Those who suffer from back pain know that it can be an isolating experience. Your pain diminishes your ability to enjoy life and spend quality time with those you love, not to mention your ability to work and complete other normal daily tasks.
The truth, however, is that you’re not alone. On the contrary, chronic pain is exceedingly common; over 20% of adults in the United States live with some type of chronic pain.
Because it’s so common, you don’t have to wonder how to get rid of back pain fast, you have a variety of proven treatment methods to choose from! Read on to learn everything you need to know about getting rid of back pain.
Get More Exercise
When we’re in pain, our first instinct is usually to lie still until it goes away. And while adequate rest is crucial for pain management, pain is only worsened by lack of movement.
Instead of lying still, get up and move! It doesn’t matter what type of movement – you could walk, bike, or just tidy up around the house. Anything that gets your body moving but isn’t too demanding is a good choice.
Practice Yoga
In addition to adding a little exercise to you day, consider practicing yoga. The stretching exercises will help to reduce backaches and tightness.
Maintaining full range of motion is essential, especially when you’re treating back pain. Allowing your body to become stiff and immobile will make ridding yourself of the pain even harder.
Prioritize Mental Health
It might not seem like your mental health is connected to your back pain, but it often is! Stress can do a number on the body, both physically and mentally. It can even cause back inflammation, which leads to chronic pain.
To keep your stress levels low, get plenty of exercise, eat a balanced diet, and make time for yourself and your loved ones. If you can’t remember the last time you took a personal day, it’s been too long.
Get Better Shoes
Your shoes can have a huge impact on your back, and when you consider that every pound of body weight means three pounds of pressure on your feet with each step, it’s not all that surprising. Bad shoes are one of the main causes of back pain!
Having shoes that provide arch support and sufficient cushion are a must for relieving back pain. To improve your results, set an appointment with a podiatrist to get a pair of orthotic insoles designed for your specific gait and type of pain.
Use Hot/Cold Therapy
The hot/cold method has been a tried-and-true pain relief strategy for centuries – and for good reason! This remedy is inexpensive, easy to do, and highly effective.
All you have to do is alternate between hot and cold packs on the effected area. Just be sure not to hold the cold pack against your skin for more than 20 minutes at a time to avoid the risk of frostbite.
If this method doesn’t do the trick, it might be time to see a doctor for cortisone shots. You might be wondering, what are cortisone shots? Don’t worry, it’s nothing extreme. A doctor will inject medicine directly into your back to relieve pain and inflammation.
Get Back to Your Life by Learning How to Get Rid of Back Pain Fast
There’s no question that chronic pain makes life more difficult. But if you know how to get rid of back pain fast, you can prevent it from taking any more of your life than it already has.
The great thing about the treatments listed here is that you can use them all at once! And in fact, you’ll find that they’re more effective that way.
Once you have your chronic pain under control, you can move on to improving your life in other ways. Take a look at our blog to learn how to get more out of life by becoming your best self!