Chronic back ache is one of the most pressing problems that everyone from young adults to senior citizens is forced to deal with today. It is emerging as one of the common complaints; especially from people who work in India’s IT industry and spend more than ten hours a day before a screen. But though this is a worrisome illness, it is also one that is easily ignored and brushed aside. Here’s why that’s a bad idea.
Firstly, what exactly is back ache? Any sore muscles or extreme pain along the length of your spinal cord is enough to give you back ache. Starting from the area just below your neck, right down to the lower back, all strain that you feel can be constituted under back ache. If back pain is ignored for an extended period, it will exacerbate into a serious back injury. Performing surgery to fix your back or undergoing physiotherapy is not uncommon. But let’s hope your condition does not reach this level.
How did you get it in the first place? Here are some of the common causes of back pain:
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Bad posture:
- If you have a habit of slumping, your spinal cord will be inflicted with a bend or a curve. This severely injures your spinal cord over a period of years and is not very easily repairable.
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Sitting at your desk for too long:
If you’ve got a desk job, then sitting for too long will cause your lower back to strain.
The pain in your lower back will intensify the more time you spend sitting, hunched over your desk. Ditto if you have a job that requires you to drive long distances. -
Back Injury:
A back injury may intensify over time. So if you’ve had an accident where you didn’t realise the severity of your back injury, it could act up in a few months. Serious back injury may lead to spine surgery.
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Lifting heavy weights:
If your job involves lifting heavy weights, loading or unloading boxes, then you might be straining your back every time you bend and pick up weight.
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Pregnancy back ache:
As we know, pregnancy causes a lot of hormonal changes due to which there is weight gain. This excess weight leads to pressure on the back; eventually causing to pain.
Consult a doctor if you have slight pain in any part of your back. Once diagnosed, here’s a list of things that you can follow at home for simple back relief:
Home remedies on back pain
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Ice relief:
Take an ice pack and apply it regularly around the area of pain. Hold it in place for twenty minutes daily. After you finish your ice pack, gently turn up the heat on the area with a hot water bottle.
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Take up Yoga:
If your doctor has given you green signal, join a yoga class. Supervised yoga can provide great benefits to back pain because of stretching exercises.
Your muscles will rhythmically relax. But remember to only exercise yoga if your doctor recommends it. -
Massage fix:
Fix a weekly appointment with a masseuse. Patients who are on prescribed massages report quicker recovery than others.
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Acupuncture treatment:
Acupuncture areas when activated can effectively reduce chronic back pain. So if you’re not too scared of needles, this one is a must-try.
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Aqua therapy:
Many patients are being referred to aqua therapy. Research says that the treatment offers patients; especially pregnant woman, much relief from lower back pain.
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Ditch your heels:
Till your back is properly healed, opt for flats. Even shoes with a small heel will put excess pressure on your back. Ideally, your heel should be less than an inch.
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Stub it out:
Smoking can cause your bones to become more brittle and increase the risk of osteoporosis.
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Manage your diet:
If your diet does not include milk or milk products, you need to rethink it. Milk helps strengthen the bones and heals weak bones. Drink milk twice a day at least, for stronger bones.
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Get a bottle of herbal oil:
Use almond oil, olive oil or eucalyptus oil and massage gently over injured area.
These oils have healing properties that relax your muscles and help with soreness.
Physicians will usually advice you sessions of physiotherapy, spinal manipulation or chiropractic sessions which are popular treatments that do not involve surgery.