It’s estimated that up to 85% of people in the United States experience back pain at some point and that about half of those with lower back pain will have additional episodes within a year.
Most cases of back pain are temporary and resolve without surgery, but pain can be disabling, particularly when it keeps you from working or tending to the normal tasks of your day-to-day life.
Our team at Commonwealth Pain Management and Wellness, led by Savitri Gopaul, FNP-BC, knows that when lower back pain strikes, you want quick relief. As back pain specialists, we’re ready to help.
This month, we’d also like to offer some tips so you know how to relieve your lower back pain fast, especially when symptoms strike outside of office hours. Consider these strategies and use them to ease your discomfort.
When lower back pain flares, an ice pack wrapped in a cloth should be your first action. Cold compresses reduce inflammation and take the edge off pain. Use these exclusively, 20 minutes at a time, during the first 12-24 hours after pain starts.
Add heat therapy after this, either on its own or alternating with cold packs, to encourage muscles to relax. Heat also improves blood flow, which speeds the overall healing process.
While the idea of movement when you have stabbing lower back pain may sound counterintuitive, gentle low-impact activities like walking and swimming produce the same blood flow effects as heating pads while also gently stretching muscles and other soft tissue.
Be as active as your pain tolerance allows, and don’t continue if movement is aggravating your pain symptoms. Recovering from lower back pain doesn’t need a workout to produce benefits, just a modest amount of gentle activity.
Consumer pain medications are best used as short-term solutions. Even nonprescription analgesics carry side effects that can increase with medium to long-term use.
Topical pain relievers are often effective at modulating your pain responses. Products with capsaicin and menthol work well without medications, while topical nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like diclofenac bypass the digestive system, minimizing harmful side effects.
As you emerge from one lower back pain episode, you may be motivated to take action to avoid the next. Consider these tips to reduce back pain:
When home care can’t suppress your back pain sufficiently, contact us at Commonwealth Pain Management and Wellness in Richmond, Virginia, for treatment. Call or click to request an appointment now.
