The combination of jobs where we have to sit in one place for a long time and a sedentary lifestyle has made back pain a fact of life.
Back pain can also occur because of a variety of factors such as sprained ligaments, strained muscles, a ruptured disc, poor posture, obesity and even stress.
Research shows that almost 80% of Americans will experience back pain in their lifetimes.
The total cost of treating this condition is going to exceed over 100 Billion $ annually.
You don’t have to be alarmed by this because in this article, we are going to show you 4 simple steps to relieve your back pain.
- Exercise-
Exercising is an underrated but highly effective treatment for back pain.
Simple exercises are great when starting out and brisk walking can go a long way towards providing relief.
Walking gets you out of a sitting posture and puts your body in a neutral and upright position which is good for your back.
You might have mild pains when starting to exercise but these should disappear as your muscles grow stronger.
If you find that the pain increases instead of fading away, immediately discontinue the exercises.
The best exercises for all kinds of back pain are those which strengthen the core and abdominal muscles.
Your upper body is a combination of many muscle groups working in synchronization. Having weak abdominal muscles creates strain on the other muscle groups in your back leading to pain.
Try partial crunches as these strengthen your abdomen and lower back.
Some other exercises you can do are hamstring stretches, wall sits, press up back extensions, can make your back sturdier and reduce pain.
When it comes to back pain, not all exercises are beneficial.
Some exercises like toe touches, sit-ups, leg lifts, and pelvic tilts and so on may be harmful for your back.
For a complete guide on exercises which are beneficial for back pain and ones which are not, you can visit this website.
Moderation is the key. Don’t over exert yourself and stay away from the kind of motions that were the cause of your pain in the first place.
You should also focus on exercises which increase your flexibility because having a lot of tension and tightness in your back will lead to pain.
Your goal while exercising should be to put even pressure on your body from your feet up to your head.
Mild stretching exercises will also be beneficial for your back.
Keeping up a good exercise routine will help lose weight too. This is good news as having excess weight is bad for your back.You can try consulting with a dietician or personal trainer so that you can shed the pounds faster.
Always remember to consult your doctor before making changes to your exercise routine.
- Maintain a good Posture-
Having a good posture is an absolute pre-requisite to a back-pain free life.
A majority of people have poor posture while going about their daily business.
This creates excess and needless stress on their backs over a long time which ultimately gives rise to debilitating back problems.
All the inconsequential activities we do while having a poor posture add up and lead to unpleasant consequences in the future.
For example the pressure on your back increases by up to 50% it you simply lean over the sink incorrectly while brushing your teeth.
A lot of our time is spent working, therefore maintaining a proper posture at work is highly essential.
It is important to have chair of the correct size for your frame and height. A Small Office Chair for small people will help you maintain your posture perfectly as their designs are ergonomic and beneficial for your size.
While choosing these chairs, you should keep in mind that they are able to help you rest your feet flat on the ground and are adjustable.
You can read more about how to sit at work properly if you have back pain here.
One last tip is to avoid braces as these weaken your core muscles leading to more pain.
- Get proper rest and relaxation-
You should get an ample amount of quality sleep to keep inflammation and pain at bay.
Not having enough rest might cause chronic back pain.
Buy a proper mattress and try to sleep in different positions until you find one good for your back.
One tip is placing an additional pillow under your body so that the natural curve of your spine is maintained.
Back sleepers should put the extra pillow under their knees. Stomach sleepers can put it under their pelvis while side sleepers should put the pillow between their knees for maximum relief.
Chiropractic, osteopathic, physical therapy and other forms of relaxing bodywork are going to serve you well for back pain.
Doing Yoga can loosen up your muscles, increase flexibility, build core muscle tone and improve breathing. Yoga has been proven to reduce chronic back pain.
- Try alternative therapies-
You can try out heating pads or cold packets in order to soothe your aching back.
It is difficult to say which of these is better so you should experiment with both.
One thing to keep in mind is that doctors usually advice patients to use ice for the first 48 hours after an injury and use heat from then on.
Cold will reduce swelling and inflammation while heat works on cramping, muscle spasms and tension.
You can also try aqua therapy which includes workouts in warm therapeutic pools designed especially for back pain.
Simply floating in water is a great way to relax your muscles and increase circulation.
The buoyant nature of water encourages gently strengthening and stretching of the muscles.
Act upon these four tips now and get rid of your back pain!