Our bodies, no matter what age we are, will be subject to physical pain at some point. Sometimes, an accident may be the source of some truly unwarranted discomfort. Or, others may have a condition that exacerbates the pain altogether. Although bodily pain can be experienced virtually anywhere, the back is usually a common target.
Back injuries can be extremely painful, especially when you are not sure about how to deal with it at the onset. Thankfully, there are a plethora of solutions to implement into your rehabilitation procedure. Some are relatively simple, while others require a bit more effort.
Here are seven tips on how to help a back injury:
1. Don’t Work Through It
One of the most important methods to use when trying to alleviate the pain is, intentionally, pretty easy. By not aggravating your back through movement, you allow the area to recover faster. Many individuals may try to work through their injuries, for numerous reasons. Not only is this counterintuitive, but it may prolong your pain for weeks.
Take the time to fully rest up and allow your injury to heal on its own. The human body works in mysterious ways, but not forcing it to work when not needed is easy. Strenuous activity should be reserved for after the entire rehabilitation process has been completed. Save the gym days until you’re fully rested up!
2. Ice Compress
Ice compress is a important tip on how to help a back injury. The technique of icing your body to heal an injury has never gone out of style. This is mainly due in part to its effectiveness, when applied consistently after a back injury. Generally speaking, you will be advised by a health care provider to use a compress while resting. The way you apply this compress will be a little awkward at first.
Since your back is a wide part of your body, pain from an injury may occur in various areas. Try your best to place the compress directly on the part that is afflicted. Keep the compress on the area for about fifteen to thirty seconds, before removing it. Repeat this procedure a few times, for maximum effectiveness.
3. Heat Compress
While using an ice compress may provide comfort to your back, you may opt for a more comfortable method. Heat compresses work in the same light as their counterpart, but without the added chill factor. However, in order to properly address the injury, you should ice your back prior to using a heat compress.
This is especially true for those who have swellings that have resulted from the injury. Once the swelling has been safely mitigated, apply the heat compress in a similar fashion. Move it around your entire back, so that your body can truly absorb the effects of the compress. If a compress isn’t around, you can also soak in a hot bath!
4. Medicine
Depending on the extent of your back injury, you may be forced to visit a health care provider at some point. These professionals will generally advise you to rest, in addition to taking some medicine. Don’t skip out on taking your medication; some prescriptions can really help you out!
Many back injuries can be solved via over-the-counter painkillers. These can be bought at your local drug store, and do not require a doctor’s prescription either. Just be aware of any side effects that could potentially arise out of their use. Your health care professional should point you in the right direction, however.
5. Massages
As long as you are feeling better, you should schedule a massage into your schedule. Not only do they feel great, but they help the body reset to a natural, healthy state. Your muscles need to be worked on outside of the gym! Consult with a professional massage therapist to see which massage works best for your back injury.
6. Support Systems
Over the course of your recovery, you may feel inclined to start moving once again. Although this is recommended for the most part, you don’t want to overdo it. Therefore, ensure that you integrate various apparatuses into your rehabilitation. For example, you can use a walking cane to help you move around.
If the back injury has been diagnosed as serious, ensure that you do not force yourself to walk. Using additional support devices, such as crutches, can aid in your overall recovery. In addition, they will take a huge amount of stress off of your back, especially when moving around again.
7. Stretch
Light movements, while suffering from a back injury, will be key, when trying to recover from the injury. As such, make sure you do light stretches when possible. Bend all the way forward, for example, and touch your toes. The resulting stretch will exponentially assist your lower back.
Back injuries can truly be a nightmare to navigate, depending on how bad the injury was. However, just because you may be temporarily out of commission, doesn’t mean that solutions aren’t far off!
