Lower back pain symptoms usually resolve in 4 to 6 weeks

Q: I am 45 and relatively healthy. About a year ago, I hurt my lower back while working in the yard. I felt a sharp pain and could barely walk. It took about a month to heal. Then a month ago, I hurt my back again — this time while lifting my young son. Is there anything I can do to speed the healing process? How can I prevent this from recurring?

A: Lower back pain episodes are common among adults, with about

80% of adults experiencing lower back pain at some point during their lives. Lower back pain is one of the top five reasons that individuals seek medical care. In many cases, lower back pain resolves on its own. Most people have significant improvement in their pain within 14 days, and symptoms usually resolve in 4 to 6 weeks.

Unfortunately, it’s not uncommon for lower back pain to recur. The biggest predictor of developing lower back pain is having a history of prior lower back pain episodes. As many as

50% of acute lower back pain sufferers will experience another episode of back pain within a year. However, only a small percentage of those people go on to develop chronic lower back pain.

To ease your lower back pain flare, there are a number of self-care steps you can take. First, maintain your usual activities as much as possible, but do be cautious with movements that sharply increase the pain. Second, consider taking a nonprescription pain reliever. Anti-inflammatory medication, such as naproxen and ibuprofen, may be of benefit for short-term use. There are also topical medications that people find effective at times, including counter-irritants for heat/cold, lidocaine from numbing and anti-inflammatories for more local use.

If over-the-counter medications are not enough, talk to your health care provider about a muscle relaxant to reduce symptoms. The use of the medications is not to eliminate your pain but rather to reduce it to allow you to resume more movements and activities. Be aware that prescription medications may have more side effects, such as nausea, sedation or constipation.

Physical therapy during the acute episode can be an important part of treatment for lower back pain. It should involve teaching you to use heat or cold therapies, proper stretching exercises and the safest strengthening exercises — especially the abdominal core muscles. Practicing good posture and proper body mechanics also can help reduce pain.

Additional passive interventions that may provide some short-term benefit include massage, acupuncture, low-level laser treatment and spinal mobilization. These soft tissue or joint mobilizations may be done by therapists, chiropractors or osteopaths. Other, more active interventions to consider are yoga, Pilates or an aquatic exercise program.

Once the pain goes away, take measures to reduce your risk of future lower back pain episodes. Use good posture and follow your health care provider’s instructions on how to bend, lift and move to ensure proper back biomechanics. You also may incorporate back-friendly practices into your daily life, such as using a chair that has good back support at work and at home, or using a desk that changes levels to move from sitting to standing intermittently.

Regular exercise can strengthen your muscles, which makes it less likely you’ll have future lower back pain episodes.

Finally, if you smoke, stop. Smoking accelerates spinal degeneration, and that contributes to the development of back pain.

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