Get off your feet.

Your back will thank you for it. “For an acute problem,” says orthopedic surgeon Edward Abraham, M.D., assistant clinical professor at the University of California, <a onClick=”javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview(‘/outgoing/article_exit_link’);” href=”http://homeremediesforfree.com/>Irvine</a>, California College of Medicine, “the first thing you should do is get some bed rest.” In fact, it may be the only thing you’ll want to do. Any physical act, even getting up to go to the bathroom, may bring you pain. So, for the first day or two, keep activity to a minimum.

Don’t lounge too long.

How long you stay in bed depends on the severity of your pain, says Dr. Abraham. “If you’re still in pain after two days, for example, an extra day in bed won’t hurt. It’s best, however, to get out of bed as quickly as possible. Let pain be your guide.”

“Most people think that a week of bed rest will take away the pain,” adds David Lehrman, M.D., chief of orthopedic surgery at St. Francis Hospital and founder of the Lehrman Back Center in Miami, Florida. “But that’s not so. For every week of bed rest, it takes two weeks to rehabili tate.”

In fact, research at the University of Texas spa health Science Center bears this out. Researchers there studied 203 patients who came into a walk-in clinic complaining of acute back pain. Some were told to rest for two full days and others were told to rest for seven days. There was no difference in the length of time it took the pain to diminish in either group, reported Richard A Deyo, M.D., who was one of the researchers and is now director of spa health services research at Seattle Veterans Admin- istration Medical Center. And those who got out of bed after two days got back to work a lot sooner.
“The length of bed rest doesn’t really affect recovery,” says Dr. Deyo.

“For some people it’s just the most comfortable position for the first couple of days.”

Put your pain on ice.

The best way to cool down an acute flare-up is with ice, says Canadian pain researcher Ronald Melzack, Ph.D., a professor at McGill University. It will help reduce swelling and the strain on your back muscles. For best results, he says, try ice massage. “Put an ice pack on the site of the pain and massage the spot for 7 or 8 minutes.” Do this for a day or two.

Try some heat relief.

After the first day or two of ice, physicians recommend that you switch to heat, says Milton Fried, M.D., founder of the Milton Fried Medical Clinic in Atlanta Georgia. Take a soft towel and put it in a basin of very warm water. Wring it well and flatten it so that there are no creases in it. Lie chest down with pillows under your hips and ankles and fold the towel across the painful part of your back Put some plastic wrap over that, then put a heating pad turned on medium on top of the plastic. If possible, place something on top that will create pressure, like a telephone book. “This creates moist heat and will help reduce muscle spasms,” says Dr. Fried.

Use heat and cold.
For those of you who can’t make up your mind which feels better, it’s okay to use both methods, says Dr. Abraham. It may even have an added bonus. “An in termi ttent regimen of heat and ice will actually make you feel better,” says Dr. Abraham. “Do 30 minutes of ice, then 30 minutes of heat, and keep repeating the cycle.”

Stretch to smooth a spasm.

“Stretching a sore back will actually enhance the healing process,” says Dr. Lehrman. “One good stretch for lower back pain is to gently bring your knees up from the bed and to your chest. Once there, put a little pressure on your knees. Stretch, then relax. Repeat.

“Stretching will help the muscle calm down sooner than just waiting for it to calm down on its own,” says Dr. Lehrman. Roll out of bed. When you do have to get out of bed, doctors advise that you roll out-carefully and slowly. “You can minimize the pain of getting out of bed by sliding to the edge of the bed,” says Dr. Lehrman. “Once there, keep your back rigid and then let your legs come of