Most back pain is caused by muscle and ligament strain or weakness, and should go away within 2-3 days without necessarily seeing a chiropractic doctor.

However, consult a chiropractor if your back pain:

  • Does not improve with rest, ice and over-the-counter medications.
  • Is severe or lasts longer than a 2-3 days.
  • Is the result of a slip, fall or injury.
  • Is accompanied by fever, trouble passing urine, numbness in your lower legs or muscle weakness.*
* In these cases, your chiropractic doctor may look for a more serious medical condition causing your back pain, and refer you to the appropriate medical physician.

8 Ways To Lower Your Risk of Low-Back Pain

  • Try to do some form of exercise or physical activity at least three times a week. Regular, low-impact exercises, like brisk walking or bicycling, can increase lower back muscle strength.
  • We live in Ohio. Have an exercise plan for bad weather. Treadmills or stationary bikes are as beneficial as outdoor exercises.
  • Whatever exercise or physical activity you do, start slowly and allow a day of rest in between to reduce the likelihood of injury.
  • Take frequent breaks on car trips (at least very two hours) to get out, walk around and loosen up your lower back muscles.
  • When lifting objects, brace your abdomen, lift with your legs and hold the object close to your body. Do not twist while lifting.
  • Watch your weight. Extra weight, especially around your mid-section, can strain lower back muscles over time.
  • When you are sitting for long periods of time, support your lower back to maintain the natural curve of your lower back.
  • Quit smoking cigarettes. Smoking can lead to pain by blocking your body’s ability to deliver nutrients to the discs and other tissues in your lower back.

5 Tips To Reduce Low-Back Pain

  • Take it easy but continue your usual activities if you can. Moving around can help ease stiffness and relieve pain. Bed rest is NOT recommended.
  • Place an ice pack against your back – 10 minutes on/10 minutes off/10 minutes on – several times a day for the first couple days. (Try a bag of frozen vegetables.)
  • If you feel like heat would help, use moist heat like taking a hot bath, shower or using a microwave heating pad; a dry electric heating pad is NOT recommended.
  • If that does not relieve your pain, try a topical rub-on gel like Biofreeze.
  • While sleeping, try lying on your side with a pillow between your knees.
If you’re still having low-back pain, please contact us to set up a consultation to find out if we can help you get back faster.

[ebs-notification type=”alert-info” close=”false” ]Hartville Health & Wellness Centre maintains this website as a benefit for and service to our patients, as well as our community. While Hartville Health & Wellness Centre and our representatives strive to keep the information contained in this site current, no warranty or guarantee concerning accuracy of content is made.

Some of the information contained in this site relates to medical topics and issues; however, no information in the site should be construed as medical advice. All questions regarding your health or possible health problems should be directed to your medical physician. In addition, this site includes links to other websites; however,  Hartville Health & Wellness Centre does not endorse the linked sites, and takes no responsibility for the content or information contained in the linked sites.

All rights reserved. No part of this website may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the author.[/ebs-notification]