Break Free From Back Pain: Proven Solutions That Work

Chronic back pain affects millions of people of all ages and can significantly interfere with your daily life, affect your work productivity, and limit your ability to do the things you love.

Fortunately, there are many solutions for back pain, from simple lifestyle changes to professional treatment.

Maintain Proper Posture

One of the easiest and most effective ways to reduce your back pain is by improving your posture. Slouching while sitting or standing strains the muscles and ligaments in your back. To maintain good posture, always sit with your back straight, shoulders relaxed, and feet flat on the floor. When standing, keep your weight evenly distributed on both feet; align your head, shoulders, and hips; and avoid locking your knees.

Exercise and Stretch Often

Regular physical activity strengthens the muscles that support your spine, particularly the core muscles in the abdomen and lower back. Because core muscles are not often used during everyday activities, performing specific, targeted exercises for a few minutes each day will help strengthen your core and minimize back pain. Other low-impact exercises such as walking, swimming, and yoga will help you reduce stiffness and increase flexibility. Stretching exercises, especially those targeting the hamstrings and hips, can also alleviate tension in your lower back.

Use Ergonomic Furniture

Poorly designed chairs and workspaces can contribute to back pain, especially if you spend long hours sedentary at a desk. Ergonomic furniture, such as adjustable chairs with lumbar support and desks at the proper height, can encourage better posture and reduce strain. Using a standing desk to alternate between sitting and standing throughout the day is also helpful.

Apply Heat or Ice

For acute back pain, cold packs can provide temporary relief. Icing your back may improve inflammation and numb sharp pain, especially after an injury. For more chronic pain, heat therapy will increase blood flow and relax tight muscles. Try taking a warm bath or applying a heating pad for 15 to 20 minutes to soothe discomfort.

Try Talk Therapy

Back pain is not always just a physical problem. Depression, anxiety, and stress can all cause tension, stiffness, and pain, and psychological distress can make physical pain even harder to cope with. Talk therapy, particularly cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), may be help you change thought processes and behaviors that make your pain worse, such as avoiding physical activity or having catastrophic thoughts.

Sleep Better

A poor sleeping position can trigger or exacerbate chronic back pain, especially for stomach sleepers. The best positions to minimize pain are sleeping flat on your back with a pillow under your knees or on your side with a pillow between your knees to relieve the strain on your back. Making sure you have a comfortable and firm mattress is also important – an unsupportive, sagging mattress will make your pain worse.

Consider Physical Therapy

When back pain is severe or persistent, you may need physical therapy to improve your posture, mobility, and strength. At our Outpatient Rehabilitation, our trained physical therapists use targeted exercises and techniques tailored to your needs, with state-of-the-art equipment and an innovative approach.

To learn more about how outpatient physical therapy can help you with your chronic back pain, please call (201) 848-5518 or visit ChristianHealthNJ.info/Rehabilitation.