This is a commonly asked question for back pain sufferers. When is waiting too long to make a move on treatment starting to work against you? Many people go with a wait and see approach, and hope the pain dies off – however in most cases a small twinge or niggle often is the pre-cursor to something serious and long term.

So if you are asking when to seek treatment for lower back pain – the answer is that you should see you doctor or medical professional as soon as you get the injury to avoid making things worse.

When To Seek Treatment For Lower Back Pain

Many of us wait too long to get back pain treatment

Most people will get at least one bout of lower back pain in their lives. The good news? It can get better in a week and almost always within six weeks. But while you have it the pain can be excruciating, so that you feel as if you’ll never be able to sleep, walk or enjoy life again. No wonder people try anything that might help.

 

But last week a paper in the New Zealand Medical Journal found that the side effects of chiropractic treatments (spinal manipulations often used to treat back pain) have tended to be under-reported in trials.

 

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs – the painkiller of choice for back pain – also have risks, according to a paper in the BMJ. They increase the risk of stomach ulcers (which can cause internal bleeding) and some also raise the risk of heart disease. So what’s the best thing to do if you get stricken by back pain?

 

The solution

 

Back pain is a symptom, not a disease. Usually no cause is found for it but you should still check it’s nothing more serious. (You can feel pain in your back from things going wrong in almost any organ in your abdomen.) So if you have any red flags (as doctors call them) such as you are under 20 or over 55, have lost control of your bladder or bowels, have had cancer in the past, been on steroids for a long time, have weakness or numbness in a leg or arm, foot drop, or numbness around your bottom or genitals, or if you have night pain or progressively worse pain, then see your doctor as a priority.

 

Most people will have muscle ache or shooting pains and limited movement in their back. Even if you have pain that goes down your leg (from a nerve that has pressure on it from a slipped, bulging disc in the back), you are still likely to be one of the 90% that gets better within a month.

 

Whether you have slipped your disc or not, the treatment is the same. You don’t need an x-ray unless you have a red-flag symptom. It may sound unsympathetic, but you should start moving normally as soon as possible, because research shows this will get you better faster.

 

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Back Pain Stretches And Exercise Videos

Here are 3 helpful videos that can give you some ideas for stretching for back pain relief. Often simple exercises done with the correct technique can alleviate back pain and set you on the road to recovery.

The first video is a step by step guide to the  lower body Russian Twist exercise for quick back pain relief

Here is an informative video by Chiropractor Dr Beck about stretching for back pain relief

And some excellent stretching techniques that strengthen your core and alleviate back pain (it starts at about 20 seconds into the video)

So if you are asking yourself when to seek treatment for lower back pain, it may already be too late. The best thing when you fell a back injury is to go to your doctor immediately – it is the #1 reason for visits to the doctor, so you may as well help keep the statistic up there!

If you want to be stubborn and try to beat it at home, continue moving and try some exercises to stretch and relieve your back from pain.

For more ideas like these on getting back on track, pick up your free copy of our back pain book available by signing up on our website. Also share some of these exercise ideas with your friends on facebook by using the buttons below.