Back pain caused by stress or posture makes everyday life hell for many people.

Painkillers provide temporary relief, but do not solve the problem.

To treat back pain, the cause must be found and eliminated.

How can you treat back pain effectively?

Causes

Stress and therefore cramped muscles
Poor posture when sitting
Poor position during sleep
Overweight

Measures

A poor mattress is often the cause of chronic lower back pain. A mattress that is too soft cannot support the natural curvature of the spine while we sleep. This results in pinched nerves between the vertebrae, causing constant pain. A firm and rigid mattress supports the back during sleep.

The connection between chronic back pain and being overweight is easy to understand. The more you weigh, the more strain is placed on your spine. Excess body weight not only puts strain on the back, but also on the knee and ankle joints. The extreme strain erodes the cartilage between the vertebrae, which acts as a kind of buffer. Without this buffer, the vertebrae or joints rub directly against each other and cause considerable pain. The only cure for back pain caused by obesity is controlled weight loss. This should always be supervised by a doctor.

Heat can significantly alleviate back pain, especially if the muscles are cramped due to stress. Heat therapy should be applied for about 30 minutes every day. The heat increases the blood flow in the inflamed tissue area and therefore helps to flush out the inflammatory fluids accumulated in the bone and muscle tissue.

Muscle balm has a similar effect to heat therapy.

Much of the pain is caused by cramps in the muscles. The affected parts of the body should be stretched after sitting or standing for a long time. A localised massage is also very helpful. This relaxes the muscles and relieves the pain.

If the back pain is caused by stress in everyday life, you should take a few minutes every day to meditate. Meditating can mean lying relaxed on your back and consciously relaxing each part of your body. A good method is to concentrate on each area (hands, arms, neck, stomach, etc.) individually and first consciously tense the respective muscles in order to then achieve complete relaxation.

A good sitting position is important for people who spend a lot of time at their desk every day. A comfortable chair is just as important as good posture. The upper body should be upright and straight without tensing up. The head should be held as straight as possible (i.e. not looking downwards). To achieve this, the chair can be set low enough. The shoulder blades should be slightly backwards. Make sure that the posture remains as natural as possible.

If the back pain persists or worsens despite treatment or is even accompanied by numbness in the feet, a doctor should definitely be consulted.