Iii Apply A Cold Pack
For the first 48-72 hours, carefully apply a cold pack to the area to reduce any inflammation present. Protect the skin from any risk of ice burn with a thin towel before applying the pack. Apply for 20 minutes and use every 1-2 hours as needed.
Caution:Not everyone benefits from a cold pack. If you find applying cold only numbs your pain while you are still stiff, then either reduce the length of time you apply it, or avoid cold treatment. Some people are more likely to feel even stiffer with cold treatment. The goal is to relax the muscle, not shock it.
I recommend that you go with what works for you. Personally, I prefer heat instead, but everyone has their own preferences.
Stretching And Foam Rollers May Improve Back Pain
If the primary issue causing back pain was limited motion and stiffness, its likely that I would prescribe some stretching exercises, says Stephens. These could be done with a therapist or independently at home, he says.
Foam rollers can sometimes be helpful in relaxing a tight muscle, but it can be difficult to access the right spot with lower back pain if youre trying to do it on your own, he says.
Pain Relief: Try Partial Crunches
One of the classic core-strengthening workouts is the partial stomach crunch. Partial crunches build strength in both your lower back and related stomach muscles, making this an ideal exercise for people with spondylosis.
Here’s how to get the most out of partial crunches:
- Lie back, and keep your feet flat on the floor with your knees bent.
- With your hands behind your head or with arms crossed around your chest, raise your shoulders from the floor. Make sure to keep your stomach muscles tight.
- Breath out while raising your shoulders. Avoid leading with your elbows .
- Hold for one second. Next, lower yourself back down to the floor in a controlled manner.
- Repeat with between eight and 12 repetitions.Remember to follow proper form, which prevents excessive spine stress. Keep your feet, tailbone, and lower back against the floor throughout the exercise.
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Natural Treatments For Lower Back Pain Relief
Its estimated that up to 80 percent of adults experience persistent symptoms of lower back pain at some point in their lives, and about 31 million Americans struggle with the condition at any given time. Given its extremely high prevalence rate whether due to a weak psoas muscle, sciatic nerve pain or some other cause its not surprising that lower back pain is considered the single leading cause of disability worldwide according to the American Chiropractic Association, with half of all American workers reporting having occasional back troubles each year. Naturally, this leads to millions searching for lower back pain relief.
Lower back pain can be mild to very severe depending on its underlying causes, how long its been left untreated and the state of someones overall health. The University of Maryland Medical Center states that several important risk factors for lower back problems include family history of back pain, smoking or using tobacco, being overweight or obese, being female, being anxious or depressed, and either doing too much physical work or living a sedentary lifestyle.
Know Your Otc Medications
Nonprescription pain relievers can help with muscle aches and stiffness. The two main types of over-the-counter options are nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and acetaminophen. NSAIDs include aspirin, ibuprofen, and naproxen.
True to their name, NSAIDs help lower inflammation that can lead to swelling and tenderness. But acetaminophen does not relieve inflammation. You can reach for either type of pain reliever for occasional back pain. NSAIDs may work a bit better, Hemani says, if you have arthritis of the spine or other inflammatory conditions.
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Stretch #1 Knees To Chest
More than anything this stretch it to make sure you are in a position to move forward to more complex and intense movements. But it also allows an opportunity to get simple range of motion in the legs and pelvis to stretch the surrounding musculature.
Doing this exercise to fix lower back pain at home you will want to start with finding a comfortable place to lay down on your back.
Slowly bring your knees to your chest and grab the front of your knees with your hands pulling your legs closer to your body as able. You should feel a sensation in the glutes and hamstring as well as the lower back where you are experiencing pain.
Hold this stretch for 30 seconds, take a break, and then repeat to give your low back relief.
Upward Dog Yoga Position
This yoga position helps strengthen the muscles of your lower back. Start by standing with one foot about 6 inches off the ground. Place your hands on each side of your hips and step forward so that your buttocks lightly touch the ground, but you do not lose your balance. Keep your back straight and hold for a few seconds, then slowly lower yourself to start again.
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Maintain A Good Posture
A faulty posture can actually lead to spine problems. For example, prolonged sitting or slouching in front of the computer can strain the back muscles and this may lead to lower back pain . The stress of poor posture can change the anatomical characteristics of the spine. This increases the possibility of constricted blood vessels and nerves, problems with muscles, discs and joints. Having a good posture is considered one of the best methods to reduce lower back 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.
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Hot Or Cold Therapy For Low Back Pain
Hot or cold packs may help ease pain and reduce symptoms. The soothing relief from heat, or the dulling relief from a cold pack, is only temporary and will not treat more serious causes of back pain. However, they may provide greater mobility for people with acute, subacute, or chronic pain, allowing them to get up and get moving.
What Is The Best Exercise For Lower Back Pain
According to a new study, aerobic exercise is effective in reducing pain and disability in people with chronic low back pain. Published in the European Spine Journal, scientists from the Netherlands reviewed five randomized controlled trials of exercise interventions for chronic back pain. More than 2,100 patients participated, with follow-up ranging from three months to two years. Study participants were given tailored aerobic exercise programs involving walking, combined aerobic and strength exercises, or cycling.
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Stretch #3 Lumbar Rotation
This is the first stretch in the series that is progressive assuming the previous movements were tolerable.
Laying on your back with your knees bent and feet flat, put your knees and feet together as if you had a mermaid tail. Next, take a deep breath in a and as you exhale slowly drop your knees to the side, inhale bringing the legs back up to the starting position and exhale again as you drop them to the other side.
You do not need to have your knees touch the floor, work within your own pain-free range of motion.
Working this movement side to side creates a rotational motion in the lumbar spine and can help reduce tension if you are trying to fix lower back pain at home. This is a great exercise because it is an unassisted stretch that targets the low back which can be a difficult area to alleviate pain on your own.
Significant And Durable Pain Reduction
The study analyzed data from 135 participants 44 in the PRT group, 44 in the placebo group, and 47 in the usual care group.
At the start of the study, the participants had had chronic back pain for an average of 10 years, with an average pain intensity score of 4.10 out of 10. They had an average age of 41 years, and 54% were female.
The participants in the PRT group experienced a significant reduction in average pain scores compared with those in the placebo and usual care groups: a drop of 1.79 and 2.40 on the 010 scale, respectively.
In all, 66% of people in the PRT group, 20% in the placebo group, and 10% of the standard care group were pain-free or nearly pain-free after treatment.
Average pain scores at the 1-year follow-up were 1.51 in the PRT group, 2.79 in the placebo group, and 3.00 in the usual care group.
Dr. Ilan Danan is a sports neurologist and pain management specialist at the Center for Sports Neurology and Pain Medicine at the Cedars-Sinai Kerlan-Jobe Institute in Los Angeles. He was not involved in the study but spoke with MNT.
Dr. Danan said that he found the results reassuring. He explained how patients oftentimes wont look toward nonpharmacological means of addressing pain, especially in a chronic pain scenario.
He added, So to find ongoing evidence through these studies to support the use of nonpharmaceutical means of addressing chronic pain, , we ought to pursue it as clinicians and address it with our patients.
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The Real Difference Maker For Chronic Pain: Active Physical Therapy
Many people with chronic back pain are under the impression that they have two options: live with pain and try to minimize it, or have surgery. But for most back pain sufferers, theres another option a better option for providing long-term relief: active physical therapy.
Active physical therapy or targeted therapy involves exercises aimed at building up the specific muscles that support your back.
Medication From The Store
There are two kinds of over-the-counter pain relievers that frequently help with back pain: nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and acetaminophen. Both have some side effects, and some people may not be able to take them. Talk to your doctor before taking pain relievers. And don’t expect medication alone to solve your pain problem. Studies show you’ll probably need more than one type of treatment.
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What Are Some Complementary Alternative And Emerging Treatments For Lower Back Pain
In some cases, doctors suggest therapies that are not considered standard of care. They probably wont be covered by insurance, but they may be worth considering. Examples include:
Platelet-rich plasma . PRP treatments use a small sample of your own blood that has concentrated amounts of blood building blocks known as platelets. Your doctor then injects the PRP directly into a damaged disc. The theory is that PRP injections use your own healing system to accelerate improvement of injured tendons, ligaments, muscles, and joints. PRP treatment has a longer track record in knee osteoarthritis, but a recent review article in the Journal of Spine Surgery suggests it may have a useful role for back pain, too. PRP needs a lot more research before it can be considered a proven technique.
Stem cells. In this emerging treatment, your doctor injects stem cells harvested from your hip into the intervertebral disc or discs causing your pain. Doing so may lessen pain and the degenerative effects of aging, though, like PRP, more research is needed before stem cells for lower back pain could eventually become the standard of care.
Acupuncture. Your doctor probably doesnt perform acupuncture , but may support you trying it as a complementary therapy. Acupuncture involves careful insertion of fine, sterile needles into specific points on your body. This may stimulate the release of your natural pain-killing chemicals.
Medical Causes For Lower Back Pain After Sleeping
This condition- lower back pain after sleeping- needs to be dealt separately. This is because when you get lower back pain after sleeping or during your sleep, there can be medical reasons as well as some other general causes for such a pain. Such a pain is sometimes called nocturnal back pain or nighttime back pain. When you go through it, your hurting wont stop even when you lie down, no matter what adjustments you make. In fact, your pain may actually get worse while you try to adjust the best position for sleeping. There are various causes for such nighttime back pain:
- Mechanical problems with the spine such as degenerative discs.
- Injuries, sprains or fractures.
- Spine conditions like scoliosis and spinal stenosis
- Kidney stones
- Certain cancers
- Arthritis
Sometimes you sleep well without any pain but when you get up, you have a back pain. What can be causing such a back pain after sleeping. These are non-medical causes.
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Sleep On A Quality Mattress
Lower back pain sufferers usually benefit from sleeping on a medium-firm mattress. However, your preferred sleep position also should influence your mattress selection. To maintain good posture, side sleepers should select a softer mattress. Back and stomach sleepers should choose a firmer mattress. If you have lower back pain, its a good idea to avoid sleeping on your stomach altogether.
If your lower back pain doesnt improve after 4 to 6 weeks of home care using these suggestions, you should see your doctor. You also should contact your doctor right away if you have any red flags, including:
- A history of cancer or a recent infection
- A recent fall or other accident
- Extreme fatigue
- Signs of infection, such as fever, chills, sweats
- Nerve problems, such as shooting pain, numbness or tingling
- Changes in bowel or bladder function
Other options for treating lower back pain may include physical therapy, pain management with cortisone injections or, in certain cases, surgery. Although lower back surgery can be beneficial for patients who are experiencing nerve problems and injured discs, its not typically recommended for patients with other types of lower back pain.
Download the Virtua Health Guide to Back Pain, or call to request a consultation with a Virtua back pain specialist.
Can You Diagnose Strained Back Muscle
Medical professionals diagnose mild strains by studying the medical history of the patients. A qualified healthcare provider reviews the symptoms of the patients and the reason for injury or performs a physical examination.
If patients have severe sprains and strains and there is loss of mobility and weakness, a healthcare provider takes an X-ray to rule out aherniated disc or fractured as the back pain cause.
Strained back vs. herniated disc is a common phenomenon that confuses many people. It is important to understand that disc herniation is a more painful condition than back strains and requires long-term treatment, depending on the severity of your condition.
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Find Activities That Make You Happy
Ongoing back pain can wreak havoc on your life, affecting your cherished relationships, finances, and your ability to get stuff done at work and at home. Finding activities that make you happy can help reduce some stress and may relieve some pain.
Some people find that even doing just 3 things that make them feel good each daysuch as enjoying a comforting cup of tea or coffee, calling an old friend, walking the dog, or receiving a longish 30-second hug from a loved onecan make pain more tolerable.
Even something as simple as laughter with a friend may stimulate feel-good endorphins.1, 2
Getting Started With Active Physical Therapy
At Physicians Neck & Back Center , active physical therapy is at the center of our spinal strengthening programs for over 30 years.
At PNBC, our doctors and rehabilitation specialists partner with you to design a program just for you. Long-term pain management and healing is more likely when the therapy is based on your situation and preferences. Our programs are not only based on your back pain levels, but also your mobility, current level of strength, your clinical testing results and evaluation outcomes.
The equipment youll use is highly specialized. You wont see this stuff at your local gym. Its engineered to target the exact areas back pain sufferers need to focus on. For many people, strength, endurance and mobility-promoting exercises help create a pain-free and healthy body. These exercises can also promote longevity.
Of course this also means your program might change as you progress. And it can be adapted to meet your immediate and future needs. It all depends on your progress and goals.
Want to learn more about PNBC? Watch this short video.
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What Causes Low Back Pain
It is usually caused by muscle strain in your lower back. If you strain a muscle in your back, it can hurt to move it.
Another cause of low back pain is a bulging disk. Disks in your spine give cushioning and support. When a disk bulges, or herniates, it may irritate a nerve . This can cause pain that travels down your thigh or leg. Pain caused by nerve irritation is called sciatica .
In rare cases, back pain may be caused by an infection, cancer, or other diseases.
