Are you doing everything possible to eliminate the pain in your back and neck? If you’ve been suffering from back and neck pain for a long time and are looking for some relief, this article may help you.
Self-care is a must for back and neck pain. If you have been experiencing back and/or neck pain for a long time, you may be familiar with some of these methods. Now, if you have started experiencing back and neck pain recently, some of the approaches presented may be new to you. Most of these suggestions are easy to do at home.
1. Ice
If the pain is due to injury, or you’re experiencing it after certain activities, applying ice to the painful area is one of the oldest and most effective methods to reduce the pain. Use an ice pack, or ice wrapped in a towel and apply on the sore area for about 20 minutes. You can use it multiple times during the day.
2. Heat
Applying heat is considered one of the best ways to relax and reduce pain. Most health professionals recommend alternating between cold and heat therapy for best results. Heating pads, wraps, and hot baths are inexpensive and easy to use.
3. Get Moving
If your pain makes even walking around to seem daunting, and all you want to do is stay in bed, as counterintuitive as it sounds, it is best to try and move your body (if possible).
Experts recommend that you should not stop performing day-to-day activities even when the pain is present. Prolonged bed rest has the potential to stiffen the joints and muscles, which ends up making the situation worse than it already is.
Additionally, movement helps to provide the back joints and muscles with the blood circulation they need to heal.
4. Use a Spinal Decompression Device
Backrack™ Spinal Decompression Therapy
5. Exercise and Physical Therapy
When the acute pain has subsided, you may want to start exercising. Exercise and physical therapy are necessary in all kinds of back and neck pain.
These practices help heal back pain and may also prevent it from recurring.
Getting expert care is also essential in this regard, because performing exercises on your own without consultation might aggravate the pain instead of relieving it. Thus, the importance of physical therapy – as well as the help of a physical therapist – cannot be underestimated, especially when the back is concerned.
6. Maintaining Good Posture
Poor posture is one of the most common reasons for back pain that most people experience, and it is also one of the most overlooked causes.
Educating yourself on how to improve it is the first thing that you need to do.
Poor posture can be attributed to a worn-out chair, an old mattress, prolonged sitting or travelling, incorrectly lifting things that are too heavy, or lifting and twisting at the same time.
7. Diet and Nutrition
Having a healthy diet is a no brainer. If you eat a well-balanced diet and maintain your weight, it is bound to help improve the back pain.
Obesity is another one of the common reasons for back pain. Being over-weight puts pressure on the spine and alters normal posture, resulting in excessive stress and strain on the back, including chronic low back pain.
Weight loss is also necessary for the overall health of a person, and it prevents one from a lot of other health conditions as well.
8. Quit Smoking and Alcohol
People who consume alcohol and those who smoke are at a higher risk for developing back problems in the future. Smoking is not only harmful for the back, but also for the heart and overall health. Therefore, try to quit smoking and reduce your alcohol intake to help your back.
9. Rest Well
Adjust your sleeping position. Using the right pillow and mattress that support the spine in all the right places is a must. During sleep, the muscles of the back also need rest and a good mattress will make sure of that.
10. Over-the-counter pain relievers
Over-the-counter pain medication may temporarily help reduce back pain. However, it is recommended that you seek medical advice before you take any type of supplement or over-the-counter medication, as it may present itself with side effects that may make your pain worse.
11. Acupuncture
The mechanism of acupuncture is said to stimulate the nervous system. It is said to have pain-relieving qualities that might be useful in treating back and neck pain.
12. Massage
Who doesn’t love a good massage, especially when the back is hurting? Consider getting one when you have back pain. It has many health benefits, including helping sore muscles relax and heal by improving blood circulation, and improving flexibility along with movement.
Author: Spinal Backrack
