Lower back pain is unfortunately very common and is one of the leading causes of missed workdays in America. Your lower back supports the weight off of your upper body, so pain in the area can become completely debilitating. There are several things you can do to help ease lower back pain and even more importantly, prevent lower back pain.
How Lower Back Pain Occurs
Before figuring out how to help severe lower back pain, it’s important to understand why lower back pain occurs. Your lower back supports the weight of your upper body and is subject to a lot of stress and strain. You are even more susceptible to lower back pain if you are active or work a job that requires lifting and manual labor.
Beyond being active, there are two other reasons why lower back pain can be common. A sudden injury can result in lower back pain as your lower back may have been injured or could be under more stress to account for the injured area. Another reason and the most common reason is aging and the wear and tear on your body.
6 Ways to Relieve Lower Back Pain
There are adjustments you can make to your everyday life to help reduce severe lower back pain and to avoid it altogether. Here are six ways to help relieve and prevent lower back pain:
1. Maintain Correct Posture
One of the main reasons people suffer from lower back pain is due to prolonged periods of poor posture. In order to protect your lower back from injury, it’s important to maintain proper posture. This is especially true if you play sports or work a job that requires physical activity.
When sitting in a chair, avoid slouching as much as possible. If you lift weights regularly, bend and straighten from the knees, not the waist. If you work a desk job, keep your feet planted on the floor and use a chair that provides lower back support.
2. Use Ice or Heat
For rehabilitation and recovery, it’s important to use ice and heat to reduce swelling and promote quick rehabilitation. If you have experienced a lower back injury, applying ice within the first 24-72 hours can go a long way in reducing pain and swelling. After icing, applying heat can help relax tight muscles.
You can also use heat for chronic lower back pain, not just an injury. When using heat or ice, it’s important to note that you shouldn’t be using for more than 20 minutes at a time. This will help prevent skin damage that is common with long exposure to ice or heat.
3. Stretch Often
Stretching is a great way to increase flexibility, durability and help greatly decrease the chances of lower back pain as you get older. Because your lower back extends in many different directions, it’s important to employ a variety of different stretches. Some lower back stretches to try include:
- Lying flat on your back and pulling your knee to your chest
- Lying flat on your back with your arms outstretched in a ‘T’ position, bending one knee and twisting in the direction of your straight leg while trying to touch your bent knee on the floor
- The superman stretch – lay flat on your stomach with your arms stretched forward while lifting your chest and legs off the floor
4. Stay at a Healthy Weight
Your lower back endures a large amount of stress throughout the day as is. Being overweight causes added stress in your lower back and can result in injury. It can also increase the speed in which you endure lower back pain as you get older.
Being active and eating healthy can you stay in shape. This will help take unneeded added stress off of your lower back. It will also help your lower back as you get older as it will have had less added stress.
5. Sleep On a Good Mattress
Sleeping on a good mattress is one of the lesser-known important factors of proper health. People who suffer from lower back pain often experience pain relief when sleeping on a medium-firm mattress. It’s important to maintain proper posture when sitting and standing but it’s also important to maintain proper posture when sleeping.
For good posture, those who sleep on their side should invest in a softer mattress. Back and stomach sleepers should choose a firm mattress. If you experience lower back pain, it’s for the best that you avoid sleeping on your stomach.
6. Massages and Chiropractic Care
Massages can help lengthen shortened muscles and can help relieve tension in the lower neck and shoulder. The healthier the lower back muscles are the better the stability, which will help protect you from injury. Healthy lower back muscles also increase durability, preventing chronic pain as you get older.
Chiropractic care can help reduce chronic back pain, improves nerve communication throughout your body, improves focus and more. It is safe and an effective way to improve overall health without the use of medications. 80% of Americans will experience back pain at some point or another and chiropractic care is a great way to relieve pain.
Chiropractic Care in Tennessee
Chiropractic care can help reduce chronic lower back pain and can also prevent lower back injuries. Our chiropractic care goes a long way in your overall wellbeing. Dr. Dee and our team here at Healing Hands Chiropractic in Murfreesboro, Tennesse works hard to help you. Contact us today for an appointment.
Chiropractic care can help with back pain, migraines, neck pain, herniated disks and more. It is a great alternative to over the counter medicine that can be addictive with a huge list of negative side effects.
Did you know Chiropractic care can help treat chronic back pain, sports injuries, and auto accidents?
Get in touch with Dr. Dee at Healing Hands Chiropractic today for an initial consultation!
