What To Do When Your Senior Has Back Pain
As you get older, you may experience aches and pains throughout your life, but what do you do when your senior is having severe back pain? Some seniors have had multiple back surgeries, and they may experience more pain than others. However, there may be better options than relying on heavy pain medications. If you think the pain is too strong, it is so vital that you encourage your senior mom or dad to go to the emergency room or book an appointment with their doctor. Some doctors may be willing to get your loved one on the same day via telehealth or an online session. If your loved one needs help getting to a doctor, it is time to look into hiring professional personal care at home to help them get to and from appointments. Here are some other things personal care at home can help your seniors with when they experience back pain.
Ways to Prevent Back Pain
Back pain and experiencing lower back pain are normal parts of aging. If your loved one has had no surgeries, they may be able to prevent back pain from ever occurring. Here are some things they can focus on with the help of personal care at home:
- Exercise Every Day – Exercise will help develop muscles and help posture, which will reduce back pain.
- Diet – Foods high in salt and sugar will increase inflammation, and that can cause more body pain.
- Focus on Taking Vitamins – Ensuring you take vitamin D and calcium will help support your body and will ensure your bones are strong enough. This could also help reduce body pain.
These are three things that a senior can focus on to prevent back pain. However, there are other things a doctor may recommend, like quitting drinking and smoking and avoiding certain foods that could interact poorly with certain medications. It is crucial for a senior to always listen to a doctor, and personal care at home must also include instructions from a doctor. Everyone should be on the same page.
How Can a Senior Cope With Back Pain
If your loved one is already coping with back pain, you may be wondering how you can help them. They may need to learn what they should be doing or taking. Sometimes, a doctor will give a senior the okay to take over-the-counter pain relief like Ibuprofen, but they will ask that personal care at home write down how often and when they take it. Keeping track of how much a senior is taking will be crucial to maintaining and coping with back pain. But there are other more natural things a senior can do as well.
- Move Every Day – Even if a senior has back pain, by moving around, they can reduce the pain they feel. When they stop moving, inflammation can actually become worse.
- Apply Heat – Some seniors will only feel better if they go on a walk and then put heat on their back to relieve some of the pain. Other seniors may feel like ice is more helpful when dealing with back pain. Experiment and figure out what helps your senior the most.
- Rest – You should be moving, but listening to your body and resting when needed is important. You should move, but overworking yourself will cause more harm than good.
If you or someone you know needs Personal Care at Home in Spanish Fort, AL, please contact the friendly caregivers at Hughes Home Care. We provide quality and affordable care for your elderly loved ones in our community. Serving Mobile & Baldwin County. Call us today at (251) 517-9901
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