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Back Pain and Low Mood

Too much pain and not enough gain

Clinical studies reveal that chronic pain, as a stress state, often induces low mood. With 80% of adults experiencing lower back pain at some point in their lives, this is a very widespread problem.[1]

Whether back pain causes low mood or vice versa, it can be hard to conclude because low mood can cause frequent and unexplained pain, just as back or chronic pain can cause restlessness, stress and other emotions associated with low mood. Regardless of where the pain comes from, it is important to learn how to take care of yourself and your back, in order to prevent back pain from occurring at all.

Back pain and low mood can be caused by a plethora of things, so here are a few tips to help ensure a healthy mind and body.

  1. Exercise

Enlisting exercise into your daily routine is absolutely crucial in maintaining a healthy lifestyle. If you are a gym-goer, make sure you consult a trainer to make sure you have proper form and aren’t overdoing it. Additionally, make sure you warm-up, cool-down and stretch after every session. Stretching allows for posture improvement, blood-flow and tension reduction — stretching the hamstrings and hip flexors, muscles that are attatched to the pelvis, can also help reduce back pain.

  1. Healthy Diet

When people are busy, they can often forget to eat properly, putting deadlines and workloads first.  However this can leave you with little energy and in a bad mood, as food is ultimately fuel for your mind and body. Healthy, whole foods are pertinent to long-lasting energy, maintaining a balanced mood and helping your body fight pain. Along with drinking more water, try adding more fruits and vegetables into your diet to give your body the boost it needs.

  1. Seek treatment

If you have been in pain for a long time, then it may be time to seek advice or treatment a healthcare professional. Chiropractors specialise in pain reduction, which can sequentially improve the overall health.  Rather than using medicine, they use their hands to restore the structural integrity of the musculo-skeletal system

[1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5494581/