Unfortunately back pain is something we’re all going to be dealing with at some point, whether it’s caused by poor posture in your sit down office job, incorrect technique when lifting something heavy or just plain old age. The worst case scenario would be to encounter chronic back pain, as in, back pain that is persistant. This can be caused by a number of things such as rheumatoid arthritis, of which pain relief is pretty much necessary for living a normal life. Seeking professional medical advice is ofcourse highly advisable in order to identify the cause of the issues and hopefully begin some kind of healing process, but there are many ways you can start to relieve this muscle pain and reduce inflammation that most likely will even be recommended by your healthcare provider
Rather than considering the subject of this article as an alternative, it’s best to considering it as it’s namesake; supplementary. Though many of these dietary supplements can relieve chronic back pain naturally, it’s still best to speak to your doctor in order to determine the cause of the issue and implement some sort of plan for dealing with it.
That said you’ll be surprised by how effective a lot of this can be, especially if your chronic pain isn’t too far along. It’s amazing how far a healthy immune system can go when it comes to reducing inflammation and acute back pain signals, and that’s all these supplements for back pain relief really do, though everything plays its part in it’s own way.
Let’s get stuck right in there then.
Omega 3 Fatty Acids
You’d be hard pressed to find a list similar to this that doesn’t mention fish oil or Omega 3 fatty acids. It’s not only one of the best known supplements for joint pain in general but is essentially what allows the body to do it’s job in keeping the joints in tip top shape, and even has major benefits for brain function [1]. It’s essential for any healthy diet to include a daily dose of 1.1g omega 3 fatty acids in order to function correctly, and luckily fatty fish isn’t the only way to get this in, as there are many supplements that contain omega 3 derived from plant based sources.
If you’re looking for something reliable that can help decrease inflammation then supplementing omega 3 should be the first thing you try, and if you’re looking for a more umbrella fix that covers most of the ingredients that we’ll be listing off.
Then generally we recommend FlexAgain, it’s the only combination supplement that gets the vast majority of these right, and we highly recommend it, with that being why it’s topped our best joint supplements list.
Vitamin C and Vitamin D
These two work synergistically in order to support overall health, but they also have been found to help reduce musculoskeletal pain naturally. Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, helps your body to get enough Vitamin D, and it’s the Vitamin D levels specifically that support bone health. We’ve included both however as it’s estimated that 41% of Americans suffer vitamin D deficiency and there’s clinical evidence that suggests elevating vitamin D levels in patients suffering deficiency can reduce pain naturally in those suffer Osteoarthritis [2]
Bromelain
If anyone reading this is a fan of fresh pineapple then you’re intimately familiar with Bromelain, even if you don’t know it. Many of us would have heard that pineapple “eats you back”, and though this is ofcourse a dramatic exaggeration, as you eat it you’ll likely experience a tickling sensation on your tongue. This is caused by Bromelain, a collection of enzymes that are responsible for this strange fun fact.
There’s been research into enzymes such as Bromelain as a potential complementary medicine for treating joint pain, such as a 2004 review that found there was evidence to suggest such enzymes have relieves pain at a level which is comparable to typical non-steroidal anti inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen and diclofenac [3].
Ginger
As far as natural supplements for back pain go, Ginger is most likely up there with Omega 3 as one of the first things you thought of. It’s commonly discussed for it’s therapeutic effects and is known as a powerful antioxidant, but how does it fair against chronic diseases? Well luckily, it’s therapeutic effects extend to ginger being a powerful anti inflammatory, and has been clinically observed to improve inflammatory conditions, decrease swelling, meaning it can help to treat chronic low back pain [4].
The main issue with ginger is similar to omega 3 as you need rather quite a lot in order for it to be effective in these ways. That said there are some clever work arounds, such as FlexAgain‘s use of Blue Galangal which is 12 times more densely packed with the active gingerols that are responsible for it’s therapeutic effects, allowing them to squeeze in an effective dose despite everything.
Resveratrol
You may have heard from some that there are many health benefits to drinking red wine, and in fact it’s a common joke made by many in the older generations that the secret to their long life is a daily glass of red wine. There’s actually a hint of truth to it, although we don’t recommend you try this out. Red wine contains a polyphenol named resveratrol, which is a fantastically potent antioxidant.
It’s been observed to have joint protective effects, fighting against pro-inflammatory molecules such as free radicals, with it being shown to actually decrease production of pro-inflammatory molecules and pro-degradative factors [5],
Turmeric
This popular yellow spice is known for it’s bitter taste the world over, but it’s actually been used in traditional medicine in south asian cultures for many years. It’s been later found out that this therapeutic effects are from an active ingredient called Curcumin. This compound is known as a strong anti inflammatory dietary supplement, and works by blocking cytokines (small proteins that control growth) as well as pro-inflammatory enzymes which are similarly targeted by commonly prescribed joint pain drug celecoxib.
It’s no surprise then that research has found it to be similarly effective as NSAIDs such as celecoxib, as we found a systematic review of randomly controlled trials stating ” Curcumin reduced Osteoarthritis pain and inflammation as well as non-steroidal anti inflammatory drugs” [6]
Glucosamine
Commonly paired with our next ingredient Chondroitin, glucosamine is a very commonly found joint health supplement in many health care shops, as well as pharmacies and probably even the health and beauty aisles of your favourite supermarket.
It’s been recommended by many doctors to be taken alongside prescribed medication with a bit of a caveat, as it seems to really only take effect after 6-8 weeks of constant use. This has lad some to dismiss it’s usefulness but at the end of the day it’s better to try and know. This has been found in clinical trials, as there’s some short term trials that have shown little to no utility in Glucosamine, but then longer trials such as a 3 year trial containing 319 patients suggest that Glucosamine significantly improved long therm symptomatic evolution of osteoarthritis [7].
Chondroitin
It seems that though there is evidence to suggests that glucosamine will have positive effects without chondroitin, chondroitin simply serves to bolster those effects rather than having it’s own deck of cards to play with. That said, even if it’s role is support, it’s better to have glucosamine take the credit and lead to better results than just omitting this great natural supplement. When we mentioned previously how abundantly available glucosamine is, we’d take the bet that you’d find a combined chondroitin glucosamine supplement in those very same places.
We found a systematic review on chondroitin that concluded that, when taken alongside glucosamine there is a statistically significant improvement in pain when compared with placebo [8].
So we’ve spoke at length about different dietary supplements and explained why these are the best, but if you buy everything individually first of all, good luck keeping track of taking all of those supplements, and secondly, it’s going to be rather expensive. Luckily there are many companies out there that see this issue and aim to solve it with their very own concoction of ingredients. We thought we’d share our favourite one with you today, FlexAgain
FlexAgain- The Best Combined Supplement For Chronic Back Pain
Coming over to join the US market after being crowned number 1 in the UK, FlexAgain has hit the market and quickly established itself as a serious contender in the supplement world. Their approach is refreshingly different, as anyone who’s looked beneath the surface of any dietary supplements can tell you, it’s full of marketing buzzwords and confusing nutritional labels that is often deliberately obtuse in order to trick you into purchasing.
Thankfully there’s a great adherence to honesty and integrity with FlexAgains branding. Everything is labelled completely transparently, with doses listed and references to show that each ingredient has scientific backing so you know you can trust in the science. Better yet, FlexAgain have made a bold commitment to the science, claiming that if new scientific evidence is released that discredits one of their ingredients then they would look to replace it in order to provide the best, most scientifically sound joint health supplement at all times.
Speaking of the formula there’s 11 ingredients total, including everything on our list here as well as ingredients such as vitamin K2, which can slow the progression of osteoarthritis [9], and boswellic acid, which has been shown to reduce pain and increase mobility in those suffering with osteoarthritis [10]. From the start to finish it basically includes anything you can think of that can help with joint and back pain, easily making it one of the most reliable ways to reduce your symptoms and get you back on your feet.
We can’t recommend it enough, and urge you to check out FlexAgain for yourself.
References
1 – https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Omega3FattyAcids-HealthProfessional/
2 – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6413222/
3 – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC538506/
4 – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK92775/
5 – https://centertrt.org/blog/is-resveratrol-good-for-arthritis.html
6 – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5003001/
7 – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3456914/
8 – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4881293/
9 – https://www.nutritionletter.tufts.edu/special-reports/vitamin-k-shows-promise-against-arthritis/