Nine Ways to Deal With Back Pain

This article about back pain cure is appealing for those interested about this topic is written by – Andrew Ainsworth

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Back pain is a very common complaint so much so that three out of four adults suffer from it. Lower back pain (lumbar pain) is the most common closely followed by neck pain.

Muscle sprains or strains are the most common cause of back pain and they usually heal by themselves over time. Things like ice packs, heat and over the counter medications can usually help in these situations. However, there are more severe courses of back pain, including herniated discs, which may need physical therapy or surgery.

The good news is that just because you have back pain, does not mean you need serious attention or surgery, and you do have many options.

Causes of back pain

Aging ; as we get older ligaments shorten and discs dry out. This combination can cause pressure on the spinal tissue, which potentially leads to herniated (bulging) discs.

Everyday life; stress and tension in muscles causes them to contract and tighten leading to pain and stiffness. This muscle tightening and stiffness has a detrimental impact on your posture, which again accelerates the problem.
Injuries and accidents; Small injuries (as well as too many football tackles) and cause osteoporosis and other degenerative diseases.

Obesity; being chronically overweight puts unnecessary stress on the back, especially the lower back, which can lead to a host of other conditions including: osteoarthritis and degenerative disc disease.

Treatments

Acupuncture; very fine needles are inserted into specific, precise, areas of the body, causing it to release endorphins that help in the healing process.

Massage; can be used to release muscle tension and reduce inflammation and this works especially well if your pain is from muscle strains and sprains.

Chiropractor; chiropractors use spinal manipulation to relieve pain and improve posture and alignment.

Exercise; while you waiting for the acute pain to go away you should try some gentle stretching and strengthening exercises. Some example exercises are: the pelvic tilt, which strengthens abdominal muscles and stretches your back, and the knee to chest stretch that stretches your hip and lower back.

Heat and ice packs: alternating between the two gets the blood to carry oxygen and nutrients to the area which speeds up the healing and also removes waste products from the body.

Develop a good posture: it may seem the slouching relaxes your muscles but it actually increases the stress on them.

Weight management : keeping your weight under control reduces the stress on the back of reduces the chance of osteoarthritis and degenerative disc disease.

Sitting comfortably: if you sit in a chair for long periods try resting your feet flat on the floor or on a small stool, whichever is the most comfortable. If you drive for long periods, place a small pillow or rolled up towel behind the small of your back. Make sure that you stop and take regular breaks, get out of the car and walk around.

Sleep on your side with a pillow between your legs.

Andy is an Engineer, serial entrepreneur, marketing guru and family man. CLICK HERE to visit his site