Back pain, even just persistent soreness, sucks. Trust me, I know. I’ve been dealing with it for nearly six years now. I’ve been meaning to write this article for a long time so I could help someone else with back pain, but instead I kept pushing it onto fictional characters so they could feel my pain. But, hey, I’m finally writing this!
Keep in mind, though, that I am not a doctor, and this is all based on my own experience. If your pain is severe and/or continuous, definitely get an actual doctor to check it out for you.
My first piece of advice is pretty straightforward: if you can, stop doing the thing that’s making your back hurt. Often this can happen from sitting too long or being hunched over something (a computer, the dishes, other chores, etc). Of course, there are times when you have to keep doing these things—sitting for class, standing for work, finishing a paper or your chores—but once you finish, give yourself a break. Continuing on with a sore back is no fun.
The same goes for when your back hurts when you’re just sitting or standing while doing something like watching Netflix. Allow yourself to sit if you’re standing or lay down if you’re sitting; sometimes the change is what you need to give your back a break! Be careful of your posture in each case, though; even though it may be comfortable, sitting or laying down in an awkward position can make everything worse for Future You. Additionally, it helps some people to put a pillow under their back when lying down. While it doesn’t help me personally, one of my friends does this and it greatly helps them.
Sometimes pain can’t be avoided; my back often hurts against my will when the weather goes from 30 degrees to 45 degrees and up, and vice versa. Then once the weather hits below freezing, soreness and pain is all too common. When this happens and the back pain is localized in muscles, a heating pad or a product like Biofreeze can help relieve the pain. Biofreeze is technically medicated—the active ingredient is menthol—so perhaps try a heating pad first to see if that works for you. I always find it better to try non medicated reliefs first, since I’m not a fan of taking medication of any sort unless I have to. That being said, I’m often reminded that Ibuprofen can also help if the pain doesn’t stop after a couple hours.
If you have someone who will do it for you, back rubs can help, too. This also only works depending on the person, since sometimes the pain could be too great or too deep for the average person to get to. Battery-operated back massagers feel just as wonderful, too.
Hopefully one of these works for you, but the most important takeaway is to listen to your body. Don’t try to push yourself if you don’t have to and be sure to get lots of rest!