When your back goes out on you, what should you do?

When your back goes out on you, it is painful, debilitating and inconvenient. When your back goes out on you, its common to curl up on the couch and use a heating pad.

This is the WORST way to approach this situation. It will cause this painful episode of lower back pain to last for too long and become too intense. Follow my advice to keep your back from wrecking your week.

Your back usually goes out on you when you are are doing something very unglamorous....tying your shoes, brushing your teeth....mundane activities like that. Never once has anyone entered my office with a good story on how they became sideways with lower back pain limping up the stairs. These episodes are usually not the first time a person has noticed their lower back pain. Usually they have spent extended periods of time ignoring their back and thinking it will get better on its own. That usually doesn't happen.

My primary advice would be to handle this problem before it gets to this point. When you notice your back is stiff and achy, it's talking to you and trying to get help. Go see your chiropractor and your back will thank you.

If you've missed the window of taking care of this problem when it is small and now your back has gone out on you and you can't stand up, my two favorite strategies are to ice and walk. It is NEVER a good idea to put heat on a recent injury. The whole goal is to reduce inflammation whose chemicals inflame your body through your blood. Heat brings more blood, thus more inflammation. Therefore, use ice. It will constrict your blood vessels, lower the level of inflammatory chemicals infiltrating your tissues and reduce pain.

As for the love hate relationship with the couch, the more you sit....the stiffer you get. It's a good one to remember for all of life. An object in motion stays in motion. Even if you have an acute injury and are now sideways with pain....move. I'm not telling you to go run a marathon or spend eight hours digging ditches however several 10 minute walks through out the day will keep you feeling much better.

Your back going out on you is a painful experience but will proper consistent chiropractic care, you can lessen it's impact on your life. You can reduce the severity and frequency of the episodes and live a normal life if you simply get the proper help. Call us today to discuss.