It’s no longer the era of lumberjacks and miners but desk jobs in front of brightly lit screens that render us all blind by the time we reach retirement. No, lumberjacks and miners still exist, we’re just living differently than how people did back in the day.
Anywho, other than this blindness, our present circumstances have also made us more vulnerable to chronic joint pain and illnesses. We barely move from our seats during the day and once we do, it’s just to go home and lie down, so what do we really expect?
This pain can become an issue as early as our early 30s, pushing us towards regular physician consultations and consumption of highly addictive opioids. Or, we could learn to take better care of ourselves and avoid feeling 70 at 35.
Self care for a healthy body could mean going on walks, not lifting heavy weights at the gym, consuming CBD for pain management (just google search for ‘cbd store near me’ and you’ll find plenty) or going through different therapies. If your pain isn’t controllable, surgery might be the last resort.
But let’s try to minimize the potential aggravators when it comes to lower back pain.
Self Care Tips to Treat Lower Back Pain Before It Gets Severe
We advise you to treat your body with care, it’s fragile, and its frailty can cost you years of pain and unrest, and thousands of bucks.
Lower back pain are common sights as we get into old age, when picking heavy grocery bags can give a hard time to your back. There can be a bunch of different reasons but most revolve around the overexertion and strain that our body might go through.
So your first step towards self care should be obvious. Don’t push yourself beyond limits. Don’t push too little either.
The first one falls true for the gym, the latter for your office. Don’t carry weights heavier than you are equipped to, and don’t sit around all day in a bad posture either. In both situations, it’s better to find a more balanced approach. Like, start with lighter weights and work your way up. Or, leave your seat and walk for a few, go for a coffee or a loo break every hour.
Once you’re more thoughtful of what you do all day and how it affects your body, you can find better, healthier and safer alternatives.
But that’s more about how to avoid any back pain and a simple way to live a healthy life. Our main focus is on how to treat signs of back pain before they turn severe.
Follow these basic self care tips if lower back pain bothers you.
Take Frequent Rest Breaks During the Day
Whatever it is that you’re doing, take breaks from it. If your job requires you to be on foot all day, find time to sit and give rest to your feet. If your job requires you to sit all day, find time to stand and walk around. If you get paid for strenuous activities all day, find time to stretch, give your muscles some relief and even lie down every few hours if that’s a possibility.
Short Rest Period
We all have days where we just can’t get out of bed. Lower back pain is one reason that can keep you tied to your comforter, even in the middle of the week. But we have to resist the urge of very long rest periods. Keeping your body moving, even if slightly, is just as important as letting your body rest.
Even during bed rest, most physicians recommend minimal walking, even if just from the bed to the bathroom, simply to get you moving. If you stop all movement completely, it will only lead to more complications.
Reduced Strenuous Activities
Even your gym buddy can have a bad day after lifting too much. One wrong pull and they’re at the chiropractor the very next day.
This one’s scary, even at a young age. Lifting extremely heavy weights can lead to a bunch of spinal disc alignment issues, joint dysfunctions or inflammation. We’re not trying to scare you or advocate against workouts, you just have to take it slow and not jump weight classes.
Regular Exercise and Physical Therapy
Sitting around and doing nothing is just as harmful as doing too much. Your body gets accustomed to being at rest all the time, and goes through minimal periods of mobility.
And what happens next, when you go for a swim with your friends after a week of no movement? You end up on the bed for another week of no movement.
It’s essential to keep your body moving with these simple exercises.
Stretching– Helps with muscle relief and body movement.
Dynamic stabilization exercises– Strengthens secondary muscles in spine
Core Strengthening Exercises– Strengthens abdominal muscles and lower back muscles
Heat/Ice Therapy
Heat and ice therapy works perfectly when complemented with light exercises, physical therapy or just as a means to relax the muscles and relieve pain.
Your post workout routine can include hot baths or oil massages that can help relax the muscles. Or you can apply hot water packs over stiff muscles.
On the other hand, if you somehow end up straining your back or twist your ankle, apply cold water or ice packs to bring the swelling down.
Using CBD and CBN Ingestibles and Topicals
CBD and CBG are quite popular in the market today, their major applicability being that of pain relief. Major studies have shown how these cannabinoids can help reduce inflammation and pain in the body, making them great alternatives for people who do not want to consume any pain relievers and medications.
With majority states having legalized the sale of hemp derived products, you can find high quality products nearby. Just search for ‘cbd store near me’ and all local stores will come up.
You can even find these products via online retail channels rather than visiting local outlets.
Over the Counter Pain Medications
If all other options fail, you can still find over the counter pain medications such as advil, aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen etc without depending on medically prescribed pain relievers.
Consult a Professional
At the end of the day, a visit to your physician won’t hurt. If you’re way beyond the point of self help and require professional consultation, book your appointment as soon as possible or just search for CBD store near me.