When your back hurts, you don’t want to do anything except get it to stop hurting. Fortunately, there are some ways to relieve upper Back Pain Bedford so you can get back to doing the things you love to do. If these techniques don’t work, the experts at Metro Medic in New Bedford, Massachusetts can get you immediate relief from your back pain through its Advanced Wellness & Rehab Center.
Pain in the upper back is less common than pain in the lower back because there is less flexibility in the bones in the upper back than there is in the lower region. So, when you have pain here, there are some very specific causes, such as a muscle strain or injury to the muscles or ligaments that support the spine in this area, bad posture, a herniated disc, or other pressure on the spinal nerves, osteoarthritis, or myofascial pain.
In rare cases, pain in the upper back can be caused by other medical issues, since this part of the back protects vital organs like the lungs, heart, and liver. Some medical conditions that could lead to upper back pain include gallbladder disease, an infection, or cancer. Again, these causes of back pain are rare and are really only a concern if other causes have been ruled out. This will require a medical provider to diagnose.
Techniques for treating pain in the upper back range from things you can do at home to medical Back Pain Treatment New Bedford MA that are administered by medical professionals. It’s always good to try the at-home remedies first because there is no harm in attempting to relieve the pain yourself. This is usually a more inexpensive route to go, but it doesn’t always work, particularly if you have suffered an injury to the area or you have a herniated disc.
Bed rest has long been prescribed for back pain bedford, and often it is the only way people can get some relief. However, more recent research suggests that laying down for more than 48 hours is not helpful, and that movement is necessary to prevent the pain from becoming worse. Still, if you have severe back pain and you are unable to function effectively because of it, you should take a break. Just don’t wait too long to get moving again.
Sometimes, an over-the-counter (OTC) pain reliever can take the edge off of back pain bedford enough for you to move your body through it. In other words, without pain, you are able to move your back relatively normally and allow your injury to heal. OTC pain relievers typically work by reducing the number of prostaglandins that are made, which are a hormone-like substance that irritates nerve endings. These medicines can also lower swelling as well, thereby reducing pain associated with inflammation.
The usual OTC painkillers that are recommended for back pain include acetaminophen (Tylenol), which works well on pain, but not on inflammation; ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), which is excellent on both pain and inflammation, but leaves your body quickly; and naproxen (Aleve), which acts quickly on both pain and inflammation, but stays in your system longer than ibuprofen. Acetaminophen and either ibuprofen or naproxen can be taken together for added pain relief.
Heat works by improving circulation in the area that is causing you pain and allows oxygen and nutrients to travel more effectively to muscles and joints. The nutrients and oxygen stimulate the body’s natural healing process, which will begin healing damaged muscles, reducing inflammation, and improving stiffness. Any type of heat can help with back pain, but a heating pad is ideal because it is portable and can target specific sites better, such as the upper back.
Conversely, ice therapy can also help relieve upper back pain because it slows inflammation and swelling. As such, it is particularly helpful if you have suffered an injury in the area. Moreover, ice acts as a numbing agent so you will feel the pain less. Ice shrinks the nerve endings and slows the nerve impulses where the ice is applied, thereby reducing pain. Finally, ice can also minimize tissue damage, again, especially in the event of an injury.
While heat can be applied at any time to reduce back pain, ice is most effective in the immediate aftermath of an injury. In most cases, it’s less effective after about 48 hours following an injury. Ice therapy also needs to be limited to five minutes at a time to avoid ice burn, and ice should never be placed directly on the skin. Fortunately, ice does not have to make contact with the skin to work.
Even though your instinct might be to avoid movement when you’re experiencing upper back pain, experts recommend that you actually should exercise to relieve the pain. Focus on exercises that strengthen your back muscles, as the stronger your muscles are, the less likely they will be to become strained. Yoga is also a great way to stretch the muscles of your back and keep them loose and flexible. Strengthening your stomach muscles can also help keep your back pain free.
Some specific exercises you can to do help ease your pain include neck and shoulder rolls; chair rotations; rowing; lat pulldowns; and various yoga poses like child’s pose, cat cow, puppy pose, and supine twist. These exercises should be repeated daily, even after your pain goes away. This will prevent it from returning. However, if any exercise is too painful to do, you should discontinue it and speak with a doctor before trying anything else.
Ensuring you have good posture when you are standing or seated can go a long way in relieving your back pain. When you have good posture, your spine is aligned and stable, However, when you slouch, your muscles and ligaments in your back are under strain to keep your body balanced. If you have to sit at a computer for long periods of time, be sure to get an ergonomic chair that helps you practice good posture throughout the day.
Prolonged exposure to stress can cause pain in your upper back because stress releases cortisol and adrenaline, which cause an involuntary tightening of the muscles in your body, including those in your back. The neck, shoulders, and spine often bear the brunt of stress tightening, which is also where you’ll start to feel pain when the muscles get tired of tightening. Stress can also cause poor posture, which, as we’ve seen, also leads to back pain.
If you are unable to find relief for your upper back pain using the at-home treatments, you may need to try a medical intervention. Chiropractors are the logical place to start, as they are professionals in treating all types of back pain. For pain in the upper back, they will first complete a physical exam before using spinal manipulation or other techniques to realign your musculoskeletal structure and allow the body to heal itself.
There are two main spinal manipulation techniques used in chiropractic Back Pain Treatment MA for back pain. The first is the diversified technique, which is a spinal manipulation that is completed with the hands pushing down on the affected area to realign the joints. The second is the biophysics technique, which is spinal manipulation that is focused on realigning the spine by restoring proper posture. The technique for you will depend on your specific injury and needs.
Both acupuncture and acupressure involve stimulating the body’s nervous system to enhance blood flow to the part of the body that is in pain. Acupuncture involves inserting needles into acupoints, while acupuncture involves a practitioner manually pressing on acupoints using their fingers, elbows, thumbs, palms, or devices.
Acupuncture and acupuncture are based on traditional Chinese medicine and have been used to relieve pain for centuries. The acupoint between your fourth finger and your pinky is known to ease back pain bedford.
Massage is often recommended as a way to relieve back pain because it causes you to release the tension in your muscles. Absent any other injury, tension can be completely responsible for back pain, so massage is an excellent way to get quick relief. Massage works in a way that is similar to acupuncture in that it stimulates blood flow to the massaged area. The blood delivers the oxygen and nutrients needed to stimulate the body’s natural healing process.
Moreover, massage helps release toxins that are stored in your muscles when they are tightened up. The increased blood flow to the area removes these toxins from your body, making the massaged area healthier and more likely to heal itself. Massage also heats up the temperature of your back muscles, which improves elasticity and flexibility around the joints, thereby reducing tension and pain. You’ll also notice that your posture improves after a massage because the muscles are no longer tight.
In some cases, you may just need a stronger pain reliever to help ease the pain in your back. An opioid may be prescribed, but it is only appropriate for a short time (between seven and 10 days). Your doctor could prescribe a stronger anti-inflammatory or a muscle relaxer medication to target the cause of your pain. Some patients might even need an anticonvulsant medication, which works best for nerve damage. Before medication is prescribed, an exam will be necessary.
Another way to block the pain so that you are able to participate in other at-home treatments is for a practitioner to administer a thoracic epidural injection into a trigger point surrounding your spinal cord. Usually, injections like these will only be considered after you have experienced back pain for three months or longer, and have tried other interventions without success. Injections can relieve your back pain for a few weeks to a few months.
There are some specific symptoms associated with back pain that indicate medical intervention. If you are having any of these symptoms associated with upper back pain, you should seek medical assistance right away:
As you can see, there are many ways to go about relieving upper back pain, from things you can do yourself to surgical solutions. However, chiropractic and massage treatments are some of the most effective ways to relieve back pain. Contact Metro Medic in New Bedford, Massachusetts to learn how we can help you alleviate your pain so you can get back to enjoying your life.
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