5 Ways to Treat Lower Back Strain
5 Ways to Treat Lower Back Strain
Lower back strains can be caused by extreme physical exertion, falling, bending or crouching repeatedly, lifting heavy objects, improper posture, being overweight, sitting in the same position, severe cough, or even just something as simple as twisting the wrong way. For me, I was getting on the floor to play with Coby when I managed to twist in a way that caused immediate pain. Since yesterday, I’ve been in a lot of pain and fairly immobile. So this morning I decided to research treatments for lower back strains. Following steps such as these may help you feel better and get back to normal much quicker, often without a trip to the doctor.
5 Ways to Treat Lower Back Strain:
- Chill It – After a back injury, chilling the area is one of the first things you should do. Place ice or an ice pack on your back for 20 minutes at a time every 3-4 hours. This can be continued for up to 2-3 days, depending on your condition. Chilling the area reduces inflammation.
- Heat It – Apply heat after the initial swelling has gone down. Heat stimulates blood flow. You can use a heating pad, hot water bottle, or take a hot bath.
- Pain Relievers – Take a pain reliever such as Advil, Aleve, and Motrin. These are Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) which help with the pain and swelling. Follow the directions for usage.
- Keep Moving – Rather than lie around which causes more stiffness, it is important to keep moving. Slow nonstrenuous movements will help reduce tightness.
- Massage – Massage can help promote blood flow in the lower back (to help with healing), loosen tight lower back muscles, and release endorphins, the bodyâs natural pain killers.
When should you contact health care provider?
Call your health care provider if:
- You have severe pain and cannot walk more than a few steps.
- You have numbness in the area of injury or down your leg.
- You have injured your lower back several times before.
- You have a lump or area with an unusual shape.
- You have pain that interferes with sleep.
Ouch. Hope you feel better! Sometimes I get shoulder strain because my purse is heavy and I also carry a lot of groceries up to my apt. frequently. đ
Sounds like you need to empty some things from your purse đ
Thanks for the tips. I hve been having similar problems and these tips were perfectly timed!
MASSAGE is the best for me. It doesn’t only relieves my lower back pain, it also relaxes my mind and body.
Heading for a message tomorrow.
Also, bio-freeze works well. I’m a big fan of the chiropractor.
Our back and spine are so important! I truly believe that our spine health is important!
It effects everything else!
Sorry to hear your back is out of wack. Mine has never been too much of an issue but once I did tweak it pretty bad and was immobilized in pain on the floor. Ouch!!! Thanks for the tips and hope you are back to normal soon!
I had the worst pain in my neck this week. It’s funny how these things flare up out of nowhere!
I’m sorry to hear that. I finally broke down and made an appointment with my chiropractor for tomorrow.
How did you know I needed this post? Thank you for sharing!
Have you ever tried a foam roller? It does wonders for my back and it’s super cheap!
That’s a good idea. I need to get one.