It's no secret that sitting in a desk chair all day is not that great for your back. Visiting your chiropractor for regular adjustments can help ease pain and soreness, but if you really want to stay pain-free, you'll want to take good care of your back between chiropractic visits, too. Here are three things you can do between chiropractic visits to keep back pain at bay:

Have mid-day back stretching sessions.

By stretching your back out a little each day, you can keep the stiffness from progressing to as great a level by the time your next chiropractic appointment rolls around. A good time to stretch is in the middle of your day; this will keep you from feeling so stiff and sore when it's time to go home. Of course, you can stretch again when it's time to leave work, too.

An easy stretch to try is called the sit and reach. Sit on the floor with your legs straight in front of you, and bend through your spine as you reach toward your toes. Another stretch is called the side bend. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, and bend at the waist as you reach your arm over your head and toward the other side. Repeat this stretch on the other side.

Take an herbal supplement to fight inflammation.

A lot of back pain is caused by inflammation. Sitting in a chair all day puts pressure on certain muscles and ligaments. This causes them to become inflamed and press on nerves in the area. If you reduce inflammation, you'll reduce your pain levels, too. This is what NSAID pain relievers like ibuprofen do. Unfortunately, these pain relievers often have unwanted side effects like kidney damage. A safer way to reduce inflammation is to take an herbal supplement. Ginger is a good one to try; it has few to no side effects when taken in small doses. Turmeric is also a good choice, except for those with gallbladder disease.

Take Epsom salt baths.

Soaking in a tub of Epsom salts is another good way to naturally ease your back pain. It fights back pain at its source by reducing inflammation in the tissues. Lower levels of inflammation will make it easier for your chiropractor to effectively adjust your back, and may make your adjustments more effective since you'll be starting at a lower level of pain and inflammation.

Epsom salt baths work by allowing magnesium and sulfate ions to diffuse into your muscle tissue. To prepare an Epsom salts bath, just toss a few handfuls of the salts into a warm tub of water. Soak for about 20 minutes two or three times per week when you get home from work, as this is when the inflammation will probably be at its worst.

For more information about alleviating back pain, contact Fish Creek Chiropractic or a similar location.