Lower Back Pain

Transcription

1 Lower Back Pain

2 Low back pain can be caused through deficiencies in movement, posture and your lower limbs or pelvis. The advice in this booklet aims to help with relieving low back pain, however it is recommended that you see a physiotherapist who can help treat the cause of pain. Try to reduce the pain There are many things you can do to ease your symptoms. Your symptoms may not disappear but it should help to reduce your pain until you see your physiotherapist or doctor. If you feel any of the advice or exercises makes the pain worse stop doing them, but if it helps carry on. Everyone is different so you may find some of the exercises and advice help and others don t. To reduce the pain, you can try; Painkillers Pain will make muscles spasm, which causes the joints to become stiff. This will then cause more pain and the muscles will spasm even more. To stop this happening you GP may recommend you take painkillers. Following their advice will help your back feel easier. Heat or ice Everyone is different so try both and see which works best for you, but if you have a swollen joint when is red and warm you should always use ice. You can use heat and cold alternatively, which some people find more helpful. Use heat or ice every two hours to prevent burns or it affecting your skin.

3 Heat Pack Never use boiling water to fill a water bottle, use hot tap water and place over the area that hurts. Make sure there is at least one layer of clothing or material between you and the water bottle to prevent you burning the skin. If you use a bean bag (heat pack) then follow the guidelines of the manufacturer. You can leave the heat pack on for as long as it stays warm and is not causing discomfort. Cold Pack Place ice, preferably crushed ice, into a tea towel or bag. If you can, wet some paper towel and place this over the area that hurts and place the ice bag on top of the wet paper. The wet paper will help the cold to penetrate into the area better. Leave this on for up to minutes and then remove. Posture To stand correctly try; Stand next to a wall with your heels and buttocks touching the wall and with your knees straight. Make your shoulders touch the wall - do not flatten them fully against the wall, but square and level on the wall

4 Lower back support Choose a towel that s approximately the width of the chair or car seat you sit in. Roll up the towel. Place a large rubber band or a strip of duct tape around each end to keep it rolled. Place your arm behind your back and where your arm rests, place the towel there (small of your back). If it feels too large, substitute a smaller towel. If it feels too small, unroll the towel and roll up a smaller one inside the larger towel. Reduce sitting and standing Sit as little as possible, and only for short periods of time (10 to 15 minutes) to prevent you back becoming stiff. If you do sit, keep your hips and knees at a right angle (Use a foot rest or stool if necessary to keep your feet on the floor.) Your legs should not be crossed. If possible, adjust the height of the work table to a comfortable level. When standing, stand with your head up, shoulders straight, chest forward, weight balanced evenly on both feet, and your hips tucked in. Avoid standing in the same position for a long time. When standing, try to elevate one foot by resting it on a stool or box. After several minutes, switch your foot position. While working in the kitchen, open the cabinet under the sink and rest one foot on the inside of the cabinet. Change feet every five to 15 minutes.

5 Stretches Hip Twist Lie on your back, knees bent Exhale to float your knee out to the side; don t let your feet move from their starting position. Inhale to draw knee back to the start Do the same with the other side, repeat this 4-6 times each side If you are comfortable doing this progress onto: Place arms out in a T position and hold a block/ pillow softly between your knees Exhale and roll (both) knees then the pelvis and lower back simultaneously looking the other way. Inhale to hold, exhale to roll back to the centre Repeat to the other side, repeating the process 4-6 times Movements should be slow and controlled Extension after every flexion If you need to bend forwards to do a task. Try bending backwards first. Standing up right, legs at shoulder width apart Place your hands on the back of your legs Slowly bend backwards, so your hips come forwards Avoids pushing or bouncing your hips forward

6 Torch Light To bend the upper part of your lower back Stand with legs shoulder width apart and back straight. Make a fist with both hands Place one fist on your belly button and the other in the middle of your chest bone Imagine your fists are holding torches Stand and face a mirror Stabilise the lower torch/ fist, keeping it still But with your upper fist move upwards, opening up the chest. As you Inhale move the torch up and on exhaling come back down to your start point Repeat times

7 Notes

8 B5027 Uttoxeter A50 A515 A38 A518 B5017 B5132 B5132 B5013 A515 A511 B5008 B5234 A51 B5013 B5014 ST.GEORGE S PARK DE13 9PD B5017 Rangemore BURTON UPON TRENT A511 A514 A513 Rugeley B5016 Barton under Needwood A513 A460 A38 B5014 A515 A444 A51 Lichfield A5192 A513 A42 For further information, please contact us on: T E stgeorgespark@spireperform.com Perform at St. George s Park, National Football Centre, Newborough Road, Needwood, Burton-Upon-Trent DE13 9PD Perform is part of Spire Healthcare, a leading provider of private healthcare, with 38 private hospitals throughout the UK. Spire works with over 3,000 consultant surgeons and specialists to deliver tailored, personalised care to patients, whether they are funded through medical insurance or paying for their own treatment. Spire and the SS logo are trademarks od Spire Healthcare (Holdings) Limited