You bent over just right, or wrong, and your back pain is now to the point you can’t ignore it any longer.

You need to do something NOW!

Going to the doctor is always a last resort for most of us.

What if you can’t get in when you need to, what do you do in the meantime to help alleviate your back pain?

To answer those questions I’m going to offer up some good ole’ home remedies to get you by until you can get in to see your doc.

First of all, without knowing the severity of your back pain, if you’re experiencing any of the following symptoms, these home remedies do not apply to you. See a physician immediately if you’re experiencing any of these symptoms:

- you’re experiencing numbness or having trouble moving any of your extremities.
- experiencing bladder control loss
- you’ve developed a severe headache or fever
- you’re over 60 and have been taking steroids for a long period of time.
- you’re experiencing chest pain or pain in your left arm
- you’re pregnant
- you haven’t noticed any improvement after 3 days of self-treatment at home.
>>>>>>>>>if you’re experiencing any of the above symptoms please call your physician ASAP<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

Now, on to the home remedies...there are several things you can do to help soothe your aching back pain.

Bed Rest Isn’t Best. Going about your normal, everyday activities—but perhaps at a slower pace, and definitely avoiding what may have caused your pain in the first place—is a good way to start the healing process. A little “couch time” won’t hurt, but light activity speeds recovery, so avoiding lying down for long periods of time.

Hot And Cold. Heat and cold, in the form of a hot bath or hot and cold compresses, can help relieve sore and inflamed muscles and tissue. Remember—cold comes first! Wrap an ice pack (or a bag of frozen vegetables) in a thin cloth to avoid frostbite, and apply to the affected area for up to 20 minutes several times a day. Ice slows inflammation and swelling, numbs tissue and slows nerve impulses to the injured area.

Once the acute pain and muscle spasms subside (about 48 hours after the first onset of pain is recommended), you can apply heat—to loosen muscle tightness - by taking a warm bath or using a heating pad, heat pack or heat lamp.

Pain Relief In A Pill. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as aspirin, ibuprofen, acetaminophen or naproxen sodium, can ease pain, swelling and stiffness. There are a number of over-the-counter and prescription options. Your pharmacist can help you determine which is best for you.

Support Yourself. If you must sit or stand for long periods of time, consider using a brace or corset. Worn properly, they can relieve pain and provide warmth, comfort and support. But, don’t rely on this type of external support too long—allowing it to perform your muscles’ job will eventually weaken them, making re-injury easier.

If your back pain hasn’t improved noticeably after 72 hours of self-care, contact your health care provider.

How Can I Prevent Re-Injury?
To prevent re-injury of your back—and hopefully avoid any recurrence of acute back pain—it’s important to build and maintain the strength and flexibility of those muscles, tendons and ligaments that support your back and spine. You can do this through:

Exercise

- Regular, low impact cardiovascular exercises that don’t jar your back and are easy on the joints, such as bicycling, walking or swimming. If exercising outdoors is not option, consider using a treadmill, elliptical trainer or stationary bicycle. These can be found at almost any exercise studio, or you can buy a home version at your local sporting goods store.
- Core strengthening exercises. By conditioning your abdominal and back muscles, you can develop a “natural corset” to support your spine.
- Gentle stretching to improve and maintain flexibility.

Hopefully a few of these home remedies will help ease your back pain until you can get in to see your doctor or chiropractor.

One chiropractor who doesn’t have a waiting list to get in is Dr Denise at Colestock Family Chiropractic in Eaton Rapids, MI. She specializes in the Activator Method Technique, the only specialist in the Eaton Rapids community and one of only a few thousand in the entire world!

If you’re still experiencing acute or severe back pain after 3 days of home remedies, call Colestock Family Chiropractic today at 517.663.8825
and get back on the road to recovery.

The Activator Method Technique is a painless procedure and you’ll walk out feeling alot better than when you walked in.