Home Strategies to Manage Your Acute Lower Back Pain
If you’ve ever had lower back pain, you know how troublesome and debilitating it can be in your daily life and at work.
In the clinic, we educate patients on the notion that the course of recovery is rarely linear, and more like mini ups and downs throughout, but the overall trend is upwards towards recovery and we do our best to minimize those mild flare-ups. It is normal to experience acute episodes of lower back pain during your recovery but let’s talk about how to manage those acute episodes at home or work so we can maximize recovery times and build a more resilient & happier YOU!
One of the goals during recovery is to reduce the number of painful episodes so that you won't need to miss days doing rehab or more importantly, miss out on fun activities with your loved ones.
There are several causes of lower back pain that one may experience but today, we will be focusing on one of the more common types: Flexion Intolerant Lower Back Pain
‘Flexion Intolerant Lower Back Pain’ means that you may experience lower back pain when bending forward to pick something off the ground, putting on socks, or getting up from sitting.
Here are some easy & effective ways to manage your acute episodes of lower back pain:
Limit your sitting time. The longer you sit, the more likely it is for your lumbar spine (lower back) to settle into a flexed position, which can lead to lower back pain that you may be experiencing when you sit for extended periods.
Sitting posture: There is no IDEAL posture for sitting. The best thing you can do if you have to sit for extended periods is to change your posture often. This allows for microbreaks and movement which helps reduce the stiffness or tightness from sitting.
Daily walking: A 30-60 minute walk a day keeps the mind & spine healthy. Walking will actively mobilize the intervertebral discs and joints with nutrients, and also give you an opportunity to get some fresh air in your lungs. You can break up the walks into chunks instead of one long 60-minute walk.
Here’s an effective relief exercise you can do every day to reduce your flexion intolerant lower back pain:
Prone Crocodile Breathing
Aim to do 3 sets of 1 minute at a time. Focus on relaxing the muscles in your lower back and buttocks while you practice diaphragmatic breathing into the lower back. This creates a gentle mechanical decompressive effect on your lumbar spine. Repeat 3x daily or as tolerated.
Note: If you experience any additional symptoms such as tingling, numbness, muscle weakness, pain down the leg, or loss of bladder function, please consult your local health care provider for a complete and thorough examination as those could be signs of something more serious.
Do you have questions about your injury? Book your complimentary 15min phone consultation with Dr. Yap via email to determine if chiropractic care is appropriate for your specific condition.
Send inquiries to: drnickyap@gmail.com
Do you want to work one-on-one with Dr. Yap to get rid of your pain and optimize your life? Book your appointment today at: https://totalbodyhealth.janeapp.com/#/staff_member/45
