We want to put an end to back pain as soon as it starts, but sometimes we unknowingly end up prolonging pain or making it worse because of our actions after discomfort sets in. You probably have a pretty good idea of what you should do if your back starts hurting, but you also want to be aware of some actions that you’ll want to avoid if you’re trying to overcome discomfort. In today’s blog, we spotlight four things that you’ll want to avoid doing if you’re trying to recover from a back injury.
Activities To Avoid When Your Back Is Hurting
The following advice is general in nature, and you should always consider turning to a professional that you can visit in person for more individualized advice for your specific ailment. With that said, for many common back injuries, you’ll want to avoid these four activities when trying to recover.
- Sleeping On Your Stomach – Sleeping on your stomach will increase the amount of pressure on your spine and the connective spinal joints, oftentimes causing these areas to be stressed at a time when they should be resting. This position also means that you’ll need to turn your neck in order to sleep, which puts increased tension on your cervical spine. Sleep on your back or on your side with a pillow between your legs for added support.
- Laying In Bed All Day – Let’s stick with the bed theme and explain why being too protective of your back after an injury can actually slow down your recovery. Rest is typically helpful for the first 24-48 hours, but after that, controlled exercise, stretching and physical therapy will help to strengthen the affected area and help you recover faster. Don’t lay in bed for a week and expect to be back to normal because you took it easy on your spine. After initial rest, your spine will be better off with a gradual return to normal activities.
- Extended Seated Periods – This is a good tip to keep in mind at all times, but it’s especially important if you’re working to overcome a back injury. Long seated periods will put static stress on your spine at a time when it’s weakened, which can prolong discomfort. Moving or standing up will change how stress is dispersed and keep certain areas from being overloaded. Your lumbar spine is particularly susceptible to discomfort if you sit for long periods, so be mindful not to sit down for too long if that’s where your original discomfort is housed.
- High-Impact Exercises – The last two tips suggest that we want you to be active, and that’s true, but you also need to be smart about the type of activity you pursue. Certain movements and exercises can serve to make your preexisting injury worse, so avoid actions like sit-ups, toe-touches or high-impact activities like running or jumping. All of these actions can put an immense amount of strain on your spine, and even if it’s just for a moment, it can lead to worse pain if your back is already weakened as a result of a prior injury.
One thing that you shouldn’t avoid if you are dealing with acute or chronic back pain is a visit with Dr. Sinicropi. He can get to the bottom of your pain and set you up with an individualized treatment plan to help you put your pain behind you. For more information, or to set up an appointment with his office, give Dr. Sinicropi and the team at The Midwest Spine & Brain Institute a call today at (651) 430-3800.
