Spinal Pain: Relief Without Drugs

Health & Medical Blog

If you suffer from pain due to spinal issues, you know how it can limit your daily life. Opioid medications are often prescribed to relieve the pain, but these substances are quite addictive and pose a danger to those who use them regularly. Fortunately, you can find alternatives to strong pain medication. Before you turn to drugs, try some alternatives.

Cognitive Therapy

A therapist can help you change the way you respond to pain. For instance, patients learn to relax, relieving muscle contractions and lowering blood pressure. You can even lower your heart rate. For those suffering chronic neck and back pain due to spinal problems, cognitive therapy can lessen or even eliminate your need for painkillers. You can also improve your overall health by pursuing this method.

Manual Therapy

Manual therapy can provide a high level of relief for many people. The therapist applies pressure to the spine and joints. This "passive movement" allows the muscles and ligaments to stretch which can improve your range of motion. Also, manual therapy can lead to the release of natural "opiates" that relieve pain. Also, people have been found to benefit simply from being touched. In addition, manual therapy can realign your spine, relieving nerve pressure that can cause a great deal of pain. 

Exercise and Posture

Getting motivated to exercise when you are in serious pain is difficult, but moderate activity is essential to relieving pain. In fact, walking is quite helpful because it relieves the stress that prolonged sitting puts on the spine. Walking is a "neutral" position, so punctuating your day with short walks can relieve pain. You should not undertake strenuous activity while you are experiencing problems, but you should exercise daily. 

Maintaining good posture is also vital to spinal health. When you are sitting, your back should be straight with your shoulders back and not hunched forward. Your buttocks should be touching the back of your chair, and your feet should be flat on the floor. Slouching when you are tired only exacerbates the problem. In fact, you burn more energy when you use poor posture than you do when you sit and stand correctly.

Spinal pain is often agonizing and can make the tasks of daily life difficult. If you want to avoid being dependent on drugs for pain relief, you can try other methods to control your pain. Consult with your physician or a therapist like http://www.nrothandrehab.com about which therapy or combination of therapies would be best for you. 

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5 August 2016

pregnancy, labor and delivery - working with a midwife

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