Easy ways to end chronic back pain

The leaves are changing, the pumpkins are ready for picking, the weeds have stopped trying to take over your yard…wouldn’t it be great if you could enjoy this crisp time of year without worrying about your back? You can! Experts say you can ease even chronic back pain—and keep it at bay—without pricey drugs. Here’s how…

Reach for the sky

Taking 1 minute each hour to stand up and stretch the muscles surrounding your spine— reaching for the sky, swiveling gently at the waist and bending from side to side— can cut back pain by 62% in 24 hours, Finnish studies suggest. Pain researcher Christine Wiebking, PH.D., explains that stretching boosts the flow of healing, nutrient-rich blood to injured tissues, plus it helps flush out pain-triggering inflammation.

Taking an hour each evening to craft, read or just turn on the TV could cut your back pain by 50% in one week! Utah State University researchers say that’s because daily R& R cuts the production of pain-triggering stress hormones by 35%.

Tuck in a towel

Now that so many of us spend hours in chairs, good posture is especially important, says pain specialist Lei Yang, M.D. That’s because sitting up straight prevents strain on your spine’s delicate vertebrae, cutting the risk of chronic back pain by 70%. Support your spine by tucking a rolled-up towel between your lower back and your seat back.

Savor apple pie

That Red Delicious you just crunched on and pie you sliced help reduce even stubborn back pain by 33% in one week—plus cut risk of future pain flares in half, Canadian researchers say. Turns out apple compounds (polyphenols) calm overactive pain nerves, plus heal damaged muscle tissue and cartilage.

Better than NSAIDS

Taking 2,000 mg. of omega-3s daily shuts down chronic back pain as effectively as prescription painkillers, say scientists at the Massachusetts’ Inflammation Research Foundation. Omega-3 compounds tame inflammation and speed healing. Note: Check with your doctor before supplementing.