If your back pain doesn't ease up with rest or medication, you may feel as though you're fighting a losing battle against it. When back pain becomes unbearable, it can make your life miserable. The treatments you try at home can make your pain worse, or they can create new problems for you. Don't lose the fight against your back pain. Try the solutions below to see if they work better for you.
Try Gentle Exercises
Exercise is one of the best ways to maintain good health and ease body pain. But when it comes to easing severe back pain, you must do the right type of exercises to find the relief you need. If you're currently doing high intensity aerobics, lifting heavy weights, or running long distances, stop. Try gentle exercises like yoga instead.
Yoga strengthens and relaxes your back at the same time. Yoga improves flexibility in your spine, hips, and legs. All of these tissues work together to move your upper body.
Many of the moves and positions used in yoga require you to use your abdominal muscles, or core. Your core muscles work with your back muscles to keep your posture straight. A weakened core can make you slouch in your chair, hunch your shoulders when you stand, or tuck in your hips when you walk. All of these actions force you to use your back muscles more than necessary just to keep your upper body erect or straight.
If you can, sign up for a beginner's yoga class. You can also try Tai Chi or Pilates to improve your back pain over time. If none of the exercise disciplines work for you, consider getting back pain treatment.
Consider Back Treatment
Back pain that doesn't respond well to exercise or medicine can cause lifelong problems if it goes untreated. To avoid this, you can see a chiropractor or back pain surgeon for care. Both types of specialists can examine your back to find the exact location of your pain.
The examination may include taking X-rays of your spinal cord and muscles to see if they're injured, inflamed, or damaged. Sometimes, the bones of the spine can slip out of place, fracture, or collapse from injury. Pain can develop along the nerve pathways in your spine and spread throughout your back. If the nerves themselves become injured, pain can affect your thighs, knees, legs, and hips.
Pain can also develop if you have inflammation in your back muscles and ligaments. The joints in your spine are supported by different layers of muscle tissues. Knots, tears, and sprains can develop anywhere in these tissues. Some individuals can experience problems eliminating their bowel movements or emptying their bladders from severe back pain.
Once a specialist confirms the reason for your back pain, they can administer the right treatment. Treatment for back pain can vary, depending on the location and extent of the pain. For instance, if your pain comes from a fractured or compressed spinal bone, a back pain surgeon may use surgery to repair it. Spinal fusion is one of the most common surgeries used for adults today. This type of surgery allows a doctor to fuse, connect, and stabilize spinal bones that shift or move out of place.
If your pain comes from a pulled or strained muscle, you may need physical therapy as a treatment. A therapist may use water therapy to help your improve. A therapist will generally work along with a chiropractor, back pain surgeon, or another specialist during your care.
You can win the battle against your back pain by contacting a specialist for more information and possible treatment today.