They say back pain is youth leaving the body. According to the American Chiropractic Association, 80% of adults suffer from back pain at some point in their lifetime. The pain results from a muscle strain and may range from mild to sharp pains. Consequently, underlying health conditions such as scoliosis and arthritis may also cause back pain. Back pain may be chronic or acute. Acute back pain lasts up to ten days and disappears on its own. Chronic back pain, on the other hand, extends for over 12 weeks and requires advanced treatment.
The doctor may recommend surgery to resolve your back pain, depending on the case stage. However, there are several non-surgical treatment options for back pain. Follow along as we traverse through these five options.
1. Diet Overhaul
According to research, certain inflammation levels are affiliated with severe chronic back pains. Regulating these levels of inflammation abates back pain. Adopting an anti-inflammatory diet truncates these inflammation levels and curbs back pain.
A reduced intake of refined sugars and pre-processed foods will go a long way into healing your back. Vegetables, whole nuts, fruits, whole grains and fish lower the inflammation within bones, thus resolving back pain.
2. Chiropractic Stimulation
Involves massaging and adjusting the spine by hand. Spine manipulation realigns joints and helps to resolve levels of back pain. The chiropractor exerts his hand weight on your target zones and pressures the bone and joints.
Spinal manipulation should, however, be under the prescription of a medical doctor. It may be hazardous to people who have arthritis or spinal injuries. Spinal manipulation often resolves back pains in 2-3 days.
The manipulation should only be carried out by licensed medical doctors, chiropractic and orthopedic specialists.
3. Medical Treatment
Several medicines are often used to treat back pain.
• Opioids- painkillers are commonly used to relieve pain by weakening the nerve impulses to the brain. Analgesics are often used to treat acute back pains.
• Relaxants- they depress the nervous system and relieve the pain of muscle spasms by increasing muscle mobility.
• Steroid injections- entails some unique injection into the exterior of the dural sac of the spinal cord. These injections relieve pain along suppressed nerves, thus treating chronic back pains.
4. Acupuncture
Acupuncture dates back to traditional Chinese medicine. The practitioner inserts thin needles on several target spots in the body to correct the body’s life force. Correct acupuncture procedure is proven to alleviate pain and discomfort, especially in back joints.
The needles are allowed to settle into your body for about an hour then removed. The qi effect eases tension on various muscles.
5. Proper Lifestyle
Stress and depression often create tension along with the muscles, thus causing back pains. Positive living and stress management often relieves unnecessary pain in your body muscles, especially the back.
Unhealthy sitting and walking posture also induce pressure on your back. Sitting while bending your back towards the front often creates muscle spasms and cause pain in your back. Adopting ergonomic desks and chairs provide suitable work postures to alleviate pain.
Wrong footwear also yields back pains. Tight shoes and steep heels misalign the hips and the back, thus causing back pains. Purchase well-fitting shoes and gently sloping heels to avoid unnecessary pressure on your back.
Back pain is manageable and treatable. It often narrows down to personal effort as well as lifestyle overhaul. Regular medical checkups also help to detect anomalies at the early stages.
