Tweaked Your Back? Here are 4 Steps to Take to Manage Pain

Research shows that more than 80% of individuals will experience back pain at some point in their lives. It’s the second most common reason someone will see their doctor, just behind the common cold. Although back pain can limit your activity, cause significant pain, and feel very scary, a majority of people get better with time and following the right plan. It’s also been shown that expensive tests and procedures like X-rays, MRIs, injections, and invasive procedures are rarely needed to properly manage back pain. If you find yourself dealing with a tweaked back, here are four steps to take to manage pain

1. Temporarily Decrease Your Physical Activity

The key word here is “temporarily”. This is an important first step and it should be stressed that you should not completely stop all activity. One of the worst things you could choose to do is go on bed rest. This has been shown to be ineffective and even contributes to worsening symptoms. What often works best is decreasing the intensity of your activity for the short term so you can keep yourself moving and help alleviate your pain. For example, if you are a runner and have trouble with your back pain, switch to a less irritating activity like walking, biking, swimming, or using an elliptical machine. Most patients with back pain can self-manage if they follow this guideline and can minimize the amount of time spent away from activity or work.

2. Find Movements or Positions That Help Relieve Your Symptoms

This is one of the key things physical therapists assess when treating someone with low back pain. Patients often have a movement direction of preference that helps alleviate their symptoms. The movement, posture, or position can vary depending on the irritated tissues or structures of the body. For example, some patients may find relief by sitting in a slightly bent or leaning forward posture. Others may find relief standing and bending backward or lying on your stomach while supporting yourself on your elbows. Utilizing these movements or positions can help provide relief when your pain starts limiting your activity tolerance and allowing you to continue your daily activities.

3. Understand That Back Pain is Very Often Not a Serious Medical Matter

Without a serious injury such as a bad fall, car accident, or major trauma, your pain is likely to get better with time and the right activity. Fear of further injury can often become a self-limiting problem and lead to additional stress and anxiety around your pain. Signs that you may require follow-up with your physician or physical therapist include severe pain running down your leg, loss of bowel or bladder function, and major balance or walking problems associated with your back pain.

4. Focus On Other Areas of Your Health

Giving proper attention to good sleep habits, stress management, good diet and nutrition, proper hydration, avoiding smoking, and regular physical activity can also significantly contribute to good back pain management. These may be new things for you to consider, but they can significantly impact your overall health and systemic inflammation. Studies show that poor management of these areas of your health can contribute to frequent pain and make you more susceptible to it.

Following these four steps can significantly help alleviate your back pain. These steps are things that we as physical therapists cover on a regular basis. If you’re not finding the relief you’re looking for, we encourage you to call your local Athletico and set up a free assessment to find the best plan to treat your low back pain and get you back to the things you love to do. We have over 900 locations with skilled therapists and spine specialists who would love to help you!

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*Per federal guidelines, beneficiaries of plans such as Medicare, Medicaid, Tricare, VHA and other federally funded plans are not eligible for free assessments.

The Athletico blog is an educational resource written by Athletico employees. Athletico bloggers are licensed professionals who abide by the code of ethics outlined by their respective professional associations. The content published in blog posts represents the opinion of the individual author based on their expertise and experience. The content provided in this blog is for informational purposes only, does not constitute medical advice and should not be relied on for making personal health decisions.

References:
1. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20492018/
2. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8353288/