Back pain is something that many people experience throughout their lives. However, the percentage of people being seriously affected by spinal disorders is steadily growing.
That’s not a surprise, given how many jobs put a lot of pressure on employees’ backs. One would think that jobs involving lifting heavy objects are the only dangerous ones, but that’s not the case. Stationary jobs where people stand or sit for a long time are equally dangerous.
Whether your pain results from one of the disorders or an injury, you can take steps to relieve the pain.
Before going over the steps in greater detail, let’s explore what types of back pain you might experience.
Types of Back Pain
Back pain can generally be either acute or chronic. Acute pain usually lasts for a relatively short period, while chronic pain always keeps coming back.
Some sort of an injury most commonly causes acute back pain. In most cases, after a recovery period of up to 6 months, the pain can completely go away.
However, with chronic pain, the situation is more serious, as the pain keeps coming back. Usual causes of chronic back pain include:
- Spine conditions (scoliosis, kyphosis, and lordosis)
- Herniated disk
- Sciatica
- Spinal stenosis
- Spinal nerve compression
- And many other spinal conditions, including common injuries.
Whatever the cause of your back pain is, there are numerous steps to alleviate it. Keep reading to learn what your options are.
1. Start Moving
Physical exercise is one of the best ways to help your spine get better. However, it is important to keep in mind that some conditions require a specific type of physical exercise.
For example, you should avoid running if you have scoliosis. You can use Schroth Therapy to treat the condition, even though it includes various strength exercises.
Therefore, keep in mind that different forms of exercise can help with specific conditions.
What you should keep in mind is that the solution for your back problems lies in strengthening the muscles surrounding your spine. Plus, these exercises should be low impact, so the spine is not under constant stress with every movement of your body. Activities that you could enjoy are:
- Walking
- Swimming
- Cycling
- Yoga
Each of these activities will help you keep your core muscles stronger and enable them to support your spine.
2. Limit Sitting Time
In the past, sitting was a way of resting. Nowadays, countless office jobs require employees to sit for eight or more hours. That puts a lot of pressure on the spine, especially in the lower parts.
That’s why you should try and limit how much you are sitting. If your job requires you to spend a lot of time in this sort of position, you should periodically get up to take a few steps and stretch. Don’t forget, sitting too much brings additional risks to your overall health.
It might be a good idea to get a fitness band that will remind you to move after a certain period of inactivity. It’ll help you stay consistent with adopting this new habit.
3. Mind How You Sit
Besides lowering the amount of time you spend sitting, you should also strive to sit correctly. Doing that will alleviate additional pressure from your back and help you keep a good posture.
Take the following steps to keep your back safe while sitting.
- Find a way to support your back.
- Adjust feet so your legs are parallel to the ground while the knees are level with your hips.
- Your feet should rest on the floor.
- The screen before you should be on your eye level.
- While resting on the table, your arms should be parallel to the floor as well.
Taking these steps will help you keep your spine healthy as the muscles surrounding it activated while you are sitting.
4. Change Sleeping Habits
Lying down is the time when there is the least pressure on your spine. But that is not all. You can do more to keep your spine pain free.
Double-check how soft your mattress is. You need a medium or hard mattress. That way, your body will remain aligned. If you sleep on your back, you should add a pillow under your knees. That’s going to remove some pressure from your lower back.
In case you prefer sleeping on the side, there are two things to consider. Use a thick pillow that will keep your head and neck aligned with the rest of your spine. Also, place one pillow between your knees. That’s also going to alleviate any pressure from your lower back and align your hips.
Avoid sleeping on your stomach. Keeping your head to the side for the whole night might result in neck pain.
With all this in mind, you can start changing your sleeping habits to reduce any back pain.
5. Eat Healthy and Change Bad Habits
Nutrition is another way that can help you keep your back pain free. As your back consists of bones, make sure that you are taking food rich in calcium and vitamin D. Taking this step will prevent osteoporosis-related back pain.
If you are a smoker, there’s a high chance that back pain is related to this disgusting habit. Damaged blood vessels can’t deliver all the nutrients necessary for keeping the spine healthy. Therefore, stopping smoking might reduce the back pain you’ve been experiencing.
6. Adult Braces and Orthoses
Some conditions might cause chronic pain. For example, different stages of scoliosis can cause various kinds of discomfort and pain. You could try using an adult scoliosis brace to prevent the condition from worsening. On top of that, it might also help with alleviating back pain.
Other similar devices that might help with back pain include ankle-foot orthoses and foot orthoses. Custom made orthotics will help ease movement with lower pain. It all depends on the type of orthoses you require.
Make an Appointment at Align Clinic
Keeping your back healthy and pain-free is our primary mission! Reach out to us at one of our locations and make an appointment. We are waiting to help you out with any back pain you are experiencing.
