Back Pain

How common is back pain? Almost 80% of the world’s population suffers from varying degrees of back pain in some point of time in their life. The most common back pain is lower back pain. There is no single reason that causes back pain. Lifestyle, nature of work, food habits, inactivity, injury, weight gain, metabolic disorders, and many more lead to back pain.

Back pain becomes chronic due to imbalance in the body. It can be minimal to severe. Sometimes, taking good rest helps relieving the back pain. Let us explore in detail about causes of back pain, the triggers, and treatment options.

Ayurvedic Perception

According to ayurveda, vitiation of Vata dosha is the major trigger of the back pain. Vata holds the responsibility for the body movements, nerves, tissues, blood, etc. Vitiation of vata causes pain. When it comes to pain, vata is implicated by default!

• Vata controls the bone metabolism and pelvis area
• Pitta controls the blood metabolism, body heat, tendons and navel area
• Kapha controls the plasma metabolism, ligaments, fats, muscles and nerves

Imbalance of any of the doshas can lead to back pain, while vata imbalance remains predominant.

Vata imbalance cause sharp pain, varying with intensity, migrating inside the body etc. It appears like more localized pain.

Vata and Pitta vitiation cause intense and burning pain which stays at one place. The burning sensation would be so intense and generally tend to appear in the middle of the body.

During Vata and Kapha vitiation, the pain appears dull and stays in a place. Gradually the intensity increases and reaches the peak.

Since back pain connects with all three doshas, diagnosis becomes crucial to identify the root cause and derive a proper treatment plan.

Treatment Plan

Ayurvedic therapies help reducing back pain. Especially, complete Panchakarma, oil massage and Kati Basti in the lower back reduces pain to a great extent.

As Vata is implicated in all forms of lower back pain oil is almost always used in treatment as oil has the opposite qualities of Vatadosha. The oil is either mixed with cooling herbs for the treatment of Pitta (inflammation) or heating herbs for the treatment of Kapha (congestive).

Kati Basti, the back-oil dough therapy is the best therapy for back pain. It is another form of Snehana therapy.  The therapy uses vata pacifying oils for nourishment and energy. To name a few, Castor oil, dashamoola oil, bala oil, etc. In case of nerve damage, Brahmi oil is used.

Based on the intensity of the back pain, different therapies are provided.

Diet recommendations

Changing your diet habits can improve the condition. The vata pacifying diet helps to a great extent. Eating warm, fresh and nourishing foods balance the congestion and dryness in the body.

• Eat fresh fruits and vegetables, include raw salads in your diet every day.
• Avoid foods with preservatives and high fat foods
• Consume fibre rich foods to ease the bowel movements.

Herbs for back pain

There are many natural pain killers and anti-inflammatory herbs available in ayurveda. It includes,

• Garlic
• Ginger
• Turmeric
• Camphor (rub the camphor immersed coconut oil on the back for quick relief from back pain)
• Eucalyptus

Ayurvedic supplements and medicines for back pain

The medicines include both oral supplements and topical oils.

• Rhuma Oil
• Mahanarayana Oil
• Lakshadi Guggulu
• Dashmularishta
• Triphala Guggulu
• Punarnava Mandur
• Salai Guggulu
• Kaishore Guggulu
• Lakshadi Guggulu
• Brihatvat Chintamani Ras
• Mahavat Vidhvansan Ras
• Arthosure Capsule
• Simhanada Guggulu

Do not use the supplements without proper prescription from the ayurvedic practitioner. Ayurways is the compressive ayurcare provider in Spotswood, Melbourne. Consult now to lead a healthy and disease-free life.