How to Deal with Back Pain after a Workout

Although physical fitness is an integral part of maintaining your health, it can often come with a few aches and pains as well. If you suffer from back pain, it doesn’t matter whether you spend time on the treadmill or lifting weights—you’re probably pretty uncomfortable when you leave the gym. In generations past, we weren't shy about relying liberally on prescription painkillers, but as the Recovery Village points out, the present opioid epidemic is causing healthcare workers and fitness professionals to think twice before implementing this solution. If you want to know how to deal with back pain after exercising, here are a few tips to follow to find relief.

Stretch

Back pain can often develop due to muscles that are strained and tight. Which is why it’s important to stretch before and after working out. Start by stretching your arms and shoulder, which can help loosen up your back. Make a habit out of ensuring that your back muscles gently stretch. If you ever do anything and it feels awkward or hurts, you’re doing something wrong and should stop. The only exception is when you’re stretching with the aid of a professional like a physical therapist. Perform a few stretching exercises to alleviate the tension. Stretching for 10 minutes before your workout is necessary to make people more flexible during physical activity. Not only that but being warmed up and looser highly reduces the chance of internal injury.

After a workout, it’s vital to cool down and stretch out as well to help the muscles readjust and to decrease the chance of pain or discomfort. Your body reacts pretty negatively if you try to go from intensive workout to stopping completely. Cooling down and proper post-workout stretching can help reduce your pain, but it can also reduce overall discomfort in other muscle groups.

Use Heat

Image source: GoMoji Back Wrap

For immediate relief, hop in the tub for a nice hot bath. The heat will reduce any soreness that is present to reduce the stress that the muscles have experienced during the workout. Applying a heating pad directly onto the affected area can also be beneficial. Heat has commonly been used to treat sore and strained muscles for hundreds of years. One of the most popular forms of massage therapy is where they relax your muscles by placing warm or hot rocks on your back. The heat helps bring more blood to the area which helps it heal faster. The heat also has a relaxing and soothing effect, which helps with muscles tight from stress or anxiety.

Improve Your Form

If your back pain persists, you can work with a personal trainer to improve your form and avoid mistakes that may be straining your muscles. A professional can monitor your workout and offer tips on how to improve your form to protect yourself. You may also need to adjust your posture as you perform cardio or strength training. The most common forms of sports or exercise related injury are from people misusing their body or equipment. The damage done by improper form can be permanent, so it’s vital to have someone check your form and make sure you’re not damaging your body.

Look for More Natural Pain Killers

If the pain begins to bother you incessantly, you may be tempted to use prescription pain medication. And while the occasional use of these medicines is certainly okay, you may damage your body if you abuse of it too much. It’s more recommended to look at more natural methods. One particular popular pain management method these days happens to be CBD Oil, which uses a small percentage of THC to help manage pain. There are other methods as well, such as kratom powder, medical cannabis, and other similar natural remedies.

Get a Massage

Image source: Spine Universe

Getting a massage or massaging the muscles yourself can be effective because it will loosen them up and will reduce the tension that is present. Using your hand, make small circular motions without pressing too hard on the backbone. Apply a gentle amount of pressure to avoid discomfort while also gently kneading the muscles. If you find it’s not helpful enough, you could invest in a hand massager, a massage chair, or even going to a massage therapist. Sometimes the knots in people’s backs are so tight and deep that the only way to get rid of them is through a professional.

Although it can be difficult to suffer from back pain after exercising, there are many ways to alleviate the discomfort and prevent it from becoming a recurring issue. With the right techniques performed each time you exercise, you can continue staying active and reduce the amount of discomfort that you experience following the workout.