At a certain point in life, each person has experienced back pain. However, the pain might last for a short time and later go away on its own or with the help of pain medications. In other cases, the pain may go away but keep recurring, commonly referred to as chronic back pain, which prevents you from taking part in your daily chores effectively. Simple tasks that require you to sit or walk also become quite challenging to accomplish. Suppose you are experiencing lower back pain New York City; it is essential to understand various ways of managing the pain to promote comfort. Below are effective ways of managing chronic back pain.
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Physical therapy
Generally, physical therapy which composes exercises forms the foundation for treating back pain. It is the first line of treatment recommended by your care provider. Still, it should be guided by a spine physical therapist and your physician. It is important to understand that the same set of exercises is not always effective for everyone. That is why the exercises have to be tailored to your condition and specific symptoms. You are also encouraged to maintain the exercise routine at home because it plays an essential role in ensuring the procedure is a success. Physical therapy to treat back pain may include aerobic exercises, testing the limits of pain tolerance, core strengthening, retraining your posture, and flexibility and stretching exercises.
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Lifestyle modification
When experiencing chronic back pain, you are supposed to accept and adapt to your limitations. For instance, you should listen to your body and start pacing yourself. It would be best if you took breaks between tasks, like mowing or making trips when carrying loads or groceries. You are also advised to note those exercises that worsen your pain and ensure you avoid them. Doing so helps your back feel better and prevents the underlying condition from worsening. You are advised to quit smoking if you smoke because nicotine accentuates pain and slow healing.
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Injection-based treatments
Epidural steroid injections, nerve blocks, nerve ablations, and other injection-based procedures are recommended for chronic back pain. In most cases, these forms of treatment are used when the source of back pain is known and can also help rule out certain causes, especially when the treatment fails to work. Usually, injections are effective in relieving pain for a short time but are not the best for long-term solutions. They should also not be used in isolation.
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Alternative treatments
Massage, laser therapy, acupuncture, biofeedback therapy, nonsurgical spine treatment, and electrical nerve stimulation are also effective in relieving back pain. If your pain is not responding to other forms of treatment, you can talk to your care provider and discuss with them alternative treatments and settle with the one that could benefit you.
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Medications
Muscle relaxants, analgesics, anti-inflammatory drugs, and other medications are used to manage chronic back pain. However, most are not recommended for prolonged use because they cause unwanted effects, and others can also cause drug dependency.
You do not have to bear back pain because the underlying condition causing this pain might worsen. You can schedule your appointment at NYPT Health & Rehab today if you are experiencing back pain and seeking effective ways of managing and dealing with the pain.