Taking care of your back at homeDefinition: Back strain
treatment; Back pain - home care; Low back pain - home care;
Lumbar pain - home care A common myth about back pain is that
you need to rest and avoid activity for a long time. In fact,
bed rest is NOT recommended. If you have no sign of a serious
cause for your back pain (such as loss of bowel or bladder
control, weakness, weight loss, or fever), you should stay as
active as possible. Here are some tips for how to handle back
pain and activity early on: - Stop normal physical activity only
for the first few days. This helps calm your symptoms and reduce
any swelling (inflammation) in the area of the pain. - Apply
heat or ice to the painful area. One good method is to use ice
for the first 48 - 72 hours, then use heat after that. - Take
over-the-counter pain relievers such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin
IB) or acetaminophen (Tylenol). - Sleep in a curled-up, fetal
position with a pillow between your legs. If you usually sleep
on your back, place a pillow or