At some stage in our lives we experience lower back pain, which could be brought on by injury, posture, disc problems or illness. If bad enough, lower back pain can be debilitating and affect our daily lives. So what can you do when you are suffering from a painful lower back issue? There are several ways to reduce the pain and to increase your mobility and strength.
You can use both ice and heat to your advantage when you experience lower back pain. However, order is important here. When faced with a new injury, first you ice it, then use heat. If you’ve tweaked your lower back, apply ice during the first 24 to 48 hours.
Here’s how you can use ice to your advantage:
Place ice cubes or crushed ice in a plastic bag, or purchase a cool pack. Wrap what you’re using in a cloth to protect your skin from injury.
Apply to your lower back for no more than 10 minutes at a time.
Repeat as needed throughout the day. Give yourself at least 10-minute breaks between ice applications.
While heat may be tempting to apply after an injury, it can cause your body to release even more inflammatory compounds into your body. After one to two days and for chronic pain, you can begin to apply heat.
Heat Application
The same rules apply as a cold pack: Refrain from applying the heat source directly to your skin. Instead, wrap the heat pack or heating pad in a cloth first. While it can be tempting to sleep with a heating pad all night to relieve your back pain, avoid doing this. You can easily burn your skin if the protective cloth slips away.
Sleeping better
Sleeping in an awkward position can cause you to be in pain from the moment you wake up. The best sleeping position for lower back pain may be sleeping on your side with your knees drawn up close to your chest (also known as the fetal position). Placing a pillow or two between your legs, while sleeping on your side, helps to reduce stress on your lower back. Sleeping on a too soft mattress can also cause lower back pain. A firmer mattress is best.
Outlook
Lower back pain can be a chronic and debilitating condition. Small, daily actions can either help or worsen your discomfort. By taking steps to strengthen, stretch, and protect your back, you can ideally stop or slow pain.
However, severe cases of low back pain can’t always be fixed by lifestyle changes. If your lower back pain interferes with your ability to perform everyday activities, talk to your doctor.