Are you dealing with excruciating back pain and considering painkillers to help? Did you know that painkillers can sometimes actually increase chronic pain? While opioids are often used to treat back pain, these painkillers are also linked to addiction. Here are six tips on how to get rid of back pain without painkillers!
1. Check Your Environment
Whether you spend most of your time sitting at your desk or on-the-go for work, be sure to eliminate anything that could be exacerbating your back pain. At the office, you might need to get a more comfortable chair. Another common culprit of back pain is your mattress. Since people spend anywhere from 6 – 10 hours sleeping, an uncomfortable mattress can wreak havoc on your back. Experiment with a hard or soft mattress to see which makes your back muscles feel the most relaxed.
2. Relax Your Back Muscles
Speaking of your normal routine, posture plays a huge role if you’re trying to figure out how to get rid of back pain. While sitting up straight might be conventional wisdom, work on just finding a comfortable, relaxed position while sitting or standing.
3. Practice the Alexander Technique
On the topic of posture, a study recently showed that the Alexander Technique can reduce back pain by 85%. The Alexander Technique is a method that helps a person identify harmful movement habits and places of tension within the body.
4. Exercise
While exercise might be the last thing on your mind while you’re dealing with back pain, ramping up your exercise regimen may help. Start with light exercises and a few stretches to relieve tense muscles. Exercise such as swimming will help strengthen your abdominal muscles and give support to your back.
5. Try Yoga
Along with exercise, practicing yoga is an additional way to get rid of back pain without medication. While practicing yoga, you’ll focus on slow, controlled stretches that work to improve flexibility and strength in the back and rest of the body. You’ll also focus on breathing techniques that may help you relax sore muscles. It’s important not to rush into yoga and seek practice with a trained instructor. Attempting positions and stretches in a hurry or without proper supervision can result in more pain.
6. How To Get Rid of Back Pain? See a Chiropractor!
A chiropractor specializes in spinal manipulation to help realign problematic areas in your back. When you visit a chiropractor for the first time, the doctor will likely do an examination to determine where your spine is misaligned. They will then explain to you how the adjustment process works. A few chiropractic adjustments over a few months, combined with regular exercise and the other methods listed above can work wonders for back pain!
Bye, Bye Back Pain!
Now that you know six solid methods on how to get rid of back pain without painkillers, you should try to gradually work them into your routine. Do you know of a back pain remedy that we missed? Have any of these methods worked for you or a loved one? Let us know in the comments! And, if you’re suffering with chronic back pain, contact Busch Chiropractic today for pain relief without painkillers or invasive procedures.
