Relief for Severe Back Pain

Most back pain is the result of an overstretched muscle or ligament. The pain can be severe and caused from a variety of issues such as a sports related injury, poor posture, lifting heavy objects and even from stress and muscle tension. If an over the counter pain reliever does not help ease the pain, consider incorporating the following ideas to find added relief.

Ice and Heat

• Wrap an icepack in a cloth to avoid skin irritation and apply to the back pain. The cold can help relieve the sore muscles and numbs the tissue around the inflamed area on the back. Leave the icepack on for 20 minutes and reapply periodically throughout the day. Once the back pain has lessened, apply heat. The heat from a warm bath or a heating pad can help loosen the muscle tightness, reduce swelling and lessen the pain. Cold compresses should only be applied to the pain immediately after the pain begins.

Massage

• Get a massage to help relieve severe back pain. A massage therapist can loosen injured muscles by kneading the back with long, deep strokes. Deep finger massages can locate knots that are sometimes found in the muscle when an injury has occurred. The increased blood flow from a massage can bring nutrition to the injured muscles, which will help speed up the recovery process and lessen the back pain. Sometimes hot rock massages are used in severe back pain patients.

Yoga

• Practice yoga to help relieve tension and stress on the back that can cause severe back pain. Yoga not only helps the body stretch and can increase strength and coordination, but it may help lessen the pain by relieving mental stress that is sometimes brought on by everyday activities. Yoga can relax tense, sore muscles and help people use their backs more effectively in daily activities and exercise.

Chiropractor

• Sit down and have a talk with a chiropractor. Explain the situation and how and when the back pain began. A chiropractor is trained in ways to adjust bodies and can help relieve injuries sustained to the body. A chiropractor "cracks" the back or makes an "adjustment" based on a series of X-rays and physical exam. These adjustments can help influence the spine to fix injury or curves to the spine that can lead to severe back pain and poor posture.

Resting and Exercise

• Lie down to help relieve severe back pain. Although resting for long periods of time may worsen the inflamed area due to lack of movement, resting can aid in the recovery process. It is important to give the back muscles time to heal after an injury or strain. Just as the body needs to rest, it is also important to get up and move. A light exercise regimen can help get the blood circulating throughout the inflamed and painful areas of the back.