Back Pain: The Real Cost Of Moving Your Own Stuff

15 February 2017
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You're in pretty good physical shape, so you decided against hiring a moving company and just rented a truck to move your own stuff when you were ready to get a new place.

However, moving heavy furniture and appliances up and down stairs, especially with the group of ragtag friends and family members that you could corral into helping you, turned out to be more demanding than you expected, and your back has paid the price.

What can you do to alleviate back pain?

It's normal for overworked muscles to be stiff and painful for a few days. Rest, a heating pad, and over the counter painkillers such as ibuprofen and acetaminophen can reduce pain and inflammation.

After a few days of rest, you should resume physical activity to keep your back muscles from being stiff. While heavy lifting or high impact activities are not a good idea, aerobic types of exercise such as biking or brisk walking will release endorphins, which are synthetic opiates that reduce pain and induce a feeling of mild euphoria.

What can you do if your back pain doesn't subside after a few days?

Prolonged or periodic back pain may indicate a more serious condition. You may have ruptured one of the discs between your vertebra that allows them to move freely, or your spinal vertebra may have become misaligned.

When a disc is ruptured, the gel inside can irritate the spinal fluid, causing intense pain. If this happens at the lower part of the spine, it may irritate the sciatic nerves that join the spinal nerves at the lowest vertebra and travel down the legs to the feet.

When the spinal vertebra are forced out of alignment, the spinal nerves or the fluid that surrounds them may become pinched or irritated, resulting in either back pain or pain in the lower body, such as the buttocks, hips, outer thighs, calves, or feet.

How can these injuries be treated?

If a ruptured disc is suspected, You may need an advanced scan such as a CT scan or MRI. However, if you are in generally good health, with no personal or family history of ruptured discs, your insurance company may opt for physical therapy to avoid paying for these expensive scans.

Some ruptured discs can heal on their own with conservative treatment and physical therapy. If your back doesn't get better, the insurance company will likely agree to a CT or MRI scan. 

Surgery may be needed for a ruptured disc that won't heal through conservative treatment. If you are found not to have a ruptured disc, you will need to visit a chiropractor to examine the alignmentf your spinal vertebra.

What does a chiropractor do to align your spine?

Chiropractors use manual manipulation to align the individual vertebra of the back and neck. They also stretch tight muscles that may be keeping the vertebra from regaining their natural alignment, and teach you exercises to keep your spine in shape.

Proper alignment of the spine provides benefits beyond pain relief. Your spinal nerves transmit all of the impulses form your brain to the rest of your body.

If this neural pathway is compromised, messages from the brain to stimulate healing and reduce inflammation are impeded, affecting overall health. 

Even if you never intend to move your own belongings again, you should consider periodic visits with a chiropractor if you live an active lifestyle, just to achieve peak performance and better overall health. For more information, visit websites like http://www.rockwoodchiropractic.com.