Your back pain has been getting worse? Most of the time we aren’t sure why our back problems started in the first place… much less what we need to do to make improvements.
The first thing to start with is to “stop making it worse.” It’s like picking a scab, when we keep messing with it then it never gets the opportunity to heal. This is easier said than done since we always want to move or mess with something that hurts and rub the pain away. If it’s really bothering us, then sometimes we don’t want to move at all, and that can be the worst possible scenario in most cases because we avoid moving and allow the problem to fester… Over time those festering issues start to develop layers as our body attempts everything it can to heal. We can always come back from a chronic issue but why? If we can decrease the development of the problem, then that will always be our best-case scenario.
Identifying some of the most aggravating things that most people do to cause chronic back pain and sciatica, will help you halt the injury development and start moving toward a solution.
1. Keep Moving:
Our bodies are designed to move and if we start taking days off, going on Netflix binges and laying up eating without movement then our bodies will adapt; growing and getting weaker at the same time. When we move around we increase blood flow to areas that don’t get it while we are sedentary, that has a huge impact on our rate of healing.
2. Avoid Bending at Your Back:
There are hundreds of times every day that we bend over to pick something up and it’s nearly unavoidable. If you don’t deal with back or nerve pain, then you wouldn’t think much of it but that repetitive movement for the chronic sufferer can be debilitating. Try going down to one knee until you can move your back without pain and that should decrease the wear and tear you deal with daily.
3. Work in Short Rest Breaks While You Walk:
Most of us don’t walk every day for hours but when we do the pain sets in. If you are grunting it out with back pain trying to get through a shopping day or exercise routine, then you are likely pushing your back too hard and increasing the problem. Work in rest breaks to stay ahead of the pain and over time you will notice that you can go longer and longer without needing to take them as often.
4. Ice When You Have pain:
Pain is a slippery slope and when it is really bad it can take over the mind. Have you ever experienced pain in you back so bad that you can’t think of anything else? BREAK THE CYCLE. Break the pain cycle by numbing the area with ice, it will give you that cognitive and psychological relief you need along with physical.
If you found this article helpful, then please share it with a friend or family member in need. If you are in The Woodlands and need Physical Therapy advice then reach out to one of our staff, we have loads of free advice and resources for Physical Therapy. We are here to help.
Dr. Jonathan Ruzicka is a Manual Therapist whose experience as a private therapist for professional athletes drove him to further his education attaining unparalleled skills in tissue mobility work, performance based rehab, injury prevention, myofacial release and joint mobilization to optimize human performance.
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