If you’re in San Antonio, TX, and seeking back pain relief, consider alternatives to painkillers, both prescription and OTC ones. There are many reasons to avoid taking them, even if they’re nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories like ibuprofen. Daily use takes a toll on your body. Frequently using ibuprofen can cause diarrhea, stomach issues, heart failure, kidney damage, liver issues, stroke, and gastrointestinal bleeding. More potent prescription drugs have even more side effects. It’s better to find the cause of the pain and address it. It can be as simple as strengthening core muscles.
Try a massage and a hot shower.
For quick relief, a massage works well. Using essential oils like peppermint, clove, and lavender also helps. They relax the muscles so you can get a sound sleep. Taking a hot shower or floating in a heated pool can also help relax back muscles. Your body is more buoyant in water and that, combined with the heat, reduces the pressure and relaxes the muscles. Both massage and heat improve circulation, boost endorphins, and reduce the tension in your back.
Take a walk in nature.
Whether you walk in a wooded area, one that’s filled with flowers, or along a seashore, you’ll get relief from back pain. Take it slowly at first. The walk boosts circulation and helps stretch the muscles to relieve tightness. Being next to nature is relaxing. Sunshine also provides another benefit. It helps the body create vitamin D. A lack of vitamin D can lead to back pain.
Stop back pain before it starts by building core muscles.
Improving your core muscle strength does several things to reduce back pain. It helps improve your posture. Poor posture is often the cause of pain. It also strengthens the larger muscles that hold your body erect. By doing that, it reduces the pressure on smaller muscles that were never meant to handle the task. That often causes the pain. Our trainers can develop a program to help build your core muscles and reduce back pain. If you’re experiencing pain, they modify the workout so it doesn’t exacerbate the problem.
- Do a hamstring stretch to reduce lower back pain. Lay on your back, with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor, holding one end of a rolled-up towel in each hand. Loop the towel around one foot and pull, attempting to straighten that leg.
- Learning relaxation techniques can help with back pain. It’s not easy to do if you’re in pain at the time, so practice it when you’re not in pain. Combine the relaxation techniques with the use of a heating pad.
- Stretch frequently, especially if you’re in a sedentary job. If your job keeps you seated, constantly looking at a computer screen, it creates poor posture. Every 20 to 30 minutes, stretch and focus on your posture.
- Make sure you have adequate nutrition. Vitamin E helps build muscles and magnesium keeps muscles relaxed. Lack of manganese impacts disc health. Eat a healthy diet to improve back and total body health.
For more information, contact us today at Iron Fit San Antonio