Back pain can be chronic and debilitating. Notoriously tough to treat except with painkillers and stretching, there are any number of gadgets you might resort to trying just to get some peace. Instead of heading for the over-the-counter or prescription painkillers, which are temporary and may be habit-forming, why not try looking into a more holistic approach, one of healthier eating and starting a vitamin and mineral regimen. It might turn out that your body is simply lacking in essential vitamins or minerals, so many of which are essential to good muscle tone, bone healthy and nervous system function.

It turns out that magnesium, of all things, might be just the magic bullet you are looking for. In addition to being a natural element, magnesium is found in the body, naturally-occurring. Magnesium plays a key role in the body, maintaining normal nervous system and musculature functions, regulating cardiac rhythm, and supporting your natural immune system. It is also important to your kidney function, and plays a role in conditions such as heart disease and osteoporosis. Another benefit of magnesium is its role in helping muscles relax, which is where it is key in potentially helping you with back pain. The benefit of magnesium in relieving your back pain is that you might suffer from a deficiency of this essential mineral. Magnesium deficiency can signal itself in your body by diminishment of bone strength, muscle deterioration, including weakness or spasms. If you have had a tricky diagnosis of the basis for your back pain, you might speak to your doctor about magnesium supplements. If your back pain is definitely due to something other than muscular weakness or bone deficiency, then magnesium therapy may not be for you.

The recommended daily allowance of magnesium is as follows: Adolescent and adult males, 270-400 mg; Adolescent and adult females, 280-300 mg; Pregnant females, 320 mg; Breast-feeding females, 340-355 mg. Definitely seek the advice of your health care professional before additionally supplementing your magnesium for back pain control. Know too, that it is important not to take calcium supplements while taking extra magnesium, because the two minerals cancel each other naturally in your body. Ask your doctor about negative interactions with other supplements, over-the-counter medications or prescription meds. Be aware too that certain bowel troubles may deplete magnesium and other essential minerals more quickly from your system, including stomach flu and IBS (irritable bowel syndrome). Be sure your doctor knows if you suffer from diabetes, kidney disease or heart problems before embarking on a mineral supplement regimen.

Magnesium can be found from natural sources (not pill form) including fish (halibut, tuna and salmon), fruits (bananas and figs), grains (barley, buckwheat, oat bran, brown rice, wheat flour), juices (prune juice), dairy (condensed sweetened milk, low-fat yogurt), nuts (almonds, brazil nuts, cashews, pine nuts) and vegetables (artichokes, various beans, broccoli, chickpeas, cornmeal, lentils, okra, parsnips, peas, pumpkin, spinach, sweet potatoes and potatoes). The RDA for vegetables in a healthy adult is three and a half cups, but you can always eat a little more to increase your magnesium levels.