What Back Pain Sufferers Can Do At Home

Back pain can be debilitating. When it’s part of your daily reality, it can weigh you down and even lead to episodic depression.

At Advanced Spine, we’re here to help with your back pain, with non-invasive and surgical solutions tailored to address your condition and its severity.  But we also believe in you.  It’s in you that the process of healing and remediation begins.

This post describes what many back sufferers can do at home to help themselves.  You can be part of the solution to your back pain by taking pain management in your own hands.  Let’s explore how your efforts can help relieve the pain.

Working With Your Doctor

When you present yourself to a specialist with back pain, that specialist is going to do everything possible to determine the source of the pain and to help you manage and resolve it in the most conservative manner possible.

Therapeutic responses should always be applied in this manner, to gauge patient response to treatment.  If one doesn’t work, another will be tried, until options are exhausted and surgical intervention is indicated.

Part of the process is determining your state of health and fitness and prescribing exercises and stretches that you can do at home to help you cope with pain and strengthen your body against it.  You may also receive an assessment concerning postural anomalies that may be contributing to back pain.

Posture correction, when practiced under the care of a doctor can go a long way towards resolving back issues, in certain cases.  But it’s crucial that you follow your caregiver’s instructions and diligently practice all movement therapies prescribed for you to follow at home.

Strengthening Key Muscle Groups

Exercises prescribed for back pain will focus on your core (abdomen), gluteus (posterior), upper legs and back extensors.  All these muscles work in concert to stabilize and protect your spine.  When they’re not being attended to, atrophy can lead to back pain.

By the same token, your back pain may stem from overuse.  If that’s the case, more complex, supportive therapies may be prescribed, combined with a home regimen of stretching exercises targeting the same areas.

Changing Your Habits

It’s almost a sure thing that your physician is going to advise lifestyle changes to support a healthier back.  One of these is regular exercise, once you’ve reached the stage at which you’re ready to engage in activities like walking, cycling or swimming.

If you’ve been sedentary for an extended period, this may have contributed to your back pain.  Sedentary lifestyles lead to weakening in all the muscle groups mentioned above, so they’ll need to be maintained in better condition to support the ongoing health of your back.

Moderate, doctor-directed exercise is essential for a healthy spine.  What back pain sufferers can do at home is to start the process of building themselves back up to a level of overall wellness that allows for regular exercise.

If you’re suffering from back pain, contact Advanced Spine.  We can get you back to feeling like yourself again.