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Pills Should Not Be The First Choice For Pain Relief: Look To Non-Invasive Treatments

The epidemic of opioid addiction often begins with prescription drugs for ailments like back pain. Pills, should not be the first choice for pain relief. Look to non-invasive treatments.

The epidemic of opioid addiction often begins with prescription drugs for ailments like back pain. Pills, should not be the first choice for pain relief. Look to non-invasive treatments.

Many Americans with chronic back pain tend to completely shut down, avoiding usual activities, afraid their condition will only get worse. Before using anti-inflammatories or muscle relaxants, try alternative therapies like exercise, acupuncture, or massage therapy. Avoid opioid painkillers for relief of back pain.
Many symptoms associated with lower back pain come from muscle spasms. When your hips, glutes and hamstrings become fatigued your lower back tightens up. Shooting pain down the back or legs is the result of a pinched nerve. If you experience general achiness across your lower back, you may have arthritis.
Exercises to help—or prevent—nagging spasms, discomfort, and achiness in your back.
 
Planks
Get into a pushup position, then bend your elbows and rest your weight on your forearms. Your body should form a straight line from your shoulders to your ankles. Engage your core, squeeze your glutes, and hold for 1 minute. Then roll to one side and hold your body up off the floor in a straight line from head to foot for 1 minute. Switch and do a plank on your other side.
Get into a pushup position, then bend your elbows and rest your weight on your forearms. Your body should form a straight line from your shoulders to your ankles. Engage your core, squeeze your glutes, and hold for 1 minute. Then roll to one side and hold your body up off the floor in a straight line from head to foot for 1 minute. Switch and do a plank on your other side.

 

Back Extensions
Position yourself in the back extension station and hook your feet under the leg anchors. Keeping your back naturally arched, place your hands behind your head or across your chest and lower your upper body as far as you comfortably can. Squeeze your glutes and raise your torso until it’s in line with your lower body. Pause, then slowly lower your torso to the starting position.
Position yourself in the back extension station and hook your feet under the leg anchors. Keeping your back naturally arched, place your hands behind your head or across your chest and lower your upper body as far as you comfortably can. Squeeze your glutes and raise your torso until it’s in line with your lower body. Pause, then slowly lower your torso to the starting position.

 

Swiss Ball Pikes
Rest your shins on top of a Swiss ball and support your upper body with your hands flat on the floor and slightly more than shoulder-width apart, arms straight. Your body should form a straight line from your head to your ankles. Without bending your knees, roll the ball toward your chest by raising your hips as high as you can toward the ceiling. pause, and then lower your hips as you roll the ball back to the starting position. Do 3 sets of 15 reps.
Rest your shins on top of a Swiss ball and support your upper body with your hands flat on the floor and slightly more than shoulder-width apart, arms straight. Your body should form a straight line from your head to your ankles. Without bending your knees, roll the ball toward your chest by raising your hips as high as you can toward the ceiling. pause, and then lower your hips as you roll the ball back to the starting position. Do 3 sets of 15 reps.

 

Reverse Hip Raises
Lie facedown on a bench with your torso on the bench and your hips off it. Keeping your legs nearly straight, lift them until they are in line with your torso. Squeeze your glutes, raise your hips, and pause; lower to the starting position. Do 3 sets of 15.
Lie facedown on a bench with your torso on the bench and your hips off it. Keeping your legs nearly straight, lift them until they are in line with your torso. Squeeze your glutes, raise your hips, and pause; lower to the starting position. Do 3 sets of 15.

 

Hip Raises
Lie on your back on the floor with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Squeezing your glutes, raise your hips until your body forms a straight line from your shoulders to your knees. Pause for 5 seconds, and then lower to the starting position. Do 3 sets of 15.
Lie on your back on the floor with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Squeezing your glutes, raise your hips until your body forms a straight line from your shoulders to your knees. Pause for 5 seconds, and then lower to the starting position. Do 3 sets of 15.

 

Cobra
Lie facedown on the floor with your legs straight behind you and your arms straight down next to your sides, palms down. Contract your glutes and lower-back muscles as you raise your head, chest, arms, and legs off the floor and rotate your arms so your thumbs point toward the ceiling. Hold for 30 seconds, and then relax back to the floor for 5 seconds. Repeat three times.
Lie facedown on the floor with your legs straight behind you and your arms straight down next to your sides, palms down. Contract your glutes and lower-back muscles as you raise your head, chest, arms, and legs off the floor and rotate your arms so your thumbs point toward the ceiling. Hold for 30 seconds, and then relax back to the floor for 5 seconds. Repeat three times.

 

Exercise and fitness are essential for healing existing back problems, or recovering from back injuries. Maintain a healthy lifestyle to help prevent or at least reduce the risk future episodes of back pain. Talk to your doctor and physical therapist about setting up an exercise program to return to an active life. Don’t over medicate, start a drug free plan and live pain free.
To learn more about physical therapy treatment programs to alleviate acute back pain, set up a free exploratory examination with one of our doctors today.
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Moriarty Physical Therapy is the premier physical therapist provider here in the Hudson Valley with centers located near you. To find out more about physical therapy or to book your first appointment with a physical therapist, visit our website at www.moriartypt.com or contact Moriarty Physical Therapy at (845) 454-4137.

Schedule a FREE 15-minute Exploration Visit

Come visit one of our physical therapy clinics in New York or North Carolina and one of our Doctors of Physical Therapy will do a 15-minute consultation to see if physical therapy is right for you. In the consultation, we’ll help determine the source of pain and movement restrictions to see if you would benefit from physical therapy or might need the assistance of another healthcare professional. If so, we’ll make a referral and help speed up achieving your health goal.

You have nothing to lose; the screening is free! And if physical therapy could help you, we can perform the examination right then–even without a prescription–with Direct Access (covered by insurance).

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