Senior welfare should be a concern for everyone. Back pain is a common problem for seniors and if not taken care of, it can become debilitating. Serious back pain will limit your mobility and therefore impact your quality of life. So what can you do to make sure that you don’t suffer back pain in your later years?
Visit Your Doctor Right Away
Start by paying a visit to your doctor when you experience back pain for the first time. One of the reasons why back pain becomes unmanageable is because it is not diagnosed early enough to be effectively treated. The longer you leave back pain unattended the worse it will become. Your doctor will be able to diagnose the cause of your pain and prescribe the necessary medications and lifestyle changes.
Stay Active
One of the most common reasons why seniors suffer back pain is that they are immobile. They sit for hours on end and this leads to stiff back muscles. If you want to delay back pain, you ought to stay active. Have a daily exercise regime that allows you to stretch your muscles and your spine. That said, you ought to be careful not to strain yourself, as over-strain is another common reason why seniors get backaches. Find exercises that are recommended for seniors in order to avoid back pain and do them as proscribed.
Take Recommended Painkillers
If your doctor prescribes painkillers you should ensure that you take them as recommended. Addiction to painkillers is quickly becoming an epidemic in America and seniors are just as susceptible as young people. You should make sure that you incorporate chiropractic into your treatment regimen as it eliminates the need for continuous use of pills. Allow yourself to heal naturally as much as possible.
Evaluate Your Mattress
Back pain can be caused by how you sleep and what you sleep on. While a soft mattress may seem like an excellent idea for proper rest, it isn’t. When a mattress is too soft, it displaces your weight in all the wrong places and you end up with aches and pains, not to mention you don’t feel well-rested even after sleeping for 8 hours. You should find a medium density mattress. Try out several before you buy so that you can find whichever one feels most comfortable. If possible buy one that has a return policy so that in case it doesn’t work out you can have it swapped for a more suitable one.
Senior welfare should be a concern for everyone. If you or someone you know has severe back pain, get it checked out!
