We take our back for granted. It's always there, the scaffolding that holds us upright but when it goes it can be a painful and debilitating experience. All of a sudden you're walking like a ninety year old bent double. I know, I've been there.
Whether it's as simple as lifting something, sneezing, or cleaning the bath, sometimes the smallest movement when you least expect it can cause a muscle to tear or ligament to sprain.
Over the last couple of weeks I've had a number of people tell me that they've pulled their back. Its all hectic running around for the festive season, carrying loads of shopping and making sure everything is in place for Santa/the family to descend on us. It's so easy to forget that we're putting our backs under a lot of stress.
The best thing to do is obviously keep your back strong and make sure you use proper lifting techniques. Ha, but when Jimmy is screaming and there's the trolley of food to unload, the pressies still to wrap and the house to clean....where's the magic elves when you need them?
If your back does go on strike, make sure you get something cold on it straight away. I know our default is to reach for a comforting hot water bottle and we can later (48 hours later), but cold is definitely our immediate friend along with anti-inflammatories. Check these with a pharmacist or GP first to make sure you're ok to use them.
Its usual for back pain to last for days if not weeks but it should start making a gradual improvement. If not, visit your GP to get it checked out.
It's also quite normal for it to relapse, but again grab the nearest frozen peas and sit back and relax.
Getting into a comfortable sleeping position can also be tricky with a bad back but try putting a pillow between or underneath your knees to relieve any pressure on your back.
After a couple of days of using up the entire contents of your freezer try a warm bath, hot water bottle and gentle massage.
You'll probably need to enlist the help of those magic elves to massage your back and the general rule is start off light, avoid the spine and use long gentle strokes (think wax on, wax off). You can be the guide when it comes to pressure, but make sure the massage doesn't cause pain. Of course, if the elves are a bit busy, please contact me to arrange an appointment.
Finally, once you're back to rights, it's time to strengthen your support structure. Check out the following for some gentle back strengthening exercises:
https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/exercise/lower-back-pain-exercises/
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