Lower back pain is the top cause of absenteeism in the United States. It affects millions of people every day. The loss of productivity and the onset of symptoms, warrant many companies to find ways to deal with it. If you are a constant sufferer of back pain, you should not only depend on your company for relief. There are remedies that you can do to stop the symptoms. Once you know how to manage your own pain, you can improve your work productivity and free yourself from the excruciating pain.
Over-the-counter Drugs
There are drugs developed to specifically deal with the symptoms of back pain. These include acetaminophen and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Ask your local pharmacist about the specific brands available in your area. One to two hours after taking the drug, you will feel relief from pain. But as a word of caution, you must not take this on every onset of the symptoms. Your mind learns to adapt to the medication and psychologically, it makes the drugs ineffective. If this happens, you may need higher dosage of pain relievers just to affect therapy.
Hot and Cold Compress
Heat improves the circulation of the body. When you suffer from acute lower back pain, take a hot shower. After taking a bath, complement it with a hot compress. Apply the hot packs at the affected area for 10 to 20 minutes. For some patients, they find better relief after alternating the hot compress with cold packs. You can try these at home and see if the method works for you.
Massage
Nothing is more soothing than having a relaxing back massage. If your partner has the “magic” fingers,” he can massage your back; this is a priceless remedy for your problem. 20 minutes of gentle massage can stimulate the relaxation of stiff muscles. The technique is better done at night as it will be able to stimulate sleepiness.
Stay Active
If you want to free yourself from the pain, you need to stay active. Lying in bed for long hours can only aggravate your condition. It will only lead to more muscle soreness and stiffness. Go on with your activities and keep your mind focused on other things.
These remedies are only temporary solutions to your problem. If you encounter the symptoms more often, it is advisable that you see your doctor. You might be suffering from a more serious problem and lower back pain is only one of the symptoms.
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