How To Manage Lower Back Pain & Prevent Future Injury

Lower back pain can be incredibly frustrating as it can interfere with many aspects of day to day life. According to the American Physical Therapy Association, this is an ailment that two-thirds of the people in the USA will suffer from at some point in their life and, although usually it is not serious and may disappear by itself, it can sideline you for a short while and even make simple tasks like getting dressed a challenge.

So, what can you do to alleviate this pain and get back to full strength as soon as possible? Read on to find out.

Hot/Cold Treatment

For short-term pain relief, you can use hot and/or cold compression packs or a homemade alternative like a bag of frozen peas. Heat can be used to relax the muscles and promote blood flow to the region while cold treatment is helpful for reducing inflammation.

Staying Active

While your instincts may be to rest for a long period of time, but this can actually be detrimental, and it is much better to remain as active as possible. While you should avoid any activity that will put strain on your back, it is a good idea to stay on your feet with non-impact aerobic exercises such as walking, cycling and swimming all being helpful for alleviating pain. This is because moderate exercise will help the muscles to relax and promote blood flow to the area.

Stretches

There are many excellent stretches that can reduce lower back pain by stretching and strengthening the back (this can also help to prevent future injuries). You should be able to find suitable stretches with research online or by going to a physiotherapist, but many people testify that prominent spine researcher and author Dr. Stuart McGill’s “Big Three Exercises” are helpful for rehabilitation and injury prevention. These are low-intensity exercises which are designed to increase the endurance of the muscles around the spine. The exercises are “The Curl Up”, “The Bird-Dog” and “The Side Bridge” and instructions for these are all easy to find online.

Chiropractic Care for Lower Back Pain

Chiropractic care is also a popular and effective treatment option for addressing lower back pain. Chiropractors often utilize high-velocity, low-amplitude (HVLA) manipulation techniques for treating low back pain. This manual therapy is one of the oldest techniques used by the chiropractic profession, whereby the chiropractor uses their hands to apply a short, quick thrust to the spine to try to restore its mobility and function. The technique has variations, as well, like using body positioning or special tables and chairs to facilitate a different manipulation approach.

Your chiropractor can also recommend specific wellness plans and treatment options to help prevent further lower back injury.

Lower back pain can occur seemingly out of the blue and make simple daily activities a huge challenge. The above are a few effective methods for alleviating back pain while simultaneously helping to prevent future strains, but it may take a few weeks to fully heal. It is easy to become frustrated and upset during this period as the pain can be strong and you may struggle with simple tasks, but remaining positive and staying active are both crucial elements of recovery.