Golf and Dealing with Back Pain

Following on from a recent guest post on staying motivated, here's another guest blog on how to deal with back pain. It's something many of us struggle with. 

Sure, we don't hit the ball or twist the body with the kind of force that Tiger Woods exerts, so, hopefully, none of us will ever need the back surgery he endured in March, but back pain of any description is likely to see you leaving your clubs in the car and and your feet up on the couch.

Back pain can be one of the most debilitating forms of discomfort, reducing quality of life significantly and potentially stopping you from being able to work, rest or play. However, back pain might not be a major cause for concern as, in the majority of cases, symptoms will disappear within six weeks or so, without treatment being needed.

Of course, for some people, back pain will be a long term issue. Yet, even those with a much longer road to recovery will be able to find ways to reduce the pain and speed up the recovery process. In short, whether acute or chronic, there will be certain steps you can take to deal with back pain and to ensure that symptoms have the best chance of improving as soon as possible.

Don’t ignore it

It may be tempting to think ‘I won’t let this defeat me’ and to try to carry on as normal. However, this will be a mistake. Fighting through the pain to carry out ordinary tasks will not help you to get the better of back pain and instead is likely to make things worse. When your back hurts, rest as much as you possibly can, taking the weight off your body and finding a comfortable position to relax in. When it comes to relaxation and sleep, for those with acute issues, it is worth using cushions or pillows to raise legs and straighten out your back, experimenting with positions. For those with chronic problems, sleeping can be a big problem, and for this it will be wise to look at Adjustamatic beds to see how these could help you find the perfect position. Such beds might not only make sleeping feasible once more, but they may even help improve your symptoms over time, and may even come with massage options to further ease your pain.

Reduce inflammation

Whilst you may find medication that can reduce inflammation and in turn the pain you are feeling, you are just as likely to find that the right amount of heat in the right place does the trick for you. For those with chronic pains or even those who just want to get back to full health as soon as possible and have the best possible solution should pain recur, it will be worth considering the hydrotherapy options offered on many modern baths. These will also help to promote better blood circulation, improving your condition in both the short-term and the long.

Stretch

When it comes to stretching, certain exercises could do you more harm than good, so always take it easy, and where possible talk to a physiotherapist before you start trying to stretch your way back to health. Always take it slow, but when you have found exercises that really are helping, be sure to carry them out religiously, one or more times a day, to ensure you have the best chance of resolving your back pain problems.

Get help

If you are worried about the cause or simply cannot cope with the pain, and you have tried the other steps mentioned above, it may be time to talk to your doctor about other options for dealing with your condition. They may refer you to a physiotherapist who will work with you to mitigate the problems associated with back pain.

There are of course other solutions, from massages to chiropractory, but the best choices are likely to be different for different people depending on the severity of their pain and how long they have been (or are likely to be) suffering. However, the benefits of the right bed and a good bath should not be overlooked by any individual with back problems, and so whilst physical therapy and painkillers may help, the right rest and the right relaxation may be the best medicine.