When you first experience back pain, it can be scary. It seems as if the pain will never go away. And you end up worrying whether it’s cancer, or whether you’ll have to live in pain for the rest of your life.
The first thing that you should know is that back pain is incredible common. According to time.com, some 80 percent of Americans will miss a day at work at some point in their lives, thanks to back pain.
The second thing you should know is that back pain almost always goes away over time. 95 percent of people report that their pain subsides within six weeks.
There’s more good news too. Back pain is something that you can actively do something about. Here are some science-backed back pain relieving methods.
Your Pain Could Be Inflammatory – Hit The Painkillers
Modern painkillers, like ibuprofen and naproxen are anti-inflammatories. Often they are able to eliminate most backaches within a matter of days. Some patients also benefit from applying either heat or cold to the affected area. Doctors don’t yet know which is the most effective, so try both and see which works best for you.
Try Relaxing Your Back Muscles
A lot of back pain is also caused by tension in the back muscles themselves. Back muscles have to work constantly to keep your posture correct. To relax them completely, grab a chair and a mat. Put the mat on the floor and then put your legs up so your calves are resting on the chair. Your hips should be at 90 degrees from your body and your hip muscles completely relaxed. This position is designed to rest your spinal muscles and hip muscles which could be causing you pain. Stay in this position for around five minutes.
Replace Your Mattress
As sleepjunkie.org/whats-the-best-mattress-for-a-bad-back shows, a mattresses can have a big effect on your back. The daily punishment of sleeping on a hard or lumpy mattress can cause back issues, even among young people.
Different types of mattresses have different levels of support for bad backs. Memory foam tends to be the best for pressure relief, especially if you sleep in an usual position.
Visit Your Chiropractor
At the outset it’s worth pointing out that there’s a difference between chiropractors and physical therapists. Anybody can set up as a chiropractor, even though they are called doctors. But to become a physical therapist, you need around four years of training. Thus with physical therapists, you have a better idea of what you’re getting. However, if you know that the local chiropractor isn’t a crook, it might be worth paying them a visit. Chiropractors will look for ways to resolve pain by twisting and stretching the body in new and usual ways. No, you probably won’t be completely cured of your back pain using a chiropractor. But they can often reduce pain for the rest of the day.
Physical therapists are an option too. Some studies indicate that they can be effective, like chiropractors, some of the time. But in some states, you’ll need a doctor’s referral to see a P. T.
