Improve Your Posture To Reduce Back Pain
Most of us spend a good part of our day sitting down, which may be more harmful than you realize. You can minimize the impact by maintaining good posture. Correct posture in a chair means having all the bones in your spine lined up neatly, like a stack of perfectly aligned blocks. You should keep your feet flat on the floor and your computer keyboard within easy reach so youre not leaning forward or slumping. This is part of proper office ergonomics.
Many apps and devices exist that can help you enhance your posture. If you work at a computer all day, try the software and app Posture Man Pat. This free app interacts with the webcam on your screen, tracking where your face is relative to your screen. If your posture starts to droop and curve, the app will alert you.
If you are looking to get really tech-savvy, try the Lumo Lift Posture Coach. This wearable device has a sensor that will vibrate when you change your posture from what the posture coach is calibrated to.
The Ultimate Deskercise Stretch Routine »
How To Treat A Pulled Back Muscle In 8 Steps
A pulled back muscle can begin as a sudden, sharp pain when lifting or bending. Or it may appear gradually, getting progressively worse over several days. This common injury ranges from a minor inconvenience to an intense source of pain. It can take several weeks, and in some cases a few months, to heal.1
A pulled muscle is the common term for a strained muscle.2 A strain is a muscle or tendon injury that happens when the tissue stretches or tears. When a ligament stretches or tears, its called a sprain. Back pain, often due to a pulled muscle, is one of the most common issues health professionals treat.2 In most cases, you can manage and treat symptoms at home. But if the pain is unbearable or makes it difficult to move, see a doctor.
How To Loosen Tight Lower Back Muscles: Top 10 Stretches
In case youre wondering how regular stretching is helpful to loosen chronic tight back muscles, then the answer is quite simple.
Stretching allows vigorous circulation and transportation of nutrients and oxygen via your blood throughout your body.
So, now if youve got a feeling of very tight lower back muscles, hop on the mat and perform these 10 stretches right away.
Disclaimer: This article is for general informational purposes and doesnt substitute any professional or medical advice.
Pigeon pose is one excellent stretching move to loosen up the glutes and hips.
This pose stretches the deep hip rotator muscles that control hip stability.
Steps to Perform Pigeon Pose:
1: To begin with, start in a tabletop position with your knees directly below your hips and your hands a little over your shoulders.
2: Carefully slide your right knee forward and outside to your right wrist.
3: Place your right foot in front of your left knee while resting the outside of your right knee on the floor.
4: Slowly and carefully slide your left leg backward and straighten the knee. Meanwhile, lower the front of your left thigh and try to keep it as close as possible to the floor.
5: Lower the outside of your right buttock on the floor.
6: Place your right foot in front of your left hip and push with your fingertips on the floor.
7: Squaring your pelvis, try to roll your left hip joint in front of your right hell.
NOTE:
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First What Is A Muscle Spasm
In general, muscle spasms can occur when a muscle involuntarily and forcibly contracts and is unable to relax. Muscle spasms can involve part or all of a muscle, and in some cases may involve several muscles in a muscle group.
The pain associated with muscle spasms can vary from burning, to sharp stabbing, tightness, numbness, or severe pain. While some muscle spasms dont interfere with normal activities, others can be debilitating and last for days/weeks.
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.
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Supplements And Herbal Therapies
Looking for a natural way to manage your back pain? You might consider supplements or herbal therapies. Here’s what Grossman advices for her patients:
When considering supplements and herbal therapies, always talk to your doctor first about potential risks and side effects, interactions with other medications, and which therapies may benefit you.
Lower Back Pain: How To Tell If Its Muscle
When a patient visits my office with back pain, its my job to uncover the pain generator. We talk through the patients history, discuss their symptoms, and make a determination as to next steps. If need be, I prepare their case to be looked at by a surgeon, but generally, my goal is to help patients avoid surgery and find relief with more conservative measures.
Most cases of back pain are not caused by serious conditions. But its important to always rule out the possibility that a patient has another internal issue that mimics back pain . Colitis, kidney stones, gallbladder issues, vascular problems, or an aneurysm are examples of serious conditions that are capable of causing pain to radiate into the back, making it feel like youre experiencing back pain.
A thorough fact-finding investigation should help determine the cause. When did the pain start? How long did it last? What makes it better or worse? Key to determining the pain generator is the patients description of their condition and their medical history. For example, if a patient describes the pain as having come on suddenly and causing nausea, nearly prompting a trip to the emergency room, then disappearing just as suddenly, they may be suffering from a kidney stone rather than back pain from a spinal condition.
- Muscle pain
- Disc pain
Lets take a look at each type in more detail.
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Stretching And Strengthening Exercises
Youll want to be very careful your first couple of days, but some light stretching can often reduce pain from a pulled muscle in your lower back by relieving tension. Include both strengthening and stretching exercises.
Try this easy stretch while lying in bed. Gently raise your knees from the bed to your chest, then put a slight pressure on your knees for a light stretch in your lower back.
This stretch can help relieve muscle spasms in your back faster than waiting for them to resolve on their own. The stretch should not add to your pain.
Remember to listen to your body.
Sometimes, back support compression braces can be useful during the healing process. This help keeps your spine stable and can help you from further irritating your lower back when you twist or bend throughout the day.
Compression can also assist in reducing swelling after an injury, so compression braces may be useful.
I dont recommend you wear a compression brace all day, though just for a few hours or when you know youll be most active.
Keeping it on for too long can keep you from healing fully, as you need to be able to strengthen those muscles in order to recover.
Key takeaway: To help your body recover more quickly and reduce pain from a pulled back muscle, alternate cold and heat therapy, use natural anti-inflammatories, get some rest and try gentle stretches.
Daily Habits To Stop Back Pain
10 daily habits to stop back pain
Although determining the cause of back pain can be complicated, there are many different actions you can take to help alleviate your back pain or prevent it from getting worse. Its all about relieving pressure, reducing strain, protecting your spine, and strengthening your muscles. Changing a few daily habits can help you maintain a healthy, pain-free back for a long time.
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How Is Lumbar Strain Diagnosed
In addition to a complete medical history and physical exam, diagnosing low back pain may include the following. However, specialized tests aren’t often required.
- X-ray. A diagnostic test that produces images of internal tissues, bones, and organs onto film.
- CT scan. This is an imaging test that uses X-rays and a computer to make detailed images of the body. It shows details of the bones, muscles, fat, and organs.
- MRI. This test uses a combination of large magnets, radiofrequencies, and a computer to make detailed images of organs and structures in the body.
- Radionuclide bone scan. A nuclear imaging technique that uses a very small amount of radioactive material, which is injected into your blood to be detected by a scanner. This test shows blood flow to the bone and cell activity in the bone.
- Electromyogram . A test to evaluate nerve and muscle function.
Ways To Relieve Back Pain Naturally
There are a wide variety of natural remedies to soothe your back, which can help reduce the intake of medications or provide an added benefit to your existing medical treatment.
Take a look at these natural pain-relieving strategies and find out what works best for you:
Read on to learn more about effective pain-relieving strategies for chronic back pain from natural methods.
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What Are Some Common Lower Back Pain Causes
The causes of lower back pain are sometimes viewed as being mechanical, organic or idiopathic. Sometimes spinal conditions are congenital or acquired meaning the disorder develops later in life.
- Mechanical lower back pain is often triggered by spinal movement and involves spinal structures, such as the facet joints, intervertebral discs, vertebral bodies , ligaments, muscles or soft tissues.
- Organic lower back pain is attributed to disease, such as spinal cancer.
- Idiopathic refers to an unknown cause.
These are some of the things your doctor might look for or rule out when you schedule a visit for back pain.
The common symptoms of lower back pain.
Sprains and strains. Ligament sprains and muscle or tendon strains are the most common causes of lower back pain. Theyre often related to overuse.
Degenerative disc disease. While the name sounds worrisome, it just means you have a damaged disc causing pain. Over time, discs become thinner and flatter due to wear and tear. That leaves them less able to cushion the vertebrae and more likely to tear .
Herniated disc. The protective covering on intervertebral discs can tear over time. When this happens, the soft inner disc tissue may push through the outer layer. A disc that bulges or slips out of place is known as a herniated disc, bulging disc, or slipped disc. The herniation may press on nerve roots, leading to symptoms such as pain, tingling, numbness or weakness in the area that the nerve serves
Ques : How Do You Sleep With A Tight Lower Back
Ans: Sleeping positions have a major role to play in your lower back stiffness. It can create as well as cure the pain.
The three best sleeping positions with a tight lower back are:
- Stomach sleeping
- Back sleeping with pillows placed under the knees.
- Side sleeping with pillows placed between the legs.
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Is It A Pinched Nerve Or Pulled Muscle In The Lower Back
A pulled muscle occurs when you tear or overstretch some of the muscle fibers. This can happen if you overwork the muscle or twist it too hard. You will probably notice pain and swelling, and the area will be tender to the touch. You may even notice redness or bruising.
A pinched nerve, or nerve compression, happens when pressure in an area causes the nerve impulses to become partially blocked. You may experience a radiating, burning pain in the affected area.
While a pulled muscle in your lower back could potentially cause a pinched nerve, this can also be caused by a herniated disc in your spine. If you feel radiant pain that extends into your legs, see a doctor right away.
Lying Lateral Leg Lifts
Lie on your side and make use of a towel or level pillow to fill up the space in between your belly as well as the flooring can help also. Do this exercise with your back to a wall surface and also place your lower foot level versus the wall surface if you can. How To Relief Back Muscle Pain
Maintain a minor forward tilt of the hips and also utilize your hand to stop you from rocking forwards. Take in, and also, as you take a breath out, raise your uppermost leg. Ensure you do not twist your foot to aim upwards.
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The Universal Guide To Lower Back Pain: Everything You Ever Wanted To Know Straight From The Experts
In This Article: Lower Back Anatomy | How Long Does Lower Back Pain Usually Last? | Common Causes | Other Causes | Home Remedies | Nonsurgical Treatments | Complementary, Alternative, and Emerging Treatments | Surgery | When Is Lower Back Pain an Emergency? | Lower Back Pain Prevention |
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.
Inhale Slowly And Deeply For A Count Of 5 Seconds Pause 1 Second And Exhale 3
Visualization will help by imagining a tight knot being unraveled as you inhale. Picture the muscles extending as you inhale to stretch your rib cage fully.
As the muscles are contracting intensely, they are also over contracting, making it counter-productive.
Since you have already stopped moving, you are now trying to shut off the muscles need also to do this. Breathing deeply is key to relaxing a muscle which is becoming progressively shorter and more painful.
As you try to relax, avoid any movements that allow the muscle to shorten
Because of the intensity, duration and source of the injury, it is natural to react and to contract your body further. Even unwillingly.
To avoid this, focus on slowly inhaling while at the same time minimizing your movements. When in contraction, the reduced circulation and the build up of lactic acid makes you feel much worse.
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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.
Make Yoga Part Of Your Routine
Yoga can help alleviate muscle pain, rebuild muscle strength, and restore full muscle function and mobility without overexerting the affected region.
This claim was corroborated by a 2017 study which found that practicing yoga twice a week helped relieve musculoskeletal pain in dental hygiene students.
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More Ways To Prevent Future Back Spasms:
Maintain a healthy weight if youre overweight, you increase the stress on your spine and joints.
Improve your posture improper postures such as being hunched over all day can increase your risk of back spasms. Ensuring that you maintain proper posture, and using ergonomic aids when needed provide the stability and strength that your back needs and minimizes your risk of back spasms.
Exercise regularly engaging in a stretching and strengthening program for your back and core muscles, and regularly participating in some form of cardiovascular activity, will help to keep your back healthy and minimize your risk of back spasms.
Warm up and cool down before exercising properly warming up and cooling down before and after exercise can help prevent your muscles from becoming fatigued, strained, or injured. Before working out, try jogging in place and doing sport-specific movements that help to get your heart rate up and blood flowing to your muscles, ligaments, tendons, and joints. After your work out, take about 10 minutes to stretch the major muscle groups of your body to help prevent muscle spasms.
Stay hydrated dehydration can lead to muscle spasms. Ensure that youre consuming enough water for your body size and activity level helps to minimize your risk of back spasms.
