How to Relieve Stress – Relax Away Back Pain with Music

People today have more stress than they can handle. Even those who think they’re doing a great job keeping their head above water are prime candidates for stress-related conditions to strike. These conditions could include the more obvious, like tension headaches, heart attacks and depression to less obvious ones like indigestion and lower back pain. And there are as many health problems due to emotional stress as there are from physical stress, if not more.

American NFL wide receiver Terrell Owens once said, “A lot of emotional stress that people go through, some people figure out a way to handle it. They have a strong enough support system to keep going and moving forward. And some people, they feel like they don’t have that outlet.” It is those people who don’t have that kind of outlet who are most likely to feel the physical conditions that are brought on by undue emotional stress. And sadly, many of them let the problem go untreated until it transitions into a far more serious problem.

Relief for Stress Related Back Pain

One of the most common problems people experience due to both emotional and physical stress is back pain. All too frequently they turn to pain relief pills which just mask discomfort. If they recognized stress as the reason for their pain and treated the stress, then they could potentially eliminate their pain altogether. Here are 7 different alternates to pain medication. If you’re suffering from back pain, one just may be able to help you!

1. Vitamins – Are you spending enough time away from the computer and outside to enjoy that Pacific coast sunlight? Eating the right foods? Back pain is a clear sign of the physical strain of your body’s attempt to make up for a lack of certain vitamins and minerals like vitamins D and B-12 or magnesium. Other signs include digestive problems, anemia, and even parasitic infections. If this sounds familiar, check with your doctor and if that’s the case, ask for advice about planning out a vitamin regimen to correct the problem.
2. Music – Hospitals are now using music therapy to help those with chronic back pain. One study found that music therapy significantly reduced the patients’ back-related disabilities. In addition to its high level of effectiveness, music is both low cost and readily accessible. Some use an electronic device like an iTunes Digital Jukebox while others actually contract live musicians to play for the patients.
3. Willow bark – Similar to aspirin, willow bark contains salicin which your body converts over to salicylic acid, the compound that is responsible for relieving pain and inflammation. A study performed by the University of Sydney found that the effects of willow bark on patients with back pain had a considerable effect after daily intake over a period of four weeks.
4. Yoga – This is my favorite way to relieve back pain. Whether I’m downward facing dog in my family’s games room or practicing pigeon amongst a flock of seagulls on the beach, giving my muscles a good stretch helps relieve any kinks that cause annoying back twinges from the stress of sitting at my computer for several hours at a time.
5. Swimming – Speaking of the ocean, swimming is a great way to help exercise away your back pain whether you’re at the beach or at the community swimming pool. Some gyms even offer aqua aerobics classes, as the natural buoyancy of the water supports your skeletal system and helps to prevent the harmful jarring associated with jogging and regular exercise classes.
6. Massage – I don’t know anyone who would turn down a massage. When my brother threw his back out while working construction, his doctor sent him for a series of chiropractic massage sessions. It not only helped with his back pain, but it also helped him relieve stress overall. He even learned some exercises he could use at home to help relieve back pain in case of future flare-ups.

Visit New Backdrops to Lower Back Pain

Sometimes just visiting a new location can help us relieve stress. Victoria on Vancouver Island has a broad range of activities for relaxation, from colorful gardens and easy access to the Pacific Ocean. Even residents of the area, which Travel and Leisure World voted the Top Island in the Continental United States and Canada, enjoy all that Victoria offers in the way of relaxation. Whether it’s attending annual events like the Victoria Dragon Boat Festival or a current stage production, the year-round climate – the mildest in Canada – makes the lush island a perfect setting for relaxation during any calendar month.

About the Author

Freelance author Becky James-Muth loves living in the mountains, but she also loves visiting the beach. When she’s not working on a new writing project in her home office, she’s usually hiking the woods around her home with her golden retriever or dragging her husband and their teenage sons off to a weekend at the beach. In her free time Becky enjoys watching classic movies, listening to music, and pulling the weeds from her flowerbeds.