Ways to alleviate chronic back pain

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Chronic back pain is a debilitating ailment that heavily affects daily activities. According to the American Chiropractic Association, chronic back pain is responsible for 264 million lost work days in a year, and that 80 percent of the population suffers from back pain at least once in their lives. Here are some effective ways to alleviate chronic back pain.


Take prescribed pain killers from your doctor. While it’s easy to grab generic pain killers from the pharmacy, it is always better to consult your doctor about proper back pain medication. Once your doctor has examined your spine and the possible causes of chronic pain, he or she will prescribe medication to ease the pain.

Physical therapy. Consulting a physical therapist will educate you on proper posture and keeping your spine in proper shape to lessen back pain. Therapists will teach you how to sit, stand, and move in ways that will nurture the spine and spare it from stress. Physical therapy also helps patients strengthen the core and improve flexibility, two of the main bodily functions easing back pain.

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Constantly stretch and consider workspace ergonomics. Avoid sitting slumped on your desk, especially if you are working for long stretches of hours daily. Most people bend forward while working, which can cause serious back ailments. If you can, walk around and stretch every hour for an improved blood circulation and invest in a working chair that will keep your spine comfortable.

Dr. Joseph Yazdi specializes in minimally invasive surgical techniques, motion preservation through total disc replacement, and chronic pain management by placement of dorsal column stimulator (DCS, or SCS) in selected patients. For more articles like this, visit this page.