Many of us suffer from debilitating back pain, some lasting a few days, some lasting months at a time. In fact, lower back pain is one of the most common injuries treated in hospital emergency departments and urgent care facilities, and leading cause of long term disability around the world. Whether you injure yourself bending over to pick up a light box, or simply wake up with a backache that just won't go away, it important to determine the odds of the backache resolving spontaneously, or whether you need professional help.
As a back pain sufferer myself, I have personal experience in this subject. At the same time, I am also a medical provider in a major hospital emergency department, and routinely form treatment plans and write prescription medications for my patients. The following are some general recommendations for home treatment of acute, minor back pain. Chronic back pain (severe pain lasting more than a week) should be deal with, by your physician.
One of the most common ways that patients injure their back is by simply lifting a box, turning their upper body, or some other innocent movement. If your body muscles are tight, and you over stretch them, they will simply tear. So if the event that caused your minor back pain was from a minor twist or lifting an object, and it's been less than a week since your accident, chances are you'll be ok. In most cases of muscle strain, the healing process is spontaneous and supportive care is all you need to get well. Of course this doesn't apply to significant falls, and car accidents and other forced trauma. So how can you tell if it's a "minor back pain?"
I don't define a minor back pain simply by the degree of pain or suffering a patient is going through, but by the degree of co-morbidity that the patient is suffering. In other words, if the pain is simple pain, and the patient can still walk, is not incontinent of stool or urine, does not have any weakness or numbness in their legs or numbness to the genitals, than it's probably a minor lower back pain. However, if they have any of the above symptoms, they should be immediately evaluated by a physician as those symptoms may herald an impending lifelong neurological disability. Significant pain, coupled with weakness and numbness, is considered a true medical emergency. Of course, everyone has a different level of tolerance of symptoms, so you'll have to use your own judgment. If you're not sure, go see a doctor.
Dealing with the lower back pain is easy if you understand the concepts of the initial injury. For simple lower back muscle strains, here are my usual discharge instructions to the patient:
• Clear your schedule. Rest your body so that you can heal quickly and correctly.
• If you need to stay home to recover, don't feel guilty that you can't go to work. Personally, I'm a big fan of never missing work and not calling in sick, but keep this in mind. Everyone's boss is counting on them; and the business will still be there when you get back! Your boss will not appreciate that you're in pain, he'll only be upset that you're not performing your job well. He won't hesitate to replace you if you become disabled.
• If you do decided to go to work, then rest well when you get home.
• Sleep with a sofa cushion or pillow under your knees. This tilts your pelvis, lowering your lower spine to the mattress, giving you relief and support. If you're a side sleeper, then place the pillow between your knees.
• Resist the temptation to stretch, massage, the injured part. If it tightens, simply change positions. This includes chiropractic adjustments, at least for the first 10 days. An injured muscle wants to be left alone!
• If you can take NSAIDs, such as Ibuprofen, then take the recommended dosage, every 6 hours with food.
• Finally, ice is better than heat in any acute injury.
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