1. Get Ice on It
There is often confusion about whether to use ice or heat for low back pain. If you're lifting a heavy object and you feel immediate sharp pain in your back, put ice on it as soon as possible. Ice will reduce swelling and inflammation. Just as you would use ice if you twisted your ankle or sprained your wrist, the same applies to your back.
2. Motion Can Help
Bed rest is no longer the prescription for sudden low back pain. Gentle motion, such as walking for a few minutes every half hour, can actually decrease pain and speed healing. Motion improves circulation, which decreases inflammation and swelling. Walking also stimulates the supportive muscles of the spine and improves stability.
3. Your Body is Protecting Itself
The painful muscle spasms that can occur with low back injury are a part of your body's protection and healing mechanism. They remind you that you have an injury and prevent you from further damaging it. Spasms can be so bad you can barely move. Keep your movements slow and keep breathing. Getting out of bed with spasms can be difficult; roll to your side and push yourself up with your arms to a sitting position if necessary.
4. Go Back a Few Days
Though your low back pain may have appeared suddenly, the cause may be due to something you did days before. A day full of yard work, the first golf outing of the season or helping a friend move a refrigerator can injure tissues that get inflamed and cause sudden pain with a quick move. Remember to use proper lifting techniques to reduce the risk of injury.
5. Know When to Call a Doctor
Call a doctor if you have sudden low back pain after a trauma, such as falling off a ladder or getting in a car accident. There may be a fracture in your spine. Also seek medical treatment if your low back pain is accompanied by severe weakness in the legs, bowel or bladder dysfunction, or fever.
