Ask a doctor what the most common patient complaint he receives is and he may likely tell you back pain. Back pain is especially common among people who are middle age or older, although younger people can also experience back pain. Back pain is one condition that does not discriminate.
Back pain is a very common problem because the muscles on the back experience considerable wear and tear on a daily basis. A lot of the back problems experienced by people is the result of strained or sore muscles surrounding the spine and along the back area. Thus, to treat and prevent back pain it is important for people to learn how to relieve back muscle pain.
Learning how to relieve back muscle pain typically starts with you becoming aware of the initial back pain and finding the appropriate treatment plan for it. The next step is to get on a preventative program or therapy that will help strengthen the muscles on your back and make them more flexible, thereby lowering your risk of developing back pain and other back injuries later on.
Treatment Plan for Initial Back Pain
As soon as you feel your back hurting, you need to start on a hot-and-cold therapy, which is basically alternating the application of hot and cold compress on the area of your back that is hurting. Doing this will reduce the inflammation of the muscles on your back as well as lessen the pain. In addition, you can take ibuprofen or aspirin for back pain. These are both known pain killers with anti-inflammatory effect.
Depending on how severe the back pain is, you may or may not need bed rest. However, you should only do bed rest no more than two days. Otherwise, the muscles on your back may atrophy or stiffen. You should resume going about your normal activities after a day or two, taking care not to strain your back too much. Once you learn how to relieve back muscle pain with this simple treatment plan, you can get started on a preventative plan.
Tips for Preventing Back Muscle Pain
Based on statistics, if you have experienced back problems before, you’re likely to experience them again sometime down the road. This is the reason it is vital that you learn how to relieve back muscle pain — not just learning about short term treatment plans but the long term, preventative measures to. Preventative measures include getting on a regular exercise program that combines strength training and walking, and targets both the back and abdominal muscles. It’s a good idea to talk to a fitness trainer, physical therapist or even a doctor regarding the right exercises you can do to strengthen your back muscles.
When you learn how to relieve back muscle pain, you are taking a positive step towards not letting back pain take over your life.