Maybe you lifted something heavy or swung a
golf club a little too enthusiastically. Or maybe you've been hunched
over a desk or computer for two weeks, battling a deadline. Whatever the
reason, now your back is "out," and you're wishing for something,
anything, that will put an end to the agony.
Take heart; you're not alone. Almost every American suffers from back
pain at some point in his or her life. The bad news is that unless you
have a major injury or disc problem, your doctor may not be able to do
much for you other than prescribe some pain medication and advise you to
rest. The good news is that by following some simple steps, you can be
back in the swing of things in just a few days. Even better, you can
help ensure that you won't have to endure similar discomfort in the
future.
In this article, you will learn all about back pain and how to relieve it over the following sections:
Publications International, Ltd.The complete spinal column viewed from the side.
- How the Spine Works
It would be impossible to discuss the back without mentioning its
major architectural component -- the spine. Basically, the spine is
group of bones, stacked on top of each other, along the length of your
back. The spine is also your body's way of protecting your spinal
column, one of the most important parts of the central nervous system.
Most of the problems that occur in the spine involve the spaces between
the bones, called disks. Some of the back problems that involve
intervertebral disks include herniated disks, torn disks, and ruptured
disks. We will teach you everything you need to know about your spine
and how it can contribute to back pain.
- Back Muscles and Ligaments
The majority of back problems stem from muscles that have been
exhausted or strained. Sore backs, aching backs, or simply back pain
that won't let you get out of bed probably stems from muscular problems.
In this section, we will inform you about ligaments, the connective
tissue between the muscle and the bones of your spine. We will tell you
how ligaments can be damaged and how proper posture can keep them
healthy. We will also explain how the muscles in your back work, and
hopefully show you can stop injuring them.
- Facet Joints and Nerves
The bones of the spine fit together in fairly intricate and
fascinating way. The places where these bones rub against each other are
called facet joints. Aside from helping to hold the spine together,
facet joints also prevent the spine from bending in ways that might
damage your internal organs. Unfortunately, like every part of the back,
these joints can be damaged and cause pain. Speaking of pain, we will
also talk about the nerves that run through the back, especially the
spinal column. Finally, we will show you how all these various parts of
your back fit together to make the mechanical wonder you take for
granted every day.
Emergency Back Pain Relief
-
After you injure your back you probably want to crawl into bed or a
hot bath and close your eyes. While this might feel good immediately,
the care you give your back in the first few hours after an injury can
significantly affect how much pain you feel in the next few days. We
will give you advice for treating a back injury, such as resting your
back, icing your back, and compressing the area. We will also let you
know when your back injury is so serious that you should seek a doctor's
advice.
- Chronic Back Pain Relief
Some people have chronic back problems, and live their life in fear
of throwing their back at from the slightest activity. If you have a
back that is constantly throbbing with pain or is stiff most of the day,
there are steps you can take to relieve these symptoms. We will show
you how to stretch your back to keep it loose and avoid injury. We will
also tell you which activities to avoid and the benefits of a massage
and good posture. You might also be surprised to learn that activity can
keep your back healthy.
How the Spine Works
While
most back pain is muscular in nature, there are a host of problems that
can stem from your backbones. For instance, a slipped disk or herniated
disk can be quite painful. Here is an examination of the skeletal
structure of the back.
Spine Basics
In simple terms, your spine is nothing more than a group of bones in a
line up the center of your back. The individual bones are called
vertebrae. There are 33 bones in all -- 24 vertebrae, the sacrum (which
is actually 5 vertebrae fused together), and the tailbone, or coccyx (4
vertebrae fused together). The individual vertebrae are stacked on top
of each other from about the level of your belly button up to your head.
When healthy, the bones of the spine are strong and dense. As is the
case with all bones, the vertebrae get their strength primarily from two
important minerals -- calcium and phosphate. When there is a shortage
or loss of these minerals because of an inactive lifestyle
(weight-bearing activity actually helps to keep bones strong) or
diseases such as osteoporosis, the bones lose their structure and
strength. Unless they are weakened in this way or are damaged in an
accident or fall, bones do not typically break or wear out.
The spine has four regions. Starting with the neck and progressing
down to the pelvis, the regions are the cervical region, the thoracic
region, the lumbar region, and the sacral region. All of these regions
work together to provide support and stability for much of the weight of
the upper body. Each bony level has a passage that forms a tunnel for
the spinal cord, thus protecting the spinal cord as it extends downward
from the brain.
But the spine is more than just a protective tube. While the spine
provides protection and support, its design also allows you to bend,
twist, rotate, and otherwise move your upper body in every direction.
The bones themselves do not actually bend or twist; the flexibility of
the spine comes from structures between the bones called facet joints
and intervertebral disks.
Intervertebral Disks
The infamous disks -- technically known as intervertebral
disks -- are situated between the bones of the spine, creating a space
for nerves branching out from the spinal cord to other areas of the
body. The disks are made of tough rings of fibrous elastic material
called cartilage; if you sliced a disk horizontally, it would look
something like an onion cut through its middle. At the center of the
rings of fibro-elastic tissue is a thick fluid with the consistency of
very cold molasses.
|
Publications International, Ltd.
View of an intevetebral disk showing the pulpy, liquid center.
|
Together, the rings and the jellylike center of the
disk act as a shock absorber, much like the shock absorbers on a car.
When healthy, they take up much of the shock that walking, running,
jumping, and even sitting can place on your spine. Every time you bend,
extend, or twist, there is a change of pressure in the fluid-filled area
of the disk. In moderate amounts, this change of pressure is actually
good for the disks. In the long term, however, excessive forward bending
movements -- with the back rounded and the legs straight -- can damage
the rings that hold the fluid in place. Unfortunately, this bending
motion is one that many people use repeatedly throughout a typical day
to reach or lift objects. Even slumped sitting may expose the disks to
possible injury.
This damage to a disk starts at the rings in the center of the disk
closest to the fluid, and then progresses toward the outermost rings.
The condition has often been called a slipped disk. However, the disk
does not actually slip out from between the bones. Rather, the fluid
begins to break through the rings. When this condition has advanced to
the point where there are only a few rings left holding the fluid inside
the disk, the condition is known as a bulging disk. The rings can push
into the spinal cord or the nerves exiting the cord. If all the rings
tear, the disk has ruptured, or herniated.
|
Publications International, Ltd.
The three stages of disk herniation. First, a healthy disk with the fluid center in place (left). Second, a bulging disk in which the fluid has begun to break through the fibrous layers (center).
Third, the fully herniated, or ruptured, disk where the fluid has broken out of all the layers and
leaks into the surrounding tissue (right).
|
Some people experience a condition called
degenerative disk disease. This condition usually progresses over many
years. In this process, one or more disks dry out, losing their ability
to absorb the loads and shock placed on them with everyday activities.
Age also has an effect on the disks in the spine. At age 20, the disks
are made up of about 70 percent water. With increasing age, the disks
naturally lose their water content.
If a disk wears out, dries out, bulges, or tears, it loses height.
This forces the bones closer together, so the facet joints end up having
to take much more of the shock as you move. The facet joints, in turn,
can wear out prematurely. The loss of height also narrows the opening
between the bones through which nerves exit the spinal cord. This
narrowing can pinch a nerve, often causing pain.
All of the conditions that affect the disk can, in the later stages,
be extremely painful and debilitating. They can interrupt normal work,
play, and even sexual function. Taking steps to protect the disks can
pay great dividends in the long run. However, most of the time when
people "throw out" their backs, it is due to muscle tears or spasms.
Learn all about the back muscles in our next section.
Back Muscles and Ligaments
The
bones of your spine would not be able to move or even hold themselves
upright without the muscles and ligaments that surround them. An
important part of understanding back pain is understanding how these
structures work and how they can get injured.
Back Ligaments
Attached
to all the bones and disks in the spine are long, cordlike structures
called ligaments. Not as hard as bone but not as soft as muscle, these
bands of connective tissue come in almost every size. Some are short,
running only between adjacent bones, but some are very long, extending
all the way down the length of the spine.
The ligaments have
several important functions. They provide support for the spine from the
head down to the tip of the tailbone, holding disks and bones and
muscles in their proper places. Their main function is to hold the bones
together, allowing bending, twisting, and other movements to occur
within safe ranges. Because ligaments are somewhat elastic, giving them
the ability to stretch a little but not too much, they are perfectly
suited for this task. When you bend over forward as far as you can,
these ligaments reach the end of their length; they become taut, keeping
the bones from moving apart any farther. This is an important function,
because it spares other parts of the spine, such as the disks, the
burden of holding the bones together -- a damaging task that they are
simply not designed to do.
When you are standing straight, the ligaments are at normal length (left).
However, when you bend, rounding your back, the ligaments are stretched
to their maximum length trying to hold the bones together and support
your hanging upper-body weight (right). |
The
ligaments also play a major role in posture. When they maintain their
normal length and flexibility, they support the bones of the spine,
keeping them in good positions. With poor postural habits, however, the
ligaments on one side of your spine can be overstretched. Over time,
probably months or years, the result is poor posture. Poor posture, in
turn, can cause the ligaments to ache. Indeed, back or neck pain that
cannot be attributed to a specific accident or injury is often a sign
that poor posture is taking a toll on the ligaments. The ligaments, when
sprained or torn, take a long time to heal because of their poor blood
supply.
Back Muscles
Muscles
are cordlike structures that are even more elastic than ligaments. Like
ligaments, muscles can stretch; unlike the ligaments, muscles also have
the ability to contract, or shorten. This is, in fact, what happens
when you lift a cup of coffee, throw a ball, or do anything that
requires movement of the body. The muscles shorten and lengthen, pulling
the bones in different directions to coordinate our movements. When you
lift, lower, push, pull, carry, or perform any activity, the muscles
are doing the work.
Muscles also work to keep the body from
moving when movement is not desired. For example, if you are sitting in a
canoe and the canoe starts to tip to the left, your muscles quickly
respond by coordinating your body's movement to the right to maintain
your balance.
Muscles are true workhorses and can be your back's
best friend. When conditioned, your muscles maintain their strength,
endurance, and flexibility, which allows the body to move and work with
less risk of injury and pain. When working properly, the muscles can
greatly reduce the load on the bones, facet joints, disks, and
ligaments. In contrast, when the muscles become deconditioned from lack
of use or from injury, they tend to lose their size, strength,
endurance, and flexibility.
How do muscles work? Basically, when
you want to move, your brain sends a message through the nerves to the
correct muscle. When the message gets to the muscle, chemicals inside
the muscle cause the muscle to shorten. Because the muscle is attached
to the bone, this shortening pulls on the bone. If the strength of this
shortening is strong enough, the bone, and therefore the body, moves.
When your back muscles are in shape, they support the spine well (left).
When they are weak, the spine can suffer poor posture and possible injury (right). |
To
lengthen, or relax, and return to its resting position, the muscle
requires energy. If the muscle runs out of energy, or becomes fatigued,
cannot relax back to its original length. The end result may be what is
often called tightness. As you use them, some of the smaller muscles in
the back may start to get tired and shorten. When the muscles shorten,
the bones are held together more tightly than normal; this constriction,
in itself, can cause back pain and limit your ability to move with full
flexibility. In fact, many people have back pain that is probably
related to tight, deconditioned muscles that have fatigued and
shortened.
In the short term, this muscle fatigue may result in
nothing more than a little low-level back pain, but if this condition
continues day after day, year after year, the back can wear out much
faster than it should. If the muscles are not stretched, they can be
injured. If you're lucky, the injury will only be a muscle pull or
strain, in which the muscle is only slightly torn. Muscles can,
unfortunately, be damaged more severely. The good news is that muscles,
because of their good blood supply, tend to heal fairly quickly.
Our
final stops on this tour of the back will be the facet joints and the
nerves. Then, once we have all the parts laid out and explained, we will
tell you how they all work together. Keep reading to learn more.
Facet Joints and Nerves
We're
almost done explaining the anatomy of your back. All we have left are
the facet joints, or how the bones of the spine fit together, and the
nerves -- don't forget, the back also holds a major part of the body's
central nervous system.
Facet Joints
Most
of the bones of the spine have four joints, or places where they rub
directly against other bones. These joints are called facet joints.
Located on the extensions of bone off the back side of the vertebrae,
these surfaces come in contact with those of the vertebrae directly
above and below. Their purpose is to safely guide and restrict the
movement of your spinal bones.
To get an idea of how the facet
joints function, think of a door and doorstop. When a door opens so far
that it hits against the stop, no further movement in that direction is
allowed. In your spine, the bones move as far as the facet joints will
allow them to before one bone forces another to stop. For example, when
you stand and put your hands on your hips, bending as far backward as
you can, it is the facet joints that help stop your backward movement.
The same thing goes when you rotate your neck or back to the left or
right as far as you can.
Located on the bony extensions of the vertebrae, the surfaces
of the facet joints fit together like a three-dimensional puzzle. |
The
surfaces of these joints, when healthy, are relatively thick, hard, and
slick. This combination allows the bones an easy, pain-free gliding
movement. However, if the joints are irritated, injured, or not used
often enough in physical activity, the joint surfaces become thinner,
softer, and almost sticky. This results in more difficult movement and
possibly pain.
Without intervention, this condition can become
chronic; bone spurs may even develop. Bone spurs are the bones' way of
trying to grow together, or fuse, rather than remaining separate and
moving freely. This condition can be extremely painful and may require
surgery. However, it doesn't take such a serious condition to make these
joints painful. If you've been standing on your feet too long, the
facet joints end up getting compressed by the effects of gravity and the
strain of supporting your upper-body weight, causing low-back pain even
in healthy backs.
Nerves
In the spaces between vertebrae run
the nerve roots—exits off the
spinal cord's information highway. |
Any
discussion of the spine is not complete without talking about the
body's messenger system -- the nerves. In simple terms, the nervous
system is similar to the electrical wiring in your home. The wiring
system in your home carries electricity from room to room. The nerves
carry electricity -- in extremely small amounts -- around to the
different parts of the body.The
nerves actually begin in the brain, your body's command center, and
branch out through the spinal cord, which runs through the bones in your
spine. The spinal cord is the main information highway in your body;
all of the brain's signals to the body are carried through the spinal
cord. Where the nerves branch off and leave the spinal cord, they are
called nerve roots. Beyond this point, they are simply known as nerves.
The
brain is always monitoring what is happening throughout the body and
sending messages -- tiny amounts of electricity -- through the nerves.
The various parts of the body can, in turn, send signals back to the
brain regarding their condition. The feedback to the brain includes
important sensations such as pressure, heat, cold, movement, and the big
one, pain. If damage occurs to the nerves, communication breaks down,
and many problems can arise with the organs that require instructions or
that need to report sensations.
Clearly, the spinal cord is
vital to the functioning of your entire body. All of the sensations and
all of the organs from your neck to your toes rely on that one telephone
line. The other structures of the back (bones, muscles, and ligaments)
can protect this pathway if they are properly maintained, but poor
posture and bad habits can weaken your back's protective ability.
Indeed, sometimes injury or strain to a muscle or disk can even affect
the nerve root or cord itself, actually causing a nerve injury. And
damaged nerves are not only bothersome -- they hurt!
Putting It All Together
All
of these spinal structures and tissues work together to allow you to
bend, move, or do essentially anything. It is a complex system with
complex functions. Not only does your back have to support a good deal
of your body's weight and carry vital nerve signals to all of the parts
of the body, but we ask it to bend and twist at the same time. It is an
engineering marvel.
Even though your back is very versatile, it
does like certain positions better than others; that is, it can tolerate
some postures or poses better. Specifically, the back is most
comfortable while lying down with its natural curves aligned. In
general, for sitting or standing, the more you can keep your curves
properly aligned, the better it is for your total spine.
Moving,
bending, and twisting in limited ranges is healthy for all parts of the
back. Limit the forward bending of your back to about 30 degrees; this
is a fairly safe range. A similar range exists for twisting of the back;
you should try to minimize twisting motions to each side. Remember also
that staying for extended periods of time in bent, twisted, or any
awkward positions dramatically increases the physical stress placed on
the spine. Certainly, the worst thing you can do to your back is combine
all of these single factors by repeatedly bending over with straight
legs and a rounded twisted back, then picking up something heavy at
arm's reach, and then staying in this position for an extended period of
time.
Your spine and the related structures do benefit from
movements that place acceptable levels of stress on them. Proper
exercises can thicken, stretch, lubricate, and build the endurance of
your back and strengthen its ability to withstand the forces of gravity
in all of your movements. The most benefits are derived when these
healthy movements are performed regularly. On the other hand, some
people have problems with their backs because they have overdone it.
They have performed the same movements too many times, and overuse has
fatigued or injured certain spinal tissues.
However, no matter
how many precautions you take, we all injure our backs now and again. If
you have just injured your back -- maybe by lifting something that is
too heavy -- our next page will give you some tips for dealing with the
pain immediately after the incident.
Emergency Back Pain Relief
The
following remedies are appropriate for anyone who is suffering from
back pain due to tight, aching back muscles or a strain. However, if you
are experiencing pain, weakness, or numbness in the legs, or a loss of
bowel or bladder control, see a doctor without delay.
The best cure for an aching
back is a little rest. |
Rest Your Back
It
is almost impossible to do anything without using your back. Even
activities that do not seem very stressful on your back usually require
some effort on its part. The activity need not be very demanding in
terms of muscle strength to cause a problem; maybe the activity is one
that your back just isn't used to. Often your back muscles simply overdo
it. The end result may be a muscle pull or strain. In fact, most back
pain and the majority of back injuries are probably related to muscle
pulls and strains.
When strained, your muscles need a chance to
turn off, rest, and begin to heal themselves. Continuing to be too
active can further aggravate a sore back. Find a comfortable position to
allow your back to rest. The best position for an injured or achy back
is lying down on either your back or side, with the curves of your spine
aligned in their natural position. Try lying down on a firm surface
like a padded, carpeted floor. You can relax your back by placing a
couple of pillows under your knees. If on your side, place the pillows
between the knees instead of under them. For your neck's comfort, roll
up a small hand towel and place it under your neck to give it a break,
too.
Apply Ice to Reduce Swelling
Immediately
after your back is injured, blood rushes into the damaged area. Even
though swelling is part of the body's normal healing process, too much
inflammation can increase pain and lengthen your recovery time. Applying
ice immediately after a strain reduces the amount of inflammation,
speeds up the healing process, and can numb some of the pain.
Generally,
unless otherwise instructed by a physician, ice should be used instead
of heat for the first 48 hours after a back strain. Heat from a hot
shower, heating pad, or some popular topical lotion may feel better than
using ice, but heat treatments increase blood flow, causing greater
inflammation, more pain, and usually a slower recovery. At least for the
first two days, stick with ice.
You do have to be careful with
ice also, though. Incorrect application of ice can damage the skin. To
apply ice correctly, warm a towel or pillowcase in slightly hot water,
wring out the water, and quickly place an ice pack, ice cubes, or
crushed ice in it. Immediately place the towel or pillowcase over the
strained area of the back for no longer than 12 to 15 minutes.
If
you do not have a towel or pillowcase handy, freeze water in a small
paper cup. Peel the cup back so that the ice can go directly on the
skin. Make sure that you continually move the ice around in circular
motions, not allowing the ice to sit in one place. Another method is to
place the ice in a plastic bag or some plastic wrap before applying it
to the skin. For additional benefits, use repeated ice treatments
approximately once every hour for the first 24 to 48 hours after the
strain. This should help to keep swelling to a minimum and reduce the
related pain.
Compress the Area
Gently
compressing an injured area can assist ice in reducing inflammation and
pain, while speeding recovery. Compressing the muscles can provide some
temporary support for the area, which may allow you to move around more
easily while making you more comfortable. Try using an elastic bandage;
wrap it around your midsection over the strained area of the back. Make
sure you do not wrap it too tightly. (The wrap can be used over an ice
pack providing the ice is applied as described in remedy 2 and for no
more than 15 minutes.) An alternative to the elastic bandage is a back
support, which acts like a corset to compress and support the back and
stomach muscles.
Take Two Aspirin
An over-the-counter analgesic
my help relieve your pain. |
Taking
an over-the-counter analgesic such as aspirin, acetaminophen, or
ibuprofen may help relieve your pain. However, be aware that not all
medications, not even nonprescription ones, are for everyone. Pregnant
women, for example, should not take any medication without first
checking with their doctor. And people with ulcers should stay away
from analgesics containing aspirin. Don't take any medicine for a bad
back without first learning about its potential side effects and
talking to your doctor. For a list of precautions to take when using
over-the-counter analgesics, click here.
Know When to See a Doctor
Muscle
pulls and strains, although quite common, can be severe. Other spinal
tissues can also experience injuries. Ligaments can be sprained or torn,
joints can become irritated, and of course, spinal disks can bulge and
tear. It is important for you to know when a back injury goes beyond
your ability to treat yourself.
After a strain or injury to the
back, the body can have a variety of natural reactions causing numerous
symptoms, such as back pain. If, after two or three days of bed rest,
your severe back pain has not subsided, you should see your physician.
Sometimes, when many of the tissues in the back are seriously injured,
the muscles can tighten up, or spasm, and clamp down around blood
vessels. Muscle spasms can cause pain, sometimes severe, that makes it
difficult to sit, stand, or do virtually anything. Many times, the only
way to relax intense spasms is with the assistance of a physician.
Other
signs to watch for are the loss of bowel or bladder control or pain,
numbness, tingling, or other similar sensations that run down an arm or
leg or around the chest. This type of symptom can make your hands,
fingers, feet, and toes feel like they are burning, cold, asleep, or
being poked with pins and needles. Finally, it's time to see your
physician when it takes larger and larger amounts of medication to
reduce your back pain.
If you experience any of these symptoms,
get a professional opinion. Serious injuries that go untreated or are
treated incorrectly can be dangerous, leading to further impairment and
possibly irreparable damage. Just having one of these symptoms does not
automatically mean that you will require major therapy. However, it's
best to let your physician rule out serious spinal problems so that you
can put your mind at ease and get on with the business of healing.
If
you follow these steps you should be able to reduce some of your
discomfort and reduce the swelling in your back. If, however, you are
experiencing a long-term problem, the next section will offer you some
solutions to relieve your backaches.
Chronic Back Pain Relief
Tips for Stretching Back Muscles
Here are some hints for safe effective stretching:
- Take your time; stretch slowly and gently.
- Never force your stretch past the point of mild tension.
- Hold the stretch for at least ten seconds.
- Never bounce a stretch.
- Relax your muscle completely between stretches.
- Repeat the stretch several times throughout the day.
|
Some
people can have a sore or aching back for weeks or even months at a
time. If you've had chronic back pain like this, maybe some these tips
can help.
Alternate Heat With Stretching
Muscles often spasm, or get tight, as the result of a back injury.
This can be quite painful. Tight muscles and most sore joints do respond
quite well to heat (topical lotion, hot shower or bath, heating pad),
because the warmth relaxes tight muscles, increases blood flow, and
eases pain.
Gently stretching these muscles after the heat application can
further relax and lengthen tight tissues, easing movement and reducing
pain. Remember, though, in an acute injury, don't use heat until after
48 hours, because it can increase the swelling and slow your recovery.
In the first 48 hours after an injury, ice is the better alternative,
and ice can also be used with stretching. Ice works a little bit
differently than heat; it tends to numb the sensation of pain in sore
muscles, which allows you to stretch and relax tight muscles gently.
The use of heat or ice is a personal choice, and you have to
experiment with each to determine which works best for your particular
strain or injury. Try applying heat or ice as suggested for 10 to 15
minutes, and then see if performing the stretches helps your back pain
subside. Be careful not to overstretch. Overstretching can aggravate a
bad back, increasing pain and possibly causing re-injury. To stretch
correctly, take a stretch only to a point of mild tension, not pain.
Hold the stretch at this point for at least ten seconds, making sure
that you do not bounce on the stretch. Relax the stretch and repeat
right away two or three times.
Your muscles are kind of like springs. They tend to stretch fairly
easily if you stretch correctly, but they tend to come back to their
shortened position over the course of a few hours. So you will probably
have to repeat these stretches throughout the day. Finally, if your pain
or symptoms increase, stop the activity and consult with your physician
or therapist.
Avoid Harmful Activities
The body starts its healing process as soon as an injury occurs. You
can help this process by avoiding activities that might make your back
condition worse. Depending on the degree of damage to your back, many
activities you perform on a daily basis can be stressful to an already
sore back. When your back is recovering from a strain or injury, you
should consider avoiding or at least being extra careful with the
following activities.
Avoid obviously stressful activities such as shoveling, in which the
back is often twisted while lifting the weight of the shovel and its
contents. Loading and unloading groceries from the back seat or the
trunk of the car can quickly irritate your back even if the groceries
don't weigh too much. In the same vein, be careful picking up children.
It can be very easy to forget how heavy a small child is. Also, hoisting
a toddler up to give him a hug is not usually considered strenuous
work, so you may not realize the potential hazard it presents to your
back.
You also must watch out for less strenuous activities that you might
not associate with back stress and pain. Not every movement that is
dangerous comes with an obvious warning sign. For example, chores such
as raking or vacuuming can be very stressful to the spine, because
reaching causes the spine to rotate, a motion that an injured spine may
not be ready to do. Even doing the laundry, especially bending to remove
heavy, wet clothing from the washer, or washing the dishes can wreak
havoc on a painful back.
As your back starts to heal, gradually add these activities back into
your daily life as your back can tolerate them, but remember, your back
takes time to totally rebuild its strength and stamina after a strain or
injury. Don't rush it.
Try a Massage
Your muscles operate kind of like your car's engine. As they work,
muscles accumulate waste products that need to be removed like the
exhaust from your car's engine. If these waste products do not get out
of the muscles promptly, then the muscles don't work very well.
Furthermore, the buildup of these waste products can even create pain. A
gentle back massage helps to relax tight muscles, open blood vessels,
and flush out these waste products, allowing the muscles to work
normally while reducing pain and stiffness. Using an over-the-counter
topical lotion that contains a heat agent such as mentholyptus can
further increase blood flow and comfort by enhancing the relaxation of
muscles and blood vessels; follow the package directions.
Practice Good Posture
Couches and recliners can feel very comfortable; however, very few are
designed with the health of your back in mind. If you are going to sit,
try not to slump or slouch. Poor posture, such as slouched sitting, can
place a great deal of stress on your muscles, ligaments, and disks.
This stress can make it more difficult for proper healing to occur and
may increase back pain. Choose postures and positions that allow you to
keep the curves of your back aligned. Try rolling up a towel to about
the size of your forearm and placing it in the small of your back to
support the curve of your low back. If this feels uncomfortable, see if
rolling it smaller helps. Remember to support your neck, as well.
Keep Moving
Even though rest is important for an injured back, too much rest can
actually make your back worse. Let's say you have hurt your back, so you
lie down on your back on the floor or couch or in bed for a week. Your
decision to lie down may have been a good one in the short term -- for a
few hours or even a couple of days. The rest will allow your back to
heal. In the long term, however, lack of movement robs the spine of its
health.
After a couple of days of inactivity, even healthy muscles start to
lose their strength and flexibility -- they begin to atrophy. The longer
you are immobile, the greater the loss. But muscles are not the only
ones who suffer. Movement is vital to the other structures of the back,
also. The intervertebral disks receive their blood supply from the bones
above and below when you move. Inactive bones that are not bearing any
weight become weaker and more brittle. So in essence, movement
strengthens and feeds your spine, whereas inactivity weakens, starves,
and decreases its life span.
Although your back may need short periods of rest in a sitting or
lying position, you should try to change your position from lying to
sitting or even walking if you can tolerate it. While you're lying down
or sitting, try engaging in an activity that requires the gentle use of
your hands and arms, such as knitting or some other handiwork. Whether
you know it or not, using your arms, hands, or even your feet in this
way is actually a low-level back exercise that will strengthen and feed
your spine.
As your condition improves, increase the amount of time that you spend
on your feet, performing light activities that require limited bending
and twisting movements. Be especially careful with lifting and lowering
activities. Gradually progress toward activities that include the
bending, limited twisting, and light lifting that your back can
tolerate.
Now you should have a fairly comprehensive understanding of how your
back works and the ways you can injure the various parts. Of course,
knowing how you injure you back won't necessarily stop you from doing
it. Fortunately, you now know how to relieve back pain and when you
should see a doctor.
This information is solely for informational purposes. IT
IS NOT INTENDED TO PROVIDE MEDICAL ADVICE. Neither the Editors of
Consumer Guide (R), Publications International, Ltd., the author nor
publisher take responsibility for any possible consequences from any
treatment, procedure, exercise, dietary modification, action or
application of medication which results from reading or following the
information contained in this information. The publication of this
information does not constitute the practice of medicine, and this
information does not replace the advice of your physician or other
health care provider. Before undertaking any course of treatment, the
reader must seek the advice of their physician or other health care
provider.
