Lower back pain is a common ailment experienced by many, both young and old. It can create a cumbersome experience for anyone that performs day-to-day activities. Back pain in general is caused by multiple things, and you’ll find a slew of information on how to treat it. So what’s the correct lower back pain information to follow? Well, because everyone’s back pain contributes to different results, there’s no one right answer, but many that may help you find back pain relief.
Who Gets Lower Back Pain?
Anyone can get lower back pain. This is not an age-related ailment. It’s not something that you inherit. You can simply bend over to put a sock on and be out for the rest of the day. Athletes and active teens can also get lower back pain from a variety of sports-related injuries. Certain health conditions, such as fibromyalgia, is linked to lower back pain in some women.
Lower back pain is not a respecter of persons, but it is something that can be avoided with proper exercise and healthy lifestyle. Your doctor should have some information based on your health records and can provide you with a simple plan to help you avoid pain in the future and relieve the pain you currently have.
Types of Lower Back Pain
There are three main categories of back pain. Acute pain (which is short-term and can last from a day up to 4 weeks), subacute pain (which lasts anywhere from 4 weeks to 12 weeks), and chronic pain (which lasts longer than 12 weeks). If you can narrow down how long you’ve had the pain, you can ask your doctor where to go from there. These types of lower back pain can be caused or influenced by cysts or tumors, spinal stenosis, herniated or degenerative disc disease, isthmic spondylosis, or simply be caused by a movement or jarring of that area.
What To Do
While some medications, creams, and packs may help relieve some of the pain, there are other things you can do as well.
Again, there could be many reasons for your lower back pain, and seeking the care of a back pain specialist in Denver is the best place to start. But perhaps you’ve already been to your specialist and they’ve given you a slew of helpful tips to ease the pain. Maybe they are not so helpful. Here are some additional things that you can do that may help.
- Cold and hot compresses work to relieve the area. The cold of an ice pack will help relieve inflammation to the area, while the heat helps speed up the blood flow, providing a fresh supply of blood to the area which is conducive to healing. Hot and cold compresses can help relieve the pain from lower back pain right away and should be applied between 24 and 72 hours after initial pain to reduce the swelling.
- Wearing appropriate footwear can also help relieve lower back pain. Of course, in the summertime we all want to wear flip-flops and sandals. But that just isn’t ideal to help with lower back problems. This type of footwear can increase the pressure on your spine, causing issues with posture and stability. Sneakers or supportive inserts will help to evenly distribute the weight away from your lower back.
- Believe it or not, good posture plays a big role in healing lower back problems. Having an upright posture when you sit and when you stand or perform physical activities helps to use correct muscles. Lifting and bending requires good posture and standing techniques. Ask your chiropractor or doctor for appropriate positions that will help to strengthen your lower back.
- Lastly, keep a healthy weight. Diet and exercise play an important role in the amount of weight distributed to parts of your body, such as your back.
Lower back pain is common among all ages. But it doesn’t have to stick around. You can find relief by contacting one of our back pain relief professionals at Peak Health in Denver today.
