Our Tips for Reducing Back Pain

 Back pain can be debilitating and leave one feeling like they cannot do everyday activities. Before seeking surgical solutions, there are a range of activities that may help alleviate the pain, and get you back to moving as normal.

Pain Relief – As a first port of call, and as a short-term solution pain killers can reduce suffering. To counteract swelling and inflammation cold packs can be beneficial while hot packs work to lessen tension, cramping and muscle spasms.

Manual Therapy – This method involves a therapist using their hands to massage, gently move, and apply careful force to the muscles, bones and joints of the spine. This removes tension in the muscles and encourages them to relax though it will only be effective if used alongside other measures, such as those listed here.

Exercise and Stretches – Traditional thinking is that in order to fix back pain bed rest is the best option. It has since been found that it is better to remain active, to retain muscle strength and flexibility. At first avoid any heavy-duty weight bearing exercises and opt more for gentle stretches and yoga. Exercises that lengthen out back muscles, such as back-bends and the cat-and-camel move, are the best for reducing pain.

Aquatic Therapy – If exercise exacerbates back pain at first, this can be countered in aquatic therapy. This involves gentle movement in a pool. The buoyancy of the water helps to remove strain from the joints, putting less pressure on the back, while the warmth of the water can help increase blood circulation, relax the back muscles, and remove tension.

Electric Stimulation – It has been seen that mild electrical currents can reduce perception of back pain. Electric stimulation involves using a Transcutaneous Electric Nerve Stimulator (TENS) machine to send low-voltage electrical currents to the body, through electrodes placed on the back. The exact mechanisms of this therapy are unknown, but one hypothesis is that the currents work to scramble pain messages to the brain, so the brain does not process them. An alternate idea is that the electrical impulses stimulate the body to release endorphins which override the sensation of pain.

For the most effective recovery it is recommended that a combination of these techniques is used. Some, such as pain relief and manual therapy, only alleviate pain in the short term, and so it is necessary to combine them with other techniques, such as stretches, for long term improvements.