Aside from being closely related to me and being among the people I love the most, my mother, two of my sisters, and my husband have another thing in common – they all suffer from back ailments. Scoliosis, spondylosis, disc dessication, slipped discs, mild foraminal stenosis…the list goes on and on. Suffice it to say that they all experience perennial backaches.

None of them want to resort to surgery just yet and are instead taking measures to keep their conditions from worsening. Some diet modification was done to keep their weights at the normal range and physical therapy was recommended. Also, here are some of the methods they use to alleviate back pain:

Medication. Both my husband and my sister take muscle relaxants and pain relievers for persistent back pains. When the pain is excruciating, they’ve even thought to buy concentrates, as cannabis is said to help relieve chronic pain. If this is something you are currently suffering from, this may be worth doing some research into.
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Therapy. Treatment may include ultrasound, heat pads, traction, stretches on machines, and TENS. These are the sorts of treatments that you could give a go if you have been involved in an accident that wasn’t your fault before seeking legal advice, as your health should be your top priority. With that being said, speaking to a lawyer is very important too, as they can help you get your life back on track.

They also receive instructions for home exercises where they are required to do leg raises, wall squats, lower back stretches, slow crunches, and others.

Special Mattresses. My sister’s physician advised her to take a look at lower back pain mattresses since they are specifically to prevent back pain. She followed her physician’s advice and she’s stopped having back pains now! I don’t remember though whether she chose to get a memory foam mattress or just opted for a memory foam mattress topper. Hubby and mom, on the other hand, are more comfortable with a Permahard mattresses.

Massages. My husband calls his masseuse at least once a week. He also has a back massager with infrared for heat which he uses before he sleeps at night. He uses a special liniment to relax his muscles during his massages. Before trying this, however, it might be a good idea to consult a chiropractor low back pain specialist to make sure you don’t make it any worse.

Acupuncture. Only my eldest sister has tried acupuncture. However, she found relief only for a few hours after each session. According to the Korean doctor/acupuncturist, he could do nothing about my sister’s condition as he could only fix back pain caused by stress or muscle strain.

Thankfully, none of their conditions necessitate undergoing surgery. Hopefully, with proper diet, exercise, and therapy, they will be able to manage their back ailments without having to resort to any surgical operation.

Disclaimer: This post is part of a campaign for Healthy Back. However, all opinions and views are entirely my own and are based on my personal experiences.