5 Things You Can Do for Low Back Pain Starting Today
Lower back pain is garbage. It is no way to live, and I know this from personal experience and from treating patients the last 12 years. If you are under 55, you probably have some combination of disc bulges and herniations along with muscle imbalances. If you are over 55, you probably have some combination of arthritis, stenosis, and muscle imbalances. Injuries speed this process up significantly, and lifestyle factors have great influence as well.
Here is my personal top 5 things to do with chronic low back pain:
- Alternate ice and heat (20 min each, as often as possible during flare-ups)
- Stretch hamstrings (ideally laying on back and using a towel to pull straight leg up)
- Cat camel/Cross Crawl (google this or see my upcoming video demonstration)
- Stretch hip flexor (aka psoas, google best ways to stretch or see upcoming video demonstration
- Invest in a good back brace (to be worn during flare-ups and during difficult activities only)
Get Moving and Get Adjusted
There are a variety of things you can do for lower back pain, and the research is great for chiropractic care. One thing the research is 100% definitive on is movement. You have to move it or lose it. Deconditioning is a huge factor in all types of low back pain, especially weekend warriors, desk jockeys, and aging adults.
This movement includes moving the muscles yourself through exercise, stretching, and activity, but it also includes moving the joints, which is only accomplished through the skilled hands of a chiropractor. It doesn’t have to be “cracked” or “crunched,” but somehow someway the joints can not remain locked and fixed. Muscles pull on these bones and they should move. If they don’t move, muscles pull harder, become fatigued and painful, nerves begin firing more, and the whole system is disrupted. Inflammation must be controlled, bones and joints must begin moving again, and strength and balance must be restored to that biomechanical area.
Pain is no way to live. Get checked, get a plan, get better, and get on with your life!
Here for you always,