3 overlooked Solutions to Back Pain relief
Unfortunately for the millions of people suffering from chronic low back pain, there is no one certain cure. The key is to find what works for you, often through trial and error. A well-rounded approach that addresses the symptoms of your pain combined with treatment to treat the underlying causes and rehabilitation exercises is key to alleviating your back pain for good. Here a 3 often overlooked solutions for your back pain relief:
Keep moving – Movement is a friend
Our spines, like the rest of our body are designed to move. The epidemic of back pain is largely due to the fact we sit down and do not move for extended periods of time. If you are suffering with back pain it is important to continue to move where pain allows. Keep doing your daily activities such as going to work or walking the dog and perform the mobility exercises recommended by your therapist. Once you’re feeling better, regular aerobic exercises which aren’t too strenuous on your back such as swimming, cycling, and walking can keep you and your back more mobile.
If you find yourself still for durations of time it is crucial to maintain a good posture and get up and stretch every 20 minutes. It is important to stretch you legs as well as you back as many of the muscles in your legs attach to your pelvis and can cause lower back pain.
Use your bodies natural hormones to kill the pain
Endorphins, hormones made naturally in the body, can be just as strong as any manufactured pain medication. When endorphins are released in the body, they help block pain signals from registering with the brain. They also help alleviate anxiety, stress, and depression, which are all conditions that are often associated with chronic back pain.
Try the following activities to release your endorphins:
- Massage therapy
- Aerobic exercise
- Deep breathing
- Meditation
- Acupuncture
- Eating dark chocolate
- Listening to music you love
- Get restorative sleep
Control the temperature
Hot and cold temperatures make huge differences to the our body moves and functions. If you have strained a muscle in your back a cold pack (ice, peas etc) used for the first 48 hours of injury can help to reduce your pain.
Cold pack work by numbing the painful area and reducing inflammation caused by the injury. The cold acts as a local anaesthetic by slowing down nerve impulses, which keeps the nerves from spasming and causing pain.
Heat can also be crucial in alleviating your back pain. Heat stimulates blood flow, which brings healing nutrients to the affected area of the low back. It also helps by inhibiting pain messages being sent to the brain and relaxing the muscles around your spine allowing your back to move more freely. The heat can be applied in many ways from microwavable heat packs, hot water bottles to a hot bath or shower. It’s best to try and find what works best for you.
While every effort’s been made to ensure this article’s accuracy and evidence based, it doesn’t constitute legal advice tailored to your individual circumstances. If you act on it, you acknowledge that you do so at your own risk. We can’t assume responsibility and don’t accept liability for any damage or loss which may arise as a result of your reliance upon it.