How to get rid of back pain or neck pain
Lower back and neck pain unfortunately happens to the best of us! In 2022 it is estimated that 7.3 million working days were lost as a consequence of musculoskeletal problems, affecting near half a million people this year on average. https://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/overall/hssh2122.pdf
Back pain can occur from a single event such as a car accident or a rugby tackle. However, most people we see at the clinic arrive due to a progressive build up of certain movement patterns or activities that exceed your body’s tolerance for load, for example working at a desk.
Advice for short term relief
- KEEP MOVING. Change position every 20 to 30 minutes. This will prevent joints from seizing and the muscles from going into spasm.
- USE ICE. Apply every 15-20 minutes. This can be repeated for the first 48 hours for an acute injury
- USE HEAT We advise to use heat after the 2 days to encourage blood flow to the affected area
- TAKE ANTI-INFLAMMATORIES. If the pain is affecting your mood or sleep start with Paracetamol, or Ibuprofen.Your sleep is essential to healing. If you need something stronger consult your GP or pharmacist.
- BOOK TO SEE YOUR CHIROPRACTOR – A chiropractor is trained to assess and diagnose musculoskeletal pain. We are able to identify these faulty movement patterns and use techniques to encourage better alignment to take pressure off the painful area.
Long term solutions and lifestyle advice?
Relying on painkillers and ice packs is not a long term, sustainable solution. We all need to get back to the things we love, whether that is exercising, playing with the grandchildren, gardening or just generally enjoying life again without grunting every time you move.
Therefore it is important, after settling the pain, to address the underlying dysfunction.
As chiropractors, our role is to help you make simple changes to improve your strength and mobility through a bespoke plan.
For example some people with lower back pain don’t have adequate mobility in their hips and therefore the excess pressure is put on the lower back. If the lower back doesn’t have enough stability then overtime this leads to abnormal load through the muscle and joints. Which you would experience as pain and decreased movement, affecting your quality of life.
How can we help?
The gentle manipulation techniques used in chiropractic help to mobilise the joints in the body. This improves the tolerance and function of the body, reducing the frequency, or likelihood of future episodes.
Of course, no two patients are the same, so at Natural Healing we combine other techniques, including – exercise prescription, massage and dry needling to create a holistic treatment plan for our patients. Our evidence based multi-disciplinary approach provides the right diagnosis and the right treatment.
If you’d like any more advice, give us a call to discuss booking an appointment for a full assessment and treatment plan that is right for you.
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