If you struggle with back pain, you know how much of a drain it can be on your daily life. Whether you’re getting out of bed, standing from being seated too long or just trying to play outside with your kids, chronic back pain can rear its ugly head. Thankfully, there are a few ways you can get some relief from your chronic pain that don’t involve spending an arm and a leg. Let’s get into it.
How to Stop Back Pain
NSAIDs
One of the simplest approaches to tackling back pain would be to take simple NSAIDs like ibuprofen, Advil and the like. These general pain relievers are effective at stopping your pain in the short-term, though they might take a bit longer to get going than you’d prefer. If you’ve tried these and they haven’t helped, read on.
Heat and Cold
Applying a cold pack or a bag of frozen veggies (wrapped in a washcloth) to your back during a period of extreme pain can have a numbing effect. This can also help to curb inflammation, which is a common cause of general back pain. Make sure you don’t apply ice to any part of your body for more than 20 minutes.
After a cold treatment, you can use a heating pad or something similar to apply some heat to the affected area. The heat can help loosen stiff muscles, and often helps to reduce aches. Many people find the one-two punch of ice and heat to be incredibly effective for short-term pain relief when their backs are flaring up with pain.
Exercise
This might sound counterintuitive, but you need to get tons of exercise in order to keep your muscles loose and limber. This applies to your back muscles too, which could be the culprit in your back pain. Taking a short walk or a quick dip in a pool for some light laps can be a great way to loosen your muscles and strengthen them for the future.
Likewise, low-impact exercise regiments like yoga and tai chi are excellent for back pain. They aren’t high-impact, so they won’t cause any damage to your back muscles or spine, and they help you to build up stronger muscles. If you don’t already have one, get into a good exercise routine to combat your back pain.
Stretches
If you don’t have time for a full-blown yoga routine, that’s okay. Try some low-impact stretching in the morning to limber your back up and help you to reduce your overall discomfort. For instance, try touching your toes from a standing position by slowly reaching down. This stretches your hamstrings and loosens your back muscles.
Another stretch to try in the mornings could be a simple yoga exercise called the “child’s pose.” This involves kneeling in a sitting position with your knees parallel to your hips. Then, you stretch forward, putting your head down on the exercise mat and stretching your hands out straight along the floor.
Orthopedic Shoes
Make sure your shoes aren’t what is causing issues with your back. Often, if you’re wearing shoes that are ill-fitting or offer no support it could exacerbate, or even cause, back pain issues. If this is the case, make sure you get some orthopedic shoes that offer good support for your body.
These kinds of shows often include soft padding in the soles that distribute your weight more effectively across your feet. This helps you to keep better posture, which, in turn, is great for your back health. You can often speak to a chiropractor about your back pain issues and get their advice on what kinds of shoes might be helpful.