Low Back Pain? 5 Easy Steps To Reduce The Pain

Here's as an amazing statistic: Eighty percent of Americans will experience back pain in their lifetime with 40 millio
Americans suffering at this very moment -- myself included. In fact, according to the federal government chronic back pain is the #1 reason for workmen's compensation claims and a top five reason for visiting the doctor's office.

As someone who has experienced back and neck pain for several years (Full Disclosure: I suffer from degenerative disc disease, spinal stenosis, multiple bulging discs), I have been forced to find a variety of strategies to treat my pain without resorting to surgery.

The following 5 tips, represent the most effective conservative treatments for my pain.

1) Maintain a healthy posture: I had a physical therapist actual tape me into a good posture and lived like that for three days. You would not believe the impact proper posture had on my back pain. He also had me provide additional lumbar support with a rolled up towel every time I sat down. The combination were fantastic.

2) Lose Weight: Yes ladies and gentlemen having a gut is a terrible thing for low back pain. I have lost 10 lbs and probably have another 25 to go, but I already feel like its having an impact

3) Improve the ergonomics of your work environment. Make sure your computer screen is eye level and that you have a good chair that is set appropriately for you. Take a look at SpineUniverse's ergonomics articles for how to best structure your work environment. I am convinced my neck pain is directly related to having a lap top for the last decade.

4) Stretch: Every day I do 3 stretches. Lay on your back and pull your knee to your chest, hold it for 20 seconds. the switch legs and repeat 3 times. It gives an excellent low impact stretch in the lower back. The second stretch I do also requires laying on your back. I then stick one leg straight up in the air and gently pull it towards me, keeping my leg straight. This is an excellent hamstring stretch. The last stretch is difficult to explain. I got all three stretches at back stretches.

5) Heating pad for degenerative disc disease: Every night before I go to bed I put a heating pad on my back for 5 minutes. I am told this help increase blood flow to the degenerated disc.

I have found the combination of these five tools has helped reduce my back pain. While I still suffer from some pain it has diminished enough to where I can avoid surgery for the time being.