Lower Back Injuries

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Lower back injuries are a common occurrence among men and women of all ages, but particularly those in the 30-50 year age range. So, how do they occur and what can you do to help lower back injuries heal?

How it happens
There are all kinds of lower back injuries, but the two main types are a herniated disc, or a pulled muscle. A herniated disc happens when the cushions between your vertebrae get ruptured our pushed out of place. This can be an extremely painful back injury, as the discs can press on nearby nerves and sensitive areas. A pulled muscle is just that †a muscle that has been stretched too far. This can also be quite painful and cause simple activities like walking and bending to be difficult.

Either of these injuries can happen multiple ways. One of the most common ways is improper lifting. Many people when they lift a heavy object off the ground, like a box of books for example, will bend at the waist, then try to stand back up using only their back muscles. This causes a tremendous amount of strain to be placed on your back and can easily result in injury. To prevent this, lift with ...
... your legs. Bend at your knees instead of your waist and use your thighs and claves to stand back up when holding a heavy object.

Another cause of injury is trauma. A car accident or fall can easily displace a disc and do damage to the surrounding muscles.

Additionally, poor posture is another big cause of back injury and pain. Repetitive slouching causes strain to be placed on the lower back, which can eventually result in a herniated disc or pulled muscle.

How to Help it Heal
Once an injury occurs there are a number of natural methods you can use to help your injury heal.

• Try hot and cold therapy. First, apply a cool compress like an ice pack or a package of frozen vegetables to the area. Do this as quickly as possible after the injury has happened. This will help reduce swelling and prevent any pain that might result. Then, try applying heat to help soothe tense areas and relax pain away. For heat that penetrates deep into the muscle, try one of The Healthy Back Institutes infrared heating pads. Their heating pads help provide longer lasting relief and allow heat to go much more deeply into affected muscles. Visit www.losethebackpain.com to shop their selection of infrared heating pads.
• Get a massage. A massage will help increase blood flow to the area, which will promote healing. It will also help relax pain away, and soothe tense and irritated muscles.
• Dont lie around too much. Although it may be tempting to rest the area, becoming too stagnant can cause additional pain by resulting in stiff muscles and joints. Try to stay as active as possible. Even light exercise like a walk can help keep the blood pumping, and help your body to heal.
• Sit up straight! Address injuries caused by poor posture by straightening up. If you spend a lot of time sitting at work, consider investing in a lower back support cushion. The Healthy Back Institute provides a wide variety of support cushions to help you straighten up.

The Healthy Back Institute provides a number of natural remedies and suggestions for relieving lower back pain due to injuries. Visit their website at www.losethebackpain.com today to help your lower back injuries get on the road to healing.