Nearly everyone has some form of back pain at some point in their lives. The issues get worse as we age. Recent articles in the news and medical journals have stated that, most back pain does not require surgery. Also, surgery is no guarantee of long-term benefits and only nominally, short-term benefits. For most people with back pain, therefore, the best you can hope for is to manage your pain and discomfort. I recommend visiting your Doctor first to ensure there aren’t more serious reasons for your pain.

The suggestions below for caring for a sore back are geared towards people with mild to moderate back pain. Chronic pain may require more extensive treatment. The 5 steps to care for a sore back are:

1. Lose Weight Carrying around too much extra weight, especially around the mid-section, puts additional strain on the lower back. Eating properly, and exercising (discussed below) are two great ways, which, taken together, can reduce lower back pain.

2. Exercise. Exercise is a universal “elixir” which is named in reducing the probability of a number of possible ailments such as heart disease. Cardiovascular work can help by reducing and maintaining weight. Weight lifting should also be a part of any exercise routine. Specific areas to focus on in order to help reduce back pain are: stomach, which helps take some of the strain off of overworked back muscles; legs, which can help by allowing you to keep and maintain proper alignment when squatting or bending to lift objects; back, the muscles in the back can be strengthened as well. It’s best to consult with your Doctor and, perhaps, a licensed physical therapist or trainer before beginning any workout out routine in order to ensure you do things properly. There are a number of back stretching exercises you can do to ease the stress and pain in your back. Your Doctor, physical therapist, or chiropractor will have more information.

3. Not overusing your back. Learn not to use only your back when lifting objects. It’s best to squat, keeping your back straight, and using your legs to lift an object from the floor. Other “tricks’ include: using your “off hand” to brace yourself while you lift with your “strong hand”; leaning on your knee or other object when bending over so as not to have your back do all the work; and getting help if needed, don’t try to do it all yourself.

4. Back Treatments. There are a number of treatments you can do to help ease the pain in your back. You can have a chiropractor manipulate the muscles and bones in your back. You can apply heat, or in some cases, cold. You can get a massage. There are a number of massage devices on the market, some of which are pretty good. Not all work the same for everyone so it’s best to experiment. Make sure you can try before you buy one of these products or at least make sure you understand the store’s return policy.

5. Having a comfortable bed Poor mattresses are one of the biggest factors in the cause of back pain. If you sleep on an uncomfortable mattress, you’re sleeping in a poor position for long periods at a time. To help alleviate those problems, mattresses should be flipped or turned every few months. If your mattress is older than 12-15 years old, you should consider replacing it. Some alternatives to traditional box spring beds are: foam padded; mechanical adjustable; and air beds and mattress. Air beds and mattresses are good because their firmness is adjustable and they conform more properly to your shape; helping maintain proper spinal alignment while you sleep. Most of the non-traditional beds can be pretty pricey. Even most of the “air” beds are pretty pricey going up to thousands of dollars. One less expensive alternative is an air mattress. Air mattresses have matured over the years. You can even get a full-sized bed that’s the same height as a traditional bed, frame and box springs. The most expensive of these, made by Aero, cost under $400.00. Some even come with dual controls where each side of the bed can adjust the firmness independently.  

These are just a few suggestions to help ease mild to moderate back pain. I can’t stress enough, however, that you get the opinion of your Doctor before beginning any type of treatment or exercise program. Also, a bed is an important part of helping reduce back pain, consider one of the cheaper air beds as an alternative to traditional box spring beds.

Lower back stretches are designed to help loosen and relieve muscle pain in the lower back. You can do much more than any doctor to maintain the health of your lower back, by getting into the habit of stretching on a daily basis. The pain associated with the lower back, can be greatly reduced by a good plan of daily stretches. For lower back pain problems, the pain is usually associated with the muscles. These muscles in the lower back serve a very important role in stabilizing and supporting the spinal column. When these muscles become weak and stiff over time, this in turn can lead to painful spasms in the lower back. Stretching exercises are very helpful at improving these muscles in the lower back. Even with acute pain or after surgery stretching helps to rebuild strength. However special care is needed while performing any lower back stretches. Stretching should be done gently, without bouncing. Stretch relatively slowly, to the point of discomfort and just a little bit beyond. If pain occurs while stretching release a little, until pain goes away.

There are many different types of back stretches that can be done to relieve pain in the lower back, the five main ones to concentrate on are:

Knees-up rest - This type of stretch relaxes the muscles in the pelvis, hips and knees which in turn decreases the pressure on the spine.

Knee Raises - This stretching exercise keeps your spine in a protected position, while stretching the muscles in the knees, buttocks,hips and the lower part of the spine.

Straight Leg Raises - One of the most powerful stretching exercises to help strengthen the hamstring muscles. When these muscles become tight, they are inclined to pull the back out of alignment. Many back pain problems can be solved by stretching these muscles groups.

Resting Cobra Pose - This type of stretch helps to align your spine and restore proper posture, it also opens the disc spaces so the spine can breath.

Serpent Pose - This is an excellent exercise to improve the curvature of the spine, it also stretches all the muscles in the lower back without putting any pressure on the spine itself.

Benefits of stretching exercises

If you have stiffness or injury in the lower back

If you recently had any type of surgery on the lower back

If you have a disease condition that results in stiffness

It warms up the muscles before you start any strengthening exercises

It makes the lower muscles looser and more flexible

It may decrease the chances of injury

There’s nothing mysterious about the stretching process. Any part of the body that you can’t completely straighten or completely bend needs to be frequently and repeatedly stretched; a good rule is twice daily. Over months or even weeks, you can often regain motion of that body part. A very important thing we need to realize when performing any lower back stretches is that the muscles are the greatest source of pain, because they are directly connected to the nerves that transmit pain messages to the brain. People often worry about doing harm to their joints by doing to much stretching exercises. The truth is the opposite. Those who stretch regularly have much less disability than those who don’t, and in the process the muscles and tissue around the joints become stronger.