5 Best Ways to Reduce Your Back Pain
There is an oft-cited statistic that indicates that nearly 80% of all adults will experience back pain at some point in their lives. However, it’s likely that this number is much higher when one accounts for all of the cases of back pain that resolve without intervention or those cases for which patients don’t seek medical care.
Regardless of exactly how pervasive back pain is, we can say with confidence that it is extremely common. Therefore, we need to find ways to reduce back pain effectively and quickly. In this article, we will provide an overview of the 5 best, tried-and-true methods for reducing back pain.
Back Pain Reduction Method #1: Strengthening Exercise
Many cases of back pain are related to instability of the spine and weakness of the spinal muscles. When these muscles aren’t able to effectively control spinal movements, we often experience sharp, intense pain in the back.
By strengthening these muscles, we can act to both prevent and treat many cases of back pain.
Back Pain Reduction Method #2: Flexibility Exercise
Much like the effect of strengthening exercise on the spine, flexibility exercise creates a profound difference in back pain severity.
Often, people will experience back pain due to tightness in the muscles surrounding the spine. Therefore, one of the most intuitive ways to reduce this pain, which is caused by tightness, is to perform stretching exercises.
By keeping the hamstrings, hip flexors, and other body muscles loose, you’ll often enjoy decreased back pain and improved quality of movement.
Back Pain Reduction Method #3: Massage
Massages can help to release restricted tissues and decrease total body pain. Massage therapists, and other professionals who utilize soft-tissue techniques in their practice, are usually extremely helpful for those who suffer from both chronic and acute conditions affecting the back or other tissues of the body.
It’s unclear exactly why massage works so well for pain reduction. Some theories point to the fact that a direct connection between the practitioner and the patient may be partially responsible. Other research indicates that the specific techniques may actively open up tight tissues, enabling the back to heal.
Whatever the reason is for the effectiveness of massage for back pain, we can say that it certainly helps to reduce pain in both the short term and long term for many patients.
Back Pain Reduction Method #4: Cardiovascular Exercise
Interestingly, exercise modes such as walking or biking can significantly decrease back pain intensity.
Even short, 20-minute walks performed a few times a week can encourage blood flow to painful areas of the body. This enables these tissues to heal and over time, you’ll begin to enjoy decreased pain in these regions.
Back Pain Reduction Method #5: Chiropractic Care
Above all other options, chiropractic care may be the best backache remedy.
Chiropractors work to keep the spine in perfect alignment through the use of specialized treatment techniques known as adjustments. These quick, targeted treatments utilize a small amount of force applied in a very specific direction to push spinal segments back into place.
Many patients with varying levels of back pain will walk out of a chiropractic clinic with a near-total reduction in symptoms. This is often true after even just one treatment session!
You may feel like you’ve tried everything for your back pain, but have you tried chiropractic care? If not, you’re missing out on one of the most effective ways to reduce your symptoms and get your life back. Book your appointment with our team at Anchor Health Chiropractic, the premier Noblesville chiropractors, today!