Being in pain is never a pleasant experience, and back pain can be exceptionally debilitating. When your back hurts, it becomes difficult to walk or move around normally. At Sizemore Chiropractic and Rehabilitation, we specialize in helping patients with back pain and other spine-related issues. Here are four common mistakes we see people make that may exacerbate their back pain issues.
Ignoring the Pain for Too Long
In some situations, a minor injury leads to back pain that only lasts a few days or a couple of weeks. However, it’s a mistake to ignore back pain for too long, assuming that the issue will go away on its own. If your pain is the result of a spinal injury, you may be making the problem worse by continuing to move normally despite the discomfort. By coming to Sizemore Chiropractic and Rehabilitation, you can get a diagnosis and treatment plan that can help treat the underlying issue. Once you get the proper diagnosis, you can get a recovery plan that may include exercise, massage therapy, or another treatment option.
Poor Posture
Standing up straight can do more than make you look more confident. Fixing your posture can help alleviate your back pain. Poor posture doesn’t hurt your back immediately, which is why it can be so detrimental. Over time, the stress that poor posture places on your spine can lead to anatomical changes. These changes can cause back pain by constricting your blood vessels and nerves. Additionally, poor posture can cause problems by increasing the stress on your muscles, discs, and joints. Getting an alignment from Sizemore Chiropractic and Rehabilitation can alleviate back pain that results from poor posture.
Remaining Inactive
It’s not uncommon for people who are experiencing back pain to take it easy and rest. However, spending too much time relaxing can make the problem worse in the long run. Your body needs physical activity to keep the system flexible and limber. Keeping your back and supporting structures flexible and robust means that they can better support your spine, hasten the healing process and minimize the chance of future pain or injury. Strengthening your core muscles can also help alleviate back pain since it reduces the stress on your spine.
Smoking
You should already have a long list of reasons to not smoke, but if you’re experiencing back pain, you just gained another reason to quit. Besides being bad for our heart and lungs, smoking is also bad for your spine. Smoking prevents nutrients from reaching your spinal disks, which is necessary to keep healthy. Some studies have suggested that tobacco smoke, plus the nicotine in cigarettes, causes spines to age prematurely, leading to people experiencing back issues earlier than expected. Smoking also makes you more sensitive to chronic pain and slows the natural healing process. Several studies have found that back pain is more common in people who smoke than in those who don’t.
If you need help finding relief for back pain, Sizemore Chiropractic and Rehabilitation can help. We use a comprehensive treatment plan that helps alleviate back pain by addressing the root cause from multiple angles. If you have any questions about what we can do for you, send us a message online.