By: Mark Flores
The back pain one can feel comes and goes. The intensity of pain can range from a dull, throbbing ache to sudden, sharp shooting pain. Medications provide temporary relief and the pain is likely to come back if you weren’t able to target its likely cause.
Chronic back pain, more specifically lower back pain (LBP), affects about 7.5% of the world’s population. It’s a musculoskeletal problem that’s the leading cause of activity limitation and absenteeism from work. This has resulted in a huge medical burden and incurred massive economic costs, thereby making it one of the major global public health problems.
Age is one of the common causes of chronic back pain. But some conditions are also linked to back pain, such as:
- Spinal stenosis: a condition resulting from the narrowing of the spinal canal.
- Muscle or ligament strain: strain may come from the frequent heavy and incorrect method of lifting.
- Arthritis: this happens when the cartilage inside the spine becomes thin.
- Herniated or bulging disc: when discs rupture, they press on nerves on your vertebrae and cause lower back pains. This is more common in the lumbar spine or the lower back but could also happen on the cervical spine or the neck. The pain could be severe and can affect how you function daily.
Back pain may be called chronic if it persists for a long time or constantly recurs. Any pain that persists for more than three months is considered chronic. It worsens when people live a sedentary lifestyle. This happens when they don’t maintain a proper posture, don’t practice proper lifting, or gain too much weight.
It is also related to kidney diseases and the changing cold weather conditions. The changes in barometric pressure and outdoor temperature can cause muscle joints to become stiff and painful during the cold season.
Usually, chronic back pain goes away in time. But, if it persists, there are many non-surgical methods and supplements that you can take to make the pain go away so you could lead a normal life. Here are some of them:
Chiropractic Care
Chiropractic care is the manipulation of the spine to treat musculoskeletal disorders resulting in body pains.
Spinal manipulation is a non-invasive and non-surgical technique that would help alleviate the pains in your back.
Daniel David Palmer, a Canadian American is the founder of chiropractic. If you want to learn more about this type of treatment, here is a recommended reading for you.
Acupuncture
The number one reason people seek acupuncture is because of chronic back pain. Acupuncture is an ancient Chinese practice of inserting thin needles on various strategic points on your body. This allows the re-balance of energy flow and gives you relief from pain.
Yoga
Yoga is an ancient Indian practice that involves meditation, breathing techniques, and physical poses. It is believed that the combination of these vital elements can promote endurance, strength, flexibility, wellbeing and may also relieve one’s pain.
The physical poses utilized in yoga improve blood circulation and muscle health. They also increase the spine’s flexibility. Yoga postures stretch your muscles and mobilize your spine. A specific yoga pose called downward-facing dog is recommended for lower back pain.
Aquatic Therapy
The buoyancy water provides makes it easier to accomplish exercises. This is especially true for overweight people since 80% of the body’s weight is reduced from the equation. An underwater treadmill is one of the techniques utilized in this kind of therapy. The slow but steady exercise of the upper and lower extremities will improve one’s range of motion, relax joints, improve strength, and boost one’s flexibility. In time, there will be less pain in the lower back.
Restorative Sleep
Restorative sleep is believed to have healing benefits. It’s a type of sleep that attains two stages which are deep sleep and rapid eye movement (REM). In these stages, the body repairs and regrows tissue, strengthens the immune system, and builds bones and muscles. You’ll know you’ve had a restorative sleep when you wake up in the morning feeling refreshed and rejuvenated.
Anti-Inflammatory Diet
Leafy greens, yogurt, cruciferous vegetables, nuts, whole grains, and fatty fish are foods you may include in your diet if you’re experiencing chronic back pains. These foods are rich in antioxidants, omega 3 fatty acids, prebiotics, and probiotics. These may help reduce inflammation and manage one’s pain.
Vitamin D Supplements
Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to chronic pain. Hence. supplementation of vitamin D may help in the treatment of chronic pain. You may increase the Vitamin D in your body by taking supplements, exposure to sunlight, and eating vitamin D-rich food. A study showed that 86% of rheumatology patients have hypovitaminosis D.
Conclusion
Chronic back pain should not limit you from enjoying and living your life the way you want. As mentioned above, you have numerous options to choose from to help you manage it. It doesn’t always have to fall back to medication and surgery. It’s also essential to address the concern right away and not wait until it’s worse.
Author bio
Mark Flores is a fitness trainer. He offers programs to help those who want to stay physically fit. He also conducts webinars to do online fitness training. Mark loves mountain climbing and traveling to different places.
