Dr Oz: Back Pain Home Remedies + Cold Therapy & Kinesio Tape

Dr Oz: Home Remedies For Back Pain

Dr Oz started his show by explaining that he has tips to help you feel like a 10 in just 10 minutes. He welcomed Peggy Brill, an orthopedic physical therapist, who had her 10-minute remedies to reduce back pain. She explained that you want to try and block pain any way you can, so you need to stretch, strengthen, and stabilize, but between that you have to be able to find relief.

Dr Oz: Cold Therapy Soothes Back Pain

The first remedy is a 10-minute temperature relief. Cold therapy is a safe and effective way to treat back pain and the cold roller is the latest temperature tool. By rolling the tool against your back, the area is cooled, reducing blood flow, swelling, and inflammation. The cold also makes the area of the back less sensitive, which means less pain and fewer muscle spasms.

Peggy explained that typically she likes to use both heat and ice, but if you only have a shorter period of time, go for the ice. She was using the cold roller on a woman who started with pain at about a 7 or 8, and within a few minutes her pain level was already down to about a 5. Peggy said you’re interfering with their perception of pain, which explains the immediate relief. But then the massaging kicks in helping to loosen up the tissues.

Dr Oz: Prescription Topical Cream For Back Pain Relief

The next home remedy for back pain is prescription topical creams. The creams, made from anti-inflammatory drugs, have lower risks of side effects than oral medications. The creams work by penetrating below the skins surface directly targeting the ache. They reduce swelling and block inflammation. Research shows that when used for just two weeks, topical creams can reduce pain by 50%.

Peggy loves the prescription steroid creams better than pills, explaining that when you’re applying something directly to an area where you’re having a problem, the medicine is going to go right to that area as opposed to going through your whole body. One woman explained that she just puts a little bit in her hand and rubs it right into where she experiences pain. She started off at a 9 or 10 and her pain level is now around a 7. As for what to look for, Dr Oz suggests salicylate or capsaicin.

Dr Oz: Treat Back Pain With Kinesio Tape

The next 10-minute remedy to help you find relief is to tape your back pain. Kinesio taping is a technique that was originally used to treat pain in athletes. Now there’s evidence it can also reduce your back pain. The tape is strategically placed on certain areas to target back pain. One theory is that they open up a space between your skin and muscles and cause nerves to send messages to the brain to stabilize muscles in your back.

In one study, adults treated with kinesio taping for just one week saw a significant reduction in their chronic low back pain. Best of all, it’s pain relief without medication or side effects. Three different women tested the tape for their back pain and Peggy said they should see a difference in 10 minutes. She said it’s a great way to support and reinforce your muscles during physical activity. The nice thing is that you can get the tape at a sporting goods store, and have someone tape you.

I played volleyball in college and suffered from severe back pain for an entire season. While kinesio tape never worked for me, teammates of mine swore by it. To each their own is what I always say!

Dr Oz: Electrical Stimulation For Back Pain

Finally, the last home remedy Dr Oz wanted to look at was electrical stimulation. Electrical nerve stimulation is a treatment that uses low voltage electrical current to relieve pain. Technology now allows the electrical stimulation to be delivered through battery operated devices. When electrodes are placed on the back over the area of pain, they send impulses through the skin to the nerves blocking pain. After just 10 minutes, you could be free of back pain.

Peggy explained that her patients usually get the electrical stimulation after they’ve completed their exercises. They do it to relax the muscles for anywhere from 10-20 minutes. She said coupling it with stretching, strengthening, and stabilizing will definitely help. Electrical stimulation is the thing that helped ease my back pain more than anything. I did it for 20 minutes a day at least once a day!

Dr Oz said there are portable TENS devices which can be just as effective as taking aspirin or Tylenol. It blocks the perception of pain. Dr Oz added that one of the best ways to alleviate some of your back pain is to lose weight.