5 Tips from a Chiropractor to Ease Back Pain

As a chiropractor, I treat a lot of people with back pain, and often I am asked, “What can I do to make this go away?” My goal as a chiropractor is to not only relieve a patient’s pain, but to also keep patients pain free between adjustments. It goes without saying that chiropractic care is my number one recommendation to anyone who is experiencing back pain, but in order to better serve you, here’s my list of (other) tips to ease your back pain.

1. Start Your Day With A Stretch. Stretch your hamstrings! These muscles tend to get locked up from sitting for hours on end. This means that when we stand up, our hamstrings pull on our pelvis, creating misalignments in the spine and causing pain. Here are some great hamstring stretches to try.

2. Put Down Your Phone. Text-neck is real.

3. Stop Sleeping on Your Stomach. Sleeping on your stomach does not support the natural curve of your spine and causes overarching in your back. This puts unnecessary pressure on your joints and muscles, resulting and pain and possible nerve damage. So how should you sleep? Oh look! We’ve written a post about it.

4. Don’t Cross Your Legs. If you sit at a desk for the majority of your day, keep your feet parallel and planted on the ground. If your feet don’t touch the ground, use a box or foot rest. This reduces the pressure on your lower back.

5. Sit Up Straight. Posture matters. Seriously.