If you've been dealing with back pain for a long time, relief is still possible.
Don't treat back pain relief like wishing upon a star. If you can't seem to shake your back pain, you're probably overlooking some practical and useful remedies.
What treatments are the best?
Read on to learn more about healing your back pain issues.
1. Fix Your Posture Issues and Consciously Sit Up Straight
Consider your posture first when you're dealing with chronic back pain. Several people who live with back pain also hold poor standing and sitting posture.
People that slouch never allow their spine to stretch. Slouching creates rigidity and swelling, leading to excruciating pain.
When you fix your posture, the spine is in a neutral position, and you're sitting up straight. You're able to sit up at ease and distribute your neck and back muscles in a way that supports your body.
People with poor posture almost always experience some form of lower back pain. You may also deal with a tilted pelvis and find yourself susceptible to pulls in other muscles.
Standing and sitting up straight will help other parts of your body as well. This alleviation of tension also eliminates tension headaches.
When you have better posture, you also have more energy, since it allows you to breathe deeply and fully. Your body will carry less pain and stress, and you will transfer this energy and focus to other areas of your life.
Several different health and wellness products will support and comfort you as you sit for hours at a time at work. You can also purchase some pillows or cushions that improve your posture as you drive.
Give your body the support that it needs so you can maintain good posture throughout the day.
2. Stretch Every Single Day to Keep Your Back and Spine Limber
Realize that you may also have back issues because your total body is simply too stiff. Take the time to stretch every single day and you will always feel more comfortable in your skin.
Your body develops stiffness throughout everyday situations, and you can never do too much to work out the kinks. Stretching, mixed with ergonomic products, will allow you to protect your back and spine. Taking the time to stretch elongates your spine so that it doesn't cause you pain.
Stretching gets rid of muscle tension, so the more you stretch, the more your body will naturally carry less pain and tension. It improves your body's range of motion and alleviates the burden on your joints.
If it's been years since you've stretched, imagine the sheer benefits you can enjoy by stretching for an hour per day. You will feel more comfortable in your skin than ever and will walk around with more pep and youthfulness.
3. Use Hot and Cold Treatments on Your Back
Close to 20 million people in a recent calendar year misused medication in some way. Several others are flat-out addicted to medications, particularly painkillers.
Taking painkillers for a prolonged amount of time is never healthy for your body, even when taken correctly. This is why natural treatment should always be your aim.
Utilizing simple hot and cold treatments will help your back out in more ways than you could know. It costs you very little and offers long-term benefits, rather than just fighting the symptoms.
When your back pain is particularly intense, you should ice it down several times per day, single day. Follow up with a heating pad to increase blood flow after fighting the inflammation. You can always use different hot and cold creams or gels in lieu of traditional ice packs and heating pads.
Going to cryotherapy treatments will heal your back through the increased blood flow. Saunas also have various hot and cold rooms that will fight pain and inflammation in your body. You should definitely regularly use hot and cold treatments if you work manual labor or work out frequently.
4. Build a Strong Body
Building strong muscles in the affected area is always the best solution, regardless of what pain or injury you have. This is the very philosophy of physical therapy.
Start hitting the gym regularly to build a strong body. Make sure to build your entire body rather than just focusing on your back muscles. Each system in your body is connected, so only working one group creates imbalances, which can cause injuries.
When strengthening your back, for example, you also have to strengthen your core. Building both together will keep your back healthy and strong.
Total body calisthenics, like pull-ups, build a strong back with remarkable results. These total-body exercises use your own body weight and gravity to develop these muscle groups.
Whichever kind of exercise you decide on, make sure that it is something you can do with regularity. Consistently push yourself to get stronger and you will start to notice your back pain go away.
5. Get Professional Back Massages and Adjustments
You can also effectively get rid of back pain by getting a massage bi-weekly or once per month. Shiatsu, Swedish, reflex point, and other forms of massage can stretch your muscles, which eases your joints and heals your pain.
Professional back massages have other benefits, such as relief from headaches and a bolstered immune system. Chiropractic professionals also specialize in back massages that can heal your pain.
These professionals also offer adjustments to patients dealing with pain. An adjustment involves allowing the chiropractor to manipulate your spine in a number of ways so that your musculoskeletal system performs better.
Many people report far less back pain after getting chiropractic adjustments. Each appointment also comes with a standard chiropractic exam. This lets you find the source of your back pain issues, so you can treat them effectively.
6. Practice Yoga on a Regular Basis
Yoga is a practice that several people would benefit from. For one, it teaches you balance and body awareness. With these skills, you are far less likely to have an accident or make an awkward movement that leads to back injury.
Yoga is also filled with deep stretching and holding positions. This builds strength and flexibility - both of which are crucial to a healthy and pain-free back.
Yoga also strengthens your ability to focus on the present moment. When you can control your mind in this way you might even find that your back pain becomes less intense.
Even if you don't take full yoga classes, there are several yoga poses you can try out that will condition your mind and body. Practice these posts regularly to build strength and balance.
7. Manage the Way That You Work and Lift
The workplace is where people create long-term injuries to their backs. If you do any sort of manual labor for a living, you need to wear the proper back protection and follow lifting procedures. Spend a little extra on a lightweight, supportive back brace to reduce the strain on your back every day.
It keeps your spine strong and helps you distribute weight evenly. A back brace also improves your posture and can be used as a rehab treatment for any sort of back injury that you have.
Back braces elongate your spine and provides the stabilization you need to get through 40-hour plus work weeks.
In addition to wearing a back brace, reassess your lifting technique, and always maintain proper form. Lift with your legs and never pull with your back.
Establishing a strong base lets you do this with more ease. Spread your feet shoulder-width apart and bend low and evenly with your squatting technique. Keep your back straight and generate force with your legs as you rise to a standing posture.
Lift in teams whenever possible, even if you're lifting an amount of weight you can handle on your own. Teamwork keeps everyone fresh and maintains a safer workplace.
You'll also be more productive and will take less wear and tear throughout the day.
Take several breaks throughout the day and listen to your body's signals if you start noticing any dull or sharp pains. Use tools and modifications whenever possible to minimize the amount of lifting that you do every day.
Wear clothing that fits comfortably and invest in a durable pair of thick rubber-soled shoes. This alleviates the pressure put on your lower back since it forces your body to overcompensate its motion.
8. Meditate Every Single Day
Believe it or not, something as simple as meditation can also help you get rid of your back pain. Meditation is a process that calms your mind, grounds your energy, and reduces your stress levels.
There are several variations of meditation. Most of these methods require the practicer to sit still on the ground or in a chair, and simply breathe in deeply through their nostrils and out through their mouths.
The practicer calmly notices their breathing and the sensations in their body as thoughts come and go. The entire point is to watch and notice these sensations and thoughts without judging them, and existing in the present moment.
Practicing meditation calms your body, mind, and energy and helps you to feel more comfortable in their body. Studies published in scientific journals affirm that meditation is helpful in treating chronic pain of all varieties.
Meditation also activates the parasympathetic nervous system, which calms your fight or flight response and induces you to relax. You're able to breathe deeper and dilate your blood flow, which lowers your heart rate and puts your muscles at ease.
This added presence lets you consciously check in with areas of pain and release clenched muscles in your back. You'll alleviate your pain as your body is trained to relax and focus through it.
Try setting a time for 20 to 30-minute intervals every day. Sit relaxed in your meditation and allow your thoughts to come and go.
The benefits of meditation are immediate and long-lasting. Doing it daily strengthens your reticular activating system (RAS), which is how your brain and body process awareness.
Meditation is therapeutic when you breathe in some aromatic essential oils. You can turn on your aromatherapy diffuser and add some quality essential oils, such as lemon and tangerine.
9. Eat a Diet That Reduces Inflammation
Painkillers are effective, but they still put a band-aid on a systemic problem in your body. Reducing your total-body inflammation also reduces the swelling and inflammation you feel in your back.
Change to an anti-inflammation diet. This means piling your plate with lots of plant-based servings.
Foods like broccoli, berries, spinach, turmeric, and avocados will work wonders in reducing inflammation in your body. This increases blood flow in your body and puts your joints and muscles at ease.
Drink lots of water to also circulate nutrients throughout your body. Stay consistent with your diet so you can see results.
10. Watch Your Sleep Habits
Finally, always remember that sleep is nature's painkiller. Your brain restores itself during sleep and floods your body with natural healing hormones and endorphins.
Sleep rests your body and allows your muscles and joints to heal naturally. Getting 8 to 10 hours every night helps you wake up rested, alert, energized, and restored.
Start Working on Your Back Pain Issues
If you are dealing with back pain these tips will give you some strategies for dealing with it. This improves your health and your quality of life.
We stock several comfort products that you can use at home or at work. Consider these tips and contact us when you'd like to learn more about what we offer.
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