Low Back Pain

What causes back pain?

Many different things can lead to the tightness, aches, and soreness you may be feeling. Lifting wrong or making sudden moves can hurt your back, as can taking a fall. Poor posture, extra weight, stress, and other factors can add to back pain. Sometimes you may not even know how you hurt your back. Whatever the cause of your pain, you can still take steps to get better on your own.

Common Back Problems

Your low back pain could have come from a problem with your muscles, disks (the natural shock absorbers between the bones in your back), or nerves. Sometimes different problems combine to cause pain. The symptoms will often be the same no matter what the problem. Treatment usually stays the same, too.

Muscle problems

A strain or sprain occurs when muscles or ligaments (tissue bands that connect bones) have been stretched ot torn. This can happen after a sudden move. Poor body mechanics and stress also can make your muscles tense up, adding to your pain.

Disk problems

When the soft center of the disk is under pressure, it can stretch or tear the disk's outer covering. This is often called a "bulging disk" or a "slipped disk". The result can be pain, stiffness, and tingling.

Nerve problems

Low back pain combined with pain in the leg is called sciatica. The pain may extend down to your toes. It's caused by pressure on the sciatic nerve, and is often the result of a damaged disk.

The First Few Days

Your first concern is relieving your back pain. You may find that ice, over-the-counter medication, and heat help. But if you're hurting, you may not want to hear that you should also get moving. Strange as it seems, after a little rest, moving around will actually help you get rid of pain.

Finding relief

• Ice:
• Over-the-counter medication:
• Heat:

Easing into motion

Even if back pain keeps you in bed for a day or so, you can still do gentle movements. A pelvic tilt is one exercise that loosens tight muscles and helps relieve pain. While in bed:

1. Lie on your back with your knees bent.
2. Tighten your stomach and buttocks, and gently press your low back into the bed.
3. Hold for 5 seconds and relax.
4. Repeat.

Do this exercise as often as you can. It may help you get back on your feet sonner.

Stretching out

Gentle stretches help you reduce tightness after you've been off your feet for a while. Here's a simple warm up stretch that can loosen you up:

1. Place your palms on your low back.
2. Lean your upper back, but don't arch your neck too much.
3. Hold for a count of 5.
4. Relax.
5. Repeat 3 times.

Keeping a routine

Gentle movements help ease your pain and keep your muscles in shape. Try to stick to your daily routine. You may have to limit some actions, such as lifting heavy objects. But most people can still go to work, do light housecleaning, or take a walk, for example. It's up to you how much you can do. If you feel sudden pain, slow down or rest.

Tips for basic tasks

With back pain, even simple tasks may require some thought. Daily actions such as dressing or brushing your teeth may be easier if you follow these tips:

1. Pull on or take off socks, underwear, and pants while lying on your back.
2. Lean against a wall for support as you dress.
3. Bend your knees - not your back - when tying shoelaces, or avoid bending by wearing slip-on shoes.
4. When brushing your teeth or shaving, bend your knees and hips - not your back. Place your free hand on the counter or sink to brace yourself.
5. When standing, shift your position often. Raise one foot slightly higher than the other, resting it on a stool or inside a low cabinet.

Sleep in comfort

Good body mechanics and a bed that supports your back can help make your sleep more restful.

• Use a firm mattress or slide a board beneath your mattress for added support.
• Sleep on your back with a pillow under your knees. Or sleep on your side with your knee bent and a pillow between them.
• To roll over, tighten your stomach muscles, bend your knees slightly, and roll your whole body in one motion.

The Right Moves

Good body mechanics (how you hold and move your body) can help reduce pain. Good body mechanics means keeping your ears, shoulders, and hipss in line at all time. By making good body mechanics a habit now, you can also protect against back pain in the future.

Getting out of bed

Roll on your side and push your body up with your arms. Keeping your knees bent, lower both your legs to the floor while raising your head. From the sitting position, use your leg muscles as your stand. Reverse the steps when getting into bed.

Getting out of a car

Grasping the steering wheel or door for support, pivot your whole body on the seat(don't twist your back) as you bring out one leg at a time. Scoot to the edge of the seat. Holding the door for support, raise yourself off the seat and out of the car. Reverse the steps when getting into a car.

Lifting

Get as close to the object as you can. Stand with your feet slightly apart, and bend your hips and knees, keeping a slight arch in your back. Take a deep breath and exhale as you life. Tighten your stomach as you come up, lifting with the muscles of your legs and buttocks. Stand straight to carry the object, keeping it close to your body As a rule, seek help if the object you need to lift is heavy.

When you sit

Keep your knees level with or lower than your hips. Sit with a rolled-up towel or other support behind your lower back.. Stretch and walk around after half an hour of sitting. Remember: Keep your ears, shoulders, and hips in line when sitting or moving.