How To Get Rid Of Lower Back Pain In South Africa
What is Lower Back Pain?
A common, painful condition affecting the lower portion of the spine. Low back pain is caused by injury to a muscle (strain) or ligament (sprain). Common causes include improper lifting, poor posture, lack of regular exercise, a fracture, a ruptured disc or arthritis.
How To Get Rid Of Lower Back Pain In South Africa
1.Physical Therapy
Exercise is the foundation of chronic back pain treatment. It’s one of the first treatments you should try under the guidance of your physician and spine physical therapist. However, the same set of exercises doesn’t work for everyone, says Nava. The exercises have to be tailored to your specific symptoms and condition. Maintaining the exercise routine at home is also a big part of success.
2.Mindfulness and Meditation
Chronic back pain is straining both physically and emotionally. To manage the frustration, irritability, depression and other psychological aspects of dealing with chronic pain, you may get referred to a rehabilitation psychologist. This specialist may recommend meditation, yoga, tai chi and othercognitive and relaxation strategies to keep your mind from focusing on pain
3.Diet
Some diets are highly inflammatory, especially those high in trans fats, refined sugars and processed foods. Consult with your doctor to see if your diet could be contributing to your chronic back pain and how you could change it. Maintaining a healthy weight could also help lessen your back pain by reducing the pressure on your spine.
4.Lifestyle Modifications
When you have chronic pain, it’s important to accept your limitations and adapt. “Listen to your body and learn to pace yourself,” suggests Nava. Take a break when mowing the lawn, or make several trips when carrying groceries. Take note of the activities that worsen your pain and avoid them if possible.
Not only could this help your back feel better, it could also prevent the underlying condition from advancing. Another important lifestyle change to try is giving up smoking. Nicotine is scientifically known to accentuate pain and delay healing.
5.Injection-based Treatments
Nerve blocks, epidural steroid injections, nerve ablations and other types of injection-based procedures are available for chronic back pain. They are used when the source of the pain is known and can sometimes help rule out certain causes if the treatment doesn’t work. Injections may stop or lessen pain for a certain period of time, but are not intended as long-term solutions and shouldn’t be used in isolation.
6.Alternative Treatments
Acupuncture, massage, biofeedback therapy, laser therapy, electrical nerve stimulation and other nonsurgical spine treatments can also make a difference for chronic back pain. Talk to your spine specialist about alternative treatments that could benefit you.
7.Pharmacologic Treatments
Analgesics, anti-inflammatory drugs, muscle relaxants and other medications can be used to help control chronic back pain. However, most come with unwanted side effects and are not intended for prolonged use.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs).
What stops lower back pain?
Exercises that both strengthen and stretch your body help the most. In addition to walking, you might want to swim, ride a stationary bike, or try low-impact aerobics. Also, research shows that yoga and stretching can ease pain and improve back movement.
Is walking good for lower back pain?
The simple movement of walking is one of the best things we can do for chronic lower back pain. Ten to fifteen minutes of walking twice a day will help ease lower back pain. Substitute this activity for a more vigorous type of exercise if you prefer and/or are able.
Are bananas good for back pain?
There are also foods that can prevent back pain. Find foods that are rich in magnesium. You could choose salmon, or spinach, even eggplant and bananas. “When a person is in pain, their muscles tighten because of the pain, and magnesium actually helps to relax muscle,” Fulop says.
What causes lower back pain?
Lower back pain is very common. It can result from a strain (injury) to muscles or tendons in the back. Other causes include arthritis, structural problems and disk injuries. Pain often gets better with rest, physical therapy and medication.
Is Ginger good for back pain?
Ginger. Ginger can help reduce mild back pain. This herb contains active ingredients that can inhibit the production of leukotrienes and prostaglandins substances in the body that lead to inflammation and cause painful swelling.
What cause lower back pain in females?
Lower back pain is a common symptom of PMS, a condition most women experience during menstruation. However, severe lower back pain may be a symptom of conditions like PMDD and dysmenorrhea. It may also be a symptom of a more serious condition called endometriosis.
How should I sit with lower back pain?
Sit with a back support (such as a rolled-up towel) at the curve of your back. Keep your hips and knees at a right angle. (Use a foot rest or stool if necessary.) Your legs should not be crossed and your feet should be flat on the floor.
Can drinking water help with back pain?
Eventually, it can lead to pain and swelling and even a bulging disc or herniated disc. Drinking water to adequately replenish the discs with the amount water needed to work properly can reduce the likelihood of developing back pain.
Can eggs cause back pain?
Eggs contain arachidonic acid, and as this acid is broken down by the body, “in some, but not all individuals, this can lead to the formation of inflammatory prostaglandins,” Askari says. These inflammatory prostaglandins can lead to increased swelling and joint pain.
Is coffee good for back pain?
Aside from causing lower back pain, caffeine has a few other negative aspects that can affect the body and ultimately contribute to chronic pain. Caffeine can make the muscles in your body more tense and also affect your sleep pattern, potentially leading to insomnia and more back pain and stiffness.
Does Covid make your back hurt?
Back Pain and COVID-19
“People who have COVID-19 may experience muscle pain and body aches due to the body’s inflammatory response, which can be felt in the upper and lower back,” says Sagar Parikh, M.D., an interventional pain medicine specialist and Director of the Center for Sports and Spine Medicine at JFK Johnson.
Is honey good for lower back pain?
Honey is blessed with several healing properties. Consuming 1 tablespoon of honey with a glass of warm water every day is known to be very helpful in relieving backache. A special kind of honey named ‘Manuka’ when massaged gently on the lower back for a period of 2 to 3 weeks can also treat this problem effectively.
Is turmeric good for back pain?
Research has shown that using turmeric for inflammation may help reduce the pain for both upper and lower back pain by reducing the body’s natural inflammatory response. Turmeric is also a powerful antioxidant capable of improving our immune system response.