Lumbar back pain typically happens due to overuse, repetitive movements or holding sustained positions for long periods of time. If you suffer from back pain, make sure to get it checked professionally so you know you don’t have a serious medical problem.
In case of an acute injury, you should rest for a day or two, but not for much longer than that. Instead, it is a better idea to maintain your mobility if you can, to keep the blood flowing and your back muscles strong and supple.
Avoid pain medicines as much as possible; use them only if absolutely necessary. These drugs offer lumbar back pain relief by relieving symptoms and do not address the underlying causes of back pain.
Using an ice pack may offer back pain relief for the first day or 2. After that, it may be a good idea to switch to a heating pad. Some physiotherapists recommend switching between heat and cold treatments.
Another option is to receive one or more therapeutic massages from your physiotherapist, chiropractor or certified masseuse who is aware of your specific back problem. Massages relax your back muscles and help to remove waste products of inflammation by improving local circulation. Spinal adjustment or manipulation by a certified practitioner may also offer relief in specific instances.
Biofeedback is a relaxation technique for learning to control a body function that is not normally under conscious control. Biofeedback techniques can be used to obtain lumbar back pain relief by reducing local muscle tension.
Acupuncture has been known to help decrease back pain and disability related to back problems more than other forms of treatment, although this effect did not last for more than a few days; repeated treatments may be necessary.
Most methods of back pain relief fail because they focus on the pain, which is only the symptom of a larger problem.
Your back pain may develop as a result of muscle imbalances, typically if you have overdeveloped, tight muscles in one area while opposing muscles gradually become weak and stretched out. These imbalances usually happen as a result of routine work- or exercise-related activities.
As your muscles become imbalanced, your body is no longer properly aligned. This places uneven stress and wear and tear on your muscles, ligaments, joints, and spine. Over time, these imbalances lead to postural dysfunctions and chronic problems such as lumbar back pain.
Therefore the best long-term approach for lumbar back pain relief is to identify your specific muscle imbalances and work to correct them.
