Disclaimer: This post was written to share my experiences with chronic back pain. I am not a doctor, and it is to be used for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Any actions you take from the content of this post, you are doing so at your own risk, and I am not responsible for any negative outcomes.
When you get older, sometimes you start to experience more aches and pains because as we age we put a lot of wear and tear on our joints, which can cause pain over time. Chronic back is frustrating and can limit you so much because when you are in pain, you don’t want to do anything that could trigger more pain. Surgery can sometimes help improve pain in people with severe chronic back pain that significantly affects your quality of life, but it is not always necessary and should always be a last resort. I struggle with low back pain because of endometriosis, and although there is nothing I can do to completely get rid of my back pain, I have been able to improve it so I can move more easily. How can you improve pain if you struggle with chronic back pain? In this post, I am going to share a few things that you can do to have less back pain and feel better.
Make sure you are exercising with proper form- When you are in pain, the last thing that you want to do is exercise, and sometimes, people in pain don’t exercise because it is often believed that you should be avoiding exercise at all costs. Exercise can help alleviate pain in some people, provided you are doing the exercises correctly and not pushing yourself too hard. The next time you exercise, consider using a mirror to check your form while doing your exercises because improper form can be a major contributor to your back pain. When I started exercising, I had a lot of back pain because I was over-exercising and focusing on reps more than form, and once I changed that, my back pain reduced. Exercise is a good thing, and sometimes your lack of movement is the reason you are in pain, but you want to make sure you are doing exercises correctly because incorrect form will damage your joints instead of strengthening them.
Lose weight– When doctors tell patients that they need to lose weight to cure their pain, sometimes people get mad because it’s not something they want to hear. I don’t think that doctors should be prescribing weight loss before doing a full examination to rule out other health conditions, because not all pain can be cured by losing weight. If you’re struggling to move because you gained some weight, it might be a good idea to start a weight loss journey to improve your health. Weight gain can sometimes put a lot of stress on your joints, which can cause more pain, and losing weight can help you get your energy back and feel better. I don’t always recommend weight loss for pain management because it doesn’t always help, but I don’t always shut it down because sometimes it is the solution and a sign of poor health. A healthy weight is so important for pain management because
Use a heating pad on sore muscles- If you have an injury and have swelling, I would use ice instead of heat because, in my experience, heat can make swollen muscles worse. Heat and ice can be great remedies for pain, and what you should use depends on the purpose because there is a time and place for both. I would never put ice on a swollen leg, but if I overworked a muscle, I would use heat because it can help relax sore muscles and reduce pain.
Try foam rolling- Stretching is important for keeping your muscles flexible because sometimes, when you are sitting for long periods of time, your muscles get tight, which can cause more pain. Static stretches are great, but depending on the intensity of your workout, sometimes it’s not enough, and you need a deeper stretch, and that is when a foam roller comes in. A foam roller can be a great tool to use on stiff muscles because it allows you to get a deeper stretch that you are not going to get from static stretches. I don’t benefit from a foam roller because my physical disability makes it difficult to use, but most people can get a lot of benefit from it. Never underestimate the power of stretching for back pain, because sometimes it can significantly reduce pain. I wouldn’t stretch if I had an injury unless my doctor told me it was safe, but if all you have is a stiff back, sometimes that is a sign you need to stretch more. Stretching isn’t only for people, and most people in pain can benefit from a five-minute stretching routine.
Try Pilates– People sometimes, without knowledge, will be hesitant to try Pilates because they think it’s easy and all you do is stretch the whole time. Pilates is not the same thing as yoga, nor is it all stretching, and it is a full-body workout that focuses on improving core strength, flexibility, posture, and body awareness. You don’t have to stop doing your other workouts because there is good with every type of workout, but adding one or two Pilates sessions to your routine can help improve back pain or get rid of it altogether. Before I had back pain from endometriosis, I struggled with back pain from overtraining, but after doing Pilates for a few years, my back pain went away. Pilates is a low-intensity workout that is highly effective for people experiencing pain because it strengthens muscles you didn’t know you had.
Learn to lift properly- If I had to lift a heavy box, I would ask for help because my physical disability prevents me from being able to lift things like non-disabled people can. Lifting weights can help improve pain, but it can also cause more pain if you are lifting too heavy and straining your back. If you are able, use your legs to pick up heavy things, and if you feel like you can’t pick something up without injury, then don’t and ask for help. It is so important to learn to lift properly because it will put less strain on your back. There is no shame in asking for help if something is too heavy because we all could use a little help sometimes. Learning to lift properly is important for exercising and life in general because not doing it right is what causes you to pull a muscle.
Do some strength training– When you have back pain, sometimes people think that you should be avoiding strength training at all costs, but that is not necessarily true, and sometimes pain is a sign you need to prioritize strength training. If you have pain, I wouldn’t try to lift super heavy, and you should always want to ease into new exercises, but a little bit of strength training won’t hurt you. Strength training is great for joint health when done properly and will build more muscle than cardio ever which will help prevent falls.
Take a day off exercise– Fitness enthusiasts often will be hesitant to take days off of exercise because it is often believed that you will lose fitness progress if you take a few days off exercise, but the reality is you will not lose significant strength unless you stop exercising for long periods and a week or two of not exercising is not going to put you back at square one. Rest days are so important for gaining strength, and if you are not taking rest days, it could be a major contributor to your back pain. Take a day off from exercise if your back hurts more than usual, because sometimes the frequency of your workout is the problem. Rest days are not laziness and are necessary to see progress in your fitness.
Back pain is frustrating, and sometimes you get so desperate to get relief that you immediately go to the doctor begging for quick fixes such as surgery. If you have a true health issue, sometimes surgery is your only choice, and I am not against people having surgery for pain relief. Surgery is not always necessary and often is avoidable with a few lifestyle changes, because sometimes we do things in life that put stress on our joints over time. If you have back pain, listen to your body because the worst thing you can do is try and push through a tough workout and make the pain worse. There are a lot of reasons that you could be experiencing chronic back pain, and sometimes you do need a doctor to help improve your pain, but most times you can manage pain with the things you have at home. Never underestimate the power of taking a rest day and stretching, because sometimes that is all it takes, and you don’t need medication. Pain is your body’s way of telling you something is wrong, and you should never ignore that because the only person you are hurting is yourself. What do you do to get relief from back pain? If you liked this post, please leave a comment below and share it with your friends.
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