9 Tips for Overcoming Back Pain at Home
Back pain is characterized by the appearance of pain in the lower back or sides. This condition can be triggered by many factors, ranging from increasing age, sitting too long, pregnancy, being overweight, rarely exercising or lifting heavy weights.
In addition, back pain can also occur due to certain health conditions or diseases. Examples include spinal stenosis, pinched nerves, scoliosis, arthritis, dysmenorrhea, spinal cord injury, and kidney or urinary tract infections.
Symptoms of low back pain are also generally accompanied by other complaints, ranging from a stiff waist that is even difficult to move. In mild cases, back pain can be treated at home in a simple way.
How to Overcome Back Pain at Home Effectively
There are several simple ways to do this so that the back pain does not persist and worsen until it interferes with activities. Here are some of them :
1. Use cold or warm water to compress.
Compressing the sore back area with cold water can help reduce inflammation or mild injury. The method itself is quite simple. You can wrap the ice in plastic. Then, you can stick it on the sore waist for about 20 minutes. Do this every 2-3 days.
If the pain persists for more than 3 days, you can replace the compress with warm water to relieve tense muscles and increase blood flow. In addition, it is also recommended to take a bath with warm water to provide a relaxing effect.
2. Exercising Regularly
The next way to deal with back pain is to exercise regularly. Physical activity can strengthen muscles and increase flexibility in the waist area. Later, the symptoms of back pain will subside and prevent it from coming back.
If your back pain doesn't feel too heavy anymore, you can try other light exercises such as swimming, yoga, or a leisurely walk. This type of exercise is good and safe to do when experiencing back pain because it does not burden the joints too much.
3. Paying attention to the sleeping position
When dealing with back pain, you should also adjust your sleeping position. Try to sleep on your back and put a pillow under your knees. In addition, sleeping on your side can also relieve tense muscles and back pain. Also, put a pillow or bolster on the back of your body.
4. Maintaining Good Posture
One of the common causes of back pain is the habit of sitting hunched over when working at the computer. It's a good idea to maintain good posture by sitting up straight and making sure you stay relaxed. Try to put a pillow behind the body as a support for the waist.
Sitting on a mat that has a concave back can also relieve pain in the waist area. Avoid sitting for too long because it can make the pain worse. If the job requires a static position for a long time, it's better to do some stretching for a certain time.
5. Taking Painkillers
To relieve back pain, you can also take pain relievers that are generally sold in pharmacies. Examples of drugs are Paracetamol or Ibuprofen. You should read the instructions for use before you take the medicine.
6. Exercise the Core of the Body
If the position of the body is too tense, it can cause back pain. Try to increase flexibility because this can relieve tension in the waist and back. You can train flexibility by doing stretching movements.
7. Quit smoking
Apparently, smoking can not only interfere with lung function but also put pressure on the back. Research conducted and published in the American Journal of Medicine found that smokers and ex-smokers are more likely to experience back pain than non-smokers.
Nicotine will make small blood vessels constrict and reduce blood distribution to soft tissues. This is what, over time, can trigger back pain.
8. It Stimulates Endorphin Hormones
Another way to deal with back pain is to increase endorphins. This is a hormone that will help block pain signals going to the brain. Ways to stimulate an increase in endorphins can be massage, meditation, exercise, or sex. Besides being able to reduce back pain, this hormone can also reduce anxiety, stress, and depression.
9. Using Koyo
If you experience back pain on the left or right, you can relieve it by applying a patch. Of course, you are already familiar with this and may be bad at sticking a patch when you have a headache or a toothache. If you experience back pain, try to also apply it to the area that feels the pain.
How to relieve back pain that has been described can be done at home. It is hoped that later, the pain will subside and you will be able to carry out daily activities as usual.
Hermina's friends can consult about back pain with a neurologist at the hospital. The closest Hermina, or Hermina's friends, can also consult online with a specialist hospital. Hermina with the application "Hello Hermina."