Amy & Aron's

If there is one health complaint that many of us suffer from as we get older, it has to be back pain. In fact, this kind of pain affects the majority of people once they hit middle age. As we become a lot less supple, our muscles start to take on a lot more strain, and this often translates into aches and pains for us.

Thankfully, you don’t have to suffer from niggling back pain for good. Here are a few things you can do to finally say goodbye to a painful back forever!



Get A Better Mattress

First of all, it’s worth thinking about how you have been sleeping. If you know that your mattress is more than ten-years-old, it is definitely time to replace it. Old mattresses become very lumpy and bumpy, and this could make your bed too uncomfortable to sleep well in it. Not only that, though, but the bumps might be forcing you to sleep in a position that is straining your back. You should find that you start to sleep better, and your back issues disappear once you get new hybrid mattresses.

See A Chiropractor

If the pain in your back is particularly bad, it’s worth booking an appointment with a chiropractor. Finding a chiropractor shouldn’t be too difficult as there will be quite a few practicing in most towns and cities. During your initial consultation, your chiropractor will examine your back to see if there are any physical injuries that could be affecting it. If there isn’t, they will likely ask you a few questions about your lifestyle to try to see if there is an obvious reason why you are suffering from so much pain. Your chiropractor will probably prescribe you some strong pain medication so that you can continue your usual day-to-day tasks without any disruption. They might also advise you to do certain stretches or to take part in a course of acupuncture to help manage the pain.




Stretch More

If you don’t stretch regularly, you might want to start doing so. Doing some daily stretches can help to strengthen all of the muscles and tendons in your back, which should help to take away some of the pain. If you see a chiropractor, they will be able to suggest a few useful stretches for you to try. It’s also a good idea to take up an exercise class like Pilates or Yoga as these have a focus on holding stretches and poses that promote a strong and healthy back. If you can’t find a Pilates or Yoga class near you, you could always take a look on YouTube as there are hundreds of thousands of exercise tutorials on the site.




Try To Maintain Good Posture

Another reason why some people suffer from backache is that they don’t have good posture. You need to try and sit up tall at all times and walk with a straight back when you are out and about. If you don’t, then you will end up hunched over, which will put a considerable strain on your back. Eventually, this will result in a lot of aches and pains. One thing to watch out for is your posture when you are working at a computer or laptop. This is when most people end up hunched over. Generally speaking, it’s best to have your computer or laptop pushed away from you so that you can rest your forearms on the desk while you type. This should help you try to keep your back and neck straight at all times. Not only will this help reduce your back pain, but it can also prevent you from developing repetitive strain injury as well.




Be More Active

Previously, it was widely thought that the back required a lot of rest to get over its aches and pains. However, nowadays many doctors and health experts know that not to be the case. In fact, it is much better to try to exercise the back as much as you can when you are in pain. Doing Yoga or Pilates as mentioned above will be a good start. No matter what kind of exercise you do, whether it is running or cycling, the back will be engaged and, as a result, will be getting stronger and stronger. The only kinds of exercise that you should try to stay away from are contact sports, as you might find that someone grabbing your back could prove to be too painful.

Ice And Heat

Did you know that applying ice and heat to your back could help to take away some of the pain? Ice can be particularly helpful just after you suffer a back injury. You just need to apply it to the injured area, and the cold should help to stop the area from becoming badly inflamed. You can use a bag of frozen peas wrapped in a towel for this. A few days later, you can then switch to heat. You can rub in some deep heat cream or buy a heating pad that you can simply place on the affected spot. The heat will increase blood flow to the back, which can help take some of the pain away. Just make sure that you never use a heating pad in the bed. If you fall asleep on it, you could end up with burns.




Get A Massage

You might find that getting a back massage could really help to loosen up any tension that is present in your back. Your chiropractor should be able to give you a massage, or you might want to go to your nearest sports clinic for one. Just one massage might not cut it, though; it will be worth booking in for at least five to feel the full benefit. The masseuse will be able to remove any knots from your back that are causing you particular pain.

If you follow the tips above, you should find some relief from your niggling back pain!