Back Pain is one of the most common ailments around. It is thought that roughly 80% of Americans suffer from it at some point in their lives, and it is the second most common reason for visiting the doctor. When you are experiencing it, you can find yourself unable to work and it can have a tangible effect on all aspects of life.
In many cases it is possible to fix the causes of back pain, however, it is often necessary to manage the pain – at least temporarily. Luckily, there are things you can do to improve your quality of life and reduce the discomfort you are experiencing.
Don’t let back pain affect your life
The first thing you should do when you feel the pain coming on is to try not to let it affect your routine. While you might feel like resting your spine, moving about is one of the best things you can do. Although it is important not to push yourself too hard, the human body is designed to be moved. Doing so keeps your body in the best possible state and prevents muscles from getting stiff.
Keep yourself fit
A closely related tip is to make sure you stay in shape. Carrying extra weight can put stress on your back, besides all the other negative health effects it can have. A healthy lifestyle can go a long way towards making you feel better all around, and this is also true for your back. Smoking can also have adverse effects on your spine, so to avoid pain it is best to give it up.
Know when to use an ice pack
If the pain is caused by a strain or injury, putting an ice pack on it during the first forty-eight hours after the incident can help stop swelling. This, in turn, helps take pressure off your nerves and muscles, generally resulting in less pain. An ice pack will also temporarily help numb the affected area and reduce soreness.
Adjust your posture
There are things you can do to try and ease an aching back in the long-term as well. Making some changes to your home and lifestyle can dramatically reduce the frequency of back pain episodes, as well as their severity. We spend a lot of our time hunched over desks or slumped on the sofa. These are not natural positions for our spines and this can intensify existing problems.
Often it just takes a few small adjustments to make a big difference to your situation. If you work in an office, sitting up straight at your desk with your screen directly at eye-level is one way of reducing pain. Specially designed ergonomic furniture can also be bought which supports your lower back. Keeping your back straight is also important while standing, and you should try to remember to maintain a proper posture as much as possible.
Stretch it out
A free and easy route to solving back pain could also be to practice particular stretching routines. Certain stretches can help you to manage your pain, and sometimes people can experience progress after just a few minutes. Stretches which arch your body backward are best as we spend most of our time bent forwards. Some sufferers take up yoga and find that it helps them with an aching back.
While all these tips can help to alleviate back pain, they are for the most part fairly obvious, and such simple tips will not necessarily have any effect on more severe pain. For more specialized treatment, it may be well worth considering a more scientific approach to back pain such as through a stem cell procedure.
For more information about the possibilities of this route for solving back-pain, contact our offices at (516) 419-4480 or (718) 215-1888.
