How To Fix A Hurt Lower Back

Trying To Cure Your Lower Back Pain With Lower Back Stretches Strengthening Exercises Pilates Abs Workouts Or Just Lying In Bed Until It Subsides Often Does More Harm Than Good In This Article Find Out One Of The Best Ways You Can Truly Fix Lower Back Pain

Here’s the truth. There is no quick fix/treatment/remedy for lower back pain. And the overwhelming amount of poor solutions out there just worsen the problem. Often times, trying to cure your lower back pain with:

• Abs workouts OR
• Just lying in bed until it subsides

…Often does more harm than good. These methods may provide some form of relief in the short term for sure, but the pain soon returns. And often worse than before.

A short note before we begin: as the saying goes, prevention is always better than cure. That’s why I design every BWS program carefully to ensure that it will cause additional stress to your spine – which can worsen lower back pain. If you’re interested in transforming your physique in the most time-efficient and safe manner:

The Best Alternative Deadlift Exercise For A Sore Back

Once your deadlift lower back pain recovery is done and you begin to feel better again, youre going to want to start lifting heavyweight again. However, maybe youre a bit nervous about performing a traditional barbell deadlift again or perhaps you just want to try an alternative. Well, heres what you do the trap bar deadlift.

The trap bar deadlift is an awesome deal alternative for low back pain. Because you grab the handles to the side, the force is 100% vertical and aligned with the center of your body. Compare this with the deadlift which occurs in front of your body which always has the tendency to pull you forward to a degree.

Further, because the handles generally sit higher than the traditional deadlift, the torso is more vertical, taking strain off your lower back. We also recommend comparing the sumo deadlift vs. conventional as the sumo variation is much easier on your back.

Related:

• The 4 Best Deadlift Alternatives

Lift Hard But Lift Smart!!!

Do a proper warm-up while respecting the barbell, and you can kiss lower back pain away!

Related:

How Is A Pinched Nerve In The Back Diagnosed

Your doctor will first ask you about your symptoms. Its important to provide as many details as you can, such as how long youve been experiencing pain and discomfort, how its affecting your quality of life, and whether youve recently experienced any recent injuries.

Next, your doctor will look for physical signs of trauma or other issues in your low back by checking for possible:

• limited range of motion
• changes to reflexes in your legs
• weakness in the muscles
• changes in sensation in the lower extremities

Your doctor may not be able to diagnose the pinched nerve from a physical examination alone. Additionally, they may want to know more about the cause of the pinched nerve.

They may order the following tests to get more information:

• X-ray:shows the bones in your vertebrae
• MRI:shows your soft tissues, including the discs in your vertebrae, your spinal cord, and the nerves in your lower back
• CT scan:shows a very detailed picture of your lower back and can be used to evaluate bony structures and muscles

Such imaging tests are typically ordered in the case of long-term symptoms only. For example, doctors may not order imaging tests for sciatica unless symptoms last for

• physical therapy
• other lifestyle adjustments

Sometimes your doctor will need to treat the pinched nerve with more invasive measures, such as spinal injections or surgery.

Recommended Reading: Is Upper Back Pain A Sign Of Cancer

Relieving Your Back Pain

When you are suffering from an ache or struggling to get lower back pain relief, it may seem difficult to take a proactive approach to the matter. However, alleviating such aches may be largely within your control. If you make some simple changes in habit and lifestyle, you might be pleasantly surprised by the results. At North Texas Medical Center, we take great pride in helping our community achieve better health. If you are suffering from backache, call us at , or contact us online today.

Causes And Risk Factors For Back Strain From Lifting

Overstretching a tendon or muscle can cause back strain. Working excessively hard or using improper lifting techniques can also lead to a back strain, while a long-term back strain can occur from activities that involve repetitive and excessive muscle movement.

Poor lifting technique or posture must be addressed, as this is the most important way to prevent back pain when lifting. For example, too much rounding of the back can overstress the spine and hips, making a strain much more likely.

Common causes of back pain include:

• Repetitive movements that overstress your back muscles

• Twisting while lifting

• Lifting weights that are too heavy

• Poor lifting posture

Multiple factors can put you at risk of a back strain. Here are a few other risk factors:

• Having tight hamstrings

• Excessively curving your lower back

• Sports that involve constant pulling or pushing

Don’t Miss: What To Do When You Injure Your Lower Back

What Is The Fastest Way To Fix Sciatic Nerve Pain

When alternating heat and ice therapy, it is possible to alleviate sciatic nerve pain within minutes. When ice is applied to the painful area, the immune system fights inflammation, and when heat is applied to the area, the immune system transports blood to the area faster. Heat and ice may also be beneficial in relieving painful muscle spasms associated with sciatica.

Overlooked Remedies For Lower Back Pain Relief

When lower back pain persists and continues to interfere with your quality of life, multiple treatment options may be needed for adequate relief. Below are some back pain treatments that are commonly overlooked or underused. Try one or more of these remedies to see which one, or combination, works best for you.

Don’t Miss: Is Osteo Bi Flex Good For Back Pain

How Is Lumbar Strain Treated

Treatment will depend on your symptoms, age, and general health. It will also depend on how severe the condition is.

Treatment may include:

• Ice packs or heat and compression applied to the back
• Stretching and strengthening exercises
• Learning how to use and wear appropriate protective equipment

Medicines, such as anti-inflammatories, muscle relaxants, and spinal injections, may also be used to ease pain and inflammation.

When Are Diagnostic Tests For Lower Back Pain Necessary

Many patients do not need X-rays in the first few weeks of pain because their pain will end up resolving. Many more do not need CT scans or MRI imaging, which are overly sensitive and often reveal abnormalities not related to the patients pain. These forms of imaging can be extremely useful, however, if a person has chronic or severe pain, and/or neurological symptoms. Blood tests may be ordered if an infection or tumor is suspected.

Don’t Miss: How To Help Lower Back Nerve Pain

Get Enough Restorative Sleep

Pain is a leading cause of insomniadifficulty with falling asleep and/or staying asleep. Inadequate sleep can also make your back pain worse. This vicious cycle makes it more difficult for you to get restorative sleep.

See Restorative Sleep Brings Back Pain Relief

Getting enough restorative sleep is needed for the bodys tissues to heal and recharge energy levels. If you have trouble sleeping, it is important to address pain or other factors that are causing it. Your doctor might recommend lifestyle changes, medications, or other treatments depending on what is disrupting your sleep.

The Daily Stress On Your Spine Compounds And Can Contribute To Lower Back Pain Over Time

All this helps illustrate the importance of proper spinal hygiene throughout the day. Why? Well, because the gradual wear and tear of the discs add up. And can over time contribute to disc bulges and lower back pain.

World-renowned back pain researcher Dr. Stu McGill explains this quite well with a simple analogy. The spine can be thought of as a wire coat hanger. If you constantly bend the hanger back and forth over and over, eventually it will fatigue and break. The spine experiences the same cumulative effect with repeated bending.

Meaning that if you:

• Are currently suffering from chronic back pain OR
• Experience acute episodes of back pain OR
• Would like to minimize the risk of developing low back pain in the future

…Then moving in the most spine conserving way possible is the key.

Don’t Miss: Can Tempurpedic Mattresses Cause Back Pain

Make Use Of This Hip Hinge Movement In Your Daily Life

Essentially every time you sit, stand, reach for something low youre performing a variation of this movement. Whether it be picking something up off the ground or simply bending down to pat your dog, practicing this proper technique ensures that youre able to complete any of these tasks without placing added strain on your spine.

The same applies to lifts in the gym as well. Too many times people will place a great deal of stress on their backs and seriously hurt themselves when they dont apply this simple hip hinge movement pattern properly. This is seen especially with moves like the deadlift, where lower back pain after is common.

Before lifting the weight, stabilize your back by applying the abdominal brace and twisting the bar to engage the lats. Then, dont lift with your back. Instead, focus your attention on simply pulling the hips forward and dragging the weight up the thighs. It’s essentially just like we did with the short stop squat, but now with added load.

How Common Is Lower Back Pain

Around four out of five people have lower back pain at some point in their lives. Its one of the most common reasons people visit healthcare providers.

Some people are more likely to have lower back pain than others. Risk factors for lower back pain include:

• Age: People over 30 have more back pain. Disks wear away with age. As the disks weaken and wear down, pain and stiffness can result.
• Weight: People have overweight/obesity or carry extra weight are more likely to have back pain. Excess weight puts pressure on joints and disks.
• Overall health: Weakened abdominal muscles cant support the spine, which can lead to back strains and sprains. People who smoke, drink alcohol excessively or live a sedentary lifestyle have a higher risk of back pain.
• Occupation and lifestyle: Jobs and activities that require heavy lifting or bending can increase the risk of a back injury.
• Structural problems: Severe back pain can result from conditions, such as scoliosis, that change spine alignment.
• Disease: People who have a family history of osteoarthritis, certain types of cancer and other disease have a higher risk of low back pain.
• Mental health: Back pain can result from depression and anxiety.

Also Check: What Kind Of Doctor Deals With Back Pain

How Is Lower Back Pain Diagnosed

Your provider will ask about your symptoms and do a physical exam. To check for broken bones or other damage, your provider may order imaging studies. These studies help your provider see clear pictures of your vertebrae, disks, muscles, ligaments and tendons.

Your provider may order:

• Spine X-ray, which uses radiation to produce images of bones.
• MRI, which uses a magnet and radio waves to create pictures of bones, muscles, tendons and other soft tissues.
• CT scan, which uses X-rays and a computer to create 3D images of bones and soft tissues.

• Electromyography to test nerves and muscles and check for neuropathy , which can cause tingling or numbness in your legs.

  Depending on the cause of pain, your provider may also order blood tests or urine tests. Blood tests can detect genetic markers for some conditions that cause back pain . Urine tests check for kidney stones, which cause pain in the flank .

When To See A Medical Professional And How To Fix Low Back Pain

Now, if you think you should see a medical professional, do it. Green light. Start at go. I want you to understand that this protocol can be done in conjunction with working with a medical professional. Not sure if you should be?

Do you experience night sweats, changes in bladder and bowel function, or feel tingling in the saddle area? Is your pain an 8 out of 10 and are you struggling with major sleep disturbance? If the answer to any of these questions is yes, maybe recruit your doctor and your physical therapist. Just know this program is complementary to professional help.

You May Like: Does Bladder Cancer Cause Back Pain

What Causes Lower Back Pain

Many injuries, conditions and diseases can cause lower back pain. They include:

• Strains and sprains: Back strains and sprains are the most common cause of back pain. You can injure muscles, tendons or ligaments by lifting something too heavy or not lifting safely. Some people strain their back by sneezing, coughing, twisting or bending over.
• Fractures: The bones in the spine can break during an accident, like a car crash or a fall. Certain conditions increase the risk of fractures.
• Disk problems: Disks cushion the vertebrae . Disks can bulge from their position in the spine and press on a nerve. They can also tear . With age, disks can get flatter and offer less protection .
• Structural problems: A condition called spinal stenosis happens when the spinal column is too narrow for the spinal cord. Something pinching the spinal cord can cause severe sciatic nerve pain and lower back pain. Scoliosis can lead to pain, stiffness and difficulty moving.
• Arthritis: Osteoarthritis is the most common type of arthritis to cause lower back pain. Ankylosing spondylitis causes lower back pain, inflammation and stiffness in the spine.
• Disease:Spine tumors, infections and several types of cancer can cause back pain. Other conditions can cause back pain, too. These include kidney stones and abdominal aortic aneurysm.
• Spondylolisthesis: This condition causes the vertebrae in the spine to slip out of place. Spondylolisthesis leads to low back pain and often leg pain as well.

What Research Is Being Done

The mission of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke is to seek fundamental knowledge of the brain and nervous system and to use that knowledge to reduce the burden of neurological disease. NINDS is a component of the National Institutes of Health , the leading supporter of biomedical research in the world.

As a primary supporter of research on pain and pain mechanisms, NINDS is a member of the NIH Pain Consortium, which was established to promote collaboration among the many NIH Institutes and Centers with research programs and activities addressing pain. On an even broader scale, NIH participates in the Interagency Pain Research Coordinating Committee, a federal advisory committee that coordinates research across other U.S. Department of Health and Human Services agencies as well as the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs.

Also Check: How To Alleviate Lower Back Pain During Pregnancy

Lower Back Pain Kinesiology Taping

There is no one-size-fits-all answer to the question of how to use kinesiology tape for lower back pain, as the best way to use the tape will vary depending on the individuals specific condition. However, some general tips on how to apply kinesiology tape for lower back pain relief include placing the tape over the area of pain, using a criss-cross pattern to create an X-shape over the affected area, and avoiding placing the tape too tightly over the skin.

Chronic pain management is becoming more popular as a result of Kinesio taping . This study is the first to specifically report the effects of KT on CLBP. As an adjunctive therapy, KT may be most effective if used to improve ROM, muscular endurance, and motor control. An evaluation of the effectiveness of kinesiology taping for the treatment of musculoskeletal injury in the treatment of nonspecific chronic low back pain, as well as its effect on pain, disability, and the role of the lower back proprioception. It is not possible to access an abstract. Star-shape keesio tapping, compared to a minimally invasive intervention, is not as effective as sham keesia tapping for pain intensity and postural control in chronic low back pain. An observational study on pain management.

Sitting Hunched Over The Steering Wheel

Prolonged hunching while sitting in the driving seat can cause your back, core and abdominal muscles to become strained and painful, reducing their blood supply, says Sammy.

Sitting forward and hunching over the wheel, as well as remaining in one position for a long period of time, can really impact your spinal health.

Protect your spine when driving by ensuring your hips are back in the seat, and knees just slightly lower than hips. You might need to adjust your seat a little for this.

You May Like: What Kind Of Bed Is Best For Back Pain

Also Check: How To Self Diagnose Lower Back Pain

How Your Back Works

The spine, which is also called the backbone or spinal column, is one of the strongest parts of the body and gives us a great deal of flexibility and strength.

Its made up of 24 bones, known as vertebrae, one sitting on top of the other. These bones have discs in between and lots of strong ligaments and muscles around them for support. There are also the bones in the tailbone at the bottom of the back, which are fused together and have no discs in between.

On either side of the spine, running from top to bottom, are many small joints called the facet joints.

The spinal cord passes inside the vertebrae, which protect it.

The spinal cord connects to the brain through the base of the skull and to the rest of the body by nerves that pass through spaces between the bones of the spine. These nerves are also known as nerve roots.

As you grow older, the structures of your spine, such as the joints, discs and ligaments, age as well. The structures remain strong but its usual for your back to get stiffer as you get older.