Struggling With Back Pain? Here Are Quick and Easy Steps for Relief Without Medication

Follow these simple steps for relief without medication.

GET UP:

“When we sit too long, we tend to slouch, which can trigger backaches,” explain the folks at Hartford HealthCare’s St. Vincent’s Medical Center. “Get up every 30 to 60 minutes to stretch and reposition yourself. [If working], schedule meetings with transition time so you can change your posture in between.”

STAY FLEXIBLE:

According to Harvard Medical School, “exercise helps build strong, flexible muscles that will be less prone to injury. It can also help the healing process for an aching back, prevent problems in the future, and improve function. A good program typically includes the three major forms of exercise: aerobic activity, strength training and flexibility exercises.”

WATCH WEIGHT:

“Extra weight puts a strain on your back,” points out the experts at UC Davis Health. “In order to deal with extra weight, your spine can become tilted and stressed unevenly. The back may lose its proper support and develop an unnatural curvature of the spine over time.”

GO HOT AND COLD:

“Use cold first and then apply heat for acute back pain,” say the folks from Spine-Health. “Lowering body temperature will help constrict the blood vessels, reduce swelling, decrease inflammation and cause a numbing effect. Once the inflammation has subsided, use heat therapy. It improves the flexibility of soft tissues, movement of muscles and overall functioning of the back.”

DON’T STRESS:

According to the Cleveland Clinic: “Stress can cause you to unconsciously tense your muscles, including the ones in your back, shoulders and neck. We can’t always avoid stress, but we can lower the stress response in our bodies. Dealing with stress in healthy ways can relax your muscles and turn down the dial on stress-induced back pain.” Meditation, yoga, tai chi as well as deep breathing exercises are good places to start.