With an estimated eight out of every ten people suffering from it at some time in their lives, back pain is truly a curse of modern society.
Although a back problem can have many different causes, and therefore many different ways of treating it, there are a few things that everyone can do now to help ease their suffering.
1.
Heat And Cold Therapy - Don't underestimate the humble heat or ice pack! In the initial stages of back problems many people say that using an ice pack on the affected area gives them relief.
After the majority of the inflammation is under control it is then a good idea to start using a heat pack, or warm bath or hot shower etc to promote blood circulation and reduce tightness in the muscles.
2.
Light Exercise And Try To Stay Active - Yeah I know, easier said than done when you're in pain! The trouble with prolonged rest is that the muscles needed for support around your spine start to lose their strength which can put more pressure on the joints and ligaments, which in turn can put you in a lot more pain.
Exercise of any kind can be a killer when you have a back problem, but even if you can only manage the lightest of exercises you stand a better chance of not developing a chronic back pain condition.
Personally I find walking up and down a heated pool to be the best form of exercise for my back pain and I believe without it I would be a lot worse off.
Although it is mighty hard to drag myself out of bed to go and do it some days! 3.
Don't Become Reliant On Pain Medication - Once again, easier said than done but do you know the effects that even short term use of pain killers can have on your body? Besides the long term effects that they can produce, the typically prescribed pain meds for back pain can actually make the pain worse by means of constipation, stomach ulcers and intestinal problems.
The American Food And Drug Administration have also stated that prolonged use of these medications can also lead to fatal strokes and heart attacks.
As bad as it is, I'll take the back pain any day over these issues! Of course if you are going to enjoy life to even the smallest degree you need something to keep your pain under control and the good news is that there is an alternative to these harmful pain meds that works, and works well without causing untold damage to the rest of your body.
Although a back problem can have many different causes, and therefore many different ways of treating it, there are a few things that everyone can do now to help ease their suffering.
1.
Heat And Cold Therapy - Don't underestimate the humble heat or ice pack! In the initial stages of back problems many people say that using an ice pack on the affected area gives them relief.
After the majority of the inflammation is under control it is then a good idea to start using a heat pack, or warm bath or hot shower etc to promote blood circulation and reduce tightness in the muscles.
2.
Light Exercise And Try To Stay Active - Yeah I know, easier said than done when you're in pain! The trouble with prolonged rest is that the muscles needed for support around your spine start to lose their strength which can put more pressure on the joints and ligaments, which in turn can put you in a lot more pain.
Exercise of any kind can be a killer when you have a back problem, but even if you can only manage the lightest of exercises you stand a better chance of not developing a chronic back pain condition.
Personally I find walking up and down a heated pool to be the best form of exercise for my back pain and I believe without it I would be a lot worse off.
Although it is mighty hard to drag myself out of bed to go and do it some days! 3.
Don't Become Reliant On Pain Medication - Once again, easier said than done but do you know the effects that even short term use of pain killers can have on your body? Besides the long term effects that they can produce, the typically prescribed pain meds for back pain can actually make the pain worse by means of constipation, stomach ulcers and intestinal problems.
The American Food And Drug Administration have also stated that prolonged use of these medications can also lead to fatal strokes and heart attacks.
As bad as it is, I'll take the back pain any day over these issues! Of course if you are going to enjoy life to even the smallest degree you need something to keep your pain under control and the good news is that there is an alternative to these harmful pain meds that works, and works well without causing untold damage to the rest of your body.