The 3 Biggest Mistakes People Make with Back Pain that's Making it Worse!

Do you suffer in silence with your back pain? 

"Over 50% of back injuries will relapse and worsen even after the symptoms of pain have initially completely resolved. You NEED to be aware of shady back pain management." 

If your back pain is not addressed by someone with a proven track record who sees this day in and day out, then these are a few potiential bad case scenerios. 

1. Prolonged nerve irritation 

2. Spinal Stenosis

3. Nerve damage

When you see a specialist, someone who lives and breathes treating back pain every day, you'll finally be in the right hands so that you can get rapid, lasting relief of pain and get back to loving you life of activity and being more "you". 

Here are a few of the results: 

1. Complete daily tasks without pain

2. Increase your self-esteem

3. Do the activities you love again 

"Here at OneAccord Physical Therapy, we take a different approach to your pain. We believe in helping you BE BETTER for life, not just FEEL BETTER for now." 

If you've ever wanted to move your body like you used to then keep reading, these next three golden nuggets might just change your life. 

Mistake #1 Putting heat on a new injury

Have you ever thought heat might help your back pain? 

Actually, putting heat on your pain will increase blood flow to the area. This can actually increase pain and inflammation.

It's going to do the opposite of what the goal is, which is to stop the pain. 

Here's a general rule of thumb:

"If an injury is hot to the touch, put ice on it. If it’s cold, use heat." -Kual Goonewardena The physiotherapist Kusal Goonewardena says “Another mistake is using either for too long – don’t apply them for more than 20 minutes at a time. And never apply ice directly to the skin."

What to do instead: 

Use a towel to cover the ice. Place ice on the pain inflected area of your back. 

Related Reads: When to Use Ice or Heat on an Injury

Mistake #2 Taking too many pain killers 

It might be tempting to pop a few extra pain killers to get rid of your back pain, but in the case of particular pills, this can be very dangerous.

Did you know? 

Taking just two to three extra paracetamol tablets a day for four or five days could cause potentially fatal liver damage. This was a conducted study made at University of Edinburgh in Scotland. 

When taking the recommended dose to ease back pain... be wary if you’re prone to tension headaches or migraines as it could make them worse. 

“Taking painkillers too often can cause the pain receptors to become over-sensitive and this can trigger rebound headaches when you stop using them.” 

What to do instead: 

Instead of trying to relieve your back pain with over-the-counter medication, try exercise instead. The first one being partial crunches. Partial crunches will help strengthen your back and stomach muscles.

• Lie with knees bent and feet flat on the floor
• Cross arms over your chest or put hands behind your neck
• Tighten stomach muscles and raise your shoulders off the floor
• Breathe out as you raise your shoulders
• Don't lead with your elbows or use arms to pull your neck off the floor
• Hold for a second, then slowly lower back down
• Repeat 8 to 12 times

Related Reads: Painkillers Can Sometimes Increase Chronic Pain 

Mistake #3 Doing "Too Much" on Days you Feel Good

The next common mistake people make when trying to get rid of back pain is actually what you do on the "good days".

You woke up today and your back is feeling great. You decide to "do it all" today. Pull the weeds. Mow the lawn. Clean your car. Clean out the cabinets. 

It can be tempting to try and make up for the days you couldn't do much, but don't. This can be damaging your progress unfortunately. Out of all the years of treating chronic-pain patients, "doing too much" is the biggest mistake people make. 

What to do instead: 

Instead of trying to "do it all", instead, pace yourself to do 80 per cent of what you think you can do. Try to extend that by about 10 per cent every time. 

Conclusion 

If back pain has been affecting any area of your life, speak with a back pain specialist and make an appointment today by calling 855-331-7522. 

Want to learn more about your back pain? Download our Free e-book here.