Back pain can affect every aspect of your life from your job, sleep, sitting posture and so much more. It prevents you from being able to accomplish your daily tasks. In fact, back pain causes the highest number of job-related disabilities. As such, you need to take care of your spine today to ensure that you reduce the chances of getting back pain in the future. Here are a few ways to do that:
Sleep Right
While you sleep, your spine should be restful and straight. You can ensure that happens by getting the right pillow and mattress combination. Get a firm or a medium-firm mattress that supports your spine as an old and soft mattress allows the spine to sag. Choose pillows that only elevate your head enough to align the spine.
The pillows and their placement should be ideal for your sleeping position. For back sleepers, place a pillow beneath your knees. For side sleepers, place a pillow between your knees, and you can also have a neck pillow to support the neck.
Exercise the Core Muscles
Exercising the core muscles gives them the strength to support your spine. These are the muscles of the lower back and the abdomen. When they are strong enough, the muscles will take the pressure off the lower back. In most cases, you will not exercise the core muscles during everyday activities. To exercise the muscles, you need to take on targeted exercises. If you already have back pain, or you have other medical conditions, you need to talk to your doctor or therapist to find the best exercises for you. There are those exercises that can reduce back pain to keep you comfortable.
If you do deadlifts, you need to lift right. When lifting, use your legs and knees instead of the lower back to lift the item.
Surgery to Ease the Pain
If you have a nerve condition that causes back pain, you need less invasive surgery to correct the pain. This surgery, known as rhizotomy, helps correct back pain for people with conditions, such as arthritis, joint pain, disc herniations, degenerative spinal conditions, spasticity, pain from cerebral palsy, and trigeminal neuralgia.
A specialist will assess you to determine the level of nerve pain and whether the procedure is right for you. If they determine you are eligible for the procedure, they will place an electrode through fluoroscopy and then stimulate the nerves and then deaden the sensory nerves to stop the pain.
Massage the Lower Back
Massage has several advantages. For starters, it increases blood flow to the back, loosens the tight muscles and the connective tissues, and helps you relax. The massage doesn’t have to be vigorous. Get some moderate level massage, and it will be stress-relieving.
If you are not able to visit a massage spa, due to financial or time constraints, you can get a massage chair, which offers Swedish or shiatsu massage. Combining massage with exercises for the core will give you all the benefits of a strong lower back. Besides, the massage will help with insomnia, restore the full range of motion, and increase endorphin levels.
Besides massage, you can use heat therapy around the muscles that surround your spine. This will increase the flow of blood to the spine and in turn bring healing. You can go for heating pads, heat wraps, or seek professional heat therapy.
Eat Well
Your diet can help maintain the health of your spine. To get the best from your food, limit your food intake to only the items you can find in nature, such as fruits and vegetables, whole grains, meats, legumes, and others that are rich in anti-inflammatory agents and antioxidants. When you take foods rich in vitamins and calcium, you can treat conditions, such as osteoporosis and osteoarthritis.
Limit the intake of processed foods and unhealthy sweet treats. This will help you fight weight gain and reduce pressure on your spine. People who are obese place too much pressure on their spines, and losing weight can be a good remedy.
There are many other practices that can help you relieve back pain. These include re-evaluating your sitting posture, doing yoga, staying hydrated, and paying attention to any back pain warning signs.
