Stressful life, travelling, workouts or ageing- all these lead to one most common health problem i.e., backache. It is one health issue which makes us restless and if not taken care of, results in making routine terrible.

Here are a few home remedies to get rid of that backache:

• Mix camphor in coconut oil and boil it for 5 minutes. Cool it and store it in a bottle. Massage it twice in a week before going to sleep to get rid of backache.
• In a bucket of lukewarm or slightly hot water, add few drops of eucalyptus oil. Taking a bath with this water will help you get rid of backache as well as body pain. Not just that, it will make you feel stress-free.
• While you are spending some time watching TV, put a hot-water bag on back supported by a cushion. The heat-based treatment will help you recover from backache.
• Massage your back with mustard oil an hour prior to going for a shower. Make sure you take a hot water shower.
• In a warm glass of milk, add a pinch of turmeric and few drops of honey. Make it a habit to have this regularly to get rid of backache, body pain as well as cough and cold too.
• Add ginger while brewing your tea, it will help you lower the chances of backache.
• Using a herbal oil for massaging your back ensures a quick recovery.
• Take a tube sock and fill it with rice (make sure to tie off end of the sock). Heat in microwave for 3-5 minutes, then just lay it wherever you have the pain. It works wonders for lower back pain.
• Avoid rice and wheat flour in food.
• Eat 3 walnuts every morning in breakfast. Its beneficial in back and joint pain.

Herbal Folk Remedies

Internal Application

• Take a mixture of Ajwain (Trachyspermum ammi), Guggul (Commiphora wightii) and Malkangani (Celastrus paniculatus). Grind all together in equal quantities; wet the mixed powder with water. Take one gram of this preparation daily along with milk.

• To cure back pain, fresh leaves (6-7 nos.) of Parijat/ Harsingar (Nyctanthes arbor-tristis) flowers, Adrak (Zingiber officinale) juice and honey is mixed and taken.
• In cases of back pain, mix the combination of Pippali (Piper longum) fruit (20g) and Indrayan (Citrullus colocynthis) roots (10g) thoroughly and prepare tablets. Take 2 tablets twice a day; it relieves and cures pain.
• In back pain, Gorakhmundi (Sphaeranthus indicus) fruit powder and Adrak (Zingiber officinale) powder is given with milk.
• Powder of Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera), black musli (Curculigo orchioides) root and Gokhru (Tribulus terrestris) is taken in equal amounts and given to the back pain patient with milk.
• Juice of the Brahmi (Bacopa monnieri) plant (1-2 teaspoon) is boiled and given orally for two times a day is given to the back pain patient.
• Barleria (Barleria prionitis) leaf juice and honey is given orally in joint pain and back pain.
• Preparation of white musli (Chlorophytum borivillianum) root powder along with sugar and ghee is taken orally for back pain.
• Mix thoroughly the combination of Indrayan (Citrullus colocynthis) roots (10g) and Pippali (Piper longum) fruit (20g), prepare tablets. Take 2 tablets twice a day; it relieves and cures back pain immediately.
• Decoction of the Chandni/ Nandibatlu (Tabernaemontana divaricata) bark is given orally for back pain.
• To relieve pain during sciatica, consume a kheer (a kind of sweet) of Halim (Lepidium sativum) seeds in milk.
• In sciatica, Mahaneem (Melia azedarach) root bark (10g) is crushed in water and taken orally for a month.
• Harsingar (Nyctanthes arbor-tristis) leaf decoction with honey is given 3 times a day for three weeks in sciatica.

External Applications

• 500g Sitafal/ custard apple (Annona squamosa) leaves are boiled in water for 5 minutes and if taken bath from this medicated water can cure back pain very fast.
• A paste of Guggul (Commiphora wightii) gum is prepared in mustard (Brassica campestris) oil and applied externally in muscle pain and swellings.
• Varun (Crateva nurvala), Nirgundi (Vitex negundo) leaves and Munga (Moringa oleifera) bark is crushed and made into a poultice. This is an effective remedy for back pain.
• The oil of Jamalgota (Croton tiglium) in small quantity is mixed in Mustard (Brassica campestris) oil or Castor (Ricinus communis) oil and applied externally on rheumatic pains, arthritis, and sciatica.
• Poultice made of seed powder and aerial parts of Amarbel (Cuscuta reflexa) can cure back pain.
• A few leaves and flowers of Tivdi (Impatiens balsamina) are mixed with Arandi (Ricinus communis) or Sarson (Brassica campestris) oil and boiled. A few drops of Nirgundi (Vitex negundo) oil are added on it and massaged to relieve back pain.
• Karanj (Pongamia pinnata) oil massage is recommended for joint pain and arthritis.
• Vidari Kand (Pueraria tuberosa) tuber powder is crushed in water and boiled. It is applied on swollen body parts.
• Take equal amounts of Babul (Acacia nilotica subsp. indica) bark powder and Kusum (Carthamus tinctorius) seed powder and burn it. Collect the residue and mix it with Mogra (Jasminum sambac) oil. Oil massaging with this helps in back pain.
• Paste of Ratti (Abrus precatorius) leaves is applied on affected part.
• Roots of Samundar-ka-pat (Argyreia nervosa) are extracted in Til (Sesamum indicum) oil and filtered. Apply it on affected parts.
• Kachnar (Bauhinia variegata) plant is used in curing back pain and swellings. For this, mash the roots in water, boil and apply on affected parts.
• Powder of Palash (Butea monosperma) seeds along with honey can be applied on the painful parts in back pain.
• In back pain, Arandi oil (Ricinus communis) crushed with old leaves of Akona/Arka (Calotropis procera) is applied.
• In back pain, and sciatica pain, poultice of the Kanphuti (Cardiospermum helicacabum) leaves is applied over the affected part.
• Massaging of Kusum (Carthamus tinctorius) oil helps in back pain.
• Moringa/ Shigru/ drumstick (Moringa oleifera) bark, Nirgundi (Vitex negundo) leaf and Varun (Crataeva nurvala) are crushed and made into a poultice and applied on the painful body parts.
• Water is added in Pippali (Piper longum) fruit powder and paste is prepared. It is boiled and applied externally.
• For getting relief from pain, apply the poultice of the Adusa (Adhatoda zeylanica) leaves on the painful joints.
• In pain and swelling, paste prepared from Samundar-ka-pat (Argyreia nervosa) roots with rice (Oryza sativa) water is applied on the affected parts.
• Few drops of the Sehund (Euphorbia tirucalli) latex are mixed with 10 drops Nirgundi (Vitex negundo) oil in mustard (Brassica campestris) oil and smeared all over the painful parts of the body.
• Paste is prepared from the leaves of Singhara (Trapa natans var. bispinosa) and applied externally on the affected parts.
• Poultice of Adhasisi (Xanthium indicum) plant is prepared and tied on the affected part.
• In sciatica, Tulsi (Ocimum sanctum) leaves, Adrak (Zingiber officinale) powder and Arandi (Ricinus communis) oil is mixed and applied externally.

Garlic Oil for External Application

Garlic is highly nutritious and has several medicinal values. Eat a few cloves of it every morning on an empty stomach and you will experience relief from back pain very soon.

One can also prepare garlic oil and use it to massage the back. It is very easy to prepare garlic oil; simply add few cloves of garlic in coconut oil or sesame oil. Heat it for some time and strain the oil when the garlic appears brownish in colour. Use this oil for a daily massage on the aching areas.

Ice/ Cold Packs
This is a more conventional treatment option, and for good reason it is completely natural, and it works. For effective results, apply the ice or cold pack to the direct center of the affected area. Keep it there for about 25 minutes before letting it rest, and repeat this process every half an hour for best results.

In back pain, these home remedies work wonderfully in both acute and chronic situations. But if they are recurrent and aggravating, then consult your doctor immediately. It is important to note that self-treating with alternative medicine and avoiding or delaying standard care may be harmful to your health.