Back pain is one of the leading reasons why most people miss work or even visit a physician. Back pains make it hard to have a peaceful night’s sleeps. The body needs enough time to rest, which becomes impossible with back aches. Your productivity will also take a dive when you suffer from back pains.
Most of the back pains go away on their own, maybe in a week or two. However, chronic pain will last more than 6 months, which makes life unbearable. There are different approaches to dealing with back pains, and bed rest is vouched as one of the best practices:
When you need bed rest
The extent of pain differs from one person to the other. It depends on several factors such as the extent of the injury, cause of the pain, and the corrective measures in place. There are instances where you may not move even a limb due to pain. Spending a day or two in bed can help your muscles recover. Bed rest can be all that you need when sitting or standing gives you severe pain.
Find a comfortable position on your bed to ensure that your back does not suffer more pain during your rest. Limit the time you lie down to a few hours a stretch. You can place pillows between your legs and under your head when lying on your side. When you want to lie on your back, then a pillow under your knees comes in handy. Get a pillow under your hips when you lie on your stomach. All these positions reduce forces that standing or sitting impose on your back.
When bed rest becomes destructive
Staying in bed for more than 48 hours will slow down your recovery process. Staying in bed for longer is not helpful for moderate back strain. Your back may feel better during rest in the short term but paves the way for bigger problems. The muscles lose their tone and conditioning, which may lead to digestive complications such as constipation. Blood clots are also likely to develop in the veins of your pelvis and legs when you stay in bed for long.
Mental health suffers a lot when you have a prolonged bed rest. You have a lot of time on your hands, which makes your mind to wander a lot. An increased sense of physical weakness and depression are likely to kick on when you are confined to your bed for days or even weeks.
What to do after bed rest
Use cold therapy
You can use a regular ice cube for ice cold therapy. You need someone to give you the ice massage therapy on your back. The ice-massage should be within the six-inch area of the area where pain is being felt. However, the massage should not touch the bony area where bones protrude on the spinal column. The ice massage should be limited to a 5-minutes session and repeated 2-5 times in a day to avoid ice burn.
Do some physical activities
Simple activities such as walking or stretching can help ease the pain. The choice of the exercises will depend on the extent of the injury and what you want to achieve. The ideal exercises are those that increase flexibility and circulation in the affected areas. Listen to your body as you do these exercises to determine if you are on the right route. If the pain increases after gentle exercises, it is a clear indication that you need to stop and look for other forms of therapy.
Get help
Some of these pains will not go away on their own. Over-the-counter medications and painkillers will relieve the pain as long as you are using them. The only way to say goodbye to pains forever is through treatment. It thus means that you need an expert that will analyze the affected areas and come up with a sustainable solution. There are millions of experts out there and if you live in New York and you’re experiencing back pain, we recommend Dr Hosny. A certified expert does only focus on the symptoms but also analyzes the cause of pain.
Bed rest has been fronted as one of the approaches for dealing with back pains as you can see. However, bed rest that exceeds two days is deconstructive as it may lead to other complications. Recovering from back pains is something that calls for commitment and knowing what works and what doesn’t.
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