Back pain has many different causes, so there are different approaches for treating it. Your pain might originate in your spine, nerves, or muscles. The pain could be from a sudden injury, a medical condition, or chronic poor posture. Here are some treatments that might help with your back pain.

Treatment for a Sudden Injury

If your back pain starts after a fall or other injury, then you might be able to treat it at home. However, if the pain is severe or if you have numbness and tingling, you should see your doctor. One home treatment is using ice on your back to reduce pain and swelling. While you might want to stay in bed and not move, this can lead to muscle stiffness. Unless your doctor tells you not to, you should continue with gentle movements to prevent stiffness and muscle weakness. Hold off on strenuous exercise until your back has healed. Depending on the nature of your injury, you may need to take muscle relaxants to keep your back from having spasms while it heals.

Treatment for Chronic Back Pain

When chronic back pain is caused by poor posture while working for long hours each day hunched over a desk, physical therapy treatments might help. These exercises strengthen weak muscles so you don't have overdeveloped muscles working against weaker ones. Once you've strengthened your core and back muscles, it is easier to hold the best posture while you work at a computer all day. Poor posture often affects the muscles, then the muscles can pull on your spine so it moves out of alignment. This contributes to pain. Chiropractic treatments can help with back pain caused by spinal-related problems.

Treatment for Severe Back Pain

Pain from spinal joint or disc problems can be severe. When a disc bulges, it can compress a nerve and cause pain that radiates all the way down your leg. Severe pain may require more intense medical treatments that include back injections, prescription pain relievers, and even back surgery to repair disc problems. Some medical treatments are used to help you live with chronic pain, and others work to eliminate the cause of your pain.

Back pain can affect your quality of life and make you want to stay home and avoid activities. Finding an effective treatment is important so you can continue working and maintain an active social life. Your doctor can recommend several ways to deal with pain, and it's often a matter of finding something that works best for you since everyone responds to pain differently. Contact a health care clinic for help with back pain so you can go back to your daily life.

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