Say Goodbye to Back Pain

from the side of the bed. Now roll over and slowly lower your feet on to the floor as you
sit up sideways with the help of your arms. Do a little more every day. Increase activity
slowly. As soon as possible, get back to your normal activities.

Bed rest should be for a couple of days only. Bed rest is the old-fashioned treatment for
back pain. We now know that bed rest for more than a day or two harms the spine in the
following ways:

 ^ Your bones, muscles and ligaments soon weaken 
 ^ Your spine stiffens and loses control and coordination 

 ^ You lose general physical fitness 
 You will find it increasingly harder to get back to an active and normal lifestyle. 

Start normal activities

For the majority of people experiencing back pain from an injury, maintaining normal
activity speeds up recovery. Maintaining normal activity is better than either bed rest or
getting into an exercise program too quickly. The muscles that support the back are
activated during almost any activity – even while simply sitting or standing they support
the weight of the body – so maintaining daily activities will maintain the muscles that
support the back.

All you need to do when the pain is bad is to restrict heavy physical loading and activity.
You may have good days and bad days, which is normal. On a bad day, control the pain
and reduce your most strenuous activities while staying active and working. The most
important thing is to get moving as soon as possible and remain active.

Simple exercises

Weak muscles are often the root cause of back pain, especially lower back pain. The
muscles of the back, the abdomen, and the buttocks all support the spine - these muscles
are called the core muscles. Muscles are the spine's main defense against gravity.
Strengthening the muscles that support the spine with exercises can prevent, reduce and
even eliminate back pain. Strong abdominal muscles (especially the deep abs) are as