Everyone gets back pain once in a while. But what do you do once it starts? Here’s 5 ways to manage occasional bouts of back pain:

#1 - Rest - but just a little
If your back hurts, take a rest. Lie down and avoid overusing your back muscles for a while. This doesn’t mean stay in bed for a week. In fact, too much rest can make your back pain worse. After a short break, get up, move around, and stretch. You’ll find it actually helps reduce that nagging backache.

#2 - Medications
Today, there are a wide variety of medications to choose from to treat back pain. Some drugs relieve pain, reduce inflammation, and relax muscle spasms. Many are available over-the-counter at your local drug store or pharmacy. Other medications require a doctor’s prescription.

• Acetaminophen (Tylenol® and other brands) • Non-steriodal anti-inflammatory drugs, or NSAIDs (aspirin, ibuprofen, Naproxen®, and many more) • COX-2 Inhibitors (such as Celebrex®)

#3 - Cold/Heat therapy
Cold therapy can help reduce inflammation, muscle spasm, and pain. Cold therapy may be recommended immediately following a sprain or strain. Apply cold to your back using cold packs, ice cubes, iced towels/compresses, or take a cool bath.

Apply heat to your aching back by using a hot compress, a dry or moist heating pad, or hydrotherapy (hot bath). Heat therapy can help decrease muscle spasms, relax tense muscles, relieve pain, and can increase range of motion.

A good general rule if you are unsure whether heat or cold would be better is does it make your back feel better when you apply it? If you feel better then it is working. Remember, never apply cold or heat/hot therapies directly on your skin - wrap it in a towel first.

Wrap-It Hot/Cold Pack from Relax The Back
Visit www.relaxtheback.com

#4 - Massage
Massage is a popular therapy that can help relieve muscle tension, spasms, inflammation, aches, stiffness, and pain. It can also help improve circulation, flexibility, and range of motion. Massage can be administered by a professional (massage therapist) or you can give yourself a mini-massage using hand-held massagers that can help increase blood flow and relieve pain.

#5 - See Your Doctor
The most important thing to remember about periodic bouts of back pain is that if they occur more and more frequently, increase in duration (more than a few days), or the pain starts to interfere with your usual activities, it’s time to see your doctor. It could be more than just a minor strain.

The good news is that most back problems can be treated with non-surgical methods. Back problems that go untreated may get worse and could cause serious health consequences.

Back pain … we all get it sometimes. But there are things you can do to prevent it from happening too often or from becoming too serious. Here’s 5 important ways to prevent back pain:#1 - Get up and get moving
The most important thing you can do to keep your spine healthy, and the rest of your body, is to exercise. The best way to start is to think of an activity that you enjoy, and do it!! Your goal should be to exercise at least 30 minutes each day (or on most days of the week). Whatever activity you choose, make sure it gets you breathing a little harder than usual. This is good for your circulation. Also, include some strength training to keep muscles healthy and strong. Some examples are walking, jogging, biking, swimming, even gardening can be considered exercise if done vigorously!

#2 - See your doctor
Regular checkups with your doctor are really important, no matter what your age. Make a plan to see your physician at least once a year to make sure all your systems are working smoothly. If you are experiencing back pain, and can’t seem to find any relief, it’s definitely time to see your doctor. Today there are many treatment options available so you don’t have to live with back pain.

#3 - Lose weight
It’s estimated that over half of all Americans are overweight. It’s important to know that obesity contributes to the development of heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, cancer, and back pain. While the spine is designed to carry and distribute the body’s weight, excessive weight can strain the spine. Eventually, the spine will begin to wear out.

Give your spine a break by shedding those unwanted and unnecessary pounds. Don’t know how to start? Talk to your doctor. He or she can help you find a weight loss and exercise plan that best suits your needs.

#4 - Good posture
You may think that slouching when sitting or standing is relaxing your muscles. But actually, it makes your muscles work harder. Good posture, which involves standing and sitting in a balanced and neutral position, is the best way to avoid straining your spine.

#5 - Rest easy and properly
Sleep is an essential nutrient for our bodies and where we sleep can make all the difference. If you are having trouble sleeping or find that you wake in the morning more tired than when you went to bed, you may need to take a good look at where and how you sleep. A good mattress allows you to maintain the same natural spinal alignment that you have when standing. When your body is allowed to rest in its natural position, muscles are relaxed and sleep is more refreshing.

While you may not be able to avoid some occasional back pain, keeping your back healthy will go a long way to keeping you in good shape!