Lower back pain is one of the most common injuries incurred today. Back pain can affect people of all ages and is one of the most common reasons for missed workdays, doctors’ visits, and anti-inflammatory use. Painful and disabling back pain can be scary to endure and can affect everyday activities such as your sleep, ability to walk, and even sit. It may even get in the way of your job performance if you are required to do physical activity such as lifting or twisting for your occupation. The good news is, there are some things that you can do to address your back pain rather than living in fear of it.
7 Steps to Address Your Back Pain
- Move – A lot of people tend to believe that rest is the best thing to do when you start to feel back pain. Although that can be a tempting option, movement is a much better answer. Spinal movement that accompanies activities such as walking or gentle stretching goes a long way toward alleviating your pain. If walking doesn’t feel great or is too much right now, try biking until you can tolerate walking.
- Find a Direction that Helps Your Pain – Often, back pain responds well to one direction of movement, and not so well to the other. Your back moves in a few directions. The first is flexion, or forward bending, which is the direction that your back takes when bending down to the ground or sitting. The second is extension, or backward bending, which is the direction your spine takes when walking and standing. Try to see which direction of movement helps to alleviate your symptoms with gentle stretches such as a knee to chest stretch (flexion), or a back-bending stretch (extension). If one of these directions helps your symptoms, incorporate these stretches into your routine.
- Use Heat and/or Ice – When you are in pain or spasm, heat and ice can be very helpful to settle your back symptoms. Use heat when you feel that your back is tight and restricting your movement. Use ice if you feel any sharp pain that you need to dull down. Aim for 15-20 minutes at a time.
- Change Postures Throughout the Day– If you are at your desk for long periods of time, take breaks throughout the day to get up, stretch, and walk around. Your back needs some time to “unwind” so change position throughout the day. Your muscles and ligaments shouldn’t always be in the same stretched position that is required to sit for hours on end. You can also use a standing desk, and alternate between sitting and standing every few hours. Finally, use a lumbar support pillow behind you when you are sitting to add some added support to your sitting position.
- Change Your Sleeping Position– Sleeping can be difficult when back pain is present. Use pillows to modify your position in order to find some relief. Put a pillow under your legs if you sleep on your back, or a pillow between your knees if you sleep on your side. This helps to level your pelvis and support your spine for a more neutral sleeping position.
- Get Help– Enlist the help of medical professionals such as a physical therapist and your primary care physician. Together they can be a helpful team to ensure that you are on the track to recovery in a safe manner. Physical therapists will help to alleviate pain with modalities and manual therapy and strengthen the muscles that support your spine through prescribed exercises, so you can get back to all of the activities that you enjoy doing.
- Keep Track of Your Symptoms– Keep track of what you are feeling. Back pain is different for all who experience it. It can be felt in a variety of places and accompanied by all sorts of sensations. Try to recall where you felt symptoms and if you felt any other sensations such as numbness, tingling, or burning. This information will go a long way in helping your medical professional arrive at a precise diagnosis.
Even though back pain can be troubling, there are steps that you can take to face it head-on. Follow these 7 steps and you will be on the path to recovery in no time.
If you have any questions about this post or would like to speak with a physical therapist about an injury, give us a call at (978) 263-0007. We would be happy to answer any questions and discuss possible next steps.
Achieve Physical Therapy is currently open in Acton, Bedford, and Sudbury MA. We can see you in the office or by video treatment. If you choose to come into the office, we are following all CDC guidelines including the use of face coverings, cleaning, personal hygiene, and staggering patient appointments to limit how many people are in the office.
