When To Speak With A Doctor
Practicing good posture, exercising regularly, and healthful eating can often improve back pain without speaking with a doctor.
A person should consult with a healthcare professional if they have back pain that worsens over time or accompanies other symptoms, such as bowel or bladder control issues.
People experiencing severe back pain following trauma or physical exertion may also need to speak with a doctor.
Maintaining A Healthy Weight Can Help Reduce Back Pain
If youre at a healthy weight, your muscles dont have to work as hard to support you against gravity. The muscles wont fatigue as quickly, and that would be helpful with pain, says Stephens. Theres also less pressure on your back and other joints, he adds.
A meta-analysis of 33 studies published in the American Journal of Epidemiology examined the association between overweight and obesity and low back pain, and found that both conditions increased the risk for low back pain.
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Causes Of Lumbar Pain
Lower back pain most often results from
- Tissue injury
- Mechanical issues
- Deteriorating condition
- Abnormal spinal curvature
If the problem is deterioration or unusual spinal anatomy, deeper tissue injuries can arise such as herniated discs or nerve compression. These complications require professional attention. Never ignore serious symptoms such as severe pain, sudden weakness, shooting nerve pain, numbness or tingling. Do not delay seeking help for unusual symptoms.
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When To See A Pro
You may find that your massage efforts at home arent doing enough to ease your lower back pain.
Consider seeking a professional masseuse to provide massage or another professional, like a chiropractor or physical therapist, to adjust your spine. These efforts by professionals may help relieve your back pain.
You may want to see a doctor if your lower back pain is very severe or long-lasting.
A doctor can diagnose and help you manage back pain that interferes with your daily life. They may recommend a variety of treatments to help with severe or lingering back pain. Some treatment recommendations may include:
- bed rest
How To Give A Back Massage
With just a few tools and some basic massage techniques, you can give a back message to a friend or family member or even show them how to give you one. Heres a video about giving a lower back massage:
Keep in mind that you should never apply pressure directly to the spine. Only use gentle pressure to avoid injury and discomfort.
Then, you can start to massage the back using several different methods. Massage each side of the back separately.
Once youve gone through these motions, you can do a few more moves to ease any remaining back pain.
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Is It Muscle Strain Or Sciatica
Back pain that occurs after excessive exercise or heavy lifting is frequently a strain injury. However, occasionally these activities cause disc injury and rupture or herniation. When a herniated disc irritates the sciatic nerve, it can cause back pain and, in some people, leg pain.
What is Sciatica?
Sciatica is a form of nerve pain caused by pressure on the sciatic nerve. The sciatic nerve is a large nerve that runs down through the buttocks and extends down the back of the leg. Pressing on or pinching of the sciatic nerve causes shock-like or burning low back pain. Sometimes people feel as if the pain radiates down through the buttocks and down one leg, sometimes even reaching the foot.
How Does The Back Brace Work
According to the manufacturer, the Mueller Lumbar Back Brace has four steel springs that provide firm support and stability. These springs should conform to the shape of a persons lower back. The manufacturer notes that along with stability and support, the springs limit unwanted movement in the lower back that may be causing lower back pain.
A person can adjust the tightness of the brace by using the velcro straps on either side of the brace.
Built-in plastic components maintain the shape of the brace to stop it from bunching up while in use,
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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.
Exercises To Fix Back Pain At Home
After stretching the area and getting an understanding of your individual range of motion and pain tolerance the next step to fixing back pain at home is to strengthen the surrounding musculature.
This is important to reduce the likelihood of injury again and restore full range of motion in the future â pain-free.
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Prone Lying Prone Props And Press Ups
In the case of sudden onset of acute low back pain, you should try the emergency back pain exercises first. Lie on your stomach for a few minutes, then prop onto your elbows for a minute or two. Monitor your symptoms for centralization.
After a few minutes in the propped up position, try a few press ups. Try to keep your hips and back relaxed as you use your arms to press your upper body up. Try to press up as far as possible to restore the normal forward curve in your low back. Say to yourself, “Further, further, further” as you press up. Move your spine through the full, pain-free, range of motion. Perform 10 repetitions and monitor your symptoms.
If your pain does not fully centralize with the press up exercise, you may need to move on to the next exercise: the press ups with your hips off center.
Home Remedies For Lower Back Pain
1. Oil Therapy
- Take 4 tablespoons of mustard oil, sesame oil or coconut oil. Put it on low flames and fry 7-10 garlic cloves till they turn light brown. Then, strain the oil. Allow it to cool. Massage this oil on your lower back. Use this therapy regularly for 15 days or so, to get effective results.
- Massage with warm castor oil also heals lower back pain.
- Mix turpentine oil and warm mint oil. Rub it gently on the affected area for quick relief.
2. Heat Therapy
One of the best remedies to use for lower back pain is heat. The warmth from any heat source can relax and calm your muscles and help to soothe aches, pains, and sores. there are a couple of things that you can do to administer heat to a lower back pain ache. The first is investing in a good heating pad. There are all types of heating pads on the market right now but one of the best is an electronic heating pad. With an electronic heating pad, you can control the settings so that you can administer as little or as much heat as you want.
You can also use a microwavable heating pad too. However, these will lose their warm after about half an hour after you heat it up. When you are using a heating pad, try not to use a longer than 15 to 20 minutes. Additionally, be sure that you move your heating pad from one location of your skin to another. This will prevent you from scalding your skin.
3. Cold Therapy
4. Potato
5. Cabbage Leaves
6. Lemon Juice
7. CBD Oil
8. Milk
9. Oats
10. Capsaicin Cream
11. Yoga
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Exercise And Movement Can Prevent And Help Relieve Back Pain
In my experience, people who tend to move more often throughout the day tend to experience less frequent episodes of back pain and often less intense back pain, says Stephens. However, this rule may not apply to people who have more physically demanding jobs that require a lot of lifting, he notes.
Generally, most types of physical activity are somewhat protective in terms of the likelihood of developing back pain and also the prognosis. If someone is habitually physically active, that seems to have some preventive benefit, and if back pain occurs, it helps someone get through it faster, says Stephens.
What kinds of exercise are good for back pain? According to Stephens, all types are good. For a large percentage of people, that could be something as simple as walking daily, he says.
A study published in October 2017 in the Annals of Rehabilitation Medicine looked at the walking habits of 5,982 people age 50 and older, 26 percent of whom reported experiencing lower back pain. Investigators found that the people who walked the most were the least likely to experience back pain.
Whether a person will benefit from specific strengthening exercises for their back depends on the person and the back pain, says Stephens. Check with a physical therapist or your doctor before you begin any new exercise routine, he advises.
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Back Exercises And Stretches
Simple back exercises and stretches can often help reduce back pain. These can be done at home as often as you need to.
For information about exercises and stretches that can help, see:
A GP may be able to provide information about back exercises if you’re unsure what to try, or you may want to consider seeing a physiotherapist for advice. Read about how to get access to physiotherapy.
Doing regular exercise alongside these stretches can also help keep your back strong and healthy. Activities such as walking, swimming, yoga and pilates are popular choices.
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Simple Stretches To Relieve Lower Back Pain
Lower back pain can be a debilitating and painful condition.
Fortunately, staying physically active may be the most effective and cost-efficient way to soothe or prevent it.
Here are 8 simple stretches to relieve lower back pain.
3 ).
Although its origin varies, changes in the lumbar, or lower back, structure due to musculoskeletal damage are considered to be the main cause .
Your musculoskeletal system is made up of bones, muscles, tendons, ligaments, and other connective tissues that provide form, support, stability, and movement to your body.
Other muscles that play an important role in maintaining the normal curvature of your spinal column are reported to be associated with lower back pain. These include the hip flexor and hamstring muscles .
Minor lower back pain normally gets better on its own within a few days or weeks. It can be considered chronic when it persists for more than three months .
In either case, staying physically active and regularly stretching can help reduce lower back pain or prevent it from returning .
The remainder of this article provides eight stretches for lower back pain, all of which you can do in the comfort of your own home with minimal or no equipment.
Summary Lower back pain is an incredibly common condition that can be relieved or prevented with regular exercise and stretching.
The knee-to-chest stretch can help lengthen your lower back, relieving tension and pain.
To perform the knee-to-chest stretch:
How To Relieve Back Pain
The following tips may help reduce your back pain and speed up your recovery:
- stay as active as possible and try to continue your daily activities this is 1 of the most important things you can do, as resting for long periods is likely to make the pain worse
- try exercises and stretches for back pain other activities such as walking, swimming, yoga and pilates may also be helpful
- take anti-inflammatory painkillers, such as ibuprofen remember to check the medicine is safe for you to take and ask a pharmacist if you’re not sure
- use hot or cold compression packs for short-term relief you can buy these from a pharmacy, or a hot water bottle or a bag of frozen vegetables wrapped in a cloth or towel will work just as well
Although it can be difficult, it helps if you stay optimistic and recognise that your pain should get better. People who manage to stay positive despite their pain tend to recover quicker.
Back pain usually gets better on its own within a few weeks or months and you may not need to see a doctor or other healthcare professional.
But it’s a good idea to get help if:
- the pain does not start to improve within a few weeks
- the pain stops you doing your day-to-day activities
- the pain is very severe or gets worse over time
- you’re worried about the pain or struggling to cope
If you see a GP they will ask about your symptoms, examine your back and discuss possible treatments.
They may refer you to a specialist doctor or a physiotherapist for further help.
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Address Back Pain Sooner Not Later
If you have tried adaptations such as improving your work setup or adjusting your posture and dont have any improvement in pain within two to four weeks, you may want to seek a formal consultation with a healthcare provider or physical therapist, says Stephens.
Its not a good idea to live with pain too long physical therapists can usually be of more help if you come earlier in your pain episode, he says.
In the past, many doctors recommended bed rest for back pain, but thats no longer thought to be a good solution, says Stephens. Were pretty sure that doesnt help you get through an episode of low back pain any faster or end up with a better result, he says.
Theres nothing wrong with taking it easy for a day or two, but thats really the most that someone should be following any type of bed rest. After that, they need to try to introduce movement, because thats so important in helping tissue heal, says Stephens.
Back Pain Remedy: Heat
Heat therapy should be your go-to after a weekend warrior move gone wrong, such as over-aggressive mulching in your garden or an injury form moving furniture, says Justin J. Park, MD, an orthopedic spine surgeon with The Maryland Spine Center at Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore, Maryland. Strains and pulls respond better to heat. Heat helps to ease the strained muscle and reduce tension and can help to increase range of motion and reduce pain. Dont let the heating pad get too hot and dont use it for more than an hour or so at a time. Heat thats too intense may hurt your skin, leading to more problems. You can also loosen the tension with these expert-recommended back massagers.
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The Universal Guide To Lower Back Pain: Everything You Ever Wanted To Know Straight From The Experts
In This Article: | | | | | | | | | |
If youve ever had lower back pain stop you from doing what you want, youre not alone. Lower back pain is one of the most common medical problems in the world. It is a leading reason why people visit a doctor, affecting more than 80% of adults at some point in their lives. According to the Global Burden of Diseasea significant study published in the Lancet medical journallower back pain is also a leading cause of disability.
While severe lower back pain can cause worry, pain severity is not always an indication something is seriously wrong. Photo Source: Shutterstock.
You may not be able to prevent lower back pain, especially as you age and your back loses some strength and resilience. Fortunately, there are many ways you can get relief, no matter the cause of your back pain.
Fall Asleep Faster And Sleep Longer
When you have a restful nights sleep, your back will feel less sore during the day.7 A night of restorative sleep can have healing benefits and make you feel refreshed, rejuvenated, and less stressed.
Watch Video: 11 Unconventional Sleep Tips: How to Get to Sleep and Stay Asleep
Try these natural sleep aids, one at a time, to see which one works best for you:
- Vitamins C and B6. The natural steroids in your body control your metabolism and promote good sleep.8,9 Supplements of vitamins C10 and B611 are known to help the body produce and regulate natural steroid hormones.
- Melatonin. Your natural sleep hormone, melatonin can be taken as a supplement to improve your sleep cycle.
- L-theanine. An amino acid found in tea leaves, L-theanine may help some people feel relaxed and get better sleep.
- Valerian. Supplements made from the root of the valerian plant may help you sleep faster and stay asleep longer.
Another option is cherry juice or cherry extractscherries contain certain enzymes that help promote better sleep.4
See Natural Remedies and Herbal Supplements as Sleep Aids
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How Back Supports Can Help
Back supports can support a persons spine from the outside. They help a person reduce their back pain by transferring stress from the spine. They can also help reduce muscle tension in the back.
As many braces are tight-fitting, a person may find that a back brace provides a sense of stability in the spine. Additionally, the heat generated between the skin and back brace may reduce muscle tension and promote relaxation.
A 2020 study found that lumbosacral back braces, which support the back from just below the shoulder blades to the pelvis, can increase pressure in the intra-abdominal area, reducing stress on the spine and the load on the spinal discs. The authors of this study state that these back braces can be useful for people with a herniated disc, spinal stenosis, chronic back pain, or back strains.
A person living with scoliosis may find that a back brace can slow or stop the progression of spinal curvature, but only if the person is still growing.
