Lower back pain is a common medical condition that affects almost everybody at some point or another. It can be acute or chronic. The acute form of lower back pain is usually caused by heavy lifting or over-exercising. Using an inadequate mattress for sleeping or constantly having a wrong posture can easily lead to lower back pain. Sometimes degenerative diseases like arthritis are causing disc degeneration and thus pain in the lower section of the back. A sprained muscle, a herniated disc or an injury can easily provoke chronic low back pain.
Treatment can vary from over the counter analgesics to surgery in the worst cases. It is essential to see a physician in order to determine the root cause of the pain and to make sure you are taking the appropriate treatment. There are specific exercises that can be done for relieving lower back pain. Depending on what is causing the problem in the first place, there are many treatment methods available.
Herbal remedies have proven their efficacy in what concerns alleviation of lower back pain. Here is a non-exhaustive list of useful herbs -
1. Bromelain - It is a substances extracted from pineapple with a great anti-inflammatory action. Start taking 2-3 grams daily and when the pain becomes milder, reduce the dose to 1-2 grams daily.
2. Chamomile - It is known for its pain killing properties. You can either take a few capsules a day, or 10-20 drops of extract, mixed in a cup of water or tea.
3. Red pepper - It contains capsaicin, a strong pain killing agent. It interferes with the perception of pain we are having and it stimulates the body to produce endorphins. You can either mix smashed red pepper in any skin cream you have or make your own tincture from red pepper and rubbing alcohol. There are also capsaicin creams available on the market.
4. Cramp bark and black haw - The combination between these plants is highly effective in reducing pain. The first one has antispasmodic compounds and the other one contains aspirin-like substances. The tincture is the most effective form in which they can be consumed.
5. Burdock - It alleviates the pain and it also purifies the blood. The recommended dose is between 1 and 3 capsules a day.
6. Horsetail - It has a calming effect and it is very helpful in rebuilding damaged tissue.
7. Willow bark - It is used from ancient times in relieving pain and it helped researchers to discover aspirin.
