First Aid for Back Pain

Fact Checked

Back pain is often caused by:

  • Poor posture
  • Wrong method of walkingback pain
  • Not wearing proper footwear
  • Prolonged sitting—especially due to sedentary work
  • Strained muscles
  • Sleeping or resting on soft mattresses
  • Stress and anxiety
  • Pregnancy
  • Constipation
  • Bladder, kidney or prostate disorders

Treatment

Back pain caused due to injury can be alleviated by simply resting and allowing it to heal on its own. Candidates that enrol in first aid programs will learn to recognize and manage strains and sprains that are associated with back pain. You may also include the following first aid methods to help relieve your back pain despite the trigger that caused it:

  • Take over-the-counter pain medication such as acetaminophen or NSAIDs which include naproxen and ibuprofen. Many patients report that acetaminophen taken in conjunction with NSAID’s helps relieve pain much faster.
  • One of the major causes of back pain is muscle strain which can be relieved by applying ice packs. Ice packs ease out the pain by reducing inflammation, causing numbness and acting as an anaesthetic, decreasing damage to the tissues, slowing down nerve impulses and stimulating a quick surge of nutrient rich blood once the ice pact is removed.
  • You can also apply heat pads on the affected area after swelling has subsided. This helps by dilating the blood vessels to allow more oxygen rich blood flow, helping tissues to stretch easily and thus reducing stiffness and stimulating receptors in the skin to send out less pain signals to the brain.
  • Avoid strenuous exercise and rest your body in a comfortable position for a while.
  • You may have to seek medical attention if you have difficulty urinating, numbness or pain in the toes or legs or if you are experiencing persistent back pain.

Tips

  • Avoid sleeping on soft mattresses and pillows till the pain has relieved
  • Stretching and exercising are also good ways to alleviate pain. Even though stretching may take a long time to actually cause an effect and reduce pain, it is an excellent way to prevent the chances of incurring further episodes of back pain and hence, produce long-term results. If you have injured your back, you might want to start slowly with a few, manageable exercise steps
  • Distracting your mind from the pain can also help relieve pain in the long-term. This can be done by keeping yourself busy through mental relaxation techniques
  • Adjust your schedule to include enough breaks for you to rest
  • Maintain a good posture while sitting and walking
  • Avoid wearing high heels
  • Quit smoking

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