Back pain can be debilitating. From taking part in physical activity to sleeping – it can disrupt every aspect of one’s life.
In many cases, there’s no cure for a bad back. However, that doesn’t mean that you should let your bad back beat you. While you may not be able to permanently eliminate you back problem, there could be ways of greatly reducing the pain and discomfort in order to make life more manageable. Here are just a few ways to strike back against back pain.
Hire professional help
Have you seen a doctor about your back? Or possibly a chiropractor? Such professionals may be able to get to the bottom of what is causing the pain and then recommend lifestyle changes. There may be exercises and stretches that they can also recommend. You may even find that there are treatment options available such as chiropractic adjustments, cortisone injections or back surgery. Unless you get your pain diagnosed, you’ll never know what your options are.
Try herbal pain relief
While prescription and over-the-counter meds can be an effective form of pain relief, there may be times when you want a break from these meds or you need a supplementary form of pain relief. There are many herbal medicines that you can try to help relieve back pain. Many people find ingredients such as turmeric, devil’s claw and capsaicin are very effective – sometimes having just as much impact as over-the-counter medicine. You can research into different types of herbal pain relief online.
Stay active
While there are times when it can be beneficial to rest a bad back, doing away with all physical activity could be more harmful than overexerting yourself. When you don’t exercise, muscles and joints are likely to seize up. On top of this, weight gain could put more pressure on the spine. The act of exercising could even offer short-term relief by pumping the body full of feelgood endorphins. All in all, exercise is essential for fighting back pain. Just makes sure to take up the right exercises – to be safe, it could be worth sticking to low-impact exercises such as swimming, walking or yoga.
Invest in a new mattress
If your bad back is keeping you awake at night, it could be time to get a new mattress. Orthopaedic mattresses are able to offer firmer support to prevent pain occurring when lying down. Such mattresses can be found online in a variety of sizes. By investing in such a mattress, you could get a better night’s sleep, which in return could relieve pain during the day by making you less stressed out.
Take time to destress
When we’re stressed, pain can often be exacerbated. Cortisol – the stress hormone – makes our body more alert and heightens our nerves’ sensitivity to pain. By taking time to regularly destress, you could help to relieve pain. A few excellent stressbusters include taking a hot bath, meditating, listening to music or laughing. We can not always avoid stress in life, but there are always means of relieving it.
