According to the American Chiropractic Association, 80% to 90% of the population experience back pain at some point in life.
Acute pain is of sudden onset and is usually the result of a clearly defined cause such as an injury. Acute pain resolves with the healing of its underlying cause.
There are several ways to not only immediately treat back pain, but to create better habits to help the underlying problem and strengthen the back.
For acute episodes:
Immediately rest the injured area. Your body is sending you a message; don’t ignore it or you could further damage your back. Click here to read more.
Continue bed rest as needed, and for no more than 3 days. It’s important to begin stretching and light movement as soon as possible to maintain spinal flexibility.
Does cold or heat make it feel better? If cold feels better, apply a cool cloth to the area for the first 24 hours after the injury, 20 minutes at a time. Then switch to heat. If heat feels better, apply heat at the outset. Moist heat such as a hot water bottle is best. If you use a heating pad, be sure to drink more fluids to replace moisture that will be lost due to application of dry heat.
Soak in a warm tub with Epsom salts.
Use a castor oil pack. Click here to see how to make one
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Acupuncture can help relieve acute pain and help your back heal more quickly.