7 Ways To Ease Pain And Support Your Lower Back
Lower back pain sends a lot of people to the doctor, but in many cases, you can manage them on your own.
Back pain usually results from an injury, wrong movement, poor posture, lifting heavy objects, or a poor fitness level, among other causes.
Often, the pain flares up at times and can last anywhere between a few days and a few months. It is quite normal to experience lower back pain considering all the bones, muscles, ligaments, nerves, and joints that interact together for us to be able to use our back.
Since it’s a common occurrence, here are seven ways to alleviate that nagging, incessant pain.
1. Move around
Most doctors don’t advise complete bed rest. Too much bed rest can cause more harm than good. It’s important to keep moving around so you don’t create tightness in your back or weaken the muscles. Moving around doesn’t mean moving in excess or continuing to do something that causes you pain, but it does mean keeping your body active.
2. Lower back support clothing
Since you’re expected to be out and about without causing more stress to your back, it’s a good idea to support your back with sportswear that is specially designed with that purpose in mind. From t-shirts and tank tops to leggings and other types of sportswear, these special clothes help support your back and speed up your recovery.
Finding an online store that specializes in these types of sportswear guarantees that you find a lot of comfortable options to choose from that you may not find in regular stores. These clothes are fashionable, and help you recover by assisting weakened core muscles and supporting your spine, all while allowing you to keep the dressing in style.
3. Rest properly
Even though you’re expected to move around, you’re also expected to rest your back. You might have to go through some trials and errors before you find a comfortable position, but lying on your back with a pillow placed under your knees tends to be a comfortable position for most people.
4. Yoga
Don’t hit the yoga mat right after you have experienced back pain, but if a couple of months have passed and you’re still not completely back to normal, start learning some yoga positions for your back.
If yoga isn’t your cup of tea, at least do some conventional types of stretches. Make sure that you are doing the right movements and are being mentored by a professional instructor, preferably one who has experience in easing back pain through yoga.
5. Increase endorphin levels
We all have natural hormones in our bodies called endorphins. Most of us know them as the “feel good” hormones. A good level of endorphins may help block pain signals.
The body produces the hormones naturally, but there are things you can do to increase the level produced. To lessen the pain, you can try massage therapy, certain aerobic exercises, or meditation. All these methods help us feel better and keep feelings of anxiety and stress at bay.
6. Keep your brain active
Pain is more than just an uncomfortable sensation; it’s quite complicated and our brains play a big role in how we deal with physical pain. Everyone’s brain can interpret pain in a different way.
You can learn new skills to help you manage the pain, including mindfulness and meditation. Most people, for instance, don’t know how to manage their breathing. Mindful breathing isn’t the same as your normal breathing; it involves taking deep breaths and focusing only on your breathing. This often helps relax your body in general, relieving stress that may be increasing your back pain.
You also have a choice to learn new techniques in managing how you process and deal with physical pain. This is a cognitive change that you can try. There are several tutorials online to teach you more about this and how to do it.
7. Get enough sleep
It’s usually a vicious circle where you need sleep to heal, but can’t sleep because of the pain.
Your doctor should be able to help you and address the pain you have directly. You may be prescribed mild pain killers, or be given different therapies to manage this pain to sleep better.
