Tag: Lifestyle Changes to Help Alleviate Back Pain

Are you struggling with horrible back pain every morning when you wake up? Or Do you wince with pain when you stand up from your chair after doing your work at your desk? Back pain is more common these days and might occur due to poor nutrition, obesity, stress, and a sedentary lifestyle. You must adjust your lifestyle to manage the chronic back pain. Willian Welches, DO, PhD (wellness pain management specialist) says that one of the best ways to manage your chronic back pain is to adjust or change your lifestyle. There are several treatments available to treat chronic back pain like painkiller medications, steroid injections, physical therapy, etc. Injections will not be as effective or long-lasting and might carry some risk. When you consume NSAIDs for long-term time it might affect your kidneys or damage your liver. Also, Acetaminophen damages the liver and slows down the detoxification of the liver. When you are considering opioids to treat back pain then it might lead to anxiety, dependency, addiction, or endocrine problems. Let’s understand how changing your lifestyle could ease your back pain. Include Following Lifestyle Changes to Get Rid of Back Pain 1. Manage the Stress Level in Your Life When you are experiencing back pain, it might be due to the release of stress hormone that tightens up the muscles. When muscle tension occurs it reduces the flow of blood reaching the tissues and few nutrients and less oxygen are received. It is not easy to avoid stress but you need to manage it. Meditation is a very basic technique to deal with anxiety and keep your mind in a calm state which also helps in reducing the pain. You can try the following things to relieve your stress: Mindfulness Meditation – When you practice mindfulness meditation then it could help you in coping with the pain. It is a sort of mind-body therapy that helps in easing the pain. Deep breathing – According to the research it has been found that breathing exercises are very helpful in alleviating back pain. Guided Imagery – In this process, the individual is asked to focus on specific mental images to bring the feeling of relaxation that helps in reducing stress and also helps in reducing the lower back pain of your body. 2. Don’t Shortchange Your Sleep Sleep plays a vital role in healing your body and when you don’t get proper sleep then it might release more stress hormones that lower the tolerance of pain and worsen the intensity of pain. Improper sleep might complicate your health issues and could make it harder to control glucose levels, especially in the case of diabetes. It is important to practice good sleep hygiene. You must avoid using the smartphone or TV for more than one hour before you go to sleep as blue light is harmful. Make sure that you go to bed at the same time every evening and get up at the same time every morning. According to the research it has been found that poor sleep quality might increase the risk of chronic back pain or worsen it. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC adults need approximately 7 hours of sleep. 3. Make Diet Changes Lifestyle changes include a change in your diet as well. If you are dealing with chronic spinal pain and you follow a diet low in dairy, fruit, and whole grain then you will reduce your back pain to a great extent. If you are consuming added sugars then it will increase the risk of back pain. You must take anti-inflammatory foods to reduce pain. This includes the following: whole grain foods fiber yogurt black pepper green tea turmeric and ginger spices leafy green vegetables fruits and vegetables There are certain foods that might make inflammation worse are mentioned below – refined sugars red meat dairy products highly refined flour or gluten saturated fats potatoes, tomatoes, eggplant, etc. Changing your diet will help you to gain excess fat and you will feel healthier than before. It will also help in reducing the intensity of pain. How Do Hydrocodone Tablets Assist You With Pain? 4. Make a Habit of Physical Activity Physical activity plays a vital role in improving our overall health and is also the best option to reduce pain. When you are in pain you might find it difficult to get involved in a physical activity. But when you start with an easy exercise and make it a habit by gradually progressing towards difficult ones then you will lead a healthier life and your stress will also be reduced and automatically your back pain will be reduced to much extent. If you can’t move easily then you must try biking, Yoga, walking, swimming, etc. Performing daily exercises can bring a major improvement in overall health. Pain Management: Types of Pain and Treatment Options 5. Improve posture A poor posture also results in severe lower back pain. According to the study, the following exercises will improve your posture and lower back pain when done under the supervision of a trainer. Yoga - Yoga might improve your mobility and you will find a gradual decrease in pain. It also helps in improving mental and physical function. Pilates – It is important to center or tighten the torso muscle, managing posture, by doing pilates. Core Stability Exercise – These exercises also focus on improving the coordination and activation of torso muscles. You can ask your trainer to help you with core exercises that will help in reducing the pain and decrease tension in your muscles by improving stiffness in your torso. Aerobic Exercise – You must practice aerobics daily to improve your muscle endurance, physical function, mental health, and pain. You can perform it with high, moderate, or low intensity. Tai Chi – This is a Chinese exercise that helps in improving your mobility and reduces pain. Walking/ Running / Cycling – There are several cost-effective ways of improving health and strengthening muscles but walking, cycling, and running are the basic exercises that improve your stamina. Swimming – You can practice swimming to improve your back strength. Complete Guide to Back Pain Treatment Make sure you maintain a correct posture while sitting, standing, or walking. Avoid slumping forward and sitting for long hours on a chair or lifting heavy items. You must be aware of the posture and correct it to reduce the possibility of injuries. 6. Put out that cigarette Smoking is a serious health risk and you must avoid taking it. According to the study it has been found that those who are taking cigarettes with high intensity are experiencing severe back pain as compared to nonsmokers. The main reason for this is that nicotine restricts blood flow to the disks in the spine which causes severe pain. It is also responsible for causing them to crack, rupture, or dry out. When you smoke regularly your oxygen level in the blood is reduced which is responsible for reducing nourishment that reaches the muscles and tendons in the back. When you have an unhealthy back then you will be more prone to accidental strains and pulls that might cause issues on your back. 7. Stretch When you are standing, sitting, or lying down in one place for a long time period then it might cause back or lower back pain. You must try stretching activities daily to tighten your muscles and relax them. Relieve the strain whenever you are standing up, walking around, stretching will help you in relieving back pain up to a great extent. 8. Lighten your load Avoid Improper or heavy lifting in your day-to-day activities. It is also a common cause of back pain. Those individuals who are lifting heavy boxes might experience back pain. If you are carrying a bulky laptop bag on your back or on one side of your hand or suitcase or groceries then it might cause strain on your back. You must take some weight off your shoulders by distributing the weight to both sides of your body to avoid strain on your back. You must consider a rolling cart or bag with wheels to carry heavy loads of vegetables, groceries, etc. 9. Increase your Calcium and Vitamin D Intake Include the Calcium and Vitamin D intake in your diet. When you are experiencing back pain then healthcare professionals usually suggest these vitamins to include especially for women. You must keep your bones strong by taking lots of calcium and Vitamin D. For Calcium, you must intake milk, yogurt, leafy greens, vitamin supplements, etc in your diet. For Vitamin D you must include fatty fish, egg yolks, beef liver, cheese, etc. Before you start taking any supplements make sure that you always consult with your doctor or healthcare professional to avoid any issues. 10. Avoid High Heels Women who are experiencing back pain must check whether they are preferring high heels. They must prefer another alternative to avoid high heels to reduce the intensity of lower back pain. When you wear high heels for a long time then it causes strain in the back which causes severe pain. 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