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Have you experienced an unusual pain in your back from sitting too long, sleeping improperly, or remaining inactive for extended periods? This often happens when the muscles become too stiff or weak due to back pain, whether in the upper back, lower back, or throughout. However, the good news is that there are simple techniques to alleviate this pain. These techniques are effective for quick relief from various causes and are also a crucial part of treatment regimens for those who suffer from chronic back pain.
Common Causes of Back Pain
Being the most common pain condition experienced by almost everyone in their lifetime, back pain can be a dull ache or a sharp, persistent pain. It can either be acute (pain lasting for around six weeks) or chronic (persisting for more than three months) in nature. Muscle stiffness and inflammation around the spine are the common culprits behind this back ache. Some common causes include:
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Muscle or ligament strain
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Lack of exercise
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Herniation or wearing out of discs
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Osteoporosis
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Spondylitis or spondylosis
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Scoliosis
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Fibromyalgia
Simple remedies for fast back pain relief
Most of the time, we take over-the-counter painkillers to ease the pain. However, there are many simple lifestyle changes and home remedies that can provide backache relief. Some of these are:
1. Hot and Cold Therapies
Hot and cold therapies have been an age-old remedy for relief from pain of all kinds, including back pain. Cold therapies, on the one hand, slow down blood flow to the muscles and reduce swelling and pain, especially from acute muscle injuries and sprains. Ice cold towels, cold gel packs and ice packs are some common modalities for ice therapies
On the other hand, heat therapies increase blood flow to the muscles, which lessens muscle stiffness often present in chronic pain conditions like spondylitis. Common modalities for heat therapies include hot water bottles, heated stones, soft heated packs with grains, steam, and hot towels
2. Maintain Good Posture
A correct posture is a straight spine with its natural curvature intact. A good posture is essential to minimise strain and damage on the muscles by balancing the musculoskeletal system. However, our current working style, which involves prolonged computer use and incessant smartphone habits, forces us into sedentary postures with hunched shoulders for extended periods. Incorrect posture can negatively affect the spine by causing muscle strain, which can hurt the back.
Regular exercise and being mindful of your posture restore the natural curvature of the spine and mitigate pain in the back. Some simple ways to improve posture are:
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Lift your head and pull your shoulders back to avoid slumping.
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Take standing or walking breaks frequently instead of sitting for long periods.
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When standing, distribute weight evenly across both legs rather than leaning
3. Regular exercise
Moving regularly strengthens the back muscles, core muscles, and surrounding muscles, helping to prevent back pain episodes. Some ideal exercises include:
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Yoga: It improves mobility
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Pilates: It strengthens core muscles
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Tai-chi: It engages the core and improves the range of motion
Even incorporating stretching into your daily routine through poses like the cat-cow pose, forward fold, and child’s pose after work can relieve muscle stiffness
4. Massage
The soft kneading, gliding, friction or percussion techniques of massage help relieve the knots and loosen up the muscles. Hence, making it effective for backache treatment.
5. Workstation Changes
Incorporating small changes to your workstation can improve posture and reduce soreness in the back when working, especially with computers. Some simple changes include:
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Ensuring that the computer screens are at eye level
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Adjust your seat to a proper height so that your feet are flat on the ground
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Using good quality ergonomic chairs, which help maintain the spine’s natural curvature
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When working with a keyboard, use wrist rests.
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Following proper hand and elbow placement
6. Adequate Sleep
Lack of sleep has detrimental effects on health, and research shows that muscles are also negatively impacted by insufficient sleep. Inadequate sleep increases the chronic pain due to muscle stiffness around the back. Moreover, when you get less amount of sleep, the body does not produce enough anti-inflammatory compounds. This worsens tissue inflammation and leads to pain. A good night of sleep (between 7-8 hours) helps to tackle these problems and abate pain in the back.
7. Stress Management
Many studies find stress as one of the primary contributors to chronic pain by not only triggering but also exacerbating a pain episode. Incorporating stress management techniques like mindfulness, meditation and deep breathing exercises can help to bring this stress under control and provide immediate back pain relief.
8. Topical Pain-Relief Creams
If the pain gets intense, using topical pain relief agents or creams can be a reprieve. These agents contain analgesics and menthol (a counterirritant), which reduce the activity of pain receptors by desensitising them. This can provide pain relief by temporarily dulling the pain.
Conclusion
Back pain is a common condition that hampers quality of life if not addressed properly. Thankfully, many accessible therapies offer pain relief for both acute and chronic back pain. However, if the pain gets too intense and affects your daily life (such as being unable to move or having too much stiffness), please consider visiting a specialist. The orthopaedic specialists at Manipal Hospitals, Salt Lake, will help you tackle your backache issues.
FAQ's
Common causes include muscle or ligament strains, bulging or worn-out discs, and arthritis.
Acute usually lasts less than 6 weeks, while chronic backache persists for more than 3 months.
Practising good posture, exercising regularly, maintaining a healthy weight, lifting objects correctly using your legs, and avoiding prolonged inactivity.
Some tips include applying heat or cold packs, taking over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medications, engaging in low-impact exercises like walking or swimming, practising good posture, and getting enough rest.
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