New year’s resolutions are a great way for us to start the year feeling focused, whether it be on our health, career goals, or something else. If you suffer from chronic back pain, making resolutions to reduce your pain is an important way to improve your wellbeing.
Here are 5 ways you can make 2020 the year you make major changes to help reduce back pain.
Exercise more
It may seem counterproductive if you suffer from back pain, but exercise is important for strengthening your core muscles. By strengthening your core, you reduce the risk of back injuries and chronic back pain. You should aim to exercise at least a couple of times a week, making sure to focus on some exercises that will strengthen your back.
Before you start any kind of exercise, be sure to take time to stretch properly first. This helps to warm up and loosen your muscles, helping to reduce the chance of injury. After exercise, warming down gradually is just as important as warming up.
Work on your posture
In the digital age, poor posture is an increasingly common problem leading to back and neck pains. Many of us sit hunched over a desk or looking down at our mobile devices for many hours a day, putting considerable strain on your back. When you stand, aim to stand up straight and avoid slouching. Your shoulders should not be hunched, and you should not bend sideways when you stand.
If you work on a computer all day, you should position your monitor so that it is at eye level and sit so that your feet are flat on the floor and your back straight.
When using mobile devices, hold them up in front of your face, rather than looking down.
Get enough rest
In today’s hectic world, with so many distractions, a considerable percentage of us simply don’t get enough rest. Sleep is essential for cellular repair and mental restoration, so if we don’t give ourselves enough time to repair, this can lead to a range of problems, including back pain. Aim to get around 7 or 8 hours sleep each night to feel the benefit of rest.
Look after your mind
You would be surprised just how much our minds and mental state affect how we are feeling physically. When we are stressed or anxious, this can lead to tension and inflammation in the back and neck muscles. As a result, we can suffer from back pain. By taking steps to improve your mental wellbeing, this helps to relax your muscles, preventing back pain. Practicing mindfulness or meditation techniques can play a key part in reducing tension, and therefore, reducing back pain.
Seek treatment
If you suffer from chronic back pain or have been experiencing back pain for more than a few days, it may be that you need treatment to help reduce the pain. You may benefit from seeing an osteopath.
Osteopaths treat the whole person, not just the area of the body where symptoms are felt. This is because we believe that the body is interconnected, and often the cause of pain is elsewhere in the body. We believe that the body functions best when it is in proper alignment and work to identify the source of pain and treat it with a variety of techniques.
If you would like to learn more about back pain treatment in Solihull, or would like to arrange an appointment, please call 0121 705 4499.