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Many people will feel better within one week after the start of back pain. After another 4-6 weeks, the back pain will likely be completely gone. To get better quickly, take the right steps when
you first get pain.
A common misconception about back pain is that you need to rest and avoid activity for a long time. In fact, bed rest is NOT recommended.
If you have no indication of a serious underlying cause for your back pain (like loss of bowel or bladder control, weakness, weight loss, or fever), then you should reduce physical activity only
for the first couple of days. Gradually resume your usual activities after that. Here are some tips for how to handle pain early on:
• Stop normal physical activity for the first few days. This helps calm your symptoms and reduce inflammation.
• Apply heat or ice to the painful area. Try ice for the first 48-72 hours, then use heat after that.
• Take over-the-counter pain relievers such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB) or acetaminophen (Tylenol).
While sleeping, try lying in a curled-up, fetal position with a pillow between your legs. If you usually sleep on your back, place a pillow or rolled towel under your knees to relieve pressure.
Do not perform activities that involve heavy lifting or twisting of your back for the first 6 weeks after the pain begins. After 2-3 weeks, you should gradually resume exercise.
Begin with light cardiovascular training. Walking, riding a stationary bicycle, and swimming are great examples. Such aerobic activities can help blood flow to your back and promote healing. They
also strengthen muscles in your stomach and back.
Stretching and strengthening exercises are important in the long run. However, starting these exercises too soon after an injury can make your pain worse. A physical therapist can help you determine
when to begin stretching and strengthening exercises and how to do so.
AVOID the following exercises during initial recovery unless your doctor or physical therapist says it is okay:
• Jogging
• Football
• Golf
• Ballet
• Weight lifting
• Leg lifts when lying on your stomach
• Sit-ups with straight legs (rather than bent knees)
Home Care Tips for Relieving Acute Lower Back Pain
• Resume normal activity as soon as possible. Bed rest is no longer recommended and may delay recovery. Activities should be done without strain or stretching.
• Avoid intense exercise and physical activity, particularly heavy lifting and trunk twisting if there is acute back pain.
• Try an over-the-counter nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory such as aspirin or ibuprofen. These medicines often provide significant benefits.
• Apply heat (104°) to the painful area. Heat may work better than ibuprofen or acetaminophen. One group of researchers found that people with low back pain who wear low-level heat wraps for 8
hours a day have significant less pain and disability.
• Try alternating between hot and cold packs. Some doctors recommend changing from hot to cold every 3 minutes and repeating this sequence three times. Others believe ice packs should be applied
first. This routine should be done two or three times during the day. (Note: Heat or cold treatments do not have much effect on sciatica.)
• Supportive back belts, braces, or corsets may help some people temporarily, but these products can reduce muscle tone over time and should be used only briefly.
• Get plenty of sleep. Healthy sleep plays a vital role in recovery. Avoid caffeine in the afternoon and evening, and unwind before bed by taking a warm bath or practicing relaxation techniques.
It is often difficult to get a good night's sleep when suffering from back pain, particularly because the pain can intensify at night. Some people may need medicine to help manage nighttime pain
or treat sleeplessness. Lying curled up in a fetal position with a pillow between the knees or lying on the back with a pillow under the knees may help.
Prescription muscle relaxants may help some patients, although their benefits are uncertain. Once started, medications should be taken on a regular schedule in order to maintain consistent effectiveness.
Massage therapy may help relieve both acute and chronic low back pain. Several well-conducted studies have shown some benefit and suggest it may reduce the costs of care. Massage therapy may not
be covered by health insurance.
Spinal manipulation may help, although it is not clear if it works any better than physical therapy or general care. Some experts recommend delaying this treatment until pain has persisted for
3 weeks, if possible, since the back pain will most likely have gone away on its own by then.
Acupuncture has not proven to have any value for acute low back pain in most patients, but may provide some help for patients with chronic low back pain.
Be aware of and avoid approaches that are not helpful. Certain approaches may even be harmful for acute low back pain. For example, permanent bipolar magnets (magnet therapies) can deactivate heart
devices and must be kept at least six inches away from pacemakers or implantable cardioverter defibrillators. These magnets have gained some popularity as a non-invasive method of relieving pain,
but no studies support the claims.
Home Care Tips for Relieving Chronic Back Pain
Yoga relieves low back pain better than conventional exercise or self-help books, according to a study published in the December 20, 2005, issue of Annals of Internal Medicine. For the study, 101
adults with low back pain who were randomly assigned to one of three groups. One group attended yoga classes and lessons; the second did aerobics, weight training, and stretching; and third group
read a self-help book about back pain. After 12 weeks, those who took yoga could better perform daily activities requiring the back than those in the other two groups. After 26 weeks, those who
took yoga had less pain and better back function, and used fewer pain relievers than the others.
Reviewed By: Thomas N. Joseph, MD, Private Practice specializing in Orthopaedics, subspecialty Foot and Ankle, Camden Bone & Joint, Camden, SC. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.
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