May 14, 2019 – I recently came across an article with a number of things you can do to help with lower back pain. As someone with three herniated discs, I often take a look at what’s recommended to make sure I have as much info at my disposal should I suddenly experience that “ow” related to my lower back. I’ve been able to keep it at bay for many years with hot tub soaking, regular infrared sauna use, and massage. Still, you can never know enough when it comes to easing back pain!

As I read the article, it reinforced how terrific a soak in a hot tub can be for lower back pain sufferers. Several of the suggestions listed could certainly reap even better and perhaps faster benefits if done in conjunction with or while soaking in a hot tub. Take a look!

• Encourage endorphin production. Endorphins are one of those terrific natural hormones your body produces that can be a terrific pain reliever. They can help your brain ignore pain signals. Chronic back pain often increases anxiety and stress as well.
  • Improve endorphins with hot tubbing! Plenty of proof is out there that soaking in a hot tub amp up endorphin production and will assist you with its ability to counter your back pain. Stress, anxiety, and any feelings of depression are also addressed.
• Stretching your hamstrings. Sometimes lower back pain is due to your hamstrings—the muscles on the back of your thighs—being tight. If these are too taut, pain can be created to both your lower back and sacroiliac joints. Doing some gentle hamstring stretching once or twice daily could help ease pain you’re currently suffering and help avoid it in the future.
  • Stretch hamstrings while hot tubbing! Stretching any muscle becomes easier in a hot tub. Getting your body into a big vessel of water provides buoyancy to relieve tension and tightness. Along with that, your muscle tissue and joints will get flooded with heat that will in turn increase blood flow, making your hamstrings more malleable and easier to stretch. The floating will ease pressure on your lower back as well, making the whole stretching routine that much easier.
• Focus on three things to make you happy. Making the effort to do a few things that bring you happiness has been shown to make pain you might be dealing with more bearable. Enjoying a good cup of tea, spending time with a good friend, walking the dog, listening to some of your favorite music, or reading a good book are all things that will bring on those positive feelings. As one of my favorites, Judy Garland, sang, “Forget your troubles, come on get happy!”
  • Take some of those happy things into the hot tub! Why not enjoy some of the things that give you relief and make you glad in the comforting water of a hot tub? Morning tea is terrific while you soak, inviting a friend over for a hot tub, taking in a good read or relaxing to your favorite music all can be easily done in your hot tub.
• Applying heat or cold therapy. Cold packs applied to the area causing your grief can help reduce inflammation and reduce nerve impulses, helping to avoid spasms and the resulting pain. Heat therapy will stimulate blood flow and inhibit the messages to the brain connected to your pain.
  • Make your heath therapy hot tub therapy! As I already mentioned, getting into a hot tub will create buoyancy and help relieve pain and pressure to your lower back. And, hot water will of course stimulate blood flow. You can further enhance the benefits by using the jetting in the hot tub to massage muscles and reduce tension and pain. A special bonus in a Hot Spring Spa is using the Moto-Massage DX jets to relieve back pain. This wonderful patented jet duo sweeps up and down your back, providing gentle waves of massage to the muscles on either side of your spine. I can tell you from experience, you’ll find your “ow” turned into “aaaahhh!” in no time flat! The Moto-Massage DX jet is exclusive on Hot Spring Spas.

If you’re someone who suffers with lower back pain and don’t have a hot tub at home, maybe it’s time to visit one of our showrooms and invest in a Hot Spring Spa. We have a great selection of tubs on the floor filled and ready for a test soak, so you can find the one that is ideal to take care of your back. You’ll also get the added benefit of finding out what it’s like to soak in healthy saltwater, thanks to the exclusive FreshWater Salt System. Not only will it be a boon for your back, it will do your body, mind and soul good in so many other ways!