How to stop back pain?

How to Get Rid of Bad Back Pain

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Do you have terrible back pain? Is it stopping you doing the things you enjoy? Find out how to eliminate it here!

Steps

1. If this is the first time you've ever had back pain and the onset was rapid, visit your doctor or physical therapist immediately. There are many medical conditions which present themselves as 'back pain', and some of them are life threatening.
   
2. Pay close attention to your daily habits, do you sit in a particular way for long periods every day? Try changing the way you sit.
   
3. Check your bed. Consider how long you have had your mattress, and whether it still provides enough support for your back? Consider buying yourself a new bed or mattress!
   
4. Consider taking some over the counter non-steroidal anti-inflammatory painkillers such as Advil or Naprosyn.
   
5. Consider visiting your personal physician for evaluation and treatment. It is likely they will refer you to a specialist like a surgeon or rheumatologist &/or physical therapist. In most states you can skip the doctor visit and go directly to the physical therapist. However if there is chronic back pain and persistent during periods of either stress which physical or mental - it is advisable to visit a qualified doctor to start with. A systematic prognosis and diagnosis helps in the long run. Several times it has been observed that back pain can be a manifestation of other causes rooted in the physical or mental being.
   
6. Upon deciding to visit a qualified medical doctor entails systematic decoding of occurrence, appearance and persistence of pain symptoms in the back region.
   
7. The doctor may take this further depending upon the severity of the condition in each case by prescribing medication for immediate relief, followed by routine tests and consultation by a specialist, who in turn may prescribe medication and suggest intervention by a therapist. It is not unusual to find doctor / specialists prescriptions combined with suggestions to change in lifestyle, inclusion of exercise and weight management. These are taken in the direction of handling damaged caused due to lifestyle changes as an onslaught of modern life.
   
8. Consider visiting a chiropractor for evaluation and treatment that usually consists of spinal manipulation. However the choice of chiropractor needs to be a well informed one, having years of experience in the area.
   
9. A physical therapist can help address the problem in the long term.
   
10. Alternate medication and well being philosophies and practices have helped in offering relief from immediate symptoms and in complete recovery.
    
11. The choice in this area are wide - yoga, meditation, tai chi, breathing exercises, and many more. Each practice has several trained teachers and mentors for individuals to choose from.
    

Tips

• A physical therapist can help you four ways:
  
• 1) Use manual therapy like joint mobilization and myofascial work to normalize movement of the body.
  
• 2) Teach exercise to strengthen and stretch key muscles.
  
• 3) Bring awareness to postural and movement habits that might cause or perpetuate the pain.
  
• 4) Give advice on ways to minimize strain at work - physical and mental.
  
• 5) Advice change / adjustment in seating and work desk arrangement at work and at home, along with change in mattress, use of pillows or otherwise.
  
  • A chiropractor can give you advice about how to improve your posture and do things in an ergonomic fashion.
    
• Back pain due to a back injury can be anything from a muscle spasm to a pinched nerve or even a herniated or ruptured disc.

Warnings

• If you are experiencing any dizziness or shortness of breath with back pain, call a doctor immediately. If these symptoms are still present even when a spasm has subsided, consider calling 911.
  
• If you are experiencing any numbness or tingling associated with back pain, seek medical assistance as soon as convenient.
  
• A good physical therapist or chiropractor will take a full medical history and spend at least an hour evaluating your condition. If you visit one who doesn't, go somewhere else.
  
• If in the 1 week you still have back pain call a doctor or chiropractor.
  
• Ask a doctor or chiropractor for a x-ray or MRI if you think that something is seriously wrong.
  

Related wikiHows

• How to Get Relief from Sudden Morning Back Aches
  
• How to Improve Your Posture
  
• How to Speed up Your Reflexes
  

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