One of the biggest complaints people have as they grow older is muscle, joint, and back pain. Back pain is something that millions of Americans of all ages have come to live with/suffer from. Sometimes we treat it with medications, sometimes with prescribed exercises, and sometimes with surgery. Some people get no treatment whatsoever. Is there anything we could be doing on a daily basis to alleviate or even prevent back pain? Studies suggest that doing the following things can help ease and remedy back pain.

1. Move Around More. Not necessarily exercise, but moving around and keeping the blood flowing. Just moving around for a few minutes every few hours can keep our backs from getting that stiffness that causes some of the daily back pains.

2. Change Sides. Teach yourself to use both sides of your body to do everyday activities. We have a tendency to allow our dominant side do most of the work throughout the day which causes uneven wear and tear on our muscles and joints. Simple changes like opening the door with the other hand, wearing your purse on the other side, and switching up where you sit on the couch can help avoid back injuries and pain.

3. Fix Your Posture. Dana Santas, the “Mobility Maker” says “Don’t just squeeze your shoulders back to avoid slouching; posture and breathing are intimately connected, so you should check in with your breathing as you sit upright, taking some long, deep breaths with lower rib movement to help drop your rib cage into a better position to support your posture and avoid unnecessary back pain.”

4. Find Exercises to Strengthen Your Back and Your Core. Doing physical therapy exercises is one of the best ways to alleviate and remedy common back pains. Talk to your physician or physical therapist about the specific type of back pain you are dealing with. There are many causes and origins of back pain and they should be able to suggest exercises to help the specific type of pain you are having. Once you have the right exercises, add them to your daily routine and stick with it. At first the exercises might be uncomfortable, but as you continue to do them, you should feel relief and healing.

If you are dealing with constant back pain, try some of these tips to help you feel better.  Hopefully, something will help.  If you continue to deal with back pain and have not yet brought it up with your physician, have that conversation and get their input.  Perhaps they can help you resolve the pain.