Maybe you were cleaning the house when you slipped and fell, injuring your back. Or perhaps you were picking up something heavy, straining your back muscles.
Whatever the reason for your back injury, you’re now likely in so much pain. And you’re not alone; back pain is so prevalent it affects an estimated 8% of U.S. adults.
Fortunately, there are several things you can do to recover and improve your back health. We’ve outlined them in this guide, so read on.
Rest Only for a Few Days
After your injury, rest for the first few days and avoid strenuous activity. This can help prevent your back pain and injury from worsening.
However, just as important is to avoid prolonged bed rest. This can aggravate back pain by weakening your muscles and stiffening your joints.
Use Cold Therapy
Applying ice or cold compress immediately after your back injury can help reduce inflammation. It can also aid in numbing the affected area, making it less painful.
The safe use of cold therapy on an injury involves applying an ice pack or cold compress for only 10 to 15 minutes. You can do this once every hour during the first day from when you got injured. The next day, you can ice your back in the morning, then at noon, and 30 to 60 minutes before bedtime.
Switch to Heat
Heat therapy can help with acute and chronic pain, provided you time its use appropriately.
So, after the first two days of using cold therapy, check your back to see if it’s still inflamed. If it no longer feels swollen, stop using ice and switch to heat therapy.
You can use a warm compress for 10 to 15 minutes at a time, up to three times a day. Health experts say this can help dilate the blood vessels, improve circulation, and promote healing of injured muscles.
Consider Chiropractic Treatment
Chiropractic treatment is a complementary therapeutic method performed by licensed chiropractors. These professionals use pressure to adjust and manipulate joints to realign the spine. These adjustments can help ease aches and pains, including those arising from a back injury.
Chiropractic treatment can also help with other conditions like neuropathy, neck pain, and jaw pain, according to Injcenters.com. So, if you also have pain in other areas besides your back, that’s even more reason to consider chiropractic care.
Move It
While you shouldn’t do strenuous activity immediately after your injury, you should stay as active as possible. For example, you can start with simple exercises like light stretching and walking. This can help improve blood flow to your injured back and help it heal and recover.
A chiropractic doctor or physical therapist can teach you more about other appropriate exercises you can do.
Follow These Tips to Help Your Back Injury
Resting only for a few days, using cold and heat therapy, seeing a chiropractor, and moving about can all help your back injury. These strategies can aid in your faster healing and recovery.
If you’re looking for more practical health tips and tricks, we’ve got you covered, so browse our latest informative posts!
