5 Ways to Manage Back Pain and Stay Active This Year

Nearly 80% of the adults in the U.S. who make New Year’s resolutions focus on their health. Many people aim to lose weight or eat better; for those living with back pain, reducing symptoms is often a top priority. 

At Hudson Specialty Care, with offices in Cliffside Park, Elizabeth, and Edison, New Jersey, and a Manhattan location in New York City, our team of interventional pain management specialists often counsels patients on managing back pain.

Keep reading for five ways to reduce back pain and improve mobility this year.

1. Start with gentle, regular movement

If you have back pain, it’s tempting to avoid exercise and other physical activities. But a lack of movement can worsen symptoms. Prolonged inactivity leads to muscle weakness, reduces blood flow, and increases the risk of stiffness.

Try to move your body for at least 30 minutes a day, five days a week. You don’t have to join a gym or ramp up activity quickly. Start slow and build up intensity over time. Walking, cycling, and swimming are all low-impact activities and can help you get back into shape.

When dealing with back pain, the goal of exercise isn’t intensity, but consistency.

2. Strengthen your core

One of the most common causes of back pain is muscle weakness. Without strong muscles, your spinal bones (vertebrae) and the surrounding tendons and ligaments may absorb more stress, increasing the risk of injuries and inflammation.

Strengthening your core muscles, especially those in your abdomen and lower back, can reduce this tension. Exercises such as bird dogs, planks, and crunches can build up these muscles and make it easier to move comfortably.

3. Focus on improving your posture

Many people spend long hours sitting at a desk or behind the wheel of a car. These activities may not seem strenuous, but they often cause you to slouch, hunch your back, or push your neck forward.

Unfortunately, these and similar postures can stress the soft tissues in your back and increase the risk of pain.

Be mindful of your posture and correct it throughout the day. If you work at a desk, keep your feet flat on the floor and your knees at a 90-degree angle. Likewise, position your ear lobes directly above your shoulders, and take frequent breaks to stretch, stand up, and move around.

4. Use hot and cold therapy to ease flare-ups

Most back pain improves with at-home treatments such as ice and heat therapy. However, it helps to know when to use each. Heat therapy can relax tight muscles, while cold therapy reduces swelling.

If your lower back muscles feel tense after a workout, apply a heating pad or hot water bottle for 20-30 minutes, being careful not to burn your skin. That can reduce stiffness, increase circulation, and help manage inflammation.

If your back pain is due to an injury, such as a fall, apply an ice pack to the affected area. That can ease swelling, reduce muscle spasms, and numb your nerve endings, providing temporary pain relief.

5. Listen to your body

Sometimes, back pain persists even after activity modifications and at-home treatments. If your pain worsens when you engage in certain activities, such as exercise, make a note.

You don’t necessarily have to stop working out, but you don’t want to exacerbate the underlying injury. It’s better to get a professional opinion than push through the pain and increase your risk of more serious issues down the road.

After reviewing your health records, discussing your symptoms, and completing a comprehensive exam, we can make custom treatment recommendations to help you feel better.

Request treatment for back pain today

If you’ve tried to treat your back pain at home but can’t find lasting relief, working with a pain management specialist can help. We offer a variety of treatments, including epidural steroid injections, spinal cord stimulation, and minimally invasive spine procedures.

To get started, schedule an appointment by phone or online today at the Hudson Specialty Care office nearest you.