Some Facts About Back Pain
If you’re old enough to read this, you’ve probably heard someone complain about back pain at some point. Either that, or you’ve experienced it yourself. Regardless of age or place of work, everyone should learn how to prevent and treat back pain.
According to the American Chiropractic Association, back pain is one of the most reported cases of illness in America. Studies show that:
- At least one half of Americans complain about back pain each year.
- Back pain accounts for at least 264 million workdays a year. That’s the equivalence of 2 workdays per week for every working adult.
- Up to 80% of the population experience back pain at some point in their life.
Have you ever heard that something is so important to an organization that it’s referred to as the backbone?
The fact is that your back is a vital, if not the most important part of your body. Sometimes you may even feel back pain even though it’s origin is nowhere near the backbone.
You can read the causes of back pain in another article. This article will look at some ways to prevent and treat back pain.
Nine Ways to Prevent and Treat Back Pain
Depending on your individual situation, there are so many ways to prevent and treat back pain. Of course, the best thing for everyone is to prevent it from happening in the first place.
If prevention is not possible, you should learn how to treat it and heal as quickly as possible.
The following are 10 ways you can combine or use separately to prevent and/or treat back pain.
Yoga can prevent and treat back pain
Yoga has been used for centuries for a number of different reasons. You can use yoga to prevent or treat back pain.
Yoga involves a number of stretching exercises that can help you back among other things. One of the things that yoga does for you is to allow your body to become more limber. Some yoga exercises are designed to help build up the core and this can do amazing things in helping our back.
There are so many types and poses of yoga that are not all fit for every situation. So you’ll pick your style depending on your situation. But whatever you do, make sure you don’t overdo anything. For the most part, however, a little bit of yoga in your life goes a long way for your well-being.
Strong Abs for a strong back
You’ve probably heard it said that in order for you to strengthen your back, you need to strengthen your abdominals. This is often referred to as your core muscles.
You may need to strengthen your back by strengthening your abs first. The core of our body, which includes the abdominal muscles is one of the most important parts of our body for a number of different reasons. If we have a strong core, we are able to strengthen almost any other part of our body as a result.
The muscles that make up the core do not only include those that are in the abdominal area. The muscles actually wrap around the back and they help to stabilize us in a number of different ways.
If we are able to strengthen these core muscles, we help to stabilize our back and to put the spine into proper alignment. A straight spine doesn’t only help to treat back pain. It helps put other body parts and organs in their proper place.
Many times, we end up with a backache because we are trying to do too much. Strong core muscles minimize the strain and make otherwise hard jobs feel easy.
In order to build up our core muscles, we need to do the proper types of exercises. But you need a balance here. Doing an unlimited amount of sit-ups cannot be your strategy for a strong core. You need to work on other types of exercises. For instance, you may include something such as Pilates which will also strengthen your core.
Posture
Another common problem that will be corrected by core strengthening is your posture. Very few of us have proper posture and if we slouch, we are putting the spine into an unnatural state. This can cause considerable back pain over the course of time.
Strengthening your core will naturally cause you to improve your posture. Not only will you look as though you are stronger as a result, you will feel stronger. As a result, and you will have far fewer episodes of back pain.
Weight loss can treat back pain
One of the main factors that contribute to back pain that we experience too much weight. This is not about carrying boxes that are too heavy. It’s about the weight that we carry around at all times. Your body is designed to only hold so much weight comfortably.
If you are just 20 pounds overweight, you may be putting a strain on your spinal column. This could throw your hips out of alignment to the point of causing back pain.
Think of it this way, have you ever tried to lift a 20-pound box? It may not be all that difficult to lift the box. But try carrying it around all day, every day. It won’t take very long for you to realize that 20 pounds are actually quite heavy. You’ll want to put it down sooner rather than later.
The same is also true if you are carrying around fat on your body that does not belong there. It is going to take a toll and many of us carry around a lot more than 20 pounds of extra weight. If this is the case with you, you need to make a change to feel a difference.
How do you lose weight?
The best way to deal with a weight problem is to just lose it. Better yet, don’t gain it if you can help it. I know. That’s easier said than done.
The easiest way for you to lose weight is to modify your eating habits and to get a little bit of exercise. It is not necessary for you to go to extremes in order for you to do this. Simply by working out the larger muscles of your body and your legs. Soon, you will begin to burn calories as a result of the additional muscle mass.
As far as your diet is concerned, it is really just a matter of simple math. Try to figure out how much you are burning in the way of calories on a daily basis. Reduce your eating so that you are anywhere from 500 to 1000 calories short of your daily intake.
With this sort of calorie deficit, you are on the path to losing 2 pounds per week. But do not go overboard!
Relaxation can treat back pain
Another great way to prevent and treat back pain is to just relax. You should do activities that will allow you to relax your mind and body.
One way to achieve this is through exercise which allows your muscle to become limber.
Another thing that may be causing your back pain is a psychosomatic response to stress that you are experiencing. Stress does not typically cause our back to hurt but it can be a catalyst. While stress management helps you treat back pain, it also helps greatly in other areas of life.
There are a number of other ways that you can relax. For example:
Group therapy allows you to vent and freely express your troubles, thereby releasing unnecessary pressure.
Vitamins – Particularly include foods or supplements of vitamin B in your diet.
Massage – Some people use massage therapy that includes ergonomic chairs.
Read: Ultimate guide for diet supplements
Chiropractic may be the answer to your back pain
Of all the different ways to treat back pain naturally, a chiropractor is one of the most popular. You might be interested in knowing a little bit about what to expect from a chiropractor.
Understanding this can help you to overcome any hesitancy on your part to get checked out. After all, a chiropractor specializes in back health so it is an excellent way for you to make sure that your back is as healthy as possible. Not only can they help you treat back pain, they may stop potential future problems.
How it works
The first thing that a chiropractor is going to do is to ask about the history. At least, they’ll want to know anything that has happened to your back, neck, shoulders and other bones. They will also ask you questions about your lifestyle which may help them to determine the origin of the problem.
If you have severe back pain, they may consider doing an x-ray. If for instance, a bone is out of alignment, they may just simply pop it back into place.
Many chiropractors will warm you up before they actually do any adjustments. One of the most popular ways for them to do this is through electric pulse therapy. Some people consider this to be rather uncomfortable but others consider it to be a pleasant experience.
They simply hook the diodes on your body. Your muscles will contract automatically as the diodes put a low energy electrical pulse into your muscles. They may also do some massage therapy in order to warm up the area and get it ready for the adjustment.
If your chiropractor is well-founded, he will gently ease the misalignment back into alignment again. It is not necessary for him to do this with jerking motions in most cases.
Many people feel immediate relief after going to a chiropractor. But in some cases, it may take several sessions before the pain is gone altogether. The chiropractor may recommend lifestyle changes to help treat back pain quicker.
Drink water to treat back pain
Are you the kind of person who waits until they feel thirsty to drink water? You need to stop this right now. You’ll damage your body if you haven’t already done so. Are you in the habit of drinking anything other than water when you’re thirsty? You need to stop this too. No soda, please!
Most of us are dehydrated throughout our lives. This is very unfortunate because dehydration can cause more health problems than you can imagine. We won’t discuss all the problems here. But we can discuss a little about the effect of dehydration on your back.
For your body to move freely it requires bones, muscles, and fluids to work together. There’s a level of fluids below which your body cannot function. If your body can’t move naturally, there will be pain.
You can prevent or treat back pain by simply grabbing a bottle of water. People don’t take this advice too seriously because they think it’s too simplistic. But a lot of research has proven it’s true.
Then some others ask how much water they should be drinking. Well, we recommend that you take a half an ounce of water for every pound of your body weight. That means if you weigh 200 pounds, you should take 100 ounces of water every day.
It’s also recommended you add some natural sea salt to the water. Alternatively, you can toss the salt under your tongue as you drink. This salt helps retain the water in your body as it does its magic of cleansing and lubricating.
People hate water because it’s tasteless and no fun. I get it. But the benefits of taking enough water far outweigh the inconvenience. Try it. Do it consistently, and you’ll see results.
Acupuncture
Is not always necessary for you to look for a traditional healing technique if you are experiencing back pain.
Acupuncture has been used for thousands of years in traditional Chinese medicine. It is gaining in popularity in a number of other areas of the world and for very good reason. Although it is not typically backed up by medical science, many people have used it to treat back pain.
A regular visit to an acupuncturist can help you solve a few other problems in your body and mind. More than likely, there will be somebody who practices acupuncture in your area.
According to traditional Chinese acupuncture therapy, small needles are inserted into the body at specific points of effect. In traditional therapy, only the needles are used. But at times and in recent years, small electrical currents are passed through the needles into the body.
Even though it may seem like it would hurt, it rarely ever does. Many people experience relaxation and pleasurable sensations whenever they are undergoing acupuncture treatments.
If you have tried other things that don’t seem to work, acupuncture may be something to turn to. The only way that you’re going to be able to tell for sure is to visit an acupuncturist. Let them tell you exactly what they are going to be able to do for you. More than likely, you will experience some relief from your problem even after only one visit to the acupuncturist.
With subsequent visits, you will continue to make improvements. You might just find that this is your best natural to treat back pain.
Acupressure can treat back pain
It’s understandable if you’re only hearing this for the first time. But it’s been practiced for thousands of years to treat back pain, among other things. As you might guess, acupressure is related to acupuncture, but they’re not quite the same thing.
Acupressure applying of pressure on the body with the fingertips or thumbs in the same areas that acupuncture is applied. Believe it or not, this turns out to be more effective than acupuncture or physical therapy in some cases.
It is painless and at times, actually rather enjoyable to go through this process. Finding someone that does acupressure in your area should not be too difficult. It is gaining in popularity and any homeopathic doctor should be able to point you in the right direction.
Of course, medical science is not going to get behind a natural cure. So, you’re going to have to look at some independent studies to learn about its effectiveness.
Studies have been done where some people received acupressure to treat back pain while others received traditional physical therapy. They show that the people who received acupressure actually had a higher percentage of recovery.
This is refreshing because many doctors and even insurance companies don’t recognize acupressure as a legitimate medical practice.
Of course, it is going to be up to you whether you want to use acupressure to treat back pain. But it’s an option that may be preferable to pharmaceuticals that have a number of different side effects. Not only that, pharmaceuticals and doctors may only help with the symptoms instead of the actual problem.
Acupressure, on the other hand, goes right to the source of the problem and attempts to treat it from there.
Herbal Remedies for back pain
There are a number of different problems that can be cured by either herbal or vitamin therapy. One of the problems that may be overlooked as far as this is concerned is back pain. If you are experiencing backache or persistent pain, you might want to look into an herbal treatment.
Here are some of the most popular and effective treatments that work for back pain.
Capsaicin Cream
This is a type of cream that comes from an extract of chili peppers. It’s actually the ingredient in chili peppers that gives them their distinctive burn. Have you ever felt the way the chili peppers burn in your mouth?
This cream can do much the same for you as far as your back is concerned. It is available at almost any drugstore. If you’re going to apply Capsaicin Cream, make sure that you wear gloves. It could burn if you touch an open area or your eyes.
Vitamin B12
This amazing vitamin supplement has been shown to help people who have lower back pain. It also helps in a number of other problems that are not related to back pain. For example, B12 can help with memory impairment, depression and irritability.
Many people who experience panic attacks experience them because of a deficiency of vitamin B12. Take this vitamin for your good health.
Willow Bark
The bark of the willow tree has pain-relieving properties that are similar to what you would find in aspirin. Rub this bark or a product that was made from willow bark directly onto the area that hurts.
These are just a few herbal solutions to treat back pain and other issues in your body. Depending on why you are experiencing the pain there may be one cure that works better for you. Experiment a little bit and try to find the one that helps the most.
If you have any doubts or questions, there are herbal experts you can consult.
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