I know I have had scoliosis since I was about 14 years old. It has been a lifelong struggle of pain management with pain killers and meds, massages, and physical therapy. I have been trying to learn different ways in which I could manage my pain at home during the pandemic, since many places are still closed and I still do not feel comfortable stepping back into massage spas or physical therapy.

While I don’t have severe scoliosis, I do have mild-to-medium pain on most days. Some days it will feel a bit worst, but it is always enough pain to make me feel tired, moody, and like I need to stretch out my back every 5 minutes.

Below are some tips for managing scoliosis pain at home.

Yoga

Doing Yoga is a great way for you to naturally stretch your body without hurting yourself or putting a lot of trauma on your body. Even if you do not do full blown yoga sessions, you can do simple stretches that you stretch out your upper back, lower back, and even helps with stretching out your legs and spreading your hips. My pain sometimes reaches all the way down to my hips and legs and it does feel great to do stretches and be able to alleviate the pain. Yoga with Adriene is a Youtube Channel I found helpful in helping me with scoliosis pain management.

Stretching

Stretching first thing in the morning is a must for me. Laying down for a long period of time can be bad for people with scoliosis because it could make your back muscles tight which causes more pain on your spine. Doing shoulder rolls, twisting from right to left to allow your muscles to naturally loosen up, and doing toe touches which could be done sitting up or standing to help your body naturally wake up. When I forget to stretch in the morning I notice that my back normally hurts more than usual and sometimes just feels very uncomfortable if its not actual pain that I am feeling.

 

Be Mindful of Your Posture

Especially starting to work from home, and being in front of a computer all day, was a sign that I needed to be more mindful of my posture. Depending on how you spine is curved you may find that you naturally slouch or sit in awkward positions that sometimes cause more pain in your back. I have tried sitting with a pillow behind me to help me and remind me to fix my posture. Additionally, I also will switch positions often while sitting to make sure that my back is not staying stiff in one position. Also, be careful on how you lay down as well because that can also hurt your back. I love sleeping in the fetal position but that is definitely not the best way for me to be laying down. Laying down with a pillow on your side is very helpful.

 

Heating Pad

Buying a heating pad was the best investment for me. Whenever I have those days where my back is feeling crampy and tight, I use my heating pad on my back and it helps alleviate and sometimes completely remove the pain for the day.  I bought an electric heating pad from Amazon and it changed my life forever. Its comes with a remote where you can control different heating settings.

Take a hot shower

Hot showers not only give you the illusion that you are in a spa, but it is a great and quick way to get clean and have your back feeling back to normal. Sitting under a hot shower for even 5-10 minutes has been very helpful for me. It feels very therapeutic and it is something you can do at home. Additionally, adding an essential oil like lavender just adds to the mood and ambience and helps relax and your shoulders and back muscles.

 

Try CBD Oils or CBD Creams

I have recently been educating myself about the magic of CBD Oils and Creams and I have found them to be very helpful in managing my pain. CBD has many therapeutic components that help with not only anxiety, epilepsy, or cancer, but also helps with pain management. Of course it is important to do your research on CBD and maybe speak to your doctor before using these products. A company that I have found had very good products and reviews is Social CBD.

They have tons of CBD products to choose from based on your preference. They have everything from creams, oils, gummies, chapsticks, vapes. When it comes to relieving back pain, I would go for the muscle rub or the oils.

 

Do you have scoliosis or chronic back pain? How do you cope with back pain at home? Comment down below.