If you suffer from periodic or chronic lower back pain, you may be tired of depending upon heating pads, over-the-counter medication, and even prescription narcotics or muscle relaxers to help you get through the day. Back pain can limit your ability to walk long distances or even sit for extended periods of time, limiting the amount and type of work you're able to do. Fortunately, there are a number of non-surgical treatments that can help relieve your lower back pain with regular use. Read on to learn more about some of the options available to help relieve the spinal pain and limited range of motion you may be experiencing.
Chiropractic treatment
In some cases, your back pain and stiffness may be due to the buildup of scar tissue within or misalignment of the vertebrae in your lower back. A chiropractor will take X-rays of your spine to determine which vertebrae could be causing your issues, and what must be done to correct the alignment of your spine and reduce the amount of pain and stiffness you're feeling. The chiropractor will then use one of several techniques to re-align your spine and break up any scar tissue that could be restricting the movement of your spine.
You may notice instant relief after your first chiropractic treatment, or you may need periodic appointments to help re-align your spine to its proper position. If you find yourself needing multiple chiropractor visits per week, you may want to investigate some physical therapy exercises to help your body learn how to naturally keep your spine in alignment.
Physical therapy
Often, back pain can be caused by your lower spine and pelvis slipping out of alignment -- whether due to faulty footwear, too much standing or walking, or an improper stride while walking. Fortunately, there are some exercises that can help shape and strengthen the muscles surrounding your spine, keeping your vertebrae in line and extending the effects of your chiropractic treatment.
You'll likely want to make an appointment with a physical therapist to go over the exercises you'll need to do, and ensure that you're performing them with proper form. If you're not keeping your back, hips, and legs in the right position while going through these exercises, you could find yourself doing more harm than good. After you're confident that you're performing these stretches and exercises correctly, you may be able to forgo the physical therapy appointments and do these exercises on your own time, in the privacy of your own home. Most physical therapy regimens are prescribed for at least four weeks, so if you're not noticing instant relief, give yourself some more time before throwing in the towel.
Acupuncture
Another back pain treatment option that has met with success (both by itself and in combination with chiropractic treatment or physical therapy) is acupuncture. This treatment involves the placement of multiple hair-thin needles in the skin above certain pressure points on your body. These pressure points operate "channels" through which blood and lymphatic fluid flow, and placing thin needles on these pressure points can help open the channels and increase blood flow to the affected areas.
Many acupuncture patients enjoy this treatment for the relaxation and pain relief it provides. Like chiropractic treatment, acupuncture can trigger instant pain relief in some cases, while in others it is a more long-term, slow-acting treatment. You may wish to combine acupuncture with physical therapy or chiropractic treatment (or both) to help you gain the most comprehensive level of drug-free pain relief while also increasing your health by strengthening the muscles and joints of your lower back. Click here for more information.
Share7 July 2015
My name is Dan and this is my blog. I am a recently singled father of three that is learning everything about caring for my kids as I go along. Before my wife passed, she was the one that took care of the kids when they were sick or injured, so I had a lot of learning to do and I had to do it as quickly as possible. I got together with some of the parents from my kids' school and they helped out quite a bit. I created my blog for two reasons - to keep my facts straight and to help other parents learn what I have struggled to learn.