Inflammation is one of the most common factors in back pain onset. When an area of your spine becomes inflamed, there is less space for key spinal nerves to traverse without irritation. Calming this inflammation is oftentimes key for controlling symptoms, but what are some of the best ways to limit an inflammatory response by your body? Below, we take a closer look at five ways you can work to reduce spinal inflammation.
Calming Spinal Inflammation
Here’s a look at five treatments to consider pursuing if chronic or acute spinal inflammation is contributing to your discomfort.
- Exercise – Exercise is one of the best active forms of treatment for inflammation control. While it’s possible that the stress of exercise can lead to short-term inflammation, exercise will help to improve circulation and fluid movement to and from an area, helping to regulate inflammation. Exercise will also help you maintain an ideal weight, as being overweight or obese can put additional stress on your spine and contribute to inflammation.
- Anti-Inflammatory Medications – There are a number of over-the-counter and prescription medications that can work to control inflammation, but you don’t want to make these your only form of inflammation control. You’ll want to pair medication with active inflammation control techniques for best results.
- Stop Smoking – Smoking is one of the worst things you can do if you’re hoping to control or limit inflammation in your spine. Smoking tends to elicit an inflammatory reaction from our immune system, essentially pushing it into overdrive. This leads to prolonged or excessive inflammation, so if you’re really serious about calming your spinal inflammation, you need to kick your smoking habit.
- Improve Your Diet – You can also work to reduce spinal inflammation by being cognizant of what you eat. Studies have found that diets that are rich in Omega-3 fatty acids, which are found in foods like fish, nuts and seeds, may help to counter inflammation. Conversely, foods that are high in fat or sugar can be pro-inflammatory, making your spinal discomfort worse. Pairing diet improvements with exercise is a great way to reduce inflammation in your spine and throughout your body.
- Cold Therapy – Inflammation and swelling can also be calmed by treating the area with cold therapy. Cold packs will cause blood vessels to constrict so that fluid can’t easily move to and build up in a specific area. Icing your back after a strain can limit uncomfortable swelling and inflammation that may develop. Applying ice for 15-20 minutes a couple times a day can be helpful in keeping inflammation under wraps.
Of course, if you want some professional assistance controlling swelling or inflammation in your spine, reach out to Dr. Sinicropi and the team at The Midwest Spine & Brain Institute today at (651) 430-3800.
