How do you manage your low back pain?
 

My low back comes and goes, comes more than it goes actually. I started to see a chiro about a month ago - the old chiro retired and the new guy isn't as good...I'm still painfully tight in the low back area. He keeps telling me to focus on my core, every time I move to pretty much focus on my core...which I do. A PT once told me about some leg lifts to help and putting ice on 4x a day. There are a few other exercises - but no matter how much I stretch and do the exercises I feel like nothing is working the kinks out. Sorry for long post - just curious how others manage their low back pain.
I try to avoid things like over the counter pills - and even when I cave and take them - they don't even make a dent in the backache.

Ibuprofen, stretches, maintain proper posture, ice packs, massage, hot tub... some days nothing helps.

Believe it or not, moving more helps. You don't want to stay idle for that long cause it will make your back pain worse. Just do some stretching out and mild exercises. Best of luck!

I have to keep moving or mine gets worse too. I also see a chiro that focuses on bio-physics and not just the snap, crackle, pop. I'm not sure which route your chiro takes. Stretching helps but after I was rear ended nothing helped. My chiro referred me to a pain management specialist. He did a pain injection procedure that has helped a lot but did not completely make the pain go away. I am getting another procedure done next week called a rhyzotomy that specifically targets the nerve that is causing all the issues.

Have you tried going to a pain management specialist?

moving is key for me, too, stretching every day, physiotherapy, exercise--> focused on core strength but also elliptical. yoga is great but when it's really badly seized up I turn to my prescription meds, warmth (fango mud packs or hot water bottle) and/or my osteopathic specialist. My doctor also suggested acupuncture, but I haven't tried that yet.

Try strengthen your abs. No crunches. Also, stretching diagonally, left elbow to right knee.

This may seem a little ridiculous, but try walking backwards! When we walk our bodies naturally lean forward and this puts pressure on our lower back.

Walking backwards improves our posture and forces us to use our core muscles to move. If you're a daily walker, try walking backwards for a change (but I advise you do this in a safe place, such as a track, where you won't run into a car).

There is a long list of benefits for walking backwards:
- It relives pressure from our knees and is a good form of exercise for anyone with knee problems
- It uses muscles in a different way that we don't normally use, and improves the muscular balance of our legs
- It's more efficient than forward walking and burns more calories in less time!


If nothing else worked for you, try walking backwards! After a few days of it you'll start to notice that your back pain won't be as severe and you might even notice that your coordination and balance is improving! If you start getting the hang of it, you'll eventually want to start jogging backwards. Just Google "backwards walking" (it's aka retro running) to see a full list of benefits. It really is amazing how something so simple is so great for our bodies.

I hope you try this out I'm confident that after a week or two of daily backwards walking (just walk backwards for an hour a day) you will notice improvements with your lower back pain and you will also probably start to notice that your balance and body coordination is improving. Good luck! I know how horrible lower back pain is I myself used to suffer from chronic lower back pain too. We just need to work out our muscles to support our bones :)

I can definitely empathize. I see my chiropractor once a week, where I get adjusted, then they use ultrasound (with an analgesic gel)to break up inflammation, then they do EMS (like a TENS unit). If needed, I also do decompression (basically a table that lengthens and re-compresses your spine over and over to relieve pressure)

Other than that, constant stretching, trying not to sit for more than an hour at a time max. I have a portable TENS unit that I use a few times a week, and some nights the pain is *still* too much, so my husband gives me a nice, long massage.

*shrug* Chronic low back pain is really difficult to fix. But losing weight and getting stronger can only help.

Is your pain from an injury, or just nonspecific?

If it's not injury related, start lifting weights!! I had major major joint pain before I started lifting weights. If you build up the muscles that support those bones and joints, the pain is reduced immensely! I am in zero pain, now. Well, muscle soreness... but that's the good stuff! ;)

How do you sleep? One of the biggest causes of back pain is our sleep position. Specifically if you sleep on your stomach, or side without the proper support.

If you sleep on you stomach, try putting a pillow (or two) under your hips. If you are on your side, place a pillow between your knees (and also under your stomach if that helps). Ideally, sleeping on your back is best for your back (but then that's the worse position if you have sleep apnea!!).

Otherwise - ibuprofen is great!! And of course, massage if you can get it~

If you have heath insurance that wil cover physical therapy, or if you are rich ;-) try utrasound. A few years ago I was having horrible problems due to a bulging disc and I was skeptical when my doc gave me orders for ultrasound as PT. It worked wonders for me.

Barb

I used to see a chiro 3 times per week after I had an injury.

I bought a Pilates machine and did simple moves and it straighten me out like nothing I've tried before. I used ice, heat pads, all kinds of drugs (not that kind lol), massages, you name it. Pilates was the only thing that helped me.

For maintenance I still get on my machine a couple times per week for like 15 mins. at a time. I haven't need to see a chiro in over 4 years.

Lastly doing the "cat pose" and the "cobra pose" once in a while helps loosen my lower back as well.

My chiropractor has helped mine tremendously. I also bought some good quality massagers which help a lot.