In this third installment of the Back Pain Basics Series we are going to take a look at what you can do to help minimize the affect that back pain has on your life. Having to deal with back pain on a day to day basis takes a lot of both physical and mental strength and it is vital that you do every little thing you can to improve your situation.
Keep Active – Yeah I know, easier said than done right? The thing with having too much rest is that although you may feel better in the short term, the further your body gets out of condition the harder it is to get it back and if, for example, your weight becomes a problem then this can lead to further back issues. A lot of people recommend walking but if you find this too painful you could always try swimming or even simply walking up and down the pool.
Cold or Heat Therapy – The use of an ice pack or heating pad can be an excellent way of soothing a back pain episode. Be aware that they both have their pro’s and con’s though and it may take some experimentation to find what works best for you. A cold pack is best for reducing areas that are inflamed whereas heat is best for improving blood flow and loosening up muscles.
Wear a Back Brace – Although they can be awfully uncomfortable sometimes, a back brace can serve two purposes. The first is obviously to help support the spine and surrounding muscles and I have also found that they are an excellent way to keep the muscles at a temperature where they are unlikely to ‘seize up’ or cause a great deal of discomfort. Again it will depend on the nature of your back problem as to whether or not this will be of benefit to you but I thought it was worth mentioning.
Find A Distraction - And I don’t mean an attractive member of the opposite sex. Although…! Seriously now, have you ever noticed that you forget about your pain (even momentarily) when you are concentrating on something you really enjoy? If you have noticed this before then you need to do more of whatever it was that did this for you, as long as it’s legal and ethical of course! Having a past-time or hobby that you can concentrate hard on is worth it’s weight in gold for breaking the routine of constant pain.
Know And Learn To Accept Your Limitations – This one’s a biggie! If you have previously been healthy and all of a sudden you find yourself unable to do even the most basic of tasks because of your back pain it can come as a huge shock. It might take a while to fully accept, but there will be certain things that you can no longer do or will have trouble doing and as I quickly found out getting uptight about this only makes the pain worse. You must learn not to be too hard on yourself and don’t be ashamed to seek help when you need it.
Look For And Focus On The Positives – What can possibly be good about having back pain!! Well of course there is usually nothing great about being in pain BUT if you can concentrate on the other areas of your life that are positive and try your best to keep negative thoughts out of your mind you will find life does get a bit easier. I’d like to talk (briefly) about my own situation to explain this point a bit further.
Prior to my back pain I was self employed, working ridiculously long hours, six and sometimes seven days a week all because I thought I was doing the right thing by my family by being a good provider (of money, nothing else!). What I failed to realize was that I was very close to losing my family because I had such little time to spend with them. Five years of being a stay-at-home dad has made me see that all the money in the world cannot replace having a close relationship with your partner and children. In that respect I am grateful that something did happen before it was too late.
Your situation might seem like all gloom and doom at the moment but if you take the time to think outside the box a little and look hard at what positives you can come up with I’m sure your life will be all the better for it. Give it a shot, what have you got to lose?
In the next installment of Back Pain Basics we will be looking at some things that your doctor probably hasn’t told you about back pain. Stay tuned!
