Back Pain Solutions: The Common And The Unusual.

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If back pain is an issue for you, take a look a number of solutions to consider trying out for yourself.

Painkillers

A couple of small, white pills might not seem like they will do much. However, a painkiller or two can massively help you. When you have pain, you might walk or move in a different way to usual. While this might make you feel more comfortable in the short-term, these odd movements can mean new pain the next day. Pain killers help to block some of your pain receptors. Of course, this makes the pain more manageable. But it also means that you can continue to move in a natural way.

Tens Unit

The use of painkillers as tablets to block pain is a common but effective piece of advice. However, there is another method that isn’t as well known about. It is called a tens unit. T.E.N.S stands for Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation. This sounds quite complex, but there is a simple explanation for how it works! It is a system that sends very low voltage electrical signals to the back. It helps to relieve pain and is very simple to use. Just hook it up to your belt or trouser band, and power it with batteries.

When it comes to picking the right one for you, search out tens unit reviews online. This will allow you to compare different machines and their pros and cons. There is not one single best unit. Instead, each is slightly different. So, for you, look out for one that focuses on the back.

Heat packs

Heat packs are great at relieving back pain. This is because they draw blood to the sore muscle or point at your back. You can get a couple of different types of heat packs. The first worth mentioning are portable ones. These usually come in a plastic casing, and are single use. This makes the perfect for traveling with, or for taking with you for a day out. Upon removing them from their packaging, they start to warm up. Some can last upwards of eight hours! This means that you can start using it at the beginning of the day and still feeling the benefit towards the end!

An alternative is those that you can warm up in a microwave. These are usually made from a softer, cozier material. These can be used over and over again, which is very useful.

These are great for use at home, but often weigh more. So, it may be wise to have both a multiple-use heat pack, plus several single use ones. When purchasing, look for a product that has multiple single use packs inside. This will likely save you money in the long run.

Gentle Exercise

When you are already in pain because of your back, exercise may be the last thing you want to do. However, as long as it is gentle, it can be really worth it. This is because your pain may be in part due to stiff muscles. With gentle exercise, you can loosen these muscles. However, it may be wise to seek medical advice before you begin. This is because certain issues can be made worse with exercise, as you are actively aggravation the area. Gentle exercise is not sprinting, or weight lifting, for example. Both of these things and others put far too much strain on the body. Doing anything this extreme can make your issue far worse and even irreversible. Instead, do things like slow walking and gentle stretches. Which brings us onto our next point.

Pilates

This style of exercise deserves its own section! This is because it is one of the most effective ways of fixing chronic back pain. It is also great for a one-off injury. If you have chronic back pain, it may be because your back muscles are underdeveloped, or overdeveloped. Pilates works all of the muscles in the back, making them all match up.

Using Pilates to fix back pain is by no means a quick fix. In fact, it may take several months to see a difference. However, the difference you will see will be significant and long lasting.

Rest

It could be the case that you choose to just rest, or to combine rest with some gentle exercise. Either way, resting when you have back pain is a common piece of advice you may want to try.

Chiropractic appointment

If you haven’t tried chiropractic work for your back pain yet, it could be a good idea. This is because all of the body is attached in some way. That’s right; a single tug at your feet can loosen your shoulders! While this might be hard to believe, an appointment with a chiropractor will allow you to see this with your own eyes. This can be quite an expensive solution. See if you can claim it on your health insurance. Alternatively, your business or employer may be able to pay for all or at least part of it.

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