Lower Back Pain: How To Get Relief

Almost every adult experiences some degree of lower back pain at some time in his/her lifetime. This is a pain that can come on very suddenly and in some cases, seemingly without cause.

For example, you could be browsing sites on the Internet when you suddenly feel a dull ache spread across your lower back. You may initially adjust your position and try to ignore the discomfort. If the pain continues or gets worse your next step may be to get up and stretch a little, and if you are lucky that will do the trick.

Your next thoughts are likely to center around what caused the back pain in the first place. Many times the exact cause is never determined but in most cases lower back aches are triggered by a combination of overuse, muscle strain and injury to ligaments, discs, and even muscle tissue.

Believe it or not, sitting for long periods of time does put a strain on your back. The lumbar (small of the back) is naturally curved. When sitting, your pelvis rotates backwards and the load through your vertebrae increases. Most of us have a tendency to slightly lean forward toward our computer.

As we do this the muscles deep in our backs shrink and at the same time our abdominal muscles shorten while our outer back muscles overstretch and weaken. The back is then at risk for injury.

We’ve all heard that good posture is important, and this is one incident that it can pay off. There are specially designed chairs that can assist in keeping the spine properly aligned.

If you spend long hours sitting, a well constructed lumbar chair is an excellent investment. But the best way to get and maintain a strong and healthy back is through exercise.

Because any movement requires the use of more than one muscle you have to exercise more than just your back. Building strong muscles in the back, pelvis and lower torso will allow those body parts to work in harmony in a way that will protect as well as stabilize the spine as you move.

So what should you do when you experience back pain? The first advice is that you will need to assess the need for a visit to your physician. Many people immediately want to spend time in bed to recover from back pain.

While that may help to prevent one from aggravating the pain, it will likely result in a longer period of rehabilitation and the pain felt will be more intense.

Exercise is often the perfect solution for relieving lower back pain but many people find that it is too intense for them. Another helpful tactic is that of massage. Because massages are generally very relaxing and comfortable they appeal to most people and they offer lots of benefits.

The massaging action causes muscles to become relaxed and relaxed muscles have an increased range of motion. This aids in physical therapy and/or easing general restriction of movement.

Another benefit of relaxed muscles is that it will help reduce insomnia. Also, because the blood supply is improved with massage, there is a quicker recovery of muscular soreness from physical activity.

And finally, the massage action increases endorphin levels in the body. Endorphins are known to help us to feel good and to abolish the sensation of pain, so this is an excellent and natural way to deal with lower back pain.