Back pain can occur for many different reasons, but one thing is consistent no matter what the cause – it can be debilitating and difficult to manage. Many of those with chronic back pain look for ways to relieve lower back pain and manage their upper back pain with at-home or natural remedies rather than relying on medications. There are a few things you can do at-home to help relieve lower back pain and upper back pain including stretches, exercises, and utilizing pain relieving tools like Backmate.
What Causes Back Pain
Back pain can be caused by a myriad of issues. It is the fourth leading cause of disability among workers in the United States. Something as simple as lifting something too heavy or in the wrong manner can cause acute back pain, difficulty in walking, or even pain while stationary. It can also be caused by slipped discs, muscle or ligament strain, arthritis, or osteoporosis. Acute back pain, often caused by an injury, lasts no more than 6 weeks. Chronic back pain lasts three months or more.
Back pain rarely requires extensive measures like surgery, but sometimes physical therapy is necessary. You should see your doctor if your back pain:
- causes new bladder or bowel issues
- is accompanied by a fever
- is severe and doesn’t improve with rest
- is accompanied by shooting pain down your leg
- causes weakness or numbness in one or both legs
- is accompanied by unexplained weight loss
However, many times back pain can be managed and helped at home through stretches, home remedies, and other tools. These methods help in relieving lower back pain and upper back pain, and can help increase the strength of your back muscles to prevent further injury.
Home remedies often include stretching, light exercise, hot and cold compress therapy, or medication for pain management. However, tools like Backmate can provide additional lower back pain and upper back pain relief. This easy-to-use tool can be placed in between any door in your home to provide targeted pressure on your back, neck, shoulders, arms, and legs. The stainless steel bar adjust to 24” to 36” doorways and can easily be moved up or down for the height you need with the lever lock.
Backmate also has several attachments that can help you manage your back pain best. The massage balls, hot and cold balls, and disc therapy attachments all help to target specific areas and apply pressure to hard-to-reach places. Backmate can even be taken with you – it is simple to remove from the door with no screws or permanent attachments needed, it is collapsible, and it weighs just under 4 lbs. so you can take it to hotels for use after long days of travel.
Backmate is used by common civilians and professional athletes. It is a massage tool that helps manage both chronic and acute pain, neck, and shoulder pain by targeting the specific areas of pain as well as the surrounding muscles, ligaments, and nerves that may be causing the pain. It also helps to:
- Alleviate pain, muscle spasms, knots, and tight muscles
- Improves mobility and range of motion
- Increase circulation which helps with muscle recovery
- Reduces inflammation
- Activates the neuromuscular system
- Relieve tense muscles and headaches associated with them
- Helps regulate the nervous system for tangible stress relief
Relieving Lower Back Pain
Lower back pain is quite common, affecting 80% of adults at some point in their life. It can come on suddenly, like through an injury, or it can occur gradually as the result of changes in the spine as you age. No matter the reason behind your lower back pain, it can be debilitating and frustrating. You may be more prone to lower back pain if you have certain risk factors like:
- lack of exercise
- overweight
- smoking
- pregnancy
- genetics
- age
Lower back pain can often be treated at home, or as a supplement to physical therapy in extreme cases. Here are some things you can do in relieving lower back pain at home with natural remedies, stretches, and tools.
Stretches for Lower Back Pain
Stretching is one of the most common techniques used for relieving lower back pain. There are a few stretches that not only target the lower back but also the connecting muscles and ligaments to ensure that you are targeting all of the underlying factors that may be contributing to your lower back pain. Some stretches for lower back pain are:
- Rolly-Polly Stretch- Lying on the back, pull both knees to the chest while simultaneously flexing the head forward until a comfortable stretch is felt across the mid and low back.
- Knee to Chest Stretch- Lie on the back with the knees bent and both heels on the floor, then place both hands behind one knee and pull it toward the chest, stretching the gluteus and piriformis muscles in the buttock.
- Lying Twist- Lying on your back with both legs straight out, lift one knee towards your chest. Allow the leg, while bent, to fall to the opposite side of your body. Turn your head in the opposite direction of your knee with your arm stretched out. This stretch helps to target your lower back as well as your gluteus muscle.
- Runner’s Lunge Stretch- Starting on both knees, move one leg forward so the foot is flat on the ground, keeping weight evenly distributed through both hips (rather than on one side or the other). Place both hands on the top of the thigh, and gently lean the body forward to feel a stretch in the front of the other leg. This stretch affects the hip flexor muscles, which attach to the pelvis and can impact posture if too tight.
- Seated Twist– Start sitting up with both legs straight out in front of you. Take one leg and cross it over the other with the knee up. Take your opposite elbow and push it into your knee, twisting yourself. Look behind you if possible. This will help to stretch both your lower and upper back.
- Thread the Needle- Lie on your back with knees bent and both heels on the floor. Cross one leg over the other, resting the ankle on the bent knee, then gently pull the bottom knee toward the chest until a stretch is felt in the buttock.
Home Remedies for Lower Back Pain
There are some home remedies that can be used for relieving lower back pain in addition to stretches for your lower back. These remedies include light exercise such as walking, applying ice or heat, maintaining good posture, and using pain relieving medications or ointments.
Backmate is specifically designed for relieving lower back pain. The easy-to-adjust bar can be moved to the height you need for your lower back. You can change the heads to fit your needs for the type of pain you have. Use the massage balls to work out knots and add pressure to painful spots. Use the hot and cold therapy balls for additional pain relief, or use the acute treatment discs to target specific muscle areas.
Relieving Upper Back Pain
Your upper and middle back contains muscles and ligaments often used in lifting, sitting, and most daily activities. If you have pain in your upper back, it is probably caused by a strained muscle, torn ligament, or a slipped disc in one of your 12 vertebrae of the thoracic spine. You might also feel pain in other areas of your body if a nerve in your upper or middle back is pinched.
Pain in the upper back is characterized by a dull ache, a sharp, shooting pain, or a muscle tightness or stiffness in any area from your neck to just under your rib cage. It is often caused by injury or poor posture, but it can also be a more serious issue like a broken vertebrae or osteoarthritis. Upper back pain can affect anyone at any age as it is often associated with a specific injury or poor sedentary posture. It is often treated at home with at home remedies such as rest, stretching, and pain relieving tools.
Stretches for Upper Back Pain
Stretching can be very useful when it comes to helping relieve upper back pain. Much of our upper back pain is caused by tension from stress or from injury. Stretching can not only help relieve some of the pain but it can also help prevent further injury, decrease tension headaches, and reduce stress. Here are some upper back stretches that help both the muscles from the neck to the bottom of the rib cage as well as the neck and shoulders themselves:
- Shoulder Stretch- Stand in an open doorway or corner with both hands slightly above your head on the door frame or wall. Slowly lean forward until you feel a stretch in the front of your shoulders.
- Camel Stretch- Kneel on the floor and clasp both arms behind your head. Gently arch backward and look up toward the ceiling, reaching for your heels.
- Shoulder Blade Squeeze- While sitting or standing with your arms by your sides, squeeze your shoulder blades together. You can also do this while lying on your stomach with your arms bent at a 90 degree angle.
- Cobra Pose- Lie on your stomach with your feet stretched behind you. Raise your upper body, looking up to the ceiling if possible.
- Cat-Cow– Kneeling on all fours, arch your back and tuck your chin to your chest. After a full exhale, inhale and curl your back inwards, raising your head to look at the ceiling. Repeat several times.
- Seated Twist– Start sitting up with both legs straight out in front of you. Take one leg and cross it over the other with the knee up. Take your opposite elbow and push it into your knee, twisting yourself. Look behind you if possible. This will help to stretch both your lower and upper back.
Home Remedies for Upper Back Pain
Home remedies for upper back pain are similar to that of remedies for lower back pain in that often light exercise, good posture, hot and cold therapy, and some medications are usually recommended. Backmate can also help with relieving upper back pain in the comfort of your own home.
Since Backmate is easy to adjust, you can place the bar and the attached massage balls at the height of your pain. Roll yourself up and down as well as side to side to target the areas of your upper back that are causing your pain. You can also use Backmate to help relieve the other areas that have tension or pain due to your upper back pain like your neck, shoulders, and trapezius muscles.
Back Pain Can Cause Pain in Other Areas
Back pain can cause pain in other areas of your body. Pinched nerves or slipped discs can often result in pain in your legs, feet, neck, or even your arms and chest. Since our nerves are connected throughout the body, we often will feel pain in other areas even if it is our back that is actually the thing that is injured.
Backmate not only helps with upper and lower back pain but it can also help with other areas of your body such as your legs and your arms. Adjust the Backmate to the height needed, and roll your body gently over the massage balls where your pain is located.
- For your arms– Adjust the height to where it is needed. You can roll your trapezius muscles, your triceps, and your biceps easily to help with an pain or soreness.
- For your legs– Lower the Backmate to the necessary height. You can use the massage balls to help with calf muscles, quadriceps, or even sciatic nerve pain in your gluteus muscles and hamstrings.
- For your neck- Place the massage balls at the base of your neck and roll up and down to help relieve tension and pain.
Back pain can be hard to manage and completely debilitating. Most people will experience either lower or upper back pain at some point in their lives. Prevention is key, and tools like Backmate not only help when you are already in pain, but can help prevent injury by lowering stress levels, activating your neuromuscular systems, and restoring your muscles faster so they are less prone to injury. Relieving lower back pain and upper back pain can usually be done at home and tools like Backmate can help.
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