Remedies To Relieve Lower Back Pain Fast
by North Texas Medical Center | Jan 28, 2020 | Physical Therapy
We all want to know the best way to relieve lower back pain fast. At best, backache can be frustrating, perhaps draining. At its worst, this kind of discomfort can be utterly debilitating. If you have ever awakened with a terrible backache, you may have also learned how quickly such an ailment can derail your day, your week, or even several months or years.
Fortunately, there are remedies to combat that ache. From exercising to getting better sleep to reducing your stress levels, you can choose from a variety of strategies. The next time you have a backache , consider the following methods of back pain relief. Remember to discuss at-home back pain remedies with your doctor before you make use of them.
Stretches For Low Back Pain
- Back Flexion Stretch. Lying on the back, pull both knees to the chest while simultaneously flexing the head forward until a comfortable stretch is felt across the mid and low back.
- Knee to Chest Stretch. Lie on the back with the knees bent and both heels on the floor, then place both hands behind one knee and pull it toward the chest, stretching the gluteus and piriformis muscles in the buttock.
- Kneeling Lunge Stretch. Starting on both knees, move one leg forward so the foot is flat on the ground, keeping weight evenly distributed through both hips . Place both hands on the top of the thigh, and gently lean the body forward to feel a stretch in the front of the other leg. This stretch affects the hip flexor muscles, which attach to the pelvis and can impact posture if too tight.
- Piriformis Muscle Stretch. Lie on the back with knees bent and both heels on the floor. Cross one leg over the other, resting the ankle on the bent knee, then gently pull the bottom knee toward the chest until a stretch is felt in the buttock. Or, lying on the floor, cross one leg over the other and pull it forward over the body at the knee, keeping the other leg flat.
How Are Conditions That Cause Tight Back Muscles Diagnosed
Almost every medical condition thought to cause tight back muscles, from blunt force trauma to fibromyalgia, can be diagnosed with a physical exam conducted by a medical professional. More serious conditions causing tight back muscles that involve neurological issues may need to be identified during specialized scans or examinations.
For conditions related to the spinal cord and TLF, doctors may order an immunohistochemical analysis of spinal fluid. This tests the fluid for the presence of certain proteins that may be connected with excessive tightness in the sheath, as well as levels of myofibroblasts, small connective tissue cells that increase contractile force to help close wounds on the skin .
Certain kinds of arthritis that cause muscle tightness can also be detected by the presence of nodules and rashes on the skin.
Summary
Almost every condition that causes tight back muscles can be identified by a physical exam. Conditions involving the spinal cord and TLF may require an analysis of spinal fluid, while arthritis can sometimes be diagnosed by rashes and skin nodules.
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Ways To Loosen Very Tight Lower Back Muscles
Very tight lower back muscles is a fairly common health problem, partially because so many factors can cause it.
In certain cases, it can be a symptom of an underlying disorder, such as kidney stones or fibromyalgia. Other times, it is either a side effect of sedentary lifestyles or repeated movements.
If your lower back feels tense often, its important to listen to your body and take measures to relieve your pain.
A tight lower back can worsen and lead to more serious problems. It may also influence your day-to-day movements, such as bending down to pick up something from the floor.
Discomfort, spasms, and cramping can follow tightness in the lower back. The pain is always a continuous, dull pain, and your back can feel rigid, tight, and contracted.
You may also experience tightness in your pelvis, hips, and legs.
A tight lower back caused by over-strength exercises or heavy lifting can usually be felt within a few hours. Its natural to feel some tightness or pain after working out, but its usually going to go down in a couple of days.
The tightness can be more common if you do a workout that you dont usually do or not in the best shape.
As long as it rises and subsides within a reasonable time, there should be no cause for concern.
Release Tensionback Neck Or Knee Pain Try These Foam Roller Exercises
In addition to back issues, Johnson says that hip tightness is often accompanied by tight inner thighs and weak outer thighs, which can bring the knees inward provoking medial knee pain and affecting gate. If you notice knee pain specifically in the inside of the knees , this may be a sign that you have tight hips. Furthermore, tight glutes can contribute to reduced hip rotation. This decreases mobility of the hips and therefore forces other muscles down the chain to overwork , Johnson explains.
Knowing some of the consequences of tight hips, its not hard to see why loosening them up is so important! Especially if you are spending long stretches of time sitting.
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Side Effects Of Heat Therapy
Like physical therapy, heating treatment with an electric pad or warm water carries relatively little risk. Because heat therapy increases circulation to the muscles, there is some risk of greater inflammation with sustained exposure to heat. For muscle tightness that involves inflammation and swelling, cold treatment may be more effective than heat therapy .
Summary
You should carefully consider the side effects of your course of treatment with your doctor. For stronger medications, pay close attention to dosage and take only as directed by your healthcare provider.
Understanding Your Anatomy For Lower Back Pain
Now before you get lost in the wild west of internet research on your anatomy, I do have some helpful recommendations at hand. The two books that have helped me the most in understanding my anatomy are Functional Anatomy Of Yoga by David Keil and The Key Muscles Of Yoga and The Key Poses Of Yoga by Ray Long. If you can afford to buy both of them, I recommend using them side by side.
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Easy Home Exercises To Relieve Your Lower Back Pain
by Adam Beckman | Active Living
Lower back pain can range from a slight niggle to debilitating pain. Depending on the cause of your back pain, different management strategies can be used. Check out our 7 easy tips of things you can do at home to relieve your lower back pain.
Disclaimer these tips are for general information only and may not be relevant to your specific back pain. If you are unsure whether these exercises are suitable, your pain is not subsiding or your back is exacerbated by these exercises, get assessed by a health professional or make an appointment with your GP.
Exercise Off The Course
Exercising and stretching on off days can be a game changer when it comes to managing your lower back pain. If you’re only dealing with the symptoms on the days you play, you aren’t really going to heal or see significant improvement.
You need to work consistently and target the area bothering you to see results. You should try to stay active with a low impact workout between days on the course. Try swimming, yoga or speed walking.
You can simply lay down on a yoga mat, take your knees to your chest and gently cross your knee to one side, releasing tension in the lower and middle back. Or, on your hands and knees, look up with an arch in your back and then down to reverse the motion, stretching out your spine.
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Increase Your Magnesium Intake
Magnesium induces muscle relaxation. You will find a lot of magnesium-rich fruits and vegetables.
Bananas are a great magnesium source, such as peanuts, spinach, almonds, and brown rice. Alternatively, you should take magnesium supplements to increase your magnesium intake, helping relax tight muscles.
Before taking any supplement, make sure to speak to your doctor.
Carry Your Golf Bag Differently
If it’s not the swing that’s causing your lower back pain, it could be the way you’re carrying your golf bag. That thing’s not light! Not only are you carrying a heavy bag to and from the course, but you’re also bending down to pick it up which irritates the lower back.
Try purchasing a golf bag that has a stand on it, so you don’t have to place it all the way down, therefore eliminating the need to bend over and lift it. You can also get two straps put on your bag so you can carry it more like a backpack, evenly distributing the weight around your back and avoiding excess weight in just one area.
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What Are Muscle Knots That Crunch With Massage
According to a massage therapist I spoke to, a muscle knot that feels like it crunches when you massage it is the muscle fascia slipping past the skin with enough friction to catch and release repeatedly.
How about you? whats the most effective muscle knots reliever you ever tried?
To your health and happiness,
Meital
Stability Ball Back Extension
Start facedown on a stability ball with feet resting on floor and core engaged so body forms a straight line. Keeping your back naturally arched, place hands behind ears and lower your upper body as far as you comfortably can. Squeeze glutes and engage back to and raise your torso until its in line with your lower body. Pause, then slowly lower your torso back to the starting position. Repeat for 12 to 15 reps.
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Lower Back Pain Can Be A Sign Of Stored Emotions
For me, lower back pain is often a sign of age-old frustrations that Im still holding onto. This is quite a common phenomenon too, as our lower back is one of the secret areas where we store repressed anger, Sean Grover L.C.S.W. explains in this Psychology Today article. So, read up on the links between stress, repressed anger, poor posture, and pain: most likely, youre experiencing at least one of the above.
Understand Your Lower Back Pain
If you ask me, its not easy to fully understand where exactly that nagging pain in your stiff back comes from. For years, the best I could do was point out whether the pain was coming from my upper lower back or my left lower back, but more than that, I couldnt really say. It was only once I took the time to understand my anatomy that it became so much easier to distinguish the sources of different pains. And with this, I understood which stretches would be beneficial for which types of pain. If youre serious about understanding your pain, treating it, and even finding ways to prevent it entirely Id encourage you to do similar research.
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Your Brain Onthis Is Your Brain On Yoga
As a yoga instructor, I have a few favorite stretches for the hips and theyre not just my favorites because they feel good theyre extremely functional and work the hip from all angles. Frangiamore is also a fan of these yoga poses. Stretches like the pigeon pose, warrior 1 and groin stretches all work to lengthen muscles that attach around the hip joint , which become shortened after prolonged sitting or resting, he says. Lengthening these muscles can decrease tension and excessive pull on the hips and lower back which can improve posture and decrease associated pain.
Ready to get loose? Give these three stretches a try.
Ques : How Do You Tell If Lower Back Pain Is Muscle Or Disc
Ans: The basic difference to locate whether your lower back pain is related to muscle or disc is that if it hurts both while bending forward and returning to the upright position, then it is disc pain.
Whereas, if it hurts more while returning to the upright position as compared to forward bending, then its muscle pain.
Other symptoms of disc pain are:
- Increased back pain with prolonged sitting and frequent bending.
- Increased back pain because of coughing, sneezing, and even laughing.
- Numbness or pin-needles like pain radiating into the affected area.
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How To Increase The Effectiveness Of Massage For Lower Back Pain
The following tips may help you maximize the benefits of massage therapy for lower back pain:
- Stretch Out First
Warm up your muscles to make massage easier and more comfortable. We recommend a program of gentle stretches for the lower back.
- Apply Lotion or Oil
To reduce friction on your skin, use a natural oil or lotion. Almond oil is a good choice and one that many professional massage therapists use. For stubborn back pain, try using a pain relief cream.
- Relax and Breathe
Focus on your breathing during the massage, especially when the therapist is working on very tense or tight areas. This will keep you calm and encourage the muscles to relax.
- Rest and Hydrate
Give your body time to heal following the treatment. Rest if you can and be sure to drink plenty of water or herbal tea throughout the day.
- Know your Limits
If massage is causing back pain, then you should stop the treatment immediately and see your doctor. While some discomfort during deep tissue massage is normal, it should not hurt.
Lower Back Pain Relief: How To Deepen The Stretch Using Visualization
Something that always helps me to understand how to access a certain part of my body in different ways, is placing myself right in front of it. Imagine youre standing behind yourself, facing your lower back. Now, mentally, draw a cross and an X across your lower back. Then, explore stretching your lower back along all of these axes: vertically, horizontally, and diagonally.
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How To Loosen Tight Back Muscles For Lower Back Pain Relief
There is nothing worse than tight back muscles or a stiff neck to keep me from being active like I would like to be. Do you have tight neck muscles from sitting at a desk all day? Or how about a tight lower back when getting out of bed in the mornings? Tense muscles are a pain, literally. Are you one of the many women over 40 who want to be more active but aches and pains are holding you back? I have a solution for you.
I have quite a bit of experience with back pain over the past 7 years or so. Tight back muscles, neck and shoulder pain can all limit what you are able to do. A stiff lower back and neck tension are huge obstacles to losing weight and being active.
I am back from the horse show at the Tryon International Equestrian Center, aka Horse Disneyland. I truly cant describe the overall excitement and feeling of being at TIEC when you love horses and showing like I do. However, it is a lot of physical work with long days to take care of horses, stalls, tack, with a lot of walking and of course, fun horseback riding. As much fun as this is, the lower back pain can affect my activity level if I dont take precautions and nurse it when necessary.
Burpees are out of the question anymore, but I wont complain about that. For the most part, I can do what I want as long as I take proper care of my back and so far it hasnt gotten as bad as it was a couple of years ago. That was when I learned pickleball could not be on my list of activities anymore either.
Will Bed Rest Help Back Pain
Doctors often recommend continuing your usual activities of daily living as soon as possible. Studies suggest that strict bedrest can often prolong or worsen low back pain. Bed rest can also lead to secondary complications such as depression, decreased muscle tone, and blood clots in the legs. You should try and keep moving while avoiding activities that noticeably aggravate or worsen back pain. By staying active, those who suffer from low back pain can gain greater flexibility and quicker recovery.
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How Should You Use Lower Back Stretches Like These Yoga Poses To Help Reduce Back Pain
Although each of the stretches below are helpful on their own, theyre especially beneficial as a flow, New York Citybased yoga instructor Shanna Tyler tells SELF.
For lower back pain relief, try choosing five or six from the list below as a flow, and plan on holding each pose for 10 seconds to one minute, making sure to take deep breaths throughout the hold.
If your lower back feels relief with that sequence, you can work up to holding each pose for longer, up to three minutes. In terms of frequency, you can do yoga daily if youd like, but if youre doing beginner yoga for back pain, start with just a couple times per week. Also, many people find it useful to break up these lower back stretches into a few mini-sessions when their back feels particularly tight, like first thing in the morning or after sitting at work all day.
- Child’s Pose
- Knees to Chest With Slow Rock
- Reclined Pigeon Pose