this post was submitted on 25 Jun 2023
33 points (100.0% liked)

Chat

7506 readers
71 users here now

Relaxed section for discussion and debate that doesn't fit anywhere else. Whether it's advice, how your week is going, a link that's at the back of your mind, or something like that, it can likely go here.

Subcommunities on Beehaw:

This community's icon was made by Aaron Schneider, under the CC-BY-NC-SA 4.0 license.

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
alyaza@beehaw.org
remington@beehaw.org
33
Advice on how to address lower back pain? (beehaw.org)
submitted 2 years ago by kalanggam@beehaw.org to c/chat@beehaw.org
36 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

My lower back has been absolutely killing me today. Does anyone know of any remedies I could try to address it? I'm trying an ice pack and fixing my sitting posture right now, will be sleeping on my side to relieve pressure on it tonight, but is there anything else I could attempt?

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] jacek@beehaw.org 9 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago)

I'm sorry you are in pain. I've been there, and I know how terrible it can be.

Every case is different, so it's best if you see a doctor. I'm in a country with good, socialized healthcare, so it was much easier for me than it is for most of people. I've seen a specialist several times, had two MRIs and 3 rounds of physiotherapy in the span of 6 months. Here are things that worked for me:

  • take NSAIDs, when they kick in, start with simple, not strenuous exercise. Check YouTube for back pain exercises. Some of them worked wonders alleviating pain almost instantly. Other ones helped to build muscles needed to support the spine, so I'd do them too. Do what you can, if it's too much, try another time. Repeat every day, even 5 minutes a day can make a huge difference. Walks are great too. Move as much as possible without exerting yourself or making the pain worse.

  • get comfortable shoes. Flat, flexible sole worked great for me (I like Vivobarefoot shoes). Walk in these.

  • red light therapy helped me. Lamps are affordable, easily available online.

  • if you sit down for work, try to get a high quality chair. I've been sitting for years on a bad IKEA office chair, which made the problem worse. Once I switched I couldn't belive how much difference that makes. Standing desk is nice too, but not a game changer for me.

  • As the pain got better and better I've been introducing more movement. I need regular exercise to keep my back pain free. I've actually started enjoying my workouts and a mix of strength and HIIT cardio exercises works best for me.

I hope my advice will also work in your case, I wish you all the best.