How Can I Relieve Back Pain At Home? – Proper Posture
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How can I relieve back pain at home? Back pain is a common health condition that affects over 31 million Americans every year. Studies show that about 80% of adults in the U.S experience cervical, thoracic, or lumbar spine at some point in their lives.
There are many homemade and alternative treatment options for back pain that you can practice at home. Many of these treatment options are doable at home and require no prescription from the doctor. How can I relieve back pain at home? Read on!
Posture Correction
What posture causes back pain? Not maintaining the proper posture while standing, sitting, or working can contribute to lower back pain. It is essential to avoid leaning too far back or slouch forward too much. Otherwise, it will put pressure on your spine and cause posture problems, which will worsen your back problem eventually.
Posture problems result from sitting in front of a laptop for a long time. It also results from looking down at your smartphone and reclining on a sofa while watching TV. Back pain can also result from poor posture due to heavy object liftings, such as a heavy bag, grocery bags, and work-related equipment.
Tips to Improve Your Posture When Sitting
- Make sure you switch sitting positions
- Take short walks around your home or office
- Stretch your muscles gently to relieve pressure
- Avoid crossing your legs and keep your feet on the ground
- Relax your shoulders and keep your elbows bend between 90 and 120 degrees
- Use a soft pillow in your chair to support your back muscles
Tips to Improve Your Posture When Standing
- Stand up tall and straight with no rounded shoulders
- Pull your abdomen in and put your weight on feet balls
- Maintain a proper head level and hang your arms at your sides
- Maintain a shoulder-width apart distance between your feet
Eat an Anti-Inflammatory Diet
How can I relieve back pain at home with an anti-inflammatory diet? A well-balanced diet is a key to your overall health and wellbeing, preventing the risk of a wide range of health conditions by maintaining your metabolism and homeostatic levels.
Food items rich in sugar, refined carbohydrates, artificial flavors, bread, gluten, chocolate, caffeine, spicy foods, tomatoes can alleviate the risk of lower back pain or make it worsen. In contrast, food rich in antioxidants and packed with anti-inflammatory compounds can reduce swelling in your spinal muscles and relieve back pain. We recommend:
- Seafood, including tuna, salmon, mackerel, and sardines
- Vegetables, such as carrots, sweet potatoes, collard, kale, Swiss chard
- Fresh fruits, such as blueberries, cherries, raspberries, and strawberries
- Olive oil, green tea, nuts, herbs, and spices, such as turmeric
Proper Sleeping Positions
How to relieve back pain when sleeping? Certain sleeping positions can ease your lumbar spine pain. Therefore, it is wise to consult a qualified physician to learn about a comfortable sleeping position. Here at MINT, our neurosurgeons recommend sleeping with a pillow underneath or between your legs for additional support and comfort.
Moreover, if you sleep on your side, make sure you place a soft pillow between your knees. Don’t forget to draw your knees up toward your torso. If you want to sleep on your back, make sure the cushion is under your knees. You can also roll up a soft towel and put it under your lumbar spine for extra support. Sleeping positions recommended by MINT’s neurosurgeons are:
- Adopt a fetal position while sleeping on your side to relieve lower back pain
- Sleep on your side with a cushion or pillow between your knees
- Sleep on your abdomen with a soft pillow under your stomach
- Sleep on your spine with a soft cushion or rolled-up towel under your knees
- Sleep on your back and make sure your body is in a reclined position
Heat and Ice Therapy
How can I relieve back pain at home with heat and ice therapy? If your back is less than a four-week duration or acute, you can use heat and ice therapy to alleviate symptoms. Make sure you use cold therapy first because it lowers your body temperature and constricts your blood vessels, leading to reduce inflammation by causing a numbing effect on your muscles. Apply heat therapy after subsiding your spinal inflammation.
Contact MINT Today
If your back pain continues for a long time and conventional treatment options do not relieve it, make sure you contact an experienced neurosurgeon at MINT. Our neurosurgeon will answer your question, “how can I relieve back pain at home” and give you advanced treatment options – bear in mind that you may also undergo minimally invasive surgery.
