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Lower Back Pain: Why It Happens and What You Can Do About It

Nearly everyone will experience lower back pain at one time or another. It makes sense when you consider that this area of the back shoulders most of the burden of holding you upright and maintaining the strain and weight of the rest of the body. It also stands to reason that pain in this area will affect your entire being, making it difficult to go through your day. The good news is that there are plenty of effective home remedies that will get you back on the road to pain-free days in no time. And when the home remedies don’t do the trick the way they should, your doctor has additional treatments that you can try for lower back pain relief.

Treatment at Home

In the large majority of the lower back pain cases, the pain is the result of a strained muscle, poor posture or improper lifting. In most of these situations, there are plenty of options in home remedies that can ease the pain and get you back on your feet, enjoying your daily activities. If your lower back pain is caused by an injury of some sort, it is best to apply ice to the affected area every few hours for the first day or two. You can then replace the ice with a heating pad every few hours until the pain subsides. You can also take an over the counter pain medication like acetaminophen or ibuprofen to relieve the discomfort. Ibuprofen has anti-inflammatory properties, making it a good choice in pain relievers for lower back pain.

Rest can also help to relieve lower back pain, as long as it is only done for a day or two. Most medical experts will agree that the quickest way to heal a back is by getting back in action as quickly as possible. Continue to take over the counter pain medicine as needed to allow you to resume your daily activities. Walking is a good exercise to get your back in shape without putting undue strain on it. Start with about ten minutes each day, and gradually increase the amount of time that you walk.

Talking to the Doctor

If your home remedies do not seem to do the trick to relieve your lower back pain, your doctor will have additional treatment options available. He may prescribe a more powerful pain medication or recommend physical therapy to strengthen your back and get it back in shape. Other types of treatment that work well for lower back pain include chiropractic treatments, massage and acupuncture. However, not all treatments will work equally well for all patients, so you may need to use some trial and error to determine which ones will be most effective for you.