Treating back pain at home
Today I would like to mention another problem that I see on a regular basis in my clinic, back pain and the variations there of.
At least once a week I get someone coming in to me who is bent at 45 degrees at the waist clutching their lower back saying it has ‘gone out’.
Often times these people have struggled on with this issue for several days and in some cases up to several weeks.
I will say this now that yes these things can settle down by themselves but if they have not settled down after two to three days I strongly urge you to contact me or another professional therapist. The longer you leave it to get your back seen to the slower the progress will be when it is being treated.
There are many factors that can cause someone’s back to ‘go out’. Some are work related, others are postural issues and often times it is stress that is causing the issue there. Leaving the why aside I am going to suggest some simple remedies that can be tried at home if a therapist is unavailable or this has just happened. Again these are temporary solutions to help ease the immediate problem and I still recommend seeing a therapist.
Now as in a previous post heat is usually our friend.
A hot water bottle, deep heat or a heat patch can often do wonders in calming down a particularly painful area. If for whatever reason it makes it feel worse then take it away. This usually only happens if there has been an impact injury or a swelling of some sort. Either way your body will not allow you to keep the area heated. So ignoring this for the moment, find a position that is comfortable for you and lie, sit or stand in that position with the heat on the area. See if this helps.
Next thing you can try is curling yourself into a ball on the couch or the bed, this can relieve a lot of the pain at least temporarily.
The next two options can sometimes help and sometimes not. It really depends on the individual cases as everyone is different.
Option 1
Find a tennis ball,
now lie on the floor with the tennis ball or something similar under the area of your back that is very tense.
Slowly sink your body down on to the ball.
You may need a little help with this. Just keep breathing. Lower yourself on to the ball fully and try to keep your body there for 5 minutes. See if this helps relax the muscle in spasm.
Option 2
Move to the edge of your bed and have someone stand next to your hip so you do not fall off.
Let one leg hang off the bed and let gravity slowly take it towards the floor, you will start to feel a stretch in your leg moving into your hip.
Again hold this for about 5 minutes.
It might be quite sharp at the start, but try to bear with it and after about 30 seconds it should start to ease. If after a minute it is not easing ask your helper to lift your leg back up for you on to the bed and curl back in to a ball. If it does start to ease stick with it and see how you feel after 5 minutes. Then bring your leg back on to the bed and relax for a moment before attempting any other movement.
Again these are just little home tips you can try in case you can’t get immediate professional help. They are not a replacement for professional help merely some tips that can help you reduce your pain.
If you need more information or help please feel free to contact me!