Best Back Pain Treatments For Seniors
Do you often feel those awful aches and pains in your lower back after you wake up in the morning, or after sitting at your computer desk for hours? Do you find it difficult to bend throughout the day? You’re not alone. Many seniors suffer from chronic back pain.
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While it’s true that anybody of any age, including children, are susceptible to back aches and pains due to physical abnormalities from birth or injury, seniors in particular are most at risk of suffering from chronic back pain, especially in the lower back area. This is due to the inevitable fact that, as we age, our bodies and bone structure gradually begin to change and lose the strength, flexibility and durability that it used to have. Therefore, seniors should be extra careful to protect their spine from injury as much as possible, as they cannot heal from injuries as easily or as quickly as they once did.
Fortunately, there are several effective treatment options available for acute and chronic back pain relief, but not all of them are generally friendly or safe for those in the senior’s club, such as risky pain medications. So which treatment should you opt for? Keep on reading to discover the best and most highly recommended back pain treatments for seniors in 2022.
Lower- Back Brace
If your lower back pain is mild-moderate and affects your daily quality of life, consider trying a high-quality back brace. These back braces offer comfort, support and spine correcting benefits, which all aid in pain relief. Better yet, they can be worn throughout the day as well. They also come with an adjustable strap, are light weight, and are made from washable & breathable material. Some are rigid/semi rigid, others are flexible/semi flexible. Plus, they aren’t too pricey either.
This treatment option is best if you’re not interested in or unable to have pain medications or surgical procedures for whatever reasons.
One of the most successful and highest rated lower back braces that you can get online is The King Of Kings Lower Back Brace With Pulley System- $52.00
Get More Active and Physical Therapy
When that back ache strikes, put on those sneakers and go outside for a brisk walk to get your body moving and improve your blood circulation. Becoming more physically active on a daily basis has shown to help reduce back pain. If you’re unable to get outside due to bad weather or any other reason, you can try various exercises and workouts in the comforts of your home, such as gentle back, leg and arm stretches.
Physical therapy programs can also be very helpful in strengthening your spine by working your arms, legs and torso. If you follow through with the sessions, you should feel a significant improvement within a number of weeks.
Cold and Hot Compress
Reach for an ice pack first when back pain strikes. Applying ice (20 minutes on, 20 minutes off) helps fight off painful inflammation or muscle spasms. If you find your ice cube trays empty, you can use anything that may be in your freezer, such as a bag of frozen vegetables.
If coolness hasn’t been providing you much relief after 2 or 3 days, then it’s time to turn up the heat. Consider using a heating pad, a heating sticker, taking a hot shower or lying briefly under a heat lamp. All of these can relax your back muscles and stimulate blood flow. However, it’s important to remember- Whichever heat source you choose to use, don’t heat it up too much or fall asleep on it, as this can lead to skin burns. Also, after the heat source is removed, it’s a good idea to carefully stretch the warmed muscles to prevent spasms.
Acupuncture And Osteopathic Massage
If your back pain has become very chronic and more debilitating, the aforementioned simpler remedies may not be sufficient. In such cases, if you still wish to avoid more invasive treatments, one of the best options is acupuncture. Acupuncturists insert fine needles into the skin at specific body points and manipulate them. This can relieve chronic pain by stimulating the body’s healing process.
If you’re not a big fan of needles, which is totally understandable, you can go for Osteopathic massages instead. In these treatments, Osteopathic doctors (chiropractors) use their hands to carefully move, adjust, massage and stimulate the spine and its surrounding tissues using special movements and techniques.
Safe And Minimally Invasive Procedures
If all else has failed or hasn’t been giving you quite enough relief, your doctor may suggest one of the following treatments:
Nerve Blocking Injections: Steroids — with or without anesthetics — are injected to reduce back pain and inflammation at the source, whether it is a spinal nerve root or a facet joint.
Radiofrequency Ablation: A carefully guided needle capable of transferring radio waves is inserted to block painful nerve signals using high-frequency current. This may relieve chronic back pain for nine months or longer in carefully selected people.
Minimally Invasive Lumbar Decompression: This outpatient procedure specifically treats lumbar spinal stenosis caused by ligamentous tissue overgrowth. It is performed through a tiny incision and does not require any general anesthesia or stitches.
Minimally Invasive Vertebroplasty Or Kyphoplasty: In very severe cases, this procedure can be used when an acute spine fracture inhibits function. Cement is inserted into a broken vertebral body to relieve pain and rapidly return the patient to full spinal function.
In some cases, more invasive surgery may be required.
Final Thoughts
Never attempt to carry out any kind of clinical or medical treatment on your own or via a non-qualified individual. ALWAYS turn to a certified, experienced and trustworthy professional.
