Back pain is one of the most redundant health problems in America. In fact, approximately 31 million Americans report suffering from back pain when asked. No wonder around $50 billion is spent solely on the treatment for back pain in the USA every year. If we add lost wages and absent productivity, the figure easily goes up to over $100 billion.
Even if we see globally, back pain turns out to be the leading cause of disability that keeps people from working or performing everyday tasks.
The expert opinion states that 80% of the world population is likely to suffer from back pain at some point in their lives. And when we say 80% population, we don’t only mean old people. Children, adolescents, and teenagers are also the reported victims of back pain.
In some cases, back pain is a symptom of a bigger complication, such as arthritis, fracture, or cancer. However, in most cases, it is non-organic; not caused by any underlying complication.
Specifically, in lower back pain, victims are likely to recover, but a small percentage of people face lower back pain chronically.
What’s the cause – sedentary lifestyle or unrecovered injuries? Studies that have been conducted over the past couple of decades show that there is no single cause of back pain. It can occur and stay for a longer time even if you just sprain your ligaments or muscles or have a ruptured disc, or it can be caused due to injuries in sports, accidents, workplaces, and other daily activities.
If a person has arthritis, obesity, lack of physical activity, bad posture, and stress, it can complicate back pain even more and make the case worse.
And who doesn’t have a bad posture or stress these days? Since it’s a serious and most common issue, it is important to know about ways to get rid of it. Here are some:
1. Stay active
A common misconception attached to back pain is that back pain victims cannot move as much as they want to. It is a myth. You can move just like before, and you should.
If you try to be as active as you were before back pain hit you, you can gradually defeat your problem. Keep up with your daily routine and usual activity performances.
If you didn’t have any exercise routine before, make one. If you don’t know-how, go to the gym. In fact, a 30-minute walk or 10-minute cycling can be of big help to your condition. Do it at least thrice a week. Just don’t sit idle for too long.
Experts said that too much sedentary time builds up the muscles and around the spine and back, which makes it weak. As a result, your spine doesn’t have much of support, which triggers back pain.
Stretching and yoga also help with back pain. It is also a stress-reliever, and stress is something you cannot afford right now. While you are being physical, also try and maintain a good posture while standing, sitting, and sleeping. Bad posture is the root cause of back pain in most cases.
2. Maintain a healthy diet
A healthy diet is very important when you are trying to overcome chronic back pain. If you aren’t eating enough, then you will have no strength to be active to be able to overcome your back pain. And if you are eating too much, you will gain extra pounds which will increase a load of your weight on the spine, making the matters worse.
So, what you need to do is keep a balanced, healthy diet. If you are overweight, start shedding your weight to decrease the load on your lower back. Weight loss decreases the amount of mechanical force onto the spine, and it becomes easier to prevent and cure back pain.
You might not be experienced enough to make a diet plan for yourself. Get a doctor’s recommendation before you make any solid dietary plans.
Since we are talking about a healthy diet, it would be much better if you quit smoking (if you are a smoker). Studies show that smoking is the likely cause of degenerative diseases and spinal issues, including acute and chronic back pain. Nicotine is known for weakening the spine by sucking away all the vital nutrients from the spine.
3. Use medicated patches and OTCs
While you are being physically active and focusing on your diet, you can use medicated patches meanwhile to relieve your back pain. Medicated patches are taped on the painting area of the back. They help you work and sleep without focusing on your pain. If you are on the fence about medicated patches, you can ask a doctor about it after discussing your condition.
While you are at a doctor’s, know what OTCs to use or not. OTCs are over-the-counter medicines. You don’t need a prescription for that, but it wouldn’t hurt to take a bit of professional advice just to be safe. OTCs help with pain relief, back stiffness, and soreness.
4. Visit a chiropractor
You want to be more physically active but you don’t know how, you want to plan a diet but you don’t know what to include, you want to be free from your pain but you don’t want to attach patches to your body and take medicines (that most likely have side effects) – if these are the problems you are facing with the aforementioned ways, then there is a way to pay someone to do it all for you: a chiropractor.
Chiropractic care is one of the most effective proven methods to cure acute and chronic back pain. And if you want a treatment free from medicines, injections, surgery, or medicated body patches, then chiropractic treatment is what you should opt for.
For whatever reason you are facing back pain, a professional Cedar Park chiropractor will only their hands (and some pressure tools) to align your spinal cord and gradually position it right back into its original state, which will free you from your back pain.
