Sometimes, you don't have the luxury of health insurance and can't afford to see a doctor. This can affect you in a number of ways, one of which is that you may not be able to get the care you want. If you have chronic back pain, that can be frustrating, irritating news for you, since you don't want to have to deal with pain but you may not be able to get the painkillers that would make it feel better. Here are some ways you can handle your pain.
The first thing you need to do is to see if you can identify any triggers that cause you to feel pain. When you figure out whether there is any connection between your activities and your back pain, it becomes easier to handle the pain. Knowing what causes your pain can help you to prepare for the pain, or avoid the activity all together.
Work on cold and warm therapies. Use a warm towel on your back for about 20 minutes, then follow it up with a cool ice pack. This one-two punch of heat and chill helps your back to feel better and doesn't cost anything at all. These two things can help you enjoy life again, if you make a regular practice of it.
Work on the stress in your life. You may not know this, but stress can make a real impact on your body. No one ever thinks of this, so they continue to be stressed out and suffer from all kinds of ailments. If you make the move to work on some areas in your life so that you don't have as much stress as you used to, you will find that your back appreciates it.
Join an online support forum. These forums are free, and they don't even require you to bring cookies or snacks! You can get a lot of free information from people know what you're going through. You can even ask them how to treat your back on a small budget. The people you talk to can give you ideas and keep you motivated to find something that will help your back pain. Be a little cautious, however, at everything you read. They are not doctors, and you have to keep that in mind.
Get enough rest. This seems silly, but it's the truth. Sleep is when you recharge your body, and it is when your body heals itself. If you never give your body the chance to heal during sleep, can you be surprised when you're not healing? Make a commitment to getting the proper amount of sleep. You will find that you are better able to handle everything that comes your way, including back pain.
As you can see, you don't necessarily need painkillers to feel better. You can do some things on your own that can help your back so that you can get on with your life. Use the ideas here to help soothe your back regardless of your ability to get health insurance.