Five Health Hacks for Pain Relief

Let’s face it. Between dropping the kids off to soccer practice and being swamped with work assignments, it can be difficult to find time to manage lingering aches and pain. If you’d like to avoid a trip to the doctor’s office or spending money on workout equipment, here is a low cost approach to solving discomfort using items lying around your house.

Golf Balls
It turns out that these petite dimpled balls can be used for more than a game-winning putt. Just roll the ball under your foot while seated to help relieve tension in sore feet.

Tennis Balls
Standing against a wall, place a tennis ball between your back and the wall. Slowly move up and down or side to side to help work out tension in your back or shoulders.

Frozen Peas
Forget expensive ice packs. Frozen vegetables are a great alternative and will form to fit different parts of your body.

Rolling Pin
Tight thigh muscles are common in runners, walkers and other athletes. Roll a rolling pin up and down along the front or side of your thigh to help relieve this tension.

Towel
If you sit at a desk all day, you may feel tension in your back or chest from slouching. To help relieve the pain, place a rolled towel on the floor. Sit at one end, facing away from the roll. Slowly lay back so that the roll is under your spine, supporting you from the neck to the lower back. Relax in this position for one minute, feeling a stretch across your chest and the front of your shoulders. To avoid straining your neck while in this position, rest your head on the roll or place a pillow at the end of the roll for more support.

These tips may not completely eliminate pain from your life, but try them for a few weeks and you’ll likely feel less discomfort. Recurrent pain can affect your quality of life, but learning how to cope with it can help you manage its harmful impact. A chiropractor can diagnose the cause of your pain and develop a treatment plan in order to get you back to doing the things you love to do.