What can cause low back injuries?
Many things can cause low back injuries-muscle strain or spasm, sprains of ligaments (which attach bone to bone), joint problems or a "slipped disk." The most common cause is using your back muscles in activities you're not used to, like lifting heavy furniture or doing yard work.
A slipped disk happens when the disk between the bones bulges and presses on nerves. This is often caused by twisting while lifting. But many people won't know what caused their slipped disk.
What can I do for relief when I've hurt my lower back?
The best position for relief when your back hurts is to lie on your back on the floor with pillows under your knees, with your hips and knees bent and your feet on a chair, or just with your hips and knees bent. This takes the pressure and weight off your back.
If you're resting a hurt back, you may need 1 to 2 days of this sort of rest. Resting longer than this can cause your muscles to weaken, which can slow your recovery. Even if it hurts, walk around for a few minutes every hour.
What else can I do for relief?
Heating pads can help to relax painful muscle spasms. Use heat for 20 to 30 minutes at a time. Ice packs and massages may also give relief.
Nonprescription medicines that reduce pain or swelling include aspirin, acetaminophen (brand name: Tylenol), naproxen (brand name: Aleve), ketoprofen (brand name: Orudis), and ibuprofen (brand name: Motrin).
Call your family doctor if:
Dr. Bejan Pazdel talks about how he became a Chiropractor. He, like many people who have never experienced a chiropractor had images of back and neck cracking, and other wild and potentially harmful things. And, like most people, once he tried it and saw the results, he was so excited about how that happened that he decided that was what he wanted to do.
Lumbago is a seldom-used term to mean mild to severe low back pain. The pain can be acute or chronic and affects young and old people. Years ago doctors associated lumbago with rheumatism seemingly brought on by exposure to cold damp surroundings. Poor posture, sudden movement, coughing and sneezing were also thought to inspire episodes of lumbago. Not to discredit the reputations of yesterday's doctors, but medicine has since greatly advanced and the term lumbago has been replaced with accurate diagnostic terms.
There are many things that cause low back pain or lumbago. Listed below are some of the more common conditions, or diagnostic terms:
