Back pain is a common condition that affects most people at some point in their lifetime, according to the NHS. But you could lower your risk of developing backache by simply drinking more green tea, it’s been claimed.
Back pain could be caused by sleeping in the wrong position, having bad posture, or even by having a minor injury.
In most cases, back pain isn’t anything to worry about, and it’ll get better by itself within a few weeks or months.
But, you can speed up your recovery, or even prevent back pain from developing in the first place, by making a few changes to your diet plan.
One of the easiest ways to protect your back against niggly pains and aches is to regularly drink green tea.
READ MORE: Back pain – three daily habits that could help ease your symptoms
“One of the biggest underlining culprits of back pain is poor nutrition and digestion, which can lead to chronic inflammation that irritates muscles, ligaments, tendons and/or nerves,” said Dr Friedman on his blog.
“There’s a lot of great information on the health benefits of green tea.
“The biggest reason is the polyphenols, particularly EGCG in green tea, have anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory effects.
“Green tea has been shown to reduce the production of the pro-inflammatory cytokines and is beneficial to people suffering from back pain and arthritis.”
People that drink three cups of green tea every day have a significantly lower risk of developing back pain, he added.
Arthritis patients could also benefit from drinking green tea, as it reduces the chances of painful flare-ups.
If you choose to add more green tea to your diet, you should drink it between meals.
The optimum time is exactly two hours before or after eating, to maximise your nutrient intake.
Regular exercise and doing stretches could also help to prevent back pain from returning, said the NHS. Speak to a GP or physiotherapist for advice on which exercises to try, said the NHS.
Those most at risk of developing back pain are people that are overweight.
You should see a GP or dial NHS 111 immediately if you have back pain, combined with a numbness or tingling around your genitals, a loss of bladder or bowel control, or severe chest pain.
These symptoms could be a sign of something more serious, and need to be checked immediately.