Most backaches come from strained muscles of the lower back. The goal of treatment is twofold: Relieve the pain and promote healing. Talk to your doctor about these options.
Rest. Resting the back can help treat the pain and avoid re-injury. Resting dosen't have to be in bed but because lying down takes pressure off the back it can heal faster. Up to two or three days of rest is best. Beyond that, your back muscles can get weak if you don't use them or stay in bed longer than that. (And weak muscles are often what cause backaches in the first place.)
To make the most of rest:
- Get comfortable when you are lying, standing, or sitting. When you get up from your bed move slowly, roll to your side and swing your legs onto the floor. Push off the bed with your arm.
- To take pressure off your lower back, prop a pillow under your knees or lie on your side with your knees bent.
Medication. Aspirin and other painkillers can relieve back pain temporarily, but can't correct back problems.
- Aspirin or one of the many nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents, such as ibuprofen, can reduce inflammation and dull the sensation of pain. (Taking aspirin with antacids or in a buffered form can reduce the stomach upset associated with it.)
- Muscle relaxants (available by prescription only) relieve painful muscle spasms and make bed rest more tolerable.
Doctors sometimes prescribe stronger analgesics containing codeine.
Cold pack therapy. Injury to the back can cause blood vessels to tear, producing a bruise. Cold inhibits bruising and swelling and numbs pain, so cold packs (like crushed ice wrapped in a towel) can help. Apply for 20 minutes on and 20 minutes off for 2 to 3 hours a day. For best results, lie on your back with your knees bent and place the ice pack under your lower back. Start right after a back strain occurs and continue for three to four days.
Heat treatment. Unlike cold, heat increases blood flow to the troublesome area, which promotes healing. But you shouldn't apply heat until three to four days after the initial strain; if heat is used sooner, the increased blood flow can add to swelling and inflammation.
You can choose from a moist heating pad, hot-water bottles, hot compresses, a hot tub, hot baths, or hot showers. As with cold therapy, alternate 20-minute periods of gentle heat with 20-minute periods without heat, for up to 3 hours a day (be careful not to overdo it, or you'll burn yourself).
Massage. Massage won't cure a backache, but it will increase blood flow to tight muscles and loosen them.
Braces or corsets. These support the back and protect the spine by restricting movement, serving as a substitute for strong back muscles. Don't rely on them to correct a weak back.
Once the acute pain passes, exercise programs designed to strengthen abdominal and back muscles are helpful. Also, don't sit for prolonged periods of time--it puts extra strain on the lower back. And make sure you sleep on an extra-firm mattress. Never sleep on your stomach; sleep on your back or side, with knees bent.
For most people, the above strategies will relieve lower back pain due to muscle strain from overexertion. If the pain lasts for more than five to seven days, however, or if the pain is moving down either or both buttocks into your thighs, or your legs are numb, or you notice a change in bowel or bladder habits, get medical attention. You may have a slipped or herniated disk. (To prevent back pain in the first place by using proper lifting techniques, see Tip 43.) Not all back pain is due to a muscle strain or a disk problem. A person may experience back pain from arthritis, a tumor (rarely) or a compression fracture from osteoporosis (occasionally).
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