Back pain is one of the most common muscle pains experienced. Think of how often you engage your back muscles -- you use them to walk, sit, stand, lift objects, exercise, push and pull. It can be easy to put unnecessary pressure on your back without even knowing that you have done it. The good news is that, even though you aren't sure how you hurt your back, you can alleviate your pain.
Step 1
See a doctor if your back pain is severe or emergent. Contact your doctor right away if you are pregnant, have numbness or loss of feeling in your back or limbs, develop a fever, are over 60, take steroids or if your pain worsens.
Step 2
Avoid strenuous physical activities and modify your daily routine. Don't commit yourself to bed rest, according to Back.com -- light activity helps speed up your recovery. Avoid tasks that involve lifting, twisting or a lot of bending over. Take more frequent breaks throughout the day to rest.
Step 3
Apply ice and heat to your back. Use an ice pack or cold compress during the first 48 hours -- apply the ice for 20 minutes up to three times a day. Use a hot bath or hot compress after 48 hours. Ice reduces pain and inflammation and heat helps to loosen up tighten muscles.
Step 4
Maintain good posture. Sitting and standing incorrectly puts more pressure on your spine and lower back. Keep your chest up and relax your shoulders while sitting and standing. Keep your back straight with a very slight curve in your lower spine.
Step 5
Use over-the-counter pain medications to reduce pain and inflammation. NSAIDs, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, can be taken for several days to treat your sore back. This includes aspirin, acetaminophen and naproxen.
Things You'll Need
- Ice pack
- Hot compress
- NSAIDs
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