The Five Best Things You Can Do To Treat Your Chronic Back Pain

August 5, 2021 / Thomas Cohn, MD

Back pain is incredibly common, and while it is unique to the individual, oftentimes it can be treated in a similar manner if you follow some smart conservative care techniques. These care techniques are by no means guaranteed to help relieve your pain, but many people find partial or full pain relief by pursuing these options for an extended period of time. In today’s blog, we take a look at the five best things you can do to treat your chronic back pain.

Five Smart Ways To Treat Your Spine Pain

Here’s a look at five ways to help put an end to your chronic back discomfort:

1. Exercise and Activity – If you have back pain, you may feel like the best thing you can do is to rest and let healing run its course. While rest can be great in the immediate aftermath of a painful flareup, it’s not a great long-term solution. Light exercise and simple stretching techniques can help to promote healing and improve blood flow, so work to stay active if you want to help quell your symptoms.

2. Mind Your Diet – If you’re overweight or obese, your spine is going to be asked to deal with excess stress. Working to lose weight can reduce the pressure that is put on your lumbar spine when you move, which can help eliminate your chronic back pain. Even if you’re at a healthy weight, poor dietary choices of excess sugar and fat can lead to the onset of spinal inflammation, which can make movement painful. Strive to eat healthier if you’re dealing with chronic back pain.

3. Hydrate – Staying hydrated is one of the simplest ways to care for your spine. That’s not to say drinking water will magically cure your spine, but it can help improve muscle function if spasms are causing your discomfort. Staying hydrated also helps to improve blood flow, which can help ensure areas get enough oxygenated blood to function properly. Drink plenty of water throughout the day and be wary of excess caffeine or alcohol intake.

4. Care For Your Mental Health – As we’ve said on the blog numerous times in the past, chronic pain is not just a physical condition. There are also significant psychological and emotional components. So while you may want to focus on your physical pain, make sure you’re caring for your mental health. Take time to clear your head each day, and work to limit anxiety and stress when possible. If you’re in a good mental space, it will be easier to care for your physical health.

5. Connect With A Pain Specialist – Finally, if all else fails or you really want to fight back against your chronic pain, connect with a pain management specialist like Dr. Cohn. He’ll be able to give you a comprehensive diagnosis and set you up with an individualized pain management plan. Chronic pain can be very tough to treat, and it’s always helpful to have an expert in your corner. Let Dr. Cohn and his team be your guide.

For more information, or for help with your chronic back pain, reach out to Dr. Cohn’s office today.

How To Win Out Over Chronic Back Pain

April 29, 2021April 29, 2021 / Thomas Cohn, MD

Chronic back pain affects tens of millions of Americans on a regular basis, and it’s one of the most common conditions that we help treat. Because the spine is complex and pain is so individualized, figuring out the best way to treat the issue can be difficult. In today’s blog, we take a closer look at some of the best things you can do to help reduce or eliminate your chronic back pain.

Tips For Treating Chronic Back Pain

There’s no perfect playbook for treating chronic back pain, but we’re confident that if you pursue a few of the below tips that you’ll have a good chance of making some headway.

Visit A Specialist – Now is not the time to turn to the internet or your general practitioner for answers about your back pain. It’s been going on for far too long, and now is the time to visit a chronic pain specialist like Dr. Cohn. A specialist will have a wealth of experience in all aspects of your chronic pain condition, and they’ll be better versed to provide you with an accurate diagnosis that will lead into a comprehensive treatment plan.

Adjust Your Diet – Eating an extra helping of vegetables won’t miraculously cure your back pain, but improving your dietary intake can help your back get the healthy vitamins and nutrients it needs to perform optimally. A healthy diet can also help you lose some weight, which will take some stress off your spine and can help to curb your symptoms. Diet adjustments can be a key part of reducing your chronic back pain.

Exercise – Exercise is one of the best and easiest things we can do for our spine health and our total body wellness. Regular exercise improves blood flow and strengthens key structures so that they are better able to handle the physical stress we put on our bodies. Combine exercise with the above point and you can shed some weight and take pressure off your spine. Strive to get 30-45 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise 4-5 times a week to help strengthen your spine.

Physical Therapy – Along a similar vein, physical therapy is one of the most commonly prescribed treatment techniques for a range of chronic back pain conditions. PT will specifically target underdeveloped muscle groups or work to stabilize key structures, so the benefits are directly tied to the affected area. You just need to make sure you are consistent about following through with your exercises.

Mental Health Improvements – Finally, as we’ve talked about on the blog in the past, a chronic pain condition is rarely just a physical issue. Being in constant pain for an extended period of time can do a lot of damage to your mental health, which is why treatment also needs to focus on your mental health. Your chronic pain specialist can help explain how stress, anxiety and the effects of your chronic pain condition are impacting your mental health, and they can work to develop an individualized care program for it. Do some things that challenge and exercise your mind each day just like you are for your physical health.

For more information, or for help with your chronic back pain condition, reach out to Dr. Cohn’s office today.

5 Lifestyle Factors That Contribute To Your Chronic Low Back Pain

October 15, 2020 / Thomas Cohn, MD

Back pain is one of if not the most common type of pain condition in the world, as upwards of 90 percent of adults will experience chronic or acute back pain at some point in their life. And the most common location for back pain is in your lumbar or lower spine. In today’s blog, we take a closer look at some of the lifestyle factors that can contribute to chronic low back pain, and we explain how you can prevent and treat it.

Lifestyle Factors That Can Lead To Chronic Low Back Pain

Here’s a look at five factors that can increase your likelihood of developing chronic low back pain later in life.

1. Inactivity – You may think you’re protecting your spine by avoiding overstressing it, and while overstressing structures should be avoided, inactivity is a lot worse for your body than controlled and moderate intensity exercise. Inactivity leads to muscle stagnation and can decrease spinal stability in your lumbar spine, rendering it less able to manage the stress of movement. Sedentary individuals are at a higher risk for low back pain than active individuals.

2. Being Overweight – The heavier you are, the more stress that is displaced on your spine. Over the years, this extra weight works to break down spinal structures faster than normal. We all deal with some natural spinal degeneration, but extra weight can speed up this process. Working towards a healthy weight, even by losing just a few pounds, can take a lot of stress off our lumbar spine and reduce our likelihood of chronic low back pain in the future.

3. Poor Posture – If you’re slouched on the couch, at your office or while reading a book, more stress is going to be channeled to your lumbar spine. If you work in an office or do a lot of driving for your career, poor seated posture can wreck havoc on your back. Most people don’t realize the damage they are doing to their lumbar spine when they slouch because sitting it not a very physical activity, but done incorrectly it can cause major problems for your lumbar spine. Strive to keep your head over your shoulders and avoiding slouching or leaning forward while sitting or driving.

4. Unsupportive Mattress – We spend roughly a third of our lives on our mattress, so it’s important that we invest in a quality mattress that protects our lumbar spine. Super soft mattresses can cause our spine to shift out of a natural alignment as we sleep, whereas very firm mattresses can leave us feeling sore from too little spinal support. Find what’s comfortable for you, and if it’s been longer than seven years since you’ve changed you mattress, consider upgrading to a more supportive model!

5. Lifting, Bending and Twisting – Regardless of whether you work manual labor or you’re just trying to carry the clothes hamper down to the washing machine, it’s important that you understand how to lift and carry objects so that you don’t hurt your lower back. Bend at the knees, not at your spine, and avoid carrying heavy loads that require you to lean backwards in order to complete the lift. Use another person to perform a tandem lift if the object is large or heavy, and try to keep your spine in a healthy alignment no matter what you’re lifting or moving.

And if you develop low back pain, make sure you treat it before it becomes a bigger issue. Dr. Cohn has been helping patients find solutions for their chronic low back pain for decades, and he can do the same for you. For more information, reach out to Dr. Cohn’s office today.

How To Battle Back Against Nagging Spine Pain

February 25, 2020 / Thomas Cohn, MD

Back pain is one of the most common health conditions in the world, and tens of millions Americans deal with one form of the condition every single day. Spine pain can make even the most mundane activities painful, and it can really impact our quality of life, so it’s not something you should try to ignore and push through. Only treating the problem head-on will help put an end to your nagging back pain. We explore some ways to fight back against nagging back pain in today’s blog.

Treating Chronic Back Pain

This is far from a one-size-fits-all solution to chronic back pain, but odds are you’ll find some form of relief by pursuing one or more of the following techniques. So if you want to take back control over your nagging back pain, consider:

Getting A True Diagnosis – The spine is a complex structure, so if we’re researching our symptoms online, it can seem like we’re dealing with one thing when we’re actually dealing with something else. If you treat the wrong underlying condition, odds are you aren’t going to find relief. Head to a pain management specialist to get a comprehensive diagnosis and a treatment plan catered to your individual needs.

Pursue Active Treatment – For the majority of spinal conditions, rest alone isn’t going to solve the problem. We need to actively work to strengthen injured or nearby structures so that our body is up to the physical tasks we demand of it. Exercise, targeted stretching and physical therapy are all great ways to strengthen your spine and help achieve symptom relief.

Proper Medication Management – We’re not here to tell you to ditch the opioids and pain medications because we know from first hand experience just how integral they are to some patient’s pain care plan. However, you need to make sure that you are maximizing the benefits of these opioids, because eventually you’re going to build up a tolerance. If painkillers help make movements less painful, use that time to go to the gym or perform your PT exercises. Pain medications play a key part in pain management, but for full benefit they need to be paired with active treatment options.

Treat Your Mind – It’s also important to care for your mental health while you’re trying to tackle back pain. Your mindset plays a key role in the success of treatment as well as your willingness to partake in helpful activities like rehab or PT. Talk to your doctor about any negative thoughts or anxious feelings you’re having, and find healthy ways to help take your mind off back pain. Psychological and physical well-being are often connected, so don’t ignore one while trying to treat the other.

Stick With It – Finally, really dive into a care plan routine and see it through. You’re not going to lose weight and make your New Year’s resolutions if you stop going to the gym after a week, and you’re not going to see much progress if you skip physical therapy sessions or make poor dietary choices. Really commit to a back pain treatment plan, and we’re confident you’ll see positive results soon enough.

For help with any aspect of your back pain management, reach out to Dr. Cohn’s office today.

Preventing Back Pain During Summer Projects

May 23, 2019 / Thomas Cohn, MD

Memorial Day and the unofficial start of summer is almost here, and that means many Minnesotans will soon be outside doing yard work and other physical activities. Staying active in the summer can help us cross items off our to-do list, but it can also lead to an uptick of back injuries. Below, we share some tips for helping to prevent back injuries during spring and summer projects.

Protecting Your Back This Summer

Here are some tips to keep in mind to help protect your back and prevent spine injuries during the warm summer months.

1. Bending and Twisting With Yard Work – The summer time means it’s yard work season, and that can take a physical toll on your body. Use tandem lifts when moving heavy equipment, use knee pads if you’re going to be on the ground planting the garden or pulling weeds, and don’t be afraid to break up the yard work over the course of a couple days. Overstressing your back is one of the easiest ways to injure it.

2. Ladder and Height Safety – If you need to get up on a ladder to clean the gutters, make sure the ladder is stabilized properly or you have someone to secure it. Every year we see patients who have hurt their spines because of a fall from a height, so be smart about getting up on the ladder this summer. For even greater heights, use safety harnesses.

3. Hydrate – Spinal muscle injuries and spasms are more likely to occur if you are dehydrated, so if you’re going to be working out in the sun for a while, be sure that you bring water and stay hydrated.

4. Stretch – Before diving into any projects, even if it’s just mowing the lawn or trimming the hedges, take a couple minutes to stretch. Stretching will help your spinal muscles prepare for the physical activity that lies ahead, which can help prevent sprains and strains.

5. Rest – Rome wasn’t built in a day, and you shouldn’t expect to get all of your home projects done in a day. Take your time and listen to your body. If something starts to hurt, take a break. If it continues to hurt, set up a consultation with a spine specialist.

6. Stop Small Pains – Finally, don’t try to push through pain in order to get your project done. It’s better to see a pain specialist and treat your bulging disc instead of trying to push through the pain and suffering a full blown disc herniation. Stop lesser injuries before they snowball by proactively treating them.

For more tips on how to protect your back this summer, or to talk with a pain specialist about discomfort you’re having, reach out to Dr. Cohn’s office today.