Tag: back pain

Selfcare guide: ways to relieve back pain

Posted on by Joy

If you experience back pain regularly, you may have had ailments that lead to walking difficulties, problems sitting comfortably and sleeping restfully too. Thankfully, you can turn to the power of selfcare to help ease your back pain. Through searches online, you’ll of course find lots of helpful options, from exercises with a tennis ball and acupuncture to a sports massage. Here’s our top three ways to promptly take action and deal with backaches.

ways to relieve back pain
Image by mohamed_hassan on Pixabay

Hot baths can work wonders for tight muscles in the back

The NHS recommends heat as one of its top tips for Image by typographyimages on Pixabay. Heat packs are good, but hot baths are better for relieving arthritic pain or other musculoskeletal disorders that affect the back. The buoyancy of the water will help release pressure and strain on the joints, according to EverydayHealth.

The heat of the bath will also ease any tight muscles in your body, including your back. Plus, heat is intrinsically relaxing; you probably haven’t done much of that since your back pain started. The hot bath encourages circulation and, according to PainScience.com, wins out over heat packs because hot baths can increase the temperature of the muscle itself by deep heating.

You can turn your hot bath treatment into a real treat with some bath bombs and scented candles. After all, your back hurts — you deserve to be pampered.

Try gentle exercise to build strength in the back

It’s probably the last thing on your mind when you have back pain. Chances are, you want to lie down and not move until the pain subsides. But EverydayHealth and the NHS both agree that gentle exercise is far more beneficial for back pain. In fact, too much rest can make some types of back pain worse.

You don’t need to reach for the sweatbands, though. Just a slow, gentle walk can help, or a few stretches. If you feel up to it, yoga can be great for chronic lower back pain – a review in the Clinical Journal of Pain revealed strong evidence of this. Yoga builds strength and reduces tightness in the muscles, both of which can help with back pain.

Try and do a little bit of movement, even if it hurts a little. Obviously, if the pain gets worse, or it is bad enough to prevent your movement, seek medical attention.

Reduce initial swelling in the back with anti-inflammatories

It might seem obvious, but usually the simple solutions are the best! Taking a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory can help reduce back pain, says the NHS. Paracetamol, however, isn’t recommended to treat back pain on its own. If you can, try taking ibuprofen instead, as it is an anti-inflammatory, where paracetamol is not.

An alternative to ibuprofen would be a pain relief gel. Gels can be a great option for people who hate swallowing pills, or if you’re looking for more targeted action against backache. These pain relief gels can help alleviate discomfort and swelling in the muscles, making them a top choice for dealing with back pain.

Be sure not to use diclofenac-based gels alongside ibuprofen. It’s important to always read the label of any medication you take and seek your GP’s advice if you’re unsure about anything. If the pain in your back doesn’t improve, or gets worse, see your GP.

Sources:

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/back-pain/treatment/

https://www.everydayhealth.com/back-pain-pictures/ways-to-ease-back-pain.aspx

https://mayoclinichealthsystem.org/hometown-health/speaking-of-health/6-tips-for-managing-back-pain

https://www.webmd.com/back-pain/features/manage-low-back-pain-home#1

https://www.spineuniverse.com/treatments/alternative/unusual-treatments-back-pain

https://www.painscience.com/articles/bathing.php

https://www.londondoctorsclinic.co.uk/about/blog/2016/october/24/ibuprofen-vs-paracetamol/

 

 

 

What’s Causing Your Back Pain?

Posted on by Joy

Back pain can be debilitating and is one of the most common causes of pain and suffering in people under the age of 45. The lumber spine in the lower back has lots of bones, muscles, and ligaments that all work together along with the joints and nerves. This is what gives your back the flexibility to move and because the system is so complex, it’s easy for something to go wrong. Some of the most common causes of back pain are down to simple muscle pain or inflammation that can cause a serious amount of pain.

back pain

What Should I Do if I Have Back Pain?

The first thing you should do is analyse how painful it is. Think about what type of pain you’re experiencing and if it’s acute or chronic. Some people feel pain and discomfort after playing sports and is usually a normal response to a minor injury. But, if the pain has been causing problems for longer than this, it’s time to consult a medical professional. You can also get some help and pain relief with dublin spine and sports physiotherapy. The goal is to find out what’s causing the pain and then find a solution to give you relief.

The Types of Back Pain:

If you can identify the type of pain that’s causing you a problem, it will be easier for the medical professional to find a cause and subsequent cure. There are two main types of back pain.

The first is a mechanical pain. This comes from the muscles and bones around the spine and tends to cause discomfort around the lower part of your back. Some people experience localised pain in the buttocks and the upper parts of their legs. This gets worst when the person is in motion or attempting to lift a heavy load.

The second is a sharp, burning pain after a nerve has been trapped or caught. This is called radicular pain and is more often than not felt on one side of the body. An example of this is sciatica. Radicular is more difficult to determine the cause compared to mechanical. It may also be more difficult to find long-term relief.

What are the Most Common Causes of Back Pain?

Common causes are from sports injury and inflammation. The first may happen as a result of muscle fatigue or disrupting how the disks, joints, and nerves are functioning. The second may cause swelling after an infection or another underlying issue such as arthritis. Other causes of pain originate from muscle and tendon degeneration in elderly people, a pinched nerve, or after an accident. The type of injury to the spine will determine the type of discomfort or pain that you’re experiencing. Make sure you can describe exactly how it feels and where it originates to help the medical professional give an accurate diagnosis.

The Takeaway Message:

The spine is a complicated structure with lots of small parts working together. This makes it easy for something to go wrong and can cause discomfort and problems in people of all ages. If you do feel pain, carefully write down the symptoms and seek the opinion of a doctor.

 

Image by typographyimages on Pixabay

Possible Causes of Back Pain

Posted on by Joy

Back pain is never fun, and it cannot be cured – it is merely manageable. Lower back pain is often different to upper back pain as well, and both can have different causes. Do not try and treat yourself if you feel twinges of pain in your back, because you may end up exacerbating the problem. Go and see a medical professional as soon as possible as they will be able to give you the appropriate advice.But you can often catch the origin of back paint before this point, see below the four major causes of back pain that can quickly be fixed.

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Image credit: Samantha Evans – https://flic.kr/p/7HEMNx

Sleeping Badly

Your back, neck and shoulders suffer if you are sleeping on inappropriate bedding. This usually relates to the type of mattress you have, but can also be connected to the pillows you have as well. You should choose a mattress according to the way you sleep – whether this be on your back, your side, or your stomach. Different positions put strain on different parts of the body, so it’s important that you have a mattress that provides you with the appropriate support. If you are waking up with niggles in your back or neck and you think you may need a new mattress, specialists such as Sleepy’s can help you figure out what would suit you best.

Posture

It is surprisingly easy to have bad posture, but it is also quite simple to correct this. Just take special note whenever you are sitting down or standing up for extended periods of time – you will find that you will most likely end up slouching or getting lazy with your posture. Poor posture, over time, can result in back pain, so it is best to nip it in the bud early.

Lifting

Lifting with your back instead of your legs can place unneeded strain on your back. There are manual lifting procedures found in almost all workplace health and safety manuals these days, but you should also follow these when lifting heavy boxes or equipment at home or at a friend’s place. Do not ever lift anything that you think you cannot handle, as you do not want to throw your back out.

Exercise

Exercising without the proper equipment or technique can be dangerous. You might twist incorrectly, or put additional strain on your back without knowing or meaning to. If you are unsure of what you are doing, or if you don’t know if you are doing an exercise properly, get a friend or a trainer to accompany you for a while before you are comfortable with what you are doing.

Back pain is usually a symptom of a particular medical condition, or an unwanted result of improper stress on your body. Your back holds your whole body up, after all, so it is important to take good care of it and to avoid hurting it if at all possible.

Do you know anyone who suffers from back pain? Do you know what caused it? What other things do you think everyone could look out for in order to minimise their chances injuring their back? Leave your thoughts below.