How to Treat Chronic Low Back Pain
Over 80% of adults will experience low back pain some time in their lives. Many people will recover from their back pain within 12 weeks, but others will have persistent pain past 12 weeks. Chronic low back pain is defined as persistent back pain that lasts longer than 12 weeks. In this article, we shall go over the latest medical evidence to treat chronic low back pain.
INITIAL TREATMENTS FOR LOW BACK PAIN FLARE-UPS
- Rest: The first step is to lie down in a comfortable position, perhaps with a pillow under your legs if you are lying on your back or a pillow between your legs if you are lying on your side. The pillow will take the pressure off of your back. However, do not stay bedridden longer than 2 days because healing will be slower the longer you stay in bed. Take baby steps but it is important to get moving as soon as your back starts to feel better.
- Ice or Heating pad: You can use an ice pack or heating pad on low setting for 20 minutes every two hours. Make sure to cover the heat pad or ice pack with a thin cloth so that it does not burn your skin.
The two videos below go over what to do for the first few days after a back spasm:
EXERCISES AND STRETCHES FOR CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN
Once you begin to feel better, we recommend the following exercises and treatments below. DO NOT do these if you still have severe pain. Always listen to your body. For more information, click on my article The 6 Best Exercises for Chronic Low Back Pain.
- Exercise: Walking is one of the best exercises once your pain decreases to a comfortable level. Remember that you do not want to stay bedridden more than 2 days because it may delay healing. Walk slow at first because your back may be unstable. Over the course of several weeks and with the advice of your doctor or physical therapist, you may want to do exercises that will strengthen your core muscles such as Yoga, Pilates, Swimming, or Tai Chi. Try to avoid exercises that involve a lot of twisting as in tennis. The key is to go slow and listen to your body. If you feel discomfort in anyway while exercising, make sure to stop. The last thing you want is to hurt your back again. For me, I may wait a few weeks after a back spasm before getting back into Pilates. Check out the Pilates video below for back pain. This video provides gentle exercises to help you get back on your feet after a back injury.
- Stretches: Wait until your pain level goes down before you begin stretching. Personally, it takes about 1 to 2 weeks for my pain to decrease before I can do some light stretching. For a great handout of low back stretches, click here. The key is to go slow and listen to your body. If you feel discomfort in any way while stretching, make sure to stop. The last thing you want is to hurt your back again. The pain may be an indicator you still need to wait for the inflammation to go down. For a good overview of low back pain stretches, check out this video:
PROFESSIONAL CARE FOR LOW BACK PAIN
- Spinal Adjustments: A physical therapist or chiropractor can manually adjust your spine to bring short-term relief to your pain and help improve your mobility.
- Acupuncture: Acupuncture comes from traditional Chinese medicine and it involves inserting needles into strategic points in the body to block certain pain signals. The medical evidence is mixed whether acupuncture is effective for chronic low back pain. However, acupuncture is worth a try, especially if it is covered by your insurance.
- Massage: Massage therapy can definitely make you feel good in the short-run and it is generally safe. However, the medical evidence is mixed whether massage provides long-term benefit for treating lower back pain.
WHEN TO CONSIDER SURGERY
For a good overview of when to consider surgery, check out this video:
