Help for Back Discomfort

A listener to a podcast I was recently on emailed me to ask how to address spinal curvatures and back discomfort. She had tried physical therapy at clinics, but was frustrated that she had not found relief. Back discomfort is such a common and difficult issue to deal with that I thought it would worth discussing with my newsletter subscribers.

Easing Back Discomfort

There were several recommedations​ I would make while I still had my practice and someone ​came to me with ongoing back discomfort — particularly when that person had previously had back surgery. Below are the natural alternatives I would recommend, and still do, that are known to help reduce physical discomfort:

PEA (​Palmitoylethanolamide​)

PEA (​Palmitoylethanolamide​) is a chemical from fat found naturally in certain foods as well as the human body. It is know for its support in releiving discomfort, among other health benefits. I recommend taking 600 mg twice daily for one month followed by 1,200 mg twice daily for two months. After three months, a user should assess its effect and try reducing the dose to see if benefits are maintained. This is discussed in more detail at my main PEA information page, The study that I reference in that article that has a link and video about a study for relieving ongoing occassional back discomfort where nerves are being pinched. As in back discomfort.

Study participants reported an average 70% decrease in discomfort from taking PEA! However, in supplementing with PEA, absorption is critical. So it's important to use a product that provides easy absorption. PEA Healthy Inflammation Response is a product that does this through a proprietary technology called "GammSorb." This supplement decreases the central sensitization or brain pain and microglial activation that routinely amplifies ongoing occassional pain of most types. There are over 300 studies using this supplement that demonstarte this benefit.

Curamin®

Curamin® is a mix of four natural compounds that powerfully help most types of physical discomfort. I recommend taking one capsule three times a day or two twice a day. Give this six weeks to see its full effect. Several head on studies comparing it to Celebrex® have shown it to be equivalent, but without the toxicity.

Fatigued to Fantastic™ Energy Revitalization Drink Mix

It is likely that most cases of occassional back discomfort include not only joint discomfort but secondary (or even primary) muscle discomfort. A high potency multivitamin that has high levels of B vitamins and magnesium can help this. Given the problems with the current American diet, I think this multinutrient powder, which is one simple drink daily, is a good idea for everybody. Called the Energy Revitalization Drink Mix, I have seen cases where this by itself eliminated back discomfort.

Glucosamine Sulfate

Less critical but worth considering would be nutrients that help the joint cartilage itself to heal. This would be a mix of glucosamine sulfate 750 mg twice a day and chondroitin 400 mg three times a day. These take about six to 12 weeks to start kicking in.

Low-Dose Naltrexone (by Prescription)

If not already taking a tramadol or narcotic medication, then a prescription called low-dose naltrexone, or LDN, can be very helpful for many kinds of occassional discomfort (LDN cannot be taken with narcotics). But the dose needs to be limited to 3 mg a night. Higher doses do not work. See this study on LDN for more information and consider sharing it with your physician .

Hope this is helpful for you and your physician. Again, it takes time to get ongoing discomfort under control. So give these suggestions a few months to see how much they help. Except for the low-dose naltrexone, which should not be taken with narcotics, the above approach is compatible with prescription pain medications and most other medications (though if on the blood thinner Coumadin, you should have your bleeding tests checked any time you make a change to the medication or supplements you are taking).