Lower back pain for many of us comes with the territory – we get older, but try to stay active and sometimes the two don’t mix. It’s generally the result of some sort of muscle strain or an injury. If you successfully treat that nagging pain, you can hopefully keep up your daily exercise routine. Some lower back pain is not usually anything to worry about. In fact most of the time the pain can get better just by you staying active. All you need to do is avoid doing the types of things that may exacerbate the pain.

Here are some typical and some not so typical things to try as a lower back pain remedy.

Over-the-Counter Medications
Of course our first instinct when our back hurts is to grab a bottle of over-the-counter pain relievers. For short term use they can be the answer, but they have their negative side, too.

· Acetaminophen is a non-aspirin pain reliever that may be gentler for the stomach than some other pain relievers. It is good for relieving day-to-day aches pains, including lower back pain. However, acetaminophen is not an anti-inflammatory. In other words, it doesn’t reduce swelling which can often be part of the issue with lower back pain. Continued use can also damage the liver if you take too much.

· NSAIDs – These are an anti-inflammatory that does not contain steroids. NSAIDs can be aspirin, naproxen, or ibuprofen. NSAIDs relieve both pain and inflammation. But they can cause bleeding in the stomach and aren’t good taken regularly if you have kidney problems or high blood pressure.

Capsaicin Cream
This cream has an analgesic effect, which means that when you rub it on the skin it depletes a certain neurochemical in the body that transmits pain. Capsaicin is the active ingredient that is found in chili peppers that makes your mouth burn when you eat them.

Exercise
As long as your lower back pain is not acute, you can start doing some mild exercises. Exercises, including stretching exercises, can not only decrease your pain but can even help you recover more quickly, keep the injury from recurring, and lessen the chances of having a chronic problem with your lower back.

You should never let the pain keep you from trying some easy exercises. It’s best to start as soon as you can after first feeling the pain and step up your activity over time. Some examples of exercises for lower back pain are:

· Aerobic exercise to help with your overall conditioning and speed up your recovery.
· Strengthening exercises that concentrate on the back, abdomen, and legs.
· Stretches that will make the muscles and other tissue that support the back be more flexible.

Yoga
Yoga’s various poses help develop an even balance between the flexibility and strength of all of the muscles in the body. When these things are out of balance, this can be the cause of back pain. Yoga is meant to release the tension in the muscles, which can significantly improve back pain. Before you begin Yoga, however, you should check with your doctor. He can let you know if there are any of the positions you should avoid, any ways you should modify the Yoga positions for your particular situation, and how challenging the exercises should be.

Other Lower Back Pain Remedies
There are a myriad of things that can succeed as a lower back pain remedy. Some other very effective remedies are massage, acupuncture, and chiropractic treatments. Even vitamin and mineral supplements like B12 and magnesium can help some people. Others believe in natural home remedies like teas made from willow bark. Not every remedy works for everyone’s back pain. It may take some trial and error before you find what works for you.