Strained Back

Strained back or a pulled back muscle can be a very painful condition. Although, anyone can suffer from this condition, athletes are more prone to it. It mostly affects those who do not follow a proper posture while doing their day-to-day activities. Other causes of a strained back muscle can be lifting something heavy with a jerk, lifting objects in incorrect position, turning around with a jerk, falling down, performing certain exercises incorrectly, due to some internal spinal cord or back problem etc. These are not all the reasons, and your strained back may have been caused due to some other reason but the remedies mostly remain the same. If your back strain has been a problem for more than two weeks you should see a doctor immediately. Also, if the pain is very severe, please consult a specialist. The following article suggests some remedies or initial treatments for mild cases of strained back.

Symptoms

The symptoms of a pulled back muscle are usually very straight forward. A sharp pain in a certain part of the back is the most prominent symptom. But there can be other symptoms than back pain too. For instance, if a certain part of your back hurts when you move in a particular way can also mean that you have a strained back muscle. Muscle spasms in the back can be another symptom for the same. When there is some sort of muscle damage they may suffer severe inflammation and may also give a burning sensation. The affected area may become hot to touch as well. This occurs due to increase in blood flow to injured area. Sometimes you may even feel popping and snapping sensations in the affected muscles.

Treatment

This is a basic and easy way to treat simple cases of strained back muscle. Remember to see your doctor for severe cases.

• The best treatment for any kind of muscle problem is bed rest. So start with that. Lie down or remain in a position in which you are most comfortable. Pain is simply an indication of damage and if you are in a position that worsens the pain, it means, that position is worsening the damage.
• Next, after sometime try to move and check if the pain has become severe or has reduced. Our body has its own self healing mechanism and small injuries can be healed with just some rest.
• If the pain has not changed in terms of intensity, try applying an ice pack on it for 20 minutes every 3 to 4 hours for the next twelve hours. Even if you start feeling a little better, don't get out of your comfort position yet.
• Then apply heat on the muscle for 20 minutes every 3 to 4 hours for the next twelve hours. If the pain has not reduced at all consult a doctor immediately.

Other Remedies

Other remedies that you can take for strained back include the intake of anti-inflammatory medication. It helps in the reduction of swelling. But they may have side effects, and hence, consult your doctor before taking them. If the muscle pull stops aching after some rest try doing some gentle stretches for back pain. Avoid muscle fatigue by not doing too many physical activities and keeping the body warm. Muscle fatigue can revert the damage.

To avoid such a condition, always warm up properly before exercising. Also, do some stretching exercise after the workout. Don't ever over exercise as that is absolutely no use and can cause several muscle damages. Another important thing is to change the workout routine very gradually. There is more on back pain relief that you can read. As the saying goes, prevention is always better than cure.