You don’t want back pain to slow you down, but at the same time, if you try to push through a back problem and pretend that nothing is wrong, there’s a good chance that you’ll end up making things worse. Instead of trying to ignore a back problem, confront it and do what you can to help the injury heal faster. But what are some of the best things you can do to help your back heal after an injury? In today’s blog, we explore some ways you can help your spine injury heal sooner.
Speeding Up Your Recovery After A Back Injury
Depending on the nature of your spine injury, some of the following tips may help you shave some time off your recovery period. Here’s what you’ll want to do:
- Rest, Then Move – For a lot of back injuries, rest is great for your back in the immediate short term. However, after 24-72 hours, your back is oftentimes better off when it has to handle some light movement. Activity will help to improve circulation and push healthy blood to the structures that need it most, and it will help muscles, ligaments and joints get used to handling a normal amount of stress. If you are overprotective with an injury, the area may never get back to a preinjury level of fitness, leaving you susceptible to aggravation. For minor and mild back injuries, low-impact activity may be more helpful for your spine than prolonged bed rest after a day or two.
- Physical Therapy – If you want to get back to a pre-injury level of fitness so that you can return to work or rejoin your sports team as quickly as possible, you will need to put in some work during your rehabilitation. Playing off the above point, time can only do so much. You need to gradually test the injured area with more stress and movement so that it can get stronger and more easily handle what you throw at it. The best way to do this is by participating in a few weeks of physical therapy. For best results, connect with a physical therapist who can tailor your PT routine to the activities and actions you perform most.
- Watch What You Consume – Unfortunately, there’s nothing that you can eat that will do for your spine what spinach did for Popeye’s muscles, but at the same time, you do want to be cognizant of what you’re putting into your body after an injury, especially if this injury is keeping you from being as active as normal. If you continue to consume calories like normal but you’re not burning them up as easily because the injury has made you more sedentary, that’s a recipe for weight gain, and guess which area of your body will have to handle this extra strain? Your spine! Similarly, you’ll want to drink plenty of water to stay hydrated, as this will boost your circulation and ensure nutrient-rich blood can get to the recovering structures that need it most.
- Connect With A Professional – Finally, if you really want to do everything in your power to speed up your recovery following a back injury, set up an appointment with your primary care physician or a spine specialist. They will be able to give you a comprehensive diagnosis and set you up with an individualized care plan. This can be especially helpful considering many back injuries can present with similar symptoms, and if you’re not treating the injury correctly because you misdiagnose yourself, pain and other symptoms can linger. For hands-on care that is tailored to your specific injury, head to a doctor’s office.
We want to help you get back to a pain-free way of living as soon as possible. For more information on how we’ll work to help you achieve that, or for help with a different spinal issue, reach out to Dr. Sinicropi and the team at The Midwest Spine & Brain Institute today at (651) 430-3800.
