What should you do if you have Acute Low back pain?

Recommendations released in November 2012 give advice on treatment types for acute low back pain. Sufferers should follow the following important tips to help ease their symptoms:

Strong Recommendations:

• Sufferers to stay active and maintain their normal activities to the best of their ability within limits of their symptoms.
• Use of heat for pain relief
• Exercise is recommended in the treatment for low back pain
• Spinal mobilisation/manipulative therapy by a Physiotherapist is beneficial in early treatment of low back pain
• Exercise is recommended in the prevention of low back pain

What not to do:

• Bed rest has shown DELAY recovery
• Cold therapy is not recommended for low back pain
• Should not use traction in the treatment in low back pain
• Imaging is not recommended in the treatment of non-specific low back pain

So what does this mean?

When we first suffer from low back pain, firstly apply some heat to try to control the pain in the lower back. Contact your Physiotherapist so they can help provide exercises to improve movement and apply spinal mobilisation. In the meantime, attempt to stay active and perform your normal daily activities within your pain limitations.