Back pain is a normal part of life. It can affect you if you’ve been sitting at a desk for too long or it may strike when you’ve strained it during sports or heavy lifting. Back pain is usually minor and can be treated with some simple home methods. Although, if the pain is severe, you may need professional healthcare assistance.

If your back is in pain and you don’t think it’s serious enough for medical treatment, you should try the following three tips. They may help you reduce your back pain and improve your recovery:

1. Improve your posture

Poor posture is usually the reason you have back pain. It also makes it difficult for any existing back pain to go away. You can help reduce your back pain and prevent future back pain by making some simple adjustments to the way you sit.

When sitting, keep your back straight and your head tilted up. Level your shoulders with your chest and plant your feet firmly on the ground.

Also, you should avoid slouching when standing. Hunching your shoulders and holding your head forward puts additional stress on your back muscles and spine.

2. Get plenty of rest

It may be tempting to ignore minor back pain and push through it to accomplish certain activities, but this can make the pain worse. It’s important to give your back a break so your body can focus on helping its damaged tissue repair.

Avoid becoming a couch potato though. Resting doesn’t mean lying around and doing nothing. You should walk around a few times a day or even jog if it doesn’t hurt. This can help keep your body active and promote better recovery.

3. Stretch your back

Gentle stretches can help improve the strength and flexibility of your back. This can help reduce and prevent back pain. You can lie facedown on the ground and push straight up with your arms as your back cranes backward. Hold this position for 10 seconds and slowly lower yourself back to the ground.

Do this a few times a day to help reduce back pain. Talk to your doctor or physical therapist about what kinds of back stretches are right for you.

Treat back pain with physical therapy

Sometimes, back pain is too serious to treat with home methods. When your back pain is severe or long-lasting, you may need to visit a physical therapist for help. Contact Franklin Rehabilitation today for more information or to schedule an initial appointment.