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"Symptom: A brand-new pain What you think: &amp;quot;I need tests to find out what&amp;#039;s going on&amp;quot; The reality: You can feel better without seeing the doctor Your next step: See --&amp;amp;gt; Symptom: A sudden pain with a fairly ordinary movement What you think: &amp;quot;Uh-oh. I shouldn&amp;#039;t have done that!&amp;quot; The reality: You overdid it a few days ago. Stressed muscles only cried out with your latest quick movement  Your next step: See --&amp;amp;gt; Symptom: It hurts to move What you think: &amp;quot;I&amp;#039;d better stay still, or I&amp;#039;ll make it worse&amp;quot; The reality: There&amp;#039;s no connection \u2014 in most cases, activity will hasten your recovery Your next step: Start moving and stretching gently as soon as possible. Don&amp;#039;t stay in bed more than two days Symptom: It&amp;#039;s worst in early morning What you think: &amp;quot;I must be sleeping in a weird position&amp;quot; The reality: Back muscles tend to hurt more at day&amp;#039;s end and following activity, not after resting Your next step: A check for inflammatory problems, such as arthritis, that cause morning pain and stiffness Symptom: A terrible pain What you think: &amp;quot;This must be really serious!&amp;quot; The reality: Even temporary problems like muscle sprains can hurt like crazy Your next step: Tell your doctor about your pain, and also be sure to report symptoms like leg weakness      Next: . The First 48 Hours You&amp;#039;ve thrown your back out \u2014 #$%?! While the pain may be terrible, if you&amp;#039;re lucky, it will be short-lived. Here, simple relief measures to get you back on your feet: Chill (Then Thaw) Apply an ice pack (a bag of frozen peas works, too), over a thin shirt or towel, for up to 20 minutes. Or give yourself (or recruit the nearest set of helping hands for) a five-minute ice massage using water frozen in a paper cup with the sides peeled down. Repeat as often as you want, but no more than once an hour. (Ice is a natural pain reliever, and it reduces swelling by causing blood vessels in the area to constrict.) After 48 hours, you want blood flow to increase to help healing, so switch to heat. Reach for the Meds  Or, if reaching is out of the question, dispatch someone to the medicine chest for an anti-inflammatory \u2014 aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), or naproxen (Aleve). These can be started right away (at the highest dose recommended on the label) to reduce pain and swelling. If you&amp;#039;re allergic to these painkillers or they upset your stomach, you can take acetaminophen (Tylenol), but it won&amp;#039;t reduce inflammation as effectively. Consult your doctor if you&amp;#039;re on other medications or if the OTC pills aren&amp;#039;t touching the pain. You may need different or stronger meds, or a muscle relaxant. Rest. A Little. Naturally, you&amp;#039;ll ask your husband to bring the laundry up from the basement and you&amp;#039;ll stop doing any motion you think put you in this predicament. Lie down when you need to, but make sure it&amp;#039;s in a back-neutral position: Try lying on your back with your head supported but not lifted and your knees bent and supported with a cushion. Another option: Lie on your side with one pillow behind your neck and another between your knees. Bed rest is OK only for the first 48 hours; after that (or even in those first two days), walking around will relieve pain-causing tension in your muscles. Talk to your doctor if your pain continues to worsen, and seek professional help right away if:  You&amp;#039;ve fallen, been in a car accident, or had another traumatic injury  You can&amp;#039;t move one or both legs, or you have severe numbness or weakness You lose bowel control or have urinary difficulties, or you lose feeling in the groin (there may be severe nerve involvement)  You have fever \u2014 it could be an infection You experience severe pain with movement, especially if you have arthritis or osteoporosis \u2014 you may have a fracture  "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/health/advice/a18608/back-pain-help/>