Content

• Steps
• Method 1 of 2: Lifestyle Changes
• Method 2 of 2: Medical Assistance
• Tips
• Warnings

If you have injured your back for any reason, recovery can be quite a difficult and painstaking process. However, you will provide everything you need to fully recover if you make appropriate lifestyle changes, devote adequate time to rest, and receive appropriate medical care. If the pain persists or your condition does not improve soon after injury, you should see a doctor who will make an accurate diagnosis and prescribe appropriate treatment.

Steps

Method 1 of 2: Lifestyle Changes

1. 1 Assess the damage received. This can be challenging if you have throbbing pain all over your back, which could be from anywhere in your back; nevertheless, any damage has its focus. Gently feel your back with your fingers: start at the lower back and work your way up slowly. You may need help with this, as some areas of your back are difficult to reach yourself.
   • Assess the type of pain - it can be dull and aching, sharp and shooting, burning, or described in other words. Track how you feel for a few days after the injury to see how the pain progresses.
   • Rate your pain on a scale of ten, with 10 being the worst pain you have ever experienced. After a few days, reassess the severity of the pain. You can repeat this assessment every 3-4 days to see if your condition is improving. Research shows that this method is good for tracking your pain.
   • If you eventually need to see a doctor, information about the type of pain and how it has changed over time (mitigated or worsened) will be very helpful in making a diagnosis and planning treatment.
2. 2 Be aware of critical signs that should immediately seek medical attention. If you are in so much pain that you cannot walk or can barely feel your legs, ask someone to take you to the hospital.Do not try to get there on your own: if your condition worsens, you may be in a dangerous position. Immediate medical attention may also be needed for the following symptoms:
   • Numbness in the pelvis and lower back, as well as in the areas around them.
   • Shooting pain in one or both legs.
   • Feeling weak or unsteady when you try to get up; your legs give way involuntarily when you just stand or try to bend over.
   • Problems with bowel or bladder control.
3. 3 Get plenty of rest. If the injury is not severe enough to require immediate medical attention, stay at home and see if your back pain improves. The first few days can be spent in bed until your condition improves. Watch a video or TV, read some good new books, and try to distract yourself. However, do not stay in bed for too long, as this can reduce the mobility of your back, which will slow down the healing process.
   • Keep in mind that resting is beneficial immediately after an injury, while overusing it for too long can slow recovery. It is best to limit yourself to the first 24 hours. If possible, try to get out of bed, at least for a few minutes every hour. Moderate activity will speed up recovery.
4. 4 Avoid heavy loads. Be careful not to do anything that could make your pain worse and make you worse, especially in the first days after your injury. If necessary, take sick leave, as well as compensation if the injury occurred at the workplace. If you cannot leave work for a few days, ask management to ease your duties until you recover (for example, temporarily transfer you to work in an office if your duties were previously related to lifting weights or other physical work) ...
   • During recovery, try not to stand or sit in the same position for extended periods of time if this is causing your back pain to worsen.
   • Also avoid sports or physical activity, which can worsen back damage. Talk to your doctor about when and how you can return to your normal activities without harming your health.
5. 5 Apply cold and / or warm compresses. If you are experiencing severe pain during your recovery, try using ice or heat to soothe it. Ice can help relieve inflammation and is especially effective immediately after an incident (for severe damage). Warm compresses should not be applied for the first three days after injury, as they can increase inflammation during this time. However, after the first three days, the heat helps relieve muscle spasms and relieve tension in the ligaments and muscles.
   • Take a cold compress, ice pack, or even a bag of frozen vegetables, wrap it in a towel and place it on the sore spot for 15 to 20 minutes. After that, before applying the next cold compress, allow the skin to warm to normal temperature. Never apply ice directly to your body.
   • If you are still in pain three days after your injury, or if you have chronic back pain, you can relieve it with warm compresses. Use a simple or catalytic heating pad or a plastic bottle of warm water for this purpose. And in this case, do not apply the compress directly to the body - wrap it in a thin towel or T-shirt to protect your skin.
6. 6 Pay attention to the duration of the pain. Back pain can be acute or chronic. Acute pain goes away after a few days, but it can be intermittent, that is, reappear and then disappear again. Symptoms can be quite severe and it can take four to six weeks to heal.Chronic pain is more persistent and lasts 3-6 months and sometimes longer.
   • Please note that if the pain persists, sooner or later you will have to see a doctor. Medical research has shown that timely medical attention can often prevent complications after trauma, as a result of which the initial acute and short-term pain becomes chronic (long-term).
7. 7 Take advantage of physical therapy and / or massage. Physiotherapy and / or massage will speed recovery and reduce pain, especially if the injury is related to back muscle damage. You may be paid for this type of treatment if you are injured in the workplace.
8. 8 See a chiropractor or osteopath. Sometimes "adjusting" the spine helps with injury recovery. If the pain persists on its own, seek help from a chiropractor or osteopath.
9. 9 Improve the quality of your sleep. If you are experiencing persistent back pain, it may be worth getting a new mattress (especially if the old one is uncomfortable). Another option is to place a pillow between your legs while you sleep. For some back injuries, this technique can help reduce the stress on the spine during sleep and thus reduce pain.
10. 10 Pay attention to your posture and how you get out of bed. Watch your posture as you get out of bed and start your daily activities. Keep your back straight when sitting, take frequent breaks, get up and walk every 30-60 minutes. Get out of bed properly in the morning. First, lie on your back and bend your knees so that your feet remain on the bed. Then roll onto your side and slowly swing your legs off the bed. In this position, rest one hand on the bed, slowly get up and sit down. While doing this, help yourself with your feet. If you are picking up a massive object, try to keep it near your body at all times.
11. 11 Don't try to speed things up. When recovering from back pain, you need to act slowly and gradually - in other words, do not rush back to work or activities that could aggravate your condition. Talk to your doctor, physical therapist, or other health care professional about getting back to work and your daily routine.
12. 12 Consider getting compensation at work. If you injured your back at work, you may be entitled to compensation that will cover missed work hours and help pay for treatment, medications, and physiotherapy sessions. This will significantly reduce treatment costs.

Method 2 of 2: Medical Assistance

1. 1 Take over-the-counter pain relievers. Acetaminophen (Tylenol) and Ibuprofen (Advil) help relieve pain and inflammation if the damage is not too severe. Both drugs are available over the counter from pharmacies. Follow the enclosed instructions for use.
   • Robaxacet also helps relieve pain and also relaxes muscles. If your back pain is caused by a strain or other muscle injury, this drug can help relieve it and speed up healing.
2. 2 Ask your doctor to prescribe the appropriate pain relievers for you. If you are experiencing severe back pain, you may need stronger pain relievers. Interesting fact: According to medical research, reducing pain in the first stage after a back injury is one of the key factors that contributes to a speedy recovery. This is because chronic pain becomes neurological in the central nervous system, and over time it becomes more difficult to get rid of it.
   • More powerful pain relievers include drugs such as Naproxen and Tylenol 3 (Tylenol with Codeine).
3. 3 Inject. For some back injuries, an injection of a certain drug (usually a corticosteroid that relieves inflammation and pain) helps. If you are interested, discuss this with your doctor or consult a naturopath about what is called "prolotherapy" (this is the "natural equivalent" of a corticosteroid injection).
4. 4 Consider implantation and / or surgery. For acute back pain, as a last resort, your surgeon may implant a device that stimulates your spinal cord and thus relieves pain, or if your spine is severely injured, it may be operated on. Keep in mind that both of these methods are a last resort and are only considered if the patient's condition has not improved as a result of medication, therapy, and lifestyle changes.
5. 5 Remember that depression often accompanies back pain. More than 50% of people with chronic back pain develop temporary or permanent depression, which is often associated with injury-related disability or disability. If you feel that you have (or may develop) depression, talk to your doctor about appropriate treatments and medications.
6. 6 Back pain can occur for a variety of reasons. It is very important to know the specific reason for the treatment to be as effective as possible. The most common causes of back pain include the following:
   • Incorrect posture when working, when you need to stand a lot or sit in a constant position.
   • Muscle damage leading to muscle spasms.
   • Degenerative disc disease.
   • Herniated disc.
   • Spinal canal stenosis, in which the spinal canal (the receptacle of the spinal cord) narrows over time.
   • Other, more rare diseases and injuries, such as a tumor, fracture, or infection of the spine.

Tips

• Take pain relievers as needed, but don't rely solely on them.
• Try to resume physical activity as soon as possible, but be careful when doing so.

Warnings

• If your back is injured, avoid vigorous and intense stretching exercises. It can do more harm than good.