|
Living with Back
Pain
Back pain may be relieved with a variety of techniques.
For most common occurrences of back pain, a regiment of rest,
hot and cold compresses, exercise and therapy, as well as
various pain medications can be used to reduce the pain and
provide a level of comfort.
Rest will be necessary for your back to heal when suffering
from acute back pain. However, you should try to maintain as
much activity as is comfortable. Getting up and moving around
can help ease stiffness and relieve pain.
Hot and cold compresses, used separately or by alternating, can
have great benefit in reducing back pain. Heat is used to relax
the muscles. It works by dilating the blood vessels, which
improves the flow of oxygen to the affected area and reduces
pain and muscle spasms. It is important to take care when
applying heat to the lower back region. Constant heat for
prolonged periods can have a negative effect on the organs in
your abdominal region. Do not sleep with a heating pad on your
back. Instead, apply heat for no more than 20 to 30 minutes.
Cold packs are used to reduce inflammation, such as that from
arthritis or injury.
This works by decreasing the size of blood vessels and the flow
of blood to the area. Like heat packs, it is important to avoid
prolonged application of cold packs.
A simple solution for a cold pack is to take a bag of ice or
frozen peas and wrap it in a towel.
Various stretching exercises can be used to reduce back pain by
reducing back stiffness and possibly relieving compression on
the spine. As well, suitable exercises will strengthen the
muscles of the abdomen, buttocks, back and legs, which will
provide better support to your back and help relieve pain. Your
doctor or physical therapist can show you a set of exercises
suitable for your condition. Massage therapy is used by many to
relieve back pain. Massage tries to stimulate blood flow to the
affected area, and to relax the muscles of the lower back.
Registered massage therapists can be found on-line or in your
phone book.
Nonprescription medicines can be used to reduce
pain.
They include analgesic medications like aspirin and
acetaminophen (Tylenol), which are meant for general pain
relief. Topical analgesics include such as Zostrix, Icy Hot and
Ben Gay can be effective in some cases where a pill-based
medicine is not. Other medicines, such as NSAIDs, or
non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, are used to reduce
swelling. These include such nonprescription medications as
ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil), ketoprofen (Actron, Orudis) and
naproxen sodium (Aleve). Prescription medications are available
if these medications do not prove effective.
You should call your family doctor if your pain remains after a
couple of weeks, or if you feel any of these other
symptoms:
• Pain in your leg below the knee
• Numbness in the legs or groin
• Fever, nausea or vomiting, stomach pain, weakness or
sweating
• Loss of control over bathroom functions
| 
Delicious
Google Bookmarks
Stumbleupon
Digg
BlinkList
Ma.gnolia
Reddit
Yahoo My Web