ADVICE

Following is some general advice to help alleviate low back pain. Following them may cause some mild discomfort. If you feel they are worsening your symptoms, discontinue them immediately and contact the clinic to book an appointment. If at any time you are worried about your condition ask to speak to a chiropractor and we will be happy to help.

Ice and heat

Cold and hot packs can both be very beneficial when in pain, provided they are used properly. Ice is a natural anti-inflammatory, it helps by reducing pain and inflammation, but it also makes the muscles stiffer. Heat does the opposite, it relaxes the muscles, making them looser and easier to stretch, but can increase an inflammatory process. The key therefore is to use them at the right time: if you are in sudden pain get an ice-pack, wrap it in a towel and place it over the area for 10 to 15 minutes of every hour. Keep repeating as long as it is painful. If the pain is severe, or does not go after an hour, contact the clinic to book an appointment. The sooner a problem is treated the easier it is to resolve, meaning less treatment is required.

If the pain has subsided and now you mostly feel stiff, especially after a night sleep, get a hot pack, wrap it in a towel and place it over the area for about 10 or 15 minutes. Make sure to keep walking, as movement helps to relax the muscles and to decrease the stiffness. Unlike the ice, it is usually enough to use the hot pack only once after each period of prolonged lack of movement (i.e. rest, desk work, etc). A 20 minutes long hot bath is also a good alternative, whereas a hot shower usually appears to be less effective. Remember that heat increases underlying inflammations, so do not use it if the pain is still intense.

Exercises

There are many gentle exercises that can help when in pain. Most of them however need to be taught under supervision, because, if done incorrectly, could result in a worsening of the symptoms. What follows is a safe stretch for the back muscles. This should only cause some minor discomfort / feeling of stretch in the back, but should not worsen the pain. If you find it painful, discontinue it immediately.

Lie on the floor on your hands and knees. Make sure that your arms and knees are straight and that your feet are relaxed (i.e. the plant of the feet is facing towards the ceiling). Bend your legs backwards, until your thighs touch your calves. Straighten the arms horizontally in front of you, making sure that your palms always touch the floor, and lower your head in between your shoulders. You should now feel the stretch in your back. Hold this position and count to 20, then get up again by straightening your knees.

Posture

Make sure to always look after your posture at home and at work. If you are required to lift heavy objects, bend from your knees and keep the elbows as close as possible to your sides. After you have got a good hold on the object, get up again by straightening the knees and keep the object as close as possible to your body. This will minimize the stress that lifting puts on the vertebral column.

If you need to twist, try not to make the movement with your upper body, but swing your legs across. Try especially not to lift and twist at the same time, since this is the action most likely to result in injuring the back.

If you are required to keep the same posture for most of the day, for example in the office, make frequent small breaks every 20 minutes. Move your bottom to the edge of your sit. Sit up with your shoulders, your back and your neck straight and with your head back over your shoulders, not forward. Have your feet flat on the floor and your tights sloping down so that your knees are lower than your hips. Hang your arms down your side with your palms facing forward. Hold this position for 20 seconds. Every hour take a longer break, eg walk around the room, do a different job, make a cup of tea.

Make sure that your chair is the right height, that the computer screen is placed correctly in front of you and that you are comfortable whilst using it. If you have a swirling chair, use it rather than twisting your upper body.

At home, make sure that the TV screen is correctly in front of you, so that you do not need to twist or lift your head to look at it. Identify and reduce any activity that makes you use the muscles on one side of the body more than the same muscles on the other side (therefore creating an imbalance between them). Try to sleep on your side or on your back, but not on your front, since you will then need to keep your neck turned to breath. If you are suffering from low back pain, sleeping on the back with a pillow placed under the thighs could straighten your lumbar spine and give some comfort.