Throwing out your back means that you’ve temporarily strained or pulled a muscle in your back. You’ll feel a sudden pain, typically in your lower back, when this happens. This pain will generally be worse for people with chronic lower back issues. Throwing out your back usually happens during strenuous activities such as shoveling, lifting heavy objects, bending in an awkward position, lack of proper back support for an extended period or due to an injury.
Common symptoms include:
- Back stiffness
- Intense lower back pain
- Muscle spasms
Most of the time, your back will start to feel better within the week; the issue almost always resolves itself within 14 days. Pain that persists beyond that period points to a chronic back issue that requires careful medical attention.
Diagnosis
It is usually easy to pinpoint the activity that caused you to throw out your back. Your doctor will gather more information about your circumstances and symptoms to diagnose the issue properly. While most basic symptoms, like pain and tightness, wouldn’t necessarily require testing, things like numbness, tingling in the legs or loss of bladder control would warrant further investigation.
What to do if you throw out your back
1. Get rest
If you throw out your back, immediately stop the activity that caused the injury and focus on resting your body. Rest is the best way to heal, recover the muscles and reduce inflammation. For the most ideal positioning, lie flat on a firm surface. The pain will often naturally limit your daily activities. As the pain starts to subside, ease your way back into more strenuous activities.
2. Stretch carefully
After the acute pain subsides a bit, practice gentle, easy stretching (you don’t really want to be in bed for a few days before you start stretching). A great option is to lie flat and gently pull the knees into the chest. Alternatively, you can pull straight legs into your chest. Be careful not to overexert yourself, as you might worsen the situation. Avoid harsh twisting motions, bending at the spine or heavy lifting.
3. Consider Low-Impact Exercise
Once the pain from your back has subsided, you can add low-impact exercises to your routine. Add this activity slowly; if you jump back into strenuous exercise too quickly, you risk reinjuring yourself. Walking is a great way to keep your muscles moving. Swimming is another excellent option, as the water helps support your body. Biking, yoga and household activities are also great options.
Low-impact exercises are a perfect way to build back muscles to support your back, lessening the likelihood of future back pain. Before starting any exercise routine, check with your doctor and physical therapist.
If you weren’t super active before you threw out your back, ease into low-impact activity slowly and don’t overexert yourself. Overexerting yourself can cause inflammation, leading to pain, discomfort and even torn or overstretched muscles. If you are dizzy, sore, have abdominal pain or have a fluttering heart, you might be overexerting yourself. Take a break, and if you have chest pain or your heart flutters last more than 30 minutes, call 911.
4. Choose a sleeping position strategically
Lying flat on your back is the best option when you’ve thrown your back out. In this position, put a firm pillow under your head and feet; this should help ease some pain so you can get some rest. If that position isn’t comfortable, lie on your side and prop a pillow between your legs. This will open up your hips and create more spinal alignment. Avoid sleeping on your back, however, as this will exacerbate the pain.
5. Reduce the inflammation
When you throw out your back, rest is the best thing you can do to reduce inflammation. For the first day or two, apply hot and cold therapy. Start with cold therapy on your back; the chill will help constrict blood vessels, decrease swelling and reduce inflammation. You can follow the cold treatment with heat therapy. Heat will help with the flexibility of the soft tissues and support your back’s overall functioning. Use heat therapy for the days following the injury to help with the pain.
6. Find appropriate pain relief treatments
Ibuprofen (Advil) and naproxen sodium (Aleve) are good options if you’re looking for an over-the-counter medication. Not only do they provide temporary pain relief, but they’re anti-inflammatory drugs as well. Acetaminophen (Tylenol) is another option to treat pain; however, it will not aid in reducing inflammation. Consult your doctor to ensure you’re taking the correct medication dosage, as repeated use can have adverse health effects.
7. Consult your doctor
When you injure your back, contact your doctor immediately for advice. If you don’t have a doctor yet, urgent care is another excellent option to get the help you need right away. Occasionally, you’ll need X-rays or other tests when you throw your back out, so it is essential to talk to your doctor. If the pain persists for more than a week or two, get an evaluation to ensure the pain is not because of a chronic condition. Your doctor might recommend consulting a physical therapist, acupuncturist or chiropractor.
8. Look into physical therapy
Physical therapists will help you heal your back injury through exercises and movements that strengthen muscles. At these appointments, the therapist will get a general sense of the extent of your injury, perform a massage or other hands-on treatment and then give you a range of exercises. Over time, these exercises will become more manageable and increase your strength. A physical therapist will help you strengthen the muscles in your back to help protect it and avoid pain.