Back pain is extremely common that is why Dr. Dave decided to write about it and what you can do to make it better. Please note this is part one of a two-part blog…..

Often times when patients come to us with low back pain it’s because their pain has failed to resolve on its own- despite the patient’s best efforts to make it go away.

Many have tried heat, rest, stretching and over the counter medications, and these remedies would have worked if their injury was simply a pulled muscle or minor spasm. Unfortunately, this is rarely the case, even if the injury didn’t seem like that big of a deal. More times than not, these remedies of heat and stretching only tend to make the problem worse.

Here’s a Pro Tip- if your low back pain is just a muscle, a little moist heat, and light stretching should resolve the problem- meaning your pain goes away and stays away WITHOUT any more heat or stretching. One and done! If not, stop heating and stretching and continue to read this blog.

So… if that didn’t make it totally go away, then your injury most likely involves those ligaments that support your spine or possibly even one of the discs in your back. Your pain is due to INFLAMMATION. Heating, stretching and even over the counter anti-inflammatory medications will only make things worse.

Think about it-

If you had a bad sunburn- would you lay in a hot tub? No!

If you sprained an ankle would you let someone twist it and stretch it in a motion that worsened the pain? No!

If your body was equipped to repair an injury naturally, would you want to interrupt this process the way over the counter medications do? No! In fact, OTC’s cause more inflammation in the body by injuring the lining of your stomach and intestines, and kidneys.

And yet when patients present with low back pain, this is what they’ve been doing. So the first order of business is STOP HARMING YOURSELF.  With this in mind, the following recommendations can really help you until you can get to Paragon Chiropractic. If you’re super lucky, they might help your body resolve the situation on its own.

     1. Ice

        – Put a thin cloth on your back, apply ice 20 minutes, wait an hour and do it again. Do this continuously during those hours you are awake.

     2. Short Walks

         – Many short walks should make you feel better. Short walks are just that- short, not a mile or hiking or anything. Walk to the end of the driveway or corner and see how you feel. Do this many times, and use walking as a tool that makes you feel better.