One of the world’s most common ailments is back pain, and experts believe that at any given moment as many as 30 million Americans are plague with some back pain, ranging from mildly uncomfortable to debilitating. In fact, about $50 billion dollars is spent in the United States each year to deal with these back issues. While some back problems need serious medical help, some back pain can be treated without medication and also lessened or avoided by following a few helpful tips.
One of the main reasons why back pain occurs is because our bodies carry more weight than is healthy and we just don’t get enough exercise. Moving around loosens up our muscles, making us less prone to injury and back strains. Staying at a healthy weight makes it easier for the back to support our bodies. For many of us, back pain keeps us from exercising in the first place so it’s difficult to get into shape. Many medical experts recommend some light, low-impact exercise even if you are suffering from some level of back pain. Obviously you cannot run a marathon or complete 500 sit-ups, but walking and light stretching can actually kick start the healing process.
Another way to avoid hurting your back is to practice good posture. If you work in a job where you stand a great deal, try to keep your back straight and stomach pulled in as much as possible. Firmer stomach muscles take some of the pressure of supporting your frame off of your back. If you sit at a desk most of the day, make sure you have a quality desk chair and don’t slouch in the chair. Sit up straight and get up every hour or so, and stretch and walk around to keep your muscles from getting too stiff. When muscles are stiff, you are more likely to suffer from an injury.
Another problem that often causes quick onset of back pain is picking up something heavy. We’ve all been there, we bend over and pick up a heavy item and pain shoots through our back. Lifting by using the knees and stomach and holding an object close to our body can help prevent this type of injury to our back. This also means we need to exercise to strengthen the leg and stomach and arm muscles to make lifting and squatting down properly easier.
While it might seem easy to just take a few ibuprofen or another medicine to handle the pain, it’s not good to rely on painkillers for long term pain relief. Using natural alternatives such as visiting a masseuse or chiropractor can be a good option. You also can apply ice to a sore muscle to reduce swelling. Placing a physiological hybrid shape to the affected area is another medicine-free alternative to reduce back pain.
Physiological hybrid shapes often are used by athletes to allow them to continue exercise even with a muscle strain or pain. These specially designed shapes are much easier to use than tape and provide the support of a brace without limiting your mobility. The center of the shape adheres to the sore area, and the arms of the shape reach out to nearby muscles, tendons and ligaments using these body parts as a source of power in place of the sore muscle. This allows you to move around with less pain and in turn increases circulation in the sore area, which speeds up healing. You can wear a shape for up to five days, and they stay in place using a medical-grade, hypoallergenic adhesive.
Kamryn Mattson loves writing about health topics. For additional details about pain relief products or to find helpful muscle pain products online, please go to the RapidForce site now.