It is estimated that almost all of the people will have some type of back pain at some point in their lives. Most of the back pain reducing measures are been applied with regard to this problem actually work against the natural healing abilities of the human body. This list can actually help to reduce the severity of most cases of back pain and help to speed up the healing process. In addition, it is always beneficial to consult a health professional to rule out more severe health conditions.
Most of the medical professionals avoid the use of heat to reduce back pain. Though, the majority of people have been told by the health books or some other sources to use heat when having back problems. This is the absolute worst thing people can do. In fact, back pain usually has little things to do with muscles and everything to do with nerves. Nerve irritation from misaligned spinal bones causes muscles to support against the misalignment to protect people from further injuring them, which is really a good thing. So muscle spasms should never be massaged away with heat or forced to relax. The physiological fact is that, muscles only do what nerves tell them to do and they will relax only when the nerve irritation is removed. Back pain is most often caused by nerve irritation resulting from injury to ligaments and spinal joints.
The actual back muscle injury that caused the problem may have happened years prior. Because of the joint dysfunction, the slightest incorrect move or strain can cause the disc and surrounding tissues to swell up, just like when people sprain an ankle. The swelling causes pressure on spinal nerves and ligaments, which causes that shooting pain they feel when they move in certain directions. Ice is an effective solution of this problem. Ice can instantly reduce the swelling which will, in turn, reduce the nerve pressure. Heat, on the other hand, will cause surrounding tissues to swell up more, which will ultimately increase the nerve pressure. Heat will certainly make some people feel better, but will cause more problems later on.
Walking is the very best exercise for the spine and back muscles. Walking is even better if people add a couple of inches to their stride, causing them to reach a bit with each step. Walking causes the abdomen and hip muscles to work together and support each other. It also can cause stuck spinal bones to move a little more freely which can reduce joint swelling and pain. The movement will also help to keep the hip joints moving through. A complete range of motion can effectively lessen the chances of getting fixed to one another.
People must be careful with pain relievers. While pain pills may the first thing people reach for when their back hurts, they might be causing themselves more problems. Besides the risk of side effects that all back pain relievers pose, blocking the pain signal the nerves are sending could make the injury linger. The back pain signal acts as an alarm clock. It alerts people that something is wrong. It also lets them to know their limits. If people bend forward and feel a sudden rush of horrible pain, that movement obviously is not good for them. Now if people cover that pain signal with drugs, they stop their body from being able to communicate that important message to them. This can make them able to do things their body doesn't want them to do, making their problem worse.
