Herbs and vitamins can be a valuable source in helping your back pain and overall health. By using these supplements you can increase your health and help the body recover from injuries and back pain faster than medicine alone. When making changes to your vitamin and supplement consumption you should consult your physician to check for any interactions or complications before beginning and if problems do occur, stop them immediately and consult a doctor.
Arnica is a very important herb for back pain. It comes in a gel, cream or ointment format and is applied topically to the skin as needed to reduce inflammation, swelling and aches and pains associated with back pain. This herbal remedy is available at most health food stores and wellness stores for a reasonable price. Arnica can be used up to several times per day every day for pain relief. When used as a muscle cream it operates similarly to other popular topical creams but without the greasy feeling or strong odor that others are known for.
Willow bark extract or tablets can also be used for back pain. Willow bark contains salicin, which is similar to aspirin and has pain relieving properties as well as anti-inflammatory ones. It is thought to be less bothersome to the stomach when compared to aspirin, making it a popular choice for those with easily irritated stomachs. When using willow bark follow the same precautions as one would with aspirin, which includes avoiding it entirely if you have displayed any allergic reactions or side effects to aspirin, avoiding use of other herbs that are shown to increase risks of bleeding or other complications. Ginkgo and vitamin E are among the top two that have been known to cause these risks.
Vitamin B12 provides many benefits to the body, one of them being relief from back pain. When a deficiency of vitamin B12 is noted, muscular injections are often used in place of supplements. These injections are provided by a medical professional. Vitamin B12 is easily obtainable from health food or wellness stores in many forms including drink powders, tablets or pills. Drink powders often contain other vitamins that have also been shown to be useful for back pain relief such as vitamin C and vitamin D.
Known for its usefulness in fighting colds, infections and low energy, vitamin C can also help fight off back pain. Vitamin C is available in tablets, citrus fruits such as orange juice and drink powders. Studies suggest that 2,000mg per day is sufficient to produce marked relief from back pain, as quickly as within two days in some cases. This recommended amount is quite large and hard to obtain without taking a supplement, making the supplements and powders a popular choice for their ease and convenience.
Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to back pain and chronic muscle pain in many cases. This could be due to a number of factors but some studies have shown that taking vitamin D supplements can help reduce back pain by replenishing the body’s levels of this vitamin. There are a number of ways such as cod liver oil that is fortified with vitamin D, fortified cereal and milk, some types of fish and sunlight exposure. Some medications can make sunlight exposure undesirable so read any and all labels before using that as a source of vitamin D.