Can you combine stretching, nutrition, and other approaches to kick back pain to the curb? Absolutely! It's not only possible to take a natural approach to block pain by using supplements that can reduce inflammation and provide some pain relief, but it's also the best way to kick back pain or any pain to the curb... for good!
Supplements work best when used in combination with a clean, healthy diet, daily stretching and walking, and stress management. In fact, 90 percent of all back pain is caused by tight hamstrings and stress that’s being held in the body. Stretching is the best way to alleviate pain, especially when it’s combined with walking to keep muscles limber and joints lubed. Daily exercise is also the miracle drug for reducing stress.
Why are supplements needed to get rid of back pain if you're already stretching and walking? Both stress and pain deplete the body of nutrients needed to stay healthy pain-free. As we age, we lose certain nutrients at a faster pace, so it’s a good idea to supplement to keep muscles pliable, and joints lubricated to help the body heal faster and more effectively, especially if recovering from an injury or surgery. This places greater nutrient demands that can't be met without supplements.
Here are my top picks.
Glucosamine and Chondroitin
Even physicians agree that this dynamic duo is good for joints. Glucosamine and chondroitin are both compounds that occur naturally in the body — glucosamine in fluid around joints, and chondroitin in cartilage surrounding joints.
LynFit Daily Joint Recovery & Repair not only provides the perfect dose, but it's also in a highly absorbable liquid so your body can absorb the nutrients faster and easier without gastric distress. It also tastes delicious so you'll never forget to take it. I freeze mine in the shot glass that’s provided, and when my sweet tooth calls midafternoon, that’s what I grab.
Everyone should be supplementing with Daily Joint Recovery & Repair to prevent problems before they begin. The 500mg of MSM in each serving also helps improve skin.
View the full product nutritional label HERE.
Vitamin D
If you have back pain, a vitamin D deficiency could be making your pain worse. A study published in Pain Physician in 2013 found that severe pain was associated with a high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in people with lumbar spinal stenosis, a condition with lower back pain as a symptom.
While sunlight exposure and vitamin D fortified foods such as milk also supply the nutrient, it's smarter to use a daily supplement to ensure the body gets what it needs. Vitamin D is also good for appetite regulation preventing future fat cells from forming while helping to boost mood and ease seasonal affective disorder.
I suggest LynFit Vitamin D3 Boost for everyone who has aches and pains, is losing weight, working out, or needs immune support.
Ashwagandha (found in LynFit Thyro-Boost)
Ashwagandha is an Ayurvedic herb that has been used for centuries due to its healing and restorative abilities. The name ashwagandha is derived from the Sanskrit words ‘Ashva’ (horse) and ‘gandha’ (smell). It was given this name due to its roots possessing a unique horse-type odor.
It is popular for its ability to act as an adaptogen, meaning it enables the body to cope with various daily stresses. It is known to relieve inflammation and pain and has been used in the treatment of a multitude of diseases. Some of these are arthritis, anxiety, insomnia, tumors, tuberculosis, asthma, bronchitis, backache, menstrual problems, hiccups, and chronic liver disease. The herb is also believed to be capable of reversing the signs of aging.
Data suggest that a daily dose of ashwagandha can reduce flare-ups of chronic lower back pain or any other type of pain for that matter. People with persistent arthritis pain often find it difficult to get relief, yet when they used ashwagandha, it began working right away.
Ashwagandha also helps reduce uric acid buildup and alleviates Gout, which is characterized by severe pain, redness, inflammation and swelling at the joints.
Every medicine cabinet should have Thyro-Boost in it. This time of year it's especially important to supplement with it, and it also boosts immunity. With flu season already in full swing, we all need this daily.
*Once Thyro-Boost is opened, it's best to store in the refrigerator.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids (found in LynFit Pure Omega 3)
Increasing your intake of omega-3 fatty acids is one of the best ways to reduce and inhibit inflammation that causes back pain and any other ache or pain you have. Most supplements sold in stores do not provide the proper dosage to be effective and can contain toxins and other fats.
While you can also increase your intake of omega-3’s simply by eating more oily fish such as salmon, sardines, and tuna, as well as dark leafy greens, most physicians suggest that anyone who struggles with aches and pains, arthritis, or any type of 'itis' to supplement to ensure adequate intake, especially if you're losing weight and exercising.
Who should take it? Everyone who is over age 30, has aches pains, arthritis, bursitis, tendonitis, or is trying to lose weight or struggles with hunger and cravings.
Take one (1) LynFit Pure Omega 3 in the morning and another again at bedtime. Take an additional one immediately after you exercise or strenuous activity to prevent inflammation and flare up’s.
Turmeric (found in LynFit Recovery Agent)
Turmeric is one of the supplements almost every physician recommends to their patients for its anti-inflammatory properties. The spice, which is commonly used in Indian curry dishes, can be taken as a powder in capsules, mixed into tea, or as a liquid extract. However, these methods generally don’t provide enough of this spice to bring relief. They also make your teeth yellow, and they don’t taste very good.
The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCAAM) reports that turmeric is considered safe for most adults but drinking the spice could cause stomach upset. To get the proper dose of turmeric that your body needs to alleviate aches and pains take LynFit Recovery Agent as directed on the label.
Capsaicin (found in LynFit Recovery Agent)
The agent that gives hot peppers their heat, capsaicin has a long history of being used for medicinal purposes. It works by desensitizing channels that send pain signals to receptors in your brain.
A review article that discusses a study of more than 1,500 people with chronic pain, published in 2011 in the Journal of Pain Research, showed that capsaicin had a pain-relieving effect in 38 percent of study participants with musculoskeletal pain, and the relief lasted for four to eight weeks of follow-up.
Every household should have a bottle of LynFit Recovery Agent. It addresses the underlying issues that cause pain and stiffness versus putting a band-aid on them the way over the counter pain remedies do. And, it won't slow your metabolism or clog your liver the way over-the-counter pain relievers can.
A Good Night's Sleep
Sleep disturbances are common among people with chronic back pain, and not getting enough quality sleep may actually worsen inflammation and pain. For a better night's sleep, invest in a good mattress and experiment with different sleeping positions.
Adding an extra pillow under your body can help maintain the natural curve in your spine. If you’re a back sleeper, try putting the pillow under both knees. For stomach sleepers, try under your pelvis. If you sleep on your side, sleeping with a pillow between the knees may help.
Take (1-2) LynFit Lean Sleep and (1) LynFit Pure Omega 3 so your body heals while it sleeps, helping you wake up feeling better.
A Stretch-a-Day Keeps the Pain Away
When you have back pain, the best thing to do is rest until the pain subsides, right? Nope! In fact, rest can worsen certain types of back pain and decrease muscle strength — and strengthening and stretching the muscles may actually reduce or eliminate many types of back pain because they help keep the body lubricated and our joints pliable, while helping to reduce toxins and delivering fresh blood loaded with nutrients.
Instead of resting, start with gentle stretches and then get moving until you feel the pain subside. I promise you that it will! Try going out for a slow, easy walk, and pick up the pace when you can. It will lift endorphins that make you feel better and help reduce pain.
It may seem to be counter-intuitive, but when we rest, the body rusts, and rust is never a good thing. I suggest that everyone who struggles with aches and pains use a Stretch Strap when stretching, so they can go deeper into the stretch, which helps alleviate tight muscles that make us sore. It comes with a chart that shows stretches each of us should be doing twice daily. Keep it next to your bed and stretch every night before you doze off. If you go to bed tight you will wake up even worse! Repeat when you wake up and you'll feel like your 22 again!
Lastly... Hot and Cold
I always tell my clients to put ice on it throughout the day. You can stick an ice pack on your back (or in your pants... LOL) and continue with your chores to make it doable.
Generally speaking, cold therapy (applied via an ice pack) works better for inflammation and helps to reduce swelling, while heat (via a hot water bottle or heating pad) is ideal for reducing tension, cramping, and muscle spasms.
Ice is the most underrated pain management technique. It's what the professional athletes use. If you hate the thought of cold, you can chase it with heat, but ice reduces pain on contact. I ice my back first thing when I wake up while I walk on the treadmill because I leave so early. I then do it throughout the day if I get flare-ups.
Ice 4-5 times per day if you're nursing a flare-up and experiment to see how often you need to do it to keep aches and pains away. I'm pretty active, so ice is in my daily routine along with brushing my teeth.
If everyone would ice and follow the tips outlined above, there wouldn’t be a need for surgery. My background is in Sports Nutrition, and the first thing we learn is to keep athletes on the field and out of the doctor's office. If they don’t stay healthy, they can't play, and pro athletes make their living using their bodies. Prevention is the cure!