Chronic back pain can take on many different forms, which is why it’s so hard for you to cure. We all experience different levels of pain as well – for some, the pain is excruciating, shooting down our back and making it hard to walk around. For others, it’s more of a dull ache that nags at you and doesn’t go away. In any case, you want to find a cure as quickly as possible.
There are plenty of ideas out there to help you deal with chronic back pain. Your first port of call will be to visit your doctor. Right away, you’ve made a slight error. You’d think that visiting a doctor is the right thing to do, but it tends to only result in you being referred elsewhere and prescribed medication.
This brings us to another key point: should you use medication to treat back pain? Yes and no… On the one hand, it can provide temporary relief when your back is at its worst. However, it will not help you cure your pain at all. If you rely on medication for relief, you will have back pain for the rest of your life. Not to mention the fact that a lot of medical malpractice attorneys deal with countless cases where doctors prescribe the wrong medication. This could mean you get a dose that’s too little or too large. In either instance, you have a higher chance of developing an addiction to the pain medication when the dosage is wrong. So, it’s better to view medication as a last resort when you’re in pain.
With all of that in mind, how do you cure chronic back pain? Read on, and you’ll soon find out…
It starts with a diagnosis
The only way you will cure your problem is by knowing what type of back pain you have. There are so many different types, and we’re not just talking about lower back pain, middle back pain, upper back pain, etc.
Some people will have muscular pain, others will have skeletal main, and some might have nerve pain. Three common types of back pain that fall under each category include postural pain for muscular issues, scoliosis for skeletal, and sciatica for nerves. While each issue affects the back and can cause pain, they are all inherently different and will be treated differently too.
How do you get a diagnosis? Begin by doing a bit of online research. Type in your symptoms, look at the possible problems and then see a specialist. Book an appointment with a chiropractor, physiotherapist, or osteopath. These three professions are more focused on things like back pain, so they can give a better diagnosis than your doctor. In some cases, you might get referred for an x-ray or scan, just to help you get a 100% accurate diagnosis.
Follow a treatment plan
After receiving a diagnosis, you will be put on a treatment plan. In most cases, this will involve some typical rehabilitation exercises to correct what’s wrong with your back. With more serious causes, like severe scoliosis, you might need surgery. However, surgery is usually a last resort if rehab doesn’t do the trick.
Typically, your treatment plan consists of various exercises and stretches. For example, with muscular back pain, the focus is on stretching and massaging the muscles so they aren’t so tight and tense. You’ll also do a lot of core strengthening exercises to help protect your back from getting too tight in the future.
With nerve issues – like sciatica – there are various stretches and exercises designed to open up the spine and reduce the compression you feel there. This helps to free up the nerves and prevent your pain from happening. Of course, every rehabilitation and treatment plan is different – it all depends on what type of pain you have.
Address the causes of your back pain
A big aspect of your treatment plan will revolve around this. What has caused your back pain? Sometimes, you’re just unlucky. Maybe you got into an accident and your back has been bad ever since? In most cases, chronic back pain is preventable and reversible. This is because it is usually caused by some common bad habits.
The majority of people reading this will have chronic muscular back pain that stems from poor posture. This happens because you’re sitting down a lot, so the muscles in your hips start to tighten and pull on your spine. In turn, your lower back arches aggressively, putting more stress on the muscles and joints there. Thus, you end up with a constant pain in your lower back that gets worse when you stand up for long periods as your back just can’t handle the strain.
In this scenario, you know that the cause of your back pain is your poor posture and excessive sitting. So, your treatment will revolve around correcting this. You may have to purchase a standing desk for work, and you will be encouraged to take regular sitting breaks so you aren’t constantly in a seated position for hours. You will also do stretches that loosen your back and hip flexor muscles, helping to restore your spine to its natural alignment. Alongside this, you will do exercises that strengthen your glutes and abs, further reinforcing the natural position of your spine and allowing for a better posture.
You will never see permanent relief from chronic back pain without addressing the cause of it. Finding out a diagnosis is only one part of the battle. Sure, you know what’s wrong with your back, and you’re doing different exercises to help the pain, but what’s causing it? If it is a poor posture that’s caused by sitting down, then nothing will change if you don’t address this! You need to change habits to ensure that you aren’t constantly triggering your back pain for years on end.
Get regular massages
Massages are excellent. They will definitely help cure your back pain unless you have issues with the actual bones in your spine. For muscular issues or nerve problems, massages are fantastic as they break up bodily tissues and help to restore your back to a healthy state.
Regular massages – say once a month or once every few months – will ensure that your back stays healthy and the muscles are nice and loose. The reason this is added on its own is that massages never really form part of a treatment plan. Plus, they’re a good thing to keep doing even after your rehabilitation has finished.
Overall, these are the steps to help you cure your back pain forever. Remember, you can use medication or other topical treatments to help ease your pain from time to time. Just don’t get into the habit of relying on it to help you live your life. With the steps above, the idea is that you gradually start to see improvements in your back pain, reducing the need for any pain relief at all. Eventually, you don’t need to take any medication or rub anything on your back to feel relief – it should come naturally.
So, it all starts with a diagnosis – find out what is wrong with you, then find out what caused the problem. From here, you can get a treatment plan drawn up with exercises and stretches to correct the problems and relieve your pain. Adding some massages into the mix will further enhance the effects and leave you with long-term relief from the chronic back pain that’s plagued you for years.
Natural Remedies
If you are struggling with your back pain and you are looking for natural ways to take the edge off, the good news is there are plenty. You could opt for some acupuncture, this works by placing tiny needles into the affected area and letting your body do the rest. Always go to a certified acupuncturist as you don’t want it to go wrong. Alternatively, you could try using Delta 8 Gummies to take the edge off your pain for a while. They are completely natural and great for Vegans as well.
