After a long day of work, the last thing you want to worry about is back pain. Whether you are working in an office or doing physical labor, back pain is a common result of the workplace. But don’t worry, there are multiple effective techniques that you can practice after work to relieve your pain.
Whether it’s from overuse or sciatica pain, follow these helpful tips to help relieve your back pain after the workday:
- Strengthen Your Muscles: When working out, dedicate time to strengthening your back and core muscles. These muscles work to keep your spine upright which will help to alleviate some of your back pain and help you to avoid injury. Some great core and back exercises are planks, deadlifts, pull-ups, crunches, and rowing.
- Practice Good Posture: Poor posture is one of the most predominant causes of back pain. At the workplace and at your home, you should always stay conscious of your posture. Keep your back straight with your shoulders relaxed to ensure proper posture.
- Stretch Daily: Back pain can often arise from tightness and stiffness in the muscles in your back. Dynamic stretching is a great way to relieve any excess tension in your back. Some great back stretches are cat-cow, toe touches, reaching towards the sky, and child's pose.
- Try Ice/Heat Therapy: When your back is in pain, ice and heat therapies can work wonders to relieve your pain. First, apply ice to help reduce inflammation and then heat to encourage blood flow and tissue healing.
- Consider Pain Medication: If your back pain is persistent, pain medications can be a great way to alleviate your pain. Over-the-counter medications such as acetaminophen and ibuprofen often work well to reduce back pain. For more severe back pain, it may be time to consult your doctor. Your doctor can administer injections or prescribe stronger pain medication if needed.
Back pain can be debilitating, especially when it occurs after a work shift. By following these tips, you should experience pain relief. If your back pain persists, the expert orthopedic spine physicians at NewportCare Medical are committed to helping treat your back pain so you can live a comfortable and happy life!
AUTHOR: The Spine Institute at Newport Care Medical is a leader in comprehensive surgical and non-surgical treatment of the spine. The orthopedic spine surgeons at the Spine Institute at Newport Care located in Newport Beach, California specialize in acute and chronic neck, back, and musculoskeletal injuries.
