Reduce Back Pain without Pills

Looking for a pill-free way to ease back pain? A survey recently revealed the top six. And none requires surgery.
They are chiropractic care, massage, acupuncture, herbal therapy, relaxation training, and stretching-based Eastern exercises (think yoga and tai chi).

Ache-Alleviating Alternatives
In a large national survey, 60 percent of people who had used one of these therapies in the previous year said that it brought them a "great deal" of relief from their low back pain. And, in fact, more was better. People who used a combination of one or more of these therapies tended to experience even greater back pain relief compared with people who used just one.  

Ask Your Doc First
Whether your low back pain is mild, or much more problematic, you'll want to check with your doctor before trying any new form of exercise or pain relief therapy. Depending on your situation, certain alternative treatments could aggravate things rather than provide relief. But it's worth asking, because more and more people are seeking -- and getting -- pain relief from complementary and alternative treatments.