Back pain is an extremely common occurrence and an ailment most adults suffer from at some point in their lives. And although determining the exact cause of back pain can often be difficult, there are several different steps you could take to alleviate your back pain or prevent it from deteriorating. Simply changing a few daily habits and incorporating new activities into your daily routine can help you maintain a healthy and pain-free spine for years to come.
Here is a list of the best tips that will help get you on the right path towards a healthy back:
Hot and Cold Treatments
Studies have shown that both heat and cold are very efficient ways of relieving back pain. Helping reduce inflammation, ice packs are quite useful when they are used directly after a strain or an injury, and they can also provide a numbing effect for sudden and intense back pain. Heating pads, hot water bottles and even bags of microwaved uncooked rice can all be used to relieve stiff and achy muscles, thus helping alleviate back pain. If you opt for either of these options, it’s important be careful and make sure you don’t burn or harm your skin with ice or heat during the process.
Gentle Exercise
Although it can be difficult to get up and start moving when back pain strikes, too much rest could actually decrease the muscle strength and worsen certain types of back pain. On the other hand, stretching and strengthening the muscles will help reduce, or even eliminate, most types of back pain, which is why it would be ideal to start with gentle stretches and experiment with some light exercise to see how you could get moving without experiencing back pain. For example, you could take up swimming or go on slow, easy walks every day, and then pick up the pace when you can.
Relaxing Yoga
Among numerous health benefits, yoga can be very therapeutic for people suffering from chronic back pain as well. Yoga helps loosen up tight muscles, builds physical strength, increases your range of motion and improves your breathing, all of which can be very beneficial for improving the overall health of your back. Yoga also focuses on both mind and body relaxation, which may aid in relaxing your muscles and reducing pain reception.
Adequate Sleep
Sleep disturbances are quite a common occurrence among people suffering from chronic back pain, and not getting enough quality sleep could even worsen muscle inflammation and pain. Proper comfort and alignment of the spine is crucial for sleep quality and avoiding pain in the morning, which is why investing in a good, supportive mattress and experimenting with different sleeping positions is a great idea. Make sure your pillow is supportive enough to keep your neck and back aligned and, depending on your sleeping habits, try to put another pillow under your pelvis or under or between your knees, for additional support.
Consulting a Professional
If none of these simple remedies and solutions help relieve your back pain, the best idea might be to consult a doctor and consider a more permanent solution. Besides a consultation where you can get all of the necessary information and details about the procedures and operations that skillful doctors, such as experienced doctor Timothy Steel, perform, you could also find all of this helpful information on their website, including the process and the length of the recovery.
The Right Shoes
Wearing shoes that don’t offer adequate support or that simply don’t fit correctly could cause muscle strains in your legs, back, and even your neck. For example, high heels can throw off the body’s alignment, which could lead to lower back pain, while very flat shoes put added strain on your feet, as well as your back. If you experience recurrent back pain, consider switching for shoes that fit properly and support your feet, as a quick and easy solution for your back pain.
Getting rid of back pain is all about relieving pressure, reducing strain, strengthening your muscles and protecting your spine. So, if you want to live a pain-free life, consider adding some of the above mentioned activities into your daily routine, or ask a doctor for guidance if the pain persists.
Author Bio
Stella is a graphic designer and illustrator, a lifestyle and beauty blogger and a food enthusiast. She is very passionate about the environment and her hobbies center around her love for nature, yoga and living in balance. Stella loves giving tips about healthy lifestyle and self-development. She is a contributor to several health and lifestyle blogs. You can find more about her writing by following her on Twitter.
