A condition is termed chronic when the pain or discomfort associated with it is persistent, sometimes spanning over a couple of weeks or even months. Chronic back pain mainly affects the lower portion of your back.

It is estimated that more than 50 million people in the country suffer from chronic back pain, a condition which is to this day poorly understood and is also difficult to overcome due to its inherent symptoms.

Chronic pain has a physical impact for sure; however, there are certain psychological impacts of persistent back pain. This pain gives way to negative emotions like sadness and anxiety, which often tend to aggravate the condition.

There are home remedies which can help alleviate some of the pain and discomfort. These methods may not necessarily result in permanent chronic back pain relief, but will definitely provide a viable solution to gradually ease out of the associated discomforts and incorporate healthy lifestyle changes as well.

Here are a few lifestyle changes to help get chronic back pain relief:

Manage your thoughts: Research indicates that not all pain is absolute. Pain can more or less be a physical manifestation of your thoughts, which is why the phrase “it’s all in your head” is commonly used. It is important to understand that the brain intercepts and processes pain signals differently, which in turn affects the way you tend to perceive pain. Pain management techniques can be looked up online, to find ways to control, and if needed, manipulate your brain the way it perceives. These skills will have some influence and for that matter be an effective remedy for chronic back pain relief.

Leg exercises: Tight hamstrings can also lead to lower back pain since these muscles connect the lower back and sacroiliac joints, which when stressed, will tend to test your pain threshold. Hamstring stretching exercises should be done so as to avoid muscle cramps and sudden hamstring pulls that can aggravate your back pain.

Heat and cold therapy: A very popular and commonly used method when it comes to joint pains, the hot towel and cold compress therapy. Cold therapy helps reduce any inflammation and also acts as an external anesthetic, thereby slowing down nerve impulses being sent back and forth to avoid spasms and contractions. Heat therapy stimulates the blood flow, which is essential to restore the flow of essential vitamins and nutrients to the pain area.

Core exercise: Core muscle exercises will provide much-needed chronic back pain relief by exercising your abs and strengthening the lower spine as part of your daily routine.

Proper sleep: Insomnia is one of the more prominent symptoms when it comes to back pain, which is why it is essential to address sleep disorders and problems as a solution to provide long-term chronic back pain relief.

Alternative therapy: Aerobic exercise, massages, and meditation are all effective alternative therapies which release endorphins. These are natural hormones released by the body to help alleviate pain and discomforts of chronic back pain.