10 Tips On How To Relieve Lower Back Pain Effectively
Suffering from lower back pain? In this article, Beauty and Tips takes a look at 10 ways to effectively reduce lower back pain, so that you feel so much better.
Lower back pain can be a nightmare. It’s difficult to get comfortable, and nearly impossible to work with it. We try not to complain about it, because everyone has their own problems, right? However, when it becomes long-lasting, we know that we need to do something about it. Otherwise, it can greatly reduce the quality of our life. Often, it’s hard to pinpoint exactly what caused the pain in the first place. Sometimes, lower back pain is caused by heavy lifting, or sometimes it’s a symptom of an underlying condition, such as arthritis. Whatever caused it, the result is always the same – chronic pain that just won’t go away. Sometimes, lower back pain will be a sign of something more serious, and you should call a doctor. For everyone else, here are 10 tips on how to relieve lower back pain effectively.
Cool It
If it’s only been a few hours (48 hours at the most) since you started to experience the pain, there might still be time to treat it effectively with ice. Most people warm their backs up when they’re in pain, but this is counter productive. True, the warmth does feel good. But it inflames your muscles even more, causing more pain in the long run. The best thing to do is to apply ice as soon as the pain sets in. Catching it early covers up the pain, and relaxes your muscles. Don’t apply ice for too long at any one time. Take the ice off after around twenty minutes so that you skin gets to take a break.
… Then Go Hot
Going from hot to cold can be an effective way of relieving lower back pain. What you want to do is place a frozen bag of peas on the problem area (or an ice pack if you’re even braver – though they’re really just as cold as each other!) on the affected area, after at least the first forty eight hours after the pain has begun. Don’t keep it on the affected area for any longer than 20 minutes, but do keep putting it back a few times throughout the day. Once the first 48 hours are up, switch to heat pads. Again, place the heat pads on the area for 20 minutes before removing for a break. The cooling of the area prevents blood flow to the area, in turn easing swelling. Heat, by contrast, boosts circulation, loosens your muscle and returns more oxygen to the affected area.
Try Acupuncture
Heard of acupuncture but not sure if it works? It does. Acupuncture is often a better remedy for lower back pain than prescription painkillers. It’s an old Chinese medicine technique that involves needles, so it’s probably not for the squeamish! However, if you can bear the idea of needles being prodded into your body, they will help to reduce join inflammation.
Move!
Just like song tells us that “these boots were made for walking,” our body’s were made for moving. The more you sit around, the worse you’ll feel. This is just as true for your spine as it is for all your body. The key to relieving lower back pain isn’t staying in bed and resting it; instead, the key is to keep moving. Take the dog for a walk, go for a jog, go swimming, take the stairs. The more you move, the better you’ll feel. This might sound counter intuitive, and you might be nervous to get moving at first. But once you’re up and about, you’ll feel a lot better.
Diet
Weighing too much can exacerbate lower back pain. If you know that you need to lose weight, find a diet that works for you and try to shed some pounds.
Invest In A New Mattress
A lot of us don’t like investing in expensive, “necessary” things unless we really have to. If your lower back pain is a massive issue for you at the moment, this is one of those times for you. In fact, the problem could have been started by your mattress. Studies have found that those of us who are sleeping on firm mattresses suffer from more back pain than those of us who are sleeping on medium-firm ones. Mattresses can be expensive, especially the best ones. But you have to ask yourself whether you’d prefer to part with some cash and relieve your pain, or whether you’d rather keep struggling on?
Go For A Massage
Again, if your budget allows for it, you should consider treating yourself to weekly massage. Lower back pain gives you the perfect excuse to indulge yourself a little. If you can’t bear the pain anymore, book yourself in at a local and reputable chiropractic or osteopathic clinic.
Stand And Sit Up Straight
Make sure that your posture is right at all times. Stand and sit up straight, and check on your posture once an hour. If your posture isn’t right, it could be the reason for all your recent troubles.
Stop Smoking
If you’re a smoker, tobacco could be exacerbating your problems – or they could even be causing it in the first place. Smoking has all kinds of nasty long-term side effects, which range from coughs to lung cancer. Maybe you didn’t realise, it but smoking can also cause brittle bones that lead to lower back pain. Cases of osteoporosis are on the rise, and it’s often caused by poor lifestyle choices, such as smoking. If you smoke, try hard to kick the habit.
Go For A Swim
One of the most fun, refreshing and relaxing ways to relieve lower back pain is by going for a swim. Pop by your local swimming pool and spend at least 20 minutes walking up and down before swimming properly. If your pain is still too acute after you’ve walked for a while, don’t try to swim. Swimming can reduce lower back pain, and it can also reduce stress. But you shouldn’t attempt it if the pain is too much.
Do you have other tips on how to relieve lower back pain?
Stay happy and healthy!
from Beauty And Tips Magazine
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