part of my job is interviewing authors when they are in town for a radio station and pod casts.

One day there was a book that came in the mail that was called Your Bodies Many Cries For Water written by Dr Batmanglelde. His book was a lifesaver for my back and he has an interesting story.

I increased my water intake and this worked a miracle on my back. It is not an instant cure like many on this web site but this really works.

Be sure to take your 8 glasses of water or more for great results

Ball Point Pen Technique

Posted by Lita209 (Sanford, Florida) on 09/11/2009

Redou: Do you have a picture that explains this exercise? I cannot understand it. Thank you!

Ball Point Pen Technique

Posted by Linda (NE) on 07/10/2025

Redou, did you slightly bend your knees when bending over while you were starting out on your toe touches? I recently saw a youtube video where the yoga instructor says if you "don't" bend your knees, you will "not" stretch your hamstrings, which is what you want to do. So, according to her, we should be bending our knees a little. And of course, bend at the hips as both she & yourself stated. Thank you for the 16 year old post! Linda

Magnesium

Posted by Ted (Bangkok, Thailand) on 06/12/2009 392 posts
★★★★★

I have a direct feedback from a couple of users of Inversion table for their back problems, while it goes away rather quickly it keeps coming back. The maximum time in reducing the problem is 4 days and then it comes again. It's no permanent solution otherwise they had to go to the hospital again and again or had to buy the machine. That's not the CAUSE of the problem. The problem is the muscles pull on the back along with the usual weight problem, but it's always the excess calcium in the muscle tissue and the nerves that causes the muscle pull back and "contract" causing a back problem. If it happens long enough it can cause spinal "compression".. To reverse this and see the result significantly is to just take the magnesium supplements. Not just any magnesium supplement, but the water soluble kind. The worse magnesium supplements I have ever seen is sold in most drug store, and if I read their ingredient, it's mostly worthless, such as magnesium phosphate, magnesium oxide and magnesium carbonate. These have very poor water solubility and is not bioavailable. Whenever the added wax on top of that to keep the tablets in nice form, they also block the absorption such as mangesium stearate. The other thing that prevents magnesium from being utilized is the problem of calcium carbonate or any calcium that is mixed in the supplements.

The best form of magnesium I have found are magnesium chloride has the least of the problem and the magnesium gluconate. After taking them sa 100-250 mg the muscle pain will be reduced within 30 minutes and most is gone by the third or fourth day, including the back pain. The key to using these forms of magnesium is to dilute with plenty of water so it won't have the laxative effect and cannot be mixed with any alkaline preparations such as baking soda or citrates. The magnesium is taken solo. One simple way to take it that I h ave used for the fastest acid reflux remedy is the magnesium solution at 60-80% plus distilled water at 20%-40% and prepare as a dropper where the dose is between 6-12 drops in a glass of water depending on your size the dose is adjusted accordingly. For example a person of 120 pounds will likely take 5 drops but a person twice that weight likely to take 10 drops in a glass of water. I prepare in dilutions such as this to prevent the laxative effect and hence greater magnesium absorption. This is the best of all remedies for most of the back pain problem I have noticed without the use of pain killers.

Ted

Magnesium

Posted by Jess (Mi, Usa) on 02/25/2016

You can use your flakes to make Magnesium Oil, which some people take internally. It may not be very palatable, I haven't tried it.

Bring 1/2 cup distilled water to a boil. Add 1/2 cup magnesium flakes. Dissolve. Use this to spray on the body for transdermal application. 1 teaspoon has 550-600 mg of magnesium. You could try 1/8 teaspoon a few times a day and see how if it agrees with you. Cut back if you get diarrhea. I wouldn't take more than 1 teaspoon total in a day, though.

DMSO

Posted by Lucinda (Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, USA) on 01/04/2009
★★★★★

Found some roll on DMSO in a closet I was cleaning out and found your website. I have lower back pain and I put some on it. Already, it feels good! Thank you, Lucinda

DMSO

Posted by Tapike (San Augustine, Texas) on 12/10/2012

I don't seem to have any sensitivity to DMSO, but for those of you who do, try looking for it with Aloe Vera added to it. The Aloe Vera seems to help in counteracting any redness, itching or blistering that the DMSO may cause. If you can't find the combination (usually found at local ranch/agricultural feed stores), then just buy some pure Aloe Vera juice or gel & stir in a little DMSO before applying. In buying DMSO, look for a 70% DMSO/30% Distilled Water ratio on the bottle. Try a 50/50 mixture of Aloe Vera & DMSO & if that's too strong, adjust the ratios accordingly until you have one that works best for you. Someone else may have better predetermined ratios than I do, however.

Sleep on the Floor

Posted by Jennie (Fort Wayne, Indiana) on 06/17/2008
★★★★★

I had chronic back aches for nearly 20 years until I began sleeping on the floor. It has been over two years now and my pain is greatly reduced. I will mention that it took a couple weeks to get my body completely used to it, and my hips hurt a bit from sleeping on my side on the floor. But after that first 2 weeks or so, I have felt great. (plus, it is much cooler in the summer time!)

EC: We agree -- this is a fabulous cure for back aches!

Magnets

Posted by Chu (Edmond, Oklahoma) on 05/31/2008
★★★★★

i have found that sleeping with magnets applied to my back completely eliminates my back pain, i was having pain in my back for two weeks so i researched and read that magnets may help, it took about on week but the pain was completely gone, it came back once more after i strained my back again and the same remedy worked again, i was able to find a back magnet called norso on ebay for around $10.

Magnets

Posted by Bustherh (Auburn, Maine, Usa) on 05/08/2012
★☆☆☆☆

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.

Copper

Posted by Alex (Thessaloniki) on 08/07/2018
★☆☆☆☆

I wore a copper bracelet for about 2 months every night and it did nothing about my herniated disc.

Apple Cider Vinegar

Posted by Kathy (Las Vegas, Nv) on 04/07/2010

Just yesterday one of my friends told me the same thing! Everytime she has it her back hurts! Interesting...

Apple Cider Vinegar

Posted by Eileen (Kerry, Ireland) on 09/02/2010

Hi, ive been taking ACV for the last week and half and I've found I have back pain as well, muscle spasm for last two days. Could that be from the ACV?!!