DIY home back pain relief

Not a month goes by that I don't receive a call from a patient over the weekend reporting terrible neck or lower back pain that mysteriously came out of nowhere and could I tell them what to do until they can make it into the office.
Although we do have Saturday appointments at Mission Village Chiropractic the calls I receive invariably are several hours after we have closed on that particular day. Not to fear as there are effective ways to relieve some of that pain without doing great bodily harm to oneself.
First of all, what type of pain is it?? Is it dull localized ache around a specific muscle area or is it a sharp pain that is radiating to another area such as into arms or legs.

Dull localized pain is typically caused by an overuse or straining activity of a particular muscle beyond it's normal range of motion..ie, golf, lifting weights etc. This type of pain can be relieved with moist heat (if there is no obvious swelling at the site of pain) followed by slow stretching of that particular muscle group. If swelling is present apply ice for 15 minutes every hour then repeat as above. Some analgesics can work well. We recommend one called BIOFREEZE as it does tend to relieve some muscle aches and does not contain a lot of alcohol or chemicals that can irritate the skin.

Now the second type of pain that can be a little more dicey is pain that radiates into an extremity or other body parts. Typically this is indicative of a pinched nerve, or worst case scenario an irritated disk that is bulging, or worse herniated. Typically this pain is relieved by taking the weight off the joint. Therefore if you are experiencing lower back pain lay in a supine position and elevate your knees up to the chest and hold them to the count of five. This motion will help to decompress the nerve/disc by tractioning the vertebrae apart. Moist heat to this area may also be helpful if not applied to long as additional swelling may occur, resulting in a "hot" nerve. If this type of pain does not respond in a couple days it is absolutely imperative that you go see your chiropractor so that they may properly evaluate your condition as a disk can quickly become more problematic if left untreated.
For more information on chiropractic or our office please visit our website at www.missionvillagechiropractic.com