Chronic back pain is a real…pain in the back. The issue – which can be caused by all sorts of stimuli – is immensely common all around the globe. For instance, in the United States, 39 percent of surveyed people report having had back pain during the last three months. Back pain can come in many forms, from light throbbing to agonising, paralysing jolts. Here are five ways you can take control of your life and ease your back pain.
Stem Cell Therapy
Stem cells are the generative and regenerative building blocks that help build and heal your body. They are unspecialised – able to adapt to the stimuli that provoke them in order to build new tissue. Stem cell treatment is being used to speed up the regenerative processes that lead to the cessation of back pain. Companies like bioxcellerator.com offer stem cell injections that can drastically improve recovery times. These are not miracle cures – patients still need to stretch, exercise, and look after their health if they are to experience true recovery.
Regular Exercise and Stretching
You might not feel like moving much when you are in lots of pain, but regular exercise and stretching can be the key to relieving some forms of back pain. Yoga is especially good for activating muscles all around your spine. You don’t have to be good at yoga for it to do you good. Just ten minutes of stretching a day could help your back gain enough strength to heal properly and efficiently.
Quit Smoking
Quitting your smoking habit won’t just help your lungs and heart: non-smokers and quitters have a far greater chance of recovering from back pain than smokers. Recent studies have proved that quitting cigarettes – even if the pain has already flared up – will improve recovery time. Nicotine is also known to increase the amount of pain felt in some people. Smoking damages the vascular system, meaning that less blood can get to damaged areas during the healing process. All in all, it is safe to say that quitting smoking is one of the best decisions you can make.
Temperature Regulation
Experiment with hot water bottles and cool packs. Regulating the temperature of your muscles can help relieve some of the agony associated with inflammation around the spine. A warm towel rolled up and placed under the lower back can drastically (if temporarily) reduce pain as you try and get to sleep. Trouble getting to sleep is one of the most frustrating aspects of chronic back pain.
Anti-inflammatories
Anti-Inflammatory drugs like Ibuprofen are the most effective over-the-counter medications for dealing with back pain. This is because the majority of back pain cases are caused by inflamed tissue around the spine. Removing this inflammation can help get rid of the pain. Always eat before taking strong anti-inflammatories, as your stomach lining could be injured if you do not. Although strong medications like Codeine and Valium can temporarily reduce back pain, they also contain addictive substances and can drastically reduce your quality of life. Avoid them if you can!
