Simple Ways to Prevent, or Lessen, Back Pain
By Stepy Kamei
One of the most succesful ways to combat back pain -- one of the top causes of pain in America -- is to prevent it from ever plaguing you at all. If it's too late for preventative care measures and you've ended up with a bout of chronic back pain anyway, there are things you should be doing to manage your back pain, and to keep it from getting worse. This may require changes to your physical routine in everyday life, while others require a change in your perspective. This is because your attitude plays a big part in how your body physically feels at any time. Visiting a chiropractor for natural and effective pain relief is one great way to manage your chronic back pain, but there are things you can do at home to extend the benefits of chiropractic beyond the clinic walls.
Learn to Relax
The next time you experience stress, take a moment to notice the sensations in your body. Your muscles clench and tense up, and over time, this can cause lasting soreness or pain. Chiropractors have found a link between a patient's stress levels and chronic back pain they experience. If you ever feel like you simply need to work through an episode of stress by ignoring it, know that it's negatively impacting your physical health. Use this knowledge to make destressing an important aspect of your routine. Meditation, yoga, breathing exercises, and writing in a journal are all excellent ways to reduce stress every day.
Get (At Least Some) Exercise
Even though you don't want to overwork your already-pained muscles, you should know that exercise can help improve back pain by stretching the muscles and joints gently. Low-impact exercises such as cycling and swimming let you control the pace and effort you put in, so you can easily stop if you ever start to feel uncomfortable.
A Healthy Diet Means Less Inflammation
Eating a healthy, nutritious diet is another crucial way to address and manage your back pain. Foods that are high in sugar, fat, and salt all tend to increase inflammation in the body to unhealthy levels. Natural, unprocessed foods rarely cause an inflammatory response, but you may want to stay away from dairy products if you think you're sensitive to them. Fatty foods, leafy greens, and whole grains are great for reducing inflammation in the body and improving feelings of back pain.
When you stick to these healthy habits in addition to seeing a chiropractor, you may notice a great improvement in your quality of life. Check out The Joint Chiropractic clinics today to see how spinal adjustments can strengthen your overall health.