While I haven’t got the exact statistics, I wouldn’t be shocked if every other person on the planet suffered from some kind of back ache at some point in their life. It is just one of those super-common agonies that we have become accustomed to. Perhaps it’s due to bad posture, bad diet, pregnancy, or working conditions. It is why constant back pain is a commonly cited debilitating condition.
I have to admit, I was tempted to delve into what it is like to live with back pain a little but quickly realized this can be summed up in one word: awful. Instead, I decided to list some of the things that can actually help you get over your chronic pain to improve well-being.
Here are the best ways to treat back pain:
Visit Your Doctor re Constant Back Pain
Before you do anything, and that includes popping a pill in your mouth, you should visit your doctor. These people are in the best place to look at your condition, come up with a treatment plan, prescribe the right form of pain medication and check that it is nothing more serious than first thought, and not a symptom of something with far bigger implications.
Check in With Chiropractor
This is one of the most celebrated means of treating a bad back. Yes, chiropractors are known to crack a back in such a way that you’ll be left feeling brand new, but they also empower you throughout the treatment. How? By naming the issues, educating you on them, and explaining why certain treatment options will be better than others. Back pain tends to worsen when ignored and, given the studies that support chiropractic treatment, this is a good route to go.
Change Of Lifestyle
A lot of the time, overcoming back pain requires you to make certain adjustments to your life. We’re not just talking about improving your diet and doing a little more exercise. Instead, we’re talking about delving that little bit further. It is about adhering to the Alexander Technique to become more conscious of your body, how it moves and what hurts. It is about investing in a proper chair for work and a proper bed for home. You might want to get a foam roller to loosen up tense muscles too. All of these can help you live that pain-free life you have (literally!) dreamed about.
Get Physiotherapy Now
The great thing about physiotherapy is, not only do you get all the support of physical therapy, but you also get tips (aka homework) for each stage of healing. It could be that they recommend massage once a week. Maybe the physiotherapist recommends Pilates or yoga in the morning. This activity can strengthen your core, and certain stretches can loosen up your muscles. It could be walking and wearing proper shoes. All of these tips and tricks tend to come from a physiotherapist because they become very invested in your recovery.
Male or female – when your back hurts, it’s hard to do anything!
So true! Wishing you a pain-free day x
Almost everyone experience backache at some time or the other and maybe some have it more or less continually. But I think only small proportions of sufferers complain about it! Even when a doctor is finally consulted, the cause can be very difficult to diagnose because the severity is difficult to gauge.
I have chronic back pain and much of this hasn’t worked for me :( I haven’t tried a chiropractor yet, but am a little afraid to do so, partly because when my grandfather visited one he got much, much worse. But also, I have degenerative disc disease and I am afraid they will somehow make it worse.
I suggest seeing your doctor right away. Always use the professional guidance!
Working as an international flight attendant, I would sometimes walk a minimum of five miles during a 14-hour flight. I found when I tightened and tucked in my abdomen muscles, it automatically and instantly relieved my lower backache. Now if I feel a backache creeping up, I stand straight and tuck and tighten.
Hi Mel, strengthening your core muscles will absolutely help relieve back pain. With stronger abs you’ll find it easier to tuck and tighten, relieving much of the back from having to carry the body. I’m glad you’ve found what works for you :)
It’s so weird to know that i’m 20 years and I experience back pain but it has help to see a physiotherapist once in a while. Yoga and strtching helps alot and I limit slouching especially when i’m on my laptop.
Strengthening abdominal core muscles eliminated my low back pain, YOGA is my savior! :)
I’d change the order and see the chiropractor first. MDs know very little about spinal alignment, and most often will just prescribe a pain killer. That masks the problem. The chiropractic and physiotherapy working together are very effective. Of course, there are some cases where surgery is warranted – and a chiropractor can advise you about this option. Thanks, Christy!
Great tips, Christy!
While in college I volunteered with an occupational therapist at the local hospital. A few years prior I had been involved in not 1, or 2, but 3 accidents (I wasn’t driving in any of them), and hurt my back each time.
It caused a slight curvature in my pain, which needless to say, hurt from time to time. He suggested swimming as a way to help realign the spine! Just throwing this out there as additional advice for whoever may need it!
Thank you, Christy! Wonderful advice!
Now a little joke or a view on your ancestors? Ritu (butismileanyway.wordpress.com) lives there in UK, where your lastname comes from. ,-)
Haha now that’s a connection for sure ;) Yes, there is also a Birmingham in Alabama! The name is English for sure :) Thanks for the shares, Michael!
Always with a great pleasure, Christy! Now, i also know about a Birmingham in Alabama. Really never heared before. How big the word is. Have a nice rest of the week, and a great weekend ahead. ;-) Michael
One of the most important concepts in your post is the MULTI FACETED approach to addressing and correcting the MULTIPLE CAUSES of musculoskeletal pain. This also means that one must understand that relief of symptoms is NOT synonymous with “FIXED.” For conditions to properly heal, it requires a combination of ACTIVE participation and time. Assuming that symptom free means healed, is the #1 cause of recurring problems that become degenerative overtime. These degenerative changes are commonly known as arthritis. Although this condition is common, it is NOT normal (as many people believe.) It is common because most people stop short of FIXING their problems. Once the symptoms regress so does the ACTIVE participation in many cases.
Preventing musculoskeletal problems in the first place is the best option. For those that need pain as an incentive, I suggest you follow a professionally designed plan of action to find and fix the root causes. Otherwise, you too, will likely experience arthritic changes and chronic pain in the future.
These advice are good for normal back pain, Christy :-)
At the moment I’m not allowed to do much because of a missing disc down in my spine. Here nothing helps for now and I do await to hear, if surgery is necessary, because the other discs are bad too.