5 TIps for Low Back Pain in Knoxville

Unfortunately, low back pain in Knoxville is an exceedingly common complaint and can range anywhere from a slight discomfort to completely debilitating. Here a few tips for reducing your low back pain!

1. Ice and heat:

If you are already dealing with low back pain, you may be living with a ice pack or heating pad close by at all times. Ice is an easy, passive way to decrease inflammation and create a localized numbing. Heat on the other hand helps to warm the muscles in that area and create a short-term relaxing effect. Which one will work better for you? Unfortunately, there is no easy way to tell which will have a better effect for your low back pain. We recommend trying both to see which feels best!

2. Exercise your core:

Strong core muscles help to strengthen and stabilize the low back. For those already dealing with low back pain, low-impact, aerobic exercise is a great option to elevate your heart rate and increase blood flow. Increased blood flow helps to supply muscles with important nutrients for healing while also helping to create better mobility of the joints and muscles. Below are a few exercises we recommend trying to specifically work your core.

3. Beginner yoga:

Yoga is a gentle, guided form of exercise, relaxation, and stretching. Many of us spend a lot of time in a sedentary position which can tighten and restrict muscles leading to low back discomfort. Yoga can be intimidating if you have never tried it before but one important aspect of yoga is the ease of variability. Great yoga classes and instructors will show you variations for your ability and goals. However, if you don’t have time or feel comfortable trying a class with a room of strangers we recommend trying it at home! You won’t need a lot of time or equipment, 15-20 minutes and a small space on carpet will work just fine! We recommend this YouTube Channel for a wide array of focuses, difficulties, and time.

https://www.youtube.com/user/yogawithadriene

4. Correct your posture:

Posture is a common culprit of low back and neck pain. Posture is something that we develop over our lifetime and therefore can be difficult to correct. To determine whether your posture is affecting your low back pain, first start taking note of when your pain begins. For instance, if you notice you have pain at the end of a long day sitting at your computer but not in the morning or on the weekend, your chair and posture may to be to blame. For more tips on posture and ergonomics, see the link below!

https://www.spine-health.com/wellness/ergonomics/ten-tips-improving-posture-and-ergonomics

5. Chiropractic care:

Chiropractic adjustments help to realign your spinal bones that have shifted out of proper alignment. Bones can shift due to various activities such as sitting at a desk with poor posture for long periods, motor vehicle accidents, slips and falls, Improper alignment, also called subluxations, can irritate or inflame joints and discs. Gentle and specific adjustments help to relieve that irritation and getting you back to living your best life!