22 Feb Lower Back Pain And Depression
One of the most common complaints that people visit us for here at Camberley osteopathy clinic OsteoVision is lower back pain. Typically, such problems will improve within a few weeks or perhaps a couple of months, but if symptoms persist, the pain can become chronic and this has mental health implications, potentially leading to depression and anxiety.
It is natural for people to experience pain at some point in their lives and most of the time it’s not cause for concern, but if problems do continue for some time, it can become incredibly wearing – and this is when depression may well become problematic, not only from a mental health perspective but also possibly making the pain feel even worse.
Experiencing chronic pain can increase your stress levels and make it hard to sleep, which will also have an impact on your mood, wearing you down even further, which is why it’s important to address your back pain symptoms as soon as they manifest themselves, so you can prevent them from becoming too problematic for you.
How to treat lower back pain
Seeing an osteopath can make a huge difference to the pain you may be experiencing in your lower back and there are various ways the symptoms can be treated. Here at OsteoVision, we can offer treatment for both lower and mid back pain, with each plan tailored specifically to suit you, your diagnosis, age and fitness level.
A typical plan will include soft tissue techniques, joint manipulation and joint articulation, which you’ll find will relieve pain, release tension and improve functionality. We can also advise you on other health and lifestyle issues, giving you exercises to do to help strengthen your back, guiding you on correct posture and so on.
How can I relieve my symptoms?
It might be tempting to keep still and not move around if you’re in pain but it’s actually better to stay as active as you can, carrying on with your daily activities as normal if possible. Resting for long periods of time can actually make your pain worse, so if you’re able to, move around and continue as you normally would
To help manage the pain, try taking ibuprofen or a similar anti-inflammatory painkiller, or consider using compression packs or a hot water bottle to give you some relief.
Regular exercise is one of the best ways to prevent back pain from manifesting itself in the first place so if you know you’re not as active as you could be, this could perhaps become your focus this year.
Hopefully the gyms will open up again soon, with April 12th being put forward as the earliest date that this will happen, so why not get ready now and sign up to one in your local area?
Swimming is one of the best forms of exercise you can do since it minimises the stress or strain on your body, so perfect to help you gain strength and improve your fitness levels without causing any injuries.