Lower Back Pain Remedies
Lower back pain (LBP) is a very common condition. Certain
basic guidelines that you can follow as a remedial measure are described below:
1.
Heat and cold therapy:
a.
Cold application is beneficial especially in acute
cases (first 48-72 hours post injury). It helps in reducing swelling and
inflammation. Icing also brings about numbing effect which helps to control
pain.
b.
Heat application is beneficial in increasing blood flow
and thus in promoting healing. Hence it is generally used in the sub-acute to
chronic stages of injury. Care should be taken to ensure that a low level heat
is given to avoid any burns or injuries from the excessive heat.
2.
Gradual return to activity:
Usually after
an episode of lower back pain, one develops fear and avoids certain/many activities limiting
their quality of life. Such a fear-avoidance behaviour in the long run results
in the back pain to get chronic and debilitating. Additionally, secondary pains
can develop due to lack of mobility. Hence it is very important to gradually
return to some level of activity once your pain settles. A physical therapist
can assist you in return to function activities to alleviate your fears.
3.
Consult a specialist:
This is
paramount in cases of a serious or life threatening condition such as:
a.
Loss of bowel bladder control
b.
Extreme numbness in all 4 limbs, or both feet
c.
Paraesthesia (altered sensation)
d.
Fever
e.
Where trauma is involved
f.
History of cancer, sudden weight loss
In these
situations, the patient needs immediate medical attention.
4.
Adequate sleep:
Research has found that chronic
lower back pain individuals usually suffer from impaired sleep. It includes:
a.
Reduced sleep time and the quality of sleep
b.
Increase in the time taken to fall asleep
c.
Overall poor day time function
d.
Increased sleep dissatisfaction and distress
Paradoxically,
inadequate sleep is found to increase your level of pain. If you are one of
such individuals it is very important to address your sleep issue by consulting
a specialist.
5.
Cognitive behavioural techniques (CBT):
In a
chronic lower back pain patient, certain behavioral or coping strategies are developed by
the individual which themselves can pose a hurdle to recover from lower back pain. CBT
promotes healthy coping strategies in such individuals and can be used as an
adjunct to physical therapy.
6.
Core recruitment/activation:
Core
muscles serve as a muscular corset to stabilize our spine irrespective of
whether there is any limb movement involved or not. The term “Core
strengthening” is quite misleading. The exercises are aimed more towards
facilitation or motor relearning of the inhibited muscles. The term “neutral
spine” has often been used in this regard which is a position of power and
balance of the spine. In spite of its growing trend, there is need for more
research in this regard, to determine its clinical outcomes in lower back pain patients.
7.
Lifestyle modification: Research links excessive
smoking and alcohol intake to lower back pain. Being
overweight puts additional stresses on back contributing to lower back pain. A healthy diet
is essential to ensure one gets all the nutrients.
8.
Ergonomics: Taking care of your posture is essential to
avoid any unwanted stress on your spine, thus avoiding additional pain. Have
your office or home assessed to determine whether it is ergonomically designed
for you.
9.
Additional treatment approaches are also available for
treating lower back pain such as acupuncture, acupressure, chiropractic, naturopathy,
ayurveda, herbal medicines etc.
It is important that one takes an informed decision to
determine the best remedial option that might suit themselves for the treatment
of lower back pain. Since a previous episode of lower back pain is one of the risk factors for a future
episode, one must continue with healthy lifestyle and exercises even after they
are pain free.