Two Alternative Methods to Get Relief for Lower Back Pain

You shouldn't have to live in denial of your lower back pain. After all, you get frequent shooting and pulsating pains to remind you of it on a regular basis. The pain often keeps you from enjoying the things you want to enjoy. You may have no idea why you have the pain in your back, or you may simply dismiss it as a part of the aging process. No matter what is going on in your head, you need lower back pain relief in order to effectively manage the pain in your lower back.

Since pain in the lower back is so common, there have been a number of alternative methods to get lower back pain relief documented over the years. You may want to take advantage of some of these in order to get some relief for yourself. Consider a couple of the more popular alternative methods: Chinese acupuncture and massage therapy.

One of the least controversial of practices of Chinese medicine is acupuncture. While acupuncture was once very controversial, a variety of studies have documented that it is an effective way of relieving pain. While there may still be some controversy about how it works, as little is really understood about its pain relief mechanism, Chinese acupuncture is a widely accepted alternative to medications and surgeries for the treatment of chronic pain. It may also be used in some cases as a part of a treatment program for mild to moderate back pain, though you should seek such treatment only after a consultation with your physician.

Acupuncture can range from a simple back pain relief method involving well-placed needle pricks to an elaborate religious procedure involving these same well-placed needle pricks. The training of the acupuncturist appears to be the most important determinant of the success of using it to treat pain in the lower back.

While massage therapy is often classified as alternative medicine in the West, it has been widely used as a treatment for various chronic pain conditions in most parts of the world for thousands of years. Licensed massage therapists are very skilled at applying pain-specific massage therapy treatments. Massage therapy may not cure the cause of the pain, but it does more than simply relieve the symptoms. One of the most effective lower back pain relief steps many people have taken is to get a therapeutic massage from a well-trained, experienced massage therapist.