Whether it’s from overexertion, injury, or an underlying medical condition, back pain can significantly impact physical performance and affect your quality of life. Many athletes typically believe chronic pain is an inevitable consequence of their lifestyle and work. What they don’t know is that modern treatment can drastically reduce pain from long-lasting injuries.
Many things can cause back pain. Any treatment plan should take your unique circumstances into consideration. Getting back into an active lifestyle and minimizing unnecessary discomfort starts from learning about the common treatments for back pain.
Lifestyle Changes
Pain comes from ongoing tissue damage and can make it harder for the spine to support your body. Solving it requires lifestyle changes that focus on reducing stress on the back. This can also mean incorporating habits that enhance your body’s healing process.
Short-term solutions include applying heat to the affected area, which soothes pain and increases local blood circulation. Likewise, taking a break from physically demanding activities can give your back the rest it needs to heal properly.
Losing weight can also reduce back pain, particularly for people on the heavier side. This gives your spine less pressure to endure. If your weight is above normal guidelines, you might want to consider medical weight loss.
Correct posture is important during movements that require significant core strength. Don’t use your back to lift heavy objects. The rule of thumb is to use other muscle groups, such as your hips and legs when lifting heavy objects.
The right amount of exercise decreases inflammation while increasing blood supply to the injured areas lessens pain. However, make sure your exercise plan is checked and approved by your doctor beforehand. Done improperly, exercise can put undue stress on your back, worsening your condition and increasing your discomfort.
Try adding more core exercises to your routine. By targeting the trunk and back muscles, you can increase their ability to provide structural support to your spine. Aside from improved posture, you should also see a decrease in back pain.
Medications For Back Pain
While you proceed with lifestyle changes, your doctor may prescribe medications for back pain relief. Over-the-counter painkillers are the most common type you can take. These work on mild to moderate pain with minimal side effects.
Your doctor may recommend prescription-strength nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) to suppress moderate to severe pain. However, NSAIDs usually have more intense effects than over-the-counter medications. Only take these if prescribed by your doctor.
While most pain medication is taken by mouth, topical medicines are also an option. Creams and ointments can provide targeted pain relief.
More intense back pain may benefit from muscle relaxants, which prevent painful spasms from occurring. Injections such as nerve blocks may be options to complement other pain relief methods.
Physical Therapy
Physical therapy is essential for treating back pain. By strengthening various muscles, tendons, and ligaments supporting the spine, physical therapy allows your back to function more effectively.
Physical therapy is useful for controlling pain after you’ve taken other steps to control inflammation. Working with a therapist will help you return to your daily activities. As you regain strength and flexibility, a gradual increase in physical movements is the standard method to keep your back stimulated.
In addition to a personalized exercise program, your therapist may also use other physical therapy techniques to alleviate your back pain. For instance, dry needling, which uses fine needles to relax knotted muscles, is an effective method to address back pain from sciatica.
Other Nonsurgical Treatments
When paired in conjunction with other therapies, alternative methods can provide significant pain relief. For instance, massage therapy and chiropractic back adjustments can help relax tight muscles and alleviate pain. These treatments come with risks. Make sure to work with licensed professionals to be safe for the greatest benefit.
If other nonsurgical methods fail to address the pain, your provider may recommend regenerative stem cell therapy. This treatment method is effective for pain relief, tissue regeneration, and speeding up the healing process. It is a safe alternative to taking more medications or surgery. In particular, stem cell therapy can help with back pain due to sciatica, osteoarthritis of the spine, and other back conditions.
Surgery
Surgery is an option if the underlying cause of your back pain is clear and other treatments have not brought significant pain relief. Surgical procedures focus on two things: repairing structures and removing dead tissue. Surgical options require more commitment, because of preparation and considerable recovery time, but minimally invasive procedures can hasten healing.
Back Pain Treatment In Dallas, Texas
Treatment for back pain needs to be comprehensive for a lasting effect. Fortunately, there is a wide range of effective pain control techniques, from lifestyle changes to therapy. Working with an orthopedic doctor should enable you access to optimal treatments with minimal side effects.
Through our facility in Dallas, Texas, Reagan Integrated Sports Medicine offers chiropractic and regenerative orthopedic options for active individuals with back pain. We combine advanced methods with personalized care to help you get back to your active lifestyle. Give us a call at (972) 503-7272 or use our online appointment form to learn more about our services. We hope to see you soon!
