Not all back pain requires treatment with medication. If you suffer back pain – whether intermittent or chronic – your doctor may recommend common sense approaches that can help manage or relieve back pain and improve your daily functioning.

Know your physical limits.

Heavy lifting can strain muscles in your body, increasing the risk that you will injure yourself. Lift with your legs since they're stronger than your back. Another way to help lessen the impact on your spine is to tighten your stomach muscles as you lift.

Hold the object you are lifting close to your body and bend at the knees as you lift so that you can keep your back straight. If you have to strain as you lift, the object is too heavy for you to lift without help.

Breathe deeply.

Because anxiety causes muscle tension, which strains the muscles, stress can lead to muscle pain. Anxiety may also cause you to eat less, sleep less, exercise less, and drink less fluids – all factors that can affect your back health.

Deep breathing relaxes your body and gets oxygen to the muscles. Your muscles need oxygen for energy; otherwise, they can't work as efficiently. When oxygen enters your bloodstream, your body uses that oxygen to make fuel for your muscles. Muscles that don't get enough oxygen will fatigue more easily, which sets you up for potential injury.

Drink plenty of water.

Adequate hydration keeps your muscles supple and elastic. Flexible muscles allow you to move more freely, increasing your range of motion. Improved flexibility also makes you less prone to injury.

Water replenishes the fluids your body loses, including the water in your spinal discs. Like the rest of your body, your spine needs water to stay healthy. But when you become dehydrated, your body begins to take water from wherever it can – including from the spinal discs. A sedentary lifestyle can lead to even more loss of spinal water, which can lead to disc degeneration and chronic pain.

Since the amount of fluids you need to consume each day depends on your weight and activity level, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends drinking at mealtime and whenever you feel thirsty.

Exercise daily.

An exercise program that focuses on strengthening muscles, improving flexibility, and maintaining cardiovascular health can help you manage chronic back pain better. Whether you use exercise machines or free weights, strengthening your cores muscles – the muscles in your pelvis, abdomen, hips, and lower back that support your upper body – gives you better balance and stability, making you less susceptible to back pain and injury.

Stretching exercise, including Pilates and yoga, can loosen tight back muscles. The stretches also help strengthen your core. Cardiovascular exercise, such as walking and swimming, not only reduces the risk of heart disease but can also help alleviate low back pain.

Maintain proper posture.

This is especially important if your job requires standing or sitting for lengthy periods of time during the workday, which can put stress on your back. Good sitting and standing postures give the back proper support, and puts less strain on core muscles and less stress on the spine. Keeping your spine aligned and your upper body straight helps decrease back pain.

Get a good night's sleep.

Rest gives tired, sore back muscles the chance to recover. You want your overworked muscles to heal adequately before stressing them again. Otherwise, you could injure your back.

For more information, contact a professional in your area or visit a website like http://www.wildingchiropractic.com