How to Treat Back Muscle Pain Effectively
Are you suffering from a back pain, but prefer to ignore it? Well, you might want to get rid of it to avoid making it worse. Back muscle pain is something that is experienced by everyone sooner or later in their lifetime. There are various types of back pain, and each of them arises due to a different reason. While experiencing the pain, some people feel better when they lie down while others feel better when they sit in a particular position, but this varies from person to person.
Back pain may start suddenly, or it may even develop gradually over time. Sometimes people develop back pain, when they have a wrong posture of sitting because of which an additional stress falls on the back muscles and they start aching eventually as a result of it. They may also occur after you have lifted something awkwardly leading to an unnatural strain in any of your back muscles. A sprain might also develop in the muscles due to any mild injury. Before going for treatment, you must understand the cause of the pain.
Five causes of back muscle pain
Back pain can be a sign of an underlying problem, and if you want to treat it, you should find out the cause of the pain. The following are some of the most common causes of a back pain:
- Physical exertion : Physical exertion to the point when it becomes unbearable is one of the most common causes why people develop back muscle pain. That is why it is always recommended that you should work as much as permissible for your body. Don’t overwork yourself.
- Prolapsed disc : A prolapsed disc is another of the many reasons behind the excruciating back pain that you experience. A slipped disc can not only cause pain but also numbness and a tingling effect.
- Spondylitis : Spondylitis is a very common condition in which the joints present in the spinal cord swell up. This leads to stiffness and ultimately causes back muscle pain.
- Broken bone : A broken bone in the spinal cord is a not a very common cause but will also lead to a back pain which is unbearable. You may break a bone by falling or even by colliding with something.
- Crouching : Some people develop a back pain while crouching or even while lifting things. This happens due to the exertion of pressure on muscles in an awkward manner.
Know the symptoms
It is important to understand as to what constitutes a back pain so that you know what course of action to take. You might feel stiffness in the muscles of the back is very common. You will feel as if you cannot move and prefer sitting or lying in a single place. The pain may even spread to the adjacent portions of the body. Some people complain of a pain in the buttocks or even in the thigh muscles although the origin is in the muscles of the back. Also, your pain will worsen when you do something that puts stress on your muscles. This includes the simple acts of sneezing or coughing.
- Treat it right
There are several ways in which you can treat and prevent your back muscle pain. Here are the top ways to deal with it: - Apply ice packs
Ice packs can do wonders for many health problems, and muscle pains are not an exception. If you have injured your spinal cord accidentally and you find a swelling there, just take an ice pack and place it on the affected portion for about 20-25 minutes and you will get relief from the pain. Repeat this after every three hours for a couple of days to feel the difference. - Do regular exercise
If you want to stay away from muscle pain that results from spondylitis or aging, then you can just visit your doctor, and he will advise you on the exercises that you should do for the well-being of your back muscles. - Go for a heat treatment
Heat, just like ice, can also do wonders but you must have the proper knowledge on when to use ice and when to use heat. You should never apply heat to the affected region when the swelling is still there. To subside the swelling, you have to use ice first, and once it has subsided, you can apply heat. You can take a hot bath or press a bottle of hot water to the affected area. - Painkillers
You should resort to painkillers for your back muscle pain only when you feel that you cannot bear the pain anymore. Until then, you must try other measures. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) prove to be helpful in these cases, but they should be taken only after you have consulted your doctor.
Recovery from a back muscle pain depends on the person’s ability and also on the course of treatment. But it should not be dealt light as they may lead to further nerve problems. So, visit a doctor as soon as you feel any discomfort in your back muscles.