Every day it seems I am introduced to some new form of back pain relief method. Whether that be creams, pills, stretchers, core trainers, and on and on…

I’m always amazed at how these things tend to stay out on the market! If the companies that make these “quick-fixes” have such a massive cash flow to do endless marketing on TV ads, radio, and internet, that MUST mean that people are buying this stuff!

Of course, we have all been “duped” in the past by such marketing claims at one time or another. But, I think by now, you, as a smarter consumer (by virtue you are reading my site!), are hip to the fact that overcoming back pain takes a little more than some “quick-fix” remedy.

What are some of the back pain relief methods that DO work?

In my experience in successfully working with chronic lower back pain sufferers for almost 8 years now, these are some of the methods I have found to CONSISTENTLY produce results:

1. Corrective Exercise and Stretching: This is my primary tool for working with back pain sufferers. It JUST MAKES SENSE. Think about it, most people didn’t develop back pain in static positions, but instead, during MOVEMENT. So, that means that there is a problem with HOW you move, and thus, we need to use movement to assess what is causing the lower back pain, and select the RIGHT exercises and stretches based on your unique muscle imbalance situation.

2. Neuromuscular Massage Therapy: The problem with chronic pain is that once your body gets “into a pattern” of activating muscles in a “pain pattern”, it essentially develops a HABIT. This can create a situation where you may need to re-learn how to use your body. Now, practicing your corrective stretches and exercises will for sure help this, but at times it can take a while. That is where massage therapy comes in. When I do manual therapy, I can get done in 1 hour what would take you 3 weeks to do on your own. (Yeah, I’m THAT good! Lol!) The point is that direct intervention works quickly, particularly the MORE pain the individual has.

3. Upper Cervical Chiropractic: This is a “dirty little secret” in my bag of therapies that not many people know about! To make a long explanation short, the first vertebra under the skull (called the Atlas) has a TREMENDOUS impact on the position of the spine, due to its ability to affect postural reflexes. When this vertebra is out of alignment, it can cause functional scoliosis, imbalances in the pelvis, hips, and as far down as the feet and toes! If there is a problem with this area, it can be VERY challenging to get long term relief from pain. There is ONLY ONE kind of upper cervical chiropractor that I refer to! (For now, I will keep this one a secret, as I will be writing on the topic soon!)

4. Nutritional Therapy: Yes, I can hear your “sigh” as you read this one! One of the MOST overlooked aspects in the back pain equation is that of controlling inflammation through nutrition. Most of the time, over the counter drugs such as ibuprofen, aspirin, etc, and pharmaceutical pain killers are used to “numb” pain, and everyone KNOWS this works, but at the same time “scoff” at nutrition as being a means of anti-inflammatory relief. How do I use this you ask? Well, first of all, remove all factors that cause inflammation such as food allergies, food intolerances, and fix problems with bad digestion. DO NOT underestimate the power of a dysfunctional gut, and its impact on increasing back pain!

Of course, this list is by no means a complete one, as I use many different forms of therapies AS NEEDED on a case by case basis. All cases are different, and may need different interventions. These therapies have provided the MOST CONSISTENT results, and therefore are the ones I INVEST my efforts in.

–Sam Visnic