No adult has gone their whole life without back pain; it's a common injury. When back pain is on your mind most days, you may be having more than just the aches and pains that are a common part of aging. How do you treat this kind of back pain?

Strengthen Your Back

If you have a sedentary lifestyle, your pains could be nothing more than a problem with your posture. Sitting is hard on the back. You will probably want to look into core exercises to strengthen your torso, for one. A chiropractor or physical therapist can also give you tips about which muscle groups to work on in order to strengthen the back. Your back has to support your entire upper body, so if you don't have much muscle tone, it makes sense that your muscle groups are getting fatigued and starting to ache or become susceptible to being pulled. 

Strengthen Your Posture

At the same time, your posture could be at play with putting too much pressure on specific vertebrae. Aside from seeing a chiropractor, you could work on your posture so that you're not adding to your back problems each day with bad posture. Exercises to lengthen the spine and redistribute weight are key. 

Consider Whether There's a More Serious Injury

It's normal not to go do the doctor when you have back pain from a sports injury or another incident that you think is minor. After all, you can rest and ice your injury at home. The problem is that, sometimes, these injuries are whiplash. It takes a surprisingly small force to cause permanent damage to your back's structure. And when those issues aren't treated, they tend to compound upon each other; literally; you can lose cushioning in between your vertebrae. 

Consult a Chiropractor

A chiropractor is your best bet for back pain relief if you're finding that your discomfort is significant and persistent. This is especially important if your back pain is accompanied by physical symptoms that are neurological in nature; think of things like tingling in the extremities, numbness, or loss of bladder control. 

Chiropractors can treat residual whiplash, posture issues, back structure deficiencies, and other potential causes of back pain. It may not be immediate, but you should see your symptoms begin to lift within the first few weeks. Once your back is healthy, you shouldn't need maintenance visits more than once a month.