Senior spine and back issues as we age

These days if you asked a group of people to raise their hand if they have back pain the majority of the room would have their hand up.

There are many factors of modern life that lead to spine pain/issues including:

• Poor posture
• Spinal Stenosis, related to arthritis pain
• Osteoarthritis
• Disc degeneration
• Narrowing of the spinal column
• And many other issues that your medical team can diagnose.

It is always a good idea when you have new pain to visit your family doctor between regular check-ups. There are many factors that can lead to back pain and discussing changes to your health and lifestyle with your doctor can help them diagnose the problem and suggest the best course of therapy, which can range from over the counter medication and stretching, to spinal surgery to fix more complicated issues.

Some ways you can relieve back pain at home include:

• Sleeping with a pillow between or under your knees to relieve stress on your spine
• Stretching at home, even simple stretches will help loosen your back muscles
• Get a massage from a Registered Massage Therapist
• Adjust your posture, sit with your shoulders back
• Soak in a warm bath tub with epsom salts
• Regular low intensity exercises that work your core
• Avoid lifting heavy objects more than 25% of your body weight
• Reduce stress will reduce muscle tension
• Maintain a healthy weight with regular exercise

You can also take over the counter medication for short periods of time to relieve pains, but we recommend visiting your family doctor or registered chiropractor if your back pain is constant and/or unbearable.