Patients are known to like our Top 5 Tips for Back Pain from the top Tacoma Chiropractor. Stopping exercise, quitting a sport, missing work, and sleepless nights are all potential effects of lasting back pain. It was found in a poll that 80% of Americans will experience back pain. Incredibly, back pain has actually become the number one source of disability in America. Most people eventually seek advice or help for their back pain, which is smart; however, Americans have spent almost 30 billion dollars while looking for relief in 2012 alone. As back pain becomes one of the most well known injuries, the medical field is desperate for a cost effective solution. The article below, provided by our team at Proctor Chiropractic, will educate you on the most recent information aimed to help you with your back pain.

Five Simple Tips to Help You Manage Your Back Pain:

1. Everyone knows that obesity causes many health problems, some of which are life threatening; therefore, it comes to no surprise that back pain is one of the many problems that obesity causes. Our bodies are only designed to support a certain amount of weight and when too much is put on, excess force and pressure is put on the spine and joints throughout the body. The extra weight and therefore force on the spine accelerates the degeneration of vertebrae which is directly related to back pain.

Additionally, being overweight causes more problems that are not as commonly known. Osteoarthritis, sciatica, and herniated discs are all more prevalent in people with obesity. Furthermore, the need to consider back surgery increases as well. Sometimes a solution can be as easy as just eating healthy food that is made at home and not preserved or pre-packaged.

2. Most people are aware that cigarettes are a big risk factor for cancer and this has caused an increase in smokers quitting. But what many people do not know is that cigarettes can actually cause back pain as well. Cigarettes affects the spine due by causing atherosclerosis. This is the blockage of small arteries throughout the entire body. Tissues that compose the vertebrae and intervertebral discs receive most of their blood supply from these blood vessels. When the vessels are obstructed they can not provide the proper nutrients to the intervertebral discs, leading to degeneration early in life.

There is a plethora of consequences from smoking and they do not end there. Nicotine is abundant in cigarettes and has been known to decrease the production of osteoblasts (bone forming cells). This is believed to prevent vertebrae from recovering from regular wear and tear.

3. Everyone has been told at least once in their childhood to sit up straight. Poor posture is detrimental to your spine and negatively affects the development of the spine. With an increased number of people spending a majority of their life sitting, proper posture alone can go a long way in maintaining proper spine alignment and the prevention of back pain.

Poor posture has many direct effects. It puts more pressure on the intervertebral discs, the developed muscles attached to the spine and throughout the back.The pressure on the muscles puts force on the nerves that exit the spinal cord which results in pain. Practicing good posture and moving around more this will help you immensely.

4. Have you ever been in a car for over two hours and after getting out immediately stretched your back? Yeah, I thought so. It has been proven that when the body is inactive for long periods of time it can cause long-term musculoskeletal pain. It also causes weight gain, which is a contributor to back pain. The simple act of stretching or running can go a long way when it comes to back pain.
5. Most people wait to visit a chiropractor until they experience unbearable pain that is significantly hindering their mobility. Everyone should learn that pain is the body’s last resort and it is the body asking you to fix the issue. With both safety and effectiveness in mind, chiropractic care is the best option for treating back pain. So that you are informed, Chiropractors allow the body to function properly by adjusting the musculoskeletal and nervous system. They are experts in noticing spinal misalignments and fixing them. Every signal that your body sends your brain travels through the spinal cord. To ensure the signals are not disrupted chiropractors realign the communication line at a cost effective price. Chiropractors are even more effective at preventing back pain before it begins.

If you have more question or want to schedule a meeting call Proctor Chiropractic in Tacoma today.