About 36 million American’s suffer from back pain year after year. Whether you get it from working out, playing with your kids or by slouching at your desk while you sit at work back pain has become so common that it has become a sort of rite of passage for getting older.
The pain it causes is certainly no joke and the limited range of movement can really get in the way of your daily activities. If you are like the rest of us, you’ve had nearly enough of chronic back pain. But how do you get rid of it? Below are some unusual tips to saying goodbye to the back pain forever…or until your 90 years old anyways.
Stick To an Anti-Inflammatory Diet
A majority of the types of pain we feel everyday are inflammatory. Certainly the back pain you are feeling right now is. Did you know that you could be creating a state of permanent inflammation in your body by eating certain kinds of food? Food high in sugar like sweets, junk food and even some fruits and vegetables can cause inflammation. Other culprits are dairy products, fatty meats and margarine.
You may not know it but your diet could be making you more susceptible to back pain. To ease the pain for good, stick to an anti-inflammatory diet. Avoid excess sugar at all cost and go easy on the salt.
Work Out
If your back pain is caused by injury, chances are you either over exerted yourself or you have weak back and core muscles. Did you know that as we grow older, having weak bones and muscles makes us more prone to injury?
Look into low impact but weight bearing exercises like yoga and Pilates to strengthen your muscles. You could also try swimming which is also great for scoliosis and joint pain.
Keep Your Body Warm
A majority of your body heat, about 80%, comes from muscle contraction. So when it’s a little chilly when you sleep your muscles have to contract twice as hard to keep you warm through the night. Help your muscles out a little bit by making sure that most of your body stays warm, or just turn up the thermostat already!