Are you constantly taking medicine to relieve discomforting back pain and it isn’t doing the trick? Read below for tips on how to soothe your continuous back pain.
For anyone who’s ever suffered from back pain (80% of you will have some type of back problem, according to the American Chiropractic Association). Don’t hobble around in discomfort! Try these tips to help fight your chronic back pain.
Fight the Hunch
Think about all the times you’re huddled over something—your phone, your computer, your tablet. It’s bad news for your back. When you wake up in the morning, before you go to bed, or after a workout, lie back on a large exercise or physio ball for two minutes.
Ease Up on the Cocktails
It may be time to grab a sparkling water over your favorite fizzy alcoholic drink. Drinking alcohol leads to inflammation, which is a leading cause of back pain. Try cutting out alcohol for three weeks and see if you notice a difference in your pain level.
Take a Walk
When you’re in the midst of a full-on ache-fest, taking a walk around the block may sound like a bad idea. But going for a stroll actually serves two pain-busting benefits in the form of physical and mental health boosts.
Pay Attention to Your Breathing
You’re hurting. Nothing’s working. Stop for a minute and take a deep breath. Take slow, deep breaths for five seconds, hold for five seconds, and release over five seconds. Repeat for a couple minutes.
Add Ice (Not Just to Your Back)
Back pain is often caused by a muscle spasm due to digestive upset. If you’re in severe pain, ice your back and the area between your navel and right hip. You can ice for up to 15 minutes at a time (no more than that) and it can be repeated a few times throughout the day.
And Heat, Too
If you’ve been icing for two to three days and the pain is still lingering, you can turn up the heat (literally). Add a hot compress to the throbbing area for up to 15 minutes at a time. The warmth can help loosen up tight muscles and increase circulation. (As a general rule, use ice at the initial pangs of pain, and heat if it persists later on.)
This article originally posted to Fitnessmagazine.com.