Helping Your Elderly Loved One Find Relief for Back Pain
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Unfortunately, many elderly people suffer from back pain – from the lower regions of the back to the shoulders, days can be wrought with pain for your elderly loved one. Luckily, there are some solutions you can help your loved one take to help ease their pain and help them regain their independence and ability to do the things they enjoy. One option for your loved one is to have a professional provide occupational therapy services.
Three Common Causes of Back Pain in Those Over 60
Spondylolisthesis. With this condition, a spinal vertebra will slip forward or backward onto the vertebra below causing pain, often in the lower back.
Degenerative changes in disks and joints. As disks lose moisture and resilience they become less effective as shock absorbers and chronic back pain can develop.
Spinal stenosis. When disks degenerate and break down, the canal through which the spinal cord passes can narrow and create pressure on the nerves, causing pain, numbness, and weakness.
Six Tips for Reducing Back Pain
It’s always important to have your elderly loved one visit with their regular health practitioner to discuss any pain they have so that they can receive a thorough exam to determine the cause. Once the cause is determined, it can help the two of you find relief for their back pain as they work with the doctors.
Treatment may take a while so finding ways to find relief is an important step in keeping your loved one pain-free.
Here are six tips they can try. If one doesn’t work, they can try another, and try different combinations until relief is found.
Take over-the-counter pain relievers such as ibuprofen, naproxen, and aspirin to reduce inflammatory pain. If they take over prescriptive medications, talk to their doctor and/or pharmacist about which type of over-the-counter pain reliever is best for them.
Apply cold when the pain first hits and is at its worst. It will quiet muscle spasms and inflammation.
Apply heat when the pain needs soothing. Heat from a heating pad or warm bath can relax back muscles and encourage blood flow. Stretching after warming up those muscles can help prevent future spasms.
Continue being physically active or start a new regular activity schedule. By keeping moving, your loved one will aid their back by keeping areas of the spine lubricated so less pain is generated by disks and joints rubbing up against each other.
Build up back muscles. A stronger back and core can help support a spine that is struggling.
Occupational Therapy Greenville SC – Helping Your Elderly Loved One Find Relief for Back Pain
Avoid activities that strain the back or cause pain. When lifting items, they should use their legs for support instead of their back and if something is too heavy, they should wait for someone to help instead of trying to do it themselves.
Occupational Therapy Can Help Your Loved One Find Back Pain Relief
The therapist can help your loved one discover new ways to move to reduce their amount of pain. With occupational therapy, they’ll learn better techniques for lifting heavy objects, moving around the home, and even sleeping. Their occupational therapist can also teach them strength-building exercises that will strengthen the back muscles so that they’ll have more back support and less pain.
