Contents:
- Medical Video: 60-Second Back Pain Fixes
- What is chronic back pain?
- How do you deal with chronic back pain without surgery?
- 1. Hot or cold compress
- 2. Medicine
- 3. Sports
- 4. Decompression therapy
- 5. Changes in lifestyle
Medical Video: 60-Second Back Pain Fixes
Everyone must have experienced back pain, either because of an injury, wrong posture, or other causes. Usually, this backache resolves itself after a few days, but if you experience chronic back pain, the pain sometimes does not go away for months, so surgery is often the solution. But did you know that we can also deal with chronic back pain without the need for a surgical table?
What is chronic back pain?
Chronic back pain is back pain that lasts for 3 months or more. The pain is usually more severe than acute back pain which can disappear on its own after a few days.
Patients with chronic back pain are sometimes recommended for surgery if the back pain is caused by a tumor, infection, or nerve root syndrome.
How do you deal with chronic back pain without surgery?
The methods below prove effective for chronic back pain, reduce pain, strengthen back muscles, and make it easier for you to move. Keep in mind that these methods cannot completely cure or eliminate the source of your pain, if your back pain is caused by a tumor, infection, or nerve disorder. But you can still apply this method if you only want to deal with the pain.
1. Hot or cold compress
Your back can feel better with hot or cold compresses, or even both. Hot compresses can increase the size of blood vessels and increase blood flow that contains oxygen to the back, so that it can reduce muscle stiffness. While cold compresses will reduce the size of blood vessels and reduce blood flow to the back, thereby reducing inflammation.
2. Medicine
Both prescription and over-the-counter drugs sold in stalls can be used to treat back pain. However, always pay attention to instructions for use, dosage, and side effects that may arise due to the use of these drugs.
Some drugs that can be used to treat back pain are:
- Analgesics: used to reduce pain. Examples of analgesics are acetaminophe, aspirin, and NSAID drugs available in various brands, and narcotics drugs that you can only get by prescription and in a short time.
- Other drugs: antidepressants and muscle relaxants can also be used to treat back pain, but only by prescription.
3. Sports
If you experience acute back pain (occurring in a short time) due to an injury or a wrong position, you are usually prohibited from exercising first until back pain is healed because it is feared that it will make it worse. But if you suffer from chronic back pain that lasts for months, exercise can actually reduce pain, restore the function of body movements, and make pain less frequent relapse.
There are four types of exercise recommended for patients with chronic back pain, but you should consult your doctor before starting one of these sports:
- Flexion: bend your back forward to reduce pressure on the nerves and strengthen muscles in your back and hips.
- Extensions: bent backwards. You can do this by lying down and lifting your butt up until your back curves backwards.
- Stretch: aims to stretch back muscles and other tissues such as ligaments and tendons. Stretching or stretching can reduce back stiffness and limited motion.
- Low-impact conditioning: for example walking, biking, and swimming, and aiming to increase your heart rate so that more oxygen is pumped into ototo. Be careful, avoid sports and movements that make you turn your back, such as dancing. This can put pressure on the disk and make pain worse.
4. Decompression therapy
This therapy uses a tool to stretch your spine. The upper part of your body will be held in one position, while the lower part of the body can move freely. The purpose of this therapy is to open space for the swollen disk to return to its place, and stimulate the flow of nutrients to the diseased disk.
5. Changes in lifestyle
Changing your lifestyle can help overcome chronic back pain. Avoid activities that can injure your back, such as lifting heavy items, turning your back, and pushing or pulling something heavy. You also need to stop smoking, and make sure to get enough sleep every night.
