According to ongoing research, 80% of us will experience significant low back pain sometime in our life. Daily living requires us to push, pull, lift, lower, and twist. But what happens when you stop paying attention and you find yourself incapacitated? Here are some tips for getting you back up and running smoothly.
Be patient. According to Tom T. Gomez BSc (PT), in his book Fighting Back, most back pain will resolve itself in seven days.
Make yourself comfortable. Ask your doctor about medications that
can help manage the pain. Physiotherapists can use taping procedures that provide temporary relief. Add some Massage Therapy to further help with pain management. These are the three types of health professionals I use when dealing with back pain.
Ease back into normal activity. ‘Ease’ is the operative word here. Do gentle stretches and find out the best ones for you. Ask for help when you need to do any lifting, bending, pushing, pulling or twisting that causes you to wince or cry out in pain. Learn what protective movements work for you and use them. For example, watch how golfers pick up their golf balls or movers pick up heavy boxes.
Stay fit. Research shows that individuals that are fit are less likely to have low back pain and when they do, they recover faster.
The muscles of the trunk and pelvis account for 90% of the back’s stability and without them you would hardly be able to hold up your head. It’s important to train SMART (Specific, Measured, Action-Oriented, Realistic and Timed). Less time exercising will ultimately lead to more injuries. That is not SMART…