What can I do to help myself if I have spinal pain?
There are lots of things you can do to help manage your symptoms. The best person to help is you! Changes in lifestyle and modifying your activities can reduce your symptoms and stop things getting worse.
Try not to worry
It is only natural to feel worried. Feelings such as worry, anxiety and fear, or negative expectations about treatment are barriers in preventing people recover.
Painkillers
A range of different medications may be available to help reduce your pain to allow you to move more comfortably. Do not exceed the daily allowance of these medicines even if your pain is high. Always consult a health professional prior to taking any new medication. If you are unsure of what medication you can take, speak with your local pharmacist, practice nurse or GP for guidance.
If you are prescribed medication it is important that you take them regularly and at the recommended dose (see medication packet for details). All medicines can cause side-effects, particularly if they are not used as prescribed. Side-effects range from “common” to “uncommon” and vary from person to person. Information on possible side-effects is available on the leaflet inside the packaging of your medication. It is important to speak to your local pharmacist, practice nurse or GP who may be able to change the dose or the medication itself to something that is more suitable.
You should try to use any prescribed medication at the recommend dose. Some medicines can take a number of weeks to have an effect, this depends on the person. It is best to speak again with your GP or pharmacist about what other options are available if you don’t feel your medicines are helping.
Heat/ice
A hot water bottle or ice pack (such as a bag of ice cubes) can be used regularly to help control pain in the early stages of new onset of spinal pain or a flare up of existing pain.
If using ice, wrap the ice pack in a towel and apply to the painful area for 10 minutes every two hours.
If you are using heat, wrap the warm compress in a towel and place it on the painful area for 20 minutes every two hours.
If you have any concerns about the feeling on the skin where you are placing any of the mentioned compresses, ask a health professional to assess this before following this advice.
Lifestyle adaptations
Plan your activities in advance. Some simple changes in how you perform your daily tasks may help. For example:
- try to spread activities out over the course of the day or week. Take short breaks regularly and plan for these breaks before the point of pain.
- change your position regularly and take breaks from static positions. If you drive long distances, consider a rest point and get out the car before the pain makes you stop.
- consider options which may make activities easier, for example, allow others to help, use step ladder / trolley.
General Health
It is important to look after you, and not just your spine. There are many factors which affect spinal pain. For example,
- smoking
- carrying extra weight can increase your chances of developing back pain.
Reducing smoking, losing weight, increasing your fitness and reducing stress can all have a positive impact on your pain.
If you need help reducing or quitting smoking then click - Quit Your Way
If you feel you may be carrying some extra weight then click - BMI Calculator to assess you Body Mass Index
If you need help losing weight the click - Weight Management Advice
Relaxation/mindfulness
Stress, anxiety and muscle tension can make spinal pain worse. One way of reducing the effects of stress is to learn how to relax your spinal muscles. The best way is to aim for a balance between exercise and relaxation.
Local NHS Ayrshire and Arran physiotherapists have created mindfulness tracks to assist with relaxation. These can be found on the NHS Ayrshire and Arran Pain Management website or click HERE to take you direct to the mindfulness tracks.
Manual therapy
There is some evidence to suggest that manual techniques may be useful in helping your symptoms in the short term. This should only form part of your management plan. Manual therapy or manipulation may give a “window of opportunity” to help you move and exercise normally. It is this normal movement and exercise which will provide benefits in the long term.
Sleeping
Sleep is very important. Our bodies repair while we sleep so it’s useful to practice healthy sleep habits.
People with persistent pain often find that they have difficulty getting to sleep or waken frequently throughout the night.
In the dark, our whole attention is free to focus on the pain. This makes it much louder. Like the ticking of a clock that we don’t notice till the lights are out. If we are not getting enough sleep and repair, this may contribute to the ill health and sensitivity of our tissues.
Many things may prevent good sleep, including:
- Napping during the day or sleeping late to catch up.
- Not doing enough during the day to get tired.
- Worry, adrenaline and stress.
- Alcohol, caffeine and smoking.
- Staying up most of the night, in bed a lot of the day.
- Using electronic equipment, mobile phones in bed before sleeping.
Identifying and addressing some of these factors can be very useful if your sleep is disturbed.
Should I change my pillow or mattress?
The answer to this is not as simple as a “yes” or “no” because everyone’s needs are different.
Expensive pillows and mattresses do not mean that they are the best solution to your spinal pain so it is worth trying a few simple changes first.
If your pillow is too soft, too firm or too thick this could be contributing to your neck discomfort. Simply changing the number of pillows you use may be helpful.
The general suggestion for pillow use is that your head should be supported and isn’t pushed too far forward or to the side. The pillow should fill in the natural hollow between the neck and shoulders.
If your mattress is old, sagging or simply too hard consider a change. Remember we are all made slightly differently so each of us will have our own “comfortable” type of mattress.
Exercise
Targeted exercises are effective for improving movement, strength and reducing pain. Local physiotherapists have researched the evidence to provide the most current exercises to improve your symptoms. Click HERE for neck pain exercises
Aerobic Fitness
Physical activity is good for everybody and too much rest can lead to stiffness and weakness. Our bodies are built for movement and research has shown that bed rest for more than a couple of days doesn’t help spinal pain and in the long-term actually makes your symptoms worse.
General exercise as well as targeted spinal exercises can help your fitness and improve your movement and pain. Exercising may make you feel a bit sore at first but it doesn’t cause any harm, so don’t be put off!
When you are in pain exercise should start slowly and you should try to gradually increase the amount that you do. It may be helpful to take your prescribed medication before you exercise but do not exceed the daily recommended amount.
As well as doing targeted exercises for the spine, it is important to remember that general exercise, such as walking, cycling and swimming, can also help to improve your movement and pain. The NHS Fitness Studio also provides good information on exercise.
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