Back pain for elderly men is a major disabling health condition that affects a large percentage of men, in increasing numbers the further past the age of 60. Men are more likely to be affected by back pain due to the likelihood of having lived a life with a lot of physicality behind them, tagged with the degeneration of joints in the spine. There are also conditions, such as osteoarthritis and spinal stenosis, that affect large numbers of people and cause back pain.
Here are some tips for an old man with back pain to help make what you’re going through more tolerable and ease some discomfort.
Tip #1: Accept There Is Back Pain
A lot of old men do not want to accept their back pain or work to resolve it. While there may be no cure for some types of back pain in elderly adults, many therapies and treatments can make life more bearable and even erase the pain for short-to-extended periods.
Tip #2: Treat the Underlying Condition
If there is an underlying cause of back pain and a way to treat it, such as medications or therapies specifically targeting the underlying cause, don’t deny yourself the potential relief that comes from those therapies. Always treat the underlying condition.
Tip #3: Eat to Reduce Inflammation In The Body
An anti-inflammatory diet is a great starting point to manage back pain. Diet impacts our bodies’ ability to process pain; less inflammation can mean less overall discomfort. In general, the more fruits and vegetables you eat, the better.
Tip #4: Practice Correct Posture
Improving your posture can make a significant difference in reducing back pain. This is especially true if stress on the back is partially to blame for your discomfort.
By ensuring your posture is correct, you’ll support your body properly and increase your stamina throughout the day as you go about your regular activities. Using a back brace might help you keep your posture in check.
Tip #5: Experiment with Exercise and Physical Activity
Physical activity will mean you recover faster from back pain and can potentially avoid it on certain days, utilizing the right stretching, yoga, tai chi, cardiovascular work, and weight training. What exercise appeals to you may be different from the next person. Regardless, even taking a daily walk can prove helpful for back pain in older men.
Tip #6: Apply Cold to Reduce Muscle Spasms
An ice pack for pain is often the first step when you’re having a particularly bad episode. Apply ice for 20 minutes on and 20 minutes off.
Repeat as much as needed. This should bring down inflammation in the back and ease you out of muscle spasms. A bag of frozen peas works equally well if you don’t have an ice pack.
Tip #7: Apply Heat to Relax Your Back And Reduce Stiffness
Heat can come in the form of a warm bath or bad heating. It’s ideal for several things. Heat relaxes your muscles. It also stimulates blood flow, which can be optimal if you wake up with back pain and stiffness.
Tip #8: Try Gentle Stretching for Immediate Relief of Back Pain
After applying heat, add some stretching on top. Stretching is key to activating the supporting muscles in the body and can act as a targeted form of physical therapy that you can do anywhere. Many stretching routines, or specific stretching exercises, are designed specifically for back pain.
Tip #9: Talk to a Pain Management Specialist
At a certain point, there is no reason to fight back pain alone. Talk to a pain management specialist. They can provide access to physical therapy, acupuncture, massage, nerve blockers, radiofrequency ablation, spinal cord stimulators, and all types of back pain treatments that may make all the difference.
Tip #10: Take Prescribed Medications Regularly
If prescribed medications for your back pain, take them as instructed. Do not take more than needed or forget doses. Even if you are feeling better, continue to take your medicines as a preventative measure to keep pain under control.
Tip #11: Take Rest When Needed
Do not overdo the activity. Always rest when you feel your body needs to, and make sure you get enough sleep on a nightly basis. Rest is important.
That said, if you are hurting with back pain, you won’t necessarily want to go all the way to bed rest for 24 hours a day. Depending on the variables, it could increase the duration and intensity of the back pain.
Tip #12: Surgery is a Last Resort
An old man with back pain will rarely be recommended surgery for the simple fact that it can be a risk to their health and, above that, depending on why there is back pain, surgery may only have a minimal impact.
