Holistic Treatments for Back Pain
We believe adopting a holistic lifestyle can work wonders for pain prevention and overall healing of both the mind and body. Before considering any surgery, we ask our patients first to try embracing conservative, alternative therapies to heal their spine and prevent recurrent pain. Keep reading to discover several effective holistic treatments for back pain.
Holistic Treatments For Back Pain
Contrary to some beliefs, alternative therapies are not simply “mind over matter,” meaning they only work because you think they will work. Holistic and conservative treatments are proven to achieve total body healing and aid in decompression of the spine. In fact, many people experience significant positive results using holistic treatments for back pain. The key is consistency.
Dr. Melamed understands your back pain is very real, and we want to see you recover without the need for invasive surgeries. Holistic treatments for back pain that we recommend include yoga, tai chi, acupuncture, and TENS machines.
Yoga
Practicing yoga has limitless benefits for health and wellness. Not only can yoga help you be more peaceful, mindful and happy, it can also relieve your back pain. For back pain sufferers, yoga should be practiced following the guidance of a trained and certified yogi instructor. These yoga masters are experienced in helping people practice through their ailments and slowly build up their tolerance to increase spine strength and flexibility.
With frequent practice, yoga can decompress the spine and help prevent recurrent injuries. Yoga is also mindfully therapeutic and can help people become happier and less stressed, which also helps to counteract stress-related injuries.
Tai Chi
Tai chi is an ancient Chinese exercise for the mind, body and spirit. In studies, practicing tai chi has been shown to relieve chronic pain related to osteoarthritis, lower back pain, rheumatoid arthritis and fibromyalgia. Consider starting your tai chi journey with a certified instructor to get the most out of your practice and learn the best way to tune into the energy around and inside of you for optimum healing.
Acupuncture
Acupuncture is another form of alternative therapy with roots in ancient Chinese medicine. It involves inserting needles strategically into certain parts of the body to promote healing and relieve stress. While acupuncture may sound scary or intimidating to some, the needles are very thin, so most people do not experience any pain during the treatment.
Acupressure
Acupressure is like acupuncture, but instead of using needles, physical pressure is applied to specific points on the body using either a finger or a device. It is a centuries-old form of Chinese medicine that is beneficial for joint pain, chronic pain relief, and overall wellbeing. There are two types: stimulating and relaxing. They have the ability to relieve fatigue, reduce pain, improve sleep quality, and promote calmness and relaxation.
TENS Machines
Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) machines utilize mild electrical currents to help relieve pain. A TENS machine is a small, battery-operated device with leads connected to sticky pads called electrodes. The electrodes can be placed anywhere on the body where one experiences pain, and the electrical currents help stimulate the nerves and alleviate pain.
We also encourage our patients to adopt an anti-inflammatory diet or take over-the-counter nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or NSAIDs to target and reduce inflammation in their joints.
For back pain that persists after 3-6 months of conservative care, call the spine pro, Dr. Hooman Melamed at (310) 928-2769, or make an appointment online today!
