How do you cope with Lower Back Pain?

@jennybianca (12912)
Australia
January 12, 2010 7:17pm CST
I have had a weakness in my lower back ever since I was pregnant, sixteen years ago. Two nights ago I slept outside on the couch, as we had a power failure and it was too hot inside for sleeping. I must have "set off" the pain in my lower back by sleeping like this. It's not real bad, but annoying. I couldn't lie for long on the lounge this morning as it was too uncomfortable. Do you have any methods that help with healing a temporary lower back pain?
3 people like this
13 responses
• United States
13 Jan 10
Both my husband and I suffer from back pain but mine is mostly in the upper parts and neck area but his is dealing with his lower part. The bad thing is is we just bought a new bed maybe three years back and it is so very uncomfortable so that takes an even bigger sting on our backs. We need to get a new bed and will here soon and next time I will make sure that it is more comfortable(our bed now was bought online in not is the showroom which saved us money as the expense of our backs) We have found that sleeping on our couch actually helps our backs, we have a big sectional and he will lay at one end and I at the other. But we only do this on the weekends so our backs still hurt during the week. We have tried heating pads and ice packs and also putting a pillow on the back may help. I am not sure if there is much that can be done about back pain......
1 person likes this
@jennybianca (12912)
• Australia
14 Jan 10
My brother and hos wife bought a special bed that adjusts. Each side of the bed can be adjustyed separately, as they have back pain in different areas. They rave about it. My bed works fine for me.
• United States
14 Jan 10
I think we are looking more for getting one of those memory foam beds....That is what our couch has and we love it...
@jackee (138)
• United States
13 Jan 10
Jenny, Get yourself an ice pack, and lay on that. The ice will work on your inflamation, and will help lull you to sleep. Not to mentio take an aspirin, or similar to help ease the pain. Remember pain is fire, and ice is water. You want to put out the fire. Sleep well
@jennybianca (12912)
• Australia
18 Jan 10
I have ice pack and I took panadol. Thanks. Seems like a lot of people have back pain.
@eaforeman6 (8979)
• United States
13 Jan 10
I started some low impact excercises and they have helped. It is not a cure if you have degeneration but it does help with pain management. I would check with a doctor before starting any excercise program because it does depend on why your back is hurting!
1 person likes this
@jennybianca (12912)
• Australia
14 Jan 10
I know I need to exercise more, and you are right thast I need to find the correct exerices.
@dropofrain (1167)
• India
13 Jan 10
Lower back problem id very painful. I, myself suffer from this problem quite often. To get away from this problem, you need to take care of your posture while sitting and avoid the chair with improper back support. Do take care of these simple things and you can overcome your back pain to a great extent.
@jennybianca (12912)
• Australia
14 Jan 10
I usually sit properly, but it was me sleeping on the outside lounge that set off my back this time.
• United States
13 Jan 10
I used to play football and later on in life I started experiencing lower back pain. Some simple exercises which have helped me are as follows. 1- lay down on your back. Pull your right knee to your chest for 10-30 seconds. Then put it down. Now pull your left knee to your chest for the 10-30 seconds. Now put your right leg down. Now pull both your knees to your chest at the same time for 10-60 sec. 2- lay down on your back. Keep your heels on the ground ( your knees will be bent and facing the sky). Now keep the upper body straight and turn your legs (keeping them bent) to the left side for 30 seconds. Do the same on the right side for the same amount of time. I hope you understand these instructions and give them a try. They certainly have helped me out. P.S. you can repeat these exercises as long as you like until you get some relief.
1 person likes this
@jennybianca (12912)
• Australia
18 Jan 10
Okay, it is apparent that I really need to do appropiate exercise, so I have listed youyr suggestions. Thanks.
• United States
13 Jan 10
Back pain can be very tricky. It depends on weather it is muscle, joint, or bone related. Muscles simply take heat. It forces the knots to loosen and easier to work. A very good product is therma care heating patches that you stick on and leave. For joint pain use ice, it reduces the swelling and relieves pressure. If neither of these help, then you may consider seeing a chiropractor. A jammed or slipped disc is nothing to play with, but as you say that the pain is minor it should easily be resolved with the other two. The other thing you might consider is light stretching two times a day. It definatley makes a difference.
@jennybianca (12912)
• Australia
18 Jan 10
Yes, I would agree that some form of appropiate exercise such as you describe would help. I Have cool/ hot pack. Thanks for the help.
@peavey (16936)
• United States
13 Jan 10
After my last baby was born, I had lower back pain that just would not go away. The doctor told me to stand inside a doorway facing the other side, with my feet just a few inches away from the door frame, then to put my hands on the other side of the door frame and push my back into the frame. It's hard to explain... but it worked. Also, I found that sleeping on a very firm mattress helped a lot. I hope you find a way to deal with it; it's miserable, I know.
1 person likes this
@jennybianca (12912)
• Australia
14 Jan 10
I wish I had been taught some exerices after my daughter was born.It may not be too late to try now.
@Loverbear (4918)
• United States
13 Jan 10
I am going through Physical Therapy for my lower back. I fractured the L1 vertebrae in October and they gave me exercises to do to help my back. One that I do anyhow is to lay on either my bed or the floor and bend my knees with my feet flat on the floor. I then will then rotate my legs to the left and right so that they are still bent and they touch the floor. This helps the muscles loosen up and any of the vertebrae get back into place. Another exercise I do is to lay on the floor with my legs on the seat of the couch, then I will slowly raise my fanny so that my back is straight and then lower my fanny back down to the floor. I'll do that several times and sometimes I'll hear a bit of a pop when my back goes back into place. Nothing is more aggravating than to have your back giving you complaints! I also will either use heat or cold depending on the extent of the pain. In your case I would use ice packs so that it will ease the swelling in your back (it's complaining that you slept someplace that it didn't like.
1 person likes this
@jennybianca (12912)
• Australia
14 Jan 10
I have an ice pack and found that helpful. Exercises that are provided by a physio are essential. My daughter had many exercises to do due to her scoliosis and it definitely helped. Hope you make a full recovery.
@SHAMRACK (8576)
• India
13 Jan 10
Dear friend, Few years back I used to face this kind of back pain. When I consulted with doctor, it was just gone with few days jogging. I continued it and now hardly I do get any lower back pain. I hope it differs in every individuals body and each individual may vary in finding solutions for rectifying this pain.
1 person likes this
@jennybianca (12912)
• Australia
14 Jan 10
Im kind of surprised that jogging helped. Then again, my mother has terrible back pain and she tries to do a daily walk.
• United States
13 Jan 10
HI Jenny,My favorite method of healing my lower back pain is using a electric heating pad. It really does relax the lower back muscles if I lay on the heat for 30 minutes- 1 hour. I also like the muscle rubbing ointments ( like Icy Hot)and over the counter back & muscle sticker-type pain patches. A hot bath or shower also works wonders on lower back pain. I hope your back feels better soon
1 person likes this
@jennybianca (12912)
• Australia
14 Jan 10
My mother has an electric heating pad for her back. I dont think mine is that bad yet, but I like the ointments and a bath with radox.
@Hatley (163781)
• Garden Grove, California
13 Jan 10
hi I had a muscle knot in my lower back awhile back and it was really bad , I could not even walk down stairs but I took three ibuprofin tablets, and once they kicked in I could move again,it was a little sorry but not the excruciating pain I had had when I first got up. I thought I was going to have to go to the doctor but it cleared up, and I laid off the exercises that had triggered the whole thing, a hot shower helped to stop any more discomfort too.
1 person likes this
@jennybianca (12912)
• Australia
14 Jan 10
My daughter needed ibuprofin for her back for a while, then she had to upgrade to presription anti inflammatories, which worked, thank goodness.
@BART78 (2927)
• Canada
13 Jan 10
preventing low back pain means taking positive action to improve your overall health as well as your back health, it may seems obvious but the first thing to do to prevent injury or pain is to protect the back in you activities, this means learning the correct eat of lifting, sittin and standing (sitting or lying in a slouched position increases the stress placed on the lower back and increases the probability of an injury), exercise is also important aspect to prevent it, proper exercise will help to improve the core muscle, strengthen the back and improve flexibility..or visit your doctor if pain intensifies, maybe you are having sign of osteoporosis..take care
1 person likes this
@jennybianca (12912)
• Australia
14 Jan 10
I do some of your suggestions, such as sitting properly and also walking properly. But that one night when I slept on the outside lounge was not a good thing. I agree regarding exercise which I dont do. There is osteoporosis in my family.
@myramae19 (667)
• Philippines
13 Jan 10
hi Last 2 weeks ago, I had experienced lower and upper back pain, I asked my sis in-law to have some massage on my back, and after massaging I feel relieve..and wow the pain was totally gone after sleeping at night. Try to have it massage...happy mylotting
1 person likes this
@jennybianca (12912)
• Australia
14 Jan 10
I would love a good back massage.