What You Can Do to Manage Neck and Back Pain

Although it is common to experience neck or back pain, living with such conditions can burden your daily life by affecting your moods and making sleeping difficult. Fortunately, you don’t have to live with it. The experienced team of experts at Elite Physical Medicine can help you manage neck and back pain in Mason through personalized pain management. Most importantly, you can help yourself manage the condition, particularly when experiencing acute neck or back pain. With the following easy tips, you can improve your condition.

Use Some Ice and Heat

If your pain is a result of muscle or ligament strains, this can be an excellent way to improve it. The basic rule is to ice the painful area and then heat it after about 48 hours. The ice will act as a local anaesthetic and will slow down the inflammation and swelling. However, after about 48 hours, it will lose its effect, and this is when to begin using heat. The heat will increase blood flow in the tissues within the painful area, relaxing the muscle spasm and offering relief.

Take it Easy

Sometimes your neck or back pain can be from too much pressure from strenuous activity. In such a situation, easing the pressure off the affected area can cause some relief. This may call for a shift in your daily activities and some lifestyle changes, no matter how little choice you have over that matter. Put in mind that a few days of restricting your activity, and probably taking some over-the-counter medications, may be all you need to manage your condition. However, it would be good to give your doctor a visit or a call before taking any medications.

Keep on Moving

Although resting and restraining from an activity is highly recommended to ease pain, you will have to move your muscles and joints beyond the point of initial restriction. That is why it is essential to do some simple exercises to improve your condition. However, it is good to consult your doctor to help you know which type of exercises are most helpful. Besides, your provider can offer an exercise program based on your unique condition.

Improve on Your Posture

Some neck and back pain cases are due to poor postures. Therefore, correcting your posture and keeping your spine aligned can help improve your painful condition. Your daily sleeping, standing, and sitting habits may require some adjustments. You will also need to learn proper ways of lifting and bending. Besides, you might have to rearrange your working space and adjust the equipment if they contribute to poor posture.

See Your Doctor

If, after trying to manage your painful condition through some self-help ways, your neck or back pain persists, maybe it is time for more advanced treatments. Although you may keep on with some of your practices, your doctor can recommend other treatment options to ease your pain. Your provider at Elite Physical Medicine will diagnose your condition and design the best treatment option suitable for you.

If your neck or back hurts, it’s time to ease the pain. With the above practices, you can improve your condition. Most importantly, in everything you do, please consult your provider at Elite Physical Medicine for guidance.