Chronic back pain can severely impact your life and limit what you can do. Depending on the type of back pain, and the severity, you could have to stop doing some of the things you used to love doing. Being able to make changes to your day to day living that can make a difference to this back pain. Of course, your first step is to look for help and information about how to deal with your chronic back pain and medications you could use. That doesn’t mean you can’t make smaller changes that can help with this pain too. Let’s have a look at some quick changes you can make.

Spend Quality Time on Your Back

Often, the first thing people will point to when you complain about chronic back pain is your bed and mattress – and that’s for good reason. The time you spend sleeping or lying on your bed can have a big effect. Considering that an incredible amount of science and research goes into the design and manufacture of mattresses, particularly for those with specific issues like chronic back pain, you’ll want to pay close attention to the mattress you have. You might also consider replacing your mattress completely. Doing the requisite research into what kind of mattress will offer the best support for your back beforehand is imperative if you’re planning on replacing your mattress. If you are in the market, this post on Memorial Day mattress sales notes the type of support you can expect from the different mattress brands and models.

Breathing and Meditation

Learning some fundamentals of meditation and deep breathing is a good idea no matter your motivation, but it has some real benefits if you’re suffering from chronic back pain. Learning to meditate and breathe effectively can assist with chronic back pain. The idea behind mediation and deep breathing techniques is to promote the relaxation of tension in your muscles because you’re effectively asking them to relax and release. You can start by finding a quiet and relaxing place in your home to sit and get comfortable. The actual meditation methods vary greatly and there are many ways to go about it, but the fundamental technique of focusing entirely on your breathing and body and blocking out any sounds and distractions around you is central to every method.

Reduce Stress Effectively

Stress is very good at intensifying chronic pain of any type and reducing your stress can go a long way to reducing chronic pain, and particularly back pain. There are a great number of ways you can reduce stress in your life but starting by examining things that contribute to your stress and making positive changes to reduce it is your first step. Feelings of depression, anxiety, and anger are all contributors and learning effective coping mechanisms is your first step. Adding exercise that doesn’t exacerbate your chronic back pain can also help with your stress levels because it increases endorphins. It can also help control your weight, meaning you’re carrying less weight and putting less physical strain on your back. It might also help with things like controlling blood pressure – which can also reduce your stress levels.

Being able to resume an activity that chronic back pain has prevented you from doing can be very morale-boosting, especially if it is a result of changes you have made – like a reduction in stress thanks to increased exercise or a better night’s sleep on a new mattress. Managing chronic pain is an ongoing process that needs some effort and focus from you, and in the long run, it will be worth it!