How To Cure Chronic Back Pain

Do you suffer from serious back pain on a regular basis? Do not expect your condition to improve by itself. Read this article to learn more about back pain and how you could get rid of your chronic condition for good.

The best thing to do is go to your doctor and talk about your chronic back pain. Be as specific as possible and help your doctor identify possible causes for your back pain. Chronic back pain is often caused or worsened by bad posture, weight in your midsection, uncomfortable furniture and repetitive movements. You should purchase a good health insurance plan or upgrade your current policy. Treating chronic back pain can end up being very expensive.

You should get rid of the things that are damaging your back. If your job puts too much strain on your back, you need to talk to your supervisor about working in a different department or simply look for a different job. Replace your chairs with more comfortable ones and purchase an orthopedic mattress so your back is properly supported while you sleep. And if you have extra pounds in your midsection, you need to go on a diet and do some abs so you can get rid of this extra weight and reduce the pressure on your spine.

Strengthen your back muscles and improve your posture. You can strengthen your back by doing some simple exercises such as crunches, push-ups and pull-ups. You should also try lifting weights to develop your upper body. Always be mindful of your posture. Keep your back straight when you stand up or walk and open your shoulder to keep your neck straight too. When you sit, try aligning your back at a 110 degree angle from your legs and using a headrest for your neck. Take frequent breaks so you do not sit in the same position for too long. Be very careful to adopt the right posture when you exercise or lift heavy objects.

Go to the chiropractor or to the acupuncturist on a regular basis. These professionals will make the pain disappear and allow you to pursue your usual activities. While a chiropractor will adjust your spine to relieve pain, an acupuncturist will target specific nerve endings to make the pain disappear. Both methods are efficient, but you might find that one method works best in your case. Keep in mind that these solutions will make the pain disappear but will not resolve your back pain problem for good.

Your doctor will be able to help you find a long term solution. Avoiding activities that could put a strain on your back, improving your posture and strengthening your back muscles should take care of mild cases of chronic back pain. If you have a case of scoliosis, you might have to wear a brace for a while and go through physical therapy to correct your posture. And if your chronic back pain is more serious, you might have to go through surgery to correct the problem.

Do not wait until your back pain get worse. Go to your doctor and make an effort to avoid putting too much pressure on your back.

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Back Pain Relief During Pregnancy

By Michelle Spencer

Back pain during pregnancy can be expected by about half of all expectant moms. Experiencing back pain before pregnancy and having had more than one pregnancy increases the risk. It might seem a wonder that more pregnant women don't experience back pain, what with all the musculoskeletal, weight, and hormonal changes that occur.

To accommodate a shifted center of gravity and stay upright, pregnant women must alter their posture in spine-stressing ways. Meanwhile, as the pregnancy progresses, the hormone relaxin, which allows the pelvis to expand for the growing baby, increases tenfold, loosening ligaments and joints, which alters balance. Abdominal muscles become stretched by the enlarging uterus, reducing their tone and their ability to keep the body in a neutral posture that doesn't stress the spine.

Pregnancy back pain is usually felt in the low back, in one or a combination of three types:

1. Lumbar pain. Occurring in the lower area of the spine, lumbar pain can be experienced with or without pain in the legs. It is prompted by carrying weight or sitting for long periods. Turning in bed at night can make it feel worse.

2. Sacroiliac pain. Four times more common than lumbar pain is sacroiliac pain, which is felt lower than and on the side of the lumbar spine in the pelvis and buttocks, sometimes radiating down to knee level or beyond. Symptoms of sacroiliac joint pain, the longest-lasting, can continue for months after delivery. This type of pain can be brought on by staying in one position for a prolonged period, heavy loads, and turning in bed. It's been estimated that 20 to 30 percent of pregnant women experience both lumbar and sacroiliac pain.

3. Nocturnal pain. The third type of pain is felt only at night while lying down. Nocturnal pain is cramp-like, reminiscent of the low backache of menstruation, and can wake a woman from sleep, although turning in bed won't hurt. Theories about its causes include the accumulation of the day's muscle fatigue, and circulatory slow-downs associated with lying down.

Backache of any kind can interfere with sleep and waking activity, both of which are important to a healthy pregnancy. In addition to observing standard precautions against back pain, pregnant women are advised to consider the following list of recommendations to help prevent and cope with back pain.

Consult your doctor. Don't take any medications - not even over-the-counter remedies - without your physician's approval.

Use moderate heat and ice instead of drugs. A warm shower or bath might ease your pain, but avoid hot water, Jacuzzis or whirlpool baths, and heating pads.

Watch your posture. Physicians can teach you the neutral spine posture that avoids excessive lumbar lordosis (lower back curving), and excessive reversal of it.

Massage therapy may provide short-term back pain relief. Be sure to tell your massage therapist that you're pregnant (if it's not obvious), and avoid excessive joint manipulation.

Sleep smart. To relieve or prevent night pain, sleep on your side, with a pillow beneath the abdomen and between the legs. Bend the lower knee and prop the other leg with a pillow. Full-body pillows and other ergonomic devices can also help during sleep and waking hours.

Exercise appropriately. Pregnancy-appropriate exercise programs can help relieve lumbar and sacroiliac pain. Start out with a trained physical therapist well-versed in pregnancy-related aches. Exercises that are done lying flat on the back should be modified or omitted after the first trimester.

No X-rays. Radiographs are not part of the diagnostic workup for pregnant women who have back pain. An MRI can be performed if the doctor suspects a neurological cause severe enough to merit surgery or other invasive treatment.

Most back pain is self inflicted (even though we don't do it intentionally), so finding a solution to relieve the pain and prevent it from happening again is something we can all learn how to do. Discover the simple yet highly effective lower back pain relief tips that can help ease and eradicate all kinds of upper and lower back pain.

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