Don’t Let Lower Back Pain
Get You Down

The lower back is the most common place for back pain and injury. This area gets used when you bend, stoop, sit, and lift.

What causes the pain? The usual cause is stretched or strained muscles that support your spine. The pain can be dull or sharp.

Low back pain caused by strained muscles should go away in a few days or weeks. You can help yourself by doing these things:

• If you have swelling: Place an ice pack on your low back for 20 to 30 minutes. Repeat every 2 hours as needed.
• If you have no swelling or after swelling goes away: Place a heating pad on your low back for 20 to 30 minutes. Repeat every 2 hours as needed.
• Take over-the-counter medicine, such as aspirin.
• If the pain isn’t that bad, keep moving! A few days of rest may help ease minor pain. But long periods of rest can weaken your muscles.

If your back still hurts after doing these steps for 3 to 4 days, call your doctor. And call your doctor right away if you have:

• Numbness, tingling, weakness, or pain that spreads in your arms or legs
• Bowel or bladder problems
• Fever or vomiting