Do You Have Constant Back, Neck Or Shoulder Pain? You May Need A Physical Therapist

Nothing affects your day-to-day life quite so much as back, shoulder and neck pain. It haunts you as you attempt to party with friends, frustrates you as you focus on work and exhausts you even when you attempt to get a full night’s rest. When basic treatments and painkillers aren’t enough to put a dent in this chronic pain? You can feel like your entire life revolves around the cramping, burning and stiffness in your upper body. It’s time to stop letting back, neck and shoulder pain control you. Continue reading to learn about the benefits of chiropractic services and how they can reduce your pain in the long-term through tried-and-true therapeutic methods.

Lower Back Pain

Do you feel stiffness, soreness or lancing pain throughout your lower back? Does this affect more than half of any given week? You may just have chronic lower back pain. Chronic back pain is defined as pain that persists for 12 weeks or longer as well as impacts your ability to sleep, walk or do mundane tasks such as walk up and down stairs. A survey provided by APTA Move Forward saw nearly 40% of adult respondents saying lower back pain prevents them from fully engaging in daily tasks or their favorite hobbies.

Shoulder Pain

Whether you have pain throughout your body or in a specific area, it’s important to get help as soon as possible. Shoulder pain is very common for a significant portion of the population due to sedentary lifestyles, poor living habits and chronic activities such as lifting heavy objects. Shoulder pain can be present in one or both shoulders and can affect the neck and arm if not checked. Unfortunately, over one billion people in the world suffer from chronic pain and don’t seek treatment for it.

Neck Pain

Last, but not least, we have the issue of neck pain. Neck pain that lasts longer than three months, even if it’s on-and-off, is considered to be chronic pain that requires professional help. If you feel like your neck is stiff, you’re unable to properly turn your head from side-to-side, struggle when stretching and can’t fall asleep, neck pain could be impacting your life more than you think. Neck pain can be compounded by sedentary lifestyles, a lack of exercise, age and hidden injuries.

Healthy Habits

Although it is imperative you seek out the aid of a physical therapy professional for sciatic nerve pain or back pain, there are healthy habits you can practice in the day-to-day to avoid aggravating your symptoms. A comfortable computer chair with firm back support can help when sitting down for long hours. Picking up heavy objects by putting weight on your legs rather than arms can prevent further strain. A heat pad for the shoulders or neck can reduce pain and promote better sleeping patterns. Lastly, engaging in stretching exercises in the morning and night can stimulate blood flow to stiff muscles.

Seeking Out Professional Help For Chronic Pain

For chronic pain that stubbornly refuses to wane even with the aid of stretching and medication, a professional can help. Physical therapy involves weeks and weeks of steady and helpful efforts in identifying nerve pain, soothing aching muscles and fixing irregular spine or shoulder alignment. The world’s leading cause of disability is lower back pain at 10% in a recent Annals Of Rheumatic Diseases survey and, when not checked, can only become worse over the years. Seek out a physical therapist in your area and ask how they can improve your quality of life today. You’re not your chronic pain and, with help, you can enjoy each day like you used to.