How to get rid of back pain
Back pain is one of the most common and disabling chronic pains we can suffer. This is because the back helps support the weight of the body, and is involved in a large number of actions, although we often do not realize it.
Our way of walking, the exercise we do, orour posture while performing daily actions such as working, eating or sleeping, can all influence back pain and even cause new injuries.
In addition, the back is made up of several regions (cervical, dorsal and lumbar), and pain can affect one or more of them for different reasons and with different effects as we will see below.
The importance of the back
As we were saying, the back as a whole is of vital importance for the human being. It houses the spinal cord, protected by the vertebrae, which is the organ responsible for transmitting nerve impulses throughout our body.
In addition, thanks to its musculoskeletal set, we are able to keep the center of gravity balanced and it allows us to move our limbs and our head.
There are many factors that can influence a healthy back. These would be the main ones:
- Lack of physical activity: Sports will help us to keep away the stiffness of the spine, as well as to strengthen and improve the health of the muscles, bones, tendons and ligaments in the area. There are specific exercises that will help us maintain a healthy back, and even minimize the pain we may be suffering.
- Nutrition: What we eat directly affects our organism, but also indirectly affects some specific areas of our body. A poor diet can cause overweight, and overweight will increase the load on our back. This, together with a lack of exercise, is a bad combination that can affect the back.
- Incorrect posture: This topic gives for a whole article in itself (and we will do it later), but the way we walk, sit, sleep or perform some actions can pose a long-term problem for our back.
- Stress and state of mind: Our state of mind, and especially stress, can have an even more negative effect on our back pain. We reduce the threshold of pain, we face it more negatively, and it even favors the appearance of muscular contractures. Physical activity can help us overcome stress (we release endorphins) and in turn combat and even prevent back pain.
- Aging: The wear and tear of age, together with previous poor care, can cause back pain to appear much earlier, worsening our quality of life.
Tips to relieve back pain
Eighty percent of people will suffer back pain at some point in their life. Of these, 18% will suffer chronic pain, and most of them will be moderate or even severe. Intense back pain can seriously affect our daily life, preventing us from carrying out simple actions such as working or even moving around normally.
These data indicate that we will surely suffer or have suffered from back pain at some time, and that it is highly probable that this pain will become chronic and that we will have to learn techniques and actions that will help us to live without pain.
Among these actions we can perform the following:
- Finding out what causes the pain to appear or intensify
- If we can, exercise frequently. The intensity will depend on our capacity and pain. It is important to consult a physiotherapist.
- Avoid stressful and anxious situations that make us face pain with negativity.
- Improve our diet (foods low in fats and sugars), to avoid overweight.
- Maintain adherence to treatment if we are currently on one.
If we want to prevent the onset of back pain, or especially if we want to relieve it, there are ways to do so. Of course, and in the event of prolonged pain, it is always advisable to go to a specialized medical center such as the Aliaga Institute, where pain professionals will diagnose the problem and provide us with a treatment according to our needs.
october 1, world day of the elderly
Most of Instituto Aliaga’s patients are 60 years of age or older. We are therefore very aware of the importance of adequate pain management in the elderly. We do our best to ensure a good quality of life for our patients. We remember them especially on this date – October 1st – the International Day of Older Persons – wishing them to continue to trust in the professionals of Instituto Aliaga.
In the face of chronic back pain, only a medical team made up of specialists in all areas of pain and with a multidisciplinary approach can advise us on what is best in our case and help us to live pain-free.