It happened again. Whether you were doing something as mild as getting up from the sofa to putting on pants, your back is acting up. Now you can barely walk, let alone stand up for more than five seconds without crumpling to the ground. Back pain is very common, affecting millions of people around the world. What should you do?
Here is something that you should NOT do: search for your symptoms on the Internet. It can be ridiculously easy to have your anxiety and worry spike even more when you input them in the search bar – you may think that you have an incurable disease when it turns out that it is the exact opposite.
When it comes to these things, if you are not absolutely sure, seek a doctor’s opinion. Especially if the pain is really bad.
This is a base guideline to look to when you have back pain – though it does not replace a doctor.
How do I know if my back pain is serious?
There are several things to look out for. The first thing is that if it doesn’t improve over the course of several days or it worsens. The pain may radiate down one or both legs. You have pain from walking. The most serious signs are if it causes problems with your bladder or bowel movements, you have a fever, or if you have had a fall or a blow to your back. That is when you need to seek medical attention.
What is the most common cause of back pain?
There are a lot of things that can result in your having back pain. It can be a result of your lifting weights without the correct form. You may have lifted a package from the floor without bending your knees and keeping your back straight. If you sit for a long period of time without occasionally getting up and walking around, that can be a factor. Your sleeping form can play a part.
If it doesn’t seem like any of the above are a cause, then it may be due to an underlying medical condition, like sciatica or a herniated disc. If you suspect that this is the case, it’s best to go see a medical professional so that they can run tests and do diagnostics on you to ensure that it is not anything gravely serious like cancer. Then they can figure out the best plan to help you.
When should I be worried about lower back pain?
While chronic lower back pain can make life miserable for people for weeks, or even years, very rarely is it due to something that is life-threatening. Also, the more intense the back pain, the more often it results from something that is not putting your life at risk. Think of things like muscle cramps in you back. Those can be very painful, indeed.
Here’s what you really need to be on the lookout for – if you have incontinence and the area around your groin and buttons are numb. Also, if you had an accident and the impact was possibly sufficient to fracture your spine. Both of those times you need to go to see a doctor as soon as possible. These are two medical emergencies that cannot wait.
What can I do to relieve my lower back pain?
There are things you can do to release endorphins, which can block pain signals. They include meditation, aerobic exercise, and massage therapy. Doing exercises that strengthen your core can be quite beneficial. Getting sleep is crucial, too. Your body needs it to heal and interrupted sleep can make that difficult. You may need medication to do that. Tight hamstrings can play a part, so stretch them out twice a day.
Sometimes pain can be in the mind… and doing things like the aforementioned mediation can help you ignore the pain and you can see a cognitive behavioral therapist to help view your pain in a different way.
How do you know if back pain is muscle or disc?
The main symptom that differentiates things is whether it hurts when you bend forward or stand up after bending forward. That usually almost always signals a disc herniation since back strains tend not to have that happen when bending forward. With herniation, the pain is more of a shooting kind and there also is usually numbness that goes up and down a leg. With a strain the pain tends to be in one area.
How long should back pain last?
There are a lot of variables that can determine the length of back pain. Depending on the situation, you can regain your overall mobility in as little as a few days. Others see it lasting for as long as six weeks before clearing up. It’s when it stays bad and affects your quality of life then you should seek medical attention and see about doing things like physical therapy.
How should I sleep with back pain?
Are you one who sleeps on their side? Grab a pillow and put it between your knees and draw them slightly toward your chest. Like to sleep on your back? Put the pillow under your knees. Another alternative is to put a small rolled-up towel under the small of your back. The one position that you should avoid as much as possible is sleeping on your stomach. That will put strain on your back.
How do you know if back pain is kidney or muscle?
If you have pain in the flank of your back, that is usually related to kidney pain and it is usually on one side. If it’s a kidney stone, it’s usually a sharp pain whereas an infection can be more dull. You may also have a fever, chills, and nausea. You may also vomit. Back muscle pain is more of a dull ache in the vicinity of your lower back or buttocks.
Can dehydration cause back pain?
Yes, it can. Your discs have gelatinous material that needs water to hold the weight of your body. If it loses that, then it can make the disc collapse and affect the surrounding nerves. So, add yet another reason why staying hydrated is so important to good overall health.
This may seem like a lot to absorb. Don’t worry – monitor how your back feels over the course of several days and do not hesitate to seek a doctor’s opinion if you feel that you are not getting better. Then you can get back on the path of being pain-free.
When it comes to helping people manage back pain, the excellent staff at Empire Physical Medicine and Pain Management are top-notch. They are attentive and will guide you through the process from the second you walk in to when you have your final appointment. Give them a call to see them at either their Midtown or Wall Street location in Manhattan: 646-665-7109.
Published By:
Empire Physical Medicine & Pain Management
7 W 45th St floor 9,
New York, NY 10036
Phone: (646) 665-7109
Website: https://manhattanpainrelief.com
