Back pain is frustrating. It leads to inactivity and hampers life. Back pain has various causes. In general, old age, injuries and internal conditions like spinal arthritis are the major reasons. This article explores the best ways to improve back pain.
An Accurate Diagnosis
Is your back pain intense and chronic? You might need to consult the right doctor. Various conditions can cause intense and chronic back pain.
Long-lasting pain in the back might be a sign of an underlying spinal condition. In that case, quit home remedies or treatment on your own like having painkillers or using pain relief gel, etc. Instead, consult an orthopedic doctor.
The doctor will make an accurate diagnosis. And, provide the treatment you need.
Visit the following link to book an appointment with an orthopedic doctor near me.
Common Causes of Chronic Back Pain
The long-lasting pain in your back could be due to any one of these conditions.
DDD or Degenerative Disc Disorder: The spine is composed of small units called vertebrae. Between two vertebrae, there is a disc, known as an intervertebral disc. This disc has a soft centre with a hard outside shell.
Over time, the soft part of a disc made out of mostly water and gel, dries out and the disc collapses. The dried-up disc makes it hard for the affected part of the spine to move around. It becomes the cause of chronic back pain.
This is an age-related condition. And, it can occur in any section of the spine.
Herniated Disc: When an intervertebral disc ruptures on the outside, its soft centre comes out and causes herniation. The affected disc is then termed a herniated disc. It usually puts unnatural pressure on the nearby nerve roots. Thus, nerve compression ultimately leads to chronic back pain.
Compression fractures: Such fractures often occur in vertebrae because of osteoporosis. The latter is a condition that refers to weak and porous bones. Osteoporosis affects old people, especially those with prolonged calcium and vitamin D deficiency. Compression fractures in spine bones also cause chronic back pain.
Ankylosing spondylitis: In this spinal condition, two or more vertebrae in the spine fuse together and give rise to spinal rigidity. This is another inflammatory condition.
Spondylolisthesis: This often occurs in the lower spine. In this condition, one vertebra slips forwards relative to the position of the vertebra below. It causes nerve compression and gives rise to chronic pain in the back. In short, this is a form of vertebral displacement.
Spinal Stenosis: The spine has various small units, called vertebrae. Each such unit has a space in the centre. This space in all the spinal vertebrae as a whole gives rise to a canal-like structure known as the spinal cavity or vertebral cavity. The narrowing of this space in the backbone is known as spinal stenosis.
Tumours: An abnormal mass of tissue in the spine can also cause back pain. A spinal tumour often starts with mild pain. Symptoms might progress if the condition is not treated on time.
Sprain and Strain: Abnormal physical stress can result in spinal strain. Sprain and strain can be caused by an injury, overuse or wrong use of the backbone. If the damage is mild, it will correct itself. However, severe tears or injuries will require medical interventions.
For chronic back pain, consult a spine specialist. Visit the following link and find the best doctor: a spine surgeon near me.
Treatments for Strain-Related Chronic Back Pain
Sometimes, overuse or incorrect postures can also cause chronic back pain. You might be overexercising; sitting in the wrong position for a long time; or something else of the like nature. Usually, such factors strain your back because there isn’t enough time for recovery and the factor causing the strain is continuous, which means it strains your back regularly!
In such cases, you just need to correct the posture or stop overusing yourself. Consider the following advice. Make the necessary changes and see if they work. In case the back pain still persists, consult a doctor.
Adequate Sleep
Getting enough sleep regularly is crucial. Not sleeping for adequate hours will impact stamina negatively. You will feel strained even when activities are not that strenuous. So, get sufficient sleep and feel fresh and active throughout the day.
If you are sleep deficient right now and it is the cause of your back pain, ensure enough sleep each night.
Good Sleep Posture
Sometimes, you are taking adequate sleep but you are not sleeping in the right way. Bad sleep postures also might be giving you back pain.
Make sure you doze off while maintaining the body in a good body posture. Work with different positions and pillows. And, find your sleep comfort zone.
Good Posture While Sitting or Standing
Millions of people live corporate lives. They have to do a desk job. It involves sitting for long hours, leading to a sedentary lifestyle.
When prolonged sitting is enough to cause back pain, incorrect posture will make the condition worse.
If you have to sit for hours on end, keep your spine upright. Avoid sitting with an archy back. Don’t slouch.
Ensure your knees are at hip-level height. In addition, office ergonomics is also important. Refer to the following section.
Standing is also part of everyday life. If you have to stand a lot, make sure you stand in a straight position. Switch among various postures to divide and shift stress from prolonged standing. And, if possible, have a seat.
Office Ergonomics
Make sure your workstation isn’t putting excessive stress on your back. Sometimes, the height of the screen and chair also impacts the back, giving rise to chronic pain.
Therefore, make certain adjustments. Ensure a comfortable chair that supports your back and relieves pain from prolonged sitting.
Make sure your computer or laptop screen is at the eye level.
Furthermore, see that your legs are not dangling from the chair. Lower the height of the chair and adjust it to the level where your knee and hip joints are the same level. It will relax your thigh and leg muscles, also alleviating the back pain.
Exercise
Overexercise can also strain your spine and you will experience back pain. Consistent overexercise involving the back will result in chronic back pain. So, if you have overworked your back, take some rest. Give it the time to recover.
In contrast, a sedentary lifestyle can decrease pain thresholds. In other words, if you lead an inactive life and don’t exercise at all, it will decrease the strength of the body over time and even low stress will leave you strained or with issues like low back pain. Thus, in that case, exercise regularly and build your stamina.
It will make you strong. The body will be better able to withstand low stress levels and the existing back pain will improve.
Massage
People with back pain due to overuse can consider massage to speed up recovery. Massage sessions with rest will help the strained area recover faster.
Overuse like overexercise causes muscles to sustain micro damages or tears. These micro injuries cause pain. Here, massaging the affected muscles will increase blood supply and promote healing.
Orthotics
In an article by NIH; National Library of Medicine, it is stated that proper use of orthotics can improve lower back pain. It states in conclusion, “Six weeks of prescription shoe orthotics significantly improved back pain and dysfunction compared with no treatment.”
To refer to the complete research, use the link: https://bit.ly/3YmPEiy.
Heat and Cold Therapy
For a strained back, heat packs will work best. Heat will increase blood circulation and promote healing.
On the other hand, for an injury in the back, use cold packs to reduce swelling and pain.
An Anti-Inflammatory Diet
If you have overused your back, an inflammatory diet will make the back pain worse. Avoid foods like gluten, highly refined flour, trans fats, refined sugars, saturated fats, red meat, dairy products and certain vegetables, i.e., tomatoes, eggplant, potatoes, etc.
If possible, include whole grain foods, leafy green vegetables, fruit, fibre, yoghurt, turmeric, ginger, green tea, and black pepper in your diet.
Stress Management
Back pain will get worse if you don’t put an end to chronic stress. Healthline states that prolonged stress can cause inflammation throughout the body. So, use various strategies like mindfulness or any form of meditation to deal with stress. It will calm you down and improve your back pain.
Weight Management
Obesity due to overeating and a sedentary lifestyle might be the cause of your chronic back pain. Excessive weight strains back while standing, sitting and doing regular work.
So, pay attention to your eating habits and make sure you incorporate exercise to your life.
Quit Smoking
Smoking increases the pace of bodily degeneration. Excessive smoking will make your chronic back pain worse. So, quit it! If quitting is difficult, cut back or seek professional advice.
Load Management
Sometimes, carrying too much weight on the shoulder is also the culprit. It will strain the back and cause chronic pain. It often happens when you have to take such weight regularly and you don’t have enough time for relaxation and recovery.
In that case, lighten your load. It will help improve back pain.
Conclusion
Pain in your back can be due to many different reasons. If your back pain is chronic and progressing over time, consult an orthopedic doctor.
However, prolonged overuse or incorrect postures without adequate rest can also cause chronic back pain. To relieve pain in this condition, try the non-pharmacological and non-surgical treatment options mentioned in the blog.
