6 Tips for Living Without Low Back Pain

Low back pain is a cause for concern for many Americans. So, it’s not surprising that thousands of people schedule a visit to a doctor, therapist, or low back pain chiropractor in Decatur for help. It can stem from various things ranging from physical overexertion to vertebral subluxation.

When left untreated, it can potentially leave adverse impacts on your life. For example, it can prevent you from attending your family’s weekend barbeque party. Depending on the severity of your back pain, it can also affect your mental and emotional state.

Thankfully, in this blog, you can learn several options to get rid of your low back pain. We have rounded up six of them in our discussion below. Hopefully, they can help you care better for your spine and avoid suffering from extreme back pain.

1. Embrace an active lifestyle

CDC says up to 25 percent of Americans lead a sedentary life. Sadly, many of these individuals develop mild to intense back pain at one point (or more) in their lives. Evidence shows that physical inactivity causes the skeletal muscles to undergo adaptive reductive remodeling, which changes the muscle fiber composition and increases risks for muscle mass loss.

On top of that, a sedentary lifestyle can impact your nervous and circulatory systems. Prolonged sitting puts excessive pressure on the spinal column and various tissues surrounding it, like the nerve roots and blood vessels. It also increases the risks of obesity, another factor that can worsen back pain.  

Hence, we strongly recommend making a few adjustments to your daily routine. You can start by doing at least 20 minutes of low-impact exercises like walking or jogging. If you tend to work long hours in front of the computer, we suggest taking short breaks to stretch your neck, shoulders, hips, and legs. 

Over time, you can do other activities like jogging, swimming, and cycling. You can also increase the time you spend exercising each day.

2. Quit smoking

If you are a smoker, you are more likely to experience back pain than other people around you. Smoking harms the blood vessels that supply your intervertebral discs, the cushioning material that sits between each spinal bone. Additionally, smoking can affect your bone structure, causing you to develop osteoporosis. Studies note that smoking can also increase inflammation and leave your body immunocompromised. It can give your body a hard time healing from an injury.

If possible, you should stop smoking to give your body that chance to heal and feel better. We suggest coordinating with your physician and a support group to manage withdrawal symptoms and find effective ways to unlearn the habit. 

3. Avoid getting injured

Regardless of the severity, back injuries can affect your chances of living pain-free. So, managing your risks for accidents like falling, tripping, or slipping would be wise. Here are a few helpful reminders: 

  • Wear a seatbelt and practice other essential safe driving tips
  • Bend your knees when lifting a heavy item
  • Manage your weight to prevent putting excessive mechanical strain on your spine
  • When wearing a bag, keep the weight distributed on both shoulders
  • Mind your sleeping position, especially when you sleep on your stomach
  • Find time to destress to prevent your muscles from getting too stiff and sore

4. Address underlying health problems 

Since back pain is a prevalent health issue, you might find it helpful to get in touch with your physician. This is especially important if your back pain doesn’t improve. Doing so will help you identify what specific condition may be causing your pain. Some of the usual diagnoses of doctors include the following: 

  • Herniated disc
  • Spinal stenosis
  • Sciatica
  • Osteoarthritis
  • Fractures due to osteoporosis
  • Spinal tumor
  • Back strain or sprain

The sooner you get diagnosed, the better you can manage the pain you experience. It will also limit your risks for further damage or injuries. Besides visiting a physician or an orthopedic doctor, you might also find it helpful to seek a low back pain chiropractor in Decatur. That’s because you might have a vertebral subluxation, a posture problem that affects your spine’s curvature.

5. Use good posture 

Your body posture affects beyond your confidence or self-perception. Studies explain that it can impact your spinal alignment and affect your chances of developing vertebral subluxation.

Sadly, most people nowadays are prone to developing posture-related problems. Some of the common factors that contribute to this issue include: 

  • Prolonged work hours
  • Lack of ergonomic chairs and tables in offices
  • Long commute to school or work
  • Tech neck because of poorly positioned computer or mobile screen

Previously sustained neck and back injuries can also contribute to postural problems that trigger chronic pain. Hence, it makes sense to seek a low back pain chiropractor in Decatur to check if your spinal bones are still in their proper places. 

6. See a low back pain chiropractor in Decatur  

It can be worrisome to experience chronic back pain. So, we hope you heed our advice and follow the tips we shared above. Please don’t hesitate to contact our low back pain chiropractor in Decatur, Dr. Stephanie O’Brien. This way, you can determine if you have misaligned vertebral bones and if you need to receive Specific Chiropractic adjustments. 

Dr. Stephanie practices tried and tested Specific Chiropractic care techniques to detect, measure, and correct postural imbalances. The careful adjustments she applies to the misaligned spinal bones also remove the pressure on pinched tissues like muscles and even the sciatic nerve. Over time, as the spinal bones return to their former alignment, you will experience chronic low back pain experience significant improvements in your symptoms.

Visit Chiropractic For Everybody in Decatur, Georgia, for a consultation. You may also call us at (404) 370-8050 or send your questions or concerns online.

 

To schedule a consultation with Dr. O’Brien, call our Decatur office at 404-370-8050. You can also click the button below.

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