Pain Management and Pain Relief Information

Is back pain getting you down? Making your life miserable? If so, you are not alone. Approximately one half of working Americans have admitted to having back pain in any one year.

So, if you have suffered from amongst others, any of the following:

• degenerative back pain
• sudden onset back pain
• pain following operations
• intermittent pain

…and have tried all the conventional treatments, including but not exclusively massages, chiropractors and pain relief, but are still in pain, then something as simple as a change in posture and targeting specific (core) muscles may help.

Simple Changes – Big Impact

Simple changes to the way we sit, work at a computer, and even walk can have a great impact on the amount of pain we suffer. For instance, are you sitting squarely on your chair? Is your computer at the right height for you? The monitor should be just below your eye level, with your head and body in line with each other. Your elbows should be supported and close to your body, your wrists and forearms in line with each other, the small of your back supported and feet flat on the ground. If this is not the case, change it, and you’ll be amazed at how much of a difference it makes.

Another aspect to consider is diet. Being overweight or obese will contribute to back, particularly lower back pain, so any measures you can take to reduce excess weight may help to alleviate the problem. There are plenty of articles available on health and dieting and, like most things you’ll have to read a few before you find the one that’s right for you. But if you do need to shed a few pounds, your whole body will feel the benefit, not just your back. Dieting is tough, especially when there are so many tempting goodies around, but stick at it because you have nothing to lose – other than weight! – and all to gain.

Keep Active

It is well known that keeping active is one of the best aids for sore backs. Indeed, staying in bed (which to be honest, is what you actually feel like doing with a throbbing back) is probably the worst thing you can do, as prolonged inactivity will not aid recovery and may actually make the pain worse.

Activities to keep your back mobile, such as swimming and walking will help and as muscles build, any pain should gradually ease – just don’t over do it. As with any exercise, you should first consult your physician if you are in any doubt.

For back pain particularly, it is commonly thought that the most important muscles to exercise are the ones that give you “core stability”. As the name suggests, these are the muscles surrounded by the abdominal wall, the pelvis, the lower back and the diaphragm. It is the effect of these muscles contracting on our internal organs that provides support to our spines and pelvises during movement. Insufficient core stability may cause back pain, poor posture and lethargy.

So what are these exercises? The type of exercises for core stability are fairly similar, for example a sit up is pretty much a sit up, but the approach to the exercise varies widely, and you need to find an approach that suits you. Maybe you enjoy the tranquility of a holistic yoga workout? Or a more dynamic higher “impact” approach? Or possibly something in between? Whatever your preference, there will be something out there for you. The important thing is to find a program and try it, even if you can only manage a small number of exercises at first. Little and often is better than overdoing it in the first session and then giving up. But most importantly of all, don’t do nothing in the hope that the pain will go away, as the chances are that it won’t.

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