"Low Back Pain Relief Treatments"

Low back pain relief comes in many forms, from exercise to pain mediction. Usual and most common back pain relief is treatment by cold and hot compresses. In severe cases surgery is also used.

Words of caution - in case that after a couple of weeks of therapy you do not feel any improvement or you feel any of the following symptoms visit your doctor right away:

• Leg pain, bellow the knee
• Leg or groin numbness
• Excessive sweating, fever, weakness, vomiting or nausea
• Bowel movement or urinary control loss

Here are some examples of low back pain relief techniques:

1. Rest – essential to allow your body to heal after back injury. Often used with people who suffer from acute pain. However do not lie motionless for to long as a little movement can help you relief the stiffness caused by lying still. It might also warm up the back muscles, thus providing further relief.

2. Use cold/hot compresses – this home back pain relief can be used separately or you can alternate between the two. One of the best and fastest low back pain relief treatments, you should feel almost immediate improvement.

Warmth relaxes the back muscles, dilates the blood vessels, which helps to improve blood flow, thus providing injured area with increased oxygen which helps reduce the muscle spasm and pain.   However be careful when using this treatment because prolonged heat exposure can have a negative effect on abdominal region organs.

Under no circumstances should you sleep with heating pad. Use it instead for 20 – 30 minutes max.

Cold packs however are used more to reduce inflammation (sports injuries for example) and back pain caused by arthritis. Cold packs work the opposite way from heat packs. Cold decreases blood vessel size and reduces blood flow to the affected area. Just like with using heat packs try to avoid prolonged usage.

You can buy special liquid packs which can be heated or cooled and used as low back pain relief. You can find those in every pharmacy. Or you can use the old fashioned way and place a bag of ice or frozen vegetables, wrap it in a cloth and apply to the injured area. Similarly you can use towels soaked in hot water.

3. Exercise for back pain – this is a long term and the best approach to this problem. It will reduce stiffness and relieve the spine compression which will help reduce the back pain. In the same time suitable exercises will provide additional strength to the muscles of the legs, abdomen and buttocks. This will provide better support for your body in the middle area.

Physical therapist or your doctor will provide training regimen suitable for you.

4. Massage – another favorite home back pain relief. It increases blood flow to the injured area and relaxes lower back muscles at the same time. You can find registered massage therapists by searching online or through the yellow pages.

A word of caution here, if you have chronic back problem and you need prolonged massage therapy you should get registered – trained therapist, because massage by untrained person can cause more damage then good.

5. Using non-prescription medications - a wide variety of medications is used as low back pain relief, ranging from pills to ointments and creams. Medications such as Tylenol or Aspirin can be used as pain suppressors. Icy Hot, Ben Gay and Zostrix are examples of topical medications (cream, ointments).

Non-steroidal and anti-inflammatory medications are used for swelling reduction. Some of these are Advil, Motrin, Aleve and Orudis. If non-prescription drugs prove to be ineffective your doctor will provide stronger prescription medications.

And once again at the end - if you constantly feel pain even after a few weeks of therapy go and see your doctor.

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