Bad posture and back pain are a serious problem that needs to be resolved as soon as it appears. When left untreated back problems can only become worse and prevent you from doing your daily activities. Luckily, there are many non-invasive treatments that you can try that promise to improve your posture and relieve the pain you’re feeling.
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Start Wearing a Shoulder Brace
The easiest and probably the most effective solution for a lot of people that suffer from bad posture and back pain is the shoulder brace. The posture correcting brace helps with a lot of diagnoses and relieves pain that in some cases is so severe that the person in question can’t function properly.
The shoulder braces Australia stores sell have a simple design and are simple to use and get used to. One can even wear the brace under the clothes during working hours, at home, when going grocery shopping or having a walk in the park. The more you wear the brace the more you’ll see results and improvements. Rome wasn’t built in a day and you can’t make the back pain and problems disappear in a day either. But, in the long term, the shoulder brace can help you feel better and have better posture.
The brace features straps that go over your shoulders and waist. They have two roles: one, keep the brace in place, and two, keep your shoulders in place and in the right pain-free position. Usually, the shoulder braces Australia stores offer are made from elastic and comfortable materials that feel pleasant on bare skin, like for instance a blend of cotton, nylon, rayon, polyester and rubber.
In addition to ensuring comfort, the types of materials used are important for maintenance. The shoulder brace needs to be easy to wash and dry for hygienic reasons. Most of the back braces can be washed in a washing machine without losing the initial shape or the posture-correcting properties.
Although elastic, shoulder braces aren’t one size fits all. There are a few sizes available from small to extra large and you should pick yours according to the body type you have. The brace shouldn’t be too tight-fitting because it may cause you other problems instead of resolving the ones you already have.
Implement Posture Exercises in Your Daily Routine
Next on the list of things that help with back pain and bad posture are posture exercises. Posture exercises are simple and easy to do but they have a big positive effect on your physical health. Doctors and physiotherapists recommend daily exercising as a way to improve posture and prevent posture and back problems from appearing in the future.
You should try the child pose first. This pose stretches your glutes, lengthens the spine and hamstrings. By doing this pose/exercise a couple of times, you can release the tension in your back and neck muscles. But while doing so, remember to breathe deeply and evenly because that contributes to the effectiveness of the exercise too.
The forward fold is another easy and effective pose/exercise. You do it by standing straight and bending to touch your ankles. This exercise releases the tension in your spine and glutes and also stretches your legs.
The cat-cow is actually a yoga pose but it helps a lot with improving the posture and relieving tension and pain. You get on the ground on all fours and slowly bend your waist up and down while breathing. You should do this for at least one minute. It’s a great exercise that improves circulation too.
Switch to Ergonomic Furniture
The furniture you’re using on a daily basis can have a lot to do with the back pain you’re feeling. So, despite getting a brace and starting with some exercising, you should inspect your furniture and get a new ergonomic replacement.
Since ergonomic furniture is a thing now, you’ll be able to find many different types of ergonomic chairs (a most valuable pro-health invention), desks and even mattresses and pillows that promise to improve your posture while working, sitting and sleeping.
Ergonomic furniture has a special design that follows the natural shape of the human body and offers support in all the right places thus making you feel good no matter how much time you spend sitting in a day. The same goes for the mattresses and pillows. Sleeping in a good position and being supported is as important as sitting in a good position and being supported.
Get a Massage
Sometimes the best tension-relieving method is a good (preferably long) massage. The physiotherapist will target all the right muscles and spots with tension build up and you’ll feel reborn as soon as the massage ends.
There are quite a lot of massage types that the physiotherapist can use taking into consideration the problems you have with your back. Getting a massage a few times a week can help you a lot with your posture and the pain you’re feeling. But in this case too, you need to be consistent. A massage or two can’t fix what’s been advancing for years. So, try to make it your habit to go on massage treatments at least a couple of times a month, every month.
Apply Ice and Heat on the Affected Area
The application of heat and ice on the affected areas is yet another method you can try if you’re dealing with back pain. It’s a simple method that you can do at home considering you have an ice pack and heat wraps.
You should apply ice on the affected area first and then after a few minutes have passed you can go on to applying heat. The cold helps in restricting the blood vessels, numbing the area, reducing swelling and decreasing inflammation thus eliminating pain. Then, when you apply heat, your muscles relax, your blood circulation improves as well as the flexibility of your back.
You can do the ice and heat therapy on a daily basis but know that this method works best when combined with the others mentioned above. You shouldn’t rely only on the heat and ice to remove the pain because you need to solve your posture problems first.
