5 TIPS TO CURE BACK PAIN
Introduction
Back pain is one of the most common health problems among adults in the United States. It can affect people of all ages, for different reasons. Experts believe that about 80 percent of adults experience back pain at some point in their lifetime. In fact, about 31 million Americans experience lower back pain at any given time. It may be mild or extreme, sudden or constant resulting due to strained muscles or ligaments, nerves or vertebrae.
Facts Check
Back pain is found to be one of the most common reasons for missed work. One half of the population of all working Americans admit to having back pain symptoms each year. Back pain accounts for more than 264 million lost work days in one year, that’s two work days for every full-time worker in the country. Low back pain costs Americans at least $50 billion in health care and each year adds in lost wages and decreased productivity and that figure easily rises to more than $100 billion.
Causes of Back Pain
It has been observed that the common causes of back pain among men, is due to poor sitting posture, lifting of heavy weights improperly, and smoking. Whereas, among women, it’s prevalent mainly due to pregnancy, menstrual period, poor physical fitness and obesity.
Tips To Cure Back Pain
- Quit Smoking
Smoking doesn’t only affect your lungs but invariably damages your back as well. A study recently published in the American Journal of Medicine states that Nicotine causes the small blood vessels to constrict and consequently decreases the delivery of blood to the soft tissues and thereby resulting in severe back pain. It has been found that quitting smoking has significantly helped in alleviating patients back pain.
- Practicing relaxation techniques
A study made on patients suffering from chronic back pain has proved that practicing relaxation techniques on a daily basis such as meditation, Yoga and deep breathing has effectively resulted in reducing perceived pain level. Yoga in specific helps in reducing back pain and maintaining a healthy spine. Various Yoga asana help stretch and strengthen back muscles if perceived for a longer duration.
- Medications
If the back pain is severe and needs immediate assistance, medication with the help of your Doctor’s recommendation may prove to be a big relief in a short span of time. Doctors generally recommend Over-the-counter medicines such as Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs that might relieve acute back pain. In addition, muscle relaxants and anti-inflammatory injections as directed by the Doctors might be a useful measure to overcome pain immediately.
- Chiropractic Treatment
Chiropractic Treatment is considered to be a safe and effective treatment for acute back pain, which is caused due to sudden injury while lifting or shifting heavy load. The word ‘chiropractic’ derives from the Greek word, which means ‘done by hand’. It involves treatment through manual therapy, viz. Spinal manipulation and manual manipulation. It refers to a high-velocity, short lever arm thrust that is applied to abnormal vertebrae with the aim of improving functionality and reducing nerve irritability. Researches have shown remarkable results in treating lower back pain and strained nerve or muscles.
- Improving Flexibility and Strengthening Your Core
Flexibility plays a very important role in putting an equal load throughout the body from the feet all the way up to the head. One such exercise for improving flexibility is to sit on the edge of the bed, extending one leg forward and the other one on the floor. Give your hamstring a stretch by leaning forward and keeping your back in a neutral position. This exercise helps in improving flexibility by loosening your muscles and nerves. Strong abdominal muscles benefits in curing chronic back pain, by reducing the strain on the lower back.
Conclusion
In addition to these tips, it’s very important to have a healthy as well as an active lifestyle to develop an immunity that helps in fighting any abnormalities within the body.