What can I do for a hurt back?
Donna from Arkansas
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To prevent a hurt back, strengthen the abdominal muscles and the back muscles.
You might inquire as to whether or not physical therapy is covered by your insurance. If so, they will teach you exercises that will do both.
Hi Donna, I am sorry to read about your back pain. I have suffered with two bulging discs most of my life. My mother has bad back pain as well . If you can, My best advice is to go to the Doctor, You may need Xrays or a MRI so that the Doc can diagnose your problem. I take Naproxen sodium that I buy in Wal Mart (ALEVE) And I take a hot shower. I then lay down on my back with pillows under my knees. My Mom on the other hand, Likes to use a cold pack, Then she lay's down with a heating pad.
See a chiropractor, especially if you have hurt it by lifting something. If the chiropractor doesn't think he can help you, he will say so, and sucggest you see your regular doctor.
I ruptured 2 discs & herniated 3 others back in 1984 when I tripped over the corner of a rug in school and didn't fall. Was operated on-1 disc removed, other repaired, left 3 alone. I buy Therma-Care heat wraps [Walmart] especially when on sale and find they relieve my back so I can function pretty well. For me, the chiropractor hurt more than he helped.
Just don't feel that once the pain is gone you don't need to take it easy until you heal. That would defeat everything.
My husband has a bad back. He had 2 surgeries when he was younger. Now the only thing that keeps him going, especially after mowing a 2 acre yard, is M S M Comfort Jel from www.aloetherapy.com. I use it for my arthritic joints too. It is great for pain. Look it up on the computer and read all about it. I bet it will help.
When possible, lie on your back on the floor and do stretching exercises, i.e., raising knees to chin; laying on the floor, legs outstretched, raise one leg and try to touch the floor on the other side with the raised leg. Do not go past the point of pain.
A chiropractor can give you samples of many exercises to help your back pain. Another thing is sleep on your back with a pillow under your knees or on your side with a pillow between your knees. Before you go to bed, take something to help you relax your muscles - this past weekend I had pain in my back and when I went to bed, I took one Tylenol PM and one Sominex. Place ice on the sore spot for 10 minutes at a time. Some people do 10 minutes of ice and then 10 minutes of heat, that increases blood flow to the area for healing. The ice reduces inflammation and swelling in the area, reducing pain. Within a day, I was as good as new.
Another thing is to lie on the floor, bring knees up to chest and wrap your arms around them. Then start rocking on the floor until you come to a sitting-up position. Do as much as you can without pain. The spine coming in contact with the floor can push the vertebrae back into place. If it is painful, don't do it. At the beginning of the weekend, I couldn't even lay flat on the floor, it was too painful, but as my muscles relaxed, I could do this.
The main thing is to keep the muscles flexible, free of inflammation and swelling. The stretching is a wonderful maintenance of the muscles and will alleviate stiffness later on.
The old stand-bys are still some of the best. REST! Warm baths. Alternate ice and heat -- those self-heating pain patches are wonderful. And take naproxen (alleve) or ibuprofen, because they have anti-inflamatory as well as pain relief properties. Personally, I've found that naproxen is better as it does more to relax those aching muscles. Also, Flex-all 454 is one of the best rubs. Hope you're feeling better soon -- backaches are miserable! :(
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