Gifts for People with Back Pain

Back pain gift #1

Back cushions

There are different kinds of back cushions that you can use to attach to the back of your chair. These products can come in different names such as Lower Back Pain Lumbar Pillow or Lumbar Support Cushion and also come in different levels of firmness – just like your mattress. I’ve used two different kinds, one at work and one at home, and one is a little firmer than the other. Personally I preferred the memory foam lumbar cushion better because it’s firm enough to support my back and keep me in the right posture, but also soft enough to create a soothing feeling when sitting. Although my mom doesn’t sit on my desk chair, I’ve asked her to try the cushion, and she liked it. She said it does provide comfort and support, so I ended up buying one to attach to her dining chair.

This kind of product is a should-have, I guess, especially for those who are sitting most of the time at work. As with some other things suggested on this site, you don’t know you’ll need it until you have it.

Back pain gift #2

Back pain mat

These mats, known as acupressure mats, are to relieve tension in your neck and back muscles through thousands of stimulation points; help your circulation and also stimulate the release of endorphins and oxytocin, the body’s natural pain-relieving hormones, thus produce a natural soothing and calming feeling. You can use this acupressure mat while lying down relaxing, watching TV, reading, excercising or practicing yoga. This product offers relief for the whole back from your neck to shoulder to upper, mid and lower back.

Keeping muscles relaxed is key to relieving pain, and the acupressure mat does just that.

Back pain gift #3

Back brace

I gave this adjustable back brace to my aunt, and she said it helped keep herself upright while sitting and standing during the day, and relieve the sore caused by her slipped disc. By the way, it was also recommended by her rheumatologist, so the idea didn’t just come to me out of the blue. I also tried it on and felt that the back brace is pretty light weight, adjustable and doesn’t seem to get in the way of the daily activities.

The back brace is also mostly recommended for muscle spasms, back strains, back sprains, or chronic unstable lumbar spine. Mueller back braces are among the top with very high ranking. Back braces are not just for women; there are different styles for men, too.

Back pain gift #4

Massage cushion

If the back pain is caused by tension and stress of muscles, a massage cushion may be the right gift. Most of these cushions are portable, so you can fit them in the chair at home, in the car or even at work. The cushion helps relaxing tense muscle and facilitate blood circulation, which in turn will alleviate pain naturally. Depending on the brand, the massage cushion may come with different settings for you to select the level of pressure that fit your body; plus, you can also select whether it’ll warm up while massaging.

Back pain gift #5

Electronic Pulse Massager (FDA Cleared)

I was considering posting this massager as the first one since it has worked wonders for different people that I knew, including my mom and my uncle. It works for not just back pain, but also for foot pain, elbow and knee pain etc., which makes buying or gifting this one is a no-brainer since you can use and re-use it for different pain relief purposes. This type of product is categorized under TENS (Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation) and/or EPM (Electronic Pulse Massager) category. The technology is used widely in sport and pain management. You can search for more details, but now you see more description of the product and why thousands of people have rated this specific Electronic Pulse Masager very high on Amazon.

The only reason I didn’t post it as the first gift idea because it may look a little cumbersome and may look a little hard to apply. Plus, not everyone likes the idea of attaching electrodes on their skin.

Back pain gift #6

Pain Relief Cream

While trying to relax your muscle and correct your sitting or standing posture by using back support products is great for the long run, lots of time the pain is too much to bear, and we’d want something that can ease the pain almost immediately. In addition to taking over-the-counter pain killer, pain suffers can also apply pain relief cream.

My mom has always been a Bengay user even though sometimes Bengay works and other times it doesn’t, she always uses it. I gave her a jar of Penetrex pain relief cream for a change, and after using it for a day she said it seemed more effective than Bengay for most of her pains including shoulder, back and foot pain. Now, “seem” is not strong enough I guess; however, reading thousands of positive feedback from Amazon, I guess the product does offer pain relief to a large majority of people. Check it out yourself! If for some reason Penetrex is not available, Biofreeze is really good, too, for pain relief in general, not just foot pain.

Back pain gift #7

Coccyx cushion (for lower back and tailbone pain)

This coccyx cushion is not really touching your back; however, it can greatly help to take the pressure off your spine and thus provides significant relief for injured tailbone, sciatica and lower back pain, herniated disc and hemorrhoids. It’s also very portable, so you can put it on your chair at home, use it in your car, on your wheel chair, on the plane, or even bring it to your office. The coccyx cushion is ergonomically designed with contour surface to fit different body type and weight, so it doesn’t matter if you’re light or heavy, as long as you sit comfortably with your coccyx above the u-shaped, your tailbone won’t touch the sitting surface, which in turn will save you the discomfort and soreness of prolonged sitting.

This really works! However, just like other types of cushion or pillow, its height and its effectiveness goes down over time – depending on how often you use it and how much you weigh.

Back pain gift #8

Back stretcher

Like the back pain mat above, this kind of back stretcher uses natural traction to help you stretch the back muscle and relieve back pain with naturally controlled traction. It also helps relax your lower back, shoulders and neck muscles. You can also use this while sitting to improve posture and provide proper and better support to your back.

I bought my brother a back stretcher and notice that he often uses it for stretching before or during his workout. Sometimes, he puts it against the back support of his chair and sits/works in that position.

Back pain gift #9

Ergonomic desk

If back pain is caused by sitting for long periods of time at work or by improper sitting posture because the desk is too low or too high, consider buying for yourself or others a more ergonomic desk with adjustable height. Varidesk comes highly rated and highly recommended by my colleagues. I’ve requested my company to install one for me at work, and I’m also considering buying one for my home office. Unlike some other kinds that only sold as full desks, you can buy Varidesk as an add-on to your current desk. And with it, you can switch between standing and sitting whenever you want, which will encourage you to stretch and change your posture instead of locking yourself in one static sitting position. This in turn will help with preventing and alleviating back pain.

Don’t forget to check out the new series of posts focusing on ergonomics on this site.

Back pain gift #10

(Infra-red)Light Therapy

I started introducing this type of product in another post about neck pain, and since then I received several messages saying that the product also works for different kinds of pain, including back pain, so here you go, the laser and light therapy to alleviate and cure muscle and joint pain. This product family can help reduce pain consistently and promote muscle relaxation; plus it helps increase blood circulation, thus reduces swelling/inflammation and stiffness; it also helps repair or regenerate tendons, ligaments and disc.

Back pain gift #11

Exercise DVD/Books (for the back)

Most back pains are caused by sitting at a desk all day or doing repetitive work without appropriate breaks. One of the simplest yet best gift ideas is to advise your friends, relative or loved ones to take a break or take a walk whenever possible during the day. Workout DVD and/or yoga DVD showing how to exercise the back is probably a good idea.

I’ve also posted a couple of top ranking books recommended for people with back pain.

Back pain gift #12

Pain relief mattress

I know a mattress doesn’t sound nor does it look like a gift considering the size and the price – that’s why although it deserves to be listed first for back pain relief (because we spend a great deal of time on bed and because sleep time is the time for the body to relax, recover and release stresses), I listed it last. However, if your spouse, your mom or dad or even yourself feel the need for a brand new mattress that can provide better support without any springs and help with the back pain, try this Sleep Innovations Memory Foam Mattress. I’ve tried it at my aunt’s house, and it’s one of the best, if not the best mattress I’ve ever seen.

Depending on the size and height of the mattress, the pricing will be much different starting from $300. There’s also a 2-inch memory foam topper by the same supplier starting at $50. Both the mattress and the topper get more than 4-star rating on Amazon. Sometimes, we can’t put a price on item that really helps us to live and enjoy life better.

Best of luck and don’t forget to share your ideas.

Back pain, neck and shoulder pain may cause by your sitting posture, your desk, chair and tools used at work. Since prevention is better than cure, I’ve started a series of posts focusing on the topic of ergonomics. Here you can find content varying from basic knowledge to help keep yourself pain-free plus some good and practical products / gifting ideas to use or share with your friends and loved ones.

I have a related post “Gifts and Tips to Avoid Back Pain During Pregnancy,” so don’t forget to check it out if it’s relevant to you.