Chiropractic Care During Pregnancy

If you take OTC medications, such as acetaminophen or NSAIDS, daily to manage your low back pain, then you likely know that these medications can take a toll on your liver and digestive system when used long-term. Instead of treating the symptoms, you need to look into what causes this pain to begin with. If your back pain is caused by long days standing at work, then follow these tips to help prevent pain, so you can stop taking those medications every day. 

1. Wear the Right Shoes

Wearing the wrong shoes can contribute to, or even be the entire cause, of your back pain. If you are wearing old, worn-out sneakers at work, then they likely provide little arch support and do little to relieve the impact on every bone and joint in your body when you walk. Either purchase a new pair, or invest in a good pair of shoe insoles that provide not only good arch support, but are also soft and shock-absorbent. 

If you wear high heels at work, then even the best insoles will not take the stress off your lower back when standing. You don't have to switch to sneakers if you don't want to sacrifice style, as a pair of stylish flats can relieve your lower back pain almost as well as sneakers, as long as they have good insoles or you place insoles with good arch-support and shock absorption qualities inside of them. 

2. Use the Foot-stool Method to Rest Alternate Feet

Most people know that sitting with bad posture can cause back pain, but fewer realize the impact of standing with bad posture. If you stand in one place all day long, such as when working on an assembly line, then ask permission to place a small stool where you stand. You can then alternate placing one foot on the stool for about 15 minutes, then switching to the other foot. 

Don't be afraid to ask to use the stool, as your health should be as important to your supervisor as it is to you. Stress to your employer that it can help you avoid having to take sick days in the future due to intense lower back pain. 

3. Visit a Chiropractor Regularly Before Pain Strikes

While most people know that a chiropractor can do wonders to relieve back pain when it strikes, fewer people realize that frequent chiropractic adjustments can actually prevent low back pain. It is actually best to visit your chiropractor before pain hits, as even though you are not feeling pain yet, your spine may be slowly drifting out of proper alignment before you feel the effects of it in the form of pain. Your chiropractor can also give you more detailed and customized advice about how you can prevent future back pain episodes with home stretching and exercises. 

Instead of looking for quick-fixes to treat lower back pain when it strikes, you need to take steps to prevent it instead. You can then avoid those OTC medications and also avoid the development of pain that is so severe that those medications don't even help anymore.