Pain is always unpleasant but chronic pain is much worse. It can make you feel depressed and broken. Acute pain can be eliminated with the help of painkillers or something else. But is you experience chronic back pain, it can bother you 24/7 for months without any relief. There is one more difference between acute pain and chronic pain. Pain signals belong to different areas of the nervous system. That’s why both kinds of pain fell somehow different.
If you suffer from constant back pain, the first thing you should do is to visit the doctor. Chronic back pain treatment can include different options and methods. But you can also decrease painful sensations in your back by yourself. Here is a list of five non-medical ways to get rid of chronic back pain.
1. Massage
Massage can work wonders with your back. All these slidings and pressures that your back experiences during the massage can really decrease an unpleasant feeling of pain and discomfort. In addition, the massage has wonderful relaxing properties that can distract you from painful sensations. Moreover, the feeling of pleasure during the good massage stimulates the production of endorphins (hormone of happiness) that can eliminate pain as well.
2. Music
Some studies show that areas of the brain that are responsible for pain perception are more noticeable on an MRI if a person experiences severe pain. And when this person distracts from his or her pain, these areas become more normal. It is also proven that favorite music can easily distract a person from unpleasant sensations. If you suffer from chronic back pain, you can try a so-called music therapy. Lay down on your bed or floor, turn on a few songs that usually cheer you up and try to fully immerse yourself in music.
3. Everyday activities
If you suffer from chronic back pain, you may think that you should lay in bed all day long and be a couch potato until things go better. But the reality is that if some of your everyday activities don’t aggravate your condition, you can stay busy with them. This strategy will help you to organize your day and distract from painful sensations. But you should be careful and don’t overdo with lifting heavy things or sharp movements. Being involved in any kind of activity can help you to feel more healthy and strong.
4. Mindful meditation
Mindful meditation means that you shouldn’t neglect and avoid the existence of pain. Despite the fact that you pay a lot of attention to your pain, mindfulness-based stress reduction can actually distract you from painful sensations. This meditation teaches you to develop a presence in the face of what you are experiencing. Regular mindfulness-based stress reduction usually takes eight weeks. But you don’t need to take the whole course to achieve some results. You can also try body scan meditation. This is one of the mindfulness techniques included in the course.
5. Exercising
Despite the fact that workouts in the gym are strictly forbidden if you suffer from chronic back pain, regular exercises (at a level that is comfortable for you) can distract you from painful sensations. Moreover, exercising helps to strengthen your muscles and make joints move. This could be enough to affect the level of your pain.
If your chronic pain is quite severe, you can choose activities that don’t aggravate your condition like easy water exercises or restorative yoga. Don’t be upset if this is all that you can handle. Such exercises are better the nothing and this method is used to make your body simply moving and nothing more.
