There are innumerable joys to owning a pet—from friendly wake-up nudges in the morning to long walks at the end of a stressful day. If you’re dealing with chronic neck or back pain, you might even be able to add more advantages to this list. Instead of writing off pet ownership due to your symptoms, use the following information to alleviate your discomfort and enhance your everyday routine.

How Owning a Pet May Ease Chronic Back Pain & Its Consequences

When back pain has you feeling unmotivated to get out of bed in the morning, the gentle whimpers of your pet will give you a sense of purpose—they need you in order to go to the bathroom. In addition to becoming a daily source of motivation, your pet’s cuddles, licks and happy face will be a distraction from your daily pain, providing you with some much needed mental relief. In fact, pet therapy is considered a form of psychotherapy and a treatment for depression.

Chronic pain can also have repercussions, such as the need to retire from a job that aggravates your symptoms. Unfortunately, many people in this situation then lose their social circle and start to feel isolated. Having a pet by your side will provide you with a constant sense of companionship, knowing your furry friend will always be there to offer moral support. In some cases, they can even help you physically—such as by learning commands to pick up things you drop, sparing you the pain of bending over.

How to Feel Better by Walking Your Companion

One of the main activities you will engage in with your pet is time outdoors, but this doesn’t only benefit your pup—the routine movement will improve blood circulation throughout your body, alleviating back pain caused by a sedentary lifestyle. It may also encourage you to exercise, strengthening muscles around your spine to help support herniated or slipped discs. Walking your dog will also allow you to meet friends and other dog owners, strengthening your social circle to decrease feelings of loneliness and depression.

If you’re dealing with chronic back pain and looking for solutions to supplement pet therapy, get in touch with iSpine Pain Physicians. With locations in Maple Grove, Coon Rapids, Chaska, Shakopee, Sartell and Delano, MN, you’ll never have to jump through hoops to see a local back pain specialist. In addition to pain management programs, they also offer back injections for instant relief. To learn more about their services, visit their website or call (763) 201-8191.