Everyone gets back pain once in a while. But what do you do once it
starts? Here's 5 ways to manage occasional bouts of back pain:



#1 - Rest - but just a little
If your back hurts, take a rest. Lie down and avoid overusing your
back muscles for a while. This doesn't mean stay in bed for a week.
In fact, too much rest can make your back pain worse. After a short
break, get up, move around, and stretch. You'll find it actually
helps reduce that nagging backache.

#2 - Medications
Today, there are a wide variety of medications to choose from to
treat back pain. Some drugs relieve pain, reduce inflammation, and
relax muscle spasms. Many are available over-the-counter at your
local drug store or pharmacy. Other medications require a doctor's
prescription.However many of these from a chiropractors perspective
alleviate they symptoms rather than the cause.



#3 - Cold/Heat therapy
Cold therapy can help reduce inflammation, muscle spasm, and pain.
Cold therapy may be recommended immediately following a sprain or
strain. Apply cold to your back using cold packs, ice cubes, iced
towels/compresses, or take a cool bath.

Apply heat to your aching back by using a hot compress, a dry or
moist heating pad, or hydrotherapy (hot bath). Heat therapy can help
decrease muscle spasms, relax tense muscles, relieve pain, and can
increase range of motion.

A good general rule if you are unsure whether heat or cold would be
better is does it make your back feel better when you apply it? If
you feel better then it is working. Remember, never apply cold or
heat/hot therapies directly on your skin - wrap it in a towel first.


Wrap-It Hot/Cold Pack from Relax The Back


#4 - Massage
Massage is a popular therapy that can help relieve muscle tension,
spasms, inflammation, aches, stiffness, and pain. It can also help
improve circulation, flexibility, and range of motion. Massage can
be administered by a professional (massage therapist) or you can
give yourself a mini-massage using hand-held massagers that can help
increase blood flow and relieve pain.

#5 - See Your Chiropractor
The most important thing to remember about periodic bouts of back
pain is that if they occur more and more frequently, increase in
duration (more than a few days), or the pain starts to interfere
with your usual activities, it's time to see your chiropractor. It
could be more than just a minor strain.

The good news is that most back problems can be treated with non-
surgical methods. Back problems that go untreated may get worse and
could cause serious health consequences.