Back pain: how can I stop having pain?
Written by: Loris Vitry (holistic coach)
Validated by: Cathy Maillot (Osteopath)
Caution: If you have any medical questions or concerns, please speak to your doctor. Even if the articles on this site are based on scientific studies, they do not replace professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.
Back pain means an unhappy life that you cannot wish to anyone.
The resulting pain is sometimes mild but can turn into permanent discomfort.
Because of the bad postures we often adopt every day, we can all suffer from it.
If this is your case right now, you’ve come to the right place.
Whether at work or home, you can change the game, find back stability, and no longer have pain.
For that, read this article to discover our advice!
Adopt good posture and sleeping habits
To combat the stress generated by back pain, the first thing to do is to get good sleep.
But also to avoid back pain, you need to review your posture while sleeping.
Indeed, we all have our preferences regarding the sleeping position.
But the latter is not always the right one and must be corrected to avoid back pain on waking.
Try to sleep on your side with your legs up towards your chest as if you are cold.
Arms are housed under the pillow.
Your back is thus free of any twist.
The quality of the bed is one factor that can be a great help.
Indeed, the bed must adapt perfectly to your morphology; otherwise, your sleep cycle will be disturbed.
If you are used to sleeping on sofas, you will often sleep very poorly because it forces you to adopt inappropriate and painful positions for your back.
Exercice daily
Sport remains an excellent alternative solution to many human ailments.
When it comes to back pain, some sports are likely to be more effective than others.
Here are a few that you can do alone at home or in the gym with a coach.
Back stretching allows you to reduce pain on the entire back surface.
Get down on your knees, your buttocks resting on your heels, arms raised and outstretched, not forgetting to keep your fingers stretched.
Still in the same posture, fold the upper body, face, or forehead in contact with the floor or carpet in front.
Stretch more while breathing.
You can also vary the angles during stretching.
The other stretch that works well is focused on the spine and shoulder blades.
It consists of placing your arms outstretched behind the neck, the head back and the torso forward.
You will feel as if pressure is being put on your shoulder blades, and your spine is pushing inward.
Combine rigid massage rollers to accentuate the work in the back.
You can also go to the gym and target the back specifically to strengthen the back muscles, which is very useful to reduce pain, especially if you suffer from chronic back pain.
You can do Yoga, which offers several therapeutic postures.
But sometimes the exercises alone are not enough.
Your professional framework can be the reason for your back pain.
Stretch your legs regularly
We don’t always suspect that the cause of back pain can come from our workplace habits.
If your job forces you to be seated, most of your time, you can certainly feel pain in the pelvis.
And if this has ever happened to you, you had to get up to stretch your legs instinctively.
Sitting for too long induces contraction from muscles and bones from the shoulder to the hip.
And this is why you feel back pain and lumbar muscle aches in the event of sudden movements, for example.
So remember to walk regularly in the hallways of your office, before you feel tingling.
You can also do flexions to relax your spine.
Adapt or change your office seat
Office chairs are increasingly being indexed as responsible for back pain.
Maybe this is the case for you.
If you don’t find any comfort in your chair or are in constant search of good posture, it can be both stressful and distracting.
First, try to make some adjustments to your office chair as most models are equipped with features to adjust it to your body type.
You will find the posture you are looking for, and this might gradually eliminate the back pain.
Some people use cushions, why not you?
A simple cushion placed under the buttocks or just below the back can soothe your painful sensations.
Also, try to place one at the top of the dorsal trapezium.
Back pain can come from various causes, which requires different solutions.
Try to find the ideal layout according to your morphology, but if these tips are not enough to relieve your pain, opt for an ergonomic seat.
Consult a therapist
The osteopath or chiropractor are medical professionals who can detect the source of your back pain.
Depending on the diagnoses made, a neurologist can also intervene in more severe cases.
Sometimes an unexpected fracture or severe illness can lead to back pain.
It is, therefore, useful and wise to search for diagnosis before it could get worse.
From the results, the doctor may recommend that you change your bedding, for example.
Depending on the case, surgery may be necessary to eradicate the pain.
In conclusion, if you have back pain, you now know how to get relief or search for the right professional.
