“Help! My back always hurts!”

80% of us suffer with a sore, aching back, not realizing that pain relief is within reach!

1 Simple fixes that truly work! Wear shoes your back loves!

Flats can actually cause 25% more pressure on your feet than high heels! “Your hips and lower back take the brunt of it, leaving you with constant back pain from unsupportive flat shoes,” says back-pain expert Jesse Cannone. Better: Shoes with a low one-inch heel, a contoured insole to support your arches and half an inch of wiggle room in the toes.

Give your back good sleep!

Think a firmer mattress is better for your back? Not so! An extra-firm mattress can put too much pressure on shoulders and hips—and a too-soft one won’t support your spine. A medium-firm mattress is best. Tip: Make a soft mattress medium-firm by placing one-inchthick plywood on top of the box spring or add a foam topper to soften an extra-firm mattress.

2 Natural ways to stop pain! Take the five-cent cure!

Magnesium is very inexpensive, yet very effective at helping muscles relax. A recent six-month study found that the mineral relieves low back pain better than physical therapy or drugs, yet most of us are low in it! The fix: A daily 350-mg. dose, but be patient. It can take several months to feel the benefit, says naturopath Michael Murray, N.D. Check with your doctor before taking any new supplement.

Rub on relief with poison ivy!

If over-the- counter topical pain relievers made with menthol or capsaicin aren’t providing enough relief, try a homeopathic remedy that contains minute, safe amounts of poison ivy! “Rhus toxicodendron topical ointment helps relieve pain and stiffness in sore muscles,” reveals Cannone. Rhus tox is thought to rev circulation to muscle tissue. It’s nontoxic and won’t cause a skin reaction.

Try the European remedy!

Widely used for lower back pain in Germany and France, the herb devil’s claw (so called because its fruit is covered in hooks) is full of natural antiinflammatories so powerful that a daily 60-mg. dose can work as well as conventional painkillers, yet is safe to use longterm without side effects, says Murray.

3 Make the right moves for your pain! Hurting on just one side?

“This implies that you’re not bearing weight equally on both legs because one hip muscle is weaker than the other,” physiotherapist Mitchell Yass explains. A simple test: Stand on one leg, then the other. If one side feels weak or shaky, that’s the side you need to strengthen. To do: Lie on your stronger side. Keeping your bottom leg bent and your top leg straight in line with your torso, raise your top leg until the top of your ankle is at hip height and then lower it, repeating 10 times. Do three sets only on this side two or three times a week. Add two-pound ankle weights as you get stronger.

Sidelined with shooting pain?

Back pain that shoots through your buttocks and down one leg is almost always sciatica—which an easy stretch can relieve, Cannone says. Lie on your back with your legs bent. Cross the painful leg over the other one. Put your hand behind the knee of the leg that doesn’t hurt. Pull your bent knee toward your chest with one hand, while the other hand gently presses the painful leg further across the knee.

Got a sore lower back?

The muscles in the front of your thighs are likely too tight, which weakens lower back muscles, says Yass. What helps: Sit with one foot on the floor and the other straight out in front of you. Slip a resistance band around the ankle of the raised leg and fasten the other end to a doorknob. Bend the knee, then raise it. Do 10 times for three sets, then repeat on the other side.