5 ways to relieve your back pain and get rid of that monkey on your back

Back pain can be very bothersome and resemble what we sometimes call "wearing a monkey on its back," which is nothing more than accumulated tension in the shoulders, neck, and other parts of the body. It's a very common condition that often changes people's lives, leading them to believe they are destined to live with this pain without being able to resolve it.

Indeed, according to the Mayo Clinic, lower back pain represents between 100 and 200 billion dollars in annual expenses. This condition is one of the leading causes of lost workdays, decreased productivity, and disability. And, to make matters worse, when not treated properly, it can even contribute to depression and anxiety.

The cause of this ailment is speculative. In my experience, I've noticed that patients who come to me with severe pain at a young age generally suffer from other genetic or morphological conditions of the spine and back. When these conditions are not addressed properly and promptly, they are often the primary source of the suffering caused by lower back pain.

But who am I to talk to you about this?

For those who don't know me, I'm Ishi Rodríguez, a chiropractor with over 20 years of experience specializing in spinal alignment and posture. And that's why I can assure you that one of the most common conditions we encounter in our practice is back pain, specifically lower back pain. It's a debilitating condition, registered as one of the leading causes of disability worldwide.

For these 20 years, I've dedicated myself to finding solutions and have learned some basic approaches and a few secrets that can help you overcome that spinal and back pain.

Here are my best recommendations for you to put into practice today and start changing your life right away.

1. Check for proper spinal alignment

Let's begin with what I call proper spinal alignment. To determine if your back pain is caused by spinal misalignment or another condition, it's important to have X-rays taken and analyzed by a qualified chiropractor.

I emphasize the importance of a qualified chiropractor because I've noticed that many healthcare professionals don't prioritize spinal alignment. These professionals, while skilled and well-intentioned, often assume the problem or pain is muscular in origin if they don't observe a significant spinal dysfunction or disease. This, in my opinion, is a major mistake.

I've found that if a doctor lacks knowledge of proper spinal biomechanics and the skills to address this biomechanics, they may fail to recognize spinal misalignment as a source of back pain.

However, scoliosis, leg length discrepancy, spondylolisthesis, and other conditions are very common structural causes of back pain. Sometimes, chronic poor posture can be the cause of misalignment and disease, as can osteoarthritis. And when there is spinal misalignment caused by one of these conditions, it can lead to, for example, degenerative conditions, severe disc disease, or degenerative disc disease, which can also cause herniated discs.

Therefore, my first recommendation is to investigate the alignment of your spine by having X-rays taken and analyzed by a qualified chiropractor.

2. Keep Moving

To keep your body, discs, and spine healthy, you need to keep your spine moving; otherwise, you lose strength and muscle flexibility. Furthermore, your posture in every movement should be as correct as possible.

Through some research, I discovered that after just 15 minutes of the spine being in an improper posture, the ligaments, tendons, and muscles around the spine can begin to degenerate and become deformed. That's why it's important to eliminate sedentary behavior from your life and avoid staying in the same position for long periods.

So, try to stay active with dynamic movements, especially during work hours. Even if your job involves sitting at a desk all day, you can do some exercises that will help keep your back in shape.

3. Stay Hydrated

The spinal discs are very prone to dehydration, so it's essential to stay properly hydrated to prevent them from drying out and becoming dehydrated like a prune.

Keep in mind that daily activities dehydrate the discs. The outer ring absorbs 25% of your body weight, and the inner ring absorbs 75%. Dehydration leads to poor cushioning of your body weight, stressing the entire structure. This can cause herniated and bulging discs.

So...