Back pain, also known as sciatica, is a problem for many people of all ages, but particularly for older people. Many things in can contribute to back pain. If you suffer from back pain, here are 7 tips to help relieve back pain.
1/ Remain as active as possible during a bout of back pain, as it has been shown that activity is more helpful to recovery than lying in bed. Try to carry out normal activities, within reason, as studies have shown that this leads to a more rapid recovery than bed rest or back-specific exercise.
2/ Put heat on any back spasms. Make a warm compress or get a heating pad and just relax. It can soothe the muscles and relax you. Stress can be a large part of back pain, so just laying down and trying to relax can end up doing wonders for you.
3/ Take over-the-counter pain medications first. A simple over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medication can usually take the edge off most backaches. Follow the instructions on the label, and take it as directed when your back starts acting up. If it isn’t enough, consider paying a visit to your doctor.
4/ Severe back pain should be reported to your physician. They may run tests or look at your medical history so that they can see any factors that need consideration in your condition.
5/ Quit smoking. Among all of its other health risks, smoking can reduce the blood supply to the vertebrae that make up your spine. This loss of blood flow results in degeneration of the disks, making them more susceptible to injury and damage. This sort of disk damage doesn’t cause passing back pain but permanent injury.
6/ To prevent getting back pain, you need to make sure that you exercise on a regular basis. This will help increase and strengthen the muscles in your back. You just need to be careful that you are not lifting weights that are too heavy and that you are not doing anything else that could actually cause an injury.
7/ Stretches and flexibility exercises can go a long way in preventing and done regularly can reduce and even get rid of back pain. If stretches are done properly and according to guided direction you will see the results.