Pain Prevention

Here are some helpful tips to managing pain without medication.

1. Eat a healthy, well-balanced diet – to reduce inflammation and keep muscles & bones strong.
2. Maintain a healthy weight – excess weight puts stress on joints and muscles, thereby increasing pain.
3. Exercise regularly – choose low-impact activities such as walking, swimming, and biking. These activities don’t strain or jolt the back and allow the muscles to function better.
4. Build muscle strength and flexibility – building core strength helps ensure that the muscles supporting movement are healthy and strong, to improve your posture and protect the body from injury.
5. Focus on good posture and body mechanics – to reduce everyday aches and pains, do not sit for extended periods of time. Avoid heavy lifting and when you need to lift, let your legs do the work.
6. Quit smoking – smokers are more prone to pain than non-smokers. Nicotine restricts blood flow to the muscles and causes inflammation.
7. Manage stress – feelings of pain are increased when stress levels are high. Meditation, gentle stretching, tai chi and other methods of stress reduction can be very helpful.