Getting to the BOTTOM OF BACK PAIN
What You Should Know About Low Back Pain Do I Need an X-ray? According to the American College of Physicians, most people with low back pain feel better after a month whether they get an X-ray or not. The majority of back pain is due to simple muscle strain and an X-ray won t make you better any faster. Many adult Americans experience low back pain at some point in their lives. Sometimes the cause cannot be specifically identified. Non-specific low back pain will usually improve within a week or two by taking simple measures at home.
Easing Low Back Pain at Home In most cases, non-specific low back pain will improve in a couple of weeks by taking the following steps: Ì Stay active. Movement helps relieve pain. After the first day or two, you should increase your activity as much as you can tolerate. Walking is a good way to ease low back pain. Staying in bed can make your pain worse. Ì Apply heat. Heat relaxes your muscles and relieves pain. Use a hot towel or heating pad. Ì Try over-the-counter medicines. Try using over-the-counter pain relievers. If the pain does not improve in a few days, you may need to talk to your doctor. He or she may prescribe pain medicine, but only for a short period of time. Ì Sleep on your side or your back. Lie on your back with a pillow under your knees, or on your side with a pillow between your knees. Ì Talk to your doctor. If your pain doesn t improve after a few days or if it gets worse, contact your doctor. Your doctor may want to order other treatments, such as physical therapy, massage, chiropractic care, or acupuncture. He or she may also want to go ahead and order X-ray tests.
When to go See Your Doctor If pain is associated with a recent accident, you should get an X-ray immediately. Also, you may need to get an X-ray right away if you have any of the following symptoms: ¾ Loss of control of your bowel or bladder ¾ Loss of feeling or strength in your legs or buttocks ¾ Problems with your reflexes ¾ A history of cancer ¾ Weight loss you can t explain ¾ A history of taking steroid medication ¾ Fever over 102 degrees Fahrenheit Radiation Exposure Tests such as a regular X-ray, computerized tomography (CT) scan or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) may give off some radiation. However, when you receive a dose of radiation it stays in your body for the rest of your life. Each time you get an X-ray, the amount of radiation builds up a little more. It is not wise to get X-rays if they are not helpful and you don t need them. Although X-rays can identify abnormalities in your spine, these findings may not necessarily be the cause of your pain.
Walking is a good way to ease low back pain. Staying in bed can make your pain worse.
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