Home Remedies for Back Pain

Yesterday, my hubby told me that a good friend and his wife are coming over to our house this week for a visit. We had been to their house two months ago. They were gracious hosts and their home was very welcoming.  I thought I had to do some house cleaning before the visit to make sure our place would feel cozy and inviting to our upcoming guests. I had not thoroughly cleaned the house for a while so it would be good motivation for me to do this chore.

However, I have a tendency to become an obsessive-compulsive person when it comes to cleaning the house. The clean up is not done until I dust all over, like behind the fridge, at the back of entertainment center, couch and so on. Though the guests would not see those areas and they will just stay to visit for probably two hours, overdoing it is unnecessary. However, I don’t feel reassured until the house is squeaky clean so I kept going and going like the energizer bunny. I was so exhausted when I finished and my back hurt badly. I then remember the nursing interventions for back pain I used on my patients during my nursing days. I listed them below. It was time to utilize them on myself and today my back feels much better. I will go to the Blind Massage Clinic at the mall in a little while to have a whole body massage. It’s time to pamper myself!

Simple remedies for mild back pain:

• Soak in a tub with warm water for half an hour if possible.
• Take an over- the - counter pain medication, such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen to help alleviate the pain.
• Ask hubby to give you a back massage with the use of herbal oil or ointment.
• Lie down on firm mattress with a heating pad underneath the painful area.
• Use a small pillow under your head and large pillow under your knees for a most comfortable position.
• Complete bed rest for 24 to 72 hours if possible.

Simple tips to prevent back Pain:

• Strengthen abdominal and back muscles by doing regular exercises such as walking, swimming and bicycling.
• Avoid heavy lifting, if you can't avoid it use proper body mechanics such as bending your knees when picking up the object.
• Push large objects, don’t pull them
• Maintain correct body posture at all times 
• When working in a computer, sit in a firm chair with a supportive back.
• Try not to sit in one position for a long time. Stand up and stretch at least once in every 30 minutes.
• To avoid housework related back pain. Follow these simple tips:

When doing dishes – open the cubbyhole door under the sink and keeping one leg elevated on the ledge.

When ironing – rest one foot on a box or a step stool.

When vacuuming – bend your knees and move your feet slowly rather than jerking them forward and back

See a physician as soon as possible if:

• Back pain is severe or recurring, or if it follows an accident
• The pain radiates into hip or leg  
• Backache is associated with bowel or urinary problems  

Hope these tips help... more next time!